#last night i went to a concert and the singer had an absolutely incredible voice like stage presents off the charts even when
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I just saw some le sserafim at coachella videos on my insta explore page and kpop really must have rotted some people's brains bc those were not good live vocals
#fio.txt#like stan who you want but you gotta accept that somwtimes theyre just not as good as you want them to be ahshs#last night i went to a concert and the singer had an absolutely incredible voice like stage presents off the charts even when#you closed your eyes#like that was a GREAT singer and then those girls in direct comparison? im so sorry im sure theyre doing their best but uh#idk give them vocal training or smth im sure the company is rich enough for that
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Long post incoming! I wanted to share my thoughts about the Hololive EN Connect the World concert I went to last night.
overall, the concert was fun and amazing and I had a really good time. it was great being surrounded by other fans. it's like being in a comfy swarm of strangers that are somehow also your friends. it's surreal.
I was sitting waaaaaay in the back, so while I got a clear view of the entire stage, the giant screen felt small. they weren't Hatsune Miku style holograms as I had thought. but I will say that this was the only negative thing I have to say.
it really felt like yet were actually looking at us and hearing us. the only awkward one was Kiara, who had quiet pauses at the end of her sentences 🥲 still love you, Kiwawa!
hopefully it was audible, but after Fauna's performances, dudes would yell "I love you, Fauna!" "I love you, Fauna!" and I tagged on at the end "I also love you, Fauna!!"
this happened 2 or 3 times lol 😂 I wanted Fauna to know that she has female fans, too!!!!!! 💚
fans are great. While waiting for a ride back to the hotel, I spotted a squad wearing Deadbeat shirts and I yelled, "Let's go, Deadbeats!" and they all cheered really loud!! My Calli nui high fived another one! it was a special moment lol
Calli was amazing as always. I'm glad she got to use her guitar scythe. wanted, wasted is such a hype song, I wished I knew the lyrics better to sing along! 🩷
I'm so glad Kiara sang SPARKS. I've recently started getting more into her music, but I've always admired her as a dancer. the song was so hype, I was bouncing out of my seat. just such a good song. 🧡
Ame had improved SO MUCH since her debut. absolutely amazing. ChikuTaku is an insanely fun song. I was singing along. Such a stark contrast to her purin song at 3rd fes. she was really moving and singing, she feels like an idol 💛
Gura did great as always. looking forward to the song when it officially comes out. Gura fans are always so hype, it was great 🩵
Ina did amazing on Ghost. she's another one who's singing has improved and become so much more confident since her debut. and the takodachis are nuts as always. but so much fun.
they were so hype, they jumped the gun on Ina's call and response lol. just way too much excitement!!!! 💜
I can't believe Kronii wasn't at 100% because of her jaw??? because she did freaking amazing. I love her singing voice. such a legend. her dancing was so good, too, I did not expect her to shake it so much on that stage. just amazing. 💙
Mumei took me by surprise. I knew she was a good singer, but she really delivered the emotion of the song. just wonderful. 🤎
Bae was incredible as the opening singer. she freaking delivered. dancing, singing, her performance was amazing. I loved that she encouraged everyone to sing along with the end of the song. what a way to start, just blowing it out of the park. ❤️
Fauna!!! my dear kirin...she was amazing. her singing and dancing have improved SO MUCH since she debuted, it blew me away. even since 4th fes she's just improving exponentially. She was so cute, it warmed my heart and soul. I ALSO LOVE YOU, FAUNA!!! 💚
finally, Irys was every bit the idol that you'd expect. Amazing performances, I really liked her song choices. You're not alone. 💗
The guest performances were also great, as expected from the jp senpai and ID girls are all so cracked. I was hoping they'd sing more with the EN girls and maybe get some shuffle units in there, but I'm also satisfied with what they all sang.
I was worried about what they'd do for Council's unit song, Rise, in regards to Sana's lines. but I'm very happy with how they handled it.
everyone singing Sana's final "for eternity" together felt very poignant. hit me right in the kokoro, as it always does.
the audience chanting for an encore was funny because we chanted for so long we got tired and started to lose hope...and then BANG. Encore song.
that little video of everyone's 3D journey almost got me. tears did well up. 🥹
Hololive EN forever! 🩷🧡💛🩵💜💙🤎❤️💚💗🪐
#hololive en#holoENConnect#Hololive EN Connect the World#mori calliope#ceres fauna#hololive myth#hololive council#illustrated diary#blog post#deadbeat#idk what else to put here just that i love hololive en
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ok a few smyths concert reflections!!!
first of all 2 full fucking hours of smiths music blasted into my ears holy shit !!!
their singer is incredible but also doesn’t sound that much like morrissey bc i think what all these morrissey impersonators have in common is that they overdo the vibrato. moz the man himself has a voice and tone that SUGGESTS vibrato but he’s actually very very light on it
their guitarist i wasn’t that fond of tho bc he kept on chucking in these rock solos and played with a real rock sound whereas i feel like johnny’s smiths riffs REALLY need that jangle?? it’s a stylistic choice tho which i can respect even if i don’t agree with it
consequently it really really highlighted to me what a fucking travesty it is that Strangeways was never played live by the smiths. ESPECIALLY Last Night I Dreamt like what i wouldn’t do to have a moz performance with that beautiful johnny riff… it is NOT the same with anyone else doing it or them doing it separately
i also think it’s criminal that songs like HKIMN or Bigmouth got memed into being more popular than Still Ill bc the crowd reaction to what is one of THE best smiths songs was just absolutely Not It.
HOWEVER i will stand by the fact that There Is A Light holds the rightful crown of deserving to be their most popular song. Not only is it beautiful but it also provides a perfect call & response for the crowd. If you want a recorded example of this the BEST version is on Johnny’s Adrenalin Baby live album.
they had a minute of silence for andy 💔 - said they were glad to have known him and that he was really supportive of the band
spoke to a lovely older gentleman who told me that johnny was briefly in new order. reminded him that it was Electronic not new order 😅
overall im so glad that smiths tribute bands exist and obviously smyths are one of the best. tho i will say that moz was definitely better tho. astounds me that he still sounds incredible at this day and age, at least the night i went
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I don't have time to write as much as I'd like right now, because annoyingly, I have to go to work all day before I can sit down and properly process last night's Grace Petrie concert (and watch the Taskmaster episode that I missed for the Grace Petrie concert, I have to do that). But I will say, you know how often at a show, even one you enjoy by someone you like, a small part of you is glad when it starts wrapping up? You start to wonder how much longer it'll go, just because there's a limit to how long we want to sit in one spot with strangers? "Often" is the wrong word, I've been to plenty of shows by my favourite people where that didn't happen. But at an average or even above average show, I start to hit my limit near the end.
Not even the tiniest bit in this one. When she said she only had two songs left, I was purely disappointed; absolutely nothing at the back of my mind thought "Oh good, it'll be nice to get back to my own bed." I could very, very happily have stayed there all night. It somehow exceeded my high expectations.
God, her voice. I think I hadn't fully appreciated how very good her singing voice is, just from a pure singing talent perspective. I knew it was good, I didn't realize just how good until I heard it all night, undiluted by the influence of recording file quality or speaker quality.
Also... I went up to the merch table at intermission. I did first buy a CD of an album that I already have off Bandcamp, and got her to sign it, as a ruse to show her that I am a normal person who wouldn't do something incredibly weird like bring someone else's poster to her show and ask her to sign it. The CD purchase was also a bribe - my parents taught me when I was young and going to folk festivals that singers hang around their merch table to make money; if you give them money for a CD then they won't mind you standing there talking to them for a short time, and sometimes it's worth buying a CD you already have as the price to briefly talk to your favourite singers while they sign it.
Then I pulled out this, and she was so nice about it. I said some incoherent thing like "I have such a strange request, I so hope you're not offended that it's someone else's thing, I'm a huge fan of your music not just the comedy, but I love the idea of having something signed by both of you so I'd love to get yours on this, because it's from close to the first year you toured together..."
"No, no, I'm not offended, Josie Long is one of my best friends! Can I take a picture of this to send her?" That was her answer as she signed it, and then she took a picture of that with her own phone. To send to Josie Long. In addition to the pictures my dad took on his phone and sent to me while I did this.
She played every song I wanted her to play (played much of the Connectivity album, which I think is her best one in addition to being her most recent). She closed on The Losing Side, my favourite song of hers, had the audience sing, that's going down as one of my favourite live music moments. Second last she did Black Tie, which I've always thought was very good but not quite her best one, maybe not as good as some others that seem less famous. But hearing it live gave me a new appreciation for it. I think the studio version I heard was more produced. Live with just her and her guitar and one guy accompanying her (Ben Moss, he was great, there were gorgeous harmonies all night), stripped back compared to the studio version, that song is so fucking beautiful. I understand the hype around it more now.
She got to the end and said only one more song, and I thought this night has been perfect so far, she's played all my favourites except my one top favourite, made a new favourite out of Black Tie for me... there's just one more thing I want, will I get it? Then she turned to her musical accompanyist Ben Moss, and mouthed some words that I was sure were "The Losing Side", and then I knew the night was perfect. The fact that she had to say that to him suggests to me she doesn't close with it every night, she had to let him know what to get ready to play. So I got lucky. So lucky. Fucking hell, so lucky. She had the audience sing the chorus and I didn't even mind that I'm normally not a partipator in these things and my dad was next to me (I'd thought we'd have different seats, turns out it was general admission), I happily participated and I'm glad I did. That's another song that really made me realize how amazing her voice is when I heard it in person.
Not a single song dragged or felt boring. Do you know rare it is to go an entire full length concert where not a single song feels a bit like filler? God, incredible night from start to finish. Could not have asked for more.
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First off, hope you had a good & safe Thanksgiving. Second, I come bearing gifts.
And third? My takeaways from the ATEEZ concert last night.
It’s a cult. They are leaders of a cult we all just willingly joined.
The really be popping pussy from beginning to end. Like no warm up either. Straight up coming out and popping it.
They ALL sounded amazing live and were very stable for the level of performance they were giving us.
San is incredibly stable even when he’s mid flight.
Wooyoung has a really sweet voice
Again, all sound amazing live.
Also Jongho said his mic is on and has always been on *snaps in z formation*
Yunho got me looking. Enough said.
Hongjoong has BDE.
San and your boy Yeosang were serving straight up pussy.
Speaking of Yeosang, the cyberpunk performance? Straight up criminal. I didn’t know I’d be attending a strip club. Wigs were snatched. Breaths were lost. Dicks were grabbed. No..literally.. got a full on dick shot from ya boy. Jail? Jail.
I was in a Yeosang section. The girlies were no fairing well.
Seonghwa was serving straight up dick. Like put that tongue away.
DEMON LINE
SEEING DEMON LINE LIVE
IT WAS UNHOLY
Everyone progressively got less dressed but my boy Jongho got more dressed as the show went on.
“Balance.” - Lay
Jongho “I may not show any skin but I will wear the tightest leather pants and slay” Choi
I am still so heartbroken and sad that I could never get tickets for ateez 😭😭😭 istg my chest hurts when I even think about that stupid situation.
I'm glad that you got to experience the greatness, though, and that you had fun!! 😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ These pictures make me 🥴🥴🤧🤧
I absolutely agree that being an atiny just means we're in a cult lmao. It's the best cult I've ever joined!! 😤😤 (I like that this insinuates I've joined other cults lmao.)
