#‘the rallies were 10 minutes long and we were both crying and he was telling everyone to go to hell’ that may be 20 years ago

[muirneach]

46 minute psychoanalytic russian interview with andrey? i’m so sat.

[eurydicees]

top 10 ouran manga-only arcs

this is going to be such a long post i apologize in advance. the ranking system has absolutely no criteria other than "does this pass my vibe check.” bonus points were awarded if i could think about tamakyo while reading it; points were also awarded every time tamaki did something cool. this was a delight to make. anyways, without further ado, here are my personal top ten favorites, and no i will not be taking criticism.

1. THE TAMAKI EXTRAVAGANZA

(vol 16 chp 73 - vol 18 chp 80)

PLOT:

So much happens here that I couldn’t think of an actual name, and uh does it count as a single arc? Probably not, but I’m counting it as one because it has a single thread: Tamaki. My beloved. So. First, Tamaki finally, finally, finally moves into Suoh mansion #1, but when he gets there, he gets told that he’s only allowed to study the Suoh business and go to school and nothing else— meaning he has to quit the host club. Shizue threatens to out Haruhi as a girl and ruin her reputation— possibly losing her the scholarship— if Tamaki doesn’t break off all ties with her.

The Host Club disbands. Kyoya begins an Investigation™ into Tamaki’s mother— she had been incredibly weak and unhealthy when Tamaki was a child, but when Kyoya met her, she was pretty healthy. After some sleuthing, the hosts minus Tamaki discover that she probably had Bisco Hatori’s fictional version of lupus, which was cured by a mysterious foundation— which they discover was run by the Grantaine family, funded by the Suoh corporation, and actually researched by the Ootori conglomerate. Literally everyone is in on it. It’s fucking wild. Like. Huge “holy fucking shit I need to stop and take a breath” moment.

This information is suddenly released to the public, and then the Suoh corporation all vote Shizue out of her position, saying that she’s no longer fit for the job. She locks herself in her room and refuses to speak to anyone, breaking Tamaki’s heart. But now that she’s no longer top dog, Anne-Sophie can come to Japan— Yuzuru is super hyped and expects Tamaki to be as well, not understanding that Tamaki’s family fantasy includes his grandmother. Tamaki stops going to school and plays piano every day in order to cheer up the house, eventually luring Shizue out to listen to him play their shared favorite songs from J-dramas.

They begin to bond and Shizue sees that he’s not a failure because of his parentage, but it’s too late because Anne-Sophie is about to fly back to France. All is hopeless.

EXCEPT THEN. All of the hosts and all of the clients realize what’s happening and rush to help him get to his mother. They all adore him so much, and give their all into getting Tamaki to the airport. Shizue finally encourages him to go, realizing— with the help of Haruhi— that she has been bitter and selfish and Tamaki deserves better. They rush to the airport, and through a series of shenanigans that are no match for the combined power of the hosts and every single girl at Ouran, Tamaki makes it to the airport. They make it there JUST in time, and Tamaki gets a five minute reunion with his mother. Haruhi finally confesses to Tamaki that she loves him.

WHY I LOVE IT:

oh my God oh my God oh my GOD. Like. This is just. So much. So Much. We all know that I’m like. The #1 Fan of Tamaki Suoh. Like. President, vice president, treasurer, and secretary of the fan club, all at once. I love him so much, and this just gives him so much development. There is so much opportunity for him to grow and you not only really see who he is as a character, but you also see how much he’s grown as a person from his first introduction. You also get more of a glimpse into the world of Rich People, and the way that all of their families interact with each other, and then also with the way that they interact within their families. It’s just such an intense arc and it’s so beautiful and I love it so much.

2. THE SPORTS COMPETITION

(vol 10 chp 46 - vol 11 chp 49)

PLOT:

This one is HARD to rank, because I love it, but it also Hurts. Like. I genuinely cried over this one, though that’s not actually saying much because I cry at everything. So. Here’s what’s up. Tamaki gets into this idea of a sports festival, and then Kuze wanders in to fight Kyoya again, so Tamaki suggests a competition between the two of them. This is a very Tamaki thing to do, but Kyoya gets fed up with it and refuses to participate— until Kuze accuses him of being “Suoh’s pet” and that he’ll always let Tamaki win, and then Kyoya gets fired the fuck up.

But he’s still bitter at Tamaki for starting this, so the two of them stop talking and my heart breaks. This does not stop Tamaki from having heart eyes for Kyoya 24/7. Hikaru and Kaoru are assigned to competing teams, and begin their Very Long Journey into not being so codependent— Hikaru is on the red team with Tamaki, Haruhi, and Kuze; Kaoru is on the white team with Kyoya and Honey.

Essentially, each team goes through rounds of races in different areas that are like. Complete bullshit games, but whatever. It’s Rich People World. The white team gets ahead; the red team performs a scene from a Shakespeare show to rally their losing team together and begins to win, until they’re on even footing. The final race is between Kyoya and Tamaki.

There’s a heartbreaking series of panels of Tamaki just… thinking about Kyoya. I cannot get enough of it. Then there’s an even more heartbreaking series of panels of Kyoya just… thinking about Tamaki. You realize, alongside the other hosts, that Tamaki pushed for this race not really for benefit or fun, but to give Kyoya a chance to compete in something for real, without having to set it up so that Tamaki wins (as we see in the race for the central salon). It’s a chance for him to win and not put his family first. Tamaki still tried his best, because Kyoya would hate him if he threw the race, but he lost because Kyoya fought with the intention of winning for HIMSELF, and not just playing support to Tamaki or impressing his father.

Finally, in the last panel, it’s revealed that the class trip will be to France.

WHY I LOVE IT:

God it burns so good. So Good. The Tamakyo, the Hikaru & Kaoru character growth, the Kyoya development, the Tamaki being so so so good, the Kyoya being so brilliant, everything oh my lord. This is really one of the biggest points of Kyoya’s character development, and it’s the first place I’m going to point to when thinking accurately about who he is as a person. It shows who he is, and who he believes he is, and who he wants to be, and who other people see him as. It’s also just a Tamakyo goldmine, even though they don’t ever actually talk. It’s so beautiful and it makes me cry.

3. THE ORIENTEERING RACE

(vol 14 chp 66 - vol 15 chp 68)

PLOT:

In an attempt to make Tamaki realize that the hosts all love him just as much as he loves them, the hosts sans Tamaki put together an orienteering race. There are six checkpoints, each one with a task to be completed in order to get an ingredient that will make the best meal at the end of the race.

Hikaru and Kaoru play the return of the “Which one is Hikaru?” game, knowing that Tamaki has been able to tell them apart for a while by now; Nekozawa’s checkpoint is a quiz on cursed items, knowing that Tamaki is familiar with Beelzenef; Honey’s checkpoint is a game of whack-a-mole with little mini Usa-chans, knowing that Tamaki isn’t afraid of making him upset over a game, though all the girls are; Mori’s is a sword slicing thing to show that Tamaki will never give up on something; Haruhi’s is a “tell the truth or never pass” kind of thing; and Kyoya’s is a crossword puzzle of all the answers made up of things from previous club themes.

Tamaki pairs up with Konoya— who is in love with him and is the “perfect Haruhi” trope— and realizes that she’s incredibly different from Haruhi, and that he loves Haruhi for who she is and not who he thought he wanted her to be. He also realizes that— because the hosts have gone through all of this for him— they do love him for who he is, no matter what, no matter the bad parts of his personality, and they’re never leaving him.

WHY I LOVE IT:

Look. We know that anything about Tamaki is gonna make me happy. I am a simple woman and so easy to please. This is literally just three chapters about how much all of the hosts love Tamaki and want him to be happy. I cannot express in words how rewarding it is to watch Tamaki realize how important he is and how much he’s loved— because he is loved, he’s so loved, he’s so so so loved. This is also the arc with the building block / building a home metaphor, and it destroyed me both physically and emotionally (vol 14 chp 66). This is where the found family is really solidified, and we all love a good dosage of found family.

4. RACE FOR THE CENTRAL SALON / THE SCHOOL FAIR

(vol 6 chp 22 - vol 6 chp 26)

PLOT:

This is where the anime diverges from the manga, and I have to say that this version of the school fair is just so much better than the anime version. Like. Just So Much Better. Basically, the club is setting up for the school fair, and the best spot to set up— essentially, the spot that will get the most foot traffic form the parents— is in the central salon. To figure out which club is going to get the spot, they all compete in a literal race, both mind games and physical games and it just slaps overall.

The b-plot is that the Host Club is getting threatening letters telling them to drop out of the race, alongside blank papers that are sent with the notes; the hosts have to figure out who is sending the notes and confront it. This is the arc that introduces both Kuze and Yuzuru Suoh for the first time. Kuze is captain of the football team and Kyoya’s rival and also definitely his secret ex-boyfriend. Chairman Suoh is… just. A lot. Just. That’s it. A Lot. He’s A Lot.

Anyways, part of the winning race is capturing this crown that’s hidden on campus, which turns out to be at a swimming pool. The football team gets there at the same time as Haruhi, and Kuze pushes her into the pool and goes for the crown. Kyoya and Tamaki reach her at the same time— Tamaki’s instinct is to go for Haruhi, but Kyoya tells him to get the crown and thus the glory of winning, while Kyoya rescues Haruhi.

Later, it turns out that Yuzuru was sending the blank papers with harmless messages written in invisible ink as a prank to emphasize the literal hate mail that the hosts were getting. The follow up to the race is the actual school fair, where we meet Yoshio and Shizue. Fuck Shizue, not even going to get into that right now because I WILL cry, but just know that it’s even worse than it is in the anime. Yoshio, though, is eons better in the manga than in the anime— he is genuinely proud of Kyoya and says that he actually wouldn’t mind appointing Kyoya as heir.

WHY I LOVE IT:

Volume 6 does SO MUCH for Kyoya and Tamaki and we all know that I’m ride or die for the two of them. Kyoya finally gets a chance to shine as team leader and it’s what he deserves! Tamaki takes a little more of a backseat, which I don’t even mind, because Kyoya does such a good job of pulling attention here. The scene at the swimming pool is just so good— it really shows the huge amount of trust between Tamaki and Kyoya, and does a good job of setting up the relationship they need to have as Rich People, outside of their friendship, which is something that we don’t see a lot of. Overall, it’s a very Kyoya-centric arc, and it does amazing things for the development of his character and personality. It’s one of the biggest insights into how he functions as a kind of mastermind for the club. We also finally get Tamaki’s full-ish backstory, which genuinely makes me cry every time.

5. THE HITACHIIN FAMILY

(vol 10 chp 45 / vol 11 chp 51 - vol 12 chp 53)

PLOT:

So this is technically two plot lines, but I’m going to count it as one because it’s all about the twins, my loves. In vol 10 chp 45, we get a little insight into the life of the Hitachiin family and why the twins are as fucked up as they are. Quick rundown— their parents can tell them apart but pretend not to for whatever godforsaken reason; Kaoru admits he’s in love with Haruhi for the first time and Hikaru remains oblivious; Kaoru begins to realize how unhealthy he and Hikaru’s relationship is and how, one day, they aren’t going to be able to have all of the same things; there’s a cookie metaphor; Tamaki gets lost in the Hitachiin manion; it’s all a good time.

In volumes 11 and 12, we begin the actual split between the twins, where they realize that they can’t stay the way that they are forever. They can’t be one person forever. They realize this in a fight over Haruhi, where Hikaru suggests they “share” her as a sister, and Kaoru rightfully thinks this is bullshit. They get in their first— and only— genuinely real argument. Hikaru breaks down in Mori’s house, Kaoru breaks down at Honey’s place, literally no one is happy and I am crying.

Kaoru asks Haruhi out on a date, and then ends the date by explaining that he could never date her knowing that it would be hurting Hikaru. Haruhi is, understandably, very confused by this whole thing, and no one is telling her anything.

Kaoru then makes up with Hikaru, saying that he’ll give up on trying to pursue Haruhi, but tells him that they actually do need to live separate lives at some point— and that point might as well be now. He wants to break apart entirely, but Hikaru explains that while they need to break apart in a lot of ways and find their own identities, they can never fully forget each other. They agree that they can influence and love each other without depending on each other for a personality.

They keep up the incest ACT at the club, though. Bisco Hatori couldn’t manage to write her way out of that one.

WHY I LOVE IT:

So this one just. Really hits home for me. It’s a genuinely heart wrenching arc, and the progression of the whole thing was just so slow and so steady and it was so well done. The twins are two of my favorite characters in the show/manga, and their relationship is something that I can analyze for days, and this arc is a huge part of why it’s so interesting. It does amazing things for both of them as developing characters, but it does even more amazing things for their character growth as people. It also provides a nice catalyst for the Hikaru/Tamaki/Haruhi love triangle. Anyways, it made me cry and apparently that’s my only criteria.

6. THE FRANCE ARC

(vol 10 chp 46 - vol 12 chp 56)

PLOT:

On the Ouran 2nd year school trip to France, Kyoya decides he’s going to spend the trip searching for Tamaki’s mother, rather than spending it with the other students. He works himself to death trying to find her— he ends up literally falling asleep on the ground because he’s so exhausted from searching and taking literally no breaks. Kyoya finds her eventually, and has a really nice conversation with her— she has a bunch of photos of Tamaki, and clearly is constantly thinking about him. When he gets back to Japan, he tells Tamaki about her— about how beautiful she is, about how she smiles, about how she thinks of her son every day.

We get more of Tamaki’s backstory, and his close relationship from his mother and how his mantra— living life in Japan to the fullest and being as happy as he can be every day— all comes from his mother. She told him that she’s happiest when he’s smiling, and so when he leaves her behind in France, he decides to be smiling every day and make everyone around him smile as well.

While Kyoya is in France, Tamaki stays behind in Japan— he gets closer to his father, who offers to begin to train him to take over the Suoh business. He visits Haruhi, and tells her a little bit about his life in France, and Haruhi’s love for Tamaki begins to make an appearance for the first time.

WHY I LOVE IT:

So I went into this list thinking that this would be my favorite plot, so it’s wild to me that it didn’t even make the top five. It’s kind of weird and I didn’t expect it, but I’m still satisfied with this list. Anyways, I really love this one, even if it’s not the top five. It’s like. The ultimate Tamakyo story, and there’s just. There’s just so much to unpack there. Like. We don’t have time for me to go through the whole thing and analyze every part of it because there’s just so much of it. It’s so good, and it makes my heart grow three sizes. It’s another brilliant development piece for Kyoya, and shows his softer side, as well as just how much he loves Tamaki.

7. MORI AND HONEY GRADUATE

(vol 15 chp 71 - vol 16 chp 72)

PLOT:

Honey and Mori announce that, after graduation, they’ll be splitting up and going to different universities. This proceeds to emotionally destroy literally everyone except for them. Mori is challenged to a series of duels at the Kendo club in which he has to fight every underclassman who wants the honor of fighting him before he graduates. He’s exhausted and worn down, and he loses to a second year, which is bad for like. Honor reasons. RIP. Anyways. He reveals that he’s just been really worried about something but before he can tell anyone, he has to duel Honey. It hurts.

They start preparing for the fight— which Kyoya is capitalizing off of via movie rights and betting rings— and scare everyone that they’re going to never speak again. When the fight comes, they fight on the Windswept Hill™ at Ouran (the same place that Chika and Honey fight on way back when). They go for it and pull no punches, until Honey tries to do a flying kick and Mori catches him and gently places him outside of the boundaries of the fighting ring, thus winning the duel.

Because he won, he pulls out a sheet of paper in which he’s written down all of the things that Honey needs to do in university because Mori isn’t going to be there to take care of him: brush his teeth, cut down the cake by 90%, and stop bringing Usa-chan to classes. Mori felt that he didn’t have the right to tell him these things until they were on equal level because he had won the duel.

They make up and everything is okay— they graduate, everyone cries, including me. Kasanoda gives Mori flowers, it’s all very cute. Haruhi makes cookies, and when Tamaki goes running down the hallway to find her, they bump into each other and drop all of the cookies. While they’re picking them up, they share the classic ~accidental kiss~.

WHY I LOVE IT:

This is one of the only Honey & Mori-centric plotlines that gets fully fleshed out and like. More than a chapter. It really does lovely things for their relationship, and it’s the end of an era. Even though it’s the end of an era, though, the resolution is incredibly satisfying— Honey and Mori’s stories are wrapping up, but it’s really well done. It’s sad, but it’s a really rewarding ending. They’re such sweet boys. Also, it’s not like they’re gone forever, so it’s all okay.

8. REIKO x HONEY

(vol 10 chp 41)

PLOT:

Reiko is part of the Black Magic Club, and falls in love with Honey when he gives her a hand in getting up after she trips over Usa-chan. However, she believes that falling in love with Honey is equivalent to him “stealing her soul,” and so she uses “curses” to steal his soul back. These curses are basically just love spells. 

In the end, Honey tells her to just, like, be herself. Talk about her interests. Get to know him. Be honest. Then she won’t need love spells to make him like her. Even if she messes up or is awkward or says something weird, he’ll still like her because she’s being true to herself. This is one of the only Honey-centric chapters, and Reiko is one of my favorite side characters.

WHY I LOVE IT:

They’re the OG goth x pastel couple. The blueprint for all other couples. Icons. I love them so much. This makes it on the list just because I love their relationships. I also love the whole Moral Of The Story, in that it’s important to be true to yourself. It’s so sweet it hurts.

9. HARUHI AND TAMAKI’S FIRST DATE

(vol 18 chp 81 - vol 18 chp 82)

PLOT:

So. Right after the two of them confess their love to each other, everyone expects them to get together and be a couple right away, but Haruhi is just kinda chilling. She’s not super stressed about dating, it’s just a relief to have said it out loud. Meanwhile, Tamaki is kind of a mess, stressing out over their first date and trying to make it as perfect as he possibly can. Seeing him so stressed, all of the hosts band together to help him out in planning a date. When Tamaki finally gets up the nerve to ask her out, he falls in the fountain and Haruhi has to fish him out. She’s then the one to ask him out to the amusement park.

In true Tamaki fashion, he gets incredibly stressed out again. He gets fashion advice from a series of unfashionable people. The hosts sneak around the amusement park and follow them around, finding out that it’s actually going really well, as long as they’re not interfering. After the Lobelia girls show up and try to sabotage the date, Tamaki and Haruhi run away— while Kyoya Handles™ the situation— and they go to her mother’s grave. There, it’s revealed that Haruhi will be going on an exchange program to America.

WHY I LOVE IT:

It’s just. So cute. Like. I’m Tamakyo for life, but I do adore them so much. It’s lower on the list because of the sheer amount of second hand embarrassment, but overall, I loved reading this one. Tamaki is just so genuine and earnest about everything he does, and I think these chapters do a lot to show why the two of them work as a couple. It also does lovely characterization points for Haruhi, and begins to wrap up the ending. Bonus points for a jealous and heartbroken Kyoya.

10. PRINCESS MICHELLE

(vol 9 chp 38 - vol 9 chp 39)

PLOT:

Princess Michelle comes to Ouran to do a week of school in Japan. After meeting her, Tamaki essentially puts him and the Host Club at her beck and call, doing anything that he can to make her happy, no matter how insanely extravagant her demands are. Everyone else finds this infuriating, until Kyoya points out that Michelle looks similar to Tamaki’s mother, saying that the last time Tamaki saw his mother, she was crying— and if he sees Michelle smile for real, it might help him picture his mother smiling again.

Overall, it’s just a very soft arc that begins to unfold Tamaki’s family-related trauma. It also kickstarts Tamaki’s realization that he’s in love with Haruhi and doesn’t actually have paternal feelings for her (that’s the whole next chapter, but make it funny rather than introspective); and it’s one of the moments that Haruhi realizes that Tamaki is genuinely just a good person.

WHY I LOVE IT:

I wasn’t sure that this one would make the list at all, but I do really love this story. It’s pretty short, just two chapters, but it’s overall really sweet. I like Michelle as a character a lot— she seems a bit like a bitch at the beginning, but she gets fleshed out and given an actual personality as the chapter goes on. It’s a really good example of Bisco Hatori’s writing.

HONORARY MENTIONS:

Mei (character): probably the most significant character in the manga that doesn’t appear at all in the anime, which is pretty tragic, but I think that the anime really wanted to emphasize that Haruhi doesn’t really have any female friends / friends outside of the hosts. But anyways, she’s Misuzu’s daughter and Haruhi’s friend; she’s lowkey transphobic but she’s getting better! Had a brief crush on Tamaki but she ends with being the #1 Tamaharu stan. Great friend to Haruhi.

The masquerade ball: Haruhi's going away party, and the reveal that she's a girl.

Haruhi gets kidnapped: Haruhi is kidnapped and held for ransom, the hosts find her and break down doors to get there.

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #89: Beowulf

Today on Fate and Phantasms, we’re making the King of Savagery, Beowulf. The bare-knuckled swordsman is equally good with his weapons, his fists, and his leadership skills.

Check out his build breakdown below the cut, or his character sheet over here!

Next up: Here comes the bride!

Race and Background

Beowulf is definitely a Human, and being a Variant Human will help us wield two beowulf-sized weapons at once with the Dual Wielder feat. This gives you +1 AC while dual wielding, the ability to ignore the lack of a light property on your weapons for the purposes of dual wielding, and the ability to draw or stow two weapons at once for fewer complications. Hrunting and Naegling are many things, but light isn’t one of them. You also get +1 Strength and +1 Charisma, and Insight Proficiency. 

Beowulf is a skilled fighter and sailor, making him a Marine. This gives him Athletics and Survival proficiencies. He’s also a really good king, but that’s as far from backstory as you can get; we’ll pick it up later.

Ability Scores

You’re the original dragon slayer and you can tear monsters’ arms off. Safe to say, your Strength is pretty high. You’re also tough enough to wrestle monsters in the first place, and survive a dragon long enough to get off some last words, so that’s Constitution sorted. Good kings inspire the people, so let’s get the Charisma up there too. Your Dexterity isn’t super great, but it’s not like you avoid hits. Your Wisdom sadly couldn’t be that high either, we just needed other things more. Hopefully the Insight proficiency makes up for it. Finally, dump Intelligence- you’re not too badly affected by your Madness Enhancement, but you were never one to think things through anyway.

Class Levels

1. Barbarian 1: Starting off as a barbarian nets you a whole lot of HP, plus Strength and Constitution save proficiencies, and proficiency in Intimidation and Survival. You try telling me that guy ain’t scary, you’ll just be wrong.

You also get the ability to Rage, adding extra damage to your attacks, have advantage on strength checks and saves, and you resist physical damage. You also get Unarmored Defense based on your constitution and dexterity. You don’t wear armor. Or a shirt, for that matter.

For this build we’re calling Hrunting a Long-sword and Naegling a War-hammer. They’re both big enough that normal people would wield them two-handed, but you dual wield them instead, because you’re just that good.

2. Barbarian 2: Second level barbarians can make Reckless Attacks, giving you advantage on a turn for all attacks at the cost of giving everything advantage against you until your next turn. Try killing everything before that happens. You also get a Danger Sense, giving you advantage on Dexterity Saves you see coming like, say, a dragon’s breath weapon.

