heyyyy you should totally tell us more about your ocs i promise itll be sooo worth it GIVE ME MORE OC CONTENT NOW GRGRGRGRGRGRGRGGRGRGRG

⚓ Tremor Trench: First Day On Deck

Got my leg fucked up rilgud but that won't stop me from showing you my lads

These are my main boys and they are hopelessly inlove. That will spell out their doom !!!

LORE

15 years prior a massive ship, dubbed The Calamity sank along with its fleet in Tremor Trench; a ring-shaped stretch enveloping their country. Years after this accident it was as if the trench made crossing it near impossible - we're talking jagged rocks, endless storms, whirlpools, typhoons, and the appearance of a shadowy figure beneath the waves.

It's up to my first protagonist (white haired; blue eyed) to attempt to cross the Trench once more, and open up communication for his country once again!

Oh. The second protagonist?hehegehehe

I also own,,a playlist of sorts tyty

Last Line Challenge

Rules - In a new post, show the last line you wrote (or drew) and tag as many people as there are words (or however many as you like.)

Tagged by @unwri-ten

Last Drawing:

sketch I'll never finish lol

Tagging: @itislils2004 @pinkiepig @silkysong @taxed-up-trotter

topaz splash details appreciation:

is that a jade bracelet i spy?? only other we have seen with one is tingyun and while i do know the meaning of it in contemporary practices, i think that's a really cute detail. you could definitely build some cute ship art/ideas out of that.

her boots are gorgeous, actually, i love the entire palette they got going for her outfit and how it's utilized

am also a big sucker for capes, i wonder what the symbol there is

anyway we know she's aligned with IPC so no surprise that the big brooch on her chest is amber and gold, and looks a little bit more stylized than the other IPC logos we've seen if it is IPC-branded?

also again with women with black leather collars and harnesses. the strap in this game is so real

i really prefer 帐帐 zhangzhang as a name for the trotter over numby, but i get it, also: YOU'RE SO CUTE LIL BABY ZHANGZHANG. does topaz keep it on a leash? does she feed it? does she coo over it when it sucks up all the overdue taxes from last quarter?

also the announcement mentions zhangzhang can do actuarial sciences which according to a search means: "Actuarial Science is the discipline that applies mathematical and statistical methods to the systematic observation of natural events to assess the risk of events occurring and help formulate policies that minimize this risk and its financial impact on companies and clients."

interesting. warp trotters are so weird

i wonder if this scale will play in. also, that one world with the orbiting green moon, weighed against all that money? ooooh so intrigued

so far from her titles we only know she's in strategic investment department working with special debts picket team so, yeah, checks and balances at IPC? a corporation we know very little of except that:

while they have an alliance with the xianzhou they will not lend any military support to xianzhou, which has the xianzhou pretty tepid on them;

their dedication to the path of preservation is mentioned in radio broadcasts a lot, their alignment with qlipoth interesting as qlipoth themselves seek isolation between worlds (by extent would they be in opposition to the star rails?) but the IPC enables and furthers trade between worlds. curious!

they really do not like the stellaron hunters but want elio alive

thread is too long so making a new one. thanks for tagging me, @taxed-up-trotter !

create a silly worm

HE IS IN THE BACKROOMS SAVEBTHEM

@internet-cheesecake @heyizzy @kaistudio no pressure!

TinyBlade

Summary In which Techno considers the community and stops Fundy from stealing something. Niki is also there.

Notes Slight AU where Technoblade is a Pig Hybrid/Origin. Additionally, this was mainly written to feed Niki's tiny hybrid fascination.

Story

Techno sighed as he pulled himself up the final rung of the ladder leading up from his strip mine. His pack was heavy with ores and gems, weighing heavily on his small shoulders. He rubbed the back of his neck, massaging out the small headache.

The light prickling in his head along with the whispered words attached to the memory that followed the headache sent small shivers across his arms. It was an unfortunately common event these days for him. The voices that came and stayed with the first memory were blissfully peaceful, compared to the ones that were present within his resurfacing memories.

As he walked toward his little home, he passed the stone monument that had been defiled and defaced repeatedly by both himself and the others who had settled around the lakeside. Most of the damage was from himself. It was the cause of his first memory resurfacing, and he was bound and determined to not allow those violent voices back.

He passed the farms, loving tended primarily by both himself and Scott, and occasionally some of the others dropped by and harvested and replanted the wheat. He snorted at a passing memory of Tommy raging after he harvested the farm and didn’t replant then burst into the pub angry that someone hadn’t replanted. The kid got scolded by basically everyone, and after that he started replanting.

Tommy was a good, smart kid, if just a bit of a ditz with a bit of a hot temper. The kid never broke a promise though, and you could count on that.

Techno passed the ‘Bullet Shop’ owned and run by Hive Inc. and waved a trotter at the tiny inching who was carrying crates back and forth inside. Sneeg was a reasonable sort, quite a bit of a temper and quick as a whip, and a friendly guy once you got to know him.

His employers though were more than a bit odd. The young pair claimed they were married for ‘tax benefits’, but they were absolutely sickly sweet when they thought no one was watching. Tubbo had a short temper, while the Enderian kid, “Ranboo ” he said his name was, was much more level headed in comparison. But when the two and Tommy were together with adult supervision, the three would go off in such chaos that it made Techno’s head spin sometimes.

Techno had noticed that quite a few of the people living around the lake were oddly wary of him. He hadn’t known quite why at first, but as time had gone on and more of those old memories resurfaced, he understood a bit better.

Based on the memories that had resurfaced, the only one who wasn’t on edge around him that his past self had been in opposition to was Niki. But, well. She was Niki. She enjoyed floating in her lagoon, but was an incredibly formidable opponent in her own way. She was basically a goddess within the water, beloved by any water dwelling creature.

Techno had been on the receiving end of quite a few of Niki’s sudden hugs. He would never admit it out loud, but he enjoyed the physical affection from the Merling. She was protective as heck, but Techno would fight the world to help keep her happy.

Speaking of the girl, she was floating in her pond, and Techno raised a trotter, waving. Her eyes were closed, and she was face up, a smile on her face as she soaked up the warm sun. Occasionally, the gentle current of the currents flowing through her lagoon pushed her under the large shaded branches supporting Phil and Trixtin's Birdhouse home, and Niki lazily flapped her tail to gently push herself back into the sun.

Techno glanced up as a winged shadow flew overhead, and nodded at the sight of his green-clothed Elytrian friend roosting on the porch of his and his partner’s home. Phil and Trixtin were genuinely the best people in the community. Trixtin mainly made clothing and explored the local area, preferring to stay close to the open sky, but Techno had heard from Phil about the date the two had gone on, ‘Surfing the Void’ as he had called it. According to Phil, it was the most beautiful and terrifying experience they had done together.

Techno smiled slightly at the thought of his friends. Friend. A strange word that he doubted the version of him in those memories used often for other people. But here, in this world, he used it often. Here he felt like he cared for people more. Like they cared for him more.

Yeah, sometimes they were chaotic as hell, but they owned up to their mistakes and fixed them.

A tiny movement caught his attention out of the corner of his eye, and Techno drew his short sword. There was only one person with the balls to try and sneak into his house. “Fundy. I will stab you if you don’t put whatever you took back.” He kept his eyes forward looking around his house for anything specifically out of place, but also observed the small Fox from his peripheral vision.

The small Fox had frozen when he heard his name, if he hadn’t been moving when Techno entered, he would have been totally invisible.

And...He took the box. Techno sighed. “Fundy. Put the box on the floor. There is nothing valuable in it, it’s only personally valuable to me, and will just cause issues for anyone else who has it.” He sheathed his short sword and turned to look directly at Fundy. He held out a hand. “Fundy. Give.”

Fundy took a step, his camouflage completely dissolving. The box was held in his hands, a bit long and wide to put away in his bag without struggling a little. Techno easily lifted with a single hand when Fundy struggled to hold it with two.

