#303 Magazine

[hardfloor]

Zum Re-Release von Hardfloor - "Acperience 1" wurde Olli mit außergewöhnlich viel Liebe 🥰 vom Faze Magazin gefragt ob er ein paar Fragen beantworten mag. Hier ist das Ergebnis. Wir hoffen ihr lernt etwas dabei😘. (sorry, it´s only available in german)

[musicmags]

[enrevues]

Revue 303

couverture : Jérôme Maillet

[itsfantasticac]

SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos cover illustration for a 2003 issue of Arcadia magazine, by Falcoon.

Street Fighter Artworks Ha (Apr. 2, '09), pg. 303

[sceletaflores]

GIRL FIRST SON PATRICK??? OMFG #NEEDTHAT

aurrrr this is all the west wings fault <///3

maybe you're a senator’s daughter, maybe the speaker of the house's daughter, or or OR maybe you're the vp’s daughter...hear me out okay just walk with me real quick...

president zweig is a close friend of your mother. they went to law school together, they both went on to become very prominent and well respected political figures in new hampshire, they're both credited with drafting the bill responsible for dropping your states poverty rate below eight percent. the lowest in the country.

no one was surprised when the zweig campaign announced your mother as their vice-presidential running mate. no one was surprised when president zweig won the election 303 to 232.

despite your parents being friends, you and patrick weren't that close growing up. he was older than you, six years older. by the time you were freshly enrolled in one of new hampshire's fancy private schools, he was already at the academy. all the way down in florida, a whole twenty two hours away.

you haven't seen each other since his father won the election two years ago, when the two of you awkwardly waltzed together at the inaugural ball after some encouraging from your parents.

now, today is the president's birthday and the white house was hosting his party. it’s the the first time you've been home in nearly two months, you've been spending so much time in new york prepping to start your third year at yale in six weeks.

you haven't seen patrick all day, not even at the dinner held earlier in the day for close friends and family of the president. you weren't entirely shocked that he was missing though. your mom makes sure to dish on all the scandals he's gotten into over the last two years. spreading the hot gossip to you over the phone nearly every time she calls you, but it's nothing you didn't already know.

patrick's face is plastered to trashy "news" websites and magazines almost every week. the media is more than happy report on all the alleged partying, drug use, and girls the first son seems to frequently indulge in. his tennis hardly gets any coverage these days.

you feel bad for patrick, but not bad enough to stopping read about him.

your nursing your second flute of champagne when you feel it. the presence of someone looming behind you, of a pair of eyes zeroing in on you.

"there you are," a deep voice rings out from behind you, along with the sharp click of dress shoes making their way closer to you on the marble floor. "i've been looking for you."

your dress swishes as you turn to face him, the fabric floating around your ankles delicately.

"patrick," you start to greet with a polite smile, but whatever else you were planning on saying gets caught in your throat at the sight of him.

two years doesn't sound like a long time. it's not really a long time, in the grand scheme of things, but goddamn has patrick changed a lot.

he lost all the boyish looks he had before. he grew into his big ears and lanky build. now he's all broad shoulders and toned muscle that you see even through his tailored deep blue suit.

the pictures plastered to the front of magazines do not do him justice. he's fucking hot now. he has the same green eyes and the same curly hair, but there's a depth and intensity to him now, a magnetism that draws you in. the sharp lines of his jaw, his bearded jaw, the way his suit fits him perfectly, the way a faint hint of a smirk plays on his lips.

everything about him exudes a sort of cocky confidence that has heat stirring in your core.

"professor," he nods, bringing his glass to his lips for slow sip of the amber liquid filling it. whiskey, you can smell it. "god, how long has it been? " he asks, slipping his hand in the pocket of his fitted dress pants.

butterflies erupt in your stomach at the old nickname, no one's called you that in years. your own mother doesn't even call you that anymore. you can't believe he remembered. at least all the coke didn't fry his brain.

"two years," you supply helpfully, trying your best to keep your voice steady.

"wow," he drawls, taking a small step towards you. he smells good, like something sharp and lightly spiced. it burns your nose in a good way, not the same way his old abercrombie cologne did. "you're like," he pauses, trailing his eyes over your face, "a grown up now."

you're flustered by the way he's looking at you, warmth rushes to your cheeks embarrassingly. "so are you," you manage to reply, though it comes out a bit breathless. you take a sip of your champagne, trying to be casual. the bubbles tickle your tongue, a faint distraction from the intensity of patrick's presence.

he nods slowly, taking another sip of his whiskey. you watch the way his throat moves as he swallows, the overwhelming urge to trace your tongue along his skin burns hot inside your stomach.

his eyes lazily scan you body, shamelessly getting his greedy fill of the way your dior dress sits pretty on the curves that weren't there the last time he saw you.

he swallows. “you look good,” he says to your tits, pink tongue sliding across his bottom lip enticingly. he flicks his attention up to your face, his eyes dark and predatory, “really fuckin’ good.”

heat floods your whole body, you fight the urge to shift under his heavy gaze. no, you tell yourself strictly, i refuse to be one of those girls.

you're nothing like all the actress/singers/models that bend and break the second patrick looks at them. you're a student on the dean's list at fucking yale, you were your high schools valedictorian, you're–

fifteen minutes later you’re in the white house’s green room with your dress hiked up around your hips and your panties tucked safely away in the breast pocket of patrick’s suit.

he has you perched on top the room’s large oak desk, legs spread obscenely wide to make room for his broad shoulders. a huge, gaudy portrait of alexander hamilton gets a front row seat to patrick zweig on his knees.

your hands twist his dark curls roughly as he practically makes out with your drenched pussy, bumping his nose against your clit each time he laps at you with the flat of his tongue. you can see the way your wetness decorates his face, the light from the chandelier shining off of the slick skin of his cheeks and jaw lewdly.

his beard scratches the inside of your thighs red and raw. his big hands dig into the soft skin of your hips hard, grinding you against his face.

"fuck," he groans, sliding his index finger through the mess of spit he left behind. "god this fucking pussy..." he trails off, holding you apart with his long fingers so he can drag his tongue up your fluttering slit all the way to your pulsing clit. his cherry red lips look fucking filthy wrapped around you as he pushes his finger inside your aching hole.

you bite your lip, trying your best to be quite, to stop the pathetic whiny sounds you're making. you can hear the muffled polite conversation and soft music bleeding through the other side of the wall. you know patrick didn't lock the door, anyone could walk in.

"please," you whine quietly, looking down to find that patrick's already looking at you. his blown out green eyes locked on you like you're an unsuspecting lamb grazing a little too close to the big bad wolf's den.

"please what? keep going? what about everyone out there," he jerks his head in the direction of the ball room, his finger fucks into you faster. "you want the president to find you fucking begging for his sons mouth on your greedy pussy? i bet you do, you fucking slut."

"fuck, please don't stop! god, patrick–"

he leaves with your panties in his pocket. whatever, you'll just have to get them back from him later.

[kat-sribbles]

October 9th, 2001: The Beginning of Something

Ever since Quarantine of 2020, I’ve always wondered where fall out boy first ever performance was. I’ve been a fan of FOB for about 9 years now and never fully went into their history of how they started, so quarantine gave me time to do research. I came across a video of a Black Sabbath cover band and in the description of the video said that this was fall out boy first ever show they did, they played alongside two cover bands that were Chicago hardcore locals. After looking at this video for awhile, it had a date and location. October 9th, 2001 at DePaul University at Cortelyou Commons. There was my answer to the question…but it didn’t feel satisfied enough, I need to know more about this show and if there is footage of this show. This is where my search starts going into more depth.

Fast-forward to this summer of 2023, with the help of two friends, I started to do more digging on the first show. I went back to the video and saw that the channel had uploaded another video from that same night. When I looked the description of that video, it had said “This was Fall Out Boy's first show. No, we do not have any video of them. They were awful.”

(Which I do not mind that they were terrible, even the guys said it was a terrible show). I then started to search this channel name on instagram, I found that this guy who uploaded thee videos was the bassist of Stillwell (the band that is shown in the video) and is the founder of the independent record label, Forge Again Records. My friend reached out via the instagram that I found and we asked a few questions. (See picture below) he was very kind to answer some of our questions that we had about that night ( we asked about how they were booked for that show and if there was any flyers promoting this show at all).

What he told us:

He got a call from Ben Rose (the drummer at the time) and asked to be put onto the lineup last minute (this is why there most likely wasn’t a flyer with their name on it)

They opened the show that night since he needed someone to open.

He then guided us into looking at the Oral History of TTTYG from AP Magazine (issue 303). I have a copy of the mega collection of all the issues that FOB was in from AP and quickly found some key notes. (Show pictures below) not only did our search gave us some clues but also made us open to other lost media that might be out there as well!

Joe was given a link from Patrick (Patrick’s mp3 page) after meeting Joe at a borders bookstore in Wilmette

The first implication of FOB being mention was in a GuestBook post that Patrick made (picture below) on May 31st, 2001

At the show, they did not have a name yet, they were only referred to as “Pete’s New Band”

Their second show, they opened for The Killing Tree at an unknown southern Illinois college auditorium, and this is the show where they got their name from.