3. Fighter 1: Popping over to fighter nets you a Fighting Style, and Unarmed Fighting lets you throw away those children’s toys and settle things like a man, dealing 1d6 bludgeoning with a one-handed attack or 1d8 with both hands free. You can also deal 1d4 damage at the start of each turn to any creature you’re grappling.

First level fighters also get a Second Wind, healing you as a bonus action once per short rest. Now you’ll be able to stay in the fight even longer!

4. Fighter 2: Second level fighters get an Action Surge, adding an extra action to your turn once per short rest. Multiclassing right out the gate means your extra attack comes a little late, so this’ll have to make up for it. Though you already get an extra attack kind of thanks to dual-wielding...

5. Fighter 3: Beowulf may be rough, but he’s still a natural born leader, so the Banneret subclass from the sword coast isn’t that out of left field. Unless you have no idea that the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide even existed, in which case you’re in good company along with WotC.

Regardless, when you take the subclass you get a Rallying Cry. When you use your Second Wind, you also heal up to three creatures within 60′ of you, if they’re your allies. Those creatures regain your fighter level in HP if they can see or hear you.

6. Fighter 4: At sixth level we finally get our first Ability Score Improvement, which we’re using to get the Crusher feat. This increases your Strength by 1 point, and once per turn you can push a creature 5′ away if it’s large or smaller and you’re dealing bludgeoning damage to it. Also, if you score a critical hit with a bludgeoning attack, all attacks against that creature are made with advantage until your next turn. So you’re really good with your fists and Naegling now.

7. Fighter 5: Fifth level fighters get an Extra Attack, bringing your total attacks per turn up to three while dual-wielding or five with an Action Surge.

8. Fighter 6: Hrunting was feeling a little left out from that last ASI, so use this one to pick up Slasher. This gives you another +1 Strength, and hitting a creature with slashing damage reduces its speed by 10′ once per turn. Critical hits with slashing damage cause the creature to have disadvantage on all its attack rolls until your next turn.

9. Fighter 7: Seventh level Bannerets become a Royal Envoy, giving you Persuasion proficiency and doubled proficiency with persuasion checks. You can talk freaking Yaga into making you their king. Admittedly most of that was beating the shit out of them, but that’s just yaga diplomacy at work.

10. Fighter 8: I swear we’re almost done with feats, just pick up Inspiring Leader for one last boost in your leadership skills. Spending 10 minutes giving up to six creatures a pep talk gives them temporary hp equal to your level plus your charisma modifier. You can only use this on a creature once per short rest, so save it for the dramatic conclusion. Also, make sure you DM doesn’t try to actually make you do a ten minute speech, that would be very long.

11. Fighter 9: Ninth level fighters are Indomitable, giving you a second chance at a failed save. You can use this once per long rest, so I’d save it for something you should’ve made. Failing a wisdom save sucks, but you weren’t going to pass it anyways, trust me.

12. Fighter 10: Tenth level bannerets have an Inspiring Surge. When you use your Action Surge, a nearby creature of your choice can react to make a weapon attack if it can see or hear you. That’s right; not only do you get extra attacks, but now so does your party.

13. Fighter 11: You get another Extra Attack for even more stabbing/hitting per action; three with your fists, four while dual-wielding and using your bonus action, and seven while dual wielding and using your action surge.

14. Fighter 12: Now that all the feats are out of the way we can finally focus on ability scores with this ASI. Bump up your Constitution for more health and AC.

15. Fighter 13: At this level you get another use of Indomitable per long rest. Yeah I know it’s not that interesting.

16. Fighter 14: Use this ASI to bump up your Dexterity for better dex saves and AC. If you haven’t been going up against a lot of dex saves, feel free to move this over to constitution instead, it’s up to you.

17. Fighter 15: Fifteenth level bannerets become a Bulwark. When you use your Indomitable feature to reroll a failed Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma save, an ally within 60′ can also reroll their save. Now rerolling wisdom saves might make sense; two mind-controlled party members is rough.

18. Fighter 16: Use your last ASI to finally maximize your Strength for the best swordplay and boxing you can have.

19. Fighter 17: You get an additional use of Action Surge and Indomitable, because they totally didn’t run out of ideas for main class features back at level 11.

20. Fighter 18: Your capstone level sees your Inspiring Surge get just a bit better. Now using Action Surge lets two allies attack instead of one, so you can lead an entire army into the fight.

Pros: 

Persuasion expertise, intimidation proficiency, and a decent insight means you can serve as a pretty good party face in an emergency.

You don’t need armor, and your weapons are more a formality than anything else, so you’re always ready for a fight.

Your abilities help the party just for doing things you’d be doing anyway, helping you turn the tide of a battle just by being that kickass. That’s not just your class abilities either. Crusher and Slasher can seriously hinder an enemy’s movement, protecting squishier party members.

Cons:

Like a majority of berserkers, you lack ranged or magical options. High level enemies might be a problem if you don’t pick up any magical weapons.

Your wisdom is low enough that you shouldn’t be using Indomitable charges on it, but one of your features is specifically about rerolling soft stat saves. Wasting your own save to help another party member might be worth it, but there’s less painful ways to do that.

Literally all your weapons are versatile, but you only have two hands. If you want to maximize damage in any one weapon you’d have to drop the rest to do so, but that gets rid of your versatility. It’s a balancing act.

[cecilspeaks]

168 - Secret Blotter

Life is 10 per cent what happens to you And 90 per cent false memories of what you think happened to you. Welcome to Night Vale.

In an effort to bring more transparency to the Sheriff’s Secret Police, a chronicle of one night’s dispatches will be released to the public. This action comes at the behest of the City Council, who voted unanimously on a resolution to ban plastic bags.

Now, OK, while those two things may not seem related, Sheriff Sam misunderstood the vote as a rallying cry against tyrannical surveillance and a personal threat, involving being thrown to the pit of vipers behind the bowling alley. Sheriff Sam, who has a paralyzing fear of vipers, proposed a compromise in which Secret Police dispatches would be temporarily divulged, so the public can get a better idea of what agency does and how tax dollars are being spent. A plan which was readily accepted by the Council, though they continued to roll their eyes and gnash their teeth and chant softly: [creepy voice] “Viper pit! Viper pit! Blessed be the viper pit!” Which is just how they express a “yay” vote on procedural issues.

As a result, Night Vale has its first ever police blotter. Let’s dig in. 9 o’clock PM. Missing person reported inside the Ralphs. Night manager on duty says employee went to stock some cases of Lime-A-Ritas in the new walk-in beer cave and never came out. Reporting officer thoroughly checked beer cave and confirmed it was deserted. Three cases of the beverage were left haphazardly in the middle of the floor, and a loading dolly had tipped over onto its side. Manager states employee originally brought in four cases. Manager added one missing case of Lime-A-Ritas to the report. When asked if this kind of thing has happened before, manager changed subject and asked if officer would like to look at some of the children’s drawing contest submissions. Officer was amenable to this request.

9:16 PM. Noise complaint. Dog barking in an unknown language annoying residents. Dirty white fur, human face. Gone when officer arrived on scene.

9:25 PM. Two underage residents attempted to sneak into an R-rated movie by pretending to be one tall person in a trench coat. When confronted by officer, they turned into a swarm of flies and dispersed.

10:01 PM. Noise complaint. A sound resembling television static was being emitted from a shower drain out in the Hefty Sycamore trailer park. When recorded and played backwards, it turned out to be a broadcast from a 1952 episode of the game show “Beat the Clock”, where contestants competed to see how many pieces they could smash a clock into. A plumber was called.

10:15 PM. A resident of Desert Creek searched for “easy tortellini recipes”, but none of them were easy enough. It was so late already, and they needed to get to bed soon, but they were also very hungry and needed to eat dinner first. They wanted something quick, but they also wanted a real dinner, not a false dinner like… cereal? They became hyperaware that the more they deliberated on what to make, the longer it was all taking. And factoring in the decision-making time on top of the meal prep time was becoming additionally stressful in relation to the desire to get to bed soon.

11:30 PM. A Coyote Corner’s swimming pool filled with blood and began swirling furiously in a counter-clockwise direction. Home owner appeared distressed. Officer advised home owner to drain pool.

11:31 PM. Multiple residents awoke in a cold sweat from the same dream. It wasn’t necessarily a nightmare, but it was definitely not pleasant. The only thing they could recall afterwards was that it was showing, and that there was a tree with seven limbs.

12:00 AM. Witches.

2:00 AM. That time of night when everything starts getting hazy. Were you headed to a crime? Checking a surveillance station? Listening to a wiretap? Going home? Returning to headquarters? Signalling an invisible helicopter? Sometimes you lose track. An old local legend comes into your mind, and you try to recall the details. It’s been so long since you heard it. You watch the headlights bounce along the dirt road ahead, and your eyes begin to play tricks on you, sensing movement in the dark margins where the light doesn’t penetrate. You turn off the lights and slow the vehicle. They weren’t tricks after all. There is movement here, a dark writhing mass entering the roadway. You are forced to stop the car. Eyes flesh open in the dark. Many sets of eyes. This isn’t part of a half-remembered legend. This is something very, very real.

More of the blotter soon. But first, let’s have a look at traffic. You’re hunting in a pack near the Old Highway. The smell of blood is in the air. Headlights bounce over the rise and your stomachs rumble. The moon flees behind the clouds and you fan out, along both sides of the road, moving parallel to it like a lazy river. The car approaches and slows. It shuts off its headlights, as you knew it would. Some of you push ahead to the car, blocking its path. Others move to the rear and others remain at the sides boxing it in. You converge, surrounding it more tightly the door opens, then closes again, the fleshy creature inside cursing softly. You hear a crackle of radio static, but you know it is inconsequential to you. You consume the metal shell first. There are explosions of air and the hiss of leaking fluids. Then the glass, crunchy and cool in your collective gullet. And finally, the screaming delicacy in the center, the cloth-wrapped package of meat and bone. There are other things afterward, less enjoyable, but consumable nonetheless. Papers and electronics, and the pleather, and cold French fries in the back. Nothing must remain. By the time the moon emerges from the clouds, the old highway will be deserted once more. This has been traffic.

And now a word from our sponsors. Today’s show is brought to you by TickTock. The only app that tells you exactly how long you have left to live. The sleek countdown display synchs easily with all of your devices, so that you can check your mortality at a glance. The premium edition provides additional details, such as manner and location of death, and updates to the minute, as you make different choices throughout your day. You’ll find yourself asking questions like, why did returning a library book just subtract 4 years from my life? How did leaving late for work change my final outcome from drowning in gulch to birds of prey? Why does it say “tomorrow” all of a sudden? [panicking] It must be some kind of glitch, right? OK, OK, I’ve updated the app but it still hasn’t changed. It still says “tomorrow”. I just got checked out by a doctor and they said I’m in great shape, I’m staying home from work, I’m not answering the door, I’ve closed the blinds and I’m sitting on the couch, surrounded by pillows, not moving, not even blinking, I’ve done everything dammit, EVERYTHING!!! WHY DOES IT STILL SAY “TOMORROW”???!! Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock. This has been a word from our sponsors.

Back to the Sheriff’s Secret Police blotter. 2:30 AM. Responded to an officer distress call on the Old Highway. No sign of officer or vehicle found. Must have been a false alarm.

3:15 AM. Nude man ranting in middle of old highway, carrying a case of alcoholic beverages. Identified as the night shift stocker at the Ralphs. Claims he entered the walk-in refrigerator at work, reached up to place the case of beverages on the shelf, and abruptly found himself in a network of ice caves. He eventually climbed up a snowy mountain where he met a robed figure he refers to as “The Oracle”. “The Oracle” foretold of a hungry darkness with a thousand eyes and urged that the portal must be cloooosed. The Ralphs employee also reported that “The Oracle” had slurred speech and seemed unsteady on its feet, and may have been inebriated. After this exchange, he then found himself standing in the Sand Wastes nude. He does not know where his clothes are. Officer escorted man back to the Ralphs to finish out his shift.

3:35 AM. Domestic disturbance. “He won’t stop practicing the flute!” a Cactus Bloom resident reported, indicating his dopplegänger who stood in the corner of the bedroom, staring unblinkingly at the wall and playing the same halting scale on a wooden flute. Officer advised resident to take a melatonin and try to get some sleep. “If he doesn’t stop, I can’t be held responsible!” the sleep-deprived resident threatened. “Sounds fair,” the officer agreed and left the premises.

4:00 AM. An alarm clock went off in Old Town. A woman attempted to get out of bed, but her cat walked sleepily onto her person and began purring, preventing her from rising. Her cat is elderly and the woman knows its number of purrs are finite and must be honored. Eventually, she put on coffee and took a shower. She used Herbal Solution shampoo for a lifelong dandruff condition, though she has not seen any improvement after years of using the products. She continues using it, because she likes the way it smells. It smells medicinal, like it’s helping, and it does tingle, like the label promises. The tingle means it’s working, the label says. So it must be working.

And now a break form the police blotter for some sports news. Night Vale High School – go Scorpions! – has added a concession stand to be used during sporting events. The parent-teacher association proudly unveiled the new stand at last week’s baseball game, dedicating the plywood structure to the memory of favorite AP auto shop teacher, Nick Teller. Teller reacted with confusion at this news, as he is still alive. “Oh, of co-, no, of course you are,” the PTA responded awkwardly, “but we just wanted to honor – your memory, as in what a great memory you have. You-you know how you’re really good at remembering stuff? We just wanted to, yeah uh, honor that,” the PTA went on, seemingly unable to stop explaining themselves, whilst standing in front of the dedication plaque, which featured several doves, a Celtic cross, and an image of clasped hands. Teller admitted he does have an excellent memory and is very honored. The following concessions are available at the Teller memorial stand: Special allowances, the granting of rights, the acceptance of certain things as truth, the yielding of certain other things as untruth. Also, RC Cola and popcorn.

Oh, which reminds me, we actually have another word from our sponsor, Royal Crown Cola. Invented by Ferdinand the 1st, king of Naples, who built a museum of mummies inside his palace to house the bodies of his slain enemies. “I am parched from building this museum of mummies,” he famously said, and the rest is history. RC Cola – the drink of ruthless monarchs.

In local news, I have the results of the Ralphs drawing contest. Local school children were encouraged to submit a drawing to the store this week, depicting their favorite Ralphs product. I’ll start with the runners up. The third place drawing comes to us from Ella Snider, a student from Night Vale Elementary, and it shows a large black scribbled mass with a lot of eyes on it, with the Ralphs building on fire in the background. Very creative, Ella!

The second place drawing comes from Jace McCoy, also from Night Vale Elementary, and this one also shows a black mass with many eyes and a big bright red splatter of blood across the page. Nice use of color, Jace!

And the grand price winner comes to us from Heather (Fathusam) [0:16:52] of Daggers Plunge Charter School. Her drawing features a beautiful black mass with lots of lovely eyes, and it’s holding a box of store brand frozen pizza rolls. Congratulations, Heather!

Back to the blotter. 4:01 AM. Distress call from the Ralphs. Upon arrival, officer was pulled into the manager’s office. The employee from the earlier incident was also present, huddled under a desk. Manager frantically indicated the surveillance window that looks out into the store, which he normally uses to spy on shoppers and report on what they are wearing for his Customer Fashion newsletter. Shelves of products were being knocked over and consumed by a vast dark nothingness. The back of the store then burst into flames. The manager implored the officer to quote, “Do something, please, or we’ll all be killed!” Officer used the intercom system to tell the nothingness to vacate the store immediately, and advised it of trespass and vandalism laws. The nothingness took the form of many dark shapes with many eyes. A tank of fresh seafood exploded and numerous shellfish were damaged. Officer advised the shapes that they were all under arrest. “Stop talking to it!” the manager cried and knocked the intercom mic out of the officer’s hand. Approximately 1000 eyes turned to look at the office window. Interesting. Well.

Let’s have a look at that weather.

[“Best Friends” by Curtains: https://curtains.bandcamp.com/]

4:35 AM. Situation escalated at the Ralphs. Officer, manager and employee embraced one another under the office desk amid the shattered glass of the surveillance window. The building trembled around them, products flew through the air, half the inventory was sucked into oblivion, and a great fire blazed, spreading to the bakery section. After doing an estimated 200,000 dollars worth of damage, the darkness and its many eyes entered the beer cave and did not come back out. Officer investigated the beer cave and found it to be empty. “You have to shut down the cave!” the Ralphs employee implored the manager. “That’s its doorway to our world!” The manager hedged and responded that a big heat wave was coming and if they hoped to recoup any of their losses, keeping the beer cave open was going to be instrumental to the store’s survival. “People will spend big on frosty cold beverages,” the manager responded. “Not to mention they’re gonna like standing around in there for a nice cool-down.” The employee wrapped his robe tightly around himself. Oh, the manager had lent him the robe, one of the many fashion items the manager kept in his collection, since the employee still didn’t know where his clothes had gone. “OK,” the employee said. He picked up a Lime-A-Rita and guzzled it down in one continuous gulp. Then he said, his voice already a little slurred: “I’ll have to try to shhhhtop it myself.” He ran into the beer cave and promptly vanished.

5:40 AM. Tree with seven limbs seen growing out of a hole in the vacant lot out back of the Ralphs. Snow observed on the branches, which melted off quickly as the sun rose.

5:45 AM. Real pretty sunrise.

Well, that concludes our Secret Police blotter. I dunno about the rest of you, but I personally feel a lot more safe and secure getting a closer look at what our Secret Police do. On behalf of Night Vale Community Radio, thank you for your service. I’m sure we will all rest a lot easier knowing that our fate is in your hands. Our sleeping bodies are under your watchful eye, and our every thought and action is being monitored for the greater good. As Secret Police mascot Barks Ennui always says: Stay tuned, stay, vigilant, report your neighbors. Woof. Woof.

Good night, Night Vale, Good night.

Today’s proverb: Six out of seven dentists have no idea where that seventh one disappeared to. Honest, they all have rock solid alibis and that blood could have belonged to anyone.

[markleesthighs]

Black Mamba | Chapter 2

Pairings: Reader x Mark Lee, Reader x Hendery, Reader x Jaehyun, feat. ot21

Genre: NCT mafia!au, angst, fluff, light smut (suggestive), comical

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of cheating and drugs

Words: 3.415k

【 ❶ ➁ ❸ ❹ ❺ ❻ ❼】

Chapter 2 - Judas Kiss

Valentine’s Day, Seoul, Korea, 2023

You were planning to take Mark out on a date for your anniversary, you were able to book a restaurant and super excited to take Mark. You both have been busy lately, both of you had not left the mansion in a while, and this would be an excellent opportunity to go out. After you got the call for the confirmation, you walked to Mark’s office to go tell him. But before you could open the door, you heard the other boys talking to him about what to do for Valentine’s Day.

“Boss, how long has it been since you’ve gone out?” Jaehyun asked

“I’ve been busy trying to manage you, numskulls.”

“We are all planning on going to hit the club tonight, you should come,” Johnny added.

“Nah, you guys go on your own.”

“C’ mon boss, how long has it been since you’ve had a girl over?” Taeyong asked

“It’s none of your business.”

“Mark, we all know you haven’t had one over in forever,” Donghyuck Responded.

The truth was, Mark did everything he can to avoid the boys from finding out about you two. Whether that was you hiding in the closet, or waiting ten minutes to exit the same room, it was what you promised between each other. Mark also made his room soundproof, to ensure no one would hear both of you in the same place. Mark sighed and gave a somewhat forced answer.

“…fine I’ll go.”

“YES!!” Cheered Yuta

You heard them walking by the door, so you quickly made it look like you were walking to the supplies closet looking for materials for your next weapon. The guys saw you, excited to know what your latest invention was.

“y/n! y/n! What are you working on!” Donghyuck asked

“Well, if I told you I would ruin the surprise.”

“Can’t you give us a little hint?”

“Fine.”

“You guys have to use this on night missions.”

“Ohhhhhhh”

“Well, I have to get back to the lab, I’ll see all of you.”

“Bye y/n!!”

You obviously made that weapon up, but right now you just wanted to go into the lab and reflect on what just happened. You walked into the lab and just sat in there for an hour fiddling your pen, thinking about what to do. You trusted Mark, but you had hoped he would have remembered to do something or anything for your anniversary. He knows that you didn’t like flowers, but in past anniversaries he at least got you a gift and spent more time with you for the day. Last year, he spent the whole day in the lab saying he was “testing” and “approving” your weapons. When in reality, you both were having a secret date inside the lab and couldn’t keep your hands off each other.

The thought of being engaged and getting married crossed your mind, since some of your friends had gotten engaged around three or four years of dating someone. You would say yes, but was this the right time? You decided to head to the bathhouses to clear your mind and think of different things to take your mind off your worries.

The bathhouses were inspired by Japanese onsens, and since you were the only girl in a high ranking position, you got the bathhouse to yourself. Your juniors and other trainees had other houses where they bathed. You let the hot water and steam relax your body, and you watched as there was a light snowfall. Watching the delicate flakes of snow melting softly into the hot water made you feel calm, and forget what you were worried about.

However, when you stepped out and walked back into the mansion, it was extremely quiet. You then asked a maid carrying towels where they went.

“They went out tonight miss.”

Right. They were going to the club. On Valentine’s Day. On your anniversary. You would be lying if you said it didn’t hurt as you walked to your bedroom to change into one of Mark’s hoodies, it smelled like whiskey and his old spice. You tried to sleep, and you were tossing and turning and looked at the clock, 12:00 AM. You realized that you needed to find out for yourself if Mark indeed was staying loyal or else you wouldn’t be able to sleep. You got up and changed into your clothes (with weapons secretly equipped in pockets of course) which was all black, and you wore a black mask to cover your face.

You rode your motorbike near the club and had to walk through a big park to get there since everyone came to this club on Valentines Day, and it’s hard to get in. You noticed that this was the park that you and Mark had your first official date in the public. 

You remembered how he violently chased the pigeons and picked up a bunch of flowers for you. It was good and heartwarming memories that reminded you of Mark. But you quickly snapped out of it and focused at the task at hand. You had debated whether to go or not, determining the probability of him catching you there or how he would react. You even wondered if you were just being paranoid and doubting Mark.

“What am I going to do if he sees me?”

“What happens if he is cheating on me?”

“Am I just going crazy?”

“What if I am worried for nothing, god I feel so stupid.”

“So, I am actually doing this, you can do it y/n.”

But you decided, fuck it, let’s just do it, if he sees me, then so be it. You walked up to the bodyguards, and you showed them your NCT tattoo, and they let you in immediately with no question. But of course, everyone else waiting started to yell at them wondering how you magically get to waltz inside. When you got in your eardrums hurt like hell, this was one of the main reasons why you didn’t like clubs. First off, even though you were in a mafia group, you didn’t drink or smoke, you just didn’t like either preferably.

The place clearly reached of alcohol, pot, marijuana, and flavored vape smoke. So many drunk and high people dancing, along with flashing lights, was not your forte. Also, the fact that people were sniffing cocaine and smoking out of rainbow bongs did not help either.  You also realized that this particular club as also a strip club, so strippers and naked girls are everywhere. You did notice a bunch of men trying to hit on you, but once you almost broke the arm of a guy trying to grope your ass, they all seemed to back away from you.

