#Nashville Kids' Sound

[fractallogic]

I mean yeah dude no kidding she’s better when she eats, because that’s how humans work

Dude is in DENIAL and I am just so tired of it. I’m looking forward to talking to grandpa when he calls me so that I can get an update, because… sigh. I just want broad strokes. I mean yes a shitty update is an update but is it really better than no update? Idk.

Our energetic friend happened to call last night and since her mom also died of cancer and also had a brain tumor, it was especially meaningful to have her tell me for the umpteenth time that whatever decision I made re: seeing her is the right one. If someone who adored and cared for her mom in her final days says that… I mean, I KNOW it’s true, but coming from her I believe it.

Idk man. I want my mom to be at peace. I want her to die. She wouldn’t want to be like this.

[thecoleopterawithana]

Now and Then

1977

Now and Then: I know it's true / It's all because of you

And if I make it through / It's all because of you / And now and then / If we must start again / Well, we will know for sure / That I love you

I don't wanna lose you, oh no / Abuse you or confuse you / Oh no, no, sweet darlin' / But if you have to go away / If you have to go, well you the reason [?]

Now and then / I miss you / Oh, now and then / I want you to return to me / 'Til you return to me / I know it's true / It's all because of you / And if you go away / I know you could never stay

.

1978

Love Awake: Love awake to the day / When we can make our love awake / Lord knows we need it any time we can get it / But we forget it every now and then / But if you don't feel it, later on, you'll regret it / And if we let it we could set it free, you and me

.

1981

My Old Friend: If I told you how I feel / Oh, it wouldn’t sound so real / ‘Cause emotions, they are just now settin’ in / But it sure is great to know / That wherever we may go / We can always be the best of friends

My old friend, / Thanks for inviting me in / My old friend, / May this goodbye never mean the end / If we never meet again this side of life / In a little while, over yonder, / Where it’s peace and quiet / My old friend, / Won’t you think about me every now and then

.

Well, it was something that I’ll never live long enough to forget. It happened in February of 1981 and as the world all knows, and never will forget, in December of 1980 when John Lennon was taken away from us, and so this was the following year, in February. I wrote the song about and for Paul McCartney. I did it because he was so kind to invite me down to this beautiful island of Montserrat with Stevie Wonder. Ringo was there, just had a wonderful time. I flew down by myself. Paul and Linda met me with a jeep on the (center) airfield with a little single engine plane and took me across the mountains we were like kids again, and it was a wonderful time, and I wanted to do… I didn’t want to cry when I left after staying down there, and I’m a big crybaby! If something moves me, I’ll just choke up… I talk about it. I thought that would happen, so the night before, I just wrote how I felt on the isle of Montserrat on every shell, forget a country boy with a guitar and a song you invited me, and you treated me like kin, and you’ve given me a reason to go on. So my old friend, think about me every now and then. I sang it for Paul, at about 10:00 the next morning. I was scheduled to leave flying again in the little single engine aircraft to the island of Antigua where I was flying commercial back to Atlanta and on to Nashville and back to Jackson, where I live here. I sang it, he said “Carl, it’s beautiful… would you sing it again?” and I said. “Sure, man.” He said “wait just a minute,” and he got Linda in there, and they sat on the floor, I sat on his old Fender twin reverb amplifier, with a guitar, I did however notice a microphone over there. I didn’t pay that much attention to it, but George Martin recorded it and after I finished singing the song to Paul, he was crying, tears were rolling down his pretty cheeks, and they’re pretty to me just like they are to the rest of the world. I think he’s a very handsome boy and always did. He’s even handsomer when he’s crying. And Linda said, “Carl, thank you so much.” I said, “Linda, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to make you cry.” She said, “But he’s crying and he needed to. He hasn’t been able to really break down since that happened to John.” I mean he stepped outside of the room, out by the pool, and he just had his handkerchief out, and he was going at it. And she put her arm around me and said, “But how did you know?” I said, “Know what, Linda? I don’t know what you’re talking about?” She said “There’s two people in the world that know what John Lennon said to Paul, the last thing he said to him. Me and Paul are the only two that know that, but now there’s three and one of you… you know it. I said, “Girl, you’re freaking me out! I don’t know what you’re talking about!” She said the last words that John Lennon said to Paul in the hallway of the Dakota building were… he patted him on the shoulder, and said, ‘Think about me every now and then, old friend.’ Q: That’s just amazing… And she said, here you are, that’s what you just sang, and how did you know? And I said I didn’t know it, gosh, I didn’t know it. But McCartney really feels that Lennon sent me that song, he really does.

— Carl Perkins, interviewed for Goldmine (September 26, 1986).

.