MY BOYS ARE PERFOMERS!! 👏👏 There's no lies being told!! They are SINGERS and their mics are always ON. 👏👏
CYBERPUNK!! YOU LIVED MY CYBERPUNK DREAMS!! 😭😭❤️❤️ You grab that dick, Yeo!! 👏👏 I've been LIVING for the Twitter videos from the other concerts lol. I'm very happy to hear the girlies were struggling thanks to Yeosang. It's what he deserves 😤😤
DEMON LINE!! How did you survive demon line?!?! 😭😭 omg I bet they were so messy 😭😭 your descriptions are giving me life!! 😭😭
THE JONGHO COMMENTS!! 💀💀💀 IM CRYING!! 😂😂😂 He got more dressed as the show went on 💀💀💀 that's GOLD
Oh god. Thank you so much for all of this. This was ICONIC. This made my entire day so much better. You're the best, and I hope you've been good and had a great Thanksgiving (if you celebrate)!! ❤️❤️❤️
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Seeing Skid Row in Concert 20/10/2022✨
This was my first ever rock concert and wow did it set the bar high! I saw them in Brighton with my sister, and the support bands were Collateral and Enuff Z’nuff. the venue was essentially a small nightclub, definitely not designed with bands like Skid Row in mind, but it just made it more intimate and a better vibe overall🥰 I can honestly say that this was one of the best nights on my life so far, and I'll try my best to recount the events. Pictures will be posted soon!
Even tho we got there about 90 mins before doors, we were still second in line and were let in after about 40 mins.
I was talking to a lady in the line as well who had seen the Stadium Tour, and basically every rock band you could think of.
like we would name drop and she would say “aw yes i’ve seen them they're great i’m friends with x members” I honestly love that for her she was so cool.
I was expecting to be waiting for a while so I didn't have my tickets ready and was panicking trying to find them lmao. I was right near the front of the line ofc so I was panicking and holding everyone up but it was fine in the end😂
after that fiasco that wast really a fiasco we went in and we were RIGHT FRONT AND FUCKIN CENTER YALL!
it wasn't long at all until Collateral, the first support act, came on and they were actually aMAZING???
They were all on the younger side so I love that they chose up and coming bands to support.
I also forgot how loud live music is let alone rock/metal music rip my ears and I could feel the bass in my fuckin bones
The lead singer of Collateral was the biGGEST HOE EVER I LOVE HIM SM
mans was pullin shapes and swishing his long af hair around I love that
at one point he got up onto the barrier and was singing right into this one woman’s soul, she was holding onto his hips and he was holding her face with one had uUHHH it was all very hoe-ish of him and I know that woman was absolutely living
the guitarist also tried to crowd surf (I think?) but I think the security stopped him AKDJFKHJ so he was just kinda sitting on the barrier shredding on the guitar as you do ofc
anyways yeah Collateral were cool af and very early Skid Row esque you should check them out!
The next support act was Enuff Z’nuff and oh my god were they eccentric.
I've heard of the band before and i’ve listened to a few of their songs but I didn't know how cool they were live!
Chip, the lead singer and bassist, is just the epitome of seasoned glam rocker dude and he was so chaotic.
as in the band entered the stage to circus music (you know the one I mean) and I was like oH ok this is what we’re dealing with.
thy also played a glam metal version of Eleanor Rigby which was beautiful and unexpected.
one of the guitarists looked so much like Mike from the Young Ones as well, and the drummer was also v cute I think I might have a small crush on him-
but now its the time you've all been waiting for: SKID MF ROW ARE IN THE HOUSEEE
the last song the venue played before Skid Row went on was Crazy Train and everyone was losing their shit it was awesome
just as they were coming onto the stage Scotti gave me The Eyes™ and I almost evaporated there and then. boi was also wearing sO much eyeliner it was beautiful.
btw incase you didn't know the new singer for Skid Row is a very dapper younger lad by the name of Erik Grönwall, lets just say he will be a very important character throughout the rest of this report.
before they went into the first song and the guitars were just kinda reverbing, Erik just stood right in fucking front of me and sTARED AT EVERONE WITH THE BIGGEST GRIN ON HIS FACE LFJKLDHFKD IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT YALL
they opened with Slave to the Grind and
wow
just wow
they sound iNCREDIBLE live and Erik has the most AMAZING VOICE OH MY FUCKIN JESUS
(no we’re not going to compare them but just to put things into perspective, yes it was just like 80-90s Sebastian Bach)
Erik was also just aggressively head banging at every given opportunity my neck hurt just watching him but you could tell the man was just having the time of his life up there
he is also just sO. FUCKING. CHARMING
YOU CANT NOT FALL IN LOVE WITH THAT MAN I JUST- UUUGHHH
It was also in this first song where the initial realisation sunk in that this is THE Skid Row
as in this is the same Scotti, Snake and Rachel that I watch in all those live performances and interviews and just random videos from the 80s and 90s, and who are probably besties with some of my other favourite musicians and-
Rachel also had a sparkly bass which was so beautiful I want 34 of my own
also no-one told he that Scotti Hill was slightly unhinged djkjfkgh
he would just sTARE at you with The Eyes™ while playing and it was very intimidating so I just stared back when he would do it to me
I guess not many people can say they've had a staring contest with Scotti Hill but here we are😪
They played In A Darkened Room and Psychotherapy which I did NOT expect but I very much appreciate as they are two of my faves
also during IADR Erik Took someones phone and recorded the crowd and the band, I wonder how it feels to have a video as iconic as that one on your phone?
The stage was also small af too so Erik would just stand right at the edge (towering tf over me I might add skskjhkfg) and would knock off all the wires there LMAO
the security had to keep picking them up idk I just thought that that was so funny
another cool thing about Erik that Rachel mentioned is that before Covid happened, Erik was a support act for Skid Row while they were touring, and now hE’S THE LEAD SINGER OF THE BAND HE WAS SUPPORTING THREE YEARS AGO???? AWWWW???
honestly the rest of the night was kind of a blur (in a good way!)
that was until they played I Remember You
it was all going fine and dandy when I randomly decided to reach out my hand
and the beautiful bastard that is Erik Grönwall
REACHED OUT AND HELD MY MF HAND WHILE SINGING RIGHT AT ME
our fingers were interlinked for only a few seconds (I actually dont remember how long it was my brain was freaking out) but within those few seconds I officially sold my soul to Erik
my main character moment
a true core memory for sure
I did see a video someone took of the whole song but you couldn't see me and Erik h*lding h*nds in it lkdgfkldgh😭
he also took someones phone again and recorded everyone which was cool bc everyone had their phones lit up🥰
They closed with Youth Gone Wild which was just perfect because me and my sister were, for this entire concert, the mf youth gone wild🥰
earlier Rachel even said that x song was “from our first album, which was released before some of you guys were even born by the looks of things” and stared straight at me with That Smile Of His
Scotti and Snake were also just jamming together and living their best lives while playing Youth Gone Wild it was beautiful🥰
also when Erik sang “a boss screaming in my ear...” he gestured at Rachel LMAOO
while they were playing the outro I got to high-five Erik once again and I also got to fist bump Rachel, Scotti and Rob
and that was that!
I got a poster and also got to meet Chip there too! he was so cool!
just as we were leaving we also met Snake outside skjhgfsghjkf
he was honestly sO SWEET OH MY GOD
I was very very VERY awkward as i’ve never met anyone famous before and was definitely nOT expecting to meet him and I was also in a rush
we talked for a little bit and took a photo together
I got to hug him twice and that was honestly the cherry on top of a perfect night
i’m having withdrawals already I miss them all sm😭
#thank you for coming to my concert report#hopefully I can make this a regular thing#because I now cRAVE to be at more concerts like this one#there's something about the smaller intimate venue that is just unmatched#lets just say the bar is vERY HIGH#anyways if you're in the UK and are thinking of seeing Skid Row fUCKIN DO IT#even if you dont really listen to them they are amazing#and you will fall head over heels in love with Erik its impossible not to#and hopefully they tour again next year too bc I will for sure be going again#concert log#concert report#live music#rock music#heavy metal#classic rock#glam metal#hair metal#Skid Row
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YOU'VE NEVER HEARD THIS BEFORE!!!!
This summer while in London, for some reason I thought it would be a fun idea to see a band that plays rather often in Seattle and see them for the first time at Hyde Park. Pearl Jam, an obvious gem of Seattle that my parents raised me on, had one hell of a turn out at the festival being held that weekend. I knew that English people liked grunge and punk music, young and old, but I truly did not expect so many people to show out for them the way they did. Eddie Vedder’s voice (I have to admit) is something I am quite amazed by and in his middle age, still knows how to capture an audience and put on a show. It was a truly great and very sweaty night.
Months later in Berlin, Germany I was able to get into Panorama Bar with my friend where we saw Skin on Skin, SCDD Hazmat Team, and Matisa. It was truly an incredible experience, the setting alone was amazing, with many areas decorated with leather couches covered in cigarette ash for people to hang out on when they need a break from dancing too hard. I have to say my favorite of the night was Matisa, who, even though the people there are anything but in the right headspace to watch someone DJ, she put on a show. I love watching people dance to their own music and have fun behind the table, which she absolutely did, and she had an insane remix of "Satisfaction" which if you know anything about me, that song gets me going. In my eyes there is no better dance song.
Upon my arrival back home in Seattle I went to see Arlo Parks the night before classes started, who had Puma Blue as an opener an, as little songs as I know from both performers, the show was still great. Puma Blue has a great frontman who came out on stage in gray sweatpants and a denim jacket, besides the point. The jazz influence with the throaty and mournful sound of Jacob Allen– the lead singer’s– voice made the set calming while also making me tap my foot with an occasional sway. The honorable mentions of the set was "(She’s) Just a Phase" and "Soft Porn". Arlo Parks, without a doubt, was absolutely divine. There is nothing that she could sing that wouldn’t sound beautiful, she came out strong opening with "Green Eyes" and "Porta 400" both songs that set us up for her melancholic sounds the rest of the show. There was not a single person there that wasn’t swaying or hugging their partner or dancing. I have to be honest, I will not be listening to her any more or any less, but I will say she has a beautiful and calming stage presence.
Over the weekend, I was able to go to a concert that I have been anticipating since the last time I saw her in November of 2019. My heart races even thinking about seeing her in person so close yet again, I got to see Julia Jacklin. Her opener, Katy Kirby, was way better than I could have guessed, and a perfect match to Julia’s deeply sad and longing sound. She is most definitely someone that will now be occasionally played on my Spotify. Saturday was Julia’s only solo show on her entire tour, which was also the second show she had here in town and it was one of the best shows I have ever seen in my life. Because it was just her and her beautiful guitar that had tape labeling it as hers, she played mostly her old songs because they are rather guitar heavy, and for that I am glad. She opened with “Comfort” which set the mood for the rest of the show. I doubt there was a dry cheek in the entire building. There is nothing I love more than a crowd that is full (but no one is touching me) and an artist with a guitar talking to the crowd like we are all friends who joined each other for drinks one night. I have said this before, and I will say it again, but if you get the chance to ever see Julia Jacklin live, please take it.
That is all I have for now, there are more playlists and concerts to come but for now, thank you for reading my comeback blog that I hurriedly wrote so no one would forget about my column, I will be back soon.
Peace out girl scouts – abbegayle
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Blog Post 2
So today is Saturday, reminiscing on the memories of Friday night. Last night I went solo to a concert in Bowery, at a venue called the Bowery Ballroom. I had actually gone on behalf of Pan Arcadia, the band in Washington Square Park. They were the opening for another band named Quarters of Change. The venue had three levels: the bottom level was a bar, second level was the stage, and the third was a balcony that stretched across the room. I arrived decently early, giving myself about 30 minutes of wiggle room to roam around. The crowd was composed of cool, funky millennials. I met this guy who was 18, yet I still think I hold the record for the “youngest attendee of the night” award. It was concert time, and Pan Arcadia took the stage with confidence and glee. The first sound from the loudspeakers was a clear trumpet tune, which later followed with their classic, rock melody. Red, blue and purple lights quickly set the tone of the show, creating a cool atmosphere. In sync with the music, the lights would change colors depending on the mood of the certain song they were playing. For example, a mellow song collaborated with green and blue hues, while a loud rock song would be showered in yellow or orange lights.