You tried to desperately find Mark or even the group, there were so many people and so many sweaty bodies you couldn’t wait to get out of this shit hole. You eventually saw all of them sitting in a booth laughing and drinking, you can tell Mark was drunk because he was really touchy with all of the members and his face has a slight pink tint. You were relieved he was just drinking and not doing other things.

But as you are just going to leave out of the corner of your eye, you saw a girl walk over to Mark and sat on his lap. You turned, and with no hesitation, he started to make out with her and holding her the way he held you. You saw all the boys hooting and hollering Mark. You saw him smiling, which you haven’t seen in a long time. 

But there was only one person not following along, which was Donghyuck, who looked uncomfortable in this situation. That led him to notice you with watery eyes, and you quickly ran out of there as fast as your legs could carry you. You ran and ran for miles while knowing Donghyuck was following you, hearing his footsteps linger behind you. You ran not looking back, feeling your tears stream your cheeks as millions of thoughts fill your head.

“Is he happy?”

“Why did he do this?”

“What is wrong with me?

“What is this feeling?

“Why does my throat have a lump?”

“Why does my chest feel heavy?”

“Why are my eyes filled with water?”

“Why did he do this?”

“Did he forget about me?”

The only time you remembered crying like this was at your parents funeral, you have never cried since. For once, you felt hurt again, and you felt betrayed by someone you loved in a long time. You felt sick and vulnerable.

“Why did you make me feel this way?”

You wondered if you ever made him happy. You questioned if he ever loved you. You thought if you were ever enough for Mark.

“Was this just a game?”

“Was my loyalty for three years worth nothing?”

“Did I just waste my time?”

But the footsteps never stopped

“y/n!! Wait!”

You kept running and running until your tears dried up from the wind created while you were running. You ran into the park and sat on a bench with lightly stained tears as Donghyuck caught up to you panting and sat down the bench with you. At this point, you’ve cried enough, and now you are just deep in thought, figuring out an excuse to tell him.

“y/n? why were you at the club?”

“I-I heard you guys were going out…I just- wanted to make sure you guys were okay.”

“Aw, that's so nice of you y/n.”

“Hey! Don’t tell the guys about this, I don’t want them to know I actually care or look out for you or whatever.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell them.”

“So, how is guys’ night out?”

“Eh, same old same old, but now it’s interesting now that Mark came with us, he’s usually extremely busy during this time.”

“Well, I should let you get back to your guys night, I’ll be going home.”

“Ride home safe y/n.”

“You know, I will.”

You walked to your motorbike watching Donghyuck casually walk back to that disgusting place, now reminding you what had just happened. You put on your helmet and felt tears falling, and you kept riding faster and faster in anger, wanting to get away. You came home to your face streaming with tears as you walked to the shooting range. You always went there to let out your anger and emotions while practicing your shooting, which was never rusty.

You took a gun from the lab and shot about 10 targets all either all shot in the head or heart. You soon felt calm and emotionally stable after and walked back to the bedroom. You grabbed and changed back into the pajamas you had before, sadly smelling Mark on the hoodie. You had gotten tired and fell asleep for a while.

3 AM, you heard a rally of screaming and drunk men burst through the front door, indicating that they all had just come home from their guys night. You heard footsteps come towards the bedroom door and someone struggling to open the door and eventually opened it. You saw a drunk Mark with lipstick all over his face and hickeys down his neck. His belt was undone, and his pants were all wrinkled, now indicating he did cheat on you. He smelled like cheap flowers and champagne, and suddenly tears filled up your eyes, and you couldn’t see through the blur.

“Whyyyy are yyyouuu wearinggg myy hoodies?”

“You-“

“Whooo saidd youuu couuld wear them?”

“Y-“

“Only peeeople I loveee get to weaaar them. Soooo why are you wearing ittt.”

“…”

“I SAID”

Mark suddenly grabbed you forcefully and shoved you against the wall demanding to know why you were in his room, wearing one of his hoodies. Your eyes were now overflowing with tears, Mark never, in his three years of dating you yelled or shoved you like that. This was someone else, this wasn’t Mark.

“ANSWER ME WOMAN”

“Y-you said I-I-I could w-wear them.”

“WHEN DID I SAY THAT, I NEVER LOVED YOU”

“…”

After that he slapped you in the face and forcefully removed the hoodie from your body, leaving you half-naked.

“NOW GET OUT OF MY ROOM!! I NEVER ASKED FOR ANOTHER WHORE TONIGHT!”

“…”

“I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!!”

Without any hesitation you left, half naked crying so hard you couldn’t breathe, and you ran to your old bedroom. It was just as you had left it, but there was no dust since the maids cleaned every room regardless if it was used or not. Your old clothes were still in the closet, and your old Crocodile jacket was still hanging in there. Your bed was cold and untouched, and it felt weird to try to sleep in here after three years.

You rummaged through your drawers to find an oversized shirt you had gotten at your old apartment. You wore it, feeling cold, not used to wearing a shirt rather than a hoodie. You tucked yourself in, and for one, felt lonely and vulnerable, there was no one to sleep next to you, no one to hold you, no one to love you. Not to your surprise, you had trouble sleeping, you missed sleeping with Mark, and not used to sleeping on your own. You decided to go get some tea to calm you down, a nice cup of chamomile would help.

You walked down the stairs and found Hendry already in the kitchen looking for something as well. You knew Hendery, he was new to the team, but you always knew about his night cravings, since so many of the members complained about it. He did not go out with the guys because he also wasn’t too fond of drinking or clubbing. It looked like he already made a pot of tea and was drinking some on his own.

“Oh, hi y/n, would you like some tea?”

“Yes, please.”

“It’s jasmine if that’s okay with you.”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

Hendery took out another teacup and poured you some, and you both drank in silence.

“Is there something on your mind y/n?”

“Yeah…how did you know?” 

“You usually don’t wake up in the middle of the night to have tea if you don’t want to calm your thoughts.”

You sighed as you placed your cup down and decided to let your thoughts out to him, he visited your lab a couple of times and was kind enough to deliver you lunch sometimes.

“It’s stupid

“It can’t be stupid if you are thinking about it so much.”

“I just broke up, with someone and it’s just hard to comprehend.”

“Ah, with Mark, right?”

You immediately froze and looked at him in awe.

“H-how did you find out?”

“I saw the signs and subtle flirting with each other, also do you think I’m that stupid to not notice you two going into the same room during the night and come out of the same room early in the morning?”

“Hm…you have a good point.”

“I heard him yelling, are you okay?”

“Y-yeah, he was just really drunk, but I’ve never seen him like that. Usually, when he is drunk, he can’t keep his hands off me.”

“I saw he was with someone else, are you okay about him cheating on you?”

“Yeah, but, nah, its just- dumb.”

“No, no, no, let it out.”

“I-I got him a present for our anniversary and Valentine’s Day, but I don’t even think he remembered.”

You revealed a watch that Mark always wanted. You noticed that he kept looking at his clock or phone for the time, and never owned a nice watch. It had your anniversary date on it engraved and had both of your initials on it as well. You showed Hendery, and he looked at it and you in pity. You started to cry again, to which Hendery comforted you, pulling you into his embraced and you cried on his shoulder while he rubbed your back.

“Why did he have to do it?”

“What’s wrong with me?”

“God, I’m so stupid.”

Was one of the few things you choked up while crying into Hendery. He looked at you with a comforting smile and reassured you of all your worries.

“You, are fucking y/n y/l/n, the damn Black Mamba, ex-Crocodile, okay? No one deserves to have you, and whoever does get to keep you is a lucky man, because they will get to love the most badass, loving, and hardworking woman I have ever seen.”

“Aw, you mean it?”

“…yeah, you are always there, looking out for trainees and constantly working in your lab and helping out many members on their missions.”

“Now, don’t think you will magically fall in love and date me because I’m a mess right now.”

“Whatever you say, princess, now go get some rest I’ll clean up.”

You got up from Hendery’s chest and started to walk back.

“Hey Hendery”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you for being here for me.”

You walked up and pecked his cheek.

“Now, don’t inflate your ego, man.”

He just smiled and waved to you going to bed. You walked back to your dark, and cold room that smelled like fresh cotton, no more musk, whiskey, or cigarette smell lingered in the room. Now calm, you fell into a deep sleep, hoping to never wake up. 

You woke up early to help provide some hangover care packages for the guys, knowing they would be in pain for the whole day. You told the chef to prepare the best hangover foods such as eggs and bacon, grilled cheeses, smoothies, and a whole buffet for them. You also provided them with some pain killers and water for their headaches.

Soon, all of them slowly got out of their beds and took some painkillers and food thanking you for helping them. But the last one to come out was Mark, who shuffled his way over to you. You thought he would secretly rub your arm or hold your hand, but he just took his painkillers and food and didn’t even look at you. It was weird. You thought he was just tired and hungover, so he couldn’t even comprehend trying to flirt with you.

“Hey, there’s the man of the hour,” Donghyuck said

“How was a/n (any name) last night?” Asked Jaehyun

“She was…nice, I got her number, we are going on a date later, I want to get to know her better.”

“AYYY THATS MY DUDE” Johnny yelled

“hey, please stop screaming, it's hurting my head” scolded Taeil.

A date? Why would they be going on a date? Is this a cover-up for us dating? Mark got up, looked at you, and you thought he was about to say something to you, maybe a “sorry” or a pity look.

“Here are the dishes.”

“…”

You took them in shock

“Did I just hear that right?”

He gave no reaction or sympathy? Why is he acting this way? So many questions flooded your head while Hendery looked at you in pity, knowing how much pain and confusion you are going through. Mark just walked back and started calling on his phone. You all eventually went back to work just like a normal day. You were in the lab, and Mark only came in to talk about missions and weapons, there was no love or care in his voice.

He was acting super professional when he usually would act the complete opposite when you two were in the lab alone. This wasn’t Mark, this was the leader of NCT, this was someone who didn’t love you. This was someone who ran a mafia group, this was not someone to fall in love with. He stopped texting you and only called you for weaponry matters. You were working on data statistics for weapons and you couldn’t keep your mind off last night and this morning. You then eventually got to thinking about why it seemed that you were just another worker as you were before, three years ago. Until it hit you.

What if he forgot about me?

What if he forgot about us?

←previous chapter                                                                          next chapter→

follow me to get updates on the series!

~n ✧*:·ﾟ

[humanscandrivestick]

E.Q.--The Last Christmas

The last christmas for the boys before the defection.

December that year was hard on Felipe, hell the whole year was.  Arpeggio could see it in the languid lines of his shoulders, the often distracted answers, forgetting things.  Even coloring his hair was lazy these days, a flat red color for the last couple months.  

He was just....tired.  

"Fel?"

"Hm??"

"...never mind."

Arpeggio was trying to clear time for them to enjoy the holidays but it was hard.  As the illustrious Trancer 42, the hardest of busts and the most important of control situations usually went to them.  Gigs for election rallies.  World series games.  Tree lighting ceremonies being lined up like figurines in a collection.  He could reduce their office hours to only clocking in on gigs but even that felt exhausting.  Arpeggio had to admit it to himself one day as he glanced in the bathroom mirror.

Darkened circles beneath his eyes told a story of little restful sleep.  Even he felt his skin was paler than a clump of snow.

"Jesus, I look like death warmed over,"  he said to his reflection.  He recalled that Felipe had the same signs of exhaustion, and sighed.

"We both do."

~~~

Felipe lay across their couch that night, languid arm over his eyes as Arpeggio was making dinner.  Despite the fact they had made it back earlier than usual, 6 pm, it felt like 10 to the both of them.

"Fel, how much bacon do you want on this sandwich?"

"Uh...whatever," he replied.  His voice had the husk of soreness.  

He came out of the kitchen and set 2 plates with large sandwiches on their coffee table.  The faux redhead didn't even bother getting up for nearly a minute.

Arpeggio chewed his slowly as he spaced out by watching their window.  It had begun to rain, and the light caught the streetlights.  Amber beads rolled down the dark window.

"Pege," whispered Felipe.  

"Yes...?"

"I'm...I'm tired."  His voice sounded just....dead.

Used to deeper meanings to even the simplest of words, the Tchaikovsky's Child put his sandwich down and looked at his partner.  Feeling there is more, he stayed quiet.

"I....I'm tired.  I'm so damn tired."  His whisper had a small hitch in it.  

Arpeggio got up and sat next to him on the floor.  He, after nearly 16 years with someone who wore his emotions on his sleeve, still had trouble trying to find the right actions, words, or even music to communicate.  His shoulder rested gently against Felipe, the physical contact was what he hoped was the "right" response.  It bothered Arpeggio.  That he constantly had to question which responses to people, especially people close to himself, were "correct".

His partner moved his arm, looked down at Arpeggio who stared at him with his usual placid face though the eyes were concerned.  He took a deep breath and sighed.  

"I'm sorry.  ...I shouldn't complain.  You've been tired too."  He reached over and brushed some of his jet black hair from his forehead.  "You look practically clear these days, Pege."  He gave a half-hearted chuckle.  "You're gonna look like the visible man if you're not careful."

Arpeggio took his hand and gave it a squeeze.  "Fel.  You don't have to pretend.  Not around me.  Please.  Its....its heartbreaking...."

It was the last word that got Felipe.  That he used the word "heartbreaking".  His face quickly crumpled and he took a deep, shuddering breath before he started to cry.  It wasn't body wracking, but it was so full of despair.  

The fact he's so tired that he can't even cry as hard as he can see he wants to hurts Arpeggio to the core.  He gets off the floor to hold him, and he just pulls him into his embrace.  They sit in the living room, food cooling, just holding each other.  The raven-haired musician cried to himself too.  He couldn't tell if it was because he too felt so despairing and tired....or if he was feeling Felipe's emotions right through him.  Felipe ended up crawling into bed, and Arpeggio wrapped their dinners up, setting them next to the last 2 nights of dinner half eaten.  He crawled into bed behind him, and they both fell asleep.  

Arpeggio wept softly, holding Felipe.  It was a long, hard night.

~~~

They took the next 2 weeks off, and while Emi gave them a lot of grief over it, when Arpeggio told her it was final and set their armbands and badges on her desk, she accepted it with a grumble.  It was for show but it was a show she bought.  

"She works through every holiday, even Christmas," Felipe muttered.  "She ain't human, I swear."

"Agreed.  Now let's clean up the desks, we won't be back til after New Years."  Their office was pretty clean anyhow, but they packed up a few things from the desks.  Felipe was packing a secret, small, frankensynth into a box that Arpeggio pretended not to see, then stopped.  Like a jump cut, his body language changed from lighthearted if tired, to exhausted and completely drained.  His face was anguished.  He leaned on his desk, his head bent down as his flyaway hair obscured his eyes.  Small tears began to hit the desk.

"Fel?" Arpeggio asked, his voice really concerned.  

"Its...its not even done," he says between sobs.

"...What...isn't?"

"Your...your song.  I haven't gotten a single thing...not a single note."  He cried, softly, so no one would hear.  "I haven't gotten a single thing done....and I've tried.  I've tried so damn hard, Pege...but....nothing.  Nothing comes out."

Arpeggio takes a few seconds to let it sink in before he sets this box on the other desk and pulls him into another embrace.  He can't recall a recent time when he's felt he's had to hold Felipe so often.  Even his last nightmare cycle didn't require the amount of reassuring he had been doing lately.  

Or was he trying to reassure himself?  That by holding him, it would make things better, even for a short amount of time?

Or was he trying to keep his partner from falling to pieces?

"Let's go home, Fel.  We're tired."

