#MY JORDAN YEAR WILL BE IN A RECESSION

[theriverdalereviewer]

HOW BAD DO THINGS NEED TO GET IN THIS COUNTRY FOR THINGS TO CHANGE

[incorrectbatfam]

How do the kids give Bruce psychic damage?

Damian: Father, can I drive the Batmobile?

Bruce: No.

Damian: *draws him as a Minion*

———————

Steph: Now that I'm eighteen, I need to register to vote. Can you help me?

Bruce: Of course.

Bruce: *pulls up the website*

Bruce: Date of birth?

Steph: August 11th, 2006.

———————

Tim: Can I sneak into the League of Assassins? I want my spleen back.

Bruce: Absolutely not, and that's final.

Tim: *goes to the Batcomputer*

Tim: *types in www.archiveofourown.org*

Tim: *searches Bruce Wayne/Hal Jordan*

Tim: *picks an E-rated fic*

Tim: *enables text-to-speech*

Tim: *leaves*

———————

Bruce: Barbara, can you help Alfred with the seating arrangement for the gala?

Barbara: Yeah, just send me the guest list.

[at the gala]

Bruce: *sits down*

Oliver: *sits down next to him*

———————

Bruce: I'll cut the perp off with the Batmobile. Hood, since your bike's out of commission, you'll need to commandeer another vehicle.

Jason: Roger that.

[later]

Jason, over the comms: Perp is secured.

Bruce: Good. Bring him in.

Jason: *pulls up in the Jokermobile*

———————

Harper: I'm taking a history class to fulfill my general ed requirements. Can I interview you for an assignment?

Bruce: Sure, what's it on?

Harper: The 2008 recession.

———————

Dick and Bruce: *fighting*

Bruce: That's it, you're benched.

Dick: Newsflash, orphan boy: you can't do that. I'm twenty-seven years old, which means I'm at the prime you wish you were. You're nothing more than a mummified raisin withering away in your dark, dusty corner waiting for the day one of us puts you in the retirement home, leaving you to slowly die alone as you wonder why your kids don't call. And when you finally kick the bucket, the first thing your parents will do when they see you is point you to the revolving door of reincarnation so they no longer have to bear the shame of giving you life.

———————

[at a gala]

Bruce: This is my daughter.

Cass: Hi my name is Cassandra Wu-San Dementia Raven Wayne.

———————

Bruce, holding a box: Guess what I found in the attic? My flip phone, VHS tapes, and Nintendo 64 from college.

Duke: Cool, I didn't know you were into the Y2K aesthetic.

[pixeldistractions]

With Maria on the train and dashing back to her daughter, Jordan had a date to keep of his own. He told the boys he’d be a little late for their usual 4:00 chat. 

“Hey guys, I’m here now.” In the background of their image, the normally sterile counters were cluttered with pans and bowls. “Oh, hey, did your mom cook?”

“She tried to make mac and cheese,” Milo said. “But the water kept bubbling over and she almost burnt the kitchen down, so she got really mad and dumped it all down the sink. But then it clogged the drain, and now she has to call a plumber. You should have seen the veins in her head.”

“Oh, no. So what did you eat for dinner?”

“Pizza again,” Milo said. “It’s okay, we like pizza.”

“Ok. Well, sorry I was late. I had a visit from a friend. She just got on the train.”

“Was it Maria?”

“Wait, what? How did you know?”

“Because she’s your best friend. She said so, but she said it kind of funny. And you said she took a train, so it must have been kind of far.”

These boys were too smart.

“Right. She is my best friend.”

“Is she your girlfriend?” Felix asked.

Instant paralysis. “Where’s your mom?” Jordan scanned the background of the video for Colette. He suspected that she often listened in on these calls. And sure, these conversations would have to happen someday, but he wasn’t ready to deal with that now, especially when apparently her veins were already popping out of her head today.  

“She’s taking a bath. She said she needed self care.”

Relief.

“Okay,” Jordan said. “What do you boys know about girlfriends?”

“It’s like, kissing and holding hands and stuff,” Felix said.

“Felix wants Lily to be his girlfriend,” Milo tattled.

“Shut up, no I don’t, you idiot.”

“Felix, no name calling,” Jordan said.

“And Connor had a girlfriend last year. It was Bianca, except she said he wasn’t her boyfriend. But we saw them kissing during recess.”

“Kissing, in fourth grade?”

“Dad! They weren’t in fourth grade, they were in fifth. But now they went to middle school this year. They’re like eleven already.”

“Of course. Eleven.” Jordan felt so old. “But you don’t have to kiss someone just because everybody else is.” 

“Was mom the first girl you kissed?” Milo asked.

“Um, no, it was somebody else.”

“How old were you?” Felix asked.

“I was, uh, fifteen,” Jordan said.

Felix cackled. “Ha ha, that's so old. I better get to kiss someone before I’m fifteen.”

“It’s not a race.”   

“Were you a dork in middle school?”

“Ha. Maybe I was.”

“That’s why,” Felix said, nodding sagely. “Dorks don’t get kissed until high school.”

Jordan was hoping this side track into middle school romantic gossip might make them forget their question, but no, it didn’t. 

“So, is she? Your girlfriend?”

“This is the kind of thing I should probably tell your mom first,” Jordan said. “Does that make sense? It’s the right thing to do.”

“So, she is then?”

“You know your mom and I never got married, right?”

“Yeah, we know.”

“How do you feel about me having a girlfriend?”

“I don’t know,” Milo said. “It’s kind of weird. But I guess she’s nice.”

“She’s very nice. Felix, what do you think?” 

“I never really talked to her before,” Felix said. “I don’t know if she’s nice.”

“You can talk to her sometime if you want,” Jordan said. “Soon. We’ll all spend some time together soon.”

“I guess we could.”

“Your mom is still in the bath?”

They nodded. 

“Are you sure? Make sure.” 

Felix elbowed his brother in the ribs and Milo crept up the stairs and then back down. “Yeah,” he confirmed.

“Okay,” Jordan said. “Yes, Maria is my girlfriend.”

“Oh, okay,” they both said, sitting in that new truth for a moment. 

And then, thankfully, they had other things to talk about. Very exciting things. Like how Connor McCullough got suspended for pranking the school toilets, and how the new Voidcritter movies were kind of dumb, but they watched them all three times anyway, and did he know there was a skate park being built at the harbor? And when he comes back in December, could he take them there? Please please please?

“A thousand percent, yes,” Jordan promised. “No matter how cold, even if there’s snow.” 

They were smart and getting so big. They could walk themselves to the bus stop and pour their own cereal and didn’t need to be reminded to wash behind their ears most of the time. But they weren’t done with their dad. Jordan wasn’t even done with his own dad at twenty-two. And this was special, what they had, him and his boys. Colette had her role, and he wouldn’t call it an unimportant one, but he couldn’t imagine her holding space for them, being open for them, talking with them like he did. Maybe it was a boy thing. Which meant that his leaving left an immense void, and were these video chats good enough to fill that void?

Life was a seesaw—one thing goes up and another thing hits the ground. In one hand an answer and the other hand a quagmire. You might need it all, but you can’t have it all, and there’s the tragedy. Something precious will be lost, and what will it be?

— from “boxes and squares #4.5: home is wherever you are, part 2” (5/10)

story notes: Jordan always tells his boys first

Next ->

[deanwinchesterswitch]

November 2023 Fic Rec List

November was even busier than October. It literally flew by in a wink for me. However, I did manage to carve out some time here and there for a bit of reading.

Enjoy!

This is the last fic rec post for this year.😲

💜Thank you to all the authors who share your stories for my enjoyment. I am so very grateful for your talent and generosity!💜

I've been hoarding links and am looking forward to reading as many of those stories as I can during winter recess.

Many of these blogs and fics are NSFW-18+. Please honor any requests from a blog regarding no minors. I am not responsible for the content you choose to consume; heed the warnings for each fic.

~Supernatural~

An Imagined Life ~ @imagineteamfreewill. Author's Summary: Y/N and Dean have been best friends since childhood, and though they’re both adults with busy lives, they still manage to keep up their weekly traditions.

Before I Fall ~ @stusbunker. Author's Summary: None (Ficlet; Dean Winchester x Female Reader)

Deceiving Dean ~ @wayward-and-worn. Author's Summary: Taking place during Life with Dean.  Sometimes you just need a little deception to keep things interesting.

Geronimo ~ @trektraveler. Author's Summary: Dean and Y/N. Oil and water. Always at each other's throats, their endelss bickering comes to a boil and Y/N has had it. She storms out of the bunker leaving Dean high and dry! Well, he isn't about to let her get the last word! What happens when he catches her?

Gift Wrapped ~ @wayward-and-worn. Author's Summary: Dean has been away on a hunt for quite a while.  She has a surprise for him when he comes back.

Happy Thursday Food Coma Day ~ @wayward-and-worn. Author's Summary: It’s Thanksgiving, and Dean and Y/N feel bad that Benny can’t enjoy a feast like they can.  So, an alternative is offered.  And devoured.

Jessie ~ @little-diable. Author's Summary: The reader is missing Dean too much, so she tells him all about the places she wants to visit with him – mere dreams Dean is set on turning real.

Just Like This ~ @pink-sparkly-witch. Author's Summary: Working a second job in a bar to help pay for Sammy’s education, Dean finds a kindred spirit in bar manager Y/N. When a drunk Douchebag gets too handsy with her, Dean quickly jumps to her defence but faces harsh consequences.

Loving and losing ~ @mcavoy-girl. Author's Summary: None (Ficlet; Dean Winchester x Reader)

Meeting In The Darkness ~ @princessmisery666. Author's Summary: You forgive Dean for what he did when he had black eyes but he can’t forgive himself.

Mini Date ~ @avanatural. Author's Summary: Based on 12x22 “Who We Are.” Y/N vowed to herself that she’s done with meaningless hookups. And Dean vowed to himself that, when the time is right, he is going to give her more than that. But what happens when their time is running out?

No Title ~ @supernaturalfreewill. Author's Summary: None (Drabble; Dean Winchester x Reader)

Say You Won't Let Go ~ @cockslutpadalecki. Author's Summary: After a bad experience at a haunted house attraction when you were a kid, you promised never to step foot in one again, but Dean helps you to overcome your fear.

Showed Me (How I Fell In Love With You) ~ @mind-empty-just-fictional-people. Author's Summary: Dean helps you up your flirting game, but there’s really only one set of eyes you want on you.

Something In The Way ~ @impala-dreamer. Author's Summary: Young Dean might have the swagger of a player, but when it comes down to it, he’s just a shy, excited little boy…

Stay The Night ~ @wearywinchester. Author's Summary: When a hunt goes wrong, Dean gets protective and finds he’s got to keep an eye on you, something more coming out of it than expected.

Thanksgiving Dean ~ @wayward-and-worn. Author's Summary: Another holiday has arrived.  

What He Doesn't Say ~ @justagirlinafandomworld. Author's Summary: When Dean learns that you’re sick, he drives all night to get to you.

~On Patreon~

Rebekah Jordan (Impala-Dreamer)

Tourniquet-Chapters Three through Eight ~ Author’s Series Summary: Y/N has been by Dean’s side through his worst days, always there if he needs her, forever just a call away. Love is impossible to fight and more impossible to live with. Just a side character in his epic life, Y/N would give anything just to give Dean a moment’s peace.

thinkinghardhardlythinking

Close to Home - Author's Summary: Y/N and Dean are neighbours, and friends. The thing is Dean is a ladies' man and she has always known it, if he wasn't, maybe he'd be the ideal guy...but his eye for the ladies, how well they work as friends, as well as the fact that he'd never even think of her that way, all means that they are meant to be just neighbours and friends. Doesn't it?

Someone To Watch Over Me-Part 30 ~ Author’s Summary: (AU) Y/N is married to a very rich, decidedly unscrupulous and powerful man.  A man whose inability to trust means he hires someone to watch over his wife while he isn’t around. He hires Dean Winchester, a handsome stranger to Y/N, who is soon to become a very big part of her life.