After Pan Arcadia finished their set, it was time for the main performance. The lead singer of Quarters of Change, named Ben Roter, electrifyingly jumped across the stage to hype up the audience… and boy did it work. Right out of the gate, the crowd was jumping and flailing arms to the beat of the drums. Conveniently, I was standing in the front, so I definitely got my “taste” of moshing. One thing that fascinated me was how loud the speakers were. Maximum capacity of the night was approximately 200 people, yet I felt like I had a concert all to myself. For a smaller stage, the speakers were the clearest and most pronounced I’ve ever heard. Hung at the ceiling was a disco ball, which caught my attention when Roter asked everyone to turn their camera flashers on, in which the ball reflected sunbeams of white into the crowd. It truly was a magical experience, mainly due to the bondage and community within the audience. At first, I felt quite alienated by the fact that I was one of the few underage guests, standing awkwardly around while everyone poured drinks and talked to their friends. Yet, as time went on, I became increasingly integrated into the crowd, dancing and jumping next to some girls around me. And yes, we had the most fun. Quarters of Change, like Pan Arcadia, is a rock band. Ben Roter has a higher pitched voice, and I’d like to say he’s a Tenor 1. Maybe even could pass as an Alto. He sang with passion, while also cheering his bandmates on when they ripped a sick guitar solo. The whole band was hot… especially the drummer. The drummer kept his shirt off the entire performance, completely soaked with sweat by the end. One of my favorite songs from Quarters of Change was called Kiwi. The stage was adorned with green and yellow lighting, while one of the guitarists had a field day with his talent. His solo was absolutely outstanding, and was one of my favorite highlights. Overall, I had an incredible experience, especially being my first concert in the city. Cheers to many more!
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any human friend • graham coxon/reader
i know its been a while but at last its here! thank u so much for the prompt anon, hope u didn’t give up on me n i hope u guys enjoy it jkhkdjd loved writing this fic so much
word count: 2.873
pairing: graham/fem!reader
It’s a Saturday. Usually, you always have plans with your friends after your concerts, but for different reasons they all canceled that day's meeting. Life was tough for artists on the rise. The week had been exhausting enough that you wouldn't give up drinking to forget about your problems. When you arrive at the pub, you don’t recognize any familiar face, and, somewhat disappointed, you sit next to a man with graying hair who is very concentrated on his phone.
A bummer of a night for such a talkative girl.
“One pint of lager and a packet of crisps, please.” You order, mindlessly tapping on the table to the beat of a random rhythm. You kept stealing sideways glances at the man sitting by your side.
“Can’t believe she did this.” The man mutters, still very concentrated on whatever he was watching or reading. You, for a split second, thought he was judging your very basic order for some reason but then noticed he just thought out loud, and you joke: “What’s wrong with my order, mate?”
This takes him out of his trance as he awkwardly and quickly apologizes, and while you calm him down you notice he’s one of the artists that shared the stage with you on The Nightingale earlier that day. He was absolutely incredible - you wanted to tell him how much you enjoyed his music but didn’t get the chance. Well, apparently now’s the time. “Wait, I saw you playing today.” is what you say, mid sentence, a little starstruck even though, just like you, he wasn’t famous. You were at the same page in a matter of stardom, actually. He blushes and smiles, and after he takes a long sip of his drink, he asks: “And did you like it?”
“A lot!” You answer a little too excitedly, containing yourself so you don’t scare him away. Music was always a topic that excited you to the point of making you tremble sometimes. “Um, you’re an awesome songwriter. I played in The Nightingale today too, I don’t know if you were already there when I played. My name's Y/N, by the way. You’re Graham, right?”
“I actually arrived when you were at the stage. And yes, I-I'm Graham, nice to meet you, Y/N.” he chuckles, giving you his entire attention after he shakes your hand. Turns out you’ve found a company on this lonely Saturday night. “You’re an awesome singer, I’m quite honored to hear that you enjoyed my show.”
It was now your turn to blush, and you playfully motion as if dismissing his comment. “You were something else. ‘In The Morning’? I think that was the name of the first song?” He nods, basking on the attention his work has gotten from a fellow artist, and you continue: “Your playing alone somehow sounded like 3 different guitars on that one. Don’t Believe Anything I Say was a favorite of mine too, what an earworm.”
“You remember the names.” He notes, genuinely surprised and… happy. “Your voice blew me away too. You… you were stellar.”
God knows how hard it is to make a name for yourself. Actually, to make people just pay attention to what you’re doing when you aren’t a commercially successful musician is really tough. You know how you feel when you’re complimented in that sense, and you’re shocked that Graham’s artistry has been ignored all this time. He truly deserves the praise, and you want to give it to him.
“Thank you, you’re too kind. I mean, how could I not remember the names of your songs? They’re fantastic. For how long you’ve been playing?” Your order arrives, and you eat your crisps while he talks about the role music has had in his life. His reveal that it’s just a hobby to him surprises you.
“And what do you do for a living?”
“I paint. I’m a visual artist.” He steals some of your chips. “I enjoy it just as much as I like to play, but only painting is putting money in my pocket. What about you?”
“I actually work at a bank, but I’m trying to make music my main job. Do you plan on changing careers in the future, or…?”
“Oh, no. I’m too old to be a rockstar.” He ruffles his hair, timidly. There was something about this man. He’s quirky and seemingly distrait at his absurd musical talent, you almost feel offended at what he says about himself.
He also has super broad shoulders and his arms are somehow really strong and his lips inviting but you push these thoughts to the back of your mind. He’s a total stranger, after all. An adorable and extremely talented stranger, but still a stranger.
“What the hell are you talking about? You’re awesome, bloody hell, I became a fan of yours just from that gig and music’s just a hobby to you. I imagine you’re bloody Da Vinci when painting.”
“I’m really not all that, I swear.” He laughs. "Something I found curious was that you only stuck to covers. Why is that?"
“Oh. You noticed.” You answer, a little embarrassed. “I’m still not that confident in my own material. I write songs, but… let’s say I trust my music taste way more for now.” He nods in understanding. “But before you lecture me though,” he chuckles at your energy as you continue ranting. “I know how important it is for me to sing my own songs, I’m just building up courage to do it. I still think they’re stupid.”
“The only way to find out is to play them. People make all sorts of faces. It’s like a thermometer.”
“It’s true.” You down some of your pint in hopes it gives you more stuff to talk about. “Which of my songs you liked the most?”
“Well, they’re not your songs,” he jokes, and you share a laugh.
“Shush. Go on,”
“But I quite enjoyed your rendition of that Fiona Apple song and Wild Time. Also your cover of Band on The Run was really great. Not everyone nails that one.”
“Thank you. Those were my favorites too.”
“But I’m looking forward to seeing you again with your own material. Blend them with the others, depending on who you were influenced by, they’ll fit right in.”
“You’re right. Thanks for the words of wisdom, Graham.”
“No problem.” He pauses for an instant. “You’re a regular here, aren’t you?”
“Yes. I’m here with my friends every Saturday night, but they all cancelled on me last minute. Some of them went to see me play, at least.”
“Huh. That’s rare enough. You were lucky.”
“I know. Did... anyone you know... come to see you?” You know what you were trying to ask him, and he knew too.
“Um… Someone used to.”
“What happened?”
“We weren’t exactly right for each other.” he smiled wistfully. “Did someone other than your friends… see you?”
“Not really, no.”
A comfortable silence hangs between you two, as both of you share some shy smiles. A song by The Smiths starts playing in the background, and that’s enough to get the gear of a nice talk running once again. You really liked this man. Gradually, he talks more about himself, and also learns so much about you in the span of a few hours.
As you feel more comfortable and used to his presence, you allow the back of your hand to brush against his a few times as you pick up your food. You give no indication you noticed the weight of his gaze, and you feel the butterflies fluttering on your belly. After eating and having a few more drinks, you were out on the sidewalk.
There's nothing you loved more than the aftermath of afternoon storms. The earthy scent that permeates the city's dusk while its lights are reflecting off the wet asphalt, the mysterious aura that hovers over every street is something that really speaks to your senses, in a way. You also loved how those lights now reflected in Graham’s eyes. He offers to walk you home - after you tell him where you live he agrees it’s indeed not very far. Those who walk past you might think you’ve been friends for years.
As he walks you up to your door, you feel he’s reluctant to say goodbye. And so are you.
And the inevitable question escapes from your lips.
“Will I see you again?”
“I… I hope so.” He answers, somewhat relieved you asked. “Whenever you feel like it. And… whenever you’re free, of course.”
“I’d love to. Actually… Graham, if you can, of… of course, I-I want you to stay tonight.”
He blinks, as if the invite went completely over his head. You giggle, and make your intent more clear. “Gosh, don’t make me repeat myself. I want you to come inside.”
“Inside, yes,” he blushes, his eyes shining. He reacts like a flustered, yet excited, teenager. “Of course. I want to stay too, then.”
-
You were definitely not expecting to bring someone home tonight, so your flat is a cozy mess you try to conceal as coyly as you can. You show him to the couch, and after handing him another beer, you go to the kitchen to fiddle with your temperamental oven to try and get it to warm up enough to cook a frozen pizza. While you wait for it to cook, you stand in the balcony, watching him from afar still wondering about the courage you mustered to bring him home.
His eyes met yours, and there it was, that cute, easy smile of his again. He sighs, as if silently asking what was going to happen next. And you answer. “I barely ate anything today because I was so nervous I was finally playing on The Nightingale. I know we ate already but I’m still hungry, sorry for being anticlimactic.”
“Don’t worry.” He looks around, a little nervous. I guess that’s a first for him too, you think. “Cute place.”
“I recently moved so there’s still a lot to unpack, but I haven’t had the time.”
Small talk ensues, and after you finally eat what you need, you share the couch with him - in a somewhat of a bold move, but just to show how comfortable you feel around him, you place your head over his shoulder. His arms fall over yours.
“Thanks for not letting me spend my Saturday night alone.” You murmur, positioning yourself so your face is closer and facing his. He tends to speak with his brown eyes - which are now cast on your mouth. He answers by very calmly slipping his hands below your ears, making you shiver, and pulling you to a tender kiss.
Then he says, “Thank you for having me.”
He kisses you fully now as you arch into him. His hands are now inside of your coat, teasing to take it off, but before they explore your skin further than your sides, he asks if they can, if you’re comfortable with going all the way. You nod, positively impatient. After a few more heated moments of kisses, you now find yourself on your back, with just your bra and jeans on, his weight on top of you as his lips travel down your jawline and your neck. His fingers run tantalizingly through the hem of your high-waisted jeans. “Planning on taking that off any time soon?” he whispers.
“I was afraid you might think I was going too fast if I went any further, actually,” you giggle. “Do the honors.”
“My pleasure.”
After he takes it off you, he pulls you closer to him, your bare skin against his still very clothed one, and you wrap your legs around his waist, once again trying to be as near and physically intimate with him as possible. He seemed to want that too, slowly rocking his hips against yours, groaning softly. “Please get rid of those too,” You whine, voice slightly breathy, tugging lightly at his striped shirt. Your wish is his command.
Now that he’s shirtless, if he was already an eyeful to you before, you absolutely can’t take your eyes off his body now. He’s surprisingly fit for his age, though that wasn’t something you were particularly meticulous about. You were aching for him, painfully wet, and your anticipation was almost tangible in the air you shared - he detected it, apparently, and you hear the slightest waver in his voice when he adjusts himself to slowly begin stroking you over your underwear. “Tell me if I’m going too hard.” The softness of his voice made you shiver. You nodded, not intending to tell him anything of the sort as you pressed yourself harder into the soft pads of his fingers, gradually picking up speed. In a few more moments, you were worked up enough to nearly panting.
You pull your panties to the side and guide his hand to your heat directly. His other hand lifts your chin. “You want to see my face while you touch me, right?” you asked, voice smokey. He huffed gently, eyes darting away, a light blush spreading on his cheeks while your breath starts to falter. You don’t know what does it, exactly – the slow and deliberate circling on your clit, the lingering over skin that makes you whimper your pleasure, or the gentle flick of a finger over the small bead of nerve endings, but suddenly everything is blurry starbursts and your body is spasming with the intensity of your orgasm.