With all of this information, we come to a halt. We are still trying to find anyone who would possibly have this footage, there’s possibly might be someone but not 100% sure yet (I wanna note that I did look on DePaul’s archives online and couldn’t do much without going in-person to look at their archives since I do not live in Chicago, I went as far as contacting the head digital archivist at DePaul and they do not have any footage, they would only have the footage if it was donated to them). We still need help finding some Information and anything pre-tttyg.

If you know anything please contact/email us at foblostmedia@gmail.com

(Wanna mention that I did make a similar post, you can check that out as well)

Happy 22 years of being a band & best friends @falloutboy

(And we love you back!)

(Disclaimer: please do not message the guy we contacted, he was already contacted by us and answered our questions on what we needed)

[scretladyspider]

“The suit centers on Lorie Smith, a website designer who does not want to provide her services for gay weddings because of her religious objections.

In 2016, she says, a gay man named Stewart requested her services for help with his upcoming wedding. “We are getting married early next year and would love some design work done for our invites, placenames etc. We might also stretch to a website,” reads a message he apparently sent her through her website. In court filings, her lawyers produced a copy of the inquiry.

Web designer’s US supreme court case could trample LGBTQ+ rights, advocates say

But Stewart, who requested his last name be withheld for privacy, said in an interview with the Guardian that he never sent the message, even though it correctly lists his email address and telephone number. He has also been happily married to a woman for the last 15 years, he said. The news was first reported by the New Republic.

In fact, until he received a call this week from a reporter from the magazine, Stewart said he had no idea he was somehow tied up in a case that had made it to the supreme court.

“I can confirm I did not contact 303 Creative about a website,” he said. “It’s fraudulent insomuch as someone is pretending to be me and looking to marry someone called Mike. That’s not me.

“What’s most concerning to me is that this is kind of like the one main piece of evidence that’s been part of this case for the last six-plus years and it’s false,” he added. “Nobody’s checked it. Anybody can pick up the phone, write an email, send a text, to verify whether that was correct information.”

Key document may be fake in LGBTQ+ rights case before US Supreme Court, The Guardian, by Sam Levine

[sleepie-birdie]

Between 303 And 304

Rated: PG-13 Summary: Neuvillette's next-door neighbor is just too sweet for her own good. A moment between the residents of 303 and 304.

Furina labeled him a gentleman, yet Neuvillette believed that should she catch a glimpse of the thoughts circling his mind, she would quickly retract such innocent impressions. Especially the ones circulating now as he sat across from her, watching her tuck happily into the dessert he had brought. It was a testament to his control that he had not leaned over and pressed his lips against the cream smeared at the corner of her lips. He had also resisted the temptation to press his thumb against the smear and rubbed it across her cheek to have an excuse to clean the mess with kisses. Instead, he could only ball his hand into a fist beneath the table as his eyes traced how her tongue cleaned up the mess she made. The corner of Neuvillette’s lips twitched upwards as Furina hummed, the delighted sound wrapping around him like a soothing blanket. Her eyes were glittering with the force of her joy.

He would wait in line daily for a slice of cake if this were his reward every time.

“This is so good! How did you know this is my favorite flavor?”

The corner of his eyes crinkled. “I remember you mentioning it once before.” In a magazine, to be precise. A single spread from two years ago when she was still in the limelight, but that was a specific one she did not need to know. Her most recent mention had been last week when he had bumped into her in their corner of the hall on his way to work, and she lamented that she had missed the limited drop.

“Aw, and you remembered.” He quite liked the way her nose wrinkled as she beamed at him. "Still, you shouldn’t have. The line must have been a hassle, and you just came from work, too.” And there it was, the smidgen of guilt despite her enthusiastic way of devouring the dessert. He wondered if she realized how expressive she was, like a film embodied in a person—a film he would never tire of.

“It was no issue. I simply happened to get lucky.” He sipped his cooling tea as Furina worried the spoon in her mouth between her teeth.

“Still…” The muffled words were met with a sigh. Neuvillette bit back the satisfaction he felt as seeing her cheeks darken as his hand stilled hers.

“What are friends for?” And there it was, the flash of upset, the flicker of yearning . And like every time they played in this little game of cat and mouse, she pulled away first before the lines between them blurred even more—friends yet not, neighbors but more, more than acquaintances and unnamed in the way they flit about each other on the precipice of more.

“Yes, what are friends for~” The smile was back in place, and he slammed down on the urge to end this dance they were in. All he needed to do was lean over and – “You’re the best neighbor ever, Neuvillette.”

“I’m your only neighbor Furina.” Up in the skies, with just a corner shared between their doors, no one could disturb them. It was why he had chosen this place.

“Then it must be fate~” His gaze softened. Perhaps it was fate that brought her here. Maybe fate had deemed it an appropriate time for both. It was a blessing he would not besmirch.

Neuvillette’s thumb brushed the palm of her hand as he let her go. He could be patient until Furina was ready, and he peeled back all the little acts and lies she had wrapped herself up in. He had to be, for she deserved that much for all she had given him in this life.

Hope.

Dreams.

A reason…

Even as she claimed to be anyone but the actress who had all but disappeared from the stage, he would not mistake those eyes for anyone else—eyes that sparkled like captured sunlight. Not as if he would forget her voice, sweet as sugar yet bold as the ocean’s wave. Focalors may have disappeared, but Furina remained. A secret the world may eventually forget, but not him, never him.

He reached forward the brush, the stray bang that had fallen across her face away. He may be patient, but that did not mean he could not toe that invisible line they never crossed. He tucked the pale lock neatly behind her ear and relished the warmth of her skin against his fingertips. It lasted a moment before his fingers were tapping at his face.

“You have a little something right there, Furina.” Nuevillette eyes crinkled as she blinked, dazed, before realization settled.

“Ack! Why didn’t you tell me earlier!”

The older man hoped the heat that stained the tips of her ears was from his chuckles. 

─── ₊જ⁀➴ ˚ 𓉞 ˚♡⊹˚₊───

They sometimes met in the early mornings when Furina was getting ready to leave for the studio, and Neuvillette was to head his office. Sometimes, a smile is exchanged along with a greeting. Sometimes, the taller man would wait patiently for her as she struggled to slip on her shoes, his arms full of whatever item she needed to drag to the set that day. Other times, he is the one that needs a little help. Especially when his tie was askew, his face held a mostly slight grump as he struggled with the stack of files in his hand and the unruly lace on his shiny shoes. His cane rested in the corner of their two doors.

Today seemed to be one of those days, and Furina, like always, was giggling as she shook her head. Her shoulder rested against the doorway as she stared unabashedly at the older man. It would take just another step for her to run right into him. Whoever had decided to build this corner of their building must have been out of their mind. Not that the ex-actress particularly minded the closed distance at this particular moment. Neuvillette was so pretty. Handsome, too, with a charm she could only call unfair. And then there was his eyes. Sharp and could be, but when he looked at her…

A shiver ran up her spine.

“Need a hand?”  

She could tell the moment his gaze softened. Her heart squeezed .

“If you do not mind.” Like she ever did.

Her heel clicked as the distance between them disappeared. This close, she could make out the scent of rain, fresh and almost sweet, alongside the ever-present undertone of petrichor. 

Furina was proud of how still her finger was as it slipped beneath the band of the tie, loosening it just enough so she could tug at the knot and undo the haphazard mess. Her palm rested briefly on his collar as she smoothed away the wrinkles and straightened the cotton neckline. If she took a second too long to thread the loops and straighten the alignment of the silk beneath his shirt’s collar stays, it was merely the fault of the fine material.

“There! All done.” She could feel the weight of his gaze on the crown of her head.

“Thank you.” She smoothed away a piece of lint and gave his chest one last pat. A thrill ran through her at the hitch in his voice.

“You’re welcome. Now, what would you have done without me~”

Furina turned to grab her temporarily forgotten bag. She hoped her ears were not as pink as they felt as she spied the offered elbow by the time she turned back.

“Who knows…” The cryptic answer was met with a blink, and the door to their elevator opened with a sharp ding.

The petite woman wondered what Neuvillette’s eyes would look like when he discovered she had lied about who she was. That the actress he was so fond of was her. Would they be cold, steely, as if he was looking at the criminals he judged? Or would it remain the same? She could only hope it would still be just as warm as now.

Furina kept her hands on his arm until the steel door slid open.

─── ₊જ⁀➴ ˚ 𓉞 ˚♡⊹˚₊───

Furina has three pets. It is a fact Neuvillette has known since he met the true her for the first time a year ago when he had caught her in the middle of heaving massive bags of sand beneath her arms and a bag of what he suspected was sweets in her mouth as she struggled with opening her door. He could never think of a more perfect meeting. He could also not think of anything she loves more than her three little aquatic pets. He suspects that most of her salary goes into upgrading and adding the 300-gallon rimless tank she had recently installed, and then there came the scaping itself. All for the exotics she had adopted for herself. A single hermit crab, a single seahorse, and a tiny octopus.