Oops! I didn't realize until putting the post together that everything I read this month was a Dean Winchester fic.😏😆

Guess I was missing him a bit.🥺🥺🥺

[pinkchangelingdemon]

Who am I?: Part 5

I remember that two days after I possessed the principal, I was walking through the hallways of my school during recess, and I heard someone screaming. It came from the same bathroom's where I was bullied.

When I opened the door, I found Jordan, my bully, breaking the glasses of one of his terrified classmates. I was sorry for the kid, but I finally got that jerk. Time for revenge.

-Hey Richard! I was helping this kid, he slipped and broke his glasses, the dummy - Jordan said with a smile in his face.

Memories of Jordan being the son of one of the principal's friends, and the principal ignoring the complaints of students flooded me. So that's why he never got caught. I was furious.

- JORDAN TO MY F*CKING OFFICE! RIGHT NOW! - I shouted at him, his smile vanished.

I helped the bullied student and sent him with Miss Lakewood, one of the kindest teachers.

...

While Jordan waited in his father's car, already expulsed, I talked with the father in my office. He didn't look worried.

- Richard, you know my son is a good lad, this is all a misunderstanding. - Jordan's father smiled at me. Like father, like son I suppose.

I stayed in silence deadly serious, while massaging my cock under the desk and thinking about f*cking the father.

I opened my mouth only to exit Rick and enter his friend.

"So...This guy is another asshole" I thought after seeing some memories.

With my previous body disoriented, I wasted no time. I closed the curtains, locked the door, and on my knees I unzipped the principal's jeans. The enormous erected cock welcomed me.

-F*ck it was THAT big? - I said trying my new voice.

The principal groaned, that was my clue to start sucking his can dick with my borrowed mouth. My new host was about to enjoy every f*cking minute of it and make an habit of it.

When the principal snapped out of it, he moaned and looked at me with lust. He easily got up of the chair and with both his hand holding my head, he started to make a rythmn with his hips against his friend's face. F*ck it was so big.

...

After our "talk", I shared with the father my memories of his son bullying me, and some suggestions on what to do with their lifes from that moment. Then I exhaled and returned to the principal's welcoming body still naked while he relaxed in his chair.

The father left without saying a word.

I touched my chest satisfied. Between the principal's dominant personality and my mind, we made the perfect tandem to make the school better.

...

A year after, I was still in the principal's body. I turned Richard Smith's life, now Rick's life, upside down.

He changed from being one of the regulars in the sports bar, to being one of the regular daddies in the gay bar. I still watched some matches though, but my borrowed eyes slipped to the players ass, while my meatier hands moved to my underwear.

I was older and less flexible than my previous bodies. But I felt more strong and comfortable with Rick's body, more like "home". Having this body, with the authority and strength to change things was great and made me hornier than ever, knowing that the asshole Richard Smith was eliminated from existence.

...

But everything has an end.

One Saturday night outside of the gay bar, I fought two assholes with their faces covered attacking one guy from the bar. After taking a few punches, they left. Cowards.

A few days after, in the locker room of one of the city's gymnasiums I overheard someone talking on the phone:

-Dude, I tell you. Our old principal is a f*cking faggot.... Look I saw him outside of that disgusting faggot bar... DUDE! I'm not a faggot! We were there about to BEAT one of them and then the principal...- then he looked at me with his mouth open.

"why this asshole deserves that perfect body? Time to change that" were the last thoughts I had inside the principal.

I exhaled and instantly possessed that coward. I hung up his phone. Then I removed my towel, grabbed my previous body's hand and made him accompany me to the showers, where the new principal Rick gladly destroyed my straight ass, and I made sure that this body enjoyed every second of the ride.

After leaving one of the showers full with our cum, I saw Rick leave. While sitting in one of the benches of the locker room, I explored the memories of this jerk and knew I had to do something about him, his friends and people like him. This was only the beginning.

- THE END -

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

October 11, 2023

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

OCT 12, 2023

In a secret vote by the House Republican Conference today, Representative Steve Scalise (R-LA) won the race to become the Republican candidate for speaker of the House of Representatives, beating out Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) by 113 to 99. 

In the past, the conference as a whole would have stood behind the majority’s choice, but traditional rules no longer apply to today’s Republican Party. Three of Jordan’s supporters have already said they will not support Scalise, and Representative George Santos (R-NY) is complaining that Scalise hasn’t called him, convincing him to throw his vote to “ANYONE but Scalise and come hell or high water I won’t change my mind.”

To become speaker, Scalise needs 217 votes. Unless he can attract Democratic votes, he cannot lose more than 4 Republican votes. All 212 House Democrats remain united behind Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), meaning that he is closer to a majority than any of the Republican candidates.

Rather than hold a floor vote to elect a speaker today, the House recessed in order to let Scalise try to get his ducks in a row.

Both Scalise and Jordan are Trump supporters; both went along with the lie that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent. Early in his career, Scalise compared himself to Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke “without the baggage,” while Jordan is accused of overlooking sexual assault when he was an assistant wrestling coach and was a key player in the January 6, 2021, attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. It is astonishing that a major U.S. political party is considering either man to become the second in line for the presidency. 

As the Republicans try to line up behind one of the two candidates—so far—the chaos is hobbling the government. Until the House is organized again under a new speaker, it cannot provide aid to Ukraine or Israel, or work toward reaching an agreement on next year’s budget before the continuing resolution funding the government at 2023 levels runs out in mid-November. Or do pretty much anything other than try to elect a speaker.

Senate Republicans are creating their own chaos. Joe Gould and Connor O’Brien of Politico reported today that in the Senate, Democrats are trying to push through the hold Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has placed on more than 300 military promotions as well as other senators’ holds on a number of diplomatic officers. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) has called for a reform of the current nominations process, which permits a single senator to stop confirmations. 

In light of the crisis in the Middle East, the holds reveal how easy it is for a senator or two to weaken the United States. Gould and O’Brien point out that Tuberville’s hold means that two of the senior military positions in the region are unconfirmed, as are State Department appointments including ambassadorships to Middle Eastern countries—among them both Egypt and Israel—and the department’s top counterterrorism position. 

These are not controversial appointments in their own right. Republicans are using them as leverage for their own policy goals. Pentagon officials have warned senators that the holds are disrupting our national security and that of our allies and partners. 

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court today heard arguments in Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, a gerrymandering case notable in part because the attorneys and justices all agree that the Republican-dominated South Carolina legislature constructed a district map rigged in favor of Republicans so dramatically that it is virtually impossible for Republicans to lose. 

In the 2019 Rucho v. Common Cause decision, the Supreme Court ruled that partisan gerrymandering was a state question rather than a federal one, making it impossible to challenge partisan gerrymanders in federal courts. But partisan gerrymanders quite often overlap with racial gerrymanders, and the question before the court in Alexander is whether the South Carolina map violated the law by being racially discriminatory. A federal three-judge panel agreed that it did, but if the Supreme Court disagrees, the process of carving up districts so politicians can pick their own voters will have gotten even easier.

—

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[raymondvelez]

Bottles in the hallway

Okay. So the truth is this. Before I grew up and changed my life around, I used to be in these streets. No bitches, not like that. That’s ya’ll ho ass girls these days. I mean I was in these streets getting real money. I’m talking it’s 1990 and I’m putting niggas on. Yes, I was really getting it like that. And yes, given the year, it was crack and only crack. Look, Before I became a banker and dealt with mortgage collapses and recessions, I was taking full advantage of another epidemic. As a matter of fact, this was actually the last weekend before I was finally starting my very first job as a banker. Liberty Savings in Logan Square was the first bank I worked at. And I was gonna start on Monday. But on this particular day, it was Saturday morning and I was getting rid of the last of my work to an ex-boyfriend of mine in the Lakeview projects. Oh yeah. My business card currently says Jacklyn Hernandez Vice President of Financial Sales and Services but I usually just go by Jacky. Anyway, it’s like fucking 8 in the morning and as I approach the third floor staircase of those urine stained steps, I noticed a baby bottle on the floor. Not too suspicious, cause let’s be honest it’s the fucking projects right? Anyway, so I get to the top of the 3rd floor and who do I see at the end of the hallway? A two, maybe three year old Los Cruz barefoot in nothing but Mickey Mouse Huggies screaming bloody murder. I’m not gonna lie, one of his Titis was a customer of mine. So I had seen him around before but he always seemed safe because his cousins were always watching him when they weren’t too busy fucking the dealers who worked for me. Anyway, I immediately pick him up and he stops crying instantly.

“Where’s your cousins?” I asked him not expecting him to talk yet. And he didn’t. But he pointed to the door of the apartment I knew he lived in. I start banging on the door cause at this point I’m pissed. No answer.

“What’s your name, Papa?” I asked him rhetorically using a baby voice.

“Carlos.” He mumbled.

I banged on the door even harder. Still no answer. At this point I can’t just leave him by himself. But I can’t call the police because the trunk of my- - I had a GMC Suburban at the time; but it was full of enough kilos to put me away for 20 years at least. Anyway, I decide to go back to my truck and hold on to him and maybe somebody will come outside looking for him.

“How the fuck he get away, nigga!” I heard a lady say downstairs.

I started to rush down the stairs thinking it was one of his family members but it wasn’t. It was two fucking hypes. I’d never seen them before but the male hype was holding the baby bottle I spotted earlier. When they saw me carrying Los as I came down the stairs, they both took off running. My heart dropped when I saw this because I knew something bad was just about to happen to him and didn’t or possibly already had. Something told me to go back upstairs and try knocking on the apartment door one more time before I took him to my truck. But by the time I got to his floor, a door opens up way down the hall about 7 doors from little Los’ apartment. And guess who pops out? My ex bf and Los’ cousin Tanya who usually babysits him.

“There he goes!” My ex said.

Tanya’s hair was a total mess and she had one Air Jordan on as she limped over. Tanya reached over to grab Los without saying a word to me and I pulled him back from her like he was my own son.

“Bitch, where were you?! He could have got kidnapped.” I shouted.

Tanya smelled like weed and looked like she had been laying down all day. Tanya eventually grabbed Los from me and went to her apartment without a word to me or my ex.

“You’re fucking her too, huh?” I said.

David gave me the same old dumb look he always gave me when he was about to lie.

“Don’t say anything, nigga. I don’t even wanna hear it. Just get the bags out the truck and have my money ready in 6 months.” I said handing him my keys.

[gobacktosleepsweet]

The "idontwanttogotoschool" chronicles ep.1 :)

Hey....

Wake up...It's an usual school day.

But...what is a usual school day for me?

well....

I wake up at 6:30 a.m. Dutch time with 0 will to live, but i dont have anything better to do so i just wake up.

Next, I take a shower because that may be the only thing keeping me awake for the rest of the day.I take it fast and don't wash my hair, because i'm going out with fucking -4 degrees Celsius outside so wet hair is a big no. And of course, I don't have the patience to blow dry it.

Then I choose my outfit which is the same outfit as the day before (it's always stupid jeans, that are ripped even if as I said it's -4 degrees Celsius outside, a random hoodie, Jordans and my favorite necklace).I always stop with my pants half-way up to stare at my wall thinking "what the actual hell i'm doing with life?". After being called out by my mom for being slow,i finish getting dressed up and i run to get breakfast.

Breakfast: a meal eaten in the morning as the first meal of the day (Shotout to Cambridge). For me, it is simply milk poured into my 30002938-year-old mug, with 5 biscuits inside.Yep, that's my breakfast.

Then I have literally 20 seconds of peace, 'cause between brushing my teeth, brushing my hair, taking asthma meds, and preparing my backpack cuz I was too lazy to do it the night before, it's already 7:40 a.m., as known as the time I leave for school.

So, let's start with the fact that I am indeed lucky. I live in the rural zone of my city, in a building full of immigrants, as I am, in fact, an immigrant myself. But despite that (NOT SAYING THAT IF YOU LIVE IN A RURAL ZONE YOU ARE UNLUCKY OR WTV) , i'm lucky, because almost everyday i go to school by car with one of my parents, and i have access to everything i ask for.Anyways, that not the point. By the time i was talking to you, i arrived at school.