You let out a sound that’s hallway between a whimper and a sigh as reality blurs back into your consciousness. As you come down from your high, you try to say something but your voice doesn’t seem to be working quite yet, so instead you shut your eyes and let out a long breath. That had been intense. You wonder what Graham has in store for you next.
His finger then enters you without warning and your hips buck involuntarily into the penetration. You clench around him, gnawing at your bottom lip as he eased his finger in and out of you. You closed your eyes and shuddered at how good it felt. He pushed two in deep and crooked his fingers. You felt a flush of new heat radiate from your middle. “Don’t stop,” you whispered, shakily, and sank into it.
“I don’t intend to.” He coos as he presses the pads of his fingers against the walls of your pussy. Involuntarily, you made this needy guttural sound you’d never heard from yourself before. You wanted to ask what he was doing to you. While it felt good, it was different. There was a new kind of tension now. It wasn’t like your first climax. This was hot and urgent and taut like a fist clenching. You writhed on the couch and mewled for something.
Feeling you were close once again, he abruptly stops his movements - that fucker! - to your clear dissatisfaction - and rids himself of the rest of his clothes. His size intimidates you a bit, but you were determined to make it work. Once his hips are adjusted to meet yours once again and he puts on protection, after a few more kisses and a few more hard breaths, he is inside you, hands not leaving your clit this time as the eager hips of both of you started to settle into a cohesive pace.
"So fucking tight," he breathes. Your fingers dig into his skin as he's getting faster and more urgent with every thrust. His breathing is ragged and his eyes are half closed, and you tilt your face up and kiss him sloppily. There is no possibility for precision. Your bodies are rocking back and forth together too quickly for that. He grabs your ass, drinking in the moans he pulls out of you. "Come on my cock, baby, touch yourself for me," He murmurs into your ear, teeth grazing the lobe. Your attempt at a reply is cut off by another moan, pleasure overriding your senses.
He isn’t going to last very long, not if he keeps fucking you like his sole purpose is tearing you apart. And neither will you, as one of your hands goes to your clit and moves in sync with his hard thrusts. You want to tell him that you're about to come, but you can’t, you can barely form coherent thoughts, let alone coherent phrases, so you tighten the hand that’s gripping his arm tight and you press a bruising kiss to his lips while you clench around him, hoping it’s enough. Seconds after, judging by the way his breath falters and his pace becomes slightly more mechanical before it slows down and stops, you guess that has done it for him too. You stay some long minutes in that position after you're both done, completely spent.
He pulls out of you after he gives your forehead a small kiss. "That was amazing." He smiles, voice still a little breathy. "You're incredible in every way."
"So are you, and I didn't even know about that talent of yours."
"Got some more time for me to show you the rest of them?"
"Definitely."
#graham coxon#graham coxon x reader#britpop#smut#imagine#reader insert#blur#blur band#graham x reader
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Last of the Red Hot Mamas
The Queen of Jazz
Sophie Tucker was a singer and comedienne whose powerful voice and brassy wit delighted audiences for over six decades.
Sophie’s Jewish parents had to escape from Russia in 1886 after her father had deserted the Russian military, and she was born on the boat to America. The family settled in Hartford, Connecticut where they ran a kosher boarding house and restaurant. Sophie and her three siblings worked hard in the family business, waking up at 3 am every day to peel and chop vegetables before school. After Sophie got home she waited tables and washed dishes.
From almost the moment of birth, Sophie had a huge and magnetic personality. She was confident, sassy, and uninhibited. Jewish vaudeville stars often stayed at her family’s boarding house and she was fascinated by them and their lives. She always knew she was destined for a life in show business. Her parents absolutely forbade her to join the paskudnyaks (rascals) who stayed at their rooming house. Sophie still found a way to perform – she started singing for their guests as she served them. “I would stand up in the narrow space by the door and sing with all the drama I could put into it. At the end of the last chorus, between me and the onions there wasn’t a dry eye in the place.”
Desperate to leave home, she eloped in 1903 with local beer truck driver Louis Tuck. When they returned, her parents organized a traditional Orthodox wedding for them. They had a son, Burt, in 1906, and lived with her family, where she was back to her old role of cooking, cleaning, and serving customers. Meanwhile a frequent guest was Willie Howard, a popular vaudeville comedian and the first to use openly Jewish content in his act. He was impressed by Sophie’s natural talent as an entertainer, and he urged her to move to New York and break into show business. Sophie’s husband Louis did not share her enthusiasm for the stage and after she told him she wanted to move to New York, he took off. Soon, Sophie left Burt with her family, telling them she was going to New Haven for a short vacation. Instead, she moved to New York and never returned. She was 19 years old. Burt was raised by Sophie’s family, and Sophie kept in frequent contact with them over the years.
Sophie arrived in New York with a letter of introduction to a famous composer from Willie Howard, but the composer wasn’t impressed by her singing. She was quickly able to find work singing at coffeehouses and saloons. At the German Village, a popular beer garden, she sang 50-100 songs a night for $15 a week. She was such a hit that she was soon making over $150 a week in pay and tips.
Sophie was generous with her money. She sent most of what she made to her family, and lived in a shabby boarding house where the other residents were prostitutes. A nice Jewish girl from Hartford, Sophie had never encountered this type of woman before, but she wasted no time making friends with her neighbors, and started a longtime practice of giving free women-only concerts in bordellos. Sophie shared her money and belongings with the call girls, and hid the money they made from their pimps. She later said, “Every one of them supported a family back home, or a child somewhere.”
At the time, $150/week was an impressive salary for a single woman, but it wasn’t enough for Sophie, who wanted to get out of the restaurant business once and for all and make it big in vaudeville. She got her first break in 1907: a chance to audition for impresario Chris Brown’s Amateur Night. After her audition she overheard Brown say, “This one’s so big and ugly, the crowd out front will razz her. Better get some cork and black her up.” He told Sophie that she passed the audition and would be featured in the show. However, she had to do it in blackface. Sophie was aghast at the suggestion, but Brown and the other producers insisted that her only chance for a career in show business was in blackface. She agreed to do it.
Sophie’s first vaudeville gig was at Tony Pastor’s on the Bowery where she was booked for a pre-show before the matinee. When she took the stage, the theater was empty. She started singing, but as people entered the room they completely ignored her, chatting noisily as they awaited the main event. She suddenly stopped the show, and started berating the audience for being so rude to her. Sophie had what Jews call chutzpah – audacious self-confidence – and she displayed so much humor and spirit that the audience fell in love with her. Nobody made a peep for the rest of the show, and they demanded three encores.
She was booked onto the New England Vaudeville circuit to sing African-American spirituals, and got rave reviews everywhere she went. It wasn’t just her big voice audiences loved, it was also her big personality, her confident swagger combined with self-deprecating humor. Sophie had a sharp wit and a voice that didn’t need a microphone to fill a room.
Audiences adored Sophie’s minstrel act, but she hated performing in blackface. Finally, at a performance in Boston, she’d had enough. She told the producer that her blackface makeup and costume were lost in transit, and before he could argue she marched onstage as herself. She told the shocked audience, “You-all can see I’m a white girl. Well, I’ll tell you something more: I’m not Southern. I’m a Jewish girl and I just learned this Southern accent doing a blackface act. And now, Mr. Leader, please play my song.” She never performed in blackface again.
Some of Sophie’s songs were bawdy, filled with innuendo and double entendre, while others were sentimental. Her most popular songs included “Some of These Days” and the Jewish favorite, “My Yiddishe Mama.” Initially Sophie only performed “Yiddishe Mama” in front of mostly Jewish audiences since much of the song was in Yiddish, but she soon found that all audiences loved the song. Even if they didn’t understand all of the words, they could appreciate her heartful singing about her devoted mother.
Sophie did a European tour in the 1920’s which was a huge success. When she arrived in England in 1922, she was greeted by fans with a huge sign reading “Welcome Sophie Tucker, America’s Foremost Jewish Actress!” Looking back at her career later in life, she described that sign as her proudest moment. Sophie performed for King George V and Queen Mary at the London Palladium in 1926. She greeted the monarch with a hearty “Hiya King!” The Daily Express described Sophie as “a big fat blond genius, with a dynamic personality and amazing vitality.” Yiddishe Mama became an international hit, and she was asked to perform the song in Berlin by the Berlin Broadcasting Company in 1931. Two years later, when Hitler came to power in 1933, all copies of the recording were destroyed.
Comedy writer Bruce Vilanch saw Sophie Tucker perform when he was a child. He remembered, “She’d make you laugh like crazy. She would belt. She still could blow the roof off the joint. Then she would do something incredibly schmaltzy, she would turn on a dime and make the audience weep… As soon as you were done crying, she would turn around and do some bawdy song… Everything she said was with the force of a judge making a sentence. She didn’t speak, she made policy statements.”
Throughout her career, Sophie chose songs mostly written by black and Jewish songwriters from Tin Pan Alley, including young Irving Berlin. She was close friends with her fellow Vaudeville performer Bill Robinson, known as Bojangles. When Sophie invited Bill to her sister’s wedding in the 1920’s, the doorman wouldn’t let him in, telling him to go through the kitchen. Sophie heard this and immediately pushed the doorman out of the way, closed the front door, and told the guests, “OK everybody goes through the kitchen.”
Despite her act’s raciness, she said “I’ve never sung a single song in my whole life on purpose to shock anyone. My ‘hot numbers’ are all, if you will notice, written about something that is real in the lives of millions of people.” Her songs included, “I May Be Getting Older Every Day (But Younger Every Night),” “I’m The Last of the Red-Hot Mamas,” “I Ain’t Takin’ Orders From No One,” and “When They Start to Ration my Passion, It’s Gonna Be Tough on Me.” She often made fun of her size, calling herself a “perfect 48.”
She kept improving her act, and after a decade as a solo performer, she created a back-up band of black jazz musicians called the “Kings of Syncopation.” They recorded several albums together, all of which were hits, and toured the country playing to enthusiastic crowds. In Chicago they played 15 weeks at the Palace and then at every other theater in town. Crooner Tony Bennett called Sophie “the most underrated jazz singer that ever lived.”
After a few years as the self-styled “Queen of Jazz,” Sophie re-imagined herself again, as a cabaret performer, accompanied by piano player Ted Shapiro. He became part of her act as they developed a snappy banter. Over the years she did some film, radio and TV work but what she loved most was interacting with a live audience.
Sophie married two more times, but neither husband liked being “Mr. Sophie Tucker” and both marriages failed. She said, “Once you start carrying your own suitcase, paying your own bills, running your own show, you’ve done something to yourself that makes you one of those women men like to call ‘a pal’ and “a good sport,’ the kind of woman they tell their troubles to. But you’ve cut yourself off from the orchids and the diamond bracelets, except those you buy yourself.” Throughout her life, Sophie was known for her generosity, and she gave away much of what she made to a variety of philanthropic causes. She established the Sophie Tucker Foundation in the early 1950’s, and endowed hospitals, synagogues, actors guilds, and several charitable organizations in Israel.
Sophie continued performing until the end of her life, even after getting lung cancer. While undergoing treatment she was still doing two shows a night. Sophie died at age 80 in 1966, during a months-long theater engagement. As she lay on her death bed, she asked the nurse to “bring me my chiffon hanky, bring me my wig” and she did bits from her act until she took her last breath. Thousands of mourners attended her funeral at Emanuel Synagogue Cemetery in Wethersfield, Connecticut. Known as the “Last of the Red-Hot Mamas,” Sophie’s act inspired later female performers such as Mae West and Bette Midler.
For entertaining audiences around the world for sixty years and giving generously to others, we honor Sophie Tucker as this week’s Thursday Hero.