Techno set the box on his table, and opened it a little bit to make sure Fundy didn’t take the contents. Seeing the items were still inside, Techno closed it, and lifted it back up to where it was stored. “Fundy. I don’t care if you take resources or food, but don’t touch that box. Ever. Bad things will happen if I don’t keep an eye on it.”

Fundy nodded stiffly, and Techno sighed. “Want a smoothie and some hamburger steak?”

“Uh. Sure?” Fundy responded, tilting his head. His oversized ears flopped a little at the movement.

In spite of Fundy’s slightly sticky fingers, Techno considered him a friend. The near animal hybrids had to stick together sometimes. And Fundy was a good guy. Everyone in the OriginsSMP community was. Bit off in the head sometimes, but they all meant well.

Except when Wasp Co. wanted to take over the community. Which was a lot of the time. They got bonked when they tried that.

Sinners & Saints-Chapter 10

A special thanks to @Statell for all your help and wisdom

Previous chapters at AO3

Chapter Ten

The sun bounced its light off the surface of the water looking like a million diamonds sparkling all around them. Jamie watched Claire laughing at something Darius said and he almost pinched himself to verify this wasn’t a dream. He had not seen her this relaxed in quite some time and she looked so beautiful. Adso stretched out on her lap and she stroked him while her attention was on Darius. She turned to look at him suddenly with a smile that would melt a glacier.

“Happy birthday Jamie. I have a present for you, want to see it?”

“Nothing can top the day we’ve already had but yes please show me.”

She led him below deck and unlocked the door to the guest cabin pushing it open. Jamie’s face was unreadable as his gaze swept the room and stopped at the tubes of oil paint, the container of brushes, a pallet, turpentine, and empty canvases waiting to come alive with color. He pulled a brush and bounced it between his fingers and then smiled at her. His heart was beating rapidly as the paintings appeared to him, one after the other.

“Do you like it? Will you paint?”

“Come here Sassenach. I love it, yes I will paint,” he whispered.

Jamie kissed her softly and when she moved into him he could hear his heart ramming as his large warm hand slid down her body making his intentions known. The mind-bending heat came on them so fast their mission in life was suddenly to get the other naked. Jamie pulled where the sarong was tied and it dropped to the floor around her feet. She was naked except for her tiny thong panties.

“Ah, God, you’re a beauty Claire and I love you.”

One grab of the bed cover stripped the bed and Jamie pulled off his clothes while Claire reached for him. They were out of control and Jamie pulled away and looked into her eyes.

“This is the consummation of our marriage, Sassenach, I feel we should slow down and pay it the attention it deserves,” was panted out.

“Too late.” Claire pulled him on top of her and raised her knees on either side of him. “I’m with you until the wheels fall off sweetheart.”

It wasn’t the slow-burn lovemaking they had fantasized about but reinventing themselves, breaking all the rules, and finding the alternate route had become their forte. When they dropped back to earth, panting and clutching each other, it was just perfect.

Maia served a late lunch and then it was time for bikinis and jet skis. They played until exhausted, pulling themselves up on the lowered aft deck as the beautiful sunset filled the sky.

It was the perfect ending to a perfect day when the couples curled up on the deck couches and watched Casablanca. Jamie carried Claire to bed and spooned her into a deep sleep. He was restless and his hand itched to paint. Rather than wake his bride, he went below deck to find a suitable place to work and he set his watch for two hours to prevent painting all night. Just before dawn he pulled his wife to him and sighed his appreciation. Claire smiled to herself in the dark room, aware he had been painting all night and thrilled she could lead him back to the canvas, even if she slept alone occasionally.

In Washington, Hesser sat back in his chair and thought about Claire Beauchamp. He was impressed with what she had overcome in her short life to become a full professor at the University of Chicago. A virtual globe trotter because her appraisals were in such demand. He wondered what caused the birth of Casper and how she became so notorious for stealing art. Most likely Javier pulled her into the dark side and he would spend the rest of his life in prison. It wasn’t enough to save her, but he would be punished for what he did to her. Hesser would keep her leash short and execute Javier’s lover, Joseph, as a warning to stay in line. Jamie Fraser would be of no use to him. There was a kill on sight order on him so he couldn’t be used to pressure Claire. He just wanted this resolved and these loose ends cleaned up. It was taxing to even think about.

Claire let Jamie sleep and pulled Adso from under the covers while he stretched and yawned. Adso’s preference was to stay in bed if either of them was still in it but his purring right into Jamie’s ear would surely wake him up. She held him against her mouth and gave kisses all the way to the galley.

“Time to head out Claire,” Darius was smiling and looked sleepy. “Or, we can stay right here for as long as you want, the choice is yours.”

“I got rather excited about seeing Croatia and eating more lobster of course.”

“Where is your husband?” No response. “Your husband?” Nothing “Who is your husband, Claire?”

“Hmm?”

“Your husband.”

“My hus…” Claire’s eyes went from conversational to lovesick in seconds and she left the galley, drawn to him, awake or asleep, she wanted to cuddle with him.

“Nice going, Darius,” Maia giggled, “ my egg casserole is done and there’s no one to eat it now.”

“I can fix this sweet girl.” He bent over and hoisted her over his shoulder heading for the stairs to the upper deck. He kept climbing and smacked her ass when she tried to get down. At the highest deck, he set her down and smiled like a fox. When she turned to the stairs he ordered her to stay. Maia knew his voice intimately and could recognize happy, bored, stressed, aroused, and dangerous. She closed her eyes and felt the excitement of what was to come.

“Come here, Maia.”

“No.”

“I will come over there and get you.”

She turned around as he was advancing and she held her hand up, “I will jump overboard if you come any closer!”

Darius let his eyes wander up her body slowly and he noticed her nipples standing at attention and the flush to her face. It was like catching a wild cat that wanted to be caught sometimes but he would trick her. He held a quarter up and asked her to call it.

“Fine, then I’m jumping, heads.”

She watched the coin toss into the air and land on his arm. “Ha, you lose!”

Darius pulled his shirt off and the sun bounced off his toned bronze torso. Maia licked her lips open so she could breathe. He told her to call it.

“Heads again!”

“You lose girl, off with the shirt.”

“But I have nothing on under my shirt.”

“You should have thought about that when you got dressed this morning.”

Darius had a beautiful smile with bright white teeth and full lips that made her weak. “C’mon little one, off.”

Maia raised her chin in defiance and finally pulled her shirt off, naked to her shorts barely hanging on to her hips. She was breathing hard and called tails for the next toss. Darius barely touched his cut-offs and they fell to the ground around his feet. He was uninhibited by nature and Maia was stuck on looking at him letting him sneak forward and pull her to him.

“You have a choice, dear one, I can pull them off, or you can.” She felt his hands pull once on her shorts and they were off. He pulled her up on the handrail at the top of the stairs and sank to his knees using a slow tongue to pull her into orbit. He watched her head go back to lean against the boat and her breasts bounce as she got close.

He kissed her and carried her to a mattress dropping onto his back and pulling her on top of him. Darius moaned when she dropped her body onto him. He sat up and pulled her feet behind him pressing down on her knees to supply the needed friction. She was too good at this and he held her still while he regained control. He slipped out of her body.

“Put your legs over my shoulders.”

When she did he told her to bring it to him and pushed her pelvis up and to his mouth. Maia was losing her mind and her arms burned from holding her weight up. She was making strange noises that made Darius pull her higher and then over the top as she screamed his name. Her arms buckled and she came down on the mattress as her orgasm ripped through her. Darius pushed into her and hammered with his own need until he growled and held her against him.

“That’s a good girl,” he panted. “Now you can jump overboard.”

He kissed her face a dozen times and then ran a towel under the cold water tap behind the bar. She looked like a sated angel lying there with her eyes closed. When he ran the towel down her arms, chest, breasts, and stomach she moaned and smiled at him.

“Will you be flinging yourself into the ocean?”

“From way up here? Not a chance,” she giggled and reached for her clothes.