As soon as i arrive i run to the only person i know that arrives earlier than me: Lara. Lara is literally one of the people I see the most at school because, despite her being of a different friend group, she's my deskmate (if such a thing exists lol), so we talk during ALL THE LESSONS. Anyway, as soon as I reach her, she asks for my phone. Ever since I got an iPhone 15 as a gift, my phone became her property. She knows my password, she uses it daily, but that's alright, she's my friend anyway.

Then, there's Matilde. She's been there way more time than Lara. But I don't go up to her. She's older, and her other friends are older too, so I feel embarrassed. But 2 minutes before getting to class, she comes up to me on her own and just starts telling me all the juicy gossip drama or whatever, and I listen to it, not cause I love gossip, but it is because she's my friend. Anyways that's one of my favorite parts of the day, because Matilde is beautiful.

It's 8 a.m right now, and my BORING school day started. It really doesn't matter which subject it is, everything bores me.Thank god i have Lara by my side, Eva and Mathilda behind, and Giorgia in front. I literally chat or draw during the entire lesson and then...

9.45 a.m, it's recess and I go to my chosen friend group of the day, cuz im unstable as fuck haha. I usually steal other people's snacks, even if I have mine (I don't tell them). Then,it's time for other boring lessons and then another break, so i'll skip to the end of the school day.

It's 2 p.m,and from this point,things are pretty different each day

MONDAY

Recapping,i have flute lessons go home at 3.45, gym at 5,00 and then i have my night routine

TUESDAY

Italian extra lessons, home at 4.00 and i'm done.

OTHER DAYS:

i go to this place after school where i lunch, do my homework, or atleast i'm supposed to cause i literally use my phone.

P.S:it's full of nuns

P.P.S: Matilde goes there too :)

Now, it's 7 p.m, and i'm at home having dinner.Sometimes my family isn't at home for dinner,so i have dinner alone with my sister.After dinner i use my phone or read.At 20.30 i'm setted to sleep,but i start overthinking about very random stuff.Then,i fall asleep.

Usually i wake up at 2 a.m for various reasons:

1.I need water more than everything

2.I need to pee

3.I just woke up and now i can't fall back asleep

After this,the cycle restarts,and this goes up 5 days a week.

Well folks of tumblr, this is my usual school day,hope you disliked it as much as i do,se ya next post

bye

Oh right this shit was wrote with Grammarly on a late night with annoying kids at home

Btw I ain't sponsoring Grammarly, it's all paying and no english

[olko71]

New Post has been published on All about business online

New Post has been published on https://yaroreviews.info/2023/08/uk-interest-rates-to-stay-higher-for-longer-bank-of-england-says

UK interest rates to stay higher for longer, Bank of England says

Getty Images

By Dearbail Jordan

Business reporter, BBC News

Interest rates will stay higher for longer, the Bank of England has said for the first time, in an effort to battle soaring price rises.

The Bank revealed the tactic to try and curb the rising cost of living as it raised rates again to 5.25% from 5%.

Borrowing costs are now at their highest for 15 years, and will mean higher mortgages and loans payments but should also mean higher savings rates.

The Bank was more downbeat on growth, but said the UK would avoid recession.

On Thursday, the Bank signalled for the first time that it would keep interest rates higher and that they would remain higher until it got UK inflation – the rate at which prices rise – under control.

It said it would make sure rates are “sufficiently restrictive for sufficiently long” but did not spell out how long this would be.

“We know that inflation hits the least well-off hardest and we need to make absolutely sure that it fall all the way back to the 2% target,” said Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey.

The Bank’s inflation forecasts have been incorrect in the past, with six of the last eight too optimistic.

Mr Bailey says it is now “more assured” that inflation will fall than in previous forecasts.

He also says the economy has been “much more resilient” than some had feared and that unemployment remains historically very low.

Follow live: Reaction to latest interest rate rise

How an interest rate rise affects you

Before December 2021 when the Bank starting to raise interest rates, they had been under 1% for more than 13 years.

A lot of what happens to inflation in the coming years will depend on the jobs market and on pay, Mr Bailey said adding that private sector pay has risen more than expected in recent months.

The Bank has been putting up interest rates to try to slow price rises, with the aim of making it more expensive to borrow money and reducing people’s spending.

Jo Bevilacqua

Peterborough hair salon owner Jo Bevilacqua says she understands the economics behind rate rises, but it is a “hard pill to swallow” given that her business is reliant on consumer spending “We are still in pandemic recovery mode. We don’t want people to be spending less. Our livelihoods are in their hands,” she says.

“If they are not spending money then we can’t keep our doors open, pay our staff or pay our suppliers.” Jo’s own finances are not immune from the rates pain either. She moved onto an interest-only mortgage when her business was struggling.

“I need to be in a position where everything calms down to be able to re-mortgage. It comes to me as a three-pronged attack. There are my own mortgage payments going up, but there are also my staff and customers.”

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The Bank said the impact of its rate rises would begin to hit people and the economy harder next year, with growth continuing to be sluggish and smaller than it was before the pandemic for some time.

A growing economy means there are more jobs, companies are more profitable and can pay employees and shareholders more. The higher wages and larger profits also generate more money for the government in taxes.

Rising food prices have been one of the biggest drivers of inflation, but the Bank said there was evidence that the increases were slowing, “albeit only gradually”.

The Bank also said there was no evidence that companies were benefiting from so-called “greedflation”, by putting prices up more than necessary to bolster profits.

It said “corporate profits have been little changed” over the past two years “suggesting that firms increasing prices to raise their margins is not currently a significant contributor to inflation”.

The minutes from this month’s meeting revealed that there was a three-way split between members of the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee over the direction of interest rates.

Of its nine members, six, including the governor, voted for rates to rise to 5.25%. In contrast, two wanted a more aggressive increase to 5.5% while the remaining member voted to hold rates at 5%.

What to do if I can’t pay my debts

Talk to someone. You are not alone and there is help available. A trained debt adviser can talk you through the options. Here are some organisations to get in touch with.

Take control. Citizens Advice suggest you work out how much you owe, who to, which debts are the most urgent and how much you need to pay each month.

Ask for a payment plan. Energy suppliers, for example, must give you a chance to clear your debt before taking any action to recover the money

Check you’re getting the right money. Use the independent MoneyHelper website or benefits calculators run by Policy in Practice and charities Entitledto and Turn2us

Ask for breathing space. If you’re receiving debt advice in England and Wales you can apply for a break to shield you from further interest and charges for up to 60 days.

Tackling It Together: More tips to help you manage debt

Additional reporting by Peter Ruddick

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23 June

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Music’s 30 Fiercest Feuds and Beefs

From classic-rock squabbles to hip-hop diss tracks and social media wars, here are the ridiculous, rancorous conflicts that have held us rapt. Rolling Stone - Jordan Runtagh

Creative differences, financial disputes, drug abuse, love triangles – in the music industry, the opportunities to butt heads are basically limitless. The bigger the star, the bigger the ego, and when two tangle, you get a supernova of spite and bile that holds the world in rapture, turning mature adults into spit-flecked children chanting “Fight, fight, fight!” in a circle at recess.

Many clashes are over in a flash, while others drag out for years and even decades. Some feuds are undoubtedly hilarious, birthing otherworldly insults like Liam Gallagher’s “Potato” and Mariah Carey’s beyond catty “I don’t know her,” both of which will live on until the end of the Internet. Others are tragic and have no possible upside as friendships, bands, families and even lives are destroyed in the process. Others still have inspired an entire sub-category of song that crosses all genre boundaries: the diss track. (See: “Bad Blood,” “Swish Swish,” about 25 percent of all rap songs.)                            

Read on for 30 of the most explosive beefs in music history. Pick a side, or simply spectate. No judgment.                            

John Lennon vs. Paul McCartney

The generation-defining duo kept their squabbles behind closed doors during the Beatles’ death throes in the late Sixties, but as McCartney made a move to legally dissolve the band’s partnership in December 1970, Lennon took the spat public in the pages of Rolling Stone. The conversation with magazine founder Jann Wenner touched on McCartney’s supposedly overbearing nature in the studio (“I pretty damn well know we got fed up of being sidemen for Paul,” he seethed), McCartney’s poor leadership following the death of the band’s manager Brian Epstein, and the other Beatles’ reaction to Lennon’s new relationship with Yoko Ono. “Ringo was all right, but the other two really gave it to us. I’ll never forgive them.”  

McCartney’s public response was more measured. On 1971’s Ram, he included a subtle jab at Lennon on the opening track, “Too Many People,” mocking the former Teddy Boy rebel’s sudden fervor for world-peace crusades with the line “Too many people preaching practices.” Elsewhere in the song he sings, “You took your lucky break and broke it in two,” which McCartney later admitted was also directed at his former bandmate.  

The line went over most people’s heads, but Lennon got the reference – and fired back with one obvious enough for everyone. Included on 1971’s Imagine is “How Do You Sleep?,” a diss track so positively nasty that it borders on obscene. In footage taken at the session, Lennon, Ono and guest guitarist George Harrison can be seen laughing as they swap lines like “The sound you make is Muzak to my ears/You must have learned something in all those years,” and a dig at his most famous song: “The only thing you done was ‘Yesterday.'” 

McCartney was reluctant to punch back. His major public response was the devastating “Dear Friend” from 1971’s Wild Life, in which he mournfully wonders whether this was “really the borderline” of their relationship. The delicate lament was an olive branch, though it would take some time to be accepted as such. Friendly calls from McCartney were met with Lennon’s suspicious “Yeah, yeah, whatdaya want.” His new American twang particularly grated McCartney, who once shot back, ‘Fuck off, Kojak!”   

Relations had improved enough by the mid Seventies for McCartney to occasionally drop by Lennon’s Upper West Side apartment at the Dakota building when business brought him to New York City. Together the old friends would reminisce and exchange thoughts on baking bread or their young children. Any hopes of a permanent reconciliation were ended by an assassin’s bullet on December 8th, 1980.                                    

Brian Wilson vs. Mike Love

Discord between the cousins had set in by the mid-Sixties when Wilson, the acting maestro behind the Beach Boys, sought to move the band beyond their fun-in-the-sun persona. Love found the new musical daring pretentious, and feared alienating the fans originally won over by their carefree surfing image.      

The stress was palpable during the 1966 sessions for Pet Sounds, Wilson’s most experimental work to date. Skeptical of augmenting their sound with a fleet of session musicians wielding exotic instruments, Love resented that Wilson took the majority of the lead vocals himself. It’s just as well, as he took issue with much of the album’s lyrical content. “Some of the words were so totally offensive to me that I wouldn’t even sing ’em because I thought it was too nauseating,” Love admitted to Goldmine in 1992. Exhibit A: a new tune Wilson presented with the LSD-drenched title “Hang Onto Your Ego.” Hardly a psychedelic warrior, Love put his foot down and refused to participate. The title was promptly changed to “I Know There’s an Answer.”                                    

The clashes continued when Wilson plunged into his next project, the ambitious “teenage Symphony to God” dubbed SMiLE. It was during this period that Love supposedly delivered his famous warning: “Don’t fuck with the formula!” The oft-quoted remark made its first appearance in a 1971 Rolling Stone profile, though Love dismissed it in his memoir as “the most famous thing I’ve ever said, even though I never said it.” Even so, Wilson later claimed that Love was “disgusted” by the project.                                    

  Wilson’s mental health struggles drove a wedge between the cousins, and their relationship was further strained by a series of courtroom battles. In the early Nineties Love filed a lawsuit claiming he wasn’t credited on many songs he had written with Wilson. A jury ruled in his favor, awarding Love a co-writer credit on 35 of the titles, including some of the band’s biggest hits. Several years later, the death of band mate Carl Wilson splintered the remaining group into several opposing camps, all of whom competed in legal arenas for the right to use the Beach Boys name. Love eventually won, and began leasing the name from the band’s label, Brother Records.