It was also because of them that he was here, surrounded by a menagerie of bright blue lights and fluorescent glow, as he shifted through the beautifully painted artisanal shells on a wicker shelf. He did not quite understand it, but Furina said Madamoislle Crabletta needed a new shell now that she had grown up.

Picking out a shell would not have been an issue if they were not all utterly tasteless. Bright colors that did not suit her current waterscape. Horrid shape, unlike the conical ones the crab seemed to prefer. Everything about it was wrong. The only one of appropriate size was too plain—time had ticked away, and the two synchronized taps of feet behind him told him he was taking too long.

“I’m sure she would appreciate whatever you choose.” The familiar baritone voice held a hint of exasperation. Wriothelesly shared a look with the woman on his right as they both eyed their friend and employer. When he had asked for their assistance, it was…well, shopping in one of the higher-end aquatic boutiques was not on their list. But since Neuvillette had met Furina… things had never been as expected.

“I agree. It is the thought that counts.” Clorinde’s addition was met with a look of mild petulance. Both of them heaved a sigh.

“Or…you can make your own?” There was a snort to the woman’s side at that. Their beloved Iudex? Crafting? Why would he–

“That sounds like an appropriate course of action.” Wriothelesly grumbled as he yanked a twenty out of the back of his hand and slapped it into Clorinde’s waiting hand.

“Ah, look…there’s even a class offered here.” Neuvillette straightened, his eyes fixated on the advertisement. That was perfect.  

“Ah, thank you two for your assistance. I may take a while, so you should have dinner without me.” He was gone before hearing an answer, his mind focused on the singular task. He wanted to finish this before Furina even had a chance to go out to buy one. Then, if he had time later, he would revisit that his friends were once more…betting on him again. If he were a subject of their gambling, it would only be fair for him to get a cut, wouldn't he?

It takes him an hour to choose and paint a shell he deems fitting. A glass round had been used as a base, which he coated in a shade of blue that reminded him of the brighter shade of her eyes. White droplets were drawn across its surface, and a water-safe seal was placed as a finishing touch. He was almost proud of his little foray into the arts, as rusty as he had become. It was a little messy, a little…rustic, but he knew, without a doubt, that she would like this. That was his belief until he stood before her, holding the box and meeting her look that both scorched and comforted him simultaneously.

"You mentioned Crabletta needed a new shell, so I've brought something for her."The words tumbled from his lips.

He realized his effort was successful as her eyes sparkled upon seeing the shell cradled in its silky embrace.

"Neuvillette, it's wonderful."

"Then I am glad my venture into this craft was worthwhile." The way she looked, unsure and hopeful, made him want to crawl back to the store and make her some more.

“You…made this for me?” He would make her anything, do anything if she only asked. He watched as she turned it in his palm, eyes almost glassy as she cradled it close.

“Next time she needs a new one, just tell me. I’ll make her another one.” This time, it would be in a deeper shade of blue that would match her other eye.

He watched as the hope across her face bloomed, turned the round of her cheek a rosy hue. His grip tightened against his cane. He squashed the desire to kiss her forehead, smooth away the remnant of wariness across her brow. It was his turn to flush as his breath escaped him. It was quick and sudden, the briefest squeeze around his waist and her warmth on him and then on his jaw. A door was summarily slammed in his face. It was his turn to fumble as he missed slotting his key into the lock. The doorknob rattled as he closed it behind him. The cane in his hand clattered against the hardwood floor.

Neuvillette wondered if she knew how hard it was to hold back. He needed to respect her space and need for time when these little moments gave him hope for more. Ungentalmenly were his desires. He knew this. He fell asleep that night to the lingering phantom touch of her lips, the persistent dream of them traveling elsewhere, and her whisper of thanks, a melodic cry. He wakes to damp sheets and an ache.

They should talk before whatever is unspoken between them spirals. Except they do not—not when Furina is all but running at the sight of him when he bumped into her in the hallway that morning. Not when she would all but sprint out of the elevator when they ride together. Not even when she flushed a myriad of red when he looked at her. Neuvillette may be a patient man, but that did not mean he was immune to hurt. Was the notion of them that upsetting? Was a little peck mortifying to this extent?

─── ₊જ⁀➴ ˚ 𓉞 ˚♡⊹˚₊───

Meeting Neuvillette in Cafe Flora was the last thing Furina wished for. It was not because of the older man standing in line right before them but because of the curious, intuitive, and smug-looking girl to her left. Hu Tao, as appreciated as she was, was the last person she wanted to know of her undeniable and blatant crush on her neighbor, especially since that day when she had impulsively kissed him on the cheek…or tried to. With her height, all she managed had been his chin. Looking back, it had been mortifyingly bold of her, and now Furina was dealing with the consequences of her action. Looking at him when she remembered what she had done was a little more complicated. But how could she not when he had been so sweet?

So gentle, so caring…so..so perfect? A stab of guilt lanced through her, sharp like a blade. He was so good, but all she had were lies. The petite woman could feel her friend’s gaze on her before those ruby eyes flickered behind her. Now, he was close enough that she could smell the faintest whiff of his cologne past the plush she won at the arcade. The very plush she was burying her face in. 

“Oh, you’re Monsieur Neuvillette!” She wanted to smack Hu Tao with the stuffy.

“Ah, Miss Furina…and… you are, Miss?” Furina’s world spun as she was wheeled around. Miss-matched eyes met amethyst. Their flecks of warmth made her tingle, even as her anger at her friend's audacity made her hold onto Tao’s arm tighter.

“I’m Furina’s friend, Hu Tao! She talks about you sometimes.” She was going to shove–

“Are you here for the cake too? Would you like to join us then?” She could feel the weight of his gaze as she turned her head slightly to the side to focus on the dust floating about his shoulder.

“Thank you for the invite, Miss Hu, but I must decline respectfully. I am here to get a coffee before returning to my office.” Her chest ached. She wondered if he was upset at her. It was not like she was trying to avoid him! Not on purpose, anyway. It was just so difficult to think straight when he was around. 

“Aw… gotcha, that’s unfortunate! Maybe next time, then?”

“Ah yes, when my schedule allows, perhaps…” 

Furina’s heart sank slightly more as Neuvillette politely declined Hu Tao's invitation. Part of her felt guilty for wanting him to stay, especially when she noticed the faint shadows under his eyes and the slight slouch in his posture. He looked tired, perhaps even burdened with matters she knew nothing about. Had a case he had been presiding over been complex? Harrowing? Too dark? Those tend to make him more sedated than usual. Worry replaced the upset.

“Alright, then. See you around, Monsieur Neuvillette,” Hu Tao said cheerily, unfazed by the rejection, her arm still around Furina, who felt both grateful and frustrated for her presence.

“Miss Furina, Miss Hu.”

As he walked away, Furina’s gaze lingered on him, noting the weary tilt of his walk that she had not noticed before. The toy in her arm deflated from the force in which she held it.

“I didn’t know you were so smitten,” Hu Tao teased, breaking Furina's trance. Her tone was light, but not without a hint of empathy.

Furina sighed, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips despite the turmoil inside. “It’s complicated,” she murmured, her eyes still riveted the space Neuvillette had vacated.

Hu Tao nodded, understanding the unspoken words. “Let’s get that cake, then on me. A little sugar is sure to fix you, life’s batter with cake,” she joked, attempting to lift Furina’s spirits.

There was a silence as carmine-colored eyes soaked in the melancholy across the other’s face. A sigh was heaved, and the shorter of the two blinked at the warmth of palms against the white-haired ex-actress cheeks. “Silly girl…if you need to go somewhere else, just tell me you know.” Hu Tao’s grin was gentle. Moments like this reminded Furina of just who the other was. A funeral director wise beyond her years. “Ai, yah… and you call me silly. You’re worried about him, aren’t ‘ya?” With the force applied to her cheeks, Furina could only nod in response.

“Then go~and when you two finally get married, I become the maid of honor.”

“Hu Tao!!” The screech was met with an amused giggle. “I…you…later! I’ll check up on him later,” she exhaled. “He has work still…”

“Mhmm…” There was no escaping the knowing glint in the dark-haired girl’s eyes. “Then we’ll have cake for now, and you tell me how long you’ve liked him.”

Furina wondered if like was all that she felt, if the notion of him disliking her now, even in the slightest, made her want to curl up and cry. But when she knocked on his door that evening, his favorite tea blend in her hand and a container full of macaroni, red sauce, and consomme she whipped up she knew he would like, he answered with a smile despite the puffiness around his eyes. She thought that everything would be alright.

“I know you’re working late tonight, but you must also take a break.” She huffed as she pressed her gift into his open hands. “What would the news say if the infamous Iudex collapsed in his seat from exhaustion.”