Accidental Talmudist
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Coffeeshop AU
Word count: 1,659
Triggers: None
Pairing: Prinxiety
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Roman has never been afraid of anything. When he was five, his parents took him to the circus. When the clowns came out in their tiny red car with their makeup melting off their crooked faces, all the children shrieked with wet cheeks while Roman grinned and leaned over the railing for a closer look. When he was ten, he starred in his first musical. While everyone else was running around backstage with ripped costumes and forgotten lines, Roman stood ready for his entrance with his chin up and his chest puffed out. His first year of high school came when he was fifteen and once again, he was eerily calm as his friends fretted about their hair and their clothes. Needless to say, Roman is pretty brave.
At least, he thought he was brave until he met Virgil.
It was a Saturday morning when Patton and Logan asked Roman to go study with them, but it was Roman’s grand idea to try out the new coffee shop while they were at it.
It was this chain of events that led Roman to stand with his mouth agape at the cute barista. And there was no question about it - Roman was absolutely terrified to talk to him.
“Uh, Roman? Something wrong, Kiddo?” Patton gently nudged Roman’s shoulder with a concerned expression on his face.
“Patton, we talked about calling people older than you, ‘Kiddo’,” Logan mentioned as he roughly shut Roman’s still-gaping mouth.
“But you have to admit, he does look a bit childish when stares like that.” Patton waved a pale and freckled hand in front of Roman’s face. “You’re still looking a bit spacey there.”
Roman turned to his stupidly oblivious friends. “Do you mere mortals not see what I see?”
“That delectable looking muffin?”
“The dark academia atmosphere?”
“Well, yes, you’re not technically wrong, but I was talking about Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome behind the counter.”
The two friends quickly looked Logan with his usual frown and Patton with an excited smile.
Somehow Logan managed to frown even more deeply. “You know he’s actually not that tall, right?”
“That is not the point, Poindexter and besides, he’s hunched over. When he stands up straight I’m sure he casts an impressive shadow.”
“I believe you mean if he stands up straight. That hunched position seems to be his dominant stance,” Logan said studiously.
“Well, Kiddo, if you think he’s so cute, why don’t you go and talk to him?”
For the first time in his life, Roman felt a feeling of panic shoot through him. No way was he going to talk to - he squinted at the nametag - Virgil. Wow, Virgil. A dark and mysterious name to go right along with a dark and mysterious boy.
“Actually, m not feeling too well now that I think about it. I’m gonna head home.” And before either of them could get a word in edgewise, Roman was grandly and heroically fleeing from the coffee shop.
One week later, Roman found himself in the same spot whilst staring at the same boy.
“Alright, Ro Ro Ro Your Boatman.”
“Paton, what -”
“This is your big moment. Do you remember what we practiced?”
Roman took a steadying breath. “Hey there, my name is Roman. I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to go out sometime?”
“That was adequate,” Logan curtly nodded.
“Adequate? That was brilliant, Romance!”
“Okay, Patton, I love how you’re being my hype man right now, but after we’re done here we really need to discuss your choice of nicknames.”
Before he could see Patton’s crestfallen face, Roman turned and head to the register.
As he walked up, he took a moment to admire the fine specimen standing in front of him. His dark wavy hair tickled his ears and fell into his hazel eyes. Although he had the standard green worker shirt on, he sported a patched up sweatshirt, which was barely pulled up enough to showcase the plethora of rings on his pale fingers. He was the most beautiful thing Roman had ever laid his eyes on.
Before he was ready, he arrived at the counter.
Virgil lifted his eyes from the cups he was polishing and casually flicked his eyes over Roman’s form. “What can I get for you today?”
And God did those words throw Roman off his game because he had never heard such a wonderfully melodic voice before. He immediately started praying that Virgil was a singer. Unfortunately, this also happened to be the first time that Roman ever forgot his script.
“Uh, my name is gay and I was wondering if you singer?”
In the midst of his mortification, Roman barely registered the quirk of a smile on Virgil’s face.
“Hey, Gay, I’m Virgil and yes I am a singer. Come back here tonight at eight and you can hear me and my band play. Okay?”
Roman barely managed to nod his burning head before he promptly ran away. Again.
Needless to say, Roman, Patton, and Logan spent the next five hours or so picking out the perfect outfit. Patton insisted on a bright Hawaiian shirt to make him “stand out” while Logan insisted on a dark blue suit to convey “intelligence with approachability. In the end, Roman finally decided on black jeans, a red shirt, and a leather jacket.
“Well boys, I think I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
“And remember,” Logan said. “No script this time because that clearly didn’t work last time.”
Roman glared at him. “I’m quite aware of that, Logan.”
“Well it wasn’t a total disaster,” Patton piped up. “I mean, he did invite you to his concert tonight.”
“Yeah, but not because he likes me, he just wants more people there. Ugh! I can’t believe I’m actually going to this thing.”
“Don’t be silly, Kiddo. This could be your soulmate, after all, you never know.”
Roman huffed and straightened his jacket. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Let’s go before I change my mind.”
When they arrived at the coffee shop for the second time that day, they were certainly not alone. The coffee shop was so packed that they only managed to get the last table because they got there thirty minutes early. As the minutes ticked down to eight, the shop steadily filled up with people, many even wearing a black shirt that read All the Rejects. Patton nudged Roman’s side and wiggled his eyebrows. “Still think he just wanted you to come to add to the crowd?”
Before Roman could retort with a snarky response, the lights dimmed and the crowd began to cheer.
Suddenly, as if he were a magnet that Roman’s eyes were drawn to, Virgil stepped onto the makeshift stage and flashed his quip of a smile. Roman absently wondered if he had died and gone to heaven.
Virgil’s voice sounded over the speaker and seemed to simultaneously soothe and excite the crowd. “Are you guys ready to hear some great music?” As the crowd’s roar started to die down, Virgil and his band began their first song.
A few songs later and everyone, including the few who managed to snag a table, were on their feet.
Wiping some sweat from his brow, Virgil took a seat at the keyboard and adjusted his microphone. “All right, you guys, I’m just gonna take this opportunity to slow things down a little bit. This next song is called ‘Reckless Desires’”.
The next three minutes went by both agonizingly slow and much too quickly. Virgil’s eyes seemed to find his in the crowd the moment the song started to play, and they were locked there for the duration of the number.
When the song inevitably ended, Roman felt chills down his body as he and Virgil continued to stare at each other.
After what seemed like an eternity, the guitar player came over and slapped Virgil on the back, which seemed to break him out of his reverie. Roman curiously found it incredibly difficult to pay attention after that.
Two days later, Roman found himself unconsciously walking back to the coffee shop. However, he was instantly filled with disappointment when he found that a short blonde girl had taken Virgil’s spot behind the counter. Roman sighed. At least he would finally be able to try the coffee.
After getting his iced latte, Roman turned around to find himself table. Unfortunately, he turned around a little too quickly and promptly ran straight into someone.
“I am so sorry!” he said, scrambling to wipe the dripping coffee off of the other person’s shirt.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m used to spilled coffee.”
Roman froze as he recognized the sound of that voice. He slowly lifted his head and sure enough, Virgil was standing there with his damn crooked smile directed toward Roman. Of fucking course.
“Virgil! Oh my gosh, I am so sorry.”
Virgil frowned at him “You remember my name”
“Uh,” Roman intelligently said. “Well, yeah. I mean you’re kind of hard to forget.”
Virgil blushed. “Oh, Um, thanks.”
“But seriously, I can get your clothes dry-cleaned for you or something.”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary. But I do have another request for you if I may be so bold.”
“What is it?” Roman asked apprehensively.
“A date. With me. Friday night.”
Roman blinked in disbelief. “You want to go on a date? With me?”
“Well, yeah,” Virgil said, shuffling his feet. “You’re pretty funny and charismatic and not to mention super cute.”
Now it was Roman’s turn to blush profusely
“Um, yes.”
“Yes?”
“Yes, I would like to go out with you on Friday.”
“Oh! Awesome, I’ll meet you here at seven?”
Roman smiled. “Sounds good. Oh, and my name isn’t Gay, it’s Roman.”
Virgil smiled. “Well, I guess I’ll see you on Friday, Roman.”
Roman watched in disbelief as Virgil, still drenched in coffee, walked away. It seems like he’s not the only brave person in the world.
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Road Dogs: Metallica on Tour
Metallica‘s first ever gig took place at Radio City in Anaheim, California in March 1982. Their set list included primarily covers with only two original songs, “Hit the Lights” and “Fight Fire with Fire.” They did Savage’s ‘Let It Loose,’ Blitzkrieg’s ‘Blitzkrieg,’ Sweet Savage’s ‘Killing Time’ and four Diamond Head tracks. For diehard fans, this original lineup did not include Cliff Burton as of yet, but instead Ron McGovney. They eventually asked him to leave the group because the guitarist did not contribute anything of value. Another good reason came in the fact that Dave Mustaine fought with him repeatedly. James Hetfield would later say this about that show. “There were a lot of people there, maybe 200, because we had all my school friends and all Lars’ and Ron’s and Dave’s buddies. I was really nervous and a little uncomfortable without a guitar, and then during the first song Dave broke a string. It seemed to take him an eternity to change it and I was standing there really embarrassed. We were really disappointed afterwards. But there were never as many people at the following shows as there were at that first one.”
Metallica’s second and third show took place at the Whiskey a Gogo in Los Angeles. This venue would be where Hetfield and Lars Ulrich first heard future bassist Cliff Burton and his band Trauma. More recently, Ulrich revealed diary entries related to Metallica’s appearances there. "No sound check. Sound was awful. Played great myself, but the band as a whole sucked. Went down OK." The group opened for Saxon, who the drummer had met six months prior after sneaking backstage during one of their shows. After the concert, the monitor engineer asked Ulrich if he had ever heard of Diamondhead. “Of course, we have, we just played a bunch of their songs!" As it turned out, the crew member was only joking about Diamond Head. He would later go on to work for Metallica in the same position for 22 years.
On April 16, 1983 Metallica played its first show with new guitarist Kirk Hammett at the Showplace in Dover, New Jersey. They had begun recording their debut album Kill ‘Em All in Rochester, New York at that time. The set list included all original material that would land on that first album making up nine songs. Hammett had replaced Dave Mustaine, who held quite a bit of ill will towards him for years claiming in 1985 that Kirk ripped off all his guitar riffs, which got him noticed in the metal community. In defense of Hammett, he was simply trying not to make waves in his new group as Ulrich and Hetfield had definitely decided not to cut any contributions from Mustaine.
On March 5, 1983 Metallica played its first show with Cliff Burton at The Stone in San Francisco, who had replaced Ron McGovney. In 2018, a recording of the show came to light online, which you can listen to on YouTube. The lineup still included Dave Mustain as well taking place a month before the other band members would fire him. They performed 12 songs that night essentially previewing everything to be included on their debut album. At that time, James Hetfield was still struggling over whether he should sing lead. On the recording, you can tell why this became the case as his voice sounds incredibly scratchy with absolutely no technique whatsoever. The show also became memorable as a Cliff Burton debuted the future track, “Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth).”
Cliff Burton played his last show was Metallica in Stockholm, Sweden in September 1986 before his tragic passing. A few years ago, Metallica released a boxed set of rarities for their album, Master of Puppets, which included a recording of that final show. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett talked about their memories of that last concert with Cliff. Ulrich noted, “We played the show in Stockholm, and it went incredibly well. I think it may have been a rare case where we actually played an additional song that wasn’t on the set list, because the show was so good. That’s not something we did a lot then or now. So there was a good vibe.” Hammett would say this in the same interview, “It was significant because it was the first show where James played guitar again (Wrist Injury). He strapped on a guitar and was able to play the encore; I think it was “Blitzkrieg” or something. But I remember the five of us, including John Marshall, being really stoked James was back and playing and looking like was gonna make a pretty healthy recovery. I distinctly remember that show being good, and the feeling when we got offstage was really great and positive and forward-looking. Like, “Great, James is back in and it won’t be long ’til we’re back to our old selves again.”