Felipe nodded, dried his face, and after a few breaths, seemed to be calmer.  But the depressed aura around him hadn't evaporated, even a little.  If anything, it felt as if it had grown thicker.

~~~

Felipe let himself feel inconsolable for the next day or so.  Arpeggio could finally see how hard he must have been working to pretend he was just fine, if tired from the month, to everyone else.  Even to Trancer 8392.  Enough to even fool Tungsten.  He tried to get to the laptops, his synths, to try to get something out but he'd simply sit there and stare at the machines, his eyes faraway.  

Arpeggio ended up entirely scrapping the song he had started himself.  He admitted privately as he shredded the music sheets, that he hadn't liked a single thing he'd put down.  He kept working, as if it would resolve itself but it wasn't until Felipe had his small anxiety over his that he realized it wasn't really what he wanted to do with it.

They moped around the apartment for a few days, listlessly going about the motions of living, but neither of them really spoke much.  They gave up on the music for the time being.  It was the first time Arpeggio actually felt a rut he couldn't escape from.  Something told him that while it wasn't Felipe's first rodeo, this also wasn't a normal occurrence.  

Christmas Eve, they were sitting in the living room, instruments on the table.  They had been sitting next to each other, and everything had been listless, unproductive work.

Felipe finally cut to the chase, his voice deadened.  "You think...we're tapped?  Like...this is it?  We're...we're through?"

Arpeggio's heart skipped a few beats because he isn't sure what Felipe means by the word "through".  He looked at his partner and the alarm in his eyes must have made Felipe rethink what he said because his black eyes blinked in surprise.

"Not us," he said rushed.  "I mean....us.  Music.  I mean.  Work is...work."  He tried motioning with his hands.  "Work...you don't think, you just...do what they say you do, with the pieces they give.  Doesn't feel like making music.  So I don't mean that.  I mean...making music...."  He drifted off because he was frustrated that he can't articulate what he means.

But its something about what he said that made the TC put his hands up.

"Work...you don't think, you just...do what they say you do, with the pieces they give."

Felipe stopped talking.  Waited.

Arpeggio can hear it in his mind's ear.  He couldn't pinpoint the actual "when" it had started but he could hear it clearly.  When Trancer 42 had started, Felipe would bend the rules, bend the samples, making music but toeing the line between sanctioned Music Corps work and music.  There was life in their pieces, its what made them recognized, efficient....untouchable it seemed.

Then....after a long, long time...Felipe's hand was left deft.  More automatic, almost robotic.  Like the children's game where someone starts a gesture and everyone follows in such a way so that eventually you can't tell who started and who's just miming, he couldn't tell if it was the Corps "style" from his own training leaking into their style, or if he was taking cues from Felipe.

But at some point....Trancer 42 stopped making music...and had deftly fallen into line.

"...you just...do what they say you do, with the pieces they give."

This isn't the Felipe he knew.  Not anymore.

"When...did we stop making music...?"

Felipe KNEW exactly what he was asking because he himself was questioning it.  By the time he was able to notice....they'd been playing the MC's tune so long he couldn't tell when it started.

His face had a look of recognizing, melancholy, and something like relief.  "...Its...its not just me then."  It wasn't even a question.  It was a statement.

They say it at the same time, as if rushing to reassure the other: "I'm sorry."  It quiets them for a long time.  

Then, as if something in Felipe woke up after a long sleep, he snapped, "Well fuck that."  He took up one of the laptops and started on his music making program.

Arpeggio watched him for a bit before his partner glanced at him.  

"What?  Ain't we gonna jam?"

Arpeggio could see the barest of glimmers of that spark in his eye.  He gave him a small smile.  

"At least hook something up to record it."

It wasn't the most ideal Christmas, and the both of them knew something had changed.  Maybe something had changed so much that going back to the days they couldn't remember was now impossible.  But even Arpeggio knew something had changed.  Not between them, just around them.

A few months later, Arpeggio was staring at his partner, his face facing the window as they watch police cars finally pull away from their latest bust.  He's putting his violin back in its case after tuning it.

"I don't want to do this anymore."

They were the words he was expecting to hear.  He had a script to say, he knew what he had to do to defer this urge.  He knew what he was trained and told to say to keep him in the Music Corps, what he had to do to protect the Corps, protect its integrity, its grip on the world, at the cost of running their best musicians into the ground.

He's never told Felipe since they ran that he wasn't trying to see his resolve in leaving; he was planning this moment since that Christmas Eve.  He just never thought he'd be doing it the way it turned out.

"I want out, Pege."

[polar-stars]

DaiYua !! And my otp KiyoShi uwu

I have decided to leave out zombie apocalypse because it’s a genre I am not versed well in at all and I’ve just been staring the question for several minutes now and I just want to get one thing now, I hope thats okay ; 7 ;

DaiYua

1. Who is the happy morning person and who is grumpy and just wants to go back to bed? - I can see them both being early risers, Daigo often earlier than Yua tho. So meep. 

2. Who falls asleep on the couch and who puts a blanket over them? - Daigo falls asleep, Yua places the blanket like the good bean she is. 

3. They end up going to a party? What couple are they? Ex- Clinging to one another? Just there to steal some free food and leave? Both want to party? - Daigo is a PSD-guy, he will #PARTAY, Yua is just clinging to him like “;w;” while Daigo is just: “Look at that cute pancake that is my girlfriend :DDDD”

5. Where is their number one date spot? Why do they love it so much there? - Arcade, honestly I think ! ahdhdh Daigo wins her plushies. But really, he just likes trying to show off what he can do and Yua is just enjoying it as well because she finds it adorable how much fun he has and then she blushes big time once he actually wins something and immediately gifts it to her with the biggest grin. Also Bonus Points for Double Date with Shoji and Urara, where Shoji and Daigo just turn everything into a competition and Urara rallies them even more because “COME ON BF SHOW WHO’S BOSS >:UUU” and Yua is just “ ; 7 ; “

6. Who would be more likely to hug their partner and pick them up off the ground? - ahshd Daigo. Have you seen him? He’s strong and tall. He loves to pick the tiny daisy that is his gf up and cuddle her. 

7. If one partner isn’t the best at communicating their feelings, how do they show their feelings to their significant other in other ways? - I feel Yua is not as vocal as Daigo is, but she does show her love through small ways most certainly! She will often just silently hug his arm and snuggle closer to him and she will comfort him the moment she senses he feels bad and such. 

8. How did they try to impress one other before they were dating? - DAIGO SERENADED HER WITH A GUITAR AND ELVIS SONGS! Yua was just “!!!!!!” about all of this, because she’d never consider herself someone who anyone would notice but then this guy just comes along and plays her love songs. Also watch Daigo most definitely try to pull off some impressive sport-stunts when she is near. Gotta show he’s strong. 

9. Who is being way over the top and dramatic and who just nods and cheers on their partner from the sidelines? - Daigo and Shoji being dramatic rivals and their GFs just cheering them I guess ahdhd

10. Where did they confess that they loved one another? - Right in front of a Shokugeki that Yua had to host and she was nervous as hell and just “I know you will do well!” “...How.....How would you know that.” “Because I know that I fell in love with someone greatly talented!” “You.....WHAT” “Oops” Needless to say, that gave her a huge boost of dopamine, happiness and energy and she hosted the Shokugeki flawlessly and excellently. 

11. What is something small, but cute they do for one another? Ex - leave cute encouraging notes for one another on the counter. - Not on the counter, but I could imagine later in life Daigo just preparing a bento for her to take to work and he leaves encouraging notes in it just telling her she will do great today. Likewise he finds a love letter of Yua just being the most adorable bean and telling him how happy she is with him in his pocket everyday. 

12. Who is the one who does the cooking while the other helps prep the food? - In later life, Yua gets a bit more busy so Daigo does more cooking overall, as he loves surprising her with a dinner when he knows she had a hard day. Whenever she’s not too tired tho or does not have work she immediately rushes to help him prepare the food and they adorably cook together

13. What is a memory they share together that makes them both laugh so hard they cry when they think about it? -  Playing charade with their homies Shoji and Urara shdhdh I think that would be funny

14. They are having a water balloon fight, who wins and how do they deliver the winning shot? - Daigo holds back and Yua notices, goes >:I and just throws a balloon right in his face....She apologizes immediately afterwards, but he’s just laughing tbh ahdshd and says he’s impressed

15. Who would give the other their jacket because it’s cold? - Daigo

KyoShi

1. Who is the happy morning person and who is grumpy and just wants to go back to bed? - Kiyoko is actually a bit grumpy right after waking up ahdhd while Masashi is kinda already ready to jog like 50 rounds around the block and take over the world. As soon as Kiyoko picked out her outfit for the day, or had breakfast she will get her jolly spirit however. And I mean, even though he’s more quicker to action than Kiyoko in the morning, I wouldn’t exactly call Masashi a “happy morning person” ahdhd 

2. Who falls asleep on the couch and who puts a blanket over them? - Plot Twist, they fall asleep on the couch together and it’s their parents to put the blanket over them. [Okay but Kiyoko is a bit more likely to]

3. They end up going to a party? What couple are they? Ex- Clinging to one another? Just there to steal some free food and leave? Both want to party? - Kiyoko is clinging to Masashi for a good portion and is in social-butterfly-mode. She’ll urge him a lot to dance. He’s just being Masashi ahdhd. 

5. Where is their number one date spot? Why do they love it so much there? A park with like classical Japanese monuments and architecture or so, you know. And with Cherry Trees ! Masashi can calm down for 5 minutes, especially with Kiyoko there and Kiyoko can take good photos. 

6. Who would be more likely to hug their partner and pick them up off the ground? Kiyoko hugs Masashi a lot but ahdhd she’s not strong enough to pick him up. He will occasionally tho, because he took a notice of her being into being carried like a bride. 

7. If one partner isn’t the best at communicating their feelings, how do they show their feelings to their significant other in other ways? - Masashi is fairly different to Kiyoko than to most people and he seems to make a lot of efforts to make her happy. Although, he can be a bit annoyed by it, he will always tag along her shopping sprees, he will always take a billion photos of her until she found one she finds suitable for her Instagram. He always likes her photos on Instagram. He does not push her away when she tries to hug him or such. He also remembers things she likes and tries to keep them in mind when buying her a gift or just plainly interacting with her. And while he does have plenty of trust in her being capable of protecting herself, he still tends to be protective over her. (I hope that made sense)

8. How did they try to impress one other before they were dating? - Masashi was greatly oblivious to his feels, he didn’t really intentionally try to impress her. sahsdhds He just did. Kiyoko also felt no really high need to actually impress him, but she loves to give him her sweets and secretly hopes that she will like them as much as always. 

9. Who is being way over the top and dramatic and who just nods and cheers on their partner from the sidelines? - AHDDHF Masashi just yelling at random poor souls that they have no place on this school or doing other evil shit and Kiyoko just “uwu” behind him. 

10. Where did they confess that they loved one another? - Spoiler 

11. What is something small, but cute they do for one another? Ex - leave cute encouraging notes for one another on the counter. - Kiyoko tends to fix things about his clothes if she notices something off with it and she also looks for clothes for him on her shopping trip (Masashi’s clothes are mainly bought by his mom actually ahdhd). Despite being Etsuya Eizan’s son, Masashi is actually not one to spend loads and loads of money tbqh. He’s accustomed to a certain lifestyle yes, but he’s not Shigeo to buy a lot of luxuries to something just because he can. But if Masashi sees something somewhere that he feels Kiyoko would like, he will actually get out his barely used credit card. 

12. Who is the one who does the cooking while the other helps prep the food? - They enjoy cooking together meep. 

13. What is a memory they share together that makes them both laugh so hard they cry when they think about it? - ahdhd Masashi can not laugh that hard I think, but meep. They surely have a memory like that, but I can’t come up with a particular one right now, 

14. They are having a water balloon fight, who wins and how do they deliver the winning shot? - Masashi wins it but Kiyoko just ends up screeching at him that he messed up her hair. 

15. Who would give the other their jacket because it’s cold?

Any other person: I am cold

Masashi: Then Perish

Kiyoko: I am cold

Masashi: KIYOKO-SAN ! I told you that coat won’t be enough, here take my jacket. We should buy you a scarf on the way ! How long have you been cold already? Maybe I should prepare rosehip tea at home, my mother says it prevents colds-

[obtusemedia]

The best songs of the 2010s: #25-1

#25: “SICKO MODE” by Travis Scott feat. Drake (2018)

When music historians look at hip-hop’s late-’10s dominance, I have no doubt that “SICKO MODE” will be viewed as the pinnacle of the era.

Let’s just go through a checklist of what makes “SICKO MODE” an instant classic: The weirdo multi-part structure. Travis Scott’s nearly two-minute long verse with quotable lines galore. Drake somehow managing to make falling asleep on an airplane sound cool. That spooky two-word Swae Lee refrain. Multiple Jamba Juice name-drops (inspiring a hilarious meme video). An iconic, striking music video with whacked-out imagery galore. 

But most importantly, it’s a stone-cold banger that will get any dance floor moving. What more could you want? 

#24: “Dance Yrself Clean” by LCD Soundsystem (2010)

You might have noticed that one of the decade’s biggest musical trends — EDM — hasn’t shown up much on this list. That’s because a majority of it has already aged badly, even just a few years later. Songs like “Don’t You Worry Child” or “Wake Me Up!” certainly have their charms, but unlike the more enjoyable, trashy electropop that preceded it, most EDM hits were plodding and self-serious. And its best artist, Calvin Harris, made his best work when he drifted away from the subgenre’s rigid structure and just made pure pop music.

But my passiveness towards EDM doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a great drop. There’s been plenty of songs on the list with incredible drops up to this point, and there’s still a couple more to come. Hell, I even halfway considered putting some Skrillex on the list just because some of his early stuff still can get your pulse pounding (even if these songs REEK of the early 10s). But there will never be a drop more bonkers than “Dance Yrself Clean.”

Indie legends LCD Soundsystem kicked off the decade with a bang with this song — but they made you wait for that bang. More than three minutes, to be exact. But those who were patient enough to sit through the quiet, drawn-out opening were treated to frontman James Murphy wailing like a madman over a shuffling beat, bouncy bass and a cascading, randomized symphony of analog synthesizers. Although I’m sure Murphy calculated every second of “Dance Yrself Clean,” it sounds like absolute anarchy. And in the moments when his screaming vocals go hoarse over the slamming synths, it’s unreal.

#23: “Born To Die” by Lana Del Rey (2011)

This was the first Lana Del Rey song I heard, back in my junior year of high school. I was immediately floored. The vocals, the cinematic orchestral sweep, the spaghetti western guitars, the tragically beautiful lyrics  — it was an instant masterpiece. There was no way Lana wouldn’t be the world’s biggest popstar within a year.

A couple months later, Lana infamously bombed on Saturday Night Live, which some thought would derail her career entirely. Even after her career has survived and she’s become a critical darling with a cult fanbase, her debut album, Born To Die, and its title track still have a bit of the stink from that SNL performance. Well, no more.

“Born To Die” is a haunting gothic-pop masterpiece that’s aged much better than much early-’10s pop (although I love the corny club stuff from that era, don’t get me wrong). Lana’s smoky voice is unparalleled, the trip-hop production is untouchable.

And although her pinnacle wouldn’t come until 2014 with her sophomore album Ultraviolence, “Born To Die” is still Lana’s most perfect single to date.

#22: “Green Light” by Lorde (2017)

In 2013, Lorde completely upended the pop universe with “Royals,” a minimalist tune chastising radio hits for their un-relatable opulence. By 2017, the culture had fully gravitated towards Lorde’s moodier sound, with greyscale acts like Post Malone and Alessia Cara writing monster hits about being angsty and sad (and not in the artsy, brilliant way that worked for Kurt Cobain or Kanye). It was a far cry from the neon, bubbly world of Katy Perry and Carly Rae Jepsen from a few years prior.

The New Zealand prodigy could’ve cashed in on being ahead of the curve and continued down her minimalist moody path. But she did the opposite with the defiant and proudly energized “Green Light.” Yes, it’s a breakup anthem, but Lorde doesn’t wallow in her sadness here (she saves that for other Melodrama cuts). Instead, she wailed away into the night, playing off of the thundering drums and bouncing pianos of Jack Antonoff’s production (his best-ever). 

With “Green Light,” Lorde let her ex, and the world, know that she isn’t going anywhere. She might not ever reach the commercial heights of “Royals” again, but she’ll be an icon as long as there’s heartbreak that needs overcoming.

#21: “If You Know You Know” by Pusha-T (2018)

Pusha-T’s magnum opus, “If You Know You Know,” is a masterclass in cocaine rap with its effortless wordplay, sinister-yet-charismatic flow and blaring Kanye West beat. It deserved to be the song of the summer in 2018, but the masses chose a C-tier Drake single instead (despite Push absolutely ENDING Drake that summer).

But that doesn’t diminish the achievement Push made with this song. It’s quite a feat to record your best-ever track 17 years after your breakout. It’s even more of an accomplishment when that track kicks as much ass as “If You Know You Know.”

#20: “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry (2010)

Teenage Dream-era Katy Perry is one of pop’s all-time juggernauts. The five consecutive #1 hit singles that album racked up is a feat matched only by Michael Jackson. Of those five singles, one stands out as the clear masterpiece of the group: the album’s title track (although “T.G.I.F” is also incredible).

I remember feeling a little underwhelmed by “Teenage Dream” when I first heard it in 2010. Her last single was a goofy, bombastic summer jam complete with a ridiculous video. “Teenage Dream” is a much more conventional, timeless pop jam. The chord structure is shockingly simple and the lyrics are lovestruck notes from a ‘50s ballad.

But that simplicity is what makes the song work. “Teenage Dream” has aged well because sometimes, all you need is three chords, a monster hook and yearning lyrics. This song will be Perry’s biggest legacy.

#19: “Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales” by Car Seat Headrest (2016)

“Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales” has to be the only uplifting, U2/Nirvana-style power ballad about DUIs.

Landing smack in the middle of Car Seat Headrest’s indie rock concept album/instant-classic Teens of Denial, “Drunk Drivers” is about the main character taking stock of his entire life and emotional instability. And yes, it all centers around driving drunk — or in this case, refusing that temptation as an impetus to change one’s life.

Naturally, in the very next song on the album, it’s revealed that the narrator drove drunk and got arrested anyways. But for a cathartic six minutes, “Drunk Drivers” provides a fleeting escape from the constant loop of self-hate and depression. Not to mention that it’s a grinding ‘90s alt-rock throwback that probably makes Billy Corgan jealous.

#18: “Harmony Hall” by Vampire Weekend (2019)

I’d never guess that Vampire Weekend’s second-best song (after “Oxford Comma,” of course) would be a hippie-friendly tune combining the Grateful Dead and Screamadelica. But here we are. And awkward combination or no, Ezra Koenig knew exactly what he was doing.

In a very dark, uncertain year, Koenig decided to write a song that doubled both as a blissed-out reprieve and a nervous warning. The music is utopian, but the lyrics detail the anger, confusion and constant obstacles of life in the late ‘10s. Koenig takes a lyric from one of his previous songs — “I don’t want to live like this/but I don’t want to die” — and makes it a rallying cry for anxious Millennials around the world, paranoid that the world might not stick around much longer.

It’s a heavy topic, but the gorgeous instrumentals, breakbeat drums, lilting guitars and bouncy pianos certainly ease the stress. “Harmony Hall” is a late-career masterpiece for the ages.

#17: “Marvins Room” by Drake (2011)

Never before has a booty call sounded so sad.

Way before he ruled the pop universe, Drake was just hip-hop’s resident mope. And “Marvins Room” is peak sadboi Drake. Using a real voicemail message in the hook (that he was later sued for using), “Marvins Room” is a six-minute phone conversation in which Drake drunkenly begs his ex to come back.

On the surface, what Drake discusses are what most rappers brag about — sex, money, wealth. But in “Marvins Room,” Drake seems to view them as obstacles to his ex, who he clearly still isn’t over. When he said he had sex four times this week, he sounds disgusted with himself, not proud.

Drake doesn’t look remotely good in this song; it’s more than a little pathetic. But it feels real and raw and revealing in a way that few R&B ballads are willing to get.

#16: “Pedestrian At Best” by Courtney Barnett (2015)

Courtney Barnett’s grungy masterpiece, “Pedestrian At Best,” is appropriately angsty given its crunchy guitars and yell-y vocals. But the Melbourne singer-songwriter touches on a different kind of angst here than Pearl Jam usually tapped into: the pressure of living up to sky-high expectations.

In the early/mid ‘10s, Barnett was earning lots of hype after witty (and excellent!) early singles like “Avant Gardener” and “History Eraser.” She clearly assumed she’d screw up her debut album following up those breakout songs, as she declares herself “a fake” and “a phony” in “Pedestrian At Best.” 

Arguably her generation’s best lyricist, Barnett nails her expectation to squander the public’s expectations: “Put me on a pedestal and I’ll only disappoint you/Tell me I’m exceptional, I promise to exploit you.” The ironic thing is, she did the opposite. “Pedestrian At Best” is one of the most successful songs about failing.

#15: “Ni**as in Paris” by Jay-Z and Kanye West (2011)

There was some close competition, but I don’t think there was a more quotable rap song this decade than Jay-Z and Kanye West’s crowning achievement from Watch The Throne, “Ni**as in Paris.”

The classic lines don’t stop coming throughout the minimalist banger. Jay’s verse is smooth braggadocio perfected: “I’m liable to go Michael, take your pick: Jackson, Tyson, Jordan, Game 6.” Then Kanye comes crashing in with some truly bizarre bars that are both the dumbest and greatest thing you’ve ever heard. After hearing the song, I never felt the same way about fish filets ever again.

And then, the piece de resistance — Kanye’s inspired Will Ferrell sample from Blades Of Glory. It’s one of the most left-field and iconic moments in hip-hop history, and perfectly described the song itself. “NOBODY KNOWS WHAT IT MEANS. BUT IT’S PROVOCATIVE. IT GETS THE PEOPLE GOING.” Amen.

#14: “Run Away With Me” by Carly Rae Jepsen (2015)

Carly Rae Jepsen deserved to be one of the biggest popstars of all time. She should be selling out the same arenas that Taylor Swift and Beyoncé fill. But, in what is a true tragedy, the British Columbia native is only remembered as being that singer with that one earth-shattering hit and a feverish cult following.

But despite how adorable and fun “Call Me Maybe” is, Jepsen’s true magnum opus is her 2015 album, EMOTION, and its bombastic opening track, “Run Away With Me.” 

The single is a masterclass in blending ‘80s flourishes with modern production. On the thunderous chorus, the EDM synths and roaring saxophone riff work in harmony with Jepsen’s passionate vocals to create pure pop bliss. Combined with the intimate verses, the single perfectly encapsulates that butterfly-feeling of a relationship’s honeymoon stage.

“Run Away With Me” is only one of many, many Jepsen singles that would’ve been #1 smashes in a perfect world. But the lack of chart success for this one especially hurt.

#13: “Formation” by Beyoncé (2016)

Where were you when “Formation” dropped? I bet you probably remember (I was writing an essay in my college’s library).

Sure, Beyoncé’s self-titled 2013 album is the surprise drop that gets all the attention. But “Formation” came out of nowhere too a few years later, and let’s be honest — it was much better. (side note: 4 is also much better than the self-titled)

Mike Will Made It’s beat for “Formation” incorporated some Texas twang into his trap-pop production — a fitting match for a Houston legend like Beyoncé. And Bey takes heat-check shot after heat-check shot here: declaring herself the next Bill Gates; casually dropping a “swag” ad lib and magically not sounding corny as hell; making a trip to a mediocre chain seafood restaurant sound like a cool post-sex reward.

It all works. And that’s because on “Formation,” Beyoncé was as untouchable and fearless as her cutthroat stans had always proclaimed her to be. The fact that it was the triumphant coda to one of the decade’s best pop albums just cements its legend.

#12: “Old Town Road (Remix)” by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus (2019)

It’s the longest-running #1 hit in U.S. history. An unstoppable juggernaut that held titans like Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Drake from the top of the charts. And, oh yeah — it’s perfect.

There are probably a few party poopers out there who hate “Old Town Road.” I am not one of them. By 2019, pop’s grayscale, Post Malone-fueled gloom had gotten out of hand. Then out of nowhere, this teenage Nicki Minaj Twitter stan writes a goofy novelty song that’s both a parody of country clichés and a sincere celebration of the cowboy lifestyle. (It’s also the greatest country song ever written, and the entire city of Nashville can fight me on that.)

Lil Nas X has a pure charisma other artists would kill for, from his warbly, infectious chorus to his endlessly quotable verse (WRANGLER ON MY BOOTY!!). And pulling Billy Ray Cyrus away from Hannah Montana-funded retirement to drop a shockingly fire verse about living the luxury lifestyle in Beverly Hills? There’s no way this wouldn’t be one of my all-time favorites.

Sometimes, when it comes to predicting future classics, you’ve just got to trust the screaming elementary schoolers.

#11: “Midnight City” by M83 (2011)

“Midnight City” sounds like what Space Mountain feels like.

The decade’s best electronic song is so perfect as to be almost alien, yet also remarkably warm and human. And just when you thought the song couldn’t get better, the second-greatest sax solo of all time (only behind “Jungleland”) bursts out of the neon layers of synth.

M83 has a catalogue stuffed with stunning retro synthpop bangers. The fact that “Midnight City” towers above them all is a testament to the song’s sheer majesty.

#10: “All Too Well” by Taylor Swift (2012)

Yes, I’m aware that this is the obvious Taylor Swift pick for this list. But Swift’s literary masterwork, “All Too Well,” hits me too hard to deny it.

“All Too Well” is so packed with vivid details and intense emotional swings that it feels like more like a short story backed by arena-rock instrumentation more than a pop song. From her an abandoned scarf tucked in a drawer, to her ex’s mother embarrassing him with his dorky child photos, to the phone-call breakup that was “casually cruel in the name of being honest,” Swift didn’t leave anything out.