In Paris, Joseph sat on a park bench and watched Javier walk around the park while he talked on his phone. They had been on the surface too long, Joseph felt, and he flicked his eyes to Javier as a warning, it’s time to go. Javier walked back to Joseph growling into the phone to go two-million and make the deal by noon tomorrow or he was out.

“Two million Javier?”

He sat down heavily on the bench and exhaled nodding his head. It looked like he had aged a decade in the past week and it broke Joseph’s heart.

“Our girl needs a miracle so two million is a small price to pay.” He looked at Joseph and his eyes were full of love. “I have lived a full life, I want Bear to have that chance and it’s all I want. I’m ready to rest in the ground and wait for you Joseph.

Joseph pulled him up and walked him toward the path to the bunker hoping the package would be delivered at noon tomorrow.

Cruising back to Greece would be a memory Claire would not soon forget. She glanced at Adso sitting at the edge of the deck watching something in the water. When she looked up the water was boiling with jumping dolphins who were keeping up with the boat like it was a game. She grabbed a phone to the bridge and asked Darius to drop the speed so she could see the dolphins.

The yacht stopped moving and Darius came down to lower the hydraulic aft deck to the water level. The four of them sat with their lower legs in the water watching the playful dolphins. Several of them came close enough to touch their feet and babies would swim between their legs. When Adso sauntered out and jumped down on the platform everything changed. He sat watching like he was unimpressed and the dolphins gathered around the platform trying to see him. He walked forward and batted at the long noses making them lurch back and blast out of the water like it was the most fun thing to happen in a long time. They tried to lift their upper body out of the water to see him bringing Claire two inches from a large wild dolphin who was captivated by her cat. She didn’t dare move and scare them away but she got brave after a while and reached out to touch one of them. Jamie got to his feet which dipped the platform underwater and Adso ran into the boat like a shot, shaking his wet feet as he went.

He pulled Claire up and walked her inside because the dolphins were leaving and it was too dark to see anything. He looked at her face and chuckled at the wonder in her gaze.

“Well, my wife is in a dolphin stupor so we might have to hold dinner for a bit.”

When Santorini was in sight the next day, Jamie and Darius were chomping at the bit to go spearfishing. Once a mooring was purchased the women saw them run to the tender and wave goodbye.

Claire laughed and followed Maia outside with a pitcher of iced tea and a deck of cards. Darius had secured a commercial grade fishing pole to the boat and the baited hook drifted out to the current to spin and bounce while the girls played cards.

Claire looked up sharply at Maia, “what’s that sound? It’s like a huge zipper going up and down.”

“It’s a fish,” and then she yawned.

“It’s a what?”

Claire looked at the pole and the line was being dragged out to the open ocean at a rapid rate. She felt adrenalin course through her body while Maia walked over and waited for several minutes, then reached down and locked the reel causing the pole to jerk almost in half.

“What now?”

“We play another hand and then bring him in if we can. It’s a very big fish.”

Halfway through the hand, the pole almost jerked out of the holder and Maia ran to grab it but the pole slammed her against the railing and she couldn’t move.

“Oh my God Maia, let me help you!”

Claire held onto the pole and both women were straining to hold onto the fish. They fought with it for twenty minutes before Maia could feel a bit of slack and started reeling with all her might. The fish would let them reel it in for a few minutes and then suddenly dash back toward open water pulling the line with it. They were exhausted after an hour and both sat down on the deck, holding the pole, sweating through their light clothing. Maia smiled when she heard the tender coming.

“Reinforcement.”

Jamie came running when he saw Claire looking like she went three rounds with Mohammed Ali. When he was told there was a monster fish on the line he ran to get Darius.

Strong male hands took control of the pole and they took turns reeling the fish in. Darius had the timing down to snap the reel lock driving the hook deeper into the fish. Jamie had the strength to drag it closer to the boat. Claire brought cold beers out for everyone and was captivated by the muscles that bulged in Jamie’s arms and chest.

“It’s close Darius, how do we get it onto the boat?”

Darius laughed at the question and told him it would be several hours before they got it close enough to grab it.

“No, it’s close, I can feel it getting very close.”

When the monster fish came to the surface and saw the boat it dove deep and ran the line out to the original distance.

“My turn!” Darius sat down on the deck and pushed his feet against the rail. He let the fish fight until he got tired and then started reeling. He worked the pole, pulling it taught and lifting high overhead like he was dragging the fish toward him and reeling quickly to take up the new slack. Jamie watched and learned.

The girls brought dinner to the table and ended up setting the plates and food on the deck and they all sat cross-legged eating and encouraging whoever had the pole.

A fishing boat passed slowly coming in for the day and two crew members laughed and pointed to the line in the water giving them a thumbs-up as they motored by.

The sun was starting to go down and Jamie warned Darius the fish was close. Darius looked out at the water and seemed to freeze and blink his eyes. He squinted and stared at the water.

“Holy shit!” In the next instant, he was overboard swimming toward the fish, he yelled to Jamie to pull it to the surface and waited for the fish to come up. When he saw the sword break the surface he yelled holy shit again and swam hard toward the boat. He climbed up on the aft deck and dripped water running through the saloon to the forward deck getting a stern look from Maia.

“It’s a Swordfish for Christ’s sake! Oh my God, what is he doing close to the island? He should be long gone by now. Oh! Jamie, don’t let go.”

Claire wondered if she had ever eaten Swordfish, she didn’t think so. It wasn’t long before Jamie’s strength was too much for the fish and it was reeled close to the boat. One last push of fight or flight from the Swordfish and it was completely out of the water dancing on his tail with the long sword in the air. Jamie looked at the gorgeous fish shimmering in the moonlight, thrashing up out of the water and crashing back. He had never seen anything so beautiful come out of the water.

Darius grabbed the pole and walked it back to the aft deck by the side deck that ran along the side of the boat. He sat Jamie on the deck and told him to keep reeling. He was back in two minutes with orange gloves on a grappling hook that he carried out to the lowered back platform. When the fish came alongside the deck, Darius swung the grappling hook into its side and told Jamie to hold it. He jumped into the water and fought the wounded monster. Once he got a hold of the sword and the body Jamie lowered the deck under water so Darius just had to sit with the fish on his lap while Jamie lifted the deck up. Darius sent the fish’s soul to heaven and once dead he took a picture of it and then cut it into thick fillets.

He and Jamie worked quickly to cut and clean sections of the Swordfish put them into freezer bags and stow them in the chest freezer. Jamie was sitting on the deck with his feet in the water throwing the waste far from the boat.

“Get your foot out of the water before you get bit,” Darius warned. He flipped the underwater lights on and Jamie looked down at a dozen large sharks right under his foot. He jerked it out of the water and they wrapped it up for the night. They both carried their loves to bed and Jamie locked up and set the alarm. It was a very good day.

Claire stretched and gave kisses to Adso who purred contently next to her ear. She showered and dressed before finding Maia in the galley.

“Where are the guys this morning?”

“Darius had to clean the bottom of the boat and Jamie jumped in after him to help. You two don’t act like millionaires.”

“Ill-gotten gains, sweet pea.”

Claire looked down both sides of the boat from the foredeck and could not see the men in the water.

“Maia they aren’t in the water.”

“They are under the boat and use long tubes to breathe. Look harder for the two clear tubes just above water level.”

“No need, I’ll wait until they’re done, just looking for a morning hug.”

Claire felt her phone vibrate and opened her text messaging. She read Javier’s message and walked up the stairs to the bridge computer to read his email. She knew he was working tirelessly on a solution and she loved him for it, hoping for a breakthrough. She downloaded a video file, hovering over the video she clicked the mouse and waited for it to load into the player. She was looking out the bridge windows when she heard Frank's voice and a child crying. She turned her gaze to the video.

Maia heard something crash upstairs and called to Claire but got no answer. She bounced up the stairs and found Claire on her hands and knees retching on the floor. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and tried to say “Jamie” but she couldn’t push the words out. Maia ran to the deck and pounded the side of the boat until they surfaced.