 As part of the Beach Boys’ 50th anniversary in 2012, the surviving members buried the hatchet long enough to record a new album and embark on a triumphant tour. It seemed like a long-awaited happy ending until it was revealed that Love would continue touring as the Beach Boys without the help of Wilson later that year. “The Beach Boys might get together again – but not with me,” Wilson told Rolling Stone’s Jason Fine mid-2017.                                    

Don Felder vs. Don Henley and Glenn Frey

The Eagles rarely had peaceful easy feelings within their ranks, but the most extreme schism widened during sessions for Hotel California in 1976. Felder expressed the desire to sing his composition “Victim of Love,” but his bandmates were less than pleased with his initial takes. “Don Felder, for all of his talents as a guitar player, was not a singer,” Frey said in the band’s authorized 2013 documentary, The History of the Eagles. Henley agreed, saying it “simply did not come up to band standards.” While Felder was at dinner with the group’s manager, Irving Azoff, the rest of the band wiped his vocals and rerecorded it with Henley. Felder never forgot the slight.                                    

The Eagles struggled to follow up the record-breaking success of Hotel California, and sessions for what would become The Long Run dragged on for 18 months. During this time, Felder found himself increasingly at odds with Henley and Frey, sarcastically dubbing them “the Gods.” The resentment reached critical mass on July 31st 1980, the night the band played a benefit concert for California Senator Alan Cranston at Long Beach Arena. Felder, who preferred to steer clear of political causes, was frustrated about having to go along with Henley and Frey’s wishes. When the Senator thanked each musician individually at a pre-show meet-and-greet, Felder replied with a curt: “You’re welcome, Senator … I guess.”                                    

Enraged, Frey laid into Felder as soon as the politician was out of sight, and the fight continued – on-mic – in the middle of the night’s performance. “We’re onstage, and Felder looks back at me and says, ‘Only three more songs till I kick your ass, pal.’ And I’m saying, ‘Great. I can’t wait,'” Frey later recalled. “We’re out there singing ‘Best of My Love,’ but inside both of us are thinking, ‘As soon as this is over, I’m gonna kill him.'”                                    

That was how the Eagles’ story ended until 1994, when they reconvened for Hell Freezes Over, an album, tour and MTV special. The project’s success kicked off a long stream of well-regarded blockbuster tours, but the tenuous peace was disrupted when Felder made waves about the bottom line. Though the band had split their revenue equally back in its Seventies heyday, he now complained that Henley and Frey insisted on a higher percentage for themselves. Henley and Frey didn’t take kindly to having their motives questioned, and fired Felder from the Eagles on February 6th, 2001.   

 The dismissal set off an avalanche of messy legal proceedings, beginning with Felder filing suits for wrongful termination, breach of contract and fiduciary duty. The lawsuits were eventually settled out of court for an undisclosed sum, but the wounds never healed. When Frey died in January 2016, Felder paid him a warm tribute in the Associated Press. “I had always hoped somewhere along the line, he and I would have dinner together, talking about old times and letting it go with a handshake and a hug.”                                    

Roger Waters vs. David Gilmour

Pink Floyd were divided during sessions for The Wall in 1979, as Gilmour, Nick Mason and Rick Wright grew frustrated by Waters’ unwillingness to compromise in the studio. “He forced his way to become that central figure,” Gilmour told Rolling Stone in 1987. Waters, for his part, claimed he was pushed into the role of creative taskmaster due to the diminishing input of his (to his mind) less talented bandmates. “There was no point in Gilmour, Mason or Wright trying to write lyrics,” he countered in Rolling Stone. “Because they’ll never be as good as mine. Gilmour’s lyrics are very third-rate.”                  

The global success of The Wall only widened the divisions. On the accompanying tour, Waters stayed at separate hotels, and rarely spoke with his bandmates offstage. As work began on a follow-up, 1983’s The Final Cut, a less-than-enthusiastic Gilmour feared that the album was padded with rejects from The Wall. The conflicts grew increasingly hostile, and Gilmour’s name was ultimately removed from the album’s production credits.                                    

When Waters decided to pursue solo endeavors in December 1985, he attempted to dissolve Pink Floyd in his wake, labeling it “a spent force creatively.” Gilmour disagreed, forging ahead with Wright and Mason to record a new album as Pink Floyd. An irate Waters took legal action to bar Gilmour and the rest of his former colleagues from using the band’s name – and the famed inflatable pig mascot during live performances.                                    

  Gilmour won the court battle but the war waged in the court of public opinion. The remaining Floyd members characterized their former bassist as a vindictive egomaniac, while Waters portrayed his Gilmour and Co. as coasting on the back of his genius. When the scaled-down Floyd released A Momentary Lapse of Reason in 1987, Waters dismissed it as “a very facile but quite clever forgery.”    

Pink Floyd remained largely dormant following the release of 1994’s The Division Bell, but tensions had eased enough by July 2005 for the band’s classic lineup to reunite for a set at the Live 8 global charity event. The reconciliation would prove to be the last time the foursome would perform before Wright’s death in 2008.                                    

Waters surprised fans in 2011 by bringing out Gilmour and Mason for a guest appearance on “Comfortably Numb” during a performance at London’s O2 arena, and by 2013 he even admitted that he regretted the lawsuit over the band’s name. But when Gilmour and Mason polished off some old demos for release as a new Floyd album, The Endless River, in 2014, Waters declined to participate.                                    

Ray Davies vs. Dave Davies

Before the Gallagher brothers, the world had the Davies as their prototypical Britpop sibling rivalry. “We were battlers,” reflected Ray. “But the very thing that makes a band special is what ultimately causes it to break up.” According to Dave, their differences stem from childhood. “I think Ray has been happy for only three years in his life. And those were the three years before I was born.”    One incident seems indicative of things to come. The boys had staged a mock boxing match, but the roughhousing turned serious when Ray collapsed in a heap after hitting his head on the side of the family’s piano. Dave bent down in concern to ask if Ray was ok; Ray immediately opened his eyes and socked him in the face. “It’s symbolic of our whole relationship, really,” Dave reflected.          

Once the two were bandmates, the fighting would take place practically anywhere: onstage, in the studio, in the back of a limousine. Even on major family occasions, they found it hard to play nice. When Ray tapped Dave to act as best man at his 1964 wedding, the younger brother got extremely drunk and announced that he was “too pissed” to give the speech. The Kinks performed together for the last time in 1996, shortly before Dave’s ill-fated 50th birthday party. “Ray had the money and I didn’t,” he recalled, “So he offered to throw it for me. Just as I was about to cut the cake, Ray jumped on the table and made a speech about how wonderful he was. He then stamped on the cake.” They would see very little of each other for many years.                            

Begrudging fraternal love united them in 2004 when Dave suffered a serious stroke. Ray invited Dave to stay at his home, but old jealousies returned. “I was ill in bed and could barely move, but he started saying: ‘I’m sick, I’m sick!’ He was screaming in pain from his stomach.” A medical examination revealed nothing out of the ordinary. “He just wanted attention,” opined Dave.                    

In 2013 they fought over the genesis of what might be the Kinks’ greatest legacy: the fuzzed-out overdrive guitar distortion heard on their 1964 breakthrough hit, “You Really Got Me.” Ray claims that he came up with the idea of slashing the speaker cone of Dave’s guitar amplifier to achieve the effect, while the guitarist claims he developed the technique himself. Dave accused Ray of propagating the myth in his West End musical Sunny Afternoon, based on the songs of the Kinks. “My brother is lying,” he wrote in a furious Facebook post. “I am just flabbergasted and shocked at the depth of his selfish desire to take credit for everything.”                                    

They were able to put their difference aside for long enough to appear together onstage in December 2015 to perform the song in question before an audience in London – their first live collaboration in nearly two decades.                              

Paul Simon vs. Art Garfunkel

The childhood friends first recorded together as teenagers in 1957, but as Garfunkel began to focus on his academic career, Simon quietly inked a solo side deal. Garfunkel took it as a serious betrayal when he learned of his musical partner’s extracurricular endeavors, and the incident would be a sore point in the decades to come.  After the two scored global fame in the mid-Sixties, long-held resentments made the union a ticking time bomb. The detonation occurred in late 1968 when director Mike Nichols offered them both roles in his adaptation of the book Catch-22. Simon’s character was cut before production began, so Garfunkel flew solo to shoot in Mexico. Initially Simon had been supportive of the outing, even penning “The Only Living Boy in New York” as a tender good luck for his old friend. But as the three-month film shoot stretched into nearly a year, Simon grew frustrated by the delay.     Garfunkel’s eventual return failed to repair relations, and the two clashed over differing musical ideas. Simon had written a song called “Cuba Si, Nixon No,” which he presented as a potential 12th track on what would become Bridge Over Troubled Water. Garfunkel, turned off by its overt political commentary, suggested doing a Haitian Creole chorale called “Feuilles-O.” Neither side would budge. The album was released with only 11 songs, and the pair decided to go their separate ways.                                    

It was during a professional nadir in 1981 that they agreed to reunite at a free concert in New York’s Central Park. The performance became of one of the biggest musical events in history, drawing an unparalleled 500,000 people to the Great Lawn. A world tour was planned for May 1982, but it wasn’t long before they fell into the same destructive patterns. Things weren’t any better in the studio as they worked on an all-new Simon & Garfunkel album to be called Think Too Much. In the end, Simon wiped Garfunkel’s vocal tracks and set about finishing the songs as a solo effort.                                    

Eyebrows were raised during their somewhat frosty Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction speech in 1990. Garfunkel started off sincere, saying, “I want to thank most of all the person who has most enriched my life by putting these great songs through me: My friend Paul here.” It should have been a touching moment of reconciliation, save for Simon’s parting joke. “Arthur and I agree about almost nothing,” he said. “But it’s true, I have enriched his life quite a bit, now that I think about it.”                                    

The men hit the road for high-profile reunion tours in 1993, 2003 and 2010, but it never stuck. The same unexplainable force that blends their voices together in celestial harmony also compels them to spend the majority of their time apart.

 Keith Richards vs. Elton John

“Lovely bloke,” Richards said of John in a 1988 Rolling Stone interview, “but posing.” The venomous dig was prompted by John’s recent single, “I Don’t Wanna Go On with You Like That,” but some wondered if Keef harbored a grudge against John for outstaying his welcome during a guest appearance – which stretched to 10 songs – at a 1975 Rolling Stones concert in Fort Collins, Colorado.                                    

Whatever the cause of the rift, Richards didn’t hold back when asked his thoughts on “Candle in the Wind 1997,” John’s musical elegy for friend Princess Diana. Though profits from the single were donated to charity, Richards said the rewrite of John’s 1973 tribute to Marilyn Monroe “did jar a bit” in an October 1997 interview with Entertainment Weekly. “Songs for Dead Blondes,” he pronounced. “I’d find it difficult to ride on the back of something like that myself, but Reg [John’s birth name] is showbiz.” He echoed the sentiment a short time later and took aim at John’s theatrical stage style. John fought back in an interview published by the Daily News that same month. “I’m glad I’ve given up drugs and alcohol. It would be awful to be like Keith Richards. He’s pathetic, poor thing. It’s like a monkey with arthritis, trying to go onstage and look young. I have great respect for the Stones but they would have been better if they had thrown Keith out 15 years ago. … I just think he’s an asshole and I have for a long time.” He also refuted the accusations of Vegas-level theatrics. “Please, if the Rolling Stones aren’t show business, then what is? You know, with their inflatable naked women.”    John went on the offensive in 2011 when he criticized Richards’ recent autobiography, Life, which featured some unflattering details about Jagger’s anatomy. “I was a bit put off by hearing about the bit about Mick Jagger’s penis,” he said. “If I said that [songwriting partner] Bernie Taupin was a miserable twat and had a small penis, he’d probably never talk to me again. It’s like, why do that?”                                  

Relations between the two rock icons thawed in September 2015, when fellow Stone Ronnie Wood was able to broker a truce long enough for Richards and John to pose for a photo at the GQ Awards in London.                                    