In November 1986, Jason Newsted would play his first show with Metallica at the Country Club in Reseda, California. He did so in front of a sparse crowd because it had been a secret show for the group Metal Church. Newsted had played with the band for only a short time during rehearsals for the next album. James Hetfield introduced Newsted for the very first time in this way. “Welcome to the very, very secret Metallica gig that every fucker knows about! Here’s the new fucker right over here man, this is the guy… Jason Newsted, we fucking love him, man, so make him feel at home, alright? I want to have some fun tonight.” Their set list would consist of 14 songs from their first three album releases.
In the summer of 1992, Metallica decided to perform a few dates with Guns ‘N Roses. The hype for these shows represented the tour of the year, but the show in Montreal turned into a tragic affair. A pyrotechnic accident occurred as they performed “Fade To Black” causing second and third degree burns on half of singer James Hetfield's body. He recalled the incident, “I'm burnt – all my arm, my hand completely, down to the bone. The side of my face, hair's gone. Part of my back. ... I watched the skin just rising, things going wrong." Jason Newsted would remember that Hetfield looked like the Toxic Avenger from his vantage point. The group immediately cut the show short, so the singer could receive medical attention. He would later say that during the trip to the hospital a road crew member bumped his burnt hand leading him to punch the guy in his “nuts.” For fans still at the show, things only got worse as Guns ‘N Roses delayed getting on stage for two hours. Axl Rose probably only sang for 20 minutes before cutting his night short. GNR Had known what had happened to Hetfield, but they still phoned it in anyway. After that, 2000 people rioted in protest followed by several arrests. This night would lead to great animosity between the two groups for years continuing to this day, but it should be noted that Metallica acted professionally completing the tour with an injured Hetfield. Slash of Guns N’ Roses would later talk about the tour being a financial disaster for them. “Metallica was earning the exact same paycheck as we were every night but while they pocketed the whole thing, we were blowing 80 percent both on union dues for all of the overtime we cost ourselves going on late and on these stupid theme parties. It was just bad." Axl had spent extravagantly on backstage parties in an effort to impress members of Metallica.
In April 1999, Metallica recorded two performances on successive nights with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra led by Michael Kamen. The idea for such a concert had first come up when they worked with the composer on the Black Album song, “Nothing Else Matters.” He had approached them about such a collaboration, but never heard anything until years later receiving a phone call from Lars Ulrich. They filmed the live show at Berkeley Community Theater in San Francisco as Kamen had written additional material to supplement Metallica’s arrangements. The band also released two new songs specifically for the show, “No Leaf Clover” and “Human.” According to James Hetfield, This idea of combining heavy metal and classical music was originally an idea brought up by Cliff Burton, who had a strong background in both. One can see this throughout Metallica’s songwriting in their early years as the bassist relied on melody and instrumental qualities found in classical compositions like his favorite one, Johan Sebastian Bach. S&M would be released as a concert film and an album, with the latter reaching number one on the Billboard 200 chart.
In 1991, Metallica would play a concert in Russia that has become the stuff of legends because 1.6 million people watched it in person. The highlight of the show came when they played “Enter Sandman” as one could see Russian military personnel rocking out just as hard as anybody else. One must note that they were not the only band there that day as other artists included the Black Crowes, Queensryche, Motley Crue, and AC/DC. The Monsters of Rock Festival would only occur this one year in what would become the former Soviet Union. Motley Crue had played one of the early versions of the festival in 1984, but ironically Metallica had surpassed them as a more popular headliner by this time.
In August 2020, Metallica became the first rock act to perform a pre-recorded concert for Encore Live’s drive-in series. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, live concerts were canceled all over the world, so artists like Blake Shelton and Garth Brooks participated in this drive-in movie concert experience. Tickets to view this at your local drive-in cost $115 for up to six people per car. The show took place at an undisclosed location near their home in San Rafael, California.
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you are the sunshine of my life
enjoy the disaster family having some fun in the snow! another scene set in the same verse as love and life are the same and can also be found on AO3 here!
___
She’s awoken by a muffled conversation from the other side of the door and before she can wonder what is going on the door is being opened and she squints to see Jaskier opening the door and Ciri standing next to him holding a tray holding plates of, judging by the smell, freshly made pancakes.
“Good morning,” she murmurs, pushing herself up so she’s resting against the headboard “to what do I owe this pleasure?”
“You’ve been working hard this week and thought you deserved a treat.” Jaskier says as he takes the tray from Ciri’s hands and settles in on Yens lap.
Ciri climbs in next to her and snuggles into her side and begins to tell Yen all about the dream she had last night whilst tucking into her own pancakes. Yen glances at Jaskier sitting on the bed across from them, gasping and laughing at all the right moments during the story, no doubt already having heard it in the kitchen beforehand. He’s got some syrup on his cheek already because he seems incapable of eating anything like a normal adult. She stops herself from reaching out and wiping it away.
Ciri finishes her story and then demands to know if either she or Jaskier had an interesting dream, and before she can reply, he is off describing his incredibly weird dream involving him performing at a concert but the band was just made up of sea creatures.
(“We were underwater but, like we weren’t? I was the lead singer, obviously,and the octopus on the drums had a really good voice and- do you think I could teach a crab to play bass? Because she was really talented and I really don’t think it would be that hard.”)
Once he’s finished, Ciri is leaping out of bed and insisting they get up too as “We need to go and get ready!”
“Ready for what exactly?” Yen asks.
“Your mum hasn’t seen it yet, Ciri. She was being too lazy,” Jaskier says before yelping as Yen pokes his stomach with his foot.
“The snow!” Ciri says excitedly as she pulls the curtain open to reveal the world outside, which overnight seems to have been transformed into a white wonderland. It’s not the most snow they’ve ever had, but there is a lot. Looking at the street below, it is a few inches deep and has even settled onto the road which is rare.
“I don’t suppose the pancakes had anything to do with the snow? Perhaps a bribe so that I’d let you forget about your homework so you could go and play outside?”
Ciri just smiles sheepishly up her before asking “Can we go outside and play in the snow please?”
“I suppose so,” Yen smiles as small arms wrap around her middle “Go and get dressed then. Layers please, I don’t want you to catch a cold.”
---
“Come on,” Ciri tugs at the sleeve of her jumper, “We need to go before all the good snow goes!”
“I’m not the one holding us up,” Yen argues, gesturing with her coffee to the real reason they are not yet outside, as Jaskier runs down the stairs tying his scarf around his neck. He’d spent at least 20 minutes trying to decide which scarf and hat combination to wear.
“I preferred the first one,” she says drily and he sticks his tongue out at her as he picks up the bag and then they’re out of the house.
They walk to the local park and she sits herself down on a bench so that she can finish her coffee. Ciri is about to run off, having just spotted her friend Dara on the other side of the park, but Yen holds her back, pulling her hat down snugly over her ears before letting her go.
Jaskier stands next to her, shuffling on his feet, glancing between Yen and the children playing and it’s painfully obvious he wants to go and join them. He’s like an excitable puppy and she pushes at him gentlty, “Go on. You’re just as bad as Ciri, honestly.” He presses a quick kiss to her cheek, before he’s running over to join them.
She never had this. She never was the child running happy and carefree, instead spending her younger years trapped inside, the girl with the wonky fringe and crooked spine who no-one wanted to play with. That was until she went to live with Tissaia, and her spine was no longer crooked but she paid the price with scars, some from surgery and some not, and with a choice taken away from ger. After that, people weren’t playing anymore, they wanted something else from her. She’s spent her whole life fighting to get what she wants.
She’s distracted from her thoughts by a particularly loud laugh from Ciri who seems to have tackled Jaskier with Daras help down into the snow and shoved a handful of snow down the back of his coat, causing him to shriek in an octave that she wasn’t sure he could reach. He retaliates by wrapping his arms around them and dragging them down until they are both covered in snow too.
He looks up and catches Yennefer’s eye and his smile widens. He whispers something to Ciri and then gets up and begins making his way over to her. He looks good like this, she has to admit. Snowflakes clinging to his hair, messy and ruffled from his hat, which has disappeared during the ambush; his blue eyes bright and shining; and his cheeks rosy with the cold.
“Alright?” he asks, his breath billowing out forming a cloud as he sits down next to her on the bench.
She hums and takes a sip from her coffee, before raising her eyebrow and saying “Shouldn’t I be asking you that? I’m not the one that just lost a snowball fight to twos 10 year olds.”
“I’d like to see you try and beat them! Ciri is absolutely is ruthless with deadly aim” before smirking and adding “Wonder where she gets that from.”
Yennefer just slaps his arm and then holds out her mug to him. She hates drinking the dregs of her coffee and feeling the grounds in her mouth, but Jaskier will happily drink them and proclaims that they are the best bit, because he is a menace to society. He slurps them down quickly, before placing her cup in the bag and wrapping his arms around her and then suddenly she’s being lifted up.
She definitely does not let out an undignified squawk as he heaves her up over his shoulder.
“Idiot, what are you doing? Put me down right now!” she barks, smacking her hands against his back.
“No can do, I’m afraid dear. I’m under strict instructions from your daughter that you have to come and join the fun,” he answers, bending slightly to pick up the bag and then walking over towards Ciri.
She struggles for a while longer before accepting her fate, and then she is being gently placed down next to Ciri. He knows better than to drop her into the snow, as then she would not have been responsible for her actions.
“Come on Mum, we have to make snow angels! Look at how perfect the snow is!” Ciri says excitedly before throwing herself backwards into the snow and moving her arms and legs.
And when faced with her daughters pleading eyes and wide smile, she really has no choice but to fall backwards and join her. She closes her eyes and lets the childlike joy take over her as she begins to move her own arms.
Her mind wanders back to her life and how hard she fought to get to where she is now and the price she paid and decides, with Ciri’s laughter ringing in her ears, that it was all worth it.
#the witcher#the witcher fic#yennskier#yennskier fic#yennefer of vengerberg#jaskier#ciri#yennefer & ciri#my fic#my writing#made of love verse
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Somebody To You: 11
Are people actually reading this? lol. Friendly reminder to please Like and/or Reblog. It helps more than you think! :)
Word Count: 2,924
Click Here For Previous Chapter & Other Completed Stories
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CHAPTER ELEVEN:
“You are the most annoying boy on the planet!” Zoey laughed, gently rubbing her face with a cleanser as the hot steam engulfed her in the shower, “It’s baffling why so many girls are obsessed with you!”
Harry’s laugh echoed throughout the bathroom, almost sounding robotic from her phone’s speakers, “You were one of those girls before, don’t forget!”
She let the water rinse off the suds and quipped, “Yeah, well that was before I knew you. Besides, I liked Louis more.”
Harry gasped, “Take it back!”
She let out a giggle, lathering shampoo into her hands when a knock sounded at the door, “Zoey?” Nancy called, “Were you talking to me? I thought I heard you.”
“No, I’m just on the phone with Harry! He won’t leave me alone!”
Nancy chuckled, “Annoying piece of shit! Remind me why people obsess over him?”
“That’s what I said!”
The girls laughed and Nancy’s voice faded as she walked away from the door saying, “Okay, I’m heading out now. See you tonight!”
Harry spoke again, “You two are bullies.”
“I’m trying to get ready and you won’t let me hang up!”
“For what? It’s 10 AM there! You barely got six hours of sleep after work last night, and you go back again tonight!”
“Alright, don’t you have anything better to do than memorize my work schedule and chart my sleeping habits? Like, I don’t know, perform a concert?”
“I’m off today, thank you very much!” Harry spat back. “Don’t you have anything better to do than to watch movies all day or to kidnap any more stray cats?”
“For your information, I’m going out!”
“Yeah? Where to? Another date with Brett?” Harry snorted, jokingly. After a moment of silence, he spoke again, more seriously, “Wait, really? You’re going on a date with Brett?”
“I wouldn’t call it a date…”
“Zoey!” He whined.
“What? We’re just hanging out! Andy will be there, too!”
It’s been a few weeks since Harry’s last visit, and things seemed to be going back to normal, although a few incidents worth mentioning had happened. The morning of his departure was probably the single most embarrassing moment of her life. Zoey had gotten up early. Super early. Her internal alarm clock was out of whack that day, for some reason, and so she had the pleasure of seeing the awkward morning after scene when Harry dropped Rory back off at the apartment.