“Claire is in the bridge and something is very wrong Jamie.”

Enough said and he was taking the stairs two at a time.

“Sassenach! What’s happened?”

He pulled her to her feet but she couldn’t do more than snivel and shake. She pointed at the monitor and said watch. Jamie felt her pull away from him and head for the stairs she turned and put her hand up telling him to watch the video. She was crying and apologizing and then slammed her hand against her mouth and ran down the steps.

Jamie started the video and the images shot into his brain where they would torment him for the rest of his life. He had seen a lot of violence in prison, some that made him physically ill, but nothing could have prepared him for this. He turned it off and ran to find Claire wondering who he would strangle for sending this evil video.

Claire laid on their bed in the fetal position, clutching Adso and crying.

“Who sent you the video Sassenach?” said through his clenched teeth.

“Javier.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s Frank!”

Jamie struggled to hold onto his composure. He wanted desperately to run to the deck and throw himself in the ocean until he felt normal again if that was even possible. He heard Claire crying and forced himself to sit down and take a deep breath. He put his hand on her thigh and promised to make everything alright. He told Claire that no one else should ever see such a thing and he was going up to the bridge to shut her email down.

“Claire, hold on for five minutes, I will close your email and clean up the bridge and be right back. Okay?”

When he saw her nod he ran upstairs and read Javier’s email message. “Darling Bear, First, load the VPN and the email security program attached to this email. The video and documents attached are not to be viewed by you, I forbid it. Forward the attached to the Washington Post and every major news outlet, the DC chief of police and the DC district attorney. Send the attached to Senator Frank Randall as well. Above all, do not view the video, just forward them. This will save you Bear.”

Christ Claire, did you not read Javier’s message? Jamie closed her email and locked the video so no one else could open it. He cleaned the floor of the bridge and went back to Claire.

“Sassenach, come here love.”

He laid against the headboard, held his arm out to her and she crawled into his strong embrace. Her crying subsided and she gripped him around his waist like a shield against the horror she witnessed.

“We will forget, eventually, your mind wants to protect you and what you saw will be forgotten. Now tell me what you intend to do with the video.”

“I will ruin Frank Randall so he goes to prison forever,” said through clenched teeth. “I don’t care about the blowback. He belongs in a dumpster, dead and rotting. I’m sending it everywhere Javier told me to.”

“So you read his email and played the video anyway?”

She dropped her head, “I wish I hadn’t but there is no turning back now.”

Jamie tried to get Claire to rest but she was hell-bent on following Javier’s instructions. Back on the bridge, she loaded all the email addresses and attached the video. Jamie watched her finger hover the Enter key and then she pushed it. Her eyes instantly snapped to his and she looked scared.

Jamie sat in the captain’s chair and pulled her into his lap where she laid against his chest with her head under his chin. He stroked her hair while they were silent, watching the water and boats below. They didn’t move or speak until the sun had set.

“It feels like we just lit the fuse on an explosion we know nothing about Sassenach.”

“I agree, but I trust Javier, implicitly. One thing is certain, Frank is no longer a candidate and I won’t be forced to marry him.”

Jamie felt their story was racing to an end and he didn’t know what to do, except run. He helped Claire downstairs and they sat at the table when Maia brought dinner from the galley. While they ate, Jamie gave a brief version of what had transpired and now felt they needed to put distance between them and Greece.

“I say we leave in the morning and head somewhere far away. Maybe Jamaica.”

Claire looked pale since she and Jamie returned from the bridge, now she stuttered out her concern.

“I need cat food, litter, and treats before we leave. It’s still early, can we tender to Santorini tonight and be ready to go in the morning?”

“I’ll go with Jamie and you two can rest. You don’t look so good Claire.” Darius looked concerned. “Let’s go, Jaime.”

Jamie and Darius made short work of their trip ashore and were on their way to the tender in thirty minutes. A junior CIA agent recognized Jamie and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. After they passed him he stayed in the shadows and watched them tender out to a huge yacht. He pulled his cell phone out with shaking hands and dialed the private number for Hesser who was throwing every object in his office against the wall in a rage over a video that was sent to him. Hesser could hardly speak through his panting and told the agent to give him the details and say nothing until he arrived. He pulled a notebook out of his breast pocket and wrote while the agent talked.

Frank Randall sat at his desk and stared at the monitor. He knew the video was a fake because he had no memory of such brutal behavior. His mind raced to find a solution and he tried to reach Hesser over and over again. He finally made his way to Hesser’s office and was jogging to the building when he saw the man walk out. Frank caught up to him and begged for his help. Hesser towered over him, looking down at the hysterical Senator with a menacing face.

“You’re finished in politics you pustular pimple on the ass of humanity. You better get your affairs in order before they come for you. Get the fuck out of my way.”

Frank argued that the tape was fake and someone was trying to ruin his campaign. Hesser pushed by him but before he reached his car Frank pulled his arm and drove his fist into his face. Hesser was shocked and staggered a bit looking down at Frank with bulging eyes. Then he dropped to the pavement, out cold.

Frank searched his pockets and pulled out the notebook he was always writing in or reading from. He pushed it into a pocket and ran for his car. He found a parking garage to hide in and read the notebook cover to cover. He giggled hysterically at the names and events he read, happy to have dirt on the powerful people in Washington who would have to help him. He flipped through to the last page and read the notes from the junior agent in Santorini. There was a description of the yacht and location of the mooring. He read the other notes on that page where Hesser had written video=Claire? Frank’s blood boiled and he headed to the airport.

The close circuit security cameras in the parking lot recorded a clear picture of Randall attacking Hesser. It would be added to the list of atrocities and they would nail his prison door shut with the evidence. Hesser didn’t know that Frank was already at cruising altitude on his way to Greece. He got lucky, had his passport, and found an open seat immediately.

While Jamie and Darius plotted a course to Jamaica Claire slipped away to soothe her jagged nerves in a hot bath. After drying her hair she slipped her new nightgown on, and it was a near duplicate of what she wore in Paris. Candles were not allowed on a boat but every lamp in their cabin had a dimmer switch and she turned them all way down and opened the big doors to the outside.

Jamie watched Claire lean against the door looking at the water. Her bare back was crisscrossed with tiny straps from her nightgown that stopped high-thigh to show most of her tanned shapely legs. He crossed to her quietly and kissed her shoulder feeling her press into his chest. When he asked her to wait for him to shower she looked up at him with wide eyes that he couldn’t read. Worry had settled into his stomach after they sent the video so he assumed that is what he saw.

After a calming shower, Jamie dried off and walked naked to his wife. He had pulled the bedding off the mattress and wrapped an arm around her to lead her to it. She giggled at him for running his hand along the satin garment whispering how soft it was. He started at her feet and talked about how beautiful Jamaica was while he rubbed and pulled moans out of his lover. His strong hands wrapped around her calves and massaged them to her knees for ten minutes. He was not in a hurry and noticed her smile when he described the crystal clear water around the island.

He moved to her side, slowly massaging her thin arms and hands explaining how long it would take to cross the ocean to Jamaica.

“Poor Darius will be stuck on the bridge for days, I don’t suppose we can take turns driving the boat.”

“He will set the autopilot once we’re at sea. The boat will warn him of other boats or objects under the water.” He turned her over and rubbed her back, then butt, and then down her legs.

Claire wanted to look at him and flipped onto her back, searching his eyes.

“I knew you before we met at Sotheby’s, not what you looked like but certainly as an artist. I broke many hearts appraising paintings that were fake. Every master painter has distinguishable strokes and I would know your work anywhere.”

Jamie blushed and looked at the skin he was working on. “I am a forger, not a master painter love.” He kissed her before she had time for rebuttal. She felt the kiss to her toes and wanted more but Jamie indulged himself in sliding his hand up and down the satin material getting closer to her breasts and core until she opened her mouth to breathe.