David Lee Roth vs. Eddie Van Halen

Tensions simmered during the 1983 sessions for 1984. David Lee Roth resented the decision to record at Eddie Van Halen’s newly constructed home studio, 5150, as he felt it gave the guitarist too much creative autonomy. Though Van Halen’s sole Number One, “Jump,” emerged from Eddie’s sonic laboratory, the singer remained unhappy; by 1985, he turned his attention to a solo EP, Crazy from the Heat, with the aim to star in a movie of the same name. “The band as you know it is over,” Eddie told Rolling Stone that August. “Dave left to be a movie star. He even had the balls to ask if I’d write the score for him.” (The movie never materialized.)                                    

Roth reconnected with the band in 1996 as they assembled a Greatest Hits album, and relations improved enough for the original lineup to reunite in the studio to record two new tracks for the compilation. Given that replacement singer Sammy Hagar had recently departed the group, fans viewed this as a dry run for a full-fledged reunion. But that all came to a halt when Van Halen, plus Roth, made a painful appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards. Trouble began when Roth went off script, trumpeting the importance of the original band members standing together. Eddie steered his one-time bandmate away from the microphone long enough for Beck to accept his Moonman for “Where It’s At,” but Roth vied for attention by dancing in the background with a demented grin.  

The annoyance of sharing a stage with Roth for even just a few minutes was enough to torpedo any hope of reconciliation. “His onstage antics were embarrassing and disrespectful to Beck,” Eddie later told MTV. Matters deteriorated further that night as Eddie denied reports of an upcoming reunion tour during a backstage press conference, citing his hip surgery scheduled later that year. “Tonight’s about me, man, and not your fucking hip,” Roth responded. A tour manager had to physically restrain Eddie, who spat back, “If you ever speak like that to me again you better be wearing a cup.'”                                    

It took more than a decade for tempers to cool, but in February 2007 the band unveiled plans for a long-awaited tour with Roth. They followed it up in February 2012 with A Different Kind of Truth, their first full-length album with Roth since 1984, but the accompanying tour didn’t go well. Several legs were postponed, or cancelled altogether. “The conflict was immediate and sustained from day one,” Roth said in an interview on The Opie & Anthony Show at the time. “Not a note of this symphony has changed.” More cracks in the uneasy alliance showed while promoting their 2015 North American tour, with Eddie slamming Roth in a Billboard interview. “He does not want to be my friend.”                                    

The “Roxanne” Wars

Lolita Shanté Gooden, a 14-year-old aspiring emcee, was walking through the Queensbridge housing project in 1984 when she overheard her neighbors, record producer Marley Marl and disc jockey Mr. Magic, complaining about the hip hop collective UTFO. The group had pulled out of an upcoming show they were promoting, leaving the two men in a lurch. Gooden offered to get back at the group by writing a diss track, and despite her tender age, the men agreed.

For a beat, they borrowed the instrumental track from UTFO’s “Roxanne, Roxanne,” the B side to their recent single “Hanging Out.” The original song told the tale of the band having their romantic advances cruelly rebuffed by a woman named Roxanne, so Gooden assumed the identity of the titular heartbreaker to record a less-than-flattering answer track. Dubbed “Roxanne’s Revenge,” the young rapper reportedly freestyled her obscenity-laden verse in just one take, done in Marl’s apartment. To complete the ruse, the song was released under the name Roxanne Shanté.                                    

It caught fire immediately, becoming a sizable radio hit and selling 5,000 copies almost overnight. The chastised UTFO did the only thing they could do – they shot back with a song of their own. Enlisting Elease Jack (later replaced by Adelaida Martinez), they created the character of “the Real Roxanne,” and together recorded a song of the same name. It wasn’t exactly an all-out verbal assault on Shanté – presumably going in on a teenage girl was frowned upon – but the challenge to her authenticity was just as effective.  

Given the chart success of the Roxanne songs, many rappers recognized an opportunity for some easy airplay and jumped into the fray. Over the coming year, more than 30 (and some say as many as 100) tracks were released, with MCs portraying all manner of Roxanne associates telling their sides of the story. Her relatives weighed in with tracks like “The Parents of Roxanne” by Gigolo Tony and Lacey Lace, “Yo, My Little Sister (Roxanne’s Brothers)” by Crush Groove, and “Rappin’ Roxy: Roxanne’s Sister” by D.W. and the Party Crew featuring Roxy. After exhausting her family tree, even her physician got some play on “Roxanne’s Doctor – The Real Man” by Dr. Freshh.  

 Roxanne fatigue eventually set in, as evidenced by the East Coast Crew’s trend-killing “The Final Word – No More Roxanne (Please),” but UTFO and Shanté had some unfinished business. The group swung first with “Roxanne, Roxanne, Pt. 2: Calling Her A Crab,” a downright dirty track, on which they called their rival an “ape” and offered her bananas to stop rapping. Shanté, meanwhile, asserted her status as rap feud royalty on “Queen of Rox.” From there, the inferno died away.                                      

Prince vs. Michael Jackson

Prince emerged onto the music scene with For You in 1978, one year before Jackson came into his own as a solo artist with Off the Wall, and for the next decade their musical paths would run on parallel tracks – never to intersect. The battle began when MJ upstaged 1999, Prince’s bestseller to date, with the industry-defining mega-smash Thriller in December 1982. Prince countered with Purple Rain, a triumph of sales and substance that caught even Jackson’s attention. When the Purple One came through Los Angeles with his Purple Rain tour, Jackson reportedly attended multiple nights, studying his competition.          Even friendly games could turn heated. When both men shared a studio, the competition bubbled over onto the Ping-Pong table. Prince ultimately emerged victorious when Jackson fumbled his paddle trying to ward off a spiked ball. “Did you see that?” Prince supposedly crowed as Jackson slunk away. “He played like Helen Keller!” Longtime Revolution drummer Bobby Z maintained that the athletic challenges continued for quite some time. “They’d shoot hoops at Paisley Park,” he recalled in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “Prince had a deep-seated competitive nature, so it’s easy to see where he would measure himself against Jackson’s success.”                                    

 Accustomed to his regal role in the pop pecking order, Jackson was reportedly miffed with Prince declined to participate in his all-star charity recording “We Are the World” in 1985. Prince also turned down the chance to duet with Jackson on the title track to 1987’s Bad, the follow-up to Thriller, and even to appear alongside him in the song’s video. “That Wesley Snipes character? That would have been me,” Prince admitted in a 1997 interview with Chris Rock on MTV.     

Mutual friend Will.i.am attempted to broker peace in 2006 when he invited Jackson to watch him perform with Prince in Las Vegas. Things were going great until Prince decided to venture into the audience and play an aggressive slap-bass solo right in Jackson’s face. The hostile low end did not go over well, and Jackson made a point of mentioning it to Will.i.am the next morning. “I go to his house for breakfast, knock on the door, first words he says: ‘Why was Prince playing the bass in my face? Prince, he’s always been a meanie.'”                      

Mariah Carey vs. Whitney Houston

In the pre-Bodyguard Nineties, Whitney Houston seemed in danger of losing the octave-scaling R&B diva mantle to a young upstart named Mariah Carey. Barely in her twenties, Carey’s self-titled 1990 debut had sold 15 million copies worldwide, 5 million more than Houston’s (still absurdly high-selling) I’m Your Baby Tonight. Tabloids were quick to pit the pair against one another, but their feud was largely all smoke and no fire until Houston was asked about her supposed rivalry during a 1990 television interview – delivering the immortal: “What do I think of her? I don’t think of her.” The studio audience got the hint and hooted with Jerry Springer–level abandon. Houston’s halfhearted backpedaling (“Musically, I think she’s a good singer.”) did little to calm the crowd.                    

Houston served up an equally chilly response in 1995, when her own “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” got booted from the top of the charts by “One Sweet Day,” Carey’s ballad with Boyz II Men. When MTV dared to put the “What do you think of Mimi” question to her again, she answered with the delightfully obtuse, “Maybe it’s not what I think; it’s what she thinks. It’s more important.”                    

  Producers of the 1998 animated biblical epic The Prince of Egypt booked Carey and Houston to duet on “When You Believe” for the soundtrack, leading to a string of public goodwill gestures between the two. They put in an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show to deny that any beef existed between them, dismissing it all as “dramatics.”                                    

  They even poked fun at their rocky past while presenting Best Male Video at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, strutting to the podium in identical, but supposedly “one of a kind” dresses. The staged fashion faux pas provoked a comical catfight, until they stripped down to reveal different dresses and embraced in a warm hug.                                    

Following Houston’s death in February 2012, Carey was among the mourners at the star-studded service held in the late icon’s hometown of Newark, New Jersey. “I’m almost incapable to be talking about this still,” she said during an appearance on Good Morning America in the days that followed. “I don’t think people could ever really understand our relationship. There was always this supposed rivalry in the beginning and then we did the duet and became friends … I loved her.”                                    

Music’s 30 Fiercest Feuds and Beefs

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/music-s-30-fiercest-feuds-and-beefs?utm_source=pocket-newtab

[ear-worthy]

All Star Cast In "Bedtime Stories Of The Ingleside Inn" Podcast

 It's always notable that when an industry claims it is in recession, layoffs off hundreds of workers (Spotify, NPR and more) and then spends a bundle on a particular project. It seems as if "the podcast networks doth protest too much, methinks." Audio Up and SiriusXM have announced their next major scripted podcast, this time taking listeners back to Palm Springs circa 1975. Titled Bedtime Stories of the Ingleside Inn, the series features an all-star cast, including Jason Alexander, Lance Bass, Richard Kind, Michael McKean and more. 

The show debuts on April 18. Bedtime Stories of the Ingleside Inn is adapted from the memoir of Melvyn Haber, the irrepressible owner of the mid-century Ingleside Inn. The Rat Pack mainstay was a legendary hangout for mobsters and movie stars. And the hotel’s eponymously named restaurant Melvyn’s was a favored haunt for celebrities behaving badly. 

This combustible mixture drives the story; showcasing an inexperienced Mel (Jason Alexander) struggling to manage his nuthouse of a hotel; clashing with and catering to Hollywood’s elite - as well as a few drag queens, pornographers, and mobsters to boot. Additional cast includes David Koechner, Justin Tranter, Nicole Sullivan, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Celia Imrie, and Missi Pyle. Bedtime Stories of the Ingleside Inn was co-created & produced by Audio Up CEO Jared Gutstadt and co-creator Lance Bass for Lance Bass Productions alongside Academy Award-winning producer Michael Sugar and Mike Mayer, Head of Audio, from Sugar23. The series was directed by Mike Mayer and Drew Pokorny. The series features an original soundtrack anchored by the Yacht Funk vibes of Grammy-winner Greg Phillinganes, the legendary musical director for Michael Jackson and frequent collaborator with Stevie Wonder and Eric Clapton, as well as Yacht Rock mainstays Toto. He partnered with Gutstadt to create a Palm Springs mixtape with the summer swag and dance vibes of 1977 (by way of 2023). In addition, Justin Tranter, singer-songwriter to the stars (Justin Bieber, Brittany Spears, Dua Lipa, Selena Gomez, Imagine Dragons) contributes a heart-rending ballad to the project. The first two tracks “The Great Pretender” featuring Greg Phillinganes, and “Let It Go” will be available starting April 21st via all streaming services and SiriusXM. Additional music from the series will release throughout May. “The seeds for this podcast were planted when I sat down to dinner with Lance Bass,” said Jared Gutstadt. "He was telling me about the fabled Ingleside Inn and its colorful owner, and a project that he’d had in turn around for years. It occurred to me that this story concept had all the makings of a fantastic podcast: rich storytelling, tonal elements that lend to the medium - an audio experience based on great source material. The final piece of the puzzle was to implement original music."

Gutstadt continues: "With Michael Sugar on board, it’s been an amazing process. Who better to anchor the project and bring this character to life than Jason Alexander. We can’t wait to share this project with the world. Ingleside Inn is like an audio vacation to Palm Springs. Not only will the stories and music bring you into that universe, but you'll feel like you are actually there during the heyday of Melvins- and with our original soundtrack, people can relive that experience all summer long." "I’m ecstatic to finally be bringing this story to life,” added Lance Bass, a real-life friend of the legendary Melvyn Haber. “Mel and I tried to produce it for years— wanting to find the right partners. Michael Sugar and Jared Gutstadt shared my enthusiasm, and we created something I know Mel would love. It’s an honor to tell the story of one of the best storytellers I’ve ever met." 