Coupled with her songwriting, Swift’s vocals also make “All Too Well” her pinnacle. She reaches into her upper register so rarely that it sends shivers whenever she does, like on the emphatic climax here. 

If it catches me in the right mood, Swift’s performance, the lilting guitars and cutting lyrics in “All Too Well” brings a few tears to my eyes. (Yes, really.) It’s only fitting that one of the greatest breakup anthems of all time is sung by a master of the artform.

#9: “Ivy” by Frank Ocean (2016)

I was very tempted to put Frank Ocean’s 10-minute synthpop epic “Pyramids” on the list instead. Make no mistake — if it wasn’t for my self-imposed one-song-per-artist rule, both it and “Ivy” would’ve placed highly.

But “Ivy” is a heart-stopper. It’s a fairly simple song, with just Ocean’s raw vocals playing off the languid guitars. To pull a song like this off, you have to be a double-threat, a genius lyrically and a stunning singer. Ocean fits that bill. 

“Ivy” is the decade’s greatest R&B song, a heartbreaking ode to a slowly crumbling relationship.

#8: “The Edge Of Glory” by Lady Gaga (2011)

Lady Gaga’s best songs hit you like a brick to the face. Gaga — the greatest pop star of the 21st century, don’t @ me — has plenty of pop bangers that do this, particularly on the wildly underrated Artpop (shoutout to the insane and insanely fun “G.U.Y.”). But arguably none of her singles provide as much maximalist pleasures as “The Edge Of Glory.”

The track reeks of trying too hard in the best way possible. Gaga reaches into her upper vocal register frequently, scratching her upper limits every time she reaches the chorus. The production is a messy-but-beautiful jumble of slamming synths and drum machines. And that Clarence Clemons sax solo — one of the last musical contributions he made before his death that same year — is just the icing on top of the gloriously sugary cake.

Gaga’s over-the-top synthpop from her early years isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But for someone like me, who wants pop to feel as massive and inescapable as humanly possible, “The Edge Of Glory” is still a towering high-water mark.

#7: “Pay No Mind” by Beach House (2018)

This spot could’ve been taken by any number of Beach House songs, the modern masters of dream-pop. “Space Song,” “Myth,” “Take Care” — the Baltimore duo honed in on a specific musical style and perfected it.

To me, “Pay No Mind” is the culmination of those years of Beach House subtly tinkering with their hazy, nocturnal sound. It’s like a gothic wedding slow-dance song: the right rhythm and with a romantic feel, but maybe a bit too gloomy for your grandparents. But regardless, “Pay No Mind” is breathtakingly beautiful, like seeing neon lights through the fog.

#6: “m.A.A.d. city” by Kendrick Lamar feat. MC Eiht (2012)

If you haven’t tried to memorize the nearly two-minute uninterrupted opening verse of “m.A.A.d. city,” were you even alive in the early ‘10s?

Kendrick Lamar has written many hip-hop epics in his career so far, but so far none have topped the semi-title track from his major label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d. city. In that concept album about Lamar’s teen years growing up amidst the gang warfare in Compton, “m.A.A.d city” marks the point where the gangsta dream shifts into a horrifying nightmare. 

The song is a blur of murder, violence and police sirens. Lamar sounds positively terrified on the track, his voice cracking while he confesses. And bringing on old-school rapper MC Eiht to play a veteran gang member snapping Lamar out of his haze was a brilliant move. “m.A.A.d city” is an exhilarating tour-de-force that proved how much raw talent, in both flow and storytelling, Lamar had.

#5: “Somebody Else” by The 1975 (2016)

If Vampire Weekend is the most important band of the early ‘10s, then The 1975 is the most important band of the rest of the decade. Their transformation from (really good!) simple pop-rock to tacking incredibly dark subject matter while successfully taste-testing their way through nearly every musical genre was unexpected. And brilliant, seeing as they pulled it off.

But The 1975′s best track is much less capital-I important than most of their epics about Trump or suicide or heroin — it’s a synthpop song about complicated post-breakup emotions. But “Somebody Else” earns its keep as the band’s pinnacle through sheer relatability. It nails that complicated feeling of being over someone...but not really. Or as lead singer Matty Healy puts it bluntly: “I don’t want your body/but I’m picturing your body with somebody else.”

The shuffling drum machine groove and icy synths complete a perfect song for wandering aimlessly at night, longing for a lost love. And although The 1975 might switch sounds endlessly in their career, their sweet spot will always be this moody ‘80s update.

#4: “TiK ToK” by Ke$ha (2010)

“TiK ToK” is still easily the peak of the 2009-12 pop golden age. It has a bit of everything you’d want in a single from that era: Gloriously grimy synths! An uber-catchy chorus with plenty of demands to party! And of course, a charismatic and unforgettable star who can deliver the song. I don’t think anyone would argue Ke$ha fit that role to a T.

When “TiK ToK” first arrived around the turn of the decade, I couldn’t stand it. I thought it was too sleazy. Nearly 10 years later, Ke$ha’s performative sleaziness is exactly what makes this song so fun. Yeah, the hook is bulletproof and the production is buzzy. But Ke$ha’s slurred, drunken delivery and ridiculous lines are what have kept “TiK ToK” in the public consciousness. She single-handedly made P. Diddy and especially Mick Jagger relevant again. She made brushing your teeth with Jack Daniels seem cool (and not insanely nasty, like it actually is). Every single ridiculous line, sung through Ke$ha’s fake valley girl accent, is a gem.

I can understand how someone wouldn’t like the unfiltered debauchery and greasiness of “TiK ToK.” But to me, that’s the entire charm of it, and what makes it stand out amongst a sea of similarly-minded club jams from its era.

#3: “Runaway” by Kanye West feat. Pusha-T (2010)

I was going to ask all of you to forget about Kanye West’s recent stumbles, be it his association with Donald Trump or his insistence that slavery was a choice. But the power of “Runaway” is that it is a semi-apology from a man who knows he’s deeply flawed. Every one of Kanye’s gaffes and terrible decisions makes “Runaway” even more relevant today.

But “Runaway” was originally a response to Kanye’s infamous “Imma let you finish” rant at the 2009 VMAs, where he interrupted Taylor Swift. The song basically operates as a semi-apology to the world for being, as he puts it, a douchebag. An asshole. A scumbag. A jerkoff. He’s somewhat bragging about his misdeeds, while sheepishly asking for forgiveness.

And yet, it’s an extremely vulnerable song. The bridge — “I guess that you’re at an advantage/Cause you can blame me for everything/And I don’t know how Imma manage/If one day you just up and leave” — initially feels like something Kanye is saying to a lover. But really, he’s saying it to all of us. And it’s arguably the most moving moment in his whole career.

#2: “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk feat. Pharrell and Nile Rodgers (2013)

Don’t think about it too hard, folks. 

Considering that Daft Punk are the greatest dance-music artists of all time, it only makes sense that they’d dip their toes into disco and absolutely KILL it. And that’s all “Get Lucky” is. Two French masters making their grand comeback by recruiting one of funk’s finest guitarists and one of the 2000s’ most charismatic vocal presences. 

“Get Lucky” will be a wedding dance staple until the sun explodes. And it deserves that status. It’s a flawless dance track. Just embrace the groove.

#1: “Archie, Marry Me” by Alvvays (2014)

My favorite song of the 2010s wasn’t a part of some major trend. It wasn’t particularly influential. It doesn’t have any profound meaning, and it didn’t try to tackle a major event. “Archie, Marry Me” just happens to be the greatest indie pop song ever written.

Every little aspect of Toronto band Alvvays’ debut single works, from the surf-y guitars to lead singer Molly Rankin’s monotone-yet-yearning vocals. With its lo-fi ramshackle charm and monster hook, “Archie, Marry Me” is all you could want in a dream-pop single. It even has the nice touch of echoing a Neil Young classic in the chorus.

The whole intention of this list — as it is with any of my year-end lists — is simply to measure which songs made me the happiest; which songs never wore out on me. And no single this decade puts a bigger smile on my face than “Archie, Marry Me.” It’s simple, achingly romantic (in a Wes Anderson-esque half-ironic way, but still), and I wouldn’t change a thing about it.

[bountyofbeads]

Hong Kong riot police, armed with pepper spray and batons, clash with protesters at airport

https://wapo.st/2P34EQO

Trump is silent on the pro-democracy protesters in both Hong Kong and in Moscow. As a *Beacon of Democracy", the silence of Trump is deafening. SHAME SHAME SHAME

White House delays some new China tariffs until Dec. 15

By Damian Paletta and Heather Long |

Published August 13 at 12:15 PM ET | Washington Post | Posted August 13, 2019 12:50 PM ET |

The White House on Tuesday said it would delay imposing tariffs on Chinese imports of cellphones, laptop computers, video game consoles, and certain types of footwear and clothing until Dec. 15, significantly later than the Sept. 1 deadline President Trump had repeatedly threatened.

The announcement, which came from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, ensures that Apple products and other major consumer goods would be shielded from the import tax until at least December, potentially keeping costs on these products down during the holiday shopping season.

The announcement moved stocks sharply higher. The Dow Jones industrial average climbed close to 500 points, or nearly 2 percent, on the news. The stock prices of Apple, Best Buy, Mattel and Macy’s were among those that rallied on the announcement.

Trump told reporters that he delayed the tariffs “just in case” they would have a negative impact on U.S. shoppers this holiday season.

“What we’ve done is we’ve delayed it so they won’t be relevant in the Christmas shopping season,” Trump said before boarding a flight to Pennsylvania.

His comments marked the most explicit admission he’s made so far that the tariffs could have raised costs for American consumers and businesses and had a negative impact on the economy.

A number of companies had petitioned to the White House to exempt items they import from the new tariffs, saying the costs would be either passed along to the consumer or threaten the solvency of individual firms.

USTR said the 10 percent tariff would still go into effect in September on some items, including many food products, gloves, coats and suits. But it said tariffs on other items would be waived completely “based on health, safety, national security and other factors.”

Trump, in a Twitter post and comments to reporters, suggested that the announcement was meant as an overture to Chinese officials.

“I’m not sure if it was the tariffs or the call, but the call was very productive,” Trump said, referring to a conversation this week between top Chinese and U.S. negotiators.

But he added a warning on Twitter that China needs to buy more from the United States, “As usual, China said they were going to be buying ‘big’ from our great American Farmers. So far they have not done what they said. Maybe this will be different!”

USTR provided a list of products that were exempted and would face the delayed tariff implementation date, which included highchairs, strollers, cell phones and many toys.

The announcement is the latest in a herky-jerky trade war between the White House and China. Trump has levied tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese imports, beginning last year, as he has tried to pressure Chinese leaders to change their trade practices. Chinese officials have negotiated but refused to agree to the terms Trump has demanded, leading to a prolonged standoff.

Trump has frequently threatened dramatic penalties, however, only to back away. His threat of imposing a 10 percent tariff on an additional $300 billion in Chinese imports starting next month spooked investors and many lawmakers, and it has led to a steady slide in the stock market in the past two weeks.

“These tariffs were Trump’s idea. Now his team is trying to clean this up,” said Steve Pavlick, a former Trump Treasury Department official who is now head of policy at Renaissance Macro Research. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that you see this right before Christmas. They are trying to minimize the impact.”

Many businesses had worried that higher tariffs on consumer goods ahead of the Christmas shopping season could severely damage the economy at a time when some are warning that the risk of a recession next year has increased.

Trump has pressed China for months to change its trade practices, calling on it to change the way it subsidizes domestic companies, among other things. The White House has also accused China of stealing intellectual property from U.S. companies and forcing U.S. firms to transfer technology to Chinese firms.

But Trump’s demands in recent weeks have shifted, a sign of the political peril that the prolonged trade war has raised.

Trump had originally threatened to impose these new tariffs on $300 billion in consumer goods by early July, but at a June meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump agreed to hold off. At the meeting, held during the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, Japan, Trump said the Chinese had agreed to dramatically increase purchases of U.S. agricultural goods, a nod to the U.S. farm industry that had become increasingly incensed about being caught in the middle of the trade war.

But Chinese officials never agreed to purchase the farm products Trump had promised, and this soon became clear to the U.S. agriculture industry.

Several weeks ago, U.S. Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin flew to Shanghai to meet with Chinese leaders about restarting trade negotiations. Those discussions went poorly, people briefed on the outcome said.

Trump had recently said that the Chinese seemed intent to wait until after the 2020 election before they would cut a deal with him, and he seemed content with that. But when he heard back from Mnuchin and Lighthizer about how poorly the trip had gone, he announced that he would move ahead with the 10 percent tariff on $300 billion in Chinese goods in September.

USTR’s announcement on Tuesday that it would delay the imposition of these tariffs on some of the most popular consumer goods was the first sign that Trump was backing down from this demand.

Still, the mid-December tariff deadline could raise fears among major retailers and importers about higher costs during a crucial window for revenue.

“It would be a whole lot easier if the tariffs started in January,” said Win Cramer, chief executive of JLab Audio, which makes wireless headphones and ear buds. “It would still be awful, but the fact of the matter is our holiday promotions, which are with every major retailer nationwide, are already designed and ready for print.”

Hong Kong riot police, armed with pepper spray and batons, clash with protesters at airport

By Gerry Shih and Timothy McLaughlin| Published August 13 at 11:49 AM ET | Washington Post | Posted August 13, 2019 12:52 PM ET |

HONG KONG — Riot police armed with pepper spray and batons clashed with protesters late Tuesday at Hong Kong’s airport, bringing violence to the doors of the key international hub while passengers remained stranded inside after many departing flights were canceled.

Anti-government protesters brought chaos to the airport for a second consecutive day Tuesday as demonstrators extended their standoff with authorities who have been unable to quell months of dissent. Protesters forced the cancellation of flights by cramming into terminals and refusing to let passengers through, sparking confrontations with travelers desperate to return home. 

Later in the evening, a group of demonstrators also seized a man they suspected to be an undercover Chinese police officer, cable-tied his hands and refused to let him through a large crowd. The incident showed increasing brazenness on the part of demonstrators in confronting what they perceive as symbols of the Chinese state.

Police entered the airport to help the man, whom paramedics tried to remove on a stretcher. The presence of officers sparked chaos, as protesters spilled out of the airport and began attacking police vans with officers inside. 

At one point, an officer was overrun and his baton taken by protesters, who beat him with it. The group retreated only after the officer appeared to pull his gun from its holster.

After mass cancellations Monday evening, flights had been gradually returning to normal throughout Tuesday, even as thousands of black-clad demonstrators returned to occupy parts of the airport, carrying placards denouncing police brutality and calling for freedom for Hong Kong.

But by late afternoon, with protesters using luggage carts as makeshift barricades and blocking passengers from reaching the departure gates, causing long lines, authorities said they were suspending check-in at both of the airport’s terminals. 

Arguments erupted between frustrated passengers and protesters, with some stranded passengers crying and saying they just wanted to get home.

Pavol Cacara, a Slovakian machinery importer who faced off with protesters, said his flight to Istanbul was canceled once already. 

“You cannot make freedom by taking freedom from others!” he bellowed, shaking with rage, at a mass of young demonstrators in black T-shirts. “This is what the Chinese want you to do, to make you lose support of the world. You are helping them!”

Tensions soared. As Cacara fumed, some protesters tried to calm him down and offered to help him find alternate flights while others pleaded with him to see Hong Kong’s plight. “You don’t die if you leave! We will die here!” called a voice in the rear.

After a 20-minute standoff, protesters parted to form a narrow channel to let a few passengers through. “Thank you for understanding. Please tell the world!” one yelled after Cacara.

A more disturbing scene began taking shape later in the day when a group of protesters surrounded a man they believed to be an undercover police officer from Shenzhen, the Chinese city across the border from Hong Kong. There was no confirmation of the man’s identity or profession, but the protesters did not let him move or leave for hours.

The man appeared to fall unconscious, but protesters refused to let paramedics through. When about half a dozen paramedics reached him, they struggled to move him through the crush of protesters that formed around them. Those closest to the melee held their phones aloft and tried to film the struggling man. Some protesters jeered and laughed at the man. Paramedics also pleaded with protesters to hand them water to give him as he sat motionless on the ground.

Protesters held a handmade sign over the man that read in English, “I am China’s police. I pretend to be protester,” as he struggled to remain conscious.

Earlier, some protesters chanted “return the eye” — a reference to an incident Sunday night when a young woman was shot in the eye, possibly by a bean bag round, during a clash between police and protesters. Senior officers said Tuesday they were unsure how the woman was injured but could not promise that she would not be charged with rioting.

Police said they were closely monitoring the situation at the airport, working with airport authorities, and would carefully consider the need to use force.

Confusion descended over the airport by evening as passengers tried to scale barricades of luggage carts and human walls formed by protesters, who tried to hold them off with outstretched arms.

Still, the confrontations stopped short of violence. Time and again, protesters scolded their peers when tempers flared. Chants of “Lang jing!” — Calm down! — rang through the departure hall when arguments threatened to boil over.

Roving teams of protesters handed snacks to stranded passengers and appealed for understanding as they distributed pamphlets detailing their case against police brutality. Others bowed repeatedly and said “sorry” without yielding their ground in the face of angry passengers.

“Sorry for inconvenience. We have no choice,” said a sign held in front of a barricade blocking departures.

Other passengers took a more sympathetic view.

Krishna Hariharan, a 27-year-old IT engineer from Chennai, India, said his five-day holiday in Hong Kong was already extended to seven days because of canceled flights. His boss was not pleased, and he had to sleep in the terminal because he was running out of money, he said.

But he praised a group of protesters who had come over to apologize and give him bottled water and biscuits.

“I can’t blame anyone,” Hariharan said. “They are seeking justice, and it just happens that our fates are intertwined like this. If the government comes down hard on them — then what are they governing for?”

Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s leader, said the city risked being “pushed into an abyss” and warned that it could be “smashed to pieces.”

“The stability and well-being of 7 million people are in jeopardy,” Lam said. 

As the summer of unrest rolls on, the situation is becoming increasingly tense. Statements from Chinese government officials and state media have grown steadily more shrill, accusing protesters of “terrorism” and warning of an impending crackdown in the semiautonomous financial center.

The political crisis, triggered by now-suspended plans to allow extraditions to mainland China, has swollen as Hong Kongers demand the bill’s full withdrawal, an independent inquiry into police actions toward protesters, greater democracy and an amnesty for those arrested in clashes between demonstrators and police. 

The upheaval has come at a politically sensitive time for Chinese leader Xi Jinping, ahead of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, which the ruling Communist Party plans to mark with a military parade in October.

Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific, which has drawn the ire of Beijing after some of its staff recently joined protests, said Tuesday that a second pilot from the airline has been suspended. The pilot, a second officer working on a flight Tuesday from Manchester to Hong Kong, was suspended for “misuse of company information in violation of the company’s internal code of conduct,” the company said in a statement. It added that internal disciplinary proceedings were underway. 

On Saturday, Hong Kong’s flagship airline said it had suspended a pilot who was arrested during earlier protests. 

International calls grew, meanwhile, for authorities in Hong Kong and China to dial back tensions in the city. 

U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet urged authorities to immediately investigate police use of force in their recent crackdown on protesters. Her spokesman said there was “credible evidence” to suggest that Hong Kong law enforcement officials had used less-than-lethal force in ways that are “prohibited by international norms and standards.”

Chris Patten, the last British governor of colonial Hong Kong before the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, warned that a Chinese intervention would be a “catastrophe” for both Hong Kong and China. 

Speaking to BBC radio, he urged Lam and Xi to find a way to bring people together.

“There is a degree of frustration and anger at the government refusing to give any sensible ground at all, which probably provokes more violence,” Patten said.

Anna Kam in Hong Kong and Shibani Mahtani in Cadiz City, Philippines, contributed to this report.

Protesters shut down Hong Kong airport as China warns of ‘terrorism,’ raising fears of military crackdown

By Timothy McLaughlin and Anna Kam |

Published August 12 at 12:34 PM ET | Washington Post | Posted August 13, 2019 1:18 PM ET |

HONG KONG — Thousands of protesters shut down Hong Kong’s international airport Monday, defying an intensifying police crackdown, as China issued ominous warnings that described the protests as “terrorism” and began massing a paramilitary force in a southern border city.

Fears have been mounting that Beijing — squeezed by a trade dispute with the United States and approaching a nationwide celebration of the founding of the People’s Republic of China — will soon resort to military action to quell the pro-democracy protests in the semiautonomous territory. Chinese officials and state news media actively stoked those fears Monday.

“The radical demonstrators in Hong Kong have repeatedly attacked police with extremely dangerous tools in recent days, which constitutes a serious violent crime, and now they are descending into terrorism,” said Yang Guang, a spokesman for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office in Beijing. It was the first time the office had portrayed the protests in Hong Kong as “terrorism.”

“We should relentlessly crack down on such violent criminal acts without mercy, and we firmly support Hong Kong police and judicial authorities in bringing the criminals to justice as soon as possible,” Yang told reporters from state and Hong Kong media.

The nationalist Global Times tabloid tweeted a video showing Chinese armored personnel carriers heading toward the southern city of Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong, ahead of what the paper called “large-scale exercises” by the People’s Armed Police, a paramilitary unit. “The tasks and missions of the Armed Police include participating in dealing with rebellions, riots, serious violent and illegal incidents, terrorist attacks and other social security incidents,” the newspaper elaborated in an accompanying story.

And China’s state broadcaster, CCTV, issued a commentary Monday night headlined “Alert! There are signs of terrorism on the streets of Hong Kong,”in which it warned: “No country can accept terrorist acts in its own country … Hong Kong has reached an important juncture. ‘End violence and restore order’ is the most important, urgent and overriding task of Hong Kong at present!”

Earlier, the Chinese government department responsible for Hong Kong held its third news conference in three weeks — it previously had not held a briefing in the 22 years since Britain returned the territory to the mainland.

Some of the protesters who had been occupying the airport’s arrivals hall swarmed into the departures area Monday, prompting authorities to cancel all flights and advise travelers to leave one of the world’s busiest hubs. Airport operations resumed Tuesday morning, though there were some delays and cancellations stemming from the previous night’s disruption.

Monday’s protest came in response to a sharp increase in the level of force employed by Hong Kong’s embattled police. Hours before the airport shutdown, two police officers elsewhere in the city pinned a black-clad demonstrator to the concrete, one officer’s knee pressing the young man’s face into a pool of his own blood.

“I’ve already been arrested,” the man yelled as he cried for help. “Don’t do this, I’m begging you.”

The scene, captured Sunday night by a cameraman from the Hong Kong Free Press, was jarring even in a city now accustomed to weekends awash with tear gas. It unleashed a fresh wave of anger toward Hong Kong’s police force and the government more broadly, spurring thousands of demonstrators to respond by occupying the airport.

At the airport Monday, officials had halted all departures by late afternoon, affecting tens of thousands of passengers.

Hong Kong’s airport authority said all flights were suspended Monday at about 3:30 p.m. local time (3:30 a.m. Eastern time).

After sitting in the arrivals hall for much of the day, many protesters began leaving the airport in the evening amid rumors on social media and messaging apps that police were preparing for a large clearance operation. The protesters, many dressed in black, streamed across the roads around the airport, bringing traffic to a near-standstill. Some travelers abandoned buses and taxis and wheeled bags through the traffic. Many said they were headed to a nearby bus station.

On Sunday night, Hong Kong police intensified their crackdown with new and more aggressive tactics after more than two months of sustained protests and more than 600 arrests.

Officers disguised themselves as protesters to arrest suspects, launched tear gas inside a subway station and fired on protesters at close range with less-than-lethal ammunition. One young woman was shot in the face with what appeared to be a bean bag round, severely injuring her eye. Police said Monday that the videos and photos had to be verified and that they could not confirm “the reasoning behind this lady’s injury.”

But the incident provided the latest rallying point for protesters.

“The police have had enough, to be honest. They feel like they have been bullied for two months now, and they knew themselves more than capable to use real force and tactics to control the situation,” said Clement Lai, a former police superintendent who now runs his own security firm.

“If the order was given that they need to escalate their action and their force, these guys are more than happy to do that.”

Mel, 40, who took part in the airport demonstrations and carried a sign with pictures of bloodied protesters, said she wanted “to show the world that what we are looking for is freedom.”

She said she was angry about the “dirty methods” police used Sunday night and early Monday morning.