When his hand slid down her inner thigh she gasped and looked at him with a mixture of heat and pure love. Jamie twisted himself and settled between her legs where his soft, wet tongue made promises of the heights he would take her. He stopped before she lost her mind, wanting to love her slowly and let their passion build with simple strokes. He entered her, feasting on the story her eyes were telling, about love, hero-worship, and devotion. She looked at him like he was the king of men and he stopped moving so he could kiss her until he found her soul. She breathed into his mouth, “I love you so Jamie.”

When they cuddled to sleep Jamie hoped to find a jewelry store in Jamaica and a beautiful diamond befitting his extraordinary wife.

I am not throwin' away my shot

I am not throwin' away my shot

Hey yo, I'm just like my country

I'm young, scrappy and hungry

And I'm not throwin' away my shot

I'ma get a scholarship to King's College

I probably shouldn't brag, but dang, I amaze and astonish

The problem is I got a lot of brains but no polish

I gotta holler just to be heard

With every word, I drop knowledge

I'm a diamond in the rough, a shiny piece of coal

Tryna reach my goal my power of speech, unimpeachable

Only nineteen but my mind is older

These New York City streets get colder, I shoulder

Every burden, every disadvantage

I have learned to manage, I don't have a gun to brandish

I walk these streets famished

The plan is to fan this spark into a flame

But damn, it's getting dark, so let me spell out my name

I am the A-L-E-X-A-N-D-E-R we are meant to be

A colony that runs independently

Meanwhile, Britain keeps shittin' on us endlessly

Essentially, they tax us relentlessly

Then King George turns around, runs a spendin' spree

He ain't ever gonna set his descendants free

So there will be a revolution in this century

Enter me, he says in parentheses

Don't be shocked when your history book mentions me

I will lay down my life if it sets us free

Eventually, you'll see my ascendancy

And I am not throwin' away my shot

I am not throwin' away my shot

Hey yo, I'm just like my country

I'm young, scrappy and hungry

And I'm not throwin' away my shot

I am not throwin' away my shot

I am not throwin' away my shot

Hey yo, I'm just like my country

I'm young, scrappy and hungry

And I'm not throwin' away my shot

It's time to take a shot

I dream of life without a monarchy

The unrest in France will lead to anarchy?

Anarchy how you say, how you, oh, anarchy?

When I fight, I make the other side panicky

With my, shot

Yo, I'm a tailor's apprentice

And I got y'all knuckleheads in loco parentis (loco parentis)

I'm joining the rebellion 'cause I know it's my chance

To socially advance, instead of sewin' some pants (woo)

I'm gonna take a shot

And but we'll never be truly free

Until those in bondage have the same rights as you and me

You and I

Do or die

Wait 'til I sally in on a stallion

With the first black battalion

Have another shot

Geniuses, lower your voices

You keep out of trouble and you double your choices

I'm with you, but the situation is fraught

You've got to be carefully taught

If you talk, you're gonna get shot

Burr, check what we got

Mister Lafayette, hard rock like Lancelot

I think your pants look hot

Laurens, I like you a lot

Let's hatch a plot blacker than the kettle callin' the pot

What are the odds the gods would put us all in one spot

Poppin' a squat on conventional wisdom, like it or not

A bunch of revolutionary manumission abolitionists?

Give me a position, show me where the ammunition is

Oh, am I talkin' too loud?

Sometimes I get over excited, shoot off at the mouth

I never had a group of friends before

I promise that I'll make y'all proud

Let's get this guy in front of a crowd

I am not throwin' away my shot

I am not throwin' away my shot

Hey yo, I'm just like my country

I'm young, scrappy and hungry

And I'm not throwin' away my shot

I am not throwin' away my shot

I am not throwin' away my shot

Hey yo, I'm just like my country

I'm young, scrappy and hungry

And I'm not throwin' away my shot

Everybody sing

Whoa, whoa, whoa

Ayy, whoa (woo), whoa

Should let 'em hear ya (yeah)

Let's go

Whoa, whoa, whoa

I said shout it to the rooftops

Whoa, whoa, whoa

Said, to the rooftops

Whoa, whoa, whoa

A-come on (yeah)

Come on, let's go

Rise up

When you're living on your knees, you rise up

Tell your brother that he's gotta rise up

Tell your sister that she's gotta rise up

When are these colonies gonna rise up? (Whoa, whoa)

When are these colonies gonna rise up? (Whoa)

When are these colonies gonna rise up? (Whoa)

When are these colonies gonna rise up?

Rise up

I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory

When's it gonna get me?

In my sleep, seven feet ahead of me?

If I see it comin', do I run or do I let it be?

Is it like a beat without a melody?

See, I never thought I'd live past twenty

Where I come from some get half as many

Ask anybody why we livin' fast and we laugh, reach for a flask

We have to make this moment last, that's plenty

Scratch that this is not a moment, it's the movement

Where all the hungriest brothers with something to prove went?

Foes oppose us, we take an honest stand

We roll like Moses, claimin' our promised land

And? If we win our independence?

Is that a guarantee of freedom for our descendants?

Or will the blood we shed begin an endless cycle of vengeance and death with no defendants?

I know the action in the street is excitin'

But Jesus, between all the bleedin' 'n' fightin'

I've been readin' 'n' writin'

We need to handle our financial situation

Are we a nation of states what's the state of our nation?

I'm past patiently waitin' I'm passionately mashin' every expectation

Every action's an act of creation

I'm laughin' in the face of casualties and sorrow

For the first time, I'm thinkin' past tomorrow

And I am not throwin' away my shot

I am not throwin' away my shot

Hey yo, I'm just like my country

I'm young, scrappy and hungry

And I'm not throwin' away my shot

We're gonna rise up (time to take a shot)

I am not throwin' away my shot

We're gonna rise up (time to take a shot)

I am not throwin' away my shot

We're gonna, rise up, rise up

It's time to take a shot

Rise up, rise up

It's time to take a shot

Rise up, it's time to take a shot

Rise up, take a shot, shot, shot

It's time to take a shot, time to take a shot

And I am not throwin' away my

Not throwin' away my shot

-Songwriters: Bootsy William Collins / Joell Christopher Ortiz / Kejuan Waliek Muchita / Lin-Manuel Miranda / Roger Troutman / Tariq Trotter / Albert J. Johnson