[jrueships]

... ok. Trip-

[abimess]

Good deeds and their rewards

Gerri Fields x Reader

Summary: During the winter break, Gerri decides to work at a charity center near her university. Little does she know she'll find much more than she's looking for.

Warnings: mention of parental abandonment

Pronouns: not used || Word count: ~3.5k

This is one of the cutest requests I've ever received, I swear to god haha just for a little context, this story takes place a few years after the movie, so both Gerri and Reader are like 24, 25 years old? I don't know, I thought it was important to say haha enjoy!

You do NOT have permission to repost or translate my work on any platforms (even with credit)

For this request | Christmas Special Masterlist | Masterlist | Library Blog

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With classes over and wanting to occupy herself with something she found truly useful, Gerri decided to do volunteer work.

Every day, on her way to the university, the brunette passed by a community center that helps children. So that's where she goes.

"We're so glad you have joined us, Miss Fields." Says the center's director, Sarah, after the girl registers at the front desk, and Gerri smiles broadly.

"Don't mention it, I'm the one who's happy to be able to help. And please, just Gerri is fine." She says dismissively, a polite tone of voice, and Sarah lets out a polite giggle. "Okay, Gerri, let me show you around."

And so the two begin walking through the center.

The place is very organized, much more than the girl imagined it would be, and quite large. She wonders who banks the place. Whoever it is, she is glad they do.

"The center is open every day, like a kind of community daycare, you know? But on weekends, we open our doors to anyone who needs it during meal times." Sarah tells as the two walk through the halls with some small makeshift classrooms and Gerri nods, trying to absorb as much information as she can.

"We have a team of cooks, cleaners, and tutors who help the children with their homework." The older one says and, noticing the brunette's almost anxious expression, adds quickly, "don't worry about being professional at something, the most important thing here is to have a willingness to help. I'm sure you'll find your place." She assures and Gerri smiles as she nods.

Sarah continues to explain how the place works and the brunette listens attentively. Eventually, they reach a courtyard and Gerri assumes that this is recess time, as several children of different ages are gathered. A loud laugh takes the brunette's attention away from Sarah.

"Hey, Jordan, that's against the rules!" You say to one of the kids, a playful scolding tone, and Gerri feels every part of her body tingle. Little does she know that this would be just the beginning of her troubles.

"That's Y/n, our oldest helper," Sarah tells, noticing the brunette's eyes fixed on you. "I guess you two must be the same age, maybe it's more comfortable for you that you work together at first. Would you like me to introduce you two now?"

"No, it's okay," Gerri replies immediately, an awkward little giggle accompanying the intense blushing of her cheeks. "I don't want to get in the way of the game."

"Sure, another time then." The director says amidst a giggle and Gerri rubs her knuckles nervously. "Another time." She confirms and Sarah nods.

As the older woman starts walking again to continue the tour, Gerri glances at you one last time before following her.

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You were the only thing on Gerri's mind from the moment she first saw you and honestly, she didn't think that was fair.

Craving to see you whenever she could, the brunette started going to the center every day, every crumb of your presence short-circuiting her brain.

But, like a complete coward, she found herself unable to go and talk to you, since you always seemed too busy with tasks or with other people (at least these were the excuses she gave herself).

And so things went on until the universe decided to give her a little push. Quite literally.

Leaving the supplies room with a stack of sketchbooks in her hands, Gerri makes her way back to the classroom she was currently helping out in. Until a strong impact causes her to drop them on the floor.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Your voice sounds and Gerri immediately freezes, her eyes watching almost in slow motion as you bend down to pick up the notebooks from the floor.

"No, it's okay." She says dismissively, pulling herself together and bending down to pick up the sketchbooks as well, but you shake your head vigorously.

"No, it's not, I'm a disaster!" You say as you stand up, holding out some notebooks to her as she stands up with some others. "I- Hey, you're the new girl, aren't you?" you ask and the bright smile you flash her prevents the brunette from doing anything other than just nodding.

"I haven't had a chance to introduce myself yet, I'm Y/n. I help the kids with math and, well, I do some other stuff too." You introduce yourself, a chuckle escaping your lips as you put your hands in your pockets, and Gerri scolds herself for the effect the sound has on her. Honestly, pathetic.

"I'm Gerri, I'm helping Andrea with the preschoolers." She introduces herself, trying to push the thoughts away, but quite aware of her cheeks heating up and you nod.

"Well, I imagine those are for them." You observe, glancing briefly at the sketchbooks in her hands, and Gerri let out a low chuckle as she nods. "Yeah, they are."

"Y/n!" A third voice makes itself heard from across the hall, and you both turn toward the sound. There, one of the tutors, who Gerri is pretty sure is named Thomas, waves at you vigorously, beckoning you to hurry.

"Coming!" You reply before looking at the brunette again, a small apologetic smile on your lips. "Sorry, Gerri, I have to go now. But it was very nice to meet you."

"Y-you too." She answers awkwardly, mentally cussing out every swear word she knows for not knowing how to behave like a normal person in front of her crush. You smile then, and the butterflies in her stomach do somersaults.

"See you around." You say with a nod, heading toward where Thomas was a few seconds ago. "Oh, and sorry again!" You add, glancing back, and Gerri chuckles softly at the adorable scene.

Blinking a few times to pull herself together, the girl returns to her original trajectory, her mind once again filled with thoughts of you.

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Today is Saturday, earlier than Gerri has ever woken up on any Saturday in her life. But you would surely be in the center, so that's where she would be too.

The brunette greets the people she meets on her way to the kitchen, and when she gets there, you welcome her with a broad smile, making all the effort of waking up early on a Saturday worthwhile for her.

"Gerri!" You greet cheerfully as you approach and Gerri giggles, hanging her purse on the wall along with the others. "Hi, Y/n."

"How nice of you to come today." You say and the brunette giggles once again, her cheeks getting warmer and her irritation rising.

Laughter is all she can do when you are around?! Really?! You must think she's crazy...

"Are you staying in the kitchen today?" you ask, waking the brunette from her thoughts and Gerri hums in confirmation.

"Cool. Me too, but only during breakfast. Just between you and me, it's the only meal I know how to make." You joke and Gerri laughs once again (for heaven's sake).

Trying to resolve the precarious situation in which she finds herself, she tries to think of some subject. Something. Anything.

But the silence just stretches on, to the point of becoming awkward.

"Well, good job to us!" You finally say, ending that catastrophic situation, and the brunette nods, smiling shyly. "Absolutely." Ah, good, she can still use words, is the thought that crosses the girl's mind as you walk away, and she mutters a swear word under her breath before she starts to work.

Meanwhile, you help Andrea organize the pans, and the woman looks up at you with a knowing smile. "I see you're getting closer to the new girl."

"Not really." You reply with a shrug. "I've talked to her a few times, but I don't know... She's not much of a talker, is she?"

"You think?" Andrea asks, sounding genuinely incredulous, and you raise your eyes to her. "She talks to me all the time."

"Well, maybe the problem is with me." You say with a chuckle, trying to disguise the pang of hurt lodged in your chest. The woman looks at you knowingly, but you quickly bring up other things, trying to end that conversation soon.

But the subject doesn't get out of your head all morning.

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Several hours went by and Gerri was amazed at the exorbitant amount of work, the group barely finished serving breakfast and was already preparing lunch.

After the midday meal, however, some of the volunteers were dismissed from kitchen duty and the brunette felt like she could finally breathe again.

In the courtyard, Gerri sees some families gathered around a makeshift stage, some of the volunteers she had befriended playing some music. With a smile, she approaches them.

A while later, Kate, one of the girls who help Sarah with the center's organizational issues, needed to leave to sort the food for dinner later, and Gerri was more than happy when the other offered her guitar for the brunette to use.

Not long after that, you showed up.

"You sing." You observe, stopping beside the side of the stage and resting your arm, and the brunette smiles as she raises her eyes to you.

"Sort of." She says in an almost playful tone, shrugging. "You're very talented." You say with honesty and smile at the rosy hue her cheeks take on. "Thank you."

As you talk, the other volunteers stop playing and people start to disperse, giving attention to other activities.

"Do you play for a long time?" You ask curiously and Gerri rests the guitar next to her as she replies, "mhm, I learned during high school. I was, I don't know, 15?" She answers with an uncertain expression and you nod.

"I always wanted to learn, but I never did much about it." You tell her and receive a smile in response. "There's always a time to start." She says knowingly, making you giggle shyly. "No, no, it's okay. I don't want to bother you."

"You don't." She says, perhaps more energetically than she should, but you don't seem to notice. Noticing your still hesitation, she pats the spot next to her. "Come on."

You sit down next to her then, picking up a guitar that one of the boys left leaning against the stage. Gerri smiles amused at your notorious awkwardness in holding the instrument.

"What do you want to learn?" She asks and you laugh through your nose. "Whatever is easiest." Is your answer, and the brunette giggles. "Okay, I guess we can start with Happy Birthday To You." She decides and, having no arguments to use, you agree.

To say that you are terrible with the instrument is an understatement.

Not that it's Gerri's fault, the girl teaches you with such patience and such gentleness that it doesn't surprise you a bit that the children like her so much. But even the girl's best attempts are not enough to make your fingers behave as they should.

"Okay, I think it's clear that I'm completely incapable." You remark humorously, wiggling your fingers to relieve some of the tension, and Gerri smiles, shaking her head. "That's not true, you just need a little more practice."

"You're quite optimistic."You retort, causing her to laugh through her nose in amusement. Naturally, you look away to the courtyard ahead and smile as you see one of the little girls who usually attends the center, Anne, watching the two of you.

"I think you may have a better apprentice than me." You say, pointing at the child, and Gerri follows your gaze, smiling as well at seeing your one-person audience.

"Do you want to try, dear?" She asks tenderly, and you smile as you see the little girl nodding eagerly. "Here, Anne, do what I was unable to do." You say, holding out the guitar to the girl and getting up from the stage.

Anne smiles as she sits down next to Gerri and holds the guitar, and you return to your position at the side of the Stage.

The brunette then devotes herself to showing Anne how to play the guitar, with the same warmth she showed you. And while she was teaching the little girl, Gerri was unaware of your affectionate gaze on her.

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It was as if the dynamic between you and Gerri had completely transformed after that Saturday. And considering you were a complete mess whenever she was around, it didn't take long for other people to notice as well.

For example at this very moment. You were helping some kids with math problems when you heard knocks on the door, which was previously due to the poor ventilation of the place.

Raising your gaze to it, you see the girl who has been living in your mind rent-free, and you immediately trip over your own feet. Hopefully no one noticed.

"Y/n has a crush!"

Shit. The comment made the other children burst out laughing and you turn to them with your neck on fire. "Hey! What's up with that? Don't you have some fractions to solve?" You scold, but the giggles don't cease, they just get lower.

You turn to Gerri then and, had you not been so immersed in your own awkwardness, you would've noticed her rosy cheeks.

"Sorry, these kids... You know... Full of creativity." You say clumsily, putting your hands in your pockets. "Absolutely, "the brunette agrees with an anxious giggle, shifting her weight between her feet. "Sorry to bother your class-"

"You never bother." You let it slip before you can even contain yourself, and as Gerri widens her eyes slightly, murmurs are heard around the room.

"That's enough," you scold once more, turning to the children, "you'll get no cake this afternoon, huh?" you threaten and have to hold back from smiling at the distressed expressions of some of them. When you turn to Gerri again, you clear your throat. "Sorry, go on."

Your request goes ignored, however, because Gerri just stares at you for a moment, admiring the most adorable details of your face. When she comes back to her senses, she blinks repeatedly.

"Crayons," she says, situating herself back to reality, "I came to ask if you had any to spare." She explains, and you assume a thoughtful expression.

"Er, I must have some." You tell, moving toward the cabinet at the back of the room. After rummaging through a few doors, you return carrying a box. "Here you go."