Guilt gnawed at the corner of her conscience as she soaked in his wide-eyed look of surprise. Perhaps…she had been a bad…friend if his delight at her checking in on him was any indication. 

“Thank you, Furina.” Her name, soft and sweet on his lips, made the butterflies in her stomach flutter. 

“Would you like to come in? Have you eaten too?” She shook her head.

“If you don’t mind then–”

“Not at all.” He held open the door as she slipped beneath his arm.

When he fell asleep on her shoulder that night as they watched his favorite movie, Furina wanted to curl up and hide as her -no, ‘Focalors’ -face played repeatedly across the screen. She sucked in a sharp breath, stilled her hand, removed his glasses, and tucked him onto the couch with the blanket they had been using before slipping out the door.

‘I did not mean to, truly…please…please believe me.’

The sobs followed her back into her apartment.

─── ₊જ⁀➴ ˚ 𓉞 ˚♡⊹˚₊───

Neuvillette's week went from delightful to horrible in what felt like mere seconds. He nursed the bruised jaw while waiting for the ice pack in his fridge to thaw enough to place against his face. What had started as a typical case had only spiraled into what he would aptly call a show of dramatic proportion when the defendant threw himself across the floor to land a very solid punch to his face. Clorinde had acted fast enough that there had only been one punch, but that did not mean it did not hurt. The pale-haired man hissed as he pressed the wrapped ice block against his face. His ego was bruised, to boot. His phone dinged, and he glanced long enough to see the link to the group chat and the spam of laughing stickers sent by Wriothelesly. He should talk to Siegwinne about her overzealous sticker gifting. He put his phone on mute before slipping onto the couch and turning on the television set.

He willed the day to end earlier.

The day decided it would not end as furious knocking roused him from his nap fifteen minutes later. Blearily, the judge tried to recall if he had ordered anything to be delivered today.

“Neuvillette, are you home?” He hissed as his knee smacked against the table in his rush to rise. “Neuvillette?”

Worry pinched his brow at the panic in her voice. Was something wrong? Did something untoward happen? He caught sight of the clock by the door. Should she not be at work around this time? They were filming a horror show, so her schedule had been shifted to accommodate the setting.

“A moment please.” He fumbled with the latch before managing to scoot the door open.

“Are you alright–”

“What did he do–”

The cacophony of words stalled them just enough. Neuvillette felt the tension in his chest ease when he saw her, disheveled and out of breath but alright.  

“What do you mean if I’m alright? I should be asking you that. Oh, look at you.” He blinked once and then twice as she pulled open the door and dragged him back into his own home. “Are you alright?”

Neuvillette was not quite sure how he had ended up on the couch with her rambling away when he had been distracted by the warmth of her palm against his and her fingers across his chin—light and quivering. He hissed as she pressed against the core. A wet sniffle answered him.

“Furina– Furina,” He held her hand still as she stared at him with glassy eyes. “I am alright. It is just a bruise.”

He wanted to wipe away the tears on her face. “But I saw the video! He punched you, and then you fell, and it was loud, and then when you got up, you were limping even worse. Clorinde said you had to go home–”

"I must admit, I found myself momentarily winded, and as you may recall, my leg was already ailing before this unforeseen incident." He added a mental note to give Clorinde a lovely bonus as Furina’s fingers cradled him. He knew without a doubt that the heat creeping across his cheek and onto his ears would paint them pink.

“You also did not answer any of my messages…or calls,” a wet sniffle broke her sentence in half. “I thought you fainted.” His gaze softened as he held the hand cradling his face. He held them gingerly in his palm as he pulled her closer.

“I assure you I am alright. I merely fell asleep after putting my phone on mute.” His greedy heart wanted her to shower him with more affection even as his conscience wavered at the sight of her tears. “I am sorry if I caused you undue worry. Did you run all the way here from work?”

“Why are you apologizing? You were the one who got hurt.” He reached up to wipe away the droplets beading from the corner of her eyes. She was, indeed, too sweet.

“We were wrapping up anyway. I don’t need to check on the last scene. We have another consultant for that.” He inhaled sharply as she leaned into his hand. Pink dusted her cheek. The taller man curled the desire to kiss her senselessly until she forgot all this upset, closer to his chest lest he fall for it. His heart ached with the hope that was fed to it.

Neuvillette exhaled once more before burying his face into her stomach and pulling her close into a short hug. This should stay within the boundaries she had placed.

“Neuvillette, are you sure you are alright?”

“I will be.”

He could feel her hesitate before he felt the caress of her fingers detangling the strands of his hair. He stilled as he felt it, the ghost of a kiss against the crown of his head.

He pulled back to the sight of her flushed face.

The petite woman shifted, the bottom of her lip caught between her teeth as she bit it under the weight of his observation. He was done with this game of theirs.

His palms found her cheek, and he pulled her firmly between his legs. He moved gently, slowly, enough that if she genuinely did not want this, she could -should - run. Furina met him halfway.

His lips slotted over her own, tender at first as if they were both afraid to shatter the fragile moment. But the hesitancy soon melted away under the warmth of their breath and the brush of his tongue. It was bittersweet and all he wanted. A kiss steeped in all the unspoken words and pent-up longing that had simmered between them for too long.

Neuvillette grew more bold, cradling her face as if she were the most precious treasure he'd ever found. Furina's fingers tangled in the soft locks at the nape of his neck, pulling him impossibly closer. The world around them seemed to fade. He pulled back only to let her breathe for a short moment before crashing his lips back onto her again. A man starved. Their breaths mingled when he finally parted. Her lips were puffed and wet, and the string that connected them gleamed in the low light. He smiled softly as Furina rested her forehead against his own.

Neuvillette held her firmly. His lips lingered on hers.

"Furina," he began, his voice a whisper that carried the weight of his heart. "May I love you?” He was not sure if he would survive heartbreak. He soaked in her glassy expression and the smile on her lips, making his heart soar.

“But…I’m not– I…” she quieted as he shook his head.

“I know. Let me love you, Furina. The Furina, whom adores her pets and sings to her fishtanks, who sometimes dances too hard in her house and plays her music through the wall. The one who helps me without morning ties my tie since he is a failure. The one who takes the elevator with me and ensures that I eat. The one who also runs home on a busy work day because she is worried. That is the one I love. This beautiful, shining, you. ”

Neuvillette’s answer was the press of Furina’s lips against his once more. Insistent and breathless between muttered “yes” and “I love you” in every breath.

They’d never been happier.

Behind them, the television was forgotten.

‘ Please, O judge, lift the chains from my soul!’

[alonetimelover]

Pairings: Andrew Garfield x Photographer!Reader

Summary: In 2018 you met someone on a plane. You played board games and somehow that man stayed in your life. You've been pretty private until that man, love of your life spilled the guts during his interview with British GQ.

A/N: I watched Andrew's '10 essentials' video and somehow it produced this little Social Media story. Enjoy! Andrew articulates his thoughts very beautifully and philosophically, I tried to somehow embrace it.

2018

yourinstagram

♥️ 💬 ➤

liked by ynupdates, yourbestfriend and 56 282 others

yourinstagram london, im coming!!! can't wait to be back home and work in the uk for some time.

photo taken by the kind stranger that earlier lost to me in bananagrams. board games at its finest.

view all 16 292 comments

yourbestfriend can't wait to see you, bby!

ynupdates just wanted to say that i love all the photos you've done for the latest Vogue issue. i really admire your talent❤️

⤷ yourinstagram thank you, lovely! xx

vogue we're waiting for you, yn!

gqbritish we are too!

user33 is she the one that won the international portrait photographer of the year?

⤷ ynupdates yes, she is!

⤷ user55 is she under some agency or something? I'd love to contact her for some photoshoot

⤷ ynupdates i believe she's now working around magazines' photoshoots, hence the gqbritish and vogue commenting

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andregarfieldlasagna

♥️ 💬 ➤

liked by andrewmyhusband, andrewspiderman and 4 292 others

andrewgarfieldlasagna Andrew today in London!

view all 1 292 comments

andrewmyhusband who is he taking photo of, smiling this hard???

⤷ andrewbtch people that saw him said he was out with some woman, but they didn't know who she was

andrewspiderman man's looking soon good 🤤

garfieldmyman THE arm!!! and that smile?? I can't

agfan772 that is a very specific camera, isn't it rather professional?

⤷ andrewsgirl well, he has loads of money so he's probably buying the best

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2019

yourinstagram

♥️ 💬 ➤

liked by vogue, ynupdates, andrewgarfieldlasagna and 3 292 292 others

yourinstagram earlier this year i was invited by the incredible Gia Coppola to visit the set of her newest film, Mainstream. it is streaming online in early 2020, starring this guy, but also, and most importantly, absolutely talented and beautiful Maya Hawke.

view all 34 217 comments

mayahawke i love you, i love you, i love you

⤷ yourinstagram i love youuuu xx

gqbritish are we teasing our next cover star?

⤷ yourinstagram are we?