-Hamilton The Musical

lamb lamb lamb and fluffy pillows 💤

@taxed-up-trotter @asmodeauxx bababbabbbbababa Tumblr don't f me up plspls

Ref

There have been times when I’ve wondered if Black Thought should be in the running for #goat emcee. This video is one of those times. My friend and colleague, drummer Morgan Childs, actually transcribed these amazing rhymes: Uh I’m sorry for your loss it’s somebody dead in a car and it’s probably one of yours The writin’ all across the window and the walls Whether it was true or false We shouldn’t have got involved Remember We walked past the teacher take the chalk and laugh We wrote punishments “I will not talk in class” Now it’s pistols punishing people for talking fast And all these innocent bystanders is haulin’ ass I hate to say “I told y’all” but I told y’all Things fall apart when the center to weak to hold y’all I’m just collecting what you owe to my owe jar You ‘bout to get swooped down on and stoled on Fools swear they wise, wise men know they foolish but we was headed for the web even before computers I never thought you’d give me a reason to do this Cain and Abel Jesus and Judas Caesar and Brutus I see intruders avert yer eyes I told you keep out of the hood Circumcise How could you sleep, I thought you always was the first to rise Eyo you heard the line Errybody plays the fool Well I be that exception to the rule The principal that hand deliver lessons to the school I was makin’ major moves My dollar déjà vu My mission when my ambition was brandishin’ the tool to be an icon wearin’ slippers made of python Get mine quicker ‘cause I’m slick as a pipeline Transportin’ the oil tribulation and toil hit the operation but I’m back in the soil Got my crown tilted, my gown quilted silk with cashmere burn the room down in a minute, built it last year Newsflash, I dodged the bullet that killed the cashier My homie told me to come with him to the masthead Them brothers said don’t go from written bars filled with rage to prime time television and your gilded cage Then forget there’s people in the world still enslaved I bar white at my wrist, and let it fill the page Gunfire and flare Sirens glare I’m in an iron chair with people who care don’t get the lion’s share When I don’t give a fuck then I ain’t fair I’m on a higher table people getting’ money like the finest hair Catch the herald I’m fresh chopped and beveled rap on a doctorate level so F Scott Fitzgerald Maybe I’m the new Rakim Maybe I’m Fab Pharoah Undergarments are armor be my intimate apparel Pre-Kardashian Kanye My rhyme play immaculate Same cadence as D.O.C. pre-accident Maybe my acumen is on par with Gucci rappin’ and gimme the proper respect motherfucker we back again For a couple things we lost in a fire the drive and desire to perform on a higher plateau I make that show lost in a mire Wondering how we got so far from inspired Look, when photos were sepia toned and record players were something you would keep in your home Yo the traveller the meanin’ Tariq he was known For the exemplary performance, uniquely his own I made the 21 pound for some a newfound religion When money’s put down there’s only one sound to make OGs and young lions equally proud to listen To seek what amalgam-ism an algorithm comin’ from where only kings and crowns permitted to darkness Where archaeologists found my image in parchment rolled into a scroll holdin’ a message for you It said the only thing fo sho is taxes death and trouble The anomaly, sworn solemnly high snobbery Freakinomics and war policy dichotomy That’s Heaven and Hades Tigris and Euphrates His highness, the apple of the iris to you ladies As babies we went from simolac to infomill to the internet and fentanyl when our consent was still against the will I got that detox for y’all The microphone doctor black Deepak Chopra I’m a griot that make you want to peacock your arm every heavy dignitary payin’ me top regards boy I’m three octaves far from the bi noc ulars so the smart money feelin’ get the heat out the car yo I’m K dot Lamar meets Tupac Shakur Got profiled by a few cops too hot to charge, listen somebody said a price tag was on a rapper’s head so we gonna see a nice bag when a rapper dead the mast black the flag green black and red they probably wave a white flag out the prasma shed (?) no doubt Yo the Game went they own route I can’t explain what these lame kids is talmbout Or how they fit they whole foot into their own mouth I put a couple bodies in a brown bag then I’m en route I’m sneaker shoppin’ with my stuntas size 8 prior to they release, cuz why wait? Look, in my state I got electrified gates for these blasé gods hatin’ at a high rate ‘cause I dodged fate then got great to fly straight if we ain’t family or friends then we don’t vibrate and I’m that Gun in yah face none of y’all safe If I catch you at the right time in the wrong place Slippin’ Sipping on somethin’ with a strong taste Like whiskey or bootleg bourbon with a corn base (Malavine?) take resemble a vehicular threat The mic I spray resemblin’ a sickle of death It ain’t strenuous to come from a continuous breath I set fire to the venue Imma spin you in step Rinse repeat You checkin’ for the sound of the beats I’m the hound I’m a creep I get down Imma eat Imma keep sumpin’ and lay a naysayer to sleep playin’ wit heat nobody and nothin’ fucking with ‘Riq yo these weaklings is claiming they cutting up in the streets Nigga peace You ain’t workin’ with nuttin’ but the police, listen you ain’t feelin’ to be nothin’ but the deceased, listen you in the tournament with a permanent crease I strike fear in the hearts of rap figures who mind bears the stigmas of time no black privilege From Boom Bap niggas To trap niggas you in the trap wit us When the lines is as vivid as the walls on that grab all the graph by the law to rap I reside between the seconds on the chronograph How much more CB4 can we afford? It’s like a sharia law On My Cherie Amour How much hypocrisy can people possibly adore? But ain’t nobody workin’ on a cure? My young boy Y’all just regular I’m an apex predator Brim stay fresh feathered up etcetera nevertheless I got a message of love One day a messenger yo my pen is Henry Kissinger Buzz Bissinger, look My caporegime Mr Noradeen and my oldest son Amin Saleem outta New Orleans Took a golf cart to the baccarat From the Waldorf What was on the walls? That depend on what you call art Imma say 300 k ain’t even in the ballpark I charge more just for awkward small talk So yes Who’s fuckin’ with it if it’s not the best? I get the lobby painted fresh upon my request It’s Kafkaesque His holiness stop the press that cobalt blue Reminiscing on my caress Lord, we got Padma Lakshmi for you Let her massage the back with black seed oil The foundation is firm, the flags need soil Me, I need royalty because I bleed royal Go through the veins to the brain fabulous and strange My journalistic range is a catalyst for change They got anybody to listen pissin’ flames and ‘cause the Hall of Fame got so many missin’ names I’ll acknowledge the original peoples not Oliver Y’all will the get the next challenger for Excalibur Um… more police for my core beliefs They tried to capture me and brand me on the cheek with a fleur de lis that side of my heart’ll be more discrete I’m international, my passport pages like War and Peace I’ve always played my part From the start Back in Philly where the triggers is mandatory to spark With the slightest inflammatory remark I have you in a livin’ a category apart, listen A grain of salt’ll tip the scales It never fails Walk on eggshells sleep on a bed of nails Criminal records like record sales Makin’ heads or tails we like Henrietta (L)acks Up in the cells My mother was a working class very loving woman who struggled, every dinner could have been her last supper (summer?) I come home chasin’ good for nothin’ half cousins and then walk in the crib to the smell of crack cookin’ she was introduced to that substance abuse or some of the strongest drugs that the gov’ment produced look, I even got excused by the principal My story is out of the dub dub interview I seen some ice cold summers, hot winters too I never thought I’d win Grammy awards with the Roots I never thought I would be getting’ long in the tooth My OGs told me “boy, you better go and live your truth” I am a walking affirmation That imagination and focus and patience gets you closer to your aspiration and just cuz they give you shit don’t mean you have to take it My words capture greatness sworn affidavits Yours truly the celestial being You stay seein’ pulling up in a fresh European High steppin out of it dressed to a T And not another got more soul, unless you Korean (!!!!) I’ve been Havin’ visions of Nat Turner holdin’ his master’s head like Yoric and Horatio in Hamlet Smackin’ it like a tennis racquet underhanded Send a message to the gram the eagle has landed Dressed in a military jacket made of canvass I am no guerilla/gorilla I just make ‘em go bananas I stand and wear black and green bandanas cocked hammers hairs on my chin is outstandings Can’t manage the weight of the world is just how I ball it Look, I’ve fallen from the sky to see my calling I’m not crawling I’m a free man like Morgan Seein’ manhood in the hood’s a damn good bargain If every black man don’t tap dance and every girl that got a fat booty don’t lap dance well I guess it’s something wrong, huh Niggas completely uninformed I don’t burn bridges, yo, I keep the haters round to fall I ain’t one of y’all peers I’m the sum of all fears Somebody stronger than me, who that? I mar ears like Obama I wish he had another four years Y’all some jolly good Hollywood squares I’m like “ahem” approach the author witcha offering I smoke rappers writin’ like my only offspring Being his excellency is to be exhausting You in the residency, you’re the one they call King Dolla Ali Baba the talented Mr Trotter Inside of my right palm the marker to stick My the big papa wig chopper Enter the Jaffe Jocker mawfucker I’m stronger than the coffee out in Kaffa All y’all make his vagina hot remind me of my kinda pop I step into the booth I’m a bull inside a china shop Mollywhopper washin’ of a cotton pickin body drop Every time we rock, yo they actin’ like it’s Mardi Gras Til the party stop ‘sgirl was like she there for rory gel (the fuck?) So we saw you pumpin’ that Earth Wind and Fire body ya Cool the Prada Dakar la Merino hard body up You seen another rapper cleaner, mami prolly not How it feel to be the best that did it I’ll admit it I’m visiting from planet bring these niggas down for minutes And y’all know I’m exquisite Wicked as Wilson Pickett The sickness I exhibit I’m too legit to quit it I don’t fake it til I make it, I take it to the limit and break it Never tentative when I’m bad I represent it A feeling just like chases Been a million places Conversation is how beautiful my face is People hated on how sophisticated my taste is Then I pulled up on these motherfuckers in a spaceship Panther mind I’m made of elements you can’t combine I’m at a level of intelligence you can’t define Einstein, Shakespeare, Voltaire, Tesla Recording artist slash psychology professor I preach for the east Never fold under pressure The beast from the east and I glide like Clyde Drexler Eyo my new name is Eighty Five Exes cause I’m the rap game certified specialist When I was reckless I was worried ‘bout the guest list I’m helpin’ rappers everywhere fulfill a death wish Yo Flex, I’m glad we made contact My nigga also know, this shit for combat Brain matta contain too much data I tell a story like fingerprints and blood splatter

Black Thought's ten-minute freestyle

Warning: this is the best thing you're going to see today, even if you already saw it yesterday.