"Thanks, Y/n." She says, smiling as she takes the item from your hands, and you smile in response. "Bye guys." The brunette says with a wave of her hand and gets a chorus of "bye, Gerri" as she walks away.

After that the class goes back to normal, the kids go back to studying and talking to each other and you continue to help them in any way you can.

"Why don't you ask her out?" Sophia asks, one of the most dedicated children and whom you were now helping with a harder question. You frown. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, you clearly want to." She answers casually. "And so does she." She adds knowingly, and you scoff.

It's not possible that you're getting love advice from a 13-year-old.

"Okay, how can you possibly know that?" you ask, amused, and watch the girl shrug. "Because I know stuff," Sophia replies simply, making you laugh.

"Okay, young lady, if you know stuff, show me how to solve this equation then." You tease, bringing the subject to a close. But as you watch the girl solve the problem, all you can think about is Gerri.

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You don't ask Gerri out.

With Christmas approaching and the tasks at the center increasing, it was very easy to make excuses to avoid doing so.

And it was the same with Gerri. As much as the girl wanted more than anything to ask you out, insecurity always got the best of her.

The days go on like this until Christmas finally arrives, and you entertain the children with a Santa hat on your head.

The party is beautiful this year. The decorations are simple, you do what you can with the little you have after all. But there was something about Christmas this year that was just magical, even if you couldn't tell exactly what it is.

To make things even better, the figure that has grown to be your favorite this past month approaches you.

"Gerri! You came for Christmas!" You note excitedly and the girl smiles shyly. "You too! But that's no surprise coming from you, I heard." She comments humorously and you giggle.

"Yeah, what can I say? This place is my home. And I don't even mean figuratively." You answer casually, shrugging your shoulders. But the brunette looks at you with confusion.

"I don't come from a well-to-do family, you know." You tell her, beckoning her to walk with you to a bench further away from the crowd of people, and she does.

"My mother worked all day for a pittance and my father abandoned us the moment he found out she was pregnant." You say, your eyes watching the party ahead, but feeling Gerri's gaze on you.

"I'm sorry, Y/n." She says, an apologetic expression on her face, but you smile reassuringly, shrugging. "It's okay. I mean, things got better. I was able to get into college and get a job. It's not much, but at least my mom doesn't have to work herself to exhaustion anymore. She's here, by the way... Well, somewhere."

You finish clumsily after pointing to the party but not seeing your mother anywhere, and Gerri laughs softly, looking at you with those beautiful green eyes of hers. You look back at the party, feeling your stomach turn the way it always does when she's around.

"Anyway, I've spent almost every day of my life here, this place has taken me in like no other. So I try to do that too, you know? Take in these kids like no one else is willing to do." You continue, a soft smile on your lips that the brunette has a hard time not admiring.

"You're perfect."

You turn to her with an expression as shocked as her own. "I-I... I mean..." She starts awkwardly but then assumes a determined posture. "You know what? I'm just gonna say it." She says firmly and you giggle nervously.

"I really like you." She says after taking a deep breath, and you widen your eyes. "Since the first time I saw you I thought you were so beautiful and all the times we interacted made me realize that your heart is even more beautiful and I've been meaning to ask you out for a while now, but I never find the courage to do it because honestly, I'm a disaster at these things and please stop me now before I talk any more bullshit-"

You cut off her clumsy monologue with a kiss on the cheek, and you smile amused at the girl's shocked expression, her cheeks burning red. "You're cute."

"Shut up." She mumbles shyly, looking away, and you giggle. "I'm a little disappointed, though." You say, and Gerri returns her eyes to you with frowning eyebrows. "I've also been meaning to ask you out for a while and now I'm sad you beat me to it."

"Really?" she asks genuinely surprised and you hum in agreement. She smiles broadly then but looks at you uncertainly afterward. "Is that a yes?"

"Of course!" You answer with obviousness, bumping your shoulder against hers playfully, and the girl lets out a happy giggle. You stare at her for a moment before an idea crosses your mind.

"Well... While we don't have our date, we can have a pre-date tonight. What do you think?" You ask humorously, getting the most beautiful smile you've ever seen in response. "I think that's a great idea."

You get up from the bench then and Gerri watches you curiously until you extend your hand to her. "Come on, Miss Fields."

She smiles as she takes your hand and the two of you walk back to join the others at the party.

If you thought the party was beautiful before, it looks magnificent now. Especially when you look down and see ring-filled fingers intertwined with yours, or when you look to the side and are greeted by a smile accompanied with the greenest eyes you've ever seen.

Everyone is eating, talking, having fun, all to the sound of various Christmas carols. The two of you get several knowing glances from your closest friends, but you can hardly judge them, the silly smiles on your lips giving you away as much as your entwined hands.

And even though the song says that there's no place like home for the holidays, you can't help thinking that the best place to be is next to the girl beside you.

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#Day 11: Another Day of Snow (Wanda Maximoff x Reader)

And that's it for today! I hope you enjoyed it, thoughts and comments are always welcome ツ

Taglist: @yuhloversxx @madamevirgo @an-evergreen-rose @helloalycia @wandas1mp @cantcontroltheirfear @diaryoflife @cristin-rjd @ensorcellme @aimezvousbrahms @natasha-danvers @purplemeetsblue @randomshyperson @peggycarter-steverogers @b0mbdotc0m @ethereal-pxradise @stephanieromanoff @tomy5girls @gingerbreadcookieforlife @imapotatao @musicinourlips @xxxtwilightaxelxxx @allfiguredout @olsensnpm @magicallymaximoff @nothing-isimpossible @mionemymind @itsmionet @xastrydx @sxfwap @nicole-rayleigh-hot @wellsayhelloaagin @midnight-lestrange @1-800-depressedlesbian @b-5by5 @blackwow34 @nervoustrack @somewhatgreatexpectations @yeetus-thyself @chelleztjs18 @franfineashell @mrromanoff (if you wanna be tagged check the form on my BIO)

[pixeldistractions]

Who are these two little men?!?

Jordan is going to be sad that I gave his boys a little growth spurt while he was away, but isn’t that the way it happens with boys at this age? You blink and they grow two whole feet. Now they’re almost as tall as their mom. At 9.5, they only have another year and a half until they age up to “preteens.”

It actually kills me being such a slow writer, because I have so much story planned for these kids as they grow into teenagers. I have plans for the drama they’ll cause with other people’s kids, too. Stephanie’s kids, Jack’s kids. Some of that might come up sooner, but a lot will happen years down the line, which at my rate will be like a real life decade, lol! And I just want to talk about it all!!!

Since these boys and Johanna will get much more screen time in the upcoming story chapters, let’s get to know them a little better.

Felix, age 9.5:

aspiration: social // traits: clever, outgoing, +mean (ruthless)

already building his voting base for middle school student council president

A- student

throws rocks at seagulls when nobody’s looking

auctioned his best voidcritter cards for cash at recess

favorite foods: sushi, cheddar jalapeño Cheetos

peek into the future: will have a crush on Lily Nova

Milo, age 9.5:

aspiration: motor (he will fail) // traits: slob, light-hearted, +clumsy (slacker)

wants to be a video game streamer, but his mom says he’s not allowed until he’s thirteen

C- student

picks and flicks his boogers when nobody’s looking

still plays voidcritters, but he keeps losing his good cards, where do they go?

favorite foods: grilled cheese, sour gummy worms

peek into the future: will ask to live with his dad

Johanna “JoJo”, age 4.5:

aspiration: mind & body // traits: self-assured, active, + ??? (spitfire)

favorite animal isn’t wolverines anymore, now she likes tarantulas

her mom won’t let her have one

jumps on the couch when nobody’s looking

favorite game: hide and go seek

favorite foods: hot dogs, pineapple, strawberry ice cream

peek into the future: when she’s a teenager, she will hate being called JoJo and will insist on Hanna.

[call-me-aesthetic]

If Twisted Wonderland was an American Public School

WARNING: There are some slight sensitive topics that are featured in here! Reader discretion is advised!

Part 2 can be found here

Heartslabyul

Riddle Rosehearts:

- That one preppy girl who takes all honors and AP classes 😑

- Wants everyone to know that he’s becoming a doctor one day for his strict parents or he’ll dishonor the family

- Reminds the teacher about homework, knowing well that he’ll get slander for it

- Complains about how he got a 90 on his test or a B on his report card, a try hard much?

- Wears a cardigan with thicc but cute glasses since he’s one of those people with can’t see shit on the board so he has to move to the front of the class

Ace Trappola:

- The SoundCloud rapper, that’s it

- “Wanna listen to my mixtape? It’s pretty fire, my guy.” 😩🔥

- You will not miss him BLASTING out some song on his Bluetooth speaker, that shit be echoing through the hallways

- Tells you to stop what you’re doing only for him to either sing horribly or do a backflip, thinking that he’s so cool

- Wears a Supreme jacket with AirPods and waves on his head

Deuce Spade:

- Assuming that he’s still a delinquent, he’s that kid with the most fucked up school record

- Not much of a bully but will still talk shit to your face without caring, might even throw stuff at you during a lesson and you would be the one getting in trouble instead of him 🗿

- If he ever gets mad, it would be overdramatic like kicking the desks, punching the lockers, or walking out of the classroom unannounced and everyone would look at each other wondering wtf happened

- Covers the entire desks with drawings of skulls and those “s” if you know what I mean

- Wears Champion hoodies, wants you to know that he’s broke and rich at the same time

Trey Clover:

- The guy that’s not really popular but everyone knows him since he’s in all their classes

- Most people might have a crush on him because he’s REALLY nice 😳👉👈

- Gives off “older brother” vibes based on the way he looks and acts, like offering you a ride home if you beg ask nicely

- Secretly bakes creme brulee but doesn’t want to mess with the flow so he sticks to the status quo

- Wears the school’s hoodie just because he thinks it looks good on him, and the fact that he doesn’t know what else to wear

Cater Diamond:

- Hot Cheetos girl 🥵

- Has a whole buffet of food in his backpack and will not hesitate to eat them during a lesson, no sharing either sorry

- Excuses himself to the bathroom or full on skips class just to film a Tiktok

- Has about 100 followers on Instagram Magicam and brags about how he’s famous

- Wears a Thrasher hoodie with large hoop earrings and his hair in a bun

Savanaclaw

Leona Kingscholar:

- The kid who flunked their freshman year that also sort of vibes with new classmates

- Always gets mistaken as a teacher by people since he looks and sounds old

- Knows the lessons but still fails them anyways, didn’t really give a damn either 🙄

- Captain of every sports club you can think of, never actually plays but has a lot of knowledge on them

- Wears the school’s letterman from years ago since it used to be his brother’s and that he’s too lazy to buy a new one

Ruggie Bucchi:

- That one kid who NEVER has money for the book fair or any other school event

- Always has to ask his classmates for some cash

- If he somehow does, then he’s one of those kids who buys Diary of the Wimpy Kid or the World Record books

- If he’s feeling cheap, he’ll buy the “cool stuff” like the chocolate scented calculator or fruit snacks 😭

- Wears oversized hoodies and basketball shorts that are clearly hand-me-downs

Jack Howl:

- That one athletic kid who’s both scary good and competitive when it comes to school games like football or soccer

- Literally the best player on his team and without him, they’re trash as hell 💀

- Tries his absolute best to support his teammates without yelling at them for how dumb they are

- “KICK THE FUCKING BALL! DO YOUR LEGS EVEN WORK?!”

- Wears the school’s jersey just to show off his “school spirit”

Octavinelle

Azul Ashengrotto:

- The kid who sell snacks for “charity” but everyone knows he’s keeping the money to himself

- If you don’t have cash or try to negotiate with him, the only thing he’ll do is raise the price up

- “What do you mean you don’t have ten bucks? I can see it in your pocket.”