⤷ gqbritish we are.

andrewgarfieldlasagna omg!!!! 🤤 Andrew as a blond man looks sooo good

andrewbtch him covering gq??? and yn's taking photos? its gonna be great

ynscamera she's around andrew so much. on the latest vogue party she was seen leaving with him...

⤷ andrewscat she said in her one and only (for now) interview that she's great friends with him. i wouldn't be speculating about their private lives.

⤷ ynupdates she also said that he's one of the most down to earth celebrities she's ever met. but also that whenever she's around him, he's just andrew and you can't feel any arrogance or swankiness that is often associated with stars.

⤷ ynscamera they seem like great friends. good for them!

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2020

gqbritish

♥️ 💬 ➤

liked by yourinstagram, ynupdates, andrewgarfieldlasagna and 3 292 393 others

gqbritish Andrew Garfield, man that became someone he'd dreamed of being. This month we interviewed one of the most wanted actors and (let's face it) men on planet Earth. How his SpiderMan movies changed his life? Is he in the newest MCU production with Tom Holland and Tobey Maguire? How friendships within and outside the Hollywood established him as a person? Click the link in our bio to get the (philosophical) answers to those and some more questions.

styled by Andrew Garfield

photographed by yourinstagram

GQ British 2020

view all 183 303 comments

andrewspiderman 'im not a werewolf!' sure andrew...

andrewgarfieldlasagna the way he speaks about his friendship is something I want to be able to express. he loves all of those people so much. it's so sweet.

ynupdates 'I wouldn't say I have hundrenths of best friends. No. I've got a few. My men from when we were young and beautiful. My YN that - she's just the perfect friend, you know? You'd say there's no 'perfect' people, and before knowing her I would've agreed. But now? She knows exactly what you need, how to talk with you. She - she's like a ray of sunshine you await all day, you know? Just before the sunset, it happens. And then it stays with you till you close your eyes before falling asleep. That's YN and her presence.'

⤷ ynupdates 🥺 I can't. he talks about her so beautifully...

⤷ ynscamera i want him as my best friend

⤷ amdrewandyn i refuse to belief those two people aren't in love, there's no way

yourinstagram working with this man is an absolute pleasure. thank you, gq for the opportunity of capturing this man's charm and warmth. ❤️

⤷ gqbritish no, we thank YOU.

agfan918 what a beautiful man

andrewspiderman he's denying those spiderman rumours so much with the proofs laying on the table

⤷ andrewsupdates like andrew said 'it's a photoshop'

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andrewsmylove

♥️ 💬 ➤

liked by ynupdates and andrewgarfieldlasagna 2 102 others

andrewsmylove guysssssss... i met andrew fucking garfield. i met the love of my life. i can die happy now.

view all 1 007 comments

andrewsmylove before you all start asking questions let me say this 1) it was outside london 2) he was out shopping (he had so many shopping bags full of groceries) 3) this picture was taken with zoom - we kept at least 8 feet distance 4) i got to have a small convo with him 🥺

andrewgarfieldlasagna oh god, so happy for you, love! ❤️

andrewspiderman do you know how he's dealing with quarantine?

⤷ andrewsmylove he said 'im alright, thank you. it's different, its hard. but there are people that don't have the luxury of staying comfortably at home and do mostly nothing. that, that's unsettling. i won't complain about myself. we just need to pull through it and hopefully it'll quickly become a history'

⤷ andrewbtch why isn't it surprising that he's Firstly thinking of others? he's so thoughtful

⤷ andrewsmylove he is! he talked to me about the food bank that just opened near the place we met. Two of those bags he was carrying were going there.

andrewandyn so happy for you! do you know if he's alone?

⤷ andrewsmylove he's not! when we were saying our goodbyes i said that i hoped he wasn't alone. he said 'oh don't worry, darling. i’ve got my family with me'

andrewbtch is this man shopping wearing a suit???

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2021

yourinstagram

♥️ 💬 ➤

liked by ynupdates, vogue, gqbristish, andrewgarfieldlasagna and 3 292 394 others

yourinstagram little lynn says hello

view all 199 383 comments

vogue hello, little Lynn!!! 👶

gqbritish we can't wait to see her during your photoshoots!

yourbestfriend keeping this little one a secret was haaard! my beautiful goddaughter ❤️

mayahawke congratulations, baby!!

andrewspiderman congratulations!!

andrewandyn i didn't know she was dating anybody during quarantine

⤷ andrewbtch i was sure she was spending it with andrew

⤷ andrewsmylove maybe they're, you know...

⤷ andrewbtch if andrew is a dad it's the end. nah, i can't take it. he's sooo hot plus a dad??? nope.

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andrewgarfieldlasagna

♥️ 💬 ➤

liked by andrewspiderman, andrewandyn and 8 292 others

andrewgarfieldlasagna i can't belive it 🥺 after all those leaked photos, i still wasn't sure they'd bring andrew and tobey to be in this movie. andrews laying didn't help either. but im sooo happy. it was perfect

view all 1 292 comments

andrewspiderman when ned opened the first portal i recognised that lean man immediately, but when he pulled off the mask i screamed so loudly 😭

andrewandyn it was so nicely done. bringing them back didn't outshine Tom's performance. im so glad to be alive and seeing Andrew's wearing that suit for the third time

yourinstagram 'im not a werewolf' liaaaaaaaar

⤷ andrewsmylove omgggg hi Queen!

⤷ andrewbtch yn???? you didn't know???

⤷ yourinstagram nope. this is the cause of our divorce.

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⤷ andrewandyn divorce, babe. divorce.

⤷ andrewbtch poor andrew getting divorce from his best friend 😢

2022

andrewspiderman

♥️ 💬 ➤

liked by andrewgarfieldlasagna, andrewandyn, andrewsmylove and 12 292 others

andrewgarfieldlasagna Andrew in his '10 essentials' video with GQ told a story of him and YN meeting. ON A FLIGHT. PLAYING BOARD GAMES. 'We are married. She's the mother of my child.' I am so happy for them 🥺

view all 2 392 comments

andrewandyn I told all so. I was right!!!!

andrewspiderman DILF.

andrewbtch daddy? sorry. daddy? sorry. daddy?

andrewmyhusband well, time to change the username...

ynupdates they named their child after his mother 🥺

andrewsmybaby guys!!!! gq released an interview as well

⤷ andrewspiderman no way! do you have a link?

⤷ andrewsmybaby ofc! www./gq-magazine/.co.uk

——————————————————————————————

www./gq-magazine/.co.uk

Andrew Garfield's search for ultimate philosophy of his life

Living the last year in Andrew's skin would be both - fulfilling and terrifying. Golden Globe win, an Emmy nomination, re-playing SpiderMan - Andrew is speaking about the freedom he feels while choosing his next projects. Not excluding the new experience, new life he'd been living since last year.

Interviewer: I cannot not start this conversation with congratulating you.

Andrew: (blushing) Oh, thank you very much. Thank you.

I: You won a Golden Globe for your portrayal of Jonathan Larson in Tick, Tick...Boom!

A: Yeah. Super cool. Yes. It- you know how it can be with awards. I don't say I don't like them. It's pleasing to be recognised by the critics. But (scratching his beard) with this film it never was made for awards. Or I've never treated it like it. The storytelling of Jonathan's life, genius and impeccable talent was what I wanted to present as genuinely as it could be possible. Showing young and older people that this man did so much for theatre, for music, for people.

I: You definitely brought him to life.

A: That's- that's what I wanted. Thank you for acknowledging my pains.

I: Of course. I'd never deny someone's genius in acting.

A: No, no. Please no. I have this problem with that word. Genius is something that remarkable people could be blessed with. People making difference in the world, changing it for the better. No genius in my head. But like all words and feelings there is no universal meaning to them. So, in your understanding of the word: thank you.

I: You said about changing the world, but last year your world changed completely.

A: (smiling) Yes. Yes, it did.

I: You're a married man.

A: I am. I am married to the most delicate, understanding, caring, mesmerising woman I've ever met. I don't think my or your lifetime would be enough for me to express how much this woman changed my life. The- the absolute love I feel is one of the greatest feelings I've experienced. Such an eternal feeling.

I: It's not the only change, is it?

A: (laughs, while blushing) No.

I: Last year you welcomed your daughter in the world. You're a dad!

A: Yes! I finally can shamelessly make those ludicrous jokes. Even if not funny it's a dad joke.

I: How's that? Being a father?

A: Don't make me start. (laughs) At home, I have two rays of sunshine, beaming at me, making me absolutely awestruck. It's not helping when the little one is the picture of her mother - mind-bogglingly precious. It's- it's funny because my brother has kids. And whenever he spoke about how much he loved, appreciated and just - just valued them and his wife, I couldn't comprehend that. Love was always such a beautiful but mysterious feeling for me, somehow uncomprehending. And then YN came into my life. And little L was born. Those feelings just started burning my heart. My whole body. I still can't understand it. But it's so magical. You're really ready to do anything for that little human.

I: How are all the milestones?

A: Exciting. (tears up) Fuck. See? Oh God. Being so full of that love is- oh screw it. I'm done. (laughs)

I: What are your plans?