In this clip, The Roots' MC dishes out an album's worth of rhymes off the top of head, while hardly stopping to breathe.

For once in his life, Sean Combs may not be exaggerating:

THIS IS THE GREATEST FREESTYLE IN ALL OF HIP HOP HISTORY!!!! @BlackThought https://t.co/IffabCoZcV

— Diddy (@Diddy) December 15, 2017

But as his bandmate Questlove pointed out, Black Thought has been doing this for years:

A Black Thought Freestyle Thread. https://t.co/Cu6kvYcV3p

— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) December 15, 2017

And Genius fulfilled its one true purpose, with fans getting the freestyle transcribed and available the same day.

What I love about Black Thought's freestyle is that it does everything hip-hop at its best does. He has the technical virtuosity and improvisation, both of which are first-rate. He toasts, boasts, and roasts. He plays with words, and the words play right back.

But he also tells stories, including this striking one about his mother:

My mother was a working class very lovin' woman Who struggled, every dinner could've been the last summer I come home, chasing good-for-nothing half-cousins And then walk in the crib to the smell of crack cookin' She was introduced to that substance abuse On some of the strongest drugs that the government produced

He gets philosophical and abstract. Like, real abstract.

I made the 21-pound for some a new found religion When money's put down, it's only one sound to make OGs and young lions equally proud to listen The secret amalgam is an algorithm Coming from where only kings and crowns permitted The darkness where archaeologists found My image in parchment rolled into a scroll Holding a message for you, it says "The only thing for sure is taxes, death, and trouble" The anomaly swore solemnly, high snobiety Freakonomics of war policy, dichotomy That's Heaven and Hades Tigris and Euphrates His highness The apple of the iris to you ladies As babies, we went from Similac and Enfamil To the internet and fentanyl Where all consent was still against the will

He pays homage to rap history:

Maybe I'm the new Rakim Maybe I'm fat Pharaohe Undergarments of armor be my intimate apparel Pre-Kardashian Kanye My rhyme-play immaculate Same cadence as D.O.C Pre-accident Maybe my acumen on par with Kool G Rap and them

And to his own discography:

I hate to say I told y'all, but I told y'all Things fall apart when the center too weak to hold y'all I'm just collecting what you owed to my old jawn You 'bout to get swooped down on and stoled on

He charms and disarms:

You in the residency of the one they call King Dada Ali Baba The Talented Mr. Trotter Inside of my right palm, the mark of the stigmata Big Poppa wig chopper Emperor Joffrey Joffer Motherfucka, I'm stronger than the coffee out in Kaffa All y'all niggas vagina-hop Remind me of Icona Pop I step in the booth, I'm a bull inside a China Shop Mollywopper Watch another cotton-pickin' body drop Every time we rock Yo they actin' like it's Mardi Gras 'Til the party stop Skirt off like she that Ferrari drop So psyched he pumpin' that Earth, Wind and Fire body I Cool a product doc A la Marina, hard-body yacht You seen another rapper cleaner? Mami, probably not

And sometimes, he just kills it:

How it feel to be the best that did it, I admit it I'm visiting from planet bring these niggas death in minutes And y'all know I'm exquisite Wicked as Wilson Pickett The sickness I exhibit I'm too legit to quit it I don't fake it 'till I make it I take it to the limit, and break it Never timid, what I'm about, I represent it Infinite just like Chace is Been a million places Conversation is how beautiful my face is People hating on how sophisticated my taste is Then I pulled up on these motherfuckers in a spaceship

Even reading this, it's just too good.

I am a walking affirmation That imagination And focus and patience Get you closer to your aspiration And just cuz they give you shit Don't mean you have to take it My words capture greatness Sworn affidavits

Meanwhile, the talented Tariq Trotter himself kept it humble:

That verse was just what I had to say at the moment lol.

— Black Thought (@blackthought) December 14, 2017

Del Boy Trotter 3 Wheeled Van. Its Cushty!

We have a number of different iconic and quirky vehicles. None attract as much attention as our Del Boy Trotter 3 wheeled van. Driving along the road you will suddenly realise that no one has overtaken you for a while. When you look in the mirror, a car will be level with the trailer containing the van, taking photos. Once they start to pass us and get level with our towing vehicle, they look disappointed. I think they expect David Jason to be driving.

Pull into a service station for a McDonalds and when you come out there will be a crowd around the van, never fails.

The van itself is not, as Del claims in the series, a Reliant Robin. The Robin is a much newer vehicle. The actual van has the much more grandiose title of Reliant Regal Supervan MkIII.

Raleigh Cycles

The Reliant motor company was actually formed when a management buyout occurred of the motorised division of Raleigh Cycles. They had decided to concentrate on pedal bike production so sold the motor division off.

The new management needed a name for the company, and as many of the parts they had acquired were stamped with the letter R for Raleigh. They decided to choose a name beginning with R so they could reuse the parts.

Raleigh Motor Cycle. Basically a bike with an engine dropped on.

Photo Booth

We acquired the van to convert it into a photo booth. You sit inside and it takes your photo, then the print pops out of the suitcase on the roof. It was actually taxed and tested and fully road worthy when we bought it. The day we fetched it home, I picked my daughter up from school in it. That was the last time I drove it on a road, what a nightmare. The handling, was like driving a jelly, the engine was about 2 inches away from your left leg so it got rather warm. The gearbox was like stirring a knitting needle in a ball of wool. The acceleration, well, I think from a standing start I could beat it on foot to about 25 mph at least.

But for all its faults its fun. We did a job in a shopping centre in West Brom. The amount of elderly gents that come to talk to me and reminisce about it being their first car. How they used to pile 6 or 7 in the back and go to the seaside, boy they were brave men in that generation.

Del Boys Props

We always provide a box of props for people to use with our photo booths. Usually hats, wigs that sort of thing. With this one we provide props themed around the series, so there is triggers broom, granddads hat etc. We did have Del’s sheepskin coat, till some light fingered prat decided to purloin it on a job. I remember on the West Brom job, my daughter going barmy, all because I had her inflate the blow up doll, cos I was a bit out of breath.

Danger UXD. Our Inflatable Vinyl Vera.

The photo booth software is reprogrammed to play short clips like ‘You Plonker’ and ‘This time next year we will be millionaires’

In short I don’t think we have anything that is quite as much fun. So if you need a photo booth that will make an impression, then Del Boy Trotters 3 wheeled van is definitely it!

Del Boy Trotter 3 Wheeled Van. Its Cushty! was originally published on Candy Floss Crazy Blog

OUT & ABOUT: WYNWOOD PRIDE FESTIVAL

By Liza M. Santana | Photos provided by Wynwood Pride

It’s no secret that Miami is known for hosting great events. But now, the City can add a fabulous new Pride celebration, Wynwood Pride, to its fantastic roster. The new Wynwood Pride Festival, a free event, will take place June 21-23 at The Wynwood Marketplace, during National LGBTQ Pride month.