1994

Paul had gone to Yoko to ask if she had any of John’s songs kicking around. The deal was that Paul would induct John into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in return. Yoko’s a generous person in that respect, so she actually gave him three songs – 'Free As A Bird' and 'Real Love' were worked up and released, the last one wasn’t.

— Source close to the Anthology project, quoted in the Sunday Express (April 29, 2007).

.

1995

It was one day – one afternoon, really – messing with it. The song had a chorus but is almost totally lacking in verses. We did the backing track, a rough go that we really didn’t finish. It was sort of a bluesy sort of ballad, I suppose, in A minor. It was a very sweet song. I liked it a lot. Should it ever be completed it would probably end up as either ‘Now And Then’ or ‘Miss You’. I wished we could have finished it.

— Jeff Lynne, quoted in the Sunday Express (April 29, 2007).

It didn’t have a very good title, it needed a bit of reworking, but it had a beautiful verse and it had John singing it. [But] George didn’t like it. The Beatles being a democracy, we didn’t do it.

— Paul McCartney, interviewed for Q Magazine (November 2006).

.

2007

There are a couple of things which may surface at some point. You see, with the Beatles, there’s always a surprise somewhere along the line. We did ‘Free As A Bird’ and ‘Real Love’, those two songs of John’s, and that was very exciting, very moving for me and very comfortable having his voice in my headphones in the studio again. And there was a third track, another song we had our eyes on called ‘Now And Then’. l actually wanted to do it on Anthology 3, but we didn’t all agree. But things change and the thing is that it might not go away. There was only one of us who didn’t want to do it. lt would have meant a lot of hard work, the song would have needed a lot of re-writing and people would have had to be very patient with us. But there are these one or two things lurking in the bushes. The Beatles might just raise their ugly little heads again…

— Paul McCartney, quoted in the Sunday Express (April 29, 2007).

.

2012

And there was another one we started working on, but George went off it. We were like, ‘No George, this is John’. He said, ‘It’s still rubbish’. ‘Ok, then’. So that one is still lingering around. I’m gonna nick it with Jeff and do it. Finish it, one of these days.

— Paul McCartney, interviewed for the “Mr Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne & ELO” documentary (2012).

.

2018

Get Enough: It was a time when we walked by the docks / I told you, "I need you all of my life" / And watching the tugs rolling by together / Do you remember? / Do you remember the lights on the shore? / How they reflected the rain on the road? / I believed that you love me alone / It was real / Do you remember? / Now and then I see your face / I've been wanting a lovin’ embrace / I've been looking for love, but it gets me nowhere / Oh, yeah, yeah

Get enough, get enough, get enough of (Your love) (x2) / I can't get enough of / Of you

It was a time we were all full of hope / Saw the future burning bright / As we watched the moon rollin’ out to sea / Do you remember? / But those days are erased from my mind / Yeah, I've left all those old days behind / But still I remember your face forever, forever

.

If I'm going to see a face in a painting, it's highly likely to be his.

— Paul McCartney, interviewed by Diane Sawyer for ABC News (November 2, 2000).

.

2022

And then 'Now and Then’ just kind of languished in a cupboard and we didn’t do anything with it. I kept saying, “You know, maybe we should do something with this, seems a bit—” “Hm, I don’t know…” There wasn’t a great desire to do anything with it. So it hung around for a while. Years! And every so often, I’d kind of go to the cupboard and think, “There’s a new song in there! We should do it! We gotta do it!” But it’d go back in the cupboard.

— Paul McCartney, in BBC Sounds Eras: The Beatles (November 2, 2023).

I got a phone call from Paul saying, “Is it possible to use that [MAL] technology for another project I’ve been thinking about? […] Would it be possible to take John’s vocal and clean it up and get rid of everything else? Because that would allow us to finish this Beatles song.” And absolutely, it didn’t take me more than about a second to get back to him and say, “Of course we can do it!”

— Peter Jackson, in BBC Sounds Eras: The Beatles (November 2, 2023).

.

2023

Now and Then: I know it’s true / It’s all because of you / And if I make it through / It’s all because of you

And now and then / If we must start again / Well we will know for sure / That I will love you

Now and then / I miss you / Oh now and then / I want you to be there for me / Always to return to me

I know it’s true / It’s all because of you / And if you go away / I know you’ll never stay

Now and then / I miss you / Oh now and then / I want you to be there for me

I know it’s true / It’s all because of you / And if I make it through / It’s all because of you

.

I do feel as though ‘Now and Then’ is a love letter to Paul written by John. I mean, I've never really asked Paul about it, and I'm not sure whether Paul would say, ‘Oh, that's definitely it,' because he wouldn't want to second guess John. But that's the sense I get. And I get the feeling that's why Paul was so determined to finish it.