Mel, who gave only her first name, added that a decision was made among many protesters to leave early Monday evening because of fears that police would forcibly clear the airport.

The police actions appear to be part of broader efforts by the Hong Kong government, with the support of officials in Beijing, to end the political crisis, through an approach that includes ramping up pressure on businesses, leveling heavy charges against arrested protesters and using state-controlled media to pump out increasingly shrill, conspiratorial claims about who is organizing the demonstrations.

“After a period of several weeks of uncertainty as to who was coordinating the government response, last week saw the rollout of Beijing’s multipronged, comprehensive strategy to deal with the protests,” said Sebastian Veg, a historian of China and a professor at the School of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences in Paris. “It consists in uniting all forces with whom common ground can be found to isolate and defeat the enemy.”

He added, “The aim is to turn public opinion against the protests by drastically raising the cost of participation.”

The new police tactics came after former deputy police commissioner Alan Lau was called out of retirement last week to help the embattled force.

Lai credited the new approach, in part, to Lau’s return. “He is coming back with a mission,” the former superintendent said.

Hospital officials said that 45 people were injured in weekend protests and that 25 remained hospitalized. Two were in serious condition.

One police officer who has worked on the front lines over the past month said officers’ new ploy of disguising themselves as protesters — wearing masks, yellow hard hats and black civilian clothes — was a deliberate tactic from the police Special Duties Unit, nicknamed the “Flying Tigers,” to sow mistrust among protesters.

This is a tactic they will continue to use, the officer said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters. Police on Monday also displayed trucks mounted with water cannons that they could deploy to disperse crowds.

One 22-year-old protester who has been on the front line for weeks admitted that the more aggressive moves by police had caught some demonstrators off guard and yielded results.

“It was quite effective for them; they are changing their strategy,” he said. “We know now the police have no limits. They will not follow the rules and the law.”

The government, in what has become a weekly ritual, condemned protesters Monday and said a police officer was injured after being hit with a firebomb tossed by a demonstrator.

Protests began earlier this year over the government’s attempts to push through a bill that would allow extraditions to mainland China. The legislation, which numerous critics said would be a severe blow to Hong Kong’s autonomy, was suspended by Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam in June.

Lam, however, has refused to fully withdraw the measure. She has issued apologies as well as condemnation, none of which have quelled the crisis. Most recently, she has pivoted to focus on how the unrest is damaging Hong Kong’s economy.

Protesters have offered a list of five demands that has shifted slightly in recent weeks. Much of the focus is now on the creation of an independent commission to investigate the handling of the bill and the subsequent fallout.

An inquiry has drawn wide support, with the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, law groups and civil-society organizations backing its creation, but the government continues to resist such calls. Lam has said she thinks an in-house investigation by police of their actions is sufficient and has not addressed the other demands.

The front-line protester said the new police strategy would only harden those who have already dedicated themselves to the fight.

“You can see our equipment — shields, helmets — is for defense, not for offense,” he said. “From now on, I think that will change. Some types of weapons will be used. We are standing there and getting beat by them.”

Anna Fifield, Shibani Mahtani and Tiffany Liang contributed to this report.

[topweeklyupdate]

TØP Weekly Update SPECIAL TRENCH EDITION (10/6/18)

Ya’ll have had time to listen to the album. Some of you have it memorized already. So let’s pick apart Twenty One Pilots’ latest project track-by-track, explore the new themes and sounds that the band is exploring in this era, and also catch up on all of the latest news to come out in just the last two days.

This Week’s TØPics: 

A Complete Look at Trench

My Blood Music Video

Twenty One Pilots to Return to the American Music Awards

New Interviews About the Album

Picking Fights with Gaga? (Not Really, No)

And MORE!

Track Analysis:

Before we get started, we should acknowledge Trench’s wonderful liner notes, which besides boasting some stellar artistic design reveal a great deal of important information about this album. First, the overall cohesion of the album, like with all of the band’s albums save for Blurryface, can be attributed to the shared vision of the same production team on every track. The impact of Paul Meany on this entire album should not be understated: Paul co-produced every track save for “Levitate”, which he is instead given main credit for with Tyler listed as co-producer. He is also given writing credit on half of the album for his arrangements, again including “Levitate”. We musn’t forget the other heroes: the album was mixed by Adam Hawkins and mastered by Chris Gehringer. Also, the “thank you”s are both touching and occasionally very funny (“And to our haters, we know you liked stressed out.”)

I’ve already expressed my thoughts and reactions to the four previous singles in prior updates, so feel free to look back at them to fill in the gaps. 

“Morph” starts us off real strong with an absolutely stellar groove (thanks, Paul). Lyrically, the track features Tyler ruminating on death, considering its inevitability, worrying over its proximity, and questioning what comes after. It’s the most he discusses faith on Trench; Tyler considers looking “above” for answers a “blind belief”, but he still chooses it anyway, with some reservations. Ultimately, Tyler resolves to “morph to someone” else, to stay on the defensive against the insecurities leveled at him by Nico and keep moving forward. The song also features a “Judge”-esque shout-out to our boy Josh Dun within the stellar ending run- fitting, considering just how good his drums sound on this track in particular.

“Chlorine” is a definite highlight off the album, as it constantly mixes up flow and structure while never losing it’s laid-back psychedelic groove and its consistently excellent metaphorical examination of Tyler’s strained relationship with fame. I’ll be singing that hook forever. And the bridge. And that ending break-down that definitely sounds like a No Phun Intended sample. This thing’s a bop, potentially the best track on the whole project- and that’s really saying something.

“Smithereens” is an odd duck that feels like it doesn’t quite fit in on Trench but is nonetheless a very sweet and enjoyable tune. I mean, it’s love song that snuck onto this album that’s literally about writing a love song and sneaking it onto an album; I have to commend Tyler for being ballsy, clever, and artistic with his grand romantic gesture. I also have to commend Mr. Meany for sneaking that beautiful woodwind section in.

Before I even heard the album, I knew “Neon Gravestones” was going to be the stand-out track for a lot of folks. Rock Sound had promised that this would be the song that saves people’s lives, and hopefully it will. Tyler’s spoken word musings regarding celebrity suicide were always going to be controversial, and publications like The Atlantic and Alt Press have already questioned exactly what he means to say with the song. As someone who just recently lost a loved one to suicide, even I’ve struggled with this song’s message somewhat. Does Tyler disrespect the memory of those that have passed by telling us not to glorify them in death? It skirts close to the line a bit, and he certainly could have gotten a bit more specific in how he suggests we should react. But he reigns it back from the edge, as Tyler so often does when discussing mental illness, by placing the focus on his own lived experience. “If I lose to myself” is the most gut-wrenching lyric Tyler’s written in ages, and it really sells that this idea is something that Tyler truly wrestles with in dark moments. We really do have to de-romanticize suicide if we want to have a chance against it, and I’m proud of Tyler for taking those steps in a public way that can also help others. And the production? Simply bone-chilling.

“The Hype”, aka “Wonderwall” meets “Bittersweet Symphony”, is another highlight. Simple lyrics, sure, but comforting ones. Particular praise goes to the ending, when the echo effects layer onto the vocals and the ukulele comes into mix. One of many great “night-time driving down the highway” songs on this half of the album.

“Cut My Lip” is pretty easily my least favorite song on the album, which is not meant a harsh criticism at all. The overall vibe is very enjoyable, and I especially love how Tyler says “contusions”, but the song is just twice as long as the lyrical content actually warrants. It really is largely saved by Josh’s intricate drumming and Paul’s intervention with the reverbing psychedelic synths: it sounds just as sick as the rest of the album in those respects.

The last two minutes of “Bandito” may just be the best part of the entire album; Paul (I assume it’s Paul) really outdid himself with that composition. The rest of the song is great, too, with “I’m still not sure if fear’s a rival or close relative to truth” in particular standing out as an all-time Tyler Joseph lyric. I can’t wait to hear this live... God, I hope this is played live...

“Pet Cheetah” is... weird. But with a name like that, we expected as much, and it only makes all the more sense when considering the subject matter: writer’s block. Tackling that subject head on really seems to have given an extra boost to Tyler’s creative energies: his rap verse is straight-up fire in terms of both wordplay and passion. All in all, a fun curiosity to come back to when we want to remember that time Tyler wrapped about naming a cheetah after acclaimed British action star Jason Statham.

“Legend” is one of those songs that really is beyond criticism by virtue of its subject matter: Tyler mourning the loss of his grandfather. I do wish the song was given a bit more polish around the edges, but it still boasts a gorgeous horn section, and the rough sound helps demonstrate that this was a deeply personal project that we’re privileged to be able to hear at all.

“Leave the City” is the perfect ending note for this project. As Zane Lowe said, it never fully reaches the crescendo it seems to be building to, and all the better for it. The inclusion of a call to “stay alive”, now directed inward toward Tyler himself, remains a powerful rallying cry of hope, even while it expresses a sense of resignation to knowing our personal battles may never end. There’s no clear answer, only the promise that we are not left alone to face what the future holds. And that’s enough.

Taken all together, Trench was not the album I was expecting, and not at all in a bad way. There was relatively little in the way of “Jumpsuit”’s harder edge, nor was it as obtuse and concept-dedicated as the initial marketing had indicated. But it was still incredibly daring and ambitious, tackling song-structures and concepts that few pop artists (if we can still call them that) would dare approach. While I would have loved an album much more strictly dedicated to telling the story of Dema, I don’t know if most people would have, and that kind of railroading would have prevented Tyler from getting as personal and deep as he does here. There are ideas and individual lyrics on this project that have left their mark on me like few pieces of music have since... well, Vessel. It might not match that album in my own heart, but it might also objectively be the best thing they’ve ever done. 

Major News, Releases, and Announcements:

Shockingly, we’re not even close to done. As reported in the last update, the album’s release was accompanied by the release of an all new music video for “My Blood”. Unlike the prior three videos, this narrative takes place completely outside the world of Dema and Trench, featuring two rebel brothers dealing with all that suburban teen white boy angst (been there) and attending a real funky Halloween party in skeleton onesies, all leading up to a satisfying Fight Club revelation.

The video is also the first one since “Tear In My Heart” to not be directed by Mark Eshleman or Andrew Donoho. The Clique’s new friend Tim Mattia has been directing some major music videos since 2012, including Troye Sivan’s Blue Neighborhood project, Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen”, and major singles from The 1975, Zedd, Chris Stapleton, and many more. You can definitely tell the difference from the aesthetic (particularly Tyler and Josh being relegated to a glorified cameo). Still, it was a refreshing change of pace, and I look forward to seeing if it helps the song pick up any momentum at radio. 

Upcoming Performances:

American Music Awards, Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, CA

Capacity: 7,100

On Thursday, we reported that Tyler and Josh would be signing copies of Trench in Hollywood this coming Monday. Turns out they weren’t just looking for some California sunshine- they’ll be performing at the American Music Awards. This marks their first professionally filmed performance this era and their first award show performance since... well, the last AMAs, where they put on a stellar show. Current reports state that the band will be playing “Jumpsuit”, but I would not be at all surprised if they mashed it up or tried to do something clever and attention-grabbing. Whatever they play, seeing the boys back playing live will certainly do wonders for promoting Trench- and it will definitely make me happy.   

Other Shenanigans:

Oh, we’re still not done. Irish radio station Today FM aired an interview they held with Tyler back on the Complete Diversion media day. The interviewer is brilliant and asked a bunch of thoughtful questions that show that he’s done his homework and cares for the band and its fans. Highlights include:

Tyler says that he doesn’t want to talk too much about the “easter eggs” of the marketing campaign (probably referring to dmaorg.info) because he feels it might take away some of the punch.

Tyler shares some very wise words about being aware of the cyclical nature of mental health and self-improvement. He didn’t end the album with a definitive answer because he has recognized that, in our individual journeys, we regularly get sent back to Square 1 and then are left all the more discouraged because we feel the effort is futile. Tyler suggests that awareness that will happen in advance- and that we are all doing it together- will help us to get back to the place we fell from more quickly each time. 

Tyler says that it’s incredibly “heavy” to hear fans say they saved their lives, and that he’s tempted to brush it off rather than deal with that weight. However, they recognize that their platform has given them a responsibility to serve their audience.

When confronted by the possibility that folks wouldn’t like the new imagery, the band had to fall back and just do what they thought was cool. They were so relieved by how well the Complete Diversion show went and how receptive everyone was to them.

The band will absolutely be moving forward with this Trench story- it’s not done yet, not by a long shot.

Australian music site Music Feeds also published a text interview with the band that’s another must-read:

Tyler discusses how Trench is largely meant to represent the “space between spaces”. He was particularly feeling strange about leaving Blurryface to approach this new album, so he channeled that struggle with finding yourself in a liminal space into the music.

He’s hinted at it in the past, but I believe this is the first time Tyler bluntly says that Blurryface is Nicolas Bourbaki.

Tyler jokes that they filmed in Ukraine because the workers don’t take lunch breaks and it saved them money.

Tyler says that all of the songs on the album “completely destroyed him”, but says that “Legend” was the hardest of all because of the subject matter and how he was still developing it as his grandfather passed.

Josh is looking forward to playing “Morph” live because of how different the drum pattern is from their previous work.

Tyler’s still listening to a lot of Death Cab for Cutie, while Josh is mostly just listening to podcasts like Lore.

“You can’t touch a hole.”

Also, in case you missed the title image, the band made a cute joke about A Star Is Born, whose soundtrack is increasingly looking like it will knock Trench away from a #1 debut. Some Lady Gaga stans are mad about it, I guess, but come on, that picture is hilarious.

-

Listen. We’ve been here for a long time. You’ve done a lot of reading of my inane ramblings. I was going to sum up some of the early reviews for the album, but I think I’m going to save that for the next time. Hopefully I’ll be able to include the opinions of a certain Melon... Catch you Friday.

Power to the local dreamer.

|-/

[chaos-weekly]

ily2

“Do you have, like, a vendetta against romantic movies or something?” Faye groaned, collapsing into her seat. “You ruled out The Notebook, 10 Things I Hate About You, Safe Haven, and every other romantic movie in my arsenal. It’s like you’re trying to make picking a movie as miserable as possible.”

“I’m just not feeling any of those,” Seneca sighed. She wasn’t frustrated, her mind was just elsewhere. 

She’d made the decision to tell Faye about her s-xual as-ault tonight, no matter how much she wanted to avoid it. Someone in Miami needed to know. Faye was her best friend here, and she was going to be mad that Seneca hadn’t told her sooner. But she’d needed time to process everything. It wasn’t like she had gotten over it overnight. Her friends had rallied around her and helped her fight, pushed her to get help, and cried with her when she needed it. Unfortunately, that had been at school, and Seneca wasn’t at UPenn right now. In fact, she’d never be at UPenn again. She’d just graduated and was going to a new school, one where no one would know who she was or what she’d been through. She needed to practice telling people and building new support systems, or else starting law school would be just as emotionally damaging in that sense as being home was.

“Well, I’m just going to pick one for us, then. It’s not like we really watch them, anyway,” Faye said decidedly. She resumed her scrolling, eventually decided on Easy A. This was fine with Seneca, but it was more fine that she didn’t have to give her input. Romance felt dead to her this evening. 

They leaned back and started watching the movie in silence. Seneca was more invested in the popcorn, but Faye’s eyes were glued to the screen.

“You know, I’ve always wondered why she didn’t try to get with Mr. Griffith,” Faye mused, mouth full of M&M’s. “He’s just so hot, and if his wife was willing to have s-ex with a student, I don’t think he would’ve been too against it either.” Seneca’s chest tightened. 

“Yeah,” she replied weakly, taking a sip of her water to avoid talking more.

“I’ve always thought that the teacher-student dynamic would be so hot,” she continued. “He’d raise my grades for me, give me extra credit. And it’s so taboo. I need to find someone to roleplay that with me.” Faye looked at Seneca slyly.

“Do you ever roleplay that with Fox?” 

Seneca’s stomach was churning and she thought she was going to be sick. She could normally manage Faye’s lack of people-reading skills, but tonight she was really struggling to. She swallowed hard and forced a look of disgust onto her face, masking her fear and discomfort.

“Ew, Faye, no. And even if we did, I wouldn’t tell you anyway.” 

“Dang, I was hoping for some tips. Now you’re going to have to practice with me instead.” Faye twisted in her seat to face Seneca with bright eyes. She patted her cheeks and took a breath, her flair for the dramatic showing through. 

“Right now?” Seneca said, her discomfort getting harder to hide.

“Duh. Stop being such a baby and do this with me.”

“Faye--”

“Now, you’re going to be my teacher. Say something like: ‘You’re doing bad in my class, you little slacker. You’re going to need to bring your grade up if you want to pass.’”

“Faye, I’m not doing this!” she exclaimed, her eyes watering. “I can’t, Faye. I really can’t.” Finally getting the hint, Faye frowned and paused the movie. 

“What’s up, Sen?” she said softly, leaning in to listen better. Seneca’s breathing was shaky and her stomach was in knots. She didn’t want to do this, but she had to. She had to. She couldn’t feel so alone in her hometown anymore.

“One of my college professors r-ped me, Faye,” she whispered, crying now. “My sophomore year. And no one believes me. Well, my friends at UPenn did, but I talked to campus police, the Department Head, other important people, and literally anyone I could manage to find that might somehow be able to help advocate for me, and no one believed me. He still teaches there-- I had to take another one of his classes to graduate.”

There was silence. Faye was processing this new information with wide eyes. Seneca could practically see the wheels turning in her head. 

“When?” she asked, breaking the silence after the longest minutes of Seneca’s life. “I know you said it, but when?”

“Two years ago.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Faye looked heartbroken with those fat crocodile tears rolling down her cheeks. It broke Seneca’s heart, too. 

“It hurt too much,” she admitted softly. “I was embarrassed and afraid and it just hurt. I’m sorry. You deserved to know when it happened.”

Faye shook her head, lip quivering as she threw her arms around Seneca, pulling her in for a tight hug. She could have sat like that forever. She didn’t know it was possible to feel so seen, loved, and understood in one hug, but she did. Faye didn’t have to say a word, but she could hear everything she was saying.

“You tell people when you’re ready, Seneca. I’m just grateful that you told me,” she said, still crying as she pulled away. “It doesn’t cut it, but I’m sorry about everything that happened and is still happening, and I’m sorry being home probably hurts like h-ll.” The last part of that only served to make Seneca sob harder. People didn’t get why being home hurt so badly. She was alone, stuck in a city where no one knew why she’d changed, just that she did, and called her boring and stuck up because of it. She was trapped in a home with a sister who hated her, parents who thought nothing bad could ever happen to their perfect daughter, and friends who called her brave and strong when all she felt was broken and weak. 

“I’m proud of you for sharing. I love you,” Faye finished, wiping a tear from her cheek.

“Thank you. I love you, too.”

“And I love girls’ nights! What movie are we watching?” Fox said loudly, bursting in and ruining their moment. 

“No,” Faye said firmly, stopping her brother in his tracks. “Out.”

“Come on, I only get to see Seneca during the summer and--,” he paused, taking in the scene in front of him. “Is everything okay? Why are you both crying?” Seneca wanted to hide her face, shrivel into a ball, sink into the floor. Something to make her fade from existence, or at least from Fox’s sight. She hadn’t told him yet, mostly because she knew he would be upset. She couldn’t deal with his fiery anger just yet.

“Just leave, Fox.”

“No. Why are you crying? Why is Seneca crying?”

“Out, now!”

“Why is Seneca crying?”

“I’m fine, Fox,” Seneca lied, choking on her words. “Please just leave.” He looked confused and upset, a dangerous combination of emotions, but he left without another word, muttering under his breath as he left.

“Men,” Faye muttered, shaking her head. Seneca managed a weak smile and Faye gave her one in return. 

“Thanks for listening, Faye,” she said, putting her whole heart into her words. “You’re the only one here that knows. I’d appreciate it if it could stay that way.”

“Of course,” she said. Seneca could tell her friend wanted to ask questions, but she refrained. She knew what kind of questions she would ask, and the answer was the same: It’s hard to tell people, and I’m not sure of how I’ll be able to handle their reactions.

“Let’s finish the movie,” Seneca suggested, settling back into her seat. “I actually really like Easy A.”

“Oh, so the movie I pick without your feedback is the one you like,” Faye snorted. “I see how it is. I’m never asking you to help me make a decision again, even if you are the better decision-maker out of the two of us.”

“If I’d known my input was so important, I would’ve put more effort in!”

“Would you?”

“Absolutely not.”

“That’s what I thought, thank you very much.”

“You know me so well.”

Faye smiled, looking over at her with a look that made Seneca feel warm.

“Of course. You’re my sister.”

///

When the movie finished, the two girls said they’d see each other in the morning, both knowing that Seneca couldn’t leave without going to see Fox. He’d been right earlier-- they really only got to see each other during the summers and wanted to make the most of their time together. 

His bedroom light was off, but she went in anyway. Seneca stripped down to her t-shirt and underwear before crawling into bed with him, slipping underneath the warm covers and waiting for him to shift to accommodate her. It didn’t take long. Fox became her big spoon in a matter of seconds, placing a kiss to the top of her head.

“I wasn’t sure if you’d come,” he murmured groggily. “It’s three in the morning.”

“Seems like a bad time to be driving home,” she whispered back, her fingers drawing circles on his arms.

“Are we going to talk about it?” he asked, slowly waking up. 

“Not tonight,” she said. “Another time.”

“I don’t like to see you cry, Seneca.”

“Just hold me, please.” She was aware she was crossing the fine line between summer hook-up and boyfriend, but she didn’t care, not right then. Because right then, the world was a little more clear. Fox was her cornerstone and the person she trusted most in the world. She loved him, she never stopped and might never stop. Things would be more confusing in the morning, but she’d let them be simple tonight.

“Okay,” he relented. “But I want you to tell me. Whenever you’re ready.”

“I will, Fox. I promise.” She twisted in his arms to capture his lips in a sweet, tender kiss. Their hookups had always been bordering relationship s-x, but this had hopped the fence.

They’d hop back over it in the morning.

“Tell me about work?” she asked, considering they were both a little more awake now. And he did, and she loved listening, wrapped in his arms in the middle of the night. He was almost established in Miami, but he wanted to start making connections in Chicago, then New York. 

“Chicago?” she asked, her heart beating a little faster.

“Yeah,” he replied. “It’s a big party city. But enough about me. You just graduated.”

“I did.” 

“I'm proud of you.” And he meant it, giving her a sweet kiss in affirmation. “Where are you going to law school?”

“I’ve been accepted to a few places, but I haven’t committed anywhere yet. I’ve got a few more weeks to decide.” She yawned, curling further into his chest.

“Let me know when you do, sleepyhead.”

“I will, Fox.”

“Good, Seneca.”

She closed her eyes with a smile on her face, letting her tiny little lie fade into the night. 

Seneca had been accepted into Harvard, Yale, NYU, Georgetown, and about ten other of the nation’s top law schools. And while she hadn’t accepted her admission into any school yet, she knew where she was going. She just decided.

In the fall, Seneca was going to the University of Chicago. It was really the only option that made sense.

[betweenorbits]

I’d always imagined it would be uplifting, that I’d be standing with friends and a planet at my back or behind some great captain: watching Intel or Zara or John or Amelie dress down the ignoble while I protected them from the hidden assault. Or that it would just happen naturally, without any serious issues. But they were all so far, well, not all of them. But I was standing there. Amelie had agreed, Invel had agreed, and Jimmy and Term. Brutus, well, I don’t understand what Jimmy (Mayor and Mayor’s Wife to you) and our bubble Term did, but Brutus sent the code. I was informed, not particularly politely, that it wasn’t my problem to get Brutus’ consent, that the two Silicate Generals would take care of it. And they did. Amelie had sent her code to me as a physical as a letter apparently, and Invel had sent a proxy, but I’m not ready to talk about that, I couldn’t let myself think about what it meant. But I had the codes, I would push the button.

The IPC council chamber, deep under the rocks of Luna City (Hubble City officially), was grandiose Brutalist trash, high stands of carved concentric layers, full of lights and chamberlains, councilors, Xorp executives, and elected officials from all across the solar system. The beautiful diversity of the Solar System was incredible, but the balance was sliding back towards mercantilist aggrandizement at a scale that worried the future. And for some reason, a large fraction of them in this room, were conspiring against Mars. 