It must have been around 5 AM because it was still dark, but a faint blue was visible on the horizon. Zoey was making a cup of coffee in the dark kitchen, not wanting to turn the lights on and blind herself, when the door opened and the two stumbled in, Harry in comfortable sweats while Rory wore the same dress as the night before, crinkled now, and her long brown hair in knots. If she didn’t know Rory any better, she would have guessed she was drunk. But she knew that Rory was just clumsy when she was tired. They seemed to not notice her as he led her straight to her bedroom. But on his way out, they caught eyes and Harry gasped at the sight of her.
“Were you there when we got in?” He asked, stepping into the kitchen.
“Yes, and how very gentlemanly of you to bring my roommate back. I trust you had a good night,” she quietly joked, not wanting to wake anyone, while stirring the milk in her coffee and tapping the excess off the spoon.
Harry rolled his eyes, walking further into the dark kitchen and reaching for a mug out of the cupboard, “Yeah, it was alright.”
“Alright?” she questioned quietly, rounding the island and taking a seat on the furthest barstool. “You can’t blame poor performances on inebriation this time, H. You didn’t have a sip of alcohol last night.”
“You really are the worst,” he grinned, pouring himself a cup of coffee and silently spilling the milk in.
It was so silent that you could barely hear Brett sneaking up behind Zoey, shirtless and only in his boxes, looping his arms around her waist and nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck, moaning in his thick Australian accent, “Was wondering where you went. You were incredible last night. You up for more?”
The clank of Harry’s spoon against his mug as he stirred caught Brett’s attention and he jumped back, “Fuck!” he shouted, clutching his muscular chest, “Hey, Harry! Didn’t see you there.”
“Morning,” Harry muttered, expressionless.
“Morning,” Brett repeated, looking down to see Zoey burying her face in her hands, embarrassed. He continued, “You, uh, heading out today?”
“Yeah, just grabbing a cup of coffee before I go,” he motioned down to his mug.
Brett awkwardly chuckled, shifting on his feet, “Alright. Well, uh, safe...safe travels. I’m just gonna, uh, head back to bed.”
Harry nodded and quietly called after him, “See you later.”
Once Brett was out of sight, Zoey peeked through the cracks in her fingers at Harry who’s eyebrows were raised, waiting for her to say something. Instead, she laughed, which made the singer crack a smile.
“I trust you had a good night,” he mocked her, taking a sip of his coffee.
“It was alright,” she poked fun back.
“Well, from the sounds of it, it was way more than alright,” he said, rounding the island and sitting beside her.
“Maybe for him,” she whispered to herself.
“The kissing again?”
She furrowed her eyebrows in thought, groaning, “Yeah, I don’t know what it is. Everything else is great, I just can’t get past the horrible kissing.”
“Well have you told him?”
“I’m not a monster, I would never!” she laughed, “I just try to avoid kissing.”
He chuckled, sarcastically saying, “Nice. That’ll help.” After a moment of awkward silence he spoke again, “Can we just agree to never have a morning-after-sex run in ever again?”
“Yep, absolutely. Never again. Totally awkward,” she hurriedly agreed.
Later that day there were pictures circulating of the two of them at the beach. Fans had pretty much shut down the idea of them dating almost immediately, thankfully, but they did seem to make a connection between Zoey to Aurora and rumors began circulating about Harry and the model, which didn’t exactly help any when Harry was still trying to figure out what to do about that whole situation.
Zoey, on the other hand, had seemed to be getting better. She still missed her friend and would think of her often when she was alone but was able to enjoy her nights out now without feeling guilty. She had gone on a couple of dates with some guys she had met, though it never went anywhere. They just weren’t her type. Still, she had Brett. He had picked back up where he left off, coming over often to hang out with Zoey and her roommates.
Brett had become so close to Nancy and Rory that sometimes she’d come home from work and the three of them would be sitting on the couch or out on the balcony without Zoey knowing he would even be over that day. She didn’t mind, though. They always had fun together. Besides, every now and then after her roommates had gone to bed she would take Brett back to her room. Obviously her roommates knew something was going on between the two of them, and they knew that it wasn’t necessarily anything serious or official, but that didn’t stop them from making haughty eyes at her whenever they woke up to find that Brett was still there in the morning.
Harry clearly didn’t understand the situation with Brett, although Zoey never went into much detail about it with him. He just didn’t get the point of sleeping with someone continuously with no intention of taking it further. “You’ve been on other dates, you can clearly sleep with anyone you want. Why keep going back to Brett if you have no interest in him?” he always asked her. And it was a fair question, but she didn’t really know how to answer it. Because it was easy? Because she didn’t have to work hard for it? Because she knew him and she felt comfortable? Maybe a mix of all three? Honestly, maybe it was just because she could. Why did it matter, anyway?
Harry continued to annoy Zoey, refusing to hang up the phone while she got ready for her ‘outing’ until there was a knock on his hotel room door. With his phone to his ear, listening to Zoey ramble on about newly learned, surprisingly interesting facts of Rome, he squinted through the peephole to see his friend and guitarist, Mitch. He opened the door for his friend and just as Mitch was about to speak, he noticed the phone against Harry’s ear and quickly shut his mouth, following the singer inside, and having a seat on the edge of his bed while Harry sat at the desk chair.
Mitch watched as Harry’s eyes widened and his smile grew, letting out a roar of a laugh, “You made that up!” The guitarist couldn’t help but smile at his friend's amusement. They caught eyes and almost as if Harry realized that Mitch was in the room, Harry cleared his throat and said, “Alright, well I’ll let you finish getting ready….Yeah, whatever. Goodluck. Bye.”
The phone went black and Harry looked up to see a smiling Mitch, “Zoey?”
Harry tried his best to conceal a grin, narrowing his eyes and placing his phone face down on the desk, “I don’t want to hear it.”
Mitch smirked, teasing him, “You sure it’s Rory you like and not Zoey?”
“Come on, man,” Harry whined, “She’s just one of my best friends, that’s all. If you met her you would know. She’s not even my type.”
“All I’m saying is I’ve seen you around Rory, and she’s a great girl, but I don’t see you smile nearly as much with her as you do when you’re talking to or about Zoey. Plus, I’ve seen her pictures. You can’t tell me that you don’t think she’s hot.”
“Of course she’s fucking hot, but that doesn’t change anything. I like Rory.”
“Yeah? Is that why you haven’t asked her out yet?”
“Oh, shut it!” Harry groaned, kicking Mitch’s legs, “She’s just a friend.”
But a little part of him worried. Mitch wasn’t the only one to tell him that. Most of his friends would comment on it whenever they caught him on the phone or talked about his little trips out to LA. They all knew of Zoey because he had mentioned her. And he realized after a few people pointed it out, that he had talked about her often. It was normal to talk about your best friends, he thought. But any time he mentioned something, they’d give him a look like he was hiding something and it started to have him second guess things.
Did he like Zoey? He found himself wanting to talk to her every day, and that’s a pretty telltale sign of a crush. Yeah, he accidentally fantasized about her once or twice, but he did that with nearly any girl he met. Hell, he fantasized about Nancy at one point, that didn’t mean he wanted to date her. Despite what everyone thought, it IS possible to just be friends with someone of the opposite sex without wanting to sleep with them. He liked Rory. There was nothing to not like. She was sexy, smart, cultured, and made him laugh. It just wasn’t the right time to get serious, that’s all.
Zoey put on a white cropped tee, borrowed Nancy’s black denim skirt, and pulled her hair into a ponytail, deciding on a pair of converse before heading downtown to meet up with Andy and Brett for a bite to eat. They decided to sit outside on the restaurant's terrace to enjoy the beautiful warm weather. Their server, a cute, button nosed redhead, kept making eyes at Brett the whole entire time, checking in on them a little more than she probably needed to.
“If you were American you wouldn’t be getting this much attention,” Andy clicked his tongue, taking a bite of his potatoes, making Zoey laugh. Andy turned to her and waved his fork at her, “Uht uh, you not allowed to laugh. You been takin’ this fool to your bed for months now.”
It was Brett’s turn to laugh and Zoey shoved both of them, “I’m only using him for sex,” she joked.
Andy chuckled, “Period!”
“I’m not complaining,” Brett smirked, sipping his drink.
“Duh! Why would you complain when you get to see these beauties,” Andy grabbed Zoey’s chest and gave her breasts a quick squeeze.
Zoey laughed, looking at Brett, “You’re welcome.”
After another hour or so of eating, they decided to walk up and down the strip for a bit. But not before Brett got the waitress’s number.
The three of them went in and out of little boutiques, mostly window shopping, although Andy bought himself a cute black-rimmed fedora hat when Brett shoved his phone in his back pocket and said, “Rory is going to meet up with us in a few.”
“Oh, did she get done early?” Zoey asked, checking her phone to see if she had any missed calls or texts from her. Nothing.
Brett nodded, “Yeah, she said she’s only a couple minutes out so I told her we’d meet her at the pretzel shop up here.”
Even just in the last few weeks, Rory’s career had skyrocketed. It was now to the point where she got recognized on the street and paparazzi would publish her in magazines on outings. Her DM’s were filled with famous and non-famous people, and still, she was the sweetest girl Zoey had ever met. Harry was lucky to have met her when he did. And honestly stupid for not giving her an answer yet.
Things had been a little weird between her and Rory since Harry’s last visit, though. She couldn’t help but think that Rory was mad at her for something. Maybe it was because of the paparazzi shot of her and Harry at the beach. Or maybe her friendship with Harry annoyed her. She asked Nancy, but Nancy just shoved it off, saying Rory was probably just stressed about work and she had nothing to worry about. Still, something felt off.
Rory had on a black bodysuit with denim shorts, a black belt, a brown blazer, and a black fedora, making sure to wear large black sunglasses. She and Brett walked side by side as Andy and Zoey walked a little further behind them, laughing at each other and joking around. They spotted an ice cream shop and called out to the other two.
“Hey! We’re going to stop for ice cream!” Andy informed them. “Want any?” Rory and Brett looked at each other and both shook their heads no. He continued, “Alright! Well, we should get going soon. We gotta change for work. Meet you there?” he asked Brett.
“Yeah, I’ll see you at work!” Brett nodded, and he and Rory walked off.
“At least she’s with Brett in case she gets noticed,” Zoey pointed out, “He’s big enough to look like a bodyguard. No one will want to mess with her.”
“Speaking of, what’s going on with her and Harry? Are they official yet, or what?”
Zoey shrugged, “Dunno.”
She was honestly so confused about them anymore. Zoey stopped bringing it up to Harry because he kept up the same sorry excuse that he always did. She didn’t even know if they were still even a thing. Sure, Aurora spoke of Harry every now and then, but it always seemed so casual and in passing. She didn’t drool over him like she used to. Maybe she was getting tired of waiting for him, which was exactly what Zoey warned him of.
Andy shook his head, “Man, it really is all men that are dumb. That’s a damn shame if he misses out on her.”
Zoey nodded in agreement, but a part of her was always a little unsure about the prospect of them dating. I mean, Harry had pointed it out before; Aurora fit every category of the type of girl he always dated. She was a beautiful, skinny, successful model. Zoey would be lying if she said she didn’t want him to venture outside of that mold a little bit. Sure, all of their personalities were different, but maybe there was a reason that none of his relationships worked out. He needed something different.
She had to admit, it annoyed her a little bit when his fans were so quick to shut the idea down of herself and Harry dating because she wasn’t the kind of girl he dated. Not because she wanted to date him or anything. But it almost felt as if people knew that she wasn’t good enough for him because she didn’t have the typical lifestyle that the girls he usually dates did. She knew she was just as pretty and as smart and as funny as the rest of them, but because she didn’t have a social media following, there’s no way Harry would touch her. She just wanted him to prove everyone wrong. Not with her, of course. That would be absurd. But with someone.