A: There's not many of them. We're trying to live the moment with YN, appreciate the joy that Universe gave us - little Lynn. We're living from one milestone to the other. From her first smile, through first prattle, first solo sitting situation to those attempts of the first word. I'm not the youngest, the big 40 is waiting around the corner, and experiencing those joys with my love is, I think, the essence of my existence.

I: Do you think without that you'd be lost?

I: Fullfilled.

A: I don't know. Maybe. Probably. It's a big thing to derive your happiness from other people, even if it's your absolute partner and child. It's dangerous. (Andrew thinks for a moment.) That's why I surf. It clears my mind, brings me my own, autarcik joy. It's something that is only mine. YN isn't a fan of surfing, but accepts and supports my endeavours. So to answer your question, without them my existence wouldn't feel pure. They make me complete.

A: Yes. It's strange getting to know in your late 30s that you lack so much. That your life could be so different if you met that on person earlier or not at all. There always was that perpetual search in me, for meaning of life, for love, for - you know - answers. Why, why why. There still is that search, but now I can just leave one room and go look for my wife and talk to her about it, search together. Or I can find my daughter, hug her and speak to her, sing. And even though she, for now, only can be a blabbery little human, the search is united.

I: What do you wish for now, in your life?

A: Like a dad would say, health. (laughs) My dad has so fun with calling me out on sounding just like him. I do. I do sound just like him. That's what fathers do apparently.

Magazine GQ

Andrew Garfield

Photographed by YN Garfield

——————————————————————————————

yourinstagram

♥️ 💬 ➤

liked by mayahawke, andrewgarfieldlasagna, gqbritish, yourbestfriend and 5 202 292 others

yourinstagram exhausted (the best) father after chasing his one-year-old daughter around for the whole day.

1461 days with you and it still amazes me how my love for you can only grow.

view all 140 292 comments

yourbestfriend i know im late, but im still babysitting my little baby. youll have the whole hause to yourselves

mayahawke give my baby L a kiss!

⤷ yourinstagram be quick. lil lynn is ready to sleep and parents are ready to play Bananagrams

⤷ andrewsmylove bananagrams??? the game that they played the first time they met??? 🥺

andrewspiderman 4 years and a day??? they've been together for so long

⤷ andrewsmylove not really a day. it's fu 4 years - leap year has 366 days - so it's right

andrewbtch i still can't belive he's a father

ynupdates happy anniversary! ❤️

andrewgarfieldlasagna happy anniversary, lovies!!

[callmearcturus]

In a world where many focus on recording moments rather than living them, the audience remained captivated by the visual and sonic experience unfolding before them. The background videos, futuristic stage design, and carefully orchestrated laser effects created an atmosphere that felt both intimate and otherworldly. The band’s performance, which was equal parts nostalgic and fresh, invited fans to connect on a deeper level.

Glass Animals Find Courage Among The Cosmos, 303 Magazine

[predoom]

ttyg 10 year anniversary - oral history

ap magazine 303 (october 2013, photographs from january 2014) // ap magazine fall out boy collector’s edition (sold april 2024, photographs from june 2024)

[antiqueanimals]

Lion et Lionne. Rosa Bonheur.

From The International Studio: An Illustrated Magazine of Fine & Applied Art. Vol. 75. No. 303. 1922.

Internet Archive

[gunzlotzofgunz]

BSA Lee Speed Sporting Rifle Charger Loading Calibre .303

Express open-sights are fitted; the back sight is 100 yards fixed, folding leaves for 200 & 300 yards and tangent from 400 to 1000 yards and block-mounted bead-foresight.

The action is the Charger Loading Long Lee (CLLE) style action with magazine cut-off and charger loading bridge. Standard bolt safety is fitted the same as on the Long Lees. - This differs from the SMLE which has the action mounted safety.

[sweetdreamsjeff]

‘An Emotional Lightning Rod’: Jeff Buckley’s ‘Grace’ at 25

Jim Shahen

POSTED ON AUGUST 22, 2019

Grace is 25 years old. Jeff Buckley’s debut is gorgeous and heartbreaking, ambitious, daring and eclectic, and, as the sole studio album released during his short life, the only fully realized vision of the artistic brilliance he possessed.

With the expectation that his first LP was the starting point of an iconic recording career, Columbia Records released Grace on Aug. 23, 1994. Entertainment Weekly deemed it “stunningly original” and “too good to be true.” Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune heralded Buckley’s voice as having “a soulful intensity that sends chills.” Peers and legends such as Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and Chris Cornell were effusive in their praise of the album and of Buckley’s tremendous gifts as a singer, guitarist, and composer.

Others were not so kind. Rolling Stone lauded his ambition, but gave Grace a three-star review that featured the one of the poorest-aging opinions in the magazine’s history: “The young Buckley’s vocals don’t always stand up: He doesn’t sound battered or desperate enough to carry off Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah.’” And Robert Christgau, the “Dean of American Rock Critics,” gave it a C rating and lampooned the hoopla surrounding Buckley by writing, “Let us pray the force of hype blows him all the way to Uranus.”

But those less-than-stellar reviews engaged with Grace on the same terms as the glowing ones — that this was the starting point for an artist with sky-high expectations, talent, and potential. Buckley’s horrific drowning death at age 30 in the Wolf River, an offshoot of the Mississippi, in 1997 ensured it was also his end point. But between his own passing and the passage of time, Grace has only grown in stature.

In 2014, the Library of Congress added Buckley’s “Hallelujah” to the National Recording Registry. Rolling Stone, walking back its prior opinion, ranked the track 259th in its 500 best songs of all time in 2003 and put Grace at 303 in its top 500 albums list the same year. Over the past decade, essentially every music publication of note has included Grace on its list of both top releases of the 1990s and overall albums.

A Vessel

The son of prodigiously talented folk-jazz singer/cult icon Tim Buckley and Mary Guibert, Jeff arrived at music without the guidance of the father he met only once before Tim’s death in 1975 from a drug overdose. While a cornerstone of his legacy is his gorgeous, multi-octave voice, Buckley’s first passion and pursuit in music was the guitar, where he was drawn to the sounds of Led Zeppelin and jazz fusion.

After spending the latter half of the 1980s kicking around as a guitarist in various jazz, metal, punk, funk, reggae, and R&B bands, Buckley began to pursue his own songs. In 1991 he attracted industry attention when, accompanied by guitarist Gary Lucas, he made his public singing debut at a tribute show for his father.

Photo by Merri Cyr / Sony Music

From there, Buckley’s career trajectory changed. After collaborating with Lucas for a year, he went out on his own and became part of the New York City café scene. These shows, later documented on Live at Sin-é, became part of his legend, featuring both his original tunes and an eclectic mix of fare made popular by Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Judy Garland, and Bad Brains.

These café shows regularly attracted record executives and power players, and in October 1992 Buckley signed a three-album deal with Columbia Records. The label had high hopes that Buckley’s brilliance would quickly reveal itself to a wider range of fans. The thinking was that he’d succeed labelmates Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen as someone who would flourish into the finest singer-songwriter of his generation and compile a legendary body of work.

For the band that helped record Grace and toured with him in support, that brilliance was apparent from the beginning.

“This might sound stupid, but I don’t give a shit,” his former drummer Matt Johnson says. “But one time when we were playing, something about his voice went through my body. It was an entirely metaphysical moment where something supernatural happened.

“The man was one of the most extraordinary musicians to ever live,” he adds. “Jeff was this lightning rod of the tone and tenor of all the human emotion in a room. He had this ability to act as an emotional lightning rod, and I always thought he’d hopefully become a vessel for that.”

Saving ‘Grace’

Johnson first met Buckley in summer 1993 and within a couple of months was recruited to be the drummer for the Grace recording sessions. Though the then-23-year-old had had some session and recording experience, Johnson had never worked on a project of this scale before. As he looks back on the experience, Johnson thinks his youth and relative inexperience played a large part in why Buckley wanted him in the band.

“Jeff seemed to be confident he could get what he needed from this ensemble,” he says. “We were young and, in my case, had a lot of insecurities. I think he wanted that — he didn’t want session musicians, he wanted the transformation younger players would bring and create a snapshot of that.”

Photo by Merri Cyr / Sony Music

While Johnson recalls that “the stakes felt high” and there was a “sense of importance of Jeff” to Columbia, he doesn’t remember the process of creating Grace as particularly laborious or fraught. Part of this can be attributed to the calming nature of producer Andy Wallace, who had previously worked on Nirvana’s Nevermind, Run-DMC’s Raising Hell, and multiple albums by Slayer, and his ability to nurture the creative process.

Johnson also attributes a large part of that to Buckley’s multi-instrumental capabilities, uncanny ear, instincts, and efficiency. Because of that, it only took about a day per song to lay down the non-vocal elements.

“I thought he was a very good collaborator, bandleader, and mentor,” Johnson says. “Jeff understood how to both be an individual musician, while also still keenly aware of how to be part of an ensemble.