- Just bring nothing with you, he’ll doing anything to steal your stuff 🤭

- Wears a collar shirt with a tie and khakis that have pockets to keep his glasses and money in

Jade Leech:

- The kid who puts on a goody two shoes facade but is actually a stoner

- Only does “safe” drugs like vape but occasionally smokes weed, mostly in the bathroom or behind the school 🌬

- Can play it off and hide the scent when he’s high, teachers never suspect anything from him

- No one really cares to stop him unless he gets caught or something idk

- Wears clothing that either makes him look like a businessman or a junky, there’s nothing in between

Floyd Leech:

- The kid that’s plays basketball or volleyball just because he’s hella tall, and is actually good at the sports but doesn’t put much effort into them

- Always stays behind after gym, even though the teacher tries to make him leave for his next class 😬

- “I swear after this one shot, I’ll go to class.” *He never made that shot*

- Will jump you no matter who or where you are, and will get angry if you step on his new shoes

- Wears the jersey of any famous team with the latest pair of Jordan sneakers

Scarabia

Kalim Al Asim:

- VSCO girl at best, don’t lie to me now 🤡

- The only words he knows are “And I oop– sksksk.” and “Save the turtles.”

- Walks during a track meet while everyone else is running and sweating hard, the teacher doesn’t care either

- Doesn’t really do anything in gym but talks to his classmates and stands near the water fountain to refill his Hydro flask

- Wears tie dye shirts with cute scrunchies

Jamil Viper:

- That one quiet kid who everybody thinks is a serial killer but he’s actually not, I swear

- He just wants school to be over and spend the rest of his summer relaxing 😔

- Although he shouldn’t abuse his “power,” he‘ll move his hands in his pockets or backpack to make it look like he’s about to pull a weapon out.

- “Chill, I’m just grabbing a pencil.” *Everyone in the class started crying*

- Wears dark colored hoodies that intimidates people but are actually comfy

Pomefiore

Vil Schoenheit:

- The baddie popular girl 😌💅✨

- Arrives to school late with a Starbucks in hand from his local Target

- Fixes himself every 5 seconds like reapplying his lipgloss or spraying Bath and Body Works cherry blossom perfume

- Uses acrylic nails and long hair extensions as weapons during a cat fight

- Wears a crop top with ripped jeans and those clout sunglasses

Rook Hunt:

- That creepy guy in the hallways who tries to get your attention, even if you don’t know him

- Scares people when he says, “Ayo, where my hug at?” 🥶💯

- Uses at least 10 cans of Axe body spray a week after gym class, which stinks up the locker rooms

- Waves at you if he passes your class, even walking into the room just to say hi

- Wears literally anything but always include a hat

Epel Felmier:

- The artist girl who just wants to be alone 🧑‍🎨

- Purposely draws in front of you but pretends like you’re not looking

- If you complement him, he’ll just brush it off and proceeds to diss himself

- “Thanks but I’m not THAT good at drawing, teehee.” *Insert Radio Rebel face*

- Wears a hoodie or a cardigan with big pockets to put his art supplies in

Ignihyde

Idia Shroud:

- I don’t even need to tell you who he is, y’all already know ahaha 🥴

- Sneaks a whole PlayStation in his backpack so he can play with it during lunch

- Is on his phone 24/7 even in class to the point where teachers don’t care anymore

- Tries to get people into anime but only to little success

- Wears a shirt of any anime character or that damn ahegao hoodie, girl bye

Ortho Shroud:

- The nerdy kid who’s known for destroying others at many games

- Plays classics like D&D, Yugioh, Pokémon, the whole shabang

- Daily Beyblade battles during recess with everyone surrounding him, the menacing aura radiates off of him

- Will steal your things if you lose to him but gives it back a week later cuz he’s sweet 🥰

- Wears light up Sketchers shoes and those Minecraft shirts you find at Old Navy

Diasomnia

Malleus Draconia:

- The theatre kid who also goes to band practice, change my mind 👁👄👁

- Takes his role seriously when it comes to school plays and concerts, even if he gets casted as a damn tree or doesn’t go solo

- Remembers the songs and their lyrics to any musical you name, a really good singer at that too

- Plays almost every instrument, you definitely know this since you can hear him down the hallways during a test

- Wears a white button up shirt, black pants with fancy dress shoes, and top it all off with a fricking Rolex watch

Lilia Vanrouge:

- The weird guy who pranks people and vandalizes school property in every way possible

- If you ever get a textbook with a message that tells you to go to a certain page only for you to found a picture of a dick, yeah that was him 😒

- When using a Chromebook, he’ll leave a tab open on YouTube so when the next person uses it, pray that your ears will still work by tomorrow

- During lunch, he is a literal DEMON that mixes milk with chicken nuggets together and having the audacity to eat it too

- Wears an oversized raincoat or a windbreaker but idk wtf kind of things he has hiding underneath

Silver:

- That guy in class who consumes Monster energy drinks and falls asleep 99% of the time but somehow manages to pass the class 🤷

- Whenever he’s awake, he’ll talk to the teachers since he’s basically friends with them for some reason

- Writes his name out of boredom on any desk you sit on but in different places, sometimes around the corners or the sides

- Has a sixth sense because he’ll wake up if you try to draw on his face and if you did get something on him, it’s on sight

- Wears those colorful hoodies that zips all the way up to cover his face with a matching backpack, it’s pretty cool ngl

Sebek Zigvolt:

- That kid who literally knows everything about historical wars and will show it off during class

- Also has knowledge on weaponry, which has people questioning him but he’s just very dedicated on serving his country and people

- Knows how to fight and defend himself from a bitch since he spent his summer at a military boot camp, put respect on my man’s name 😤

- Honestly a great partner for a group project, actually does the given work but not the whole thing for you

- Wears anything that has camo pattern and chunky combat boots

I only made this because me and my friends were talking about our school memories so yeah. This is based from my experience so they might not be exactly accurate. Might even be a part two if you want.

[elielovesbillbill]

“You’re ours”;; fear street smut

Content warning; Smut , swearing

:: Threesome; Reader x Simon x Kate ::

The sound of the halls got quite as everyone left out the doors to go home , you were behind because well because you had stuff to put in your locker. While you were putting stuff in your locker , a short boy from your Bio class came up too you.

“Do you need something “ you said while he was staring at you with pretty much drool coming down his cheek. You were discussed at what you were seeing. The boy then hands you a paper with his phone # on it, you roll your eyes at him. “I don’t think I need this you said “ putting it in your back pocket. Everyone in school knew that you belonged to Kate and Simon , so why was this boy trying to flirt with you.

“So maybe if you get bored , you can call me” he says with a smirk . The boy was popular, he was on the football team, he had a crush on you since fifth grade , but in fifth grade you were to busy worrying about what time was recess, so you can play a game of four square with Heather , Kate and Simon. You were pretty much Simon’s from the beginning, then the beginning of this year, Kate joined you guys.

You three was always hooking up at parties , it came to the point where you’d walk down the halls in between them holding their hands. Then finally you all got into a plot relationship, and you didn’t hide it , it wasn’t something to be embarrassed about, people didn’t understand it but they understood you three. You three are the only poly relationship that they let walk through the hallway because if they did say something, well Kate will rip them a new one.

You look at the boy with a smirk slamming your locker closed walking out of the school. You were gonna go meet with your lovers, you walked out to your car starting it , you guys had a place you will go to every weekend night , it was the house in the backyard of your dad’s house, your dad lived in sunnyvale and had lots of money , so he had a guest house and well you could be unhappy it because your dad didn’t care much , he lived alone and was never home. You finally got there it was like probably a 15 minute drive because it was outside of sunnyvale. You went inside already seeing the two.

“Hey “ you spoke softly. “Sorry it took so long , the couch made me clean because I got in trouble and well then Jordan came up asking for my number “ you say putting down your bag. That’s when Simon came giving you a hug.

“ it’s okay , as long as you didn’t get hurt there’s nothing to worry about “ he says the boy then pulls away as Kate walks up behind you as she then reaches into your pocket.

“We should order pizza “ she spoke , she did this to see if you had cash , you usually do but not today , but you forgot something in your pocket. The female pulls out the note on in your pocket smirking a bit.

“ well… look what we have here Si money “ she says giving the note to Simon. The male then looks at you and Kate does too with a hint of anger / jealousy in their eyes. “Where did you get this , was it from Jordan, y/n?” You look down a bit shaking your head knowing you’re in trouble now. They then look at each other her with a bit of a smirk.

“ Well we can’t have this go unpunished” Simon says taking the number and going to the phone as he types it in . He then hears someone pick up the other line, he smirks a bit looking at you, he then puts the phone on speaker as Kate came up behind you grabbing your neck lightly, as she smirks. “Well hello there Jordan , this is Simon and well I found your number on someone that really belongs to me and trust me , you won’t want to hang up on this” he says coming to you lifting up your chin ever so lightly. The boy then watches as Kate brought a chair behind you letting you sit down as she starts to kiss your ear lobes. Simon sat down on his knees unzipping your pants and bringing them down exposing your panties. His warm breath hitting the thin fabric as you lean your head on the back of the chair bitting your lip so the boy on the phone won’t hear you whimper.

That’s when Kate decided that Simon wasn’t gonna have all the fun playing with you, she gets on her knees too , to mess with you , the female then looks at Simon , as Simon gets up and lifts you up moving you to the couch with Kate following behind , Kate was now on top of you kissing your neck and Simon kept your legs down messing with the fabric . He then started to lick the fabric lightly already seeing that you were soaked this wasn’t surprising because well because it was them , the male then bites on the panties pulling them down with his teeth as your legs come out of the holes , the male then goes down and starts to kiss your legs lightly knowing full well that it was driving you crazy, but he knew that he was punishing you so he couldn’t actually touch you.

Kate on the other hand was marking you up rubbing herself against your stomach, she was making noises in your ear as you she bit at it, this was also going on with Simon playing with you, this drove you mad all you wanted was for them to play with you like they normally do, you didn’t even flirt with the guy just forgot to throw away his phone number and now you have to deal with them being jealous and you remember that you were good this week to get to be played with. The boy was now driving you to the point where you had to make noise, a small whimper came from your lips as Kate looks at you with a smirk “there baby make hear who you belong too” the female says as she kisses you softly. The male well he started to kiss you lightly, on the top of your Clit , you started to whimper more knowing that if you made more sound, he will give you what you wanted . That’s when you felt something go inside of you , it was his tongue . You then threw your head back as soft moans started to fill up the room. That’s when he started to lick everything on the inside, pretty much making out with you down there. The boy continues as your hips buckled up lifting up Kate as turns around to see what Simon was doing as she then also started kissing you , that’s pretty much when you started to fill both of their tongues inside of you , you started to moan more , this was what you wanted and they knew it, they were happy that they could hear you because that meant Jordan could hear you too.

That’s when Simon got up unzipping his pants as he looks over at Kate whom was taking off her clothes, when this was happening you were whimpering because of the lost of touch, you look up at him , this was your everything this was the was the reason why you were alive , they have been there for . You watch as them climb on to you , Kate who was sitting on your stomach , she was now bending down kissing you , that’s when you felt Simon , his tip was hitting the top of your pussy lightly, he then grabs the condom he got out of his pocket, he opened , putting it on. He then nods “ get ready love” he says as he slips into you. This felt amazing, you loved when this happened, then Kate will climb into your face, as she starts to ride your faces, you were moaning and the sound would vibrate against her , her moans would fill the room , as if she was a microphone for you , and your sound would go through her. Simon then started to push inside of you as he goes slow at first , getting use to the feeling, but then after awhile , he will pick up the speed, when he does this is when you started to buckle your hip, continuing to fill Kate up with your tongue. That’s when the warm thick liquid hits your mouth, it was sweet and yummy. You started to suck on her to get more in your mouth but as you did that , that’s when you started to hit your high lifting up a bit as your body felt good, moans were coming out but as that happened you started to choke on Kate’s cum, it wasn’t too bad to like kill you. You just let it spill out of your mouth and on her too since she was in your mouth, she then lifts up wiping your mouth as she kissed you , and sucks on your tongue , as you rolled your eyes back and then you cum too . Simon pulls out of you as he gets up kissing your forehead then Kate’s forehead as she was laying on top of you.

The boy then walks over to the phone as he picks it up “see Jordan she belongs to us” he says hanging up on Jordan.