Three festival non-profit partners have been selected based on their excellence and achievement in the themes of Youth: Pridelines, Health: Survivors Pathway, and Justice: Astrea Foundation. Not only will these organizations receive a participation in the proceeds of the event, but they will also benefit from direct donations facilitated by an SMS texting campaign, receiving 100% of the donations directly.

The organization’s activations will include HIV testing, counseling information, wardrobe donations, family space, safe space, and more. All 20 non-profits will be onsite gratis, as part of the Festival’s deep-rooted commitment to the local community.

From its inception, Wynwood Pride vowed to reflect a new generation of activism. One that creates space and promotion, for the rising LGBTQIA music, art, and performance scene encompassing electropop, salsa, reggaeton, house music, disco, drag, vogueing, rock, new school, old School, tea dances, and karaoke. Those who attend this year’s inaugural festival will experience one of the most diverse line-ups to hit any South Florida music festival stage ever. Including over 100 performers, international headliners Pablo Vittar, Albita, Poppy, Ivy, Queen, AJA, and Carmen Carrera; alongside national artists, and local artists who will unite to create something magical.

Traditionally, large scale events are hosted by a handful of collaborators, this event, however, has become a true celebration of unity with the biggest names, local artists and promoters serving the South Florida LGBTQ community year-round combining their efforts.

While Miami Beach and Wilton Manors have held pride events in April and June, Wynwood, a neighborhood filled with color, art, and diversity is finally hosting a pride festival of its own. Swarm Events, which has actively been involved in the Wynwood area and known for its special events, will handle production for the festival at The Wynwood Marketplace.

Festival attendees can RSVP online to get a free drink while supplies last. The Wynwood Pride website also offers a three-day “VIP Front Row” for access to the best view of performances, a private bar and air-conditioned restrooms for $95 (before tax.) To make this easy, the Wynwood Pride app was created to provide up to the minute information and is available for iPhone and Android and will include the Festival’s full schedule.

The Festival will feature an array of activities to please a variety of interests, including live concerts, drag performances, a “Family Zone” with drag queen story hour, face-painting and games, a vogue dance competition, drag brunch, film showcases, art and fashion installations, and a panel discussions on LGBTQ issues.

Wynwood Pride events will be held at various venues throughout the Wynwood Arts District to help inform, unite, and raise awareness of the LGBTQ resources, artists, and activists dedicated to improving the community’s lives while also supporting local business. To view the full event schedule, visit wynwoodpride.com/events.

Full Artist Line-Up: Pabllo Vittar, Ivy Queen, Poppy, AJA, Dorian Electra, Albita, Carmen Carrera, Dj Citizen Jane, Tama Gucci, Miss Toto, Queef Latina, Karina Kay, Occupy The Disco (NYC), Karla Croqueta, Marlow Rosado, DJ Hottpants, La Chocha, Sensitive Black Hottie, Yoli Mayor, Trqpiteca (Chi), Athena Dion, Aural.Fixationz, Bo Khasamarina, Chloe Martini, Christopher Foor, Dennis Baker, DJ Musicat, Disco Futuro, Felipe Melendrez, Gosa, Jeanne Canto, Josh August, Kaylan Arnold, Mica Plum, Mike Trotter, Mix Piggy, Naim Zarzour, P_A_T, Pam Jones, Rebeca Tellez, Roger That, Sdot,Shawn Neon, Shelley Novak, Wigwood Invasion, Adora, Andro Gin, Dasha, FKA Twink, Florida Man, Jackie Jae, Jupiter Velvet, Juanita Labanjee, Kat Wilderness, King Femme, Lady Paraiso, Moda, Morphine Love, Remy Black, Persephone Von Lips, TP Lords, Miss Toto’s Funhouse, Antpuke, Aura Velvet, Aurora Whorealis, Azula Faux Sapphire, Brittish Jay Foxx, Dead Thiago, Patent Pending, Petty Boop, The Saddest Angel, Vex The Thing, The Love Below, Jerrious B, Jun-Ill, Louie Arson, Manuvers, Pazmal Sharpsound, Spinelli, Telescope Thieves, Catwalk: A Night Of Vogue, Bonnie Beats, Gooddroid, Nikki Mizrahi, Lezchic, Anii, Claudia Sings, Eveleena, Isis Najera, Krissiz Kp, Octavia Yearwood, Rae Jenae, DJ Sammii Blendz, Scarlet Snow, Shonice Adderlyn, Siren, Shelife, DJ IC3, Mystic The Girl, Sweet Valentine,Pandora Events, DJ Zehno, Daddy Issues (L.A.), Internet Friends, Gami, Ar Kedabar, Getface, Keanu Orange, and Nick Leo.

Somerville Mayor Vows to Never Drink Sam Adams Following Founder’s Trump Praise

Plus, restaurateur Michael Schlow continues to open non-Boston restaurants, and more news

Welcome back to AM Intel, a round-up of mini news bites to kick off the day.

“I Will Never Drink Sam Adams Beer Again!”

Boston Beer Co. founder Jim Koch was among a group of executives at a recent dinner with President Trump, where Koch praised recent federal tax code changes, saying that they’d allow Boston Beer Co. a level playing field against foreign brewing companies — and thus the ability to “kick their ass.” Somerville mayor Joe Curtatone was having none of that and took to Twitter to write, over a series of tweets, “I will never drink Sam Adam’s [sic] beer again! We need to hold these complicit profiteers of Trump’s white nationalist agenda accountable! Hey Jim Koch! While you were thanking Trump for your tax break, did you happen to express any concern for the families separated under his cruel and inhumane immigration enforcement policy?” Curtatone, a Democrat, has been mayor of Somerville since 2004. Since Trump took office, Curtatone has been outspoken about protecting Somerville’s status as a sanctuary city.

Head to a Wine Bar for Lunch

(Well, not today, but later in the week.) New Haley.Henry sibling spot Nathálie (186 Brookline Ave., Fenway) is starting up lunch hours later this week, opening at 11:30 a.m. Thursday through Sunday. It’s the same menu all day long, including snacks like corn nuts and cheese plates, not to mention montaditos — little Spanish-style open-face sandwiches in three varieties (anchovy, butter, and parsley; whipped lardo, poblano, and candied peanut; grilled eggplant, spicy mayo, crispy garlic). Hungrier? Don’t miss the Chatham cod with agretti and stewed Sungold tomato. And wine, of course.

Schlow Continues to Open Restaurants Outside of Boston

On the heels of closing Doretta Taverna in Back Bay, restaurateur Michael Schlow is continuing his restaurant expansion beyond Boston. While he has appeared to be most interested in opening restaurants in DC in recent years, his newest project is in Birmingham, Michigan, about 20 miles north of Detroit. Adachi opens this weekend inside a historic mansion, serving sushi, poke, and a variety of rice- and noodle-based dishes. Locally, Schlow is still behind Tico in Boston’s Back Bay and Alta Strada in Wellesley (and a little further away at Foxwoods in Connecticut). Plus, both Tico and Alta Strada are expanding to Boston’s Logan Airport in 2019.

The Shutter

The Kenmore Square location of Bruegger’s Bagels is no more (644 Beacon St., Boston). The 35-year-old bakery chain — a familiar sight around the Boston area — was founded in Troy, New York, and is headquartered in Burlington, Vermont. There are still a handful of Boston-area locations, including a couple right in downtown Boston, one in Longwood Medical Area, and others in Somerville, Brookline, Belmont, and beyond.

Charlie Trotter Days

In honor of late chef Charlie Trotter (of the two-Michelin-starred Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago and more), who died in 2013, restaurants around the country are participating in a fundraising event called Charlie Trotter Days from August 15 through August 19. A portion of the proceeds from certain menu items will benefit The Trotter Project, a non-profit organization that works to provide underserviced communities with culinary scholarships for students. Local restaurants participating include Coppa, Toro, Little Donkey, Island Creek Oyster Bar, Row 34, and Tico.

Got a news tip for the Eater Boston team? Email [email protected].