“His listening was a very powerful thing to be present for,” Johnson continues, comparing Buckley’s auditory capacity to that of composer Johann Sebastian Bach. “It could be textures, entry points, Jeff just knew how stuff should be held together. He could get a pairing of two basic opposites and it’d sound idiosyncratic and perfect.”

While Johnson was there for the entirety of the recording process, Michael Tighe came into Buckley’s band at the tail end of the sessions. The guitarist had met Buckley through a mutual friend in high school and the two had jammed on and off. As Buckley closed in on completing Grace and was putting together his touring band, he reached out to his friend.

Much like Johnson, Tighe was impressed by Buckley’s ability to absorb so many influences and styles, then translate it into his own work.

“He would ruminate on the music a lot and when it came time for recording, he’d really focus,” Tighe says. “He’d usually come in very quickly or he’d obsess on it and get into a perfectionist mindset. But he wouldn’t release something until it was perfect.

Photo by Merri Cyr / Sony Music

“He was really taken with a lot of music,” Tighe says. “He could cast this spell and create a space that was quite meditative. We would sit or stand in a circle and drone on something. We all had very good chemistry; it’s why he put the band together.”

That natural chemistry Buckley had with Tighe and the rest of the group came in handy and allowed Tighe to come in with a late contribution that changed the complexion of Grace.

“One day I played him the chords to ‘So Real.’ It was something I played him in my room (back in high school),” he recalls. “This was after, like, most of the album was done. During rehearsals he said, ‘Hey, remember that song you played in your room?’”

Thus, “So Real” came to be. To make room for it on Grace, Buckley bumped “Forget Her” off the album. This move came much to the chagrin of Columbia Records, which had planned to issue “Forget Her” as the lead single. Neither Johnson nor Tighe can recall quite why Buckley held such disdain for “Forget Her,” a tune of his own composition, but both vividly remember his adamance in replacing it.

“‘So Real’ saved the record for him,” Johnson says. “And it points toward the sound he was going for, it’s the sound of a door opening to the future.”

A Cult Hero

When Grace was finally released, grunge rock, hip-hop, and The Lion King soundtrack dominated the charts. There weren’t many acts out there simultaneously channeling Nina Simone, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the Smiths, and Led Zeppelin. As such, it took a long time for the record to take hold and capture the imagination of listeners: It peaked at 149 on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart that year and didn’t reaching platinum-selling status until 2006.

Photo by Merri Cyr / Sony Music

Even without immediate success, the participants knew they had made something special.

“You can go back now and think about the production and the mix from that time period, but I think it’s perfect in its own way,” Tighe notes. “I think Jeff was very aware of how good the album was, but I think it bothered him slightly the album wasn’t more successful. But he was already a cult hero. We all thought it’d be a longer career and that would change.

“The zeitgeist was so different back then. There weren’t bands like Coldplay, Radiohead had just started,” Tighe says. “When I play it now for people, I love watching the glaze that comes over their eyes. Ultimately, it’s his voice, people just have an immediate emotional reaction to his voice.”

Johnson’s feelings on Grace are tied strongly to the recording sessions, that moment in time they captured and what it all meant personally. The fact that it connected with people well after the fact is an added bonus.

“When it comes to Grace, I feel very, very lucky. I’m never in a position to look at it like anything but a fuckin’ penny from heaven,” he says. “There isn’t one song I don’t like. When I hear it, it’s like I made this amazing best image of me that could be captured in any scenario.

“I can’t find fault with it and it’s not like I haven’t heard criticism,” Johnson continues. “But the feeling I got recording it was absolutely spine-chilling. I did not ever more feel what the drive of my life was, and it could not have borne better fruits. To have Rolling Stone or whoever now praise it is icing on the fucking cake. I don’t ever feel like, ‘What the fuck took you so long?’”

Musical Echoes

It took a few years for Buckley’s influence on fellow artists to be heard. By Tighe’s estimation, it was around the early 2000s that he started hearing Buckley-esque melodies on the radio, including from bands such as Coldplay and Radiohead, who drew inspiration from Buckley’s chord progressions and structures.

“Now you just hear it all the time,” he says. “There was that moment a while back someone did ‘Hallelujah’ on one of those shows like American Idol. The zeitgeist has changed a lot.”

Of course, Buckley’s legacy is more than just the alt-rock waves of decades past and singing competitions designed to highlight vocal chops. There’s a new breed of singer-songwriters that have used Grace as a starting point for their endeavors.

Madison Cunningham (photo by Claire Marie Vogel)

Madison Cunningham is a 22-year-old musician who just released the LP Who Are You Now and cites Buckley as one of her heroes. On songs like “Something to Believe In” and “Last Boat to Freedom,” you can hear her use that admiration to create her own artistic statement.

She was gifted a copy of Grace from a friend as a teenager and at first she didn’t dig it. But once she revisited it a few months later, it was a revelation.

“I didn’t get it and I really wanted to get it, but it was a big palette stretch for me,” Cunningham recalls. “But once I did, it was like, ‘Whoa, I get it! This is like the song that’s inside my head!’

“Always his voice stands out. Still to this day I haven’t heard a voice like that,” she continues. “There was such a depth to his work, you’ve got to sit a minute to think about it all.”

While Buckley’s vocal range and power moved and inspired her, what’s seeped into Cunningham’s work was the way he played guitar and arranged his material to incorporate all the different sounds that moved him.

“He changed how I played guitar,” she says. “He was so bold with his chord progressions. There’s certain chords he played that are just very unique to him. Even now when I play something, I’m like, ‘Oh, those are Buckley chords.’

“There’s just something special to him,” Cunningham adds. “He had his own genre and sound and was very unashamedly himself. That’s very hard to find.”

Cunningham identifies why, 25 years later, Grace and Jeff Buckley are still relevant parts of the cultural landscape. It’s why there’s interest in the various bootlegs, live takes, demos, and the recent biographical graphic novel his estate has released in the past two decades.

The latest batch of such releases, timed for the anniversary, includes four concert albums as well as expanded digital versions of Grace (including “Forget Her”), Mystery White Boy (a full-length live album), and Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk, an album of material Buckley recorded in 1996 and 1997 and was first released a year after his death. All will be available digitally on Aug. 23.

In the years since Buckley’s tragic demise, both Tighe and Johnson have gone on to work on other major projects. Tighe’s written for and worked with Adele, Mark Ronson, and Liam Gallagher. Johnson has played with Rufus Wainwright and Jade Bird and had a five-year stint with St. Vincent.

Both men are active, talented, and in-demand career musicians. Neither needs to relive their time with Buckley as a way to boost themselves. But both are enthusiastic in discussing their friend and his gifts, and are doing their part to ensure people remember him.

“As a special talent, he was pretty ineffable,” Tighe says. “He was attracted to music with spirituality and he could embody that. It wasn’t something he learned, it was just given. He was incredible.”

“With Jeff, because he died in such an unforeseen way, I try to make the time to talk about him,” Johnson says. “Jeff had a certain intelligence and this explosion of emotion that was a soaring, insightful, penetrating whole vision of a man. I’ll always do what I can to honor that.”

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Grace, Columbia/Legacy has shared a previously unreleased live video of “Lover, You Should Have Come Over,” filmed during a concert in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Feb. 19, 1994.

[junawer]

The German Contribution to the Israeli Killing Machine

By Maher El Khechen (alsifr magazine) [english transl. below]

"I want to state very clearly: Israel will get what it needs for the preservation of its security". With these words, the former German Chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, summarized the relationship between Germany and Israel in 2005. Germany assumes a special responsibility for Israel's security and considers its unconditional support a form of compensation for the "Holocaust" or the genocide of Jews, committed in the Nazi era. Germany's steadfast and unequivocal support for Israel goes beyond a political stance to encompass significant military and material assistance. This makes Germany a crucial partner alongside the United States in building Israel's military capability, which it employs under the pretext of "self-defense" in its current wars on Gaza and Lebanon, as well as in all its wars and military operations in the West Bank and beyond.

The New/Old German Stance

‘‘At this moment, there is only one place for Germany: firmly on the side of Israel. This is what we mean when we say that the security of Israel is and will remain the prime motivation for the actions of the state of Germany’’.

With these words, on October 12, 2023, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz defined his country's position - which is already clear - towards Israel's war on Gaza. This position comes in the context of Germany’s “historic responsibility” towards “Israel’s security”, which former German Chancellor Angela Merkel considered a part of Germany’s ‘‘reason of state” in a historical speech she delivered before the Israeli Knesset in 2008. The tone of this statement became the default used by the German state in expressing every position in relation to Israel.

Germany translated its position internally by restricting demonstrations in support of Palestine, describing an anti-Semitic character to them. This message spread in most German media outlets, and German cities witnessed a wave of arrests in several demonstrations since October 7.