The rallying point of Expansionist policies, Mars, was putting a cramp on the designs of Xorp and autocratic government asset creation. Not every Executive, but any Executive. We had friends in many of the national governments of Terra, but not too many, who were still overly concerned with their own citizens, because of centuries of ecological and economic (they were still taught separately) mismanagement. The Loonies were our friends, but largely fractured and concerned with their Barrio politics. The isolated communities of the O’Neills and Asteroids, and the small Jovian research communities supported us as the same ‘oppressed’ peoples, but they were beholden to the same capital rich Xorps or governments that put up the money for the original settlements. And, many of the Xorps saw benefit to the tapestry of humanity, or some of their top executive felt that way. 

It was difficult to piece apart the competing goals of these chambers, in Geneva (where the UN relocated), and here in Luna City; but the statistical nature of our work clearly meant only one thing: a cabal not in our favor. We had known so long ago it could happen, and had fought for balance, had fought for patience, had cajoled, tricked, traded, and made alliances that protected our rights, and in general making sure that life improved for the settlers and citizens of the Red Planet. But what about all peoples? What about our Silicate friends, when would they have a seat at the table? Would humanity always choose the xenophobic path where the game was setup to make a formless and changing ‘us’ the first priority. It had happened so often in our ‘glorious’ history. 

Would our governing bodies always be designed for that centrism that Invel and I, in particular, had spent our lives fighting against? Someday we would go further afield, after those probes sent back their data from Centauri’s planets, or when we reached the next system or the next; somewhere we would find others out in the stars, and would humanity greet them as people or as ‘them.’ If the treatment of Silicates was indication, the current trajectory was poor. This is what Jimmy left the limelight for, to ‘hide’ out of sight and make a place of their own. The silicates wanted to be ready, and Jimmy and Term and other bio-metal brains I didn’t know were ready for their voices to be heard. We fought for ‘people’ everywhere, for every shape, every governance, every strand of dna, or line of code, for values that ignored species or race or orientation, the belief that we were an ‘all’ even when we are wildly different. 

But still, I sat in a painfully uncomfortable chair—wood if you can believe it, since no expense was spared for the delegates—watching my favorite clock system in the solar system. Up high ticked the atomic counters, the system timing array headquartered here on Luna, but Solar Coordinate time was taken from all the primary standard clocks in the system. Fifteen gorgeous clocks, of three different standards were mixed for uncertainty and then beamed out to the waiting billions. The old standards: ytterbium and strontium optical ran in Paris and Boulder for historical reasons; but the gorgeous new thorium nuclear fountains that graced Mercury, the Solar standards Labs liberating at the Earth-Moon-Sun L5 lab, two Venusian O’Neill’s, and at the Mars Technical University were the primary standards fed here, and mixed for output, were the real clocks of humanity, showing a staggering system wide fractional uncertainty of 10^(-26)! I tried to read the papers that came out, but alas, the freedom of information from Terra on such matters was just as poor as when I left grad school. The council chamber had a direct feed, 90 km or so of cable, which went to the Standards Lab on the Imperial Campus. Kept running on directly was System Standard time, and from it was calculated the official times all around the Solar System, lovingly displayed on brass handed clocks, with bold-type font under each movement; they showed the time in Denver (the North American Union’s new capital), Geneva, Pearl City, Hubble City (all of Luna kept the same time since it was all underground anyway), New Greenwich on Mercury, and Burroughs on Mars (our first city). The second was the same, everywhere, and I watched them tick by, not listening to the debate, waiting for the dramatic moment. 

I would start talking before it kicked off, in order to not be interrupted by the beeps and chimes of phones, communicators, across the chamber; but John would just tell me I was being dramatic again—probably true as well. Melody was with the underground at this moment, probably in her office, telling the teams where to go, readying the cry. Jarvis was sitting next to me, a wonderful boy. He is a young thirty-nine, the elder statesman of the mission here; a genius, the star student of the Applied Political department back on Mars—devious, honest to a fault, and ambitious. He was here to watch, as I’d told him it would all kick off here, the reactions in the chamber because I would be too busy not fucking up my lines. He invited the newspeople too, at least the ones that we we thought should definitely be there. I’m sure every consular staff knew that we had asked them to come too, there are no secrets from these people, it is their job. Normally there wouldn’t be stereo reporters, the top political career ones, at a regular meeting of the IPC where the agenda was tariffing amongst the Voyageur—the spacemen, sky jockeys, traders, void-caravaneers, smugglers, whatever you’d like to call them—on multi-legged trips. More and more looks, I’d noticed, or Jarvis told me later, that people kept looking at the two of us, dressed in our finery, knowing something was happening. 

The Xorps: Tharis and Vensus Conglom, and the rest, had smug, assured politicians here in the chamber. They were cooking up something terrible, and John’s discovery was surely connected. Invel’s proxy mentioned something about it as well, but the key thing was that the Xorps had convinced the major governments back on Earth that something needed to change to keep the Red Planet in line. The only way to stop it, well, was to change the timeline, to do the thing that I had promised the whole solar system, that we wouldn’t have: a war. 

And I’d talked with Mayor, Term, and the whole crew, and I was going to break my promise to Invel: I was going to go too far. I would go too far because, because if we didn’t, it would all disintegrate. I close my eyes, willing this all to be a dream, the choking, gagging feeling climbing up my throat, the feeling and the reality dancing in my chest, my heart sounding too fast; but the mind reminds, with emotions, visions, memories and pain, that this terror and this moment was what I had wanted. I had been ready for 30 years. 

I put my hands on the table and thought, two minutes till zebra hour, time to make hay. My feet were rooted in the soft rock, sweating in their thin socks and soft-shell coverings with modern gore-tex stickies to keep me from floating off around corners at 1/6 g. Both hands pressed into the desk, the w-shaped veins and arteries, and dark aged spots on my hands reminding me of my grandfather or perhaps because I wore his ring, my wedding ring, today of all days. And, I pushed myself to my feet, not too hard that I shot out of my seat and ended at the roof, which had happened to high-grav newbie representatives in this chamber. Across the oval, a representative from Venus was speaking, I don’t know about what, but sye stopped in mid-sentence when I stood. The chair, a quiet, ferocious young person from Pearl City, looked over at me and asked, “Do you have something to add to this discussion Ambassador Miller?” 

“I do your honor, and I would appreciate it no one would interrupt me for the next two minutes, I trust you will understand why,” I said, and took two deep breaths, and had I been a believer, I would have sent off a prayer to any deity that would hear me. I noticed, Mallory Padwr, the great political analyst slap her camera person, telling him to focus on me carefully, her eyes alight with what she would assume would be something weighty. I’d always liked her, so sharp, I wish she had been from Mars. “I wish to briefly address you: honored delegates, friends, foes, citizens of Sol, organic, bionic, and semi-conductor alike, and especially my friends from Mars. It is a lifetime’s achievement that I stand here before you today. It has been my eternal honor to serve you all, in whatever capacity you will have me. This council was founded with so many hopes, a new way to solve humanity’s oldest problems: rewarding endeavor, legislating anger and fear, legislating the distribution of the power that the creativity and drive of so many individuals to the great mass of our citizens who share the light of this small, yellow star. This has always been difficult, in any scheme humanity has tried, and in some ways this has been a startling success; but in others, we have failed once more. Once more we stand looking at a future where the gulf between those that have and those that do not is widening. Once more, we seek to classify different echelons of humanity, making wealth or genetics or cellular structure the basis for moral or political worth. Once more, the wolves in our hearts have marshalled the might to impress their own will over those of other thinking beings. Once more, the powerful seek to utilize law as justification for the unacceptable oppression of those who dissent.

“I have spent my life dedicated to the belief that war is a state of lawlessness in the human condition, that war is the complete opposite of civilization. Each election, debate, discussion, or side I have taken has been to further and not to diminish civilization; further that it is the role of each individual to expand the thoughts and rights of their fellows, and it is the responsibility and honor of officials such as ourselves to be the custodians of the fraternity of empathy, civilization. Your honors, I find this council lacking.” 

Throughout the beginning of the speech, there was a hush, and then a murmuring, the crossing of eyebrows and the shaking of heads. Several key players looked on apparently impassively, but they were the architects of the current fracas, and their surprise was a re-evaluation of the scheme. I smiled to myself as I imagined how their thoughts would change over the next few minutes. By the end of my breather, delegates were talking loudly with their colleagues, with chattering punctuations of ‘crazy’ and ‘what on earth is he talking about?’ and my personal favorite ‘uppity miner.’

“Chair, do we have to listen to this nonsense?!”

The chair agreed, “Dr Miller, while I much appreciate your prosaic style, I must agree that if you only have a few half-hearted injuries to spew at this council, that I will be forced to find you in contempt and ask you to sit down and reconsider wasting our time,” said the delicately worded steel-eyed promises of the chair. 

“Please, please, I’ve not lost my marbles colleagues, I’m still the same practical and demanding opponent or comrade as you are used to, so let me give you some facts, and then I will allow you or the press to ask me questions.”

The chair said dryly, “I’m not sure the press should be allowed to ask questions inside a legislative proceeding, it sets a bad precedent; however, we can of course grant you two more minutes for your remarks.”

I bowed briefly, “Thank you Chair.” 

I straightened up. “The facts: Mars has been the joint colonial holding of several Terran nations, under the charter of operation of Tharsis Mining, Infinity Xorp, and several others; and under the protection of the IPC. We have been granted delegates to this council due to our population, but never full autonomous control over rules of commerce, emigration, taxation, or the like of our space. Our outstanding commercial success for our corporate masters not-withstanding, the freedom of the peoples of Mars been a subject long-overdue, and much derided for the last thirty years by this council and those like it. The people of Mars, in conjunction with other marginalized peoples of this Solar System thus declare their severance with this council, declare themselves free of political or economic association with any entity that believes it owns or directs choices without the expressed opinion, through election by the people, and declares our debts paid. The people of Mars ask that representatives of the relevant parties make themselves available for discussion about the roles that their organizations would care to play within the Martian sphere of influence in the future, but rest assured that it will not be in the form of governance. All infrastructure vital to the survival and livelihood of the Martian People will be retained by the Martian people as part of the same statement of Independence.

“Any resistance will be viewed as an aggressive act, and these oppressed people shall not be caught defenseless. The nascent Republic of Mars will deport all Peacekeeping Forces of the IPC, except those that wish to join the Republic as citizens, and will defend its right to Independence with every fiber of being at our disposal.

“As of, let’s see, six minutes ago, to protect these rights, an interdict has been placed on travel between the inner planets, including Luna, and the outer planets and stations until a new accord has been ratified by all relevant authorities. Any craft seeking to break this interdict will be viewed as an act of war against the people of Mars, and will be treated as a hostile force, except where sanctioned by the Republic. Does anyone have any questions?”

Suffice to say that many people clamored to be heard at once. I stayed standing, though my legs shook under the strain. The large council doors opened, and in them stood a stone man, several other silicates, and a healthy, exhilarated, but messy Melody and some of her apparent group of revolutionaries. The council could not help but notice that all of the menacing shadows in their door were armed. A hush fell over the chattering children as the image of a silicate holding a gun, the stillness of resolve painted on the faces of the revolutionaries at their door. And then, General Mayor spoke: “The interdict has been enforced on the Port, and our forces are deployed and ready to maintain protection on the craft aiming for the gates.” 

“Thank you General, was there any resistance,” I asked quietly, listening to the audaciously silent council chamber, with every eye and lens on the ancient Silicate form, an anger from the crowd turned to chill foreboding at the clinical descriptions from the non-human person.

“Yes, but there seem to be few casualties at this moment. The majority of the capital ships are in orbit, and we have hailed them and will discuss their surrender. We are waiting to hear back from the other system targets. We expect to maintain Republic victory of any engagements with 96% likelihood, though we expect hostile casualties as the chance of immediate surrender seems, unlikely.” 

  “General, I would appreciate it if you would also answer any questions that the councilors or the press has for you, would you join me?”

“I’d be honored to Mister Miller. Long Live the free republics of Sol!” and with that, my friend Jimmy walked across the hall towards me as tears rolled down my old and tired face.

[lauramalchowblog]

Lasting Lessons From Health Care’s ‘Money Back Guarantee’ Experiment

Ceci Connolly

Matt DoBias

By CECI CONNOLLY and MATT DOBIAS

When it comes to money back guarantees in health care, it’s often less about the money and more about the guarantee.

That’s the biggest takeaway shared by two organizations—Geisinger Health System and Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin (GHCSCW)—that separately rolled out closely-watched campaigns to refund patients their out-of-pocket costs for health care experiences that fell short of expectations.

Both programs started as a way to inject a basic level of consumerism into a process long bereft of one. In fact, as consumer frustration over medical costs rise, a money back guarantee has the potential to win back a dissatisfied public.

But like many experiments in health care, the effort produced some unexpected results as well. Instead of a rush on refunds, executives from both systems said their money-back pledge served even better as a continuous-improvement tool, with patients providing almost instantaneous feedback to staff who felt newly empowered to address problems.

Call it a welcomed surprise for executives who saw the value in providing a guarantee between patients and the clinicians who treat them, and medical and legal staff who were at first leery of the idea before gradually warming to it.

“People just want an avenue to give us advice,” said Allan Wearing, chief insurance services officer at GHCSCW. “What members want is an ability to tell you in an easy way that their experience was not the best and [the system] needs to fix what’s wrong.”

“We’re doing it.”

Both Geisinger and GHCSCW are sharing what they’ve learned with an industry that is seen as overtly protective of every dollar that flows in-and-out of their systems, and that guards against federal and state policies that may reduce revenue.

In 2015, Geisinger debuted its ProvenExperience program under then-Chief Executive David Feinberg in a very public way—in front of 500 executives at a client conference hosted by surveying giant Press Ganey. For many procedures, a patient can simply tap on the Geisinger app and receive a refund of anywhere from $1 to the full out-of-pocket charge—no questions asked.

“In the beginning, I talked to other health system CEOs and industry leaders about ProvenExperience and they all said, ‘Don’t do it.’ I felt really dejected,” Feinberg, who is now an executive with Google Health, said at the time. “Then I thought about Kodak executives discussing digital photography. And Blockbuster talking about online video options. Were they also told ‘Don’t do it?’ That’s when I said to myself, we’re doing it.”

A few years later, after seeing Feinberg present at the Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP), GHCSCW unveiled its own Experience Guarantee, which was patterned after Geisinger’s but with its own local spin.

“It was clear to us that healthcare has become deaf to the voice of the consumer,” GHCSCW President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Huth said. “Patients have complaints about delays, poor communication, dropped balls, and the response is ‘Oh, sorry. That happens sometimes.’ You would never tolerate that in your favorite coffee shop or restaurant—they would make it right or refund your money.”

Huth added: “We knew we had to be better. We had to give patients a voice and we had to have financial skin in the game.”

Most complaints, Wearing said, focus on communication lapses. Perhaps a patient waited 30 minutes for a physician who never showed, or frontline staff miscommunicated the timing of an appointment. Medical errors, for instance, are not included in the guarantees, and both Geisinger and GHCSCW have implemented policies that protect against patient-gaming. Available refunds typically reflect what the patient would have paid out of pocket.

Unlike other quality reporting mechanisms, feedback is immediate. Complaints go to unit managers and ultimately land on the desk of Chief Executive Mark Huth, a physician himself. Staff have two days to address the issue.

Refunds total less than 0.02 percent of revenue

Geisinger and GHCSCW share some of the same DNA—both integrate the health plan with care delivery for a coordinated approach with aligned financial incentives. And both are rooted in their communities with long histories of patient-centered care. So it’s not surprising that both organizations shared similar results, including that the number of actual refund requests per patient encounter is low, as is the average refunded amount.

At Geisinger, about 30 to 50 patients each month request a refund. For perspective, Geisinger counts about 1.7 million outpatient visits per year. Simply by sheer size and scale Geisinger’s numbers are higher than GHCSCW. Through 2018, Geisinger has provided refunds of more than $585,000, or less than 0.02 percent based on systemwide revenue of about $3.3 billion, according to its audited 2019 financial statements. It’s also telling that Geisinger consistently ranks in the Top 10 percent in Press Ganey patient experience scores.

At GHCSCW, 255 total refund submissions were made over a one-year period, from September 2018 to September 2019, which breaks down to about 1 in 1,000 patient encounters. GHCSCW, largely centered around Madison, Wis., provides specialty and primary care to about 80,000 members. The average refund was $46.02, which is in line with the average copay. All told, GHCSCW has refunded patients about $5,000 since the program’s launch in 2018, or roughly about 0.5 percent of money collected through copays and other out-of-pocket costs.

Importantly, Geisinger and GHCSCW launched these programs at a time when public outcry over health care costs is rising. Americans continue to cite concerns over the cost of care even as elected officials and policy makers at the federal and state level are at odds on how to tame rising costs.

While health care costs continue to be top of mind, the quality of care patients receive tracks a close second. Increasingly health plans and provider groups are putting a premium on patient experience measures, which can now count as much as 25 percent of a physician’s overall performance score.

An opportunity for near real-time feedback

“What started as ‘skin in the game’ has become a rallying cry,” Huth said. “We believe so much in our ability to provide an exceptional patient experience that we offer an Experience Guarantee.  It has really united our staff.”

While the process to stand up money-back guarantee programs is not painless, the resulting data should allay  concerns typically raised by chief financial officers, physician leaders and compliance executives who may worry about  promoting a program that can  impact the  bottom line.

“The whole process is one of learning,” Burke said. “We’re trying to get everyone on board to see things through the patient’s eyes. The refund, more or less, is just putting some skin in the game.”

Four key lessons to keep front-and-center when offering a money-back guarantee

Buy-in from top executives is key. The impetus to move forward at both GHCSCW and Geisinger was driven by the top bosses themselves. In Geisinger’s case, the program remained even after Feinberg’s exit. Executive leadership is critical to keep momentum from lapsing. Dr. Jaewon Ryu, Geisinger’s former chief medical officer who was named the system’s new chief executive in 2019, touted the program in an interview with Modern Healthcare. “We’ve heard tremendous feedback,” he said, adding that it “changes culture because now all of a sudden you’ve put a guarantee out there, and I think the staff are all laser-focused on making sure that the experience is a good one.”

Expect pushback from all the usual places. At GHCSCW, leaders had to overcome concerns from physicians, financial officers and, expectedly, compliance. “We spent months trying to get terms and conditions right,” Wearing said.

Put an experienced project manager on the job. The idea of a money-back guarantee in health care is novel enough. Successfully anticipating what it would actually mean in practice proved even more daunting. The team at GHCSCW identified 84 items on its project task list that it had to work through before it could launch its program.

Technology can be revealing. GHCSCW created its MySmartCare app, which serves as a portal for members to file and process complaints. “On that app it says, if there’s something with your experience at GHCSCW, just tap the app and tell us what your issue was,” Wearing said. The key: When someone files an issue, it goes to GHCSCW’s member services and—importantly—is seen by Huth, the CEO, and other senior leaders. Member services has two days to report back how the issue was resolved.

Where to next?

Since the launch of these consumer-friendly programs, few other health systems have followed suit in such high-profile ways. But that could change, especially as health plans begin to warm to more tools designed with the consumer in mind, such as cost-estimator applications that make spending more predictable and “shoppable.”

Both Geisinger and GHCSCW say that the goodwill and trust built among plan members—and the public broadly—outweigh what they returned in monetary refunds. That, too, could begin to tip the competitive advantage to those organizations that follow a similar path, providing a keen differentiator in the market.

Standing up a money-back guarantee has its challenges, but with a clear nod to making health care more consumer-friendly, it may be worth the risk.

Ceci Connolly is president and CEO of the nonprofit Alliance of Community Health Plans, a national consortium of 25 nonprofit health organizations, and a former national health correspondent for The Washington Post.

Matt DoBias is Associate Director, External Affairs of ACHP and a former health care reporter for Politico and Modern Healthcare.

The post Lasting Lessons From Health Care’s ‘Money Back Guarantee’ Experiment appeared first on The Health Care Blog.

Lasting Lessons From Health Care’s ‘Money Back Guarantee’ Experiment published first on https://venabeahan.tumblr.com

[kristinsimmons]

Lasting Lessons From Health Care’s ‘Money Back Guarantee’ Experiment

Ceci Connolly

Matt DoBias

By CECI CONNOLLY and MATT DOBIAS

When it comes to money back guarantees in health care, it’s often less about the money and more about the guarantee.

That’s the biggest takeaway shared by two organizations—Geisinger Health System and Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin (GHCSCW)—that separately rolled out closely-watched campaigns to refund patients their out-of-pocket costs for health care experiences that fell short of expectations.

Both programs started as a way to inject a basic level of consumerism into a process long bereft of one. In fact, as consumer frustration over medical costs rise, a money back guarantee has the potential to win back a dissatisfied public.

But like many experiments in health care, the effort produced some unexpected results as well. Instead of a rush on refunds, executives from both systems said their money-back pledge served even better as a continuous-improvement tool, with patients providing almost instantaneous feedback to staff who felt newly empowered to address problems.

Call it a welcomed surprise for executives who saw the value in providing a guarantee between patients and the clinicians who treat them, and medical and legal staff who were at first leery of the idea before gradually warming to it.

“People just want an avenue to give us advice,” said Allan Wearing, chief insurance services officer at GHCSCW. “What members want is an ability to tell you in an easy way that their experience was not the best and [the system] needs to fix what’s wrong.”

“We’re doing it.”

Both Geisinger and GHCSCW are sharing what they’ve learned with an industry that is seen as overtly protective of every dollar that flows in-and-out of their systems, and that guards against federal and state policies that may reduce revenue.

In 2015, Geisinger debuted its ProvenExperience program under then-Chief Executive David Feinberg in a very public way—in front of 500 executives at a client conference hosted by surveying giant Press Ganey. For many procedures, a patient can simply tap on the Geisinger app and receive a refund of anywhere from $1 to the full out-of-pocket charge—no questions asked.

“In the beginning, I talked to other health system CEOs and industry leaders about ProvenExperience and they all said, ‘Don’t do it.’ I felt really dejected,” Feinberg, who is now an executive with Google Health, said at the time. “Then I thought about Kodak executives discussing digital photography. And Blockbuster talking about online video options. Were they also told ‘Don’t do it?’ That’s when I said to myself, we’re doing it.”

A few years later, after seeing Feinberg present at the Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP), GHCSCW unveiled its own Experience Guarantee, which was patterned after Geisinger’s but with its own local spin.

“It was clear to us that healthcare has become deaf to the voice of the consumer,” GHCSCW President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Huth said. “Patients have complaints about delays, poor communication, dropped balls, and the response is ‘Oh, sorry. That happens sometimes.’ You would never tolerate that in your favorite coffee shop or restaurant—they would make it right or refund your money.”

Huth added: “We knew we had to be better. We had to give patients a voice and we had to have financial skin in the game.”

Most complaints, Wearing said, focus on communication lapses. Perhaps a patient waited 30 minutes for a physician who never showed, or frontline staff miscommunicated the timing of an appointment. Medical errors, for instance, are not included in the guarantees, and both Geisinger and GHCSCW have implemented policies that protect against patient-gaming. Available refunds typically reflect what the patient would have paid out of pocket.

Unlike other quality reporting mechanisms, feedback is immediate. Complaints go to unit managers and ultimately land on the desk of Chief Executive Mark Huth, a physician himself. Staff have two days to address the issue.

Refunds total less than 0.02 percent of revenue

Geisinger and GHCSCW share some of the same DNA—both integrate the health plan with care delivery for a coordinated approach with aligned financial incentives. And both are rooted in their communities with long histories of patient-centered care. So it’s not surprising that both organizations shared similar results, including that the number of actual refund requests per patient encounter is low, as is the average refunded amount.