However, Rory was perfect. In all sense of the word. And again, he’d be stupid to let her go.
KEEP READING
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Taglist:
@thurhomish
#Harry styles#harry styles smut#harry styles imagine#harry styles imagines#harry styles oneshot#harry styles fanfic#harry styles fan fic#harry styles fic#one direction smut#one direction imagine#louis tomlinson#niall horan#zayn malik#liam payne#smut#blurb#harry styles blurb
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No Promises (purgatory!Dean Winchester x Reader)
Okay, so I’m an incredibly lazy person - if I don’t get something done in a short span of time, I will literally never do it. This idea popped up in my mind last night, so I had to write a fic about it today before it was too late.
Summary: When Dean Winchester ended up in purgatory and Cas abandoned him, he was completely alone in a land of vicious monsters thirsting for his blood - up until he met you. You managed to escape the place together, but now Dean’s brother is stuck there. There’s only one way to save him, but it requires a great sacrifice. Will Dean be able to make it?
Warnings: angst, character death
Word count: 1.280-ish
He’s clearly hesitating, changing his grip on the blade every second.
“C’mon Winchester, do it before I change my mind!” you say with a sad smile, your eyes watering in the process.
This area of the secluded alley is dimly lit, but you can still see his do, too.
“Promise you’ll come back with Sam?” his voice is hoarse, tinted with emotion.
“You know I can’t make any promises, sugar.” you close your eyes and let a couple of tears run free.
Frankly, you are not afraid to die. The only thing you’re afraid of is that you might forget his face over time and the way he looked at you, like you were the only person in the entire universe.
Dean raises the weapon to swing it, but halts. His brain knows there’s no other way, but his heart is having a hard time accepting it.
The blast from killing Dick Roman with the bone of a righteous mortal washed in the three bloods of fallen was enormous. Dean felt like as if it were devouring him – and it turns out that in a way it was. It devoured him and Cas and spat them out in a land full of mist and darkness, where everything lurking in the shadows wanted to shred them to pieces. They were in purgatory, a place where the souls of monsters preyed upon each other for the rest of eternity and Cas abandoned him. He was on his own - until he met you.
He was being ambushed by three vampires and they visibly had the upper hand, having ridden him from his weapon. That was until you came in, of course. Dean was sure he’d never forget the way your braided hair flew in the air and how your eyes shone as you fought them.
“I mean, you’re welcome.” you said to him, picking up your blade and looking at the three headless corpses spread out on the ground.
Everything happened so fast, he could barely comprehend it.
“Who are you? And why did you save me?” he asked, panting, trying to steady himself against a gnarled tree. A mixture of blood and sweat was trickling down his forehead.
You raised an eyebrow.
“Judging by your recent performance, right now, I’m your best chance at survival, jackass.” he kept quiet, so you continued “The name’s Y/N. And as for why… There’s a rumor that a human with a pretty face made it through here somehow and based on descriptions, it’s gotta be you… I wanted to be the first one to make an offer.”
He gave you a quick once-over.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not into monster chicks, no matter how hot they are.” he said, totally misinterpreting the whole situation. You let out an exasperated sigh and rolled your eyes at him.
“God, no… I didn’t mean like that, perv.”
“Oh, okay… then, like what?”
“Like, I may or may not know about the existence of a way out of here.”
His face automatically hardened with suspicion.
“If what you’re saying is true, and it’s a big IF… what’s in it for you?”
Your lips curled into a sly smile.
“Well, supposedly, this portal is for humans exclusively… so if we find it, I’d like to hitch a ride back to life, pretty face.”
At first, Dean was conflicted – he wanted nothing more than to escape, but was the cost really worth it? Bringing a monster back to life? But, as time went by, he was forced to realize you were not like the other creatures that go bump in the night. In fact, he kind of grew a liking to you and the way you would sass him.
One night the air was particularly cold, but you were in an especially dangerous zone – lighting a fire would have been like an open invitation for monsters to come bite you in the ass. You found a hollow tree and decided to sleep there. You made yourselves comfortable, but after a while he cleared his throat nervously.
“It’s freezing tonight, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, I guess it is. But don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.” you replied nonchalantly, making him press the matter more.
“Probably I will. But I was thinking... you know… in the movies when it’s cold, the characters usually survive by snuggling close to each other, keeping the other warm with their body heat…”
It took every ounce of your willpower not to laugh out loud.
“Uhm, Dean, you do realize that as a vampire, I don’t really have much of a body heat, right?”
“Oh, sure, I know.” he replied, while mentally slapping himself for getting embarrassed in front of you.
“But if you wanna cuddle, I get it. This is a grim place and feeling close to someone could be nice I guess.” you said suddenly and nestled in between his thighs, leaning your back against his chest. Couple of seconds later you felt a pair of strong arms wrap around you.
“When we get back and you resurrect me, I wanna go to a concert. AC/DC, maybe.” you spoke up.
“And after that?”
“After that, I’m gonna get back to hunting monsters.”
You could feel his breath hitch in his throat.
“You were a hunter before… before you... got here?” the careful way how he was choosing his words made you smile.
“Yeah, I was. Then seven years ago a hunt went sideways, and I got turned into the very thing I hated the most.”
A heavy silence ensued.
“I never killed anybody, if that’s what you’re wondering.” you added “I got my shit together and continued hunting all the while living off of hospital blood bags. But some of my former hunter friends had doubts about me and voilá – I ended up here in the armpit of existence.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, me, too… And what about you? What are you gonna do once you get back on the tracks?”
“I honestly have no idea.”
You couldn’t remember the end of your conversation as you fell asleep first. What you could remember, however, was that you had a dream for the first time since you became a resident in purgatory.
A few days later you collected Cas and carried on with your mission of finding the portal. Weeks went by with fighting beasts and torturing them to gain information regarding its exact location, but it all paid out in the end - you finally found it. You were beyond excited. When Dean opened his arms, you jumped into his embrace without thinking – and he kissed you without thinking. It was undeniably the best kiss of your life.
Dean kept his promise and brought you both back to life, but Cas stayed behind, which shattered him into a million pieces inside. You knew it, even though he never actually told you this. You could see in his mannerism and on the bad days, you could hear him utter Cas’ name while he was having a nightmare. You were absolutely clueless about how to alleviate his pain and felt utterly useless because of this. So, when Sam got stuck in purgatory on his way back from hell with Bobby Singer’s soul, you knew what your next offer to Dean would be. You’d let him behead you and you’d help Sam and Bobby find the portal just as you helped him. If you couldn’t heal his heart broken by his best friend, then the least you could do was preventing it from breaking even more because of losing his brother. Seeing that no other options were available, he reluctantly accepted your offer.
His hand is still in the air, shaking. If he does it, he’ll lose the girl he loves to the lifestyle he’s leading once again. But if he does not do it, he’ll lose his brother.
“Just do it already, Dean!” you scream, opening your eyes.
The last two things you sense before it all goes dark are the flash of a blade and Dean’s sob.
#dean winchester#dean#SPN#spnfic#dean x reader#supernatural#dean winchester x reader#purgatory#purgatory dean
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The Magic Weekend
Okay, I promised you all this post and here it is!
So I had bought my ticket to Queen and Adam Lambert’s Sydney show all the way back in April 2019, when they first went on sale. I looked forward to it for months. During my down periods it kept me going - that I was going to see them live.
And then summer happened.
I’m sure all of you are aware of how bad this Australian summer was. I could write paragraphs and paragraphs about our summer of stress, and sorrow; the thick choking smoke that blanketed my city; staring at fire maps every single day and watching the lines creep ever closer. I was lucky; aside from the smoke, my city did not burn. (Only just.) My brother, a fire fighter, returned exhausted but safe after spending 54 days on various fire fronts.
Instead, I’ll tell you about Fire Fight.
From the instant it was announced I knew Queen would be there. It was the very day after their Sydney concert, at the very same stadium, heck, even using their stage! They had to be there. So, with my New Year’s resolution to be as happy as possible, I bit the bullet and bought a front standing section ticket.
And oh, was I ever rewarded.
But first: their Sydney show. Would you believe it, after the summer we had, my main concern was that we might get flooded out! It is truly all or nothing, here, sometimes. Even as we arrived at Sydney Olympic Park a thunderstorm opened over us; they had to stop people going to their seats because of lightning. We started an hour late but it was so worth it.
You guys, Adam Lambert is literally a genius. If he was a bit younger I might have even suggested that he’d been touched by Freddie’s talent from beyond the grave. He does things with his voice I couldn’t dream was possible. God, Freddie would have loved him. Absolutely adored him. God, Freddie probably would have adopted him!
It didn’t rain a single drop during Queen’s two and a half hour show. Adam asked us to sing along and I did. A week and a half later my voice is still strained. It was so incredible. The use of the video screen was superb, too. At one stage during In The Lap of the Gods...Revisited, the “columns” and buildings on the screens behind them crumbled and broke and fell apart. And then later, during The Show Must Go On, they reassembled. Reminding us, very literally, that the show must go on, even without Freddie and John.
I stumbled back into my hotel room at 1am, slept until 9am, went down to breakfast, and then got ready for Fire Fight.
Fire Fight was literally hours. It started at 1pm local time and finished just before 11pm. It was a long, long, long day. (Somehow I didn’t get sunburnt too badly, either!) I didn’t know a good half the acts but I went to have a good time anyway and ended up enjoying most of them (and might have had a teenage crush on Ronan Keating reawakened).
Queen and Adam Lambert came on at around 8:15pm. The crowd was absolutely buzzing, you guys. This was the star attraction. 5 Seconds of Summer had just whipped us up into a frenzy with how good they were, and now we were waiting for Queen. Spontaneously in different parts of the stadium people would start the stomp-stomp-clap (they kept speeding up). When they ran out on stage, the roar shook the heavens. When they did Bohemian Rhapsody, the crowd sang along. And then Brian hit that transition into Radio Gaga...
...and 77000 people LOST. THEIR. SHIT.
As soon as he did it I knew they were doing Live Aid. The crowd absolutely freaked out. And Adam was spectacular. He kept getting this grin like he could not believe what he was doing and it was so great. In the standing sections, people would sit on the plastic floor whenever it was an act they weren’t as big fans of, or if they just wanted rest. Not for QAL. Not a single person was sitting down for Queen. They walked on, stole that show, and walked off again to chants of “one more song! one more song!”
(And then they did a live cross to Michael Buble, which...I mean he sang well, but how to destroy the energy in a stadium 101, basically.)
A few people left after Queen but I wasn’t going anywhere, because the last act of the night was to be John Farnham. For those who don’t know, he is the greatest Australian singer of all time who came up with one of the greatest songs of all time: the inimitable You’re the Voice. I’d never seen him live, since he “retired” when I was still a teenager and I’d been too broke to see him at various stints since. I’d always wanted to, and now was my chance.
Of course, like everyone else there, I also knew that You’re the Voice would be the last song. Had to be the last song. There were no other choices (since we’d already sung I am Australian earlier in the day). So when he reached near the end of his (incredible) set, with one last song still to do, we knew what it was.
Then he told us he had a treat for us. He introduced us to Mitch Tambo. And then the director picked the wrong camera shot and suddenly Brian May was on the big screen as he walked on stage.
I wish I could describe just what the reaction was. The way the entire stadium just about rose off the ground from the screaming and the cheering. The guys near me who were in total meltdown screaming OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD over and over.
John Farnham and Brian May, two greats, hugging on stage, about to perform one of the all-time great songs.
We screamed the lyrics. We had a beautiful moment where Mitch Tambo sang the second verse in the language of the Gamilaraay people, and we sang back at him in English. United. As one. It was possibly the greatest rendition of this song of all time. Perfect.
And then the fire fighters came out on stage. I’m pretty sure half the stadium cried.
Queen and Adam Lambert might have stolen the show overall, but that song was the next biggest moment of the night.
You guys. It was perfect. I can’t imagine it being any better than that.
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