Huge Military Support after October 7th

Until the second of November this year, the German government approved the export of military equipment and sensitive weapons to Israel, the worth of which amounting to 303 million euros (equivalent to 323 million US dollars) for the year 2023. Germany typically agrees to export military equipment either through a large deal or by granting permits for the export of specific equipment requested by different countries. Germany approved 218 individual permits for Israel, including 185 permits after the 7th of October, contradicting the German guidelines that prohibit arms exports to a country in a state of war or facing conflicts on its borders.

The value of these German military exports to Israel is about ten times their value in 2022, which was only 32 million euros.

This is not the highest value Israel has historically received from Germany. Between January and July 2014, Israel ranked first among countries importing German weapons and military equipment, with a value of approximately 616.8 million euros, according to the German report on arm exports. This value reached such heights due to a massive submarine deal that attracted international attention for years.

According to official German reports, Israel ranked third among the countries to which Germany exported weapons and military equipment between 2018 and 2022, receiving 9.5% of Germany's total military exports during these two years. Israel also held this position between 2014 and 2018, receiving 8.3% of Germany's overall military exports.

On another note, since at least 2011, Germany has remained in the second position, after the United States, on the list of countries from which Israel imports weapons and equipment, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which relies on official reports from different countries. Italy typically holds the third position with a relatively small percentage.

Germany's share of Israel's imports of military equipment and weapons varies annually based on the deals between the two countries. For instance, German weapons and equipment constituted 20% of Israel's military imports between 2018 and 2022, and this percentage was 36% between 2012 and 2016.

The Sٍhare of German Weapons in Israel’s Military Imports Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

Types of German Weapons in Israel

The German weapons exported to Israel, sometimes with Germany contributing to their cost, include submarines and warships. However, Israel also utilizes various weapons with German components and parts. For example, the primary weapon in the Israeli Merkava 3 and 4 tanks used in the 2006 war on Lebanon and the 2008 war on Gaza is a 120mm gun based on the design of the German company Rheinmetall. Additionally, the fire suppression system in the tanks was developed by the German company AEG. The engine of the "Merkava 4" and the transmission are manufactured by the German companies MTU and Renk, respectively. Moreover, German contributions extend to tactical surveillance systems, firefighting centers, bulldozers, and ground vehicles.

The Never-Ending Submarine Deal

The relationship between Germany and Israel is clearly reflected in Germany's historical role in enhancing the Israeli naval arsenal, a role that began in the 1970s. During that time, the Israeli Navy relied on three submarines of the Gal class, designed in West Germany by the company Industriekontor LübeckK and manufactured in the United Kingdom between 1973 and 1977 with German assistance.

In 1986, Israel, not directly through the West German government, acquired a new submarine from the same design company and shipbuilding yard HDW in the German city of Kiel. However, official deals between Israel and Germany became more feasible with the establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany in the early 1990s.

Before this period, numerous weapons were informally transferred from Germany to Israel under the label of "loans", including weapons that had disappeared from the warehouses of the German Ministry of Defense and were recorded as "stolen". The equipment included helicopters, transport aircraft, tanks, anti-aircraft guns, and tank-guided missiles.

In January 1991, Germany reached an agreement with Israel (signed in June) allowing the supply of weapons valued at 1.2 billion German marks, including a full German financing for two submarines. After negotiations in 1992, the two parties signed an annex to the initial agreement in 1995 concerning a third submarine.

The three submarines, Dolphin, Leviathan, and Tekuma, arrived in Israel successively in July 1999, November 1999, and finally October 2000, respectively. These submarines were produced in the HDW shipyard, a subsidiary of the German company ThyssenKrupp.

The submarine deals did not conclude there, as further Israeli-German negotiations for the purchase of new submarines resurfaced. On the last day of his term in 2005, German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder approved the export of two new submarines. After years of negotiations, Germany and Israel signed a contract for the export of a sixth submarine in Berlin in March 2012. Once again, the German government supported the deal with a sum of 135 million euros, equivalent to one-third of the submarine's cost, and allowed Israel to settle the remaining portion by 2015 due to its economic situation.

In a commentary by the German newspaper "Die Zeit" in 2017, German Chancellery stated that Germany's funding for the submarines demonstrates that Germany "remains committed to its special historical responsibility for the security of the Israeli state, which is unconditional". The fourth and fifth submarines are of the Dolphin class and are equipped with an air-independent propulsion system. Israel commissioned the fourth submarine (INS Tanin) in 2014 and the fifth submarine (INS Rahav) in 2016. It is noteworthy that Israel consistently requested modifications to the submarine designs.

In January 2022, Israel signed a contract with the same German company worth 3 billion euros (3.4 billion US dollars) to manufacture three advanced submarines as a replacement for the first three submarines acquired by Israel between 1999 and 2000. The first submarine is expected to be delivered within nine years, according to the agreement, which also includes the construction of a training simulation system in Israel and the supply of spare parts.

According to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, the German government covered 600 million Euros of the cost through a special grant, which was part of an agreement between the two countries in 2017. The case known as Case 3000, which arose from suspicions of corruption and bribery involving officials in the Israeli Ministry of Defense, close associates of Netanyahu, and officials in German companies, prevented the conclusion of this agreement at that time.

The value of the three-submarine deal doubled between 2017 and 2022 due to new weaponry additions and modifications to the submarines. Additionally, the two parties signed an agreement worth 850 million euros in exchange for the German government's investment in Israeli industries, including defense companies.

The submarine deal raised suspicions about Germany providing Israel with the capability to equip the submarines with nuclear weapons. These suspicions surfaced in 2002, voiced by former officials in the U.S. State Department at the Pentagon, according to the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI). They gained momentum with the proliferation of corruption cases in subsequent deals. Israel has denied these allegations, and the German government did not treat them as a serious concern. There was no comment on Israel's request to modify the Dolphin submarines, which is believed to aim at bettering their compatibility with Israeli missiles armed with nuclear warheads.

Germany’s Training and Presence in the Southern Occupied Palestinian Territories

Germany conducts joint military training and exercises with Israel in addition to offering military support and the exchange of weapons and military equipment. These collaborations involve joint training either within larger European NATO Training programs or specific trainings between the German and Israeli armed forces.

In 2021, the "Blue Flag'' multinational air force training took place in the Negev Desert, a biennial training. The exercise included six aircraft (F-35s, Rafales, Mirages, and Eurofighter jets) used by the German Air Force, brought to the Israeli Ovda Air Base near Eilat, close to the Red Sea. About 160 soldiers participated from Germany alone. One of the aircrafts carried the name "Eagle Star", combining the Star of David from the Israeli flag and the eagle, the symbol of the German federal government, symbolizing the special relationship between the two air forces.

Even before this maneuver, the German-Israeli "Red Baron" squadron was (and still is) stationed at the same airbase, with the location subject to high secrecy. In 2020, Israeli soldiers visited northern Germany for the first time with six F-15 fighter jets, conducting military exercises in extensive areas there.

German Ships Defend Gas Fields

In May 2015, following the visit of the then German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen (currently the President of the European Commission), Germany and Israel signed a massive deal. Through this deal, Israel purchased four warships from Germany for 430 million euros. According to Israel, these ships are intended for the defense of maritime energy assets and gas fields off the Palestinian coast. The ships were to be delivered by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems within five years. In July 2021, Germany handed over the last two ships to the Israeli Navy.

In a Huge Deal, Israel Sells a Defense System to Germany

About two months ago, on September 28, 2023, Israel concluded a significant deal with Germany worth $3.5 billion. Through this deal, Germany purchased the "Arrow-3" system, a long-range missile defense system designed to intercept ballistic missiles outside the Earth's atmosphere. This deal was finalized in August with the approval of the United States, which assisted in building the system. Germany is expected to receive the system in 2025. Israeli Defense Minister Gantz considered this deal as a confirmation of the collaboration between Israel and Germany in building a safer future for both: "Just as it [Arrow-3] guards Israel's skies and saves the lives of its citizens, it will now also defend Germany and its citizens".

[omegaremix]

Omega Radio for April 9, 2022; #303.

Still Corners: “The Trip”

Jeanines: “You Were Mine”

Peel Dream Magazine: “Up And Up”

Long Beard: “Sweetheart”

Crumb: “M.R.”

Shower Curtain: “All That U Do”

Corey Flood: “Down The Hill”

Fawns Of Love: “Horoscope”

Gentle Heat: “In Between”

Julia Shapiro: “Shape”

Citrus Clouds: “Whoa”

Young Prisms: “Feel Fine”

Dummy: “Slacker Mask”

Soft Blue Shimmer: “Coca-Cola Abyss”

Deeper In: “Sicayda”

Trillion: “Sure”

Chrome Waves: “Aspiring Death”

Poppy Jean Crawford: “Same Old Tricks”

Criminal World: “Mox Jet”

Youngest: “Slow Fade”

Slow Crush: “Hush”

Kestrels: “Octavio”

Nadja: “Starres”

Gemma Ray: “Acta Non Verba”

Wand: “Airplane”

Mr. Elevator: “Brobdingag”

Shoegaze, alternative, dream-pop, and jangle.