At Geisinger, about 30 to 50 patients each month request a refund. For perspective, Geisinger counts about 1.7 million outpatient visits per year. Simply by sheer size and scale Geisinger’s numbers are higher than GHCSCW. Through 2018, Geisinger has provided refunds of more than $585,000, or less than 0.02 percent based on systemwide revenue of about $3.3 billion, according to its audited 2019 financial statements. It’s also telling that Geisinger consistently ranks in the Top 10 percent in Press Ganey patient experience scores.

At GHCSCW, 255 total refund submissions were made over a one-year period, from September 2018 to September 2019, which breaks down to about 1 in 1,000 patient encounters. GHCSCW, largely centered around Madison, Wis., provides specialty and primary care to about 80,000 members. The average refund was $46.02, which is in line with the average copay. All told, GHCSCW has refunded patients about $5,000 since the program’s launch in 2018, or roughly about 0.5 percent of money collected through copays and other out-of-pocket costs.

Importantly, Geisinger and GHCSCW launched these programs at a time when public outcry over health care costs is rising. Americans continue to cite concerns over the cost of care even as elected officials and policy makers at the federal and state level are at odds on how to tame rising costs.

While health care costs continue to be top of mind, the quality of care patients receive tracks a close second. Increasingly health plans and provider groups are putting a premium on patient experience measures, which can now count as much as 25 percent of a physician’s overall performance score.

An opportunity for near real-time feedback

“What started as ‘skin in the game’ has become a rallying cry,” Huth said. “We believe so much in our ability to provide an exceptional patient experience that we offer an Experience Guarantee.  It has really united our staff.”

While the process to stand up money-back guarantee programs is not painless, the resulting data should allay  concerns typically raised by chief financial officers, physician leaders and compliance executives who may worry about  promoting a program that can  impact the  bottom line.

“The whole process is one of learning,” Burke said. “We’re trying to get everyone on board to see things through the patient’s eyes. The refund, more or less, is just putting some skin in the game.”

Four key lessons to keep front-and-center when offering a money-back guarantee

Buy-in from top executives is key. The impetus to move forward at both GHCSCW and Geisinger was driven by the top bosses themselves. In Geisinger’s case, the program remained even after Feinberg’s exit. Executive leadership is critical to keep momentum from lapsing. Dr. Jaewon Ryu, Geisinger’s former chief medical officer who was named the system’s new chief executive in 2019, touted the program in an interview with Modern Healthcare. “We’ve heard tremendous feedback,” he said, adding that it “changes culture because now all of a sudden you’ve put a guarantee out there, and I think the staff are all laser-focused on making sure that the experience is a good one.”

Expect pushback from all the usual places. At GHCSCW, leaders had to overcome concerns from physicians, financial officers and, expectedly, compliance. “We spent months trying to get terms and conditions right,” Wearing said.

Put an experienced project manager on the job. The idea of a money-back guarantee in health care is novel enough. Successfully anticipating what it would actually mean in practice proved even more daunting. The team at GHCSCW identified 84 items on its project task list that it had to work through before it could launch its program.

Technology can be revealing. GHCSCW created its MySmartCare app, which serves as a portal for members to file and process complaints. “On that app it says, if there’s something with your experience at GHCSCW, just tap the app and tell us what your issue was,” Wearing said. The key: When someone files an issue, it goes to GHCSCW’s member services and—importantly—is seen by Huth, the CEO, and other senior leaders. Member services has two days to report back how the issue was resolved.

Where to next?

Since the launch of these consumer-friendly programs, few other health systems have followed suit in such high-profile ways. But that could change, especially as health plans begin to warm to more tools designed with the consumer in mind, such as cost-estimator applications that make spending more predictable and “shoppable.”

Both Geisinger and GHCSCW say that the goodwill and trust built among plan members—and the public broadly—outweigh what they returned in monetary refunds. That, too, could begin to tip the competitive advantage to those organizations that follow a similar path, providing a keen differentiator in the market.

Standing up a money-back guarantee has its challenges, but with a clear nod to making health care more consumer-friendly, it may be worth the risk.

Ceci Connolly is president and CEO of the nonprofit Alliance of Community Health Plans, a national consortium of 25 nonprofit health organizations, and a former national health correspondent for The Washington Post.

Matt DoBias is Associate Director, External Affairs of ACHP and a former health care reporter for Politico and Modern Healthcare.

The post Lasting Lessons From Health Care’s ‘Money Back Guarantee’ Experiment appeared first on The Health Care Blog.

Lasting Lessons From Health Care’s ‘Money Back Guarantee’ Experiment published first on https://wittooth.tumblr.com/

[frankys-playlist]

Story of the Year - Wolves (2017) Track by track

Some of Frontman Dan Marsala’s most personal lyrics about love, life struggles and parenthood/family-life

2. How Can We Go On There’s a theme of hopelessness I felt when listening to this and there’s a line that stood out to me the most: “We say that we’re alive but all I see are empty coffins calling out our names.” Usually 90 percent of the time Ryan writes all the demo of the music and sends them to me. Then I write the vocals and send them back. This song was the only one where I actually wrote and recorded everything. So it’s pretty much my song and it’s the wildcard of the record. It made sense for it to go first because we wanted to open up with something kickass and uptempo. Lyrically a lot of the record is about my personal life and stuff I went through, a lot of it relates to the band and how that has changed over the years. How our lives changed completely from being a huge band, to going away and being on hiatus and trying to adapt to the normal world. I think this song relates more to the band’s side. How can we go on? Should we even continue with this thing that we love so much? Is it worth it? I mean it can relate to a million different things but that was my mindset. “All I see are empty coffins” was just seeing all the negatives of the future or whatever you’re trying to accomplish.

3. Bang Bang This is the perfect title for this song, because I can already see people singing the hook at concerts! I’m sure it had to be a good time recording it in the studio. That was the first one we finished and the early version ended up being the same as the album version. We were going to release it a year before this record. But we decided we weren’t far enough long and didn’t want to put one song out. It was the first one where we were like, “Yes this is Story of the Year. This is where we need to be.” It has everything: it’s heavy, has a thumping beat, catchy chorus and still badass. The lyrics just flew right out. It kind of just happened and we said, “Cool, that’s the comeback!”

4. Youth When I first heard this, it gave me a national anthem vibe. It’s like a rally cry for well, the youth. Ryan is an amazing guitar player and he loves to shred all the time. But there was a lack of shredding on this record because we were trying to make more anthemic songs that would be more about lyrics than just guitars. I think he felt there was a lack of some of that and told us, “Hey I wrote this cool thing and I don’t know if everyone is gonna hate it. If it sucks it’s whatever but I think it can go into ‘I Swear I’m Okay’ really good.” It’s kind of like “Eruption” by Van Halen or something. It’s a solo on a record for no reason. But like I said it was a time where we can do whatever we want and it doesn’t matter if you put a minute-long guitar solo in a song. Who cares? It’s art. It’s fun and definitely sets the stage for the next song.

5. I Swear I’m Okay Well speaking of lyrics, I think this song is one of the more personal ones on the record. It stands out to me the most because it’s so melodic and tender compared to the other ones. We knew that one was going to be different and a stand out to the other songs from the early stages. As soon as he sent the music over, the chorus just came out of me. It’s definitely one of the deeper lyrical songs on the record. It’s about growing up and becoming a different person that what you thought you would be—whether or not that’s good or bad. Or hiding the fact that maybe things aren’t okay and maybe I’m not as happy as I lead myself on to be. It’s more of a letter to a person telling them you’re sorry for the way you are. It’s probably my favorite on the record. It’s uncomfortable to talk about.

6. Miracle When I heard this song I immediately thought of the Page Avenue and In the Wake of Determination days. It reminds me of old SOTY but more grown up. It’s definitely one of my favorite songs on the album.

Yeah me too. That one was not one of the easy ones. I wrote three or four choruses for it and had different versions floating around. With that opening riff, Ryan was like “is that too Anberlin for us?” They’re one of our best touring friends of all time. So it’s kind of like an homage and it’s f-cking awesome. It ended up being one of our favorite songs but it was a lot of work to get it there. I think it might end up being a single, but I don’t know how any of that works anymore [laughs].

7. Can Anybody Hear Me? When I heard this song, the first thing I said was “Wow, this production is beautiful.” But that’s something you don’t associate with Story of the Year. You usually think post-hardcore. But this reminds me of something Coldplay would do.

Yeah it’s a good theme. It’s just a song about feeling alone and wondering if you’re connecting with anybody or if anybody cares at all. It’s a hopeful-sounding song but I guess it’s very negative in a way. Everybody feels alone at some point and I think it’s a good one that people can connect to on a lot of different levels. We weren’t scared to get weird like that and try stuff that doesn’t sound like Story of the Year, and that was one example for sure.

8. A Part of Me This production is a lot bolder compared to the other songs. It reminds me of a twisted love story, which I thought was cool.

First off, I want to shout out Aaron Sprinkle who did almost 80 percent of the production on our record and just killed it! He added such a great vibe to all these songs than if we went to another producer. “A Part of Me” is actually a letter to my son. 

Wow I would’ve never guessed that! 

Yeah it’s a big metaphor. Any of the more lovey-dovey songs are more about parenthood and children than about conventional love songs. But I didn’t necessarily want this to be obvious and wanted people to connect with it however they want. It’s just being thankful that this life has some into your life and how amazing that is. It’s definitely one of my favorites on the record lyrically. It was one of the first ones I wrote as well, and I was like “Man I’m not afraid to get sentimental and deep about my life right now.” That was a good feeling and opened up the floodgates for the rest of the record.

9. Give Up My Heart With every album someone puts out, you always have that one sappy song. And this is it! Was it about you becoming a dad for the first time? It was about my second child. I had written “A Part of Me” and I have a daughter as well. So I said this one would be more about that. But it’s a similar idea lyrically. It’s about being scared of how much you can love someone and how crazy that feeling is. Just freaking out and saying, “Oh my god, don’t make me feel this way. There’s no way I can love something this much.” It tried to make it metaphorical and weird enough where it still has a creepy vibe. It should be in a movie trailer or something, with the big drums and the chorus. It’s just a cool song all around.

10. The Eternal Battle For Mike Cronin’s Soul (To Be Alive Again) Of course everyone is going to be asking who the hell Mike Cronin is!

We crowd-funded the record and one of the pledge things was that you can have a song named after you. A man named Mike Cronin was the one who purchased that. He also bought a studio visit too, so he came in and got to hang out with us. That song is one of the more upbeat and heavy ones. You obviously can’t name a love song that, or something sentimental and slow. So I said, “what if we make it kind of silly?” We didn’t tell him at all [laughs]! It’s one of those classic Story of the Year songs that kicks ass. It’s about falling in love with music, living that dream and not wanting it to go away.

11. My Home This is a hodge-podge of different sounds. You have the chants in the beginning, those blippy synths and then the piano melody. When you put a bunch of different sounds together, it doesn’t really work. But this one definitely does.

It was one of the last ones we wrote and we weren’t sure if we liked it or not. We had over 30 demos for this record and Aaron Sprinkle came in and picked the ones for it. And they were pretty much the same songs we were going for. The bridge is my favorite part of the whole song. It was the last thing I wrote for the record and it takes the song to a whole different level.

This probably sounds so strange. But if you strip down the drum pattern of the song, it kind of mimics a tropical pop beat. I feel like if you took that and gave it to someone like Justin Bieber, it could become a pop song!

Yeah the kick drum goes four on the floor for the whole song. It’s definitely the poppiest song of the record. But we tried to keep it as a rock song as much as we could.

12. Goodnight, My Love”

Love is one of the biggest themes of this album. Why did you guys decide to go down that route and showcase the different aspects of love?

The last couple of records had a lot of social and political lyrics, and I think it didn’t really connect much with people. So I wanted this one to definitely be as personal as possible instead of what’s happening in the world. I think there’s a time for both, but it was time to focus on that. This one definitely relates to my kids again, as well as my wife. Just my whole family and the struggle of how can I support them, what is the future and losing your mind in the process. It’s about going f-cking insane and all you want to do is take care of your family. But it’s not an easy process in the music business nowadays. Anything artistically in that world…it’s like the wild wild west out there.

13. Like Ghosts I wanted to get the story behind this one, because I couldn’t really figure it out myself. It seems like a breakup song on first listen.

This is a cool one as well. It’s kind of ‘80s pop but in a dark way. It’s a bit Peter Gabriel-ish and we wanted to explore that. It’s not really a breakup song. It’s a love song and an apology for being the way I am. The chorus goes, “Don’t tell me I’m not all that you need anymore.” Basically a plea to keep dealing with my bullshit. The first verse is saying I would do anything for you. The second is verse I’m sorry for the way I am and don’t let it go. It’s a different kind of love song.

14. Praying for Rain This is the longest song on the album. How did you guys decide on it being the final scene of this cinematic journey?

The original demo was called “Interstellar Voyage.” Ryan sent this epic long thing to me and I was like, “Okay this is three songs. What the hell am I supposed to do with that?” I loved it right away: it was dark and heavy and very Deftones-y. They’re one of our favorite bands of all time. We didn’t have anything like that. Eventually we structured it a bit better. We didn’t know if we should cut it up and make it a shorter song, or leave it long and make it this big epic ending. The whole second half just goes on this journey into another place and it meets up at the end. It doesn’t feel as long as it is. 

I think it’s because you have that spoken word section in the middle. 

Yeah that was a last minute decision. How can we fill this song up and have it all make sense? And I had this spoken word idea. Nobody even heard that until the mixes were all done because I did it after the record. Lyrically it’s one of my favorites and is a journey throughout my life. Everything from kids to the band to the struggles—it basically encompasses the entire record. We never even attempted a seven-minute song before, so it’s cool! I love it.

[qatarsquash]

Quarter-Final Reports

Rosner, Coll and Momen win in three, Marwan beats Mohamed in Five

Note: we’re having issues with the main QSF site, so posting temporarily here ...

QUARTER-FINALS [5] Simon Rosner (Ger) 3-0 James Willstrop (Eng) 14-12, 11-6, 11-3 (46m) [2] Tarek Momen (Egy) 3-0 [6] Diego Elias (Per) 11-6, 13-11, 11-6 (37m) [4] Paul Coll (Nzl) 3-0 [14] Zahed Salem (Egy) 11-8, 11-9, 11-6 (47m) [9] Marwan ElShorbagy (Egy) 3-2 [1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (Egy) 11-6, 2-11, 11-6, 3-11, 11-8 (59m)

QUARTER-FINALS PHOTO GALLERY

Rosner ends Willstrop run

[5] Simon Rosner (Ger) 3-0 James Willstrop (Eng) 14-12, 11-6, 11-3 (46m)

The first game was crucial today as we thought it would be. James was able to produce the upset of the event when he took out Gawad in the previous round but would he have enough in the tank today? Well, he probably would have found the mental resources had he taken that opener I feel. As he said to me one day “Fram, squash is such a mental game it’s a joke”.

Simon knew it as well, and made it very difficult for the Gentleman from  the start. After 5m of game we were still at 1/1, and the game lasted 25m of very very HARD work and accurate squash, both twisting and turning each other – both being the tallest players on the tour I think.

Unfortunately for James, he never had a chance to take that game, it’s Simon that had all the game balls 4 of them. And the TreeChopper gets it finally 14/12, but it all came down to stroke decisions: 10 winners each, 2 errors each, with Simon having 2 strokes, James none. To be noted that the ref was overtuned twice in that game, two strokes overturned to lets.

The second, as often, James is in the game till 5/6, mid game, but then the legs are starting to hurt and three errors, crucial at that stage, and from 3/3, it’s 8/5, 11/6 with two errors on the last two points.

Simon is completely in control in the third, 4/1, 6/2 and 11/3. James bows out, with our love and respect. Nuff said.

Simon: James beat Karim who just won the Egypt Open last week, that takes some achievement. At his age, I hope I can play as well as he does, and perform at that level!

I tried to keep the intensity up from the first rally, not to give him any time on the T, taking the ball away from him on the ball. Taking the first game was huge. It's mentally such a big difference whether you're 1-0 up or down, especially when it's that long and it goes to the tie-break. I knew if I could win that first game, keep the intensity up and play fast squash then I would be able to push through and that's exactly what happened. I was able to keep the intensity up, didn't drop down and I'm glad I was able to work it out. You want to win the title when you get this far and it has to be my aim now. You don't want to lose just before the finish of the tournament, so I'm definitely up for the next match no matter who I'm playing tomorrow and I'm looking forward to that one.

Coll through to semis in three

[4] Paul Coll (Nzl) 3-0 [14] Zahed Salem (Egy) 11-8, 11-9, 11-6 (47m)

What is incredible with Paul, is that he came on court today, truly fresh as a rose. “I worked hard back at home to backup those matches” he commented at the end. And that’s exactly what he did.

He played a very solid first game, against a no pressure Zahed, improved, fit, and with the same style of play than Superman. But today, the error count makes the difference I believe. In the whole match, Paul made a single error, at the start of the third. And that must be so frustrating for the opponent, giving it all, playing some superb squash, seeing all the might be winners coming back with dividends, and never being able to force errors out of him…

First game is crucial as I said: very close the whole way, with Paul just a couple of points ahead, then 6/6, 7/7, 8/8. And three errors to finish from the Egyptian, all credit to the Kiwi, forcing those mistakes out…. 12m first game.

The second is again some stunning squash, and if Zahed didn’t start well at all, 3/0, 4/1, 7/2, 8/4 for Superman, the Egyptian produced a quality of squash that I hope he’ll be proud of. Both mentally, physically, tactically, it was perfection, and the Kiwi saw his gap melt dangerously, 7/8.

An absolute gem of a rally at 9/7, with Zahed in control and wining point in the racquet, just clipping the tin – his only error of the game. 10/7 game ball for Paul. Again, Zahed finds shots and solutions to claw back, but it’s Paul again, 15m game.

The third is dominated by Paul, too many errors from the Egyptian in particular at the start of the match, giving too much confidence to the Kiwi… a stop as Zaza bangs his head against the left wall, a few minutes at 3/2 Paul, but it’s still Paul in control, despite huge effort from the Egyptian, 9/4. Zahed got very frustrated at the end as one of his shots was called not up, while he was adamant it was good, and not happy he was at the end, 11/6, 16m – including a 5m stoppage.

Paul in his first ever world semis: in my eyes, on that court, enhancing his front game, he is definitely a contender.

PAUL: 'm very happy to be in the semi-finals of a World Champs, it was something that was a minimum goal going into the tournament. I've got to put that behind me now, even though I'm very happy to be in the semi-finals, I don't want to stop there. I've just got to regroup after this, enjoy the moment while it lasts and watch the match later.I just wanted to dominate today and I knew I had to be more explosive to the front. Yesterday I felt like I got a bit dominated and my natural game was taken away from me, so I wanted to step up today and really take the game to Zahed. He had a tough match yesterday as well, so I knew it was going to be about who could dominate today. I feel like I did that for most of the game which got me over the line. The ElShorbagy brothers both quality players, I just hope it takes about three hours and then tomorrow I'll play whoever wins.

Tarek returns to the semis

[2] Tarek Momen (Egy) 3-0 [6] Diego Elias (Per)   11-6, 13-11, 11-6 (37m)

Tarek beats Diego in three to return to the semi-finals ... A remarkable match from Tarek, who despite making a few too many errors – hold the press – displayed remarkable “sang-froid” today in front of a Diego that seemed at the end to run out of solutions.

A superb start from the Momenator in the opener, 6/2, 8/4, and despite 4 errors, he will play 9 winners and takes the game 11/6 in 9 short minutes.

Bit of the same story in the second, superb start again, 5/0, but this time, the errors give the Peruvian a life line and he levels nicely at 6/6, 7/7, taking the lead actually 9/7.

Two huge crucial rallies at that point, again, going side to side to front to back but a stroke for Tarek and a no let against Diego, we are back level at 9/9.

The Peruvian will have a game ball at 10/9, but a long volley drop shot from Tarek takes care of that, and it’s the Egyptian that will break through on his second attempt, 13/11. Despite making 5 errors, against none for the Peruvian… 9 winners for Tarek, 2 strokes, 6 winners for Diego.

A much better start for Diego in the third, close, 2/2, 3/3, 4/4, but tired errors finally creep in for the young man, and it’s 7/4, 11/6, thanks to 3 errors in the last part of the game from Diego…

Tarek ecstatic to take it in three. You bet….

Tarek: It was a really good match for me, and I had the memory of my last match, and if you want to win the event, you cannot afford to play 5 setters every match. So I was aiming to win the match first and foremost, but also, winning in three is a bonus.I was trying to get the best start as possible, and I couldn’t dreamt of having a better start in the first two matches. In the second, he came back strong at me but I’m lucky I managed to stay on tom in that one.The one day off made a big difference, and today, it felt like a normal day at the office, and I’m happy to be fresh for tomorrow!I know that Diego has been into a few semi finals before but maybe the World Championship is a little bit different. He has the experience of making it to the latter rounds, but maybe the good start that I had made the difference.He came back really strong in the second game and it was very close. If he had snatched that second game, then I don’t think he would have been phased by the occasion. I managed to get a good start which helped a lot towards the end.I was really keen on trying to get as explosive and as tight as possible. I tried to cut down on the errors as much as I could because it makes a big difference. A match could go to five games and 120 minutes or it could be over in just 40 depending on the start. I tried to learn from the few things that I have done wrong in previous matches, and today was a good day at the office for sure. I am really looking forward to playing Simon again, and I am hoping for another win to make it to another final at the World Championships. It would be unbelievable for me to make two finals in a row at the Worlds, so I am really looking forward to it.

Marwan reverses the 2017 final

[9] Marwan ElShorbagy (Egy) 3-2 [1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (Egy) 11-6, 2-11, 11-6, 3-11, 11-8 (59m)

A thought for Basma, the mum…

After the match, an Egyptian came up to me and said with a smile “you were cheering for Marwan weren’t you”. And I replied, "no I was crying for both, because I knew how painful it was for both of them". Like Mohamed stated yesterday, “we hate playing against each other, because we both dream of the world title, and one of us is about to crash the other’s dream”…

I’m going to tell you what happened out there tonight. You might think you know f.a. about squash Fram. And you’ll probably be right….

Cut to 2 years ago. When Marwan reached the final of the worlds against his brother in Manchester, Mohamed just passed a terrible time on the tour, and despite having won everything at least twice, he had never won the worlds. And being the younger brother, in Egyptian terms, he considers Mohamed as his dad. And he couldn’t, even if he had wanted it, he just couldn’t break his brother’s heart/dream.

Cut to today. It’s Marwan’s turn to have gone through an horrendous time from the British Open to January. And Mohamed cannot not feel for his little brother that he has got to protect under the Egyptian uses. Add to that that now, Mohamed has a title on his mantle piece. So today, it was OK for Marwan to walk away with the win, and acceptable for Mohamed to somehow accept it….

Not saying that Mohamed let him win but come on, 2 games were played in 5m each, 11/2, 11/3…. If that’s not a mental game, what is????

End of the psychological mumbo-jumbo, back to stats…

First game, all about Marwan, 14m with Junior at the front, no pressure. High quality squash, but a few nervous errors from Mohamed, 4, only 2 for Marwan, from 3/3 it’s 11/6 for Junior, 6 winners Marwan, 3 Mohamed.

The second is 5m, 4/0, 8/1, 11/2, thank you for coming. Mohamed being Mohamed…

Third, back to a match, 12m, from 3/3, 4/4, and again a domination from Marwan, just reading his brother’s shots and being on them before he played them. 7/4, 9/5, 11/6 again… 5 winners from Mohamed, 6 from Mohamed…

The fourth is the mirror of the 2nd, 5m, 11/3, thanks for coming again.

Superb start for Junior in the last one, 4/1, 6/2, 8/3. A good push from Mohamed, trying to motivate himself, back to 6/8, but it’s match ball for Junior 11/7. A tin, 8/10. A superb lovely winner from Mohamed, 8/10. And in three shots rally, a winner out of nowhere from Junior racquet, irretrievable. Sor’ed.

Marwan:

Any win against my brother is amazing. He is truly one of the greatest players of our sport, and it was tough. He is so clever, and the most experienced players in the draw.It was tough out there. It was five games in less than an hour but I know it was really tough mentally for me. Mohamed is one of the and one of the best players ever to play the sport.He has played against so many different generations so I knew it was going to be really tough mentally, much more than physically. At the end it was all mental, and I gave it everything I had. I put my heart into that fifth game and I am just really happy to get that result.What he did in the second and fourth, well, there was nothing I could do. Absolutely nothing. And that’s something I need to learn. I have so much experience in my corner here, in Haitham and Nick and the way they speak to me between games, it motivates me and it pushes me. I have so much experience here, so I am really lucky to have both of them here. I have played my brother a couple of times already this season, in China and in San Francisco and I was getting close. Today I just made sure I did not make the same mistakes as I did in China and San Francisco. I actually did some, but less, and I am really happy with how I responded in both the third and the fifth games. I am happy with how I played overall and I am focussed for tomorrow now.Now I’ve got to forget about this match, do my recover, and hopefully, I have two more matches to play

QUARTER-FINALS PHOTO GALLERY