— Giles Martin, interviewed for PEOPLE magazine (October 26, 2023).

When you say you enjoy 'Now and Then', that’s really nice, because that’s why we do it. We do it so people can listen to stuff and not just hear it. 'Now and Then' sounds like a love song. It sounds like a song that John wrote for Paul, and the other Beatles: “I miss you/ Now and then.” It sounds like Paul has gone there, which I think he did. You know, no one told Paul to go and do it, and Paul didn’t go, This would be a great exercise for the Red and Blue Album. He was at home in the studio. He dug on the record and started working on it, because it’s his mate. And he really misses John. I mean, that’s the truth. They broke up, and John died nine years later. It really isn’t very long.

— Giles Martin, interviewed for GRAMMYS (October 26, 2023).

.

When I remember the Beatles, I remember the joy, the talent, the humor, the love. And I think, if people remembered us for that — for those things — I’d be very happy.

— Paul McCartney, in BBC Sounds Eras: The Beatles (November 2, 2023).

[vigilante-3073]

Love Story

Dean Winchester x Female Reader

Summary: Reader gets Dean a very special birthday present.

TW: FLUFF, pre-established relationship, Dean's secret obsession with Taylor Swift, concerts, extravagant gestures.

Dean's 43th birthday had been celebrated in the bunker with friends and family. Everyone had either gone home or made their way into one of the empty rooms to spend the night after the many beers and shots that were shared.

The table was covered in scattered empty pizza boxes and pie tins. Dean moved around the room, stuffing the trash into a garbage bag.

"You know, you don't have clean up after your own party," Y/N said, making her way over to him.

"Someone's gotta," Dean said, "Might as well get it out of the way before morning," He shrugged, dropping another paper plate into the bag.

"Can you take a break? I have something for you," Y/N said, pulling a white envelope from the back pocket of her jeans.

"You didn't have to get me anything, sweetheart," Dean sighed, setting down the garage bag and stepping over to her.

"You deserve it," Y/N said, holding out the envelope.

Dean took it from her hands, carefully tearing the it open and peering inside. He reached into the envelope and pulled out two shimmering tickets.

He stared down at them, thumb tracing over the surface carefully as Y/N watched him. She shifted on her feet as she tried to gauge his reaction.

"Are these real?" He asked softly, green eyes meeting with her's.

"Yeah," Y/N replied with a nervous smile.

He stepped forward, pulling her into his arms quickly. Dean held her tightly as a wide smile spread across his face, "This is amazing," He laughed.

She wrapped her arms around him, "Are you happy?" Y/N asked.

He pulled away, "Happy? Are you kidding? We're going to the Eras Tour! I'm over the freakin' moon!" Dean said.

Y/N laughed, "I left your VIP package on your bed. Go check it out while I finish up here," She said, tilting her head towards the messy table.

"Baby, you are- you are awesome," Dean said, cupping her cheeks and pressing his lips to her's in a quick kiss.

"I love you so damn much, sweetheart. We're going to see Taylor Swift! Hell yeah!" Dean grinned, rushing off down the hallway.

...

Dean had been eagerly anticipating the concert since his birthday. The usual silence in the bunker had quickly been replaced by the nearly continuous sound of Taylor Swift's discography. He was determined to know all the words to every song before their concert.

Dean had even insisted on dressing up and making friendship bracelets to share with other concert-goers. His costume was relatively simple, a plain white shirt with the word 'karma' written across the chest in red sparkly letters. The color matched perfectly with Y/N's dress and boots.

Dean and Y/N packed their bags before they made the trip down to Nashville, blasting Taylor Swift's music and singing along the whole way.

They checked into their hotel room on the day of the concert. Feeling jittery and excited as they ate an early dinner of takeout burgers before starting to get ready. Dean had put on his shirt before laying down in bed to watch television while Y/N finished up her hair and makeup in the bathroom.

He flipped through the channels, looking over as Y/N stepped out of the bathroom. Her hair and makeup were done, skin sparkling under the dim motel lights. He tossed the remote aside, focusing solely on his beautiful girlfriend.

Dean whistled, "You look phenomenal, baby," He said, eyes running over her body. The bright red sparkly dress hugged her curves perfectly and the boots of the same color glittered with small gems.

"Thank you," She smiled, spinning in a circle to show off the outfit in its entirety.

"Gorgeous," He grinned, standing up from the bed and making his way over.

Dean unbuttoned his shirt, holding open the flannel to display his t-shirt.

Her smile widened, arms wrapping around him as she leaned into his body, "Karma is my boyfriend," She sighed happily.

He leaned down, pressing his lips to her's in a slow and passionate kiss. Dean's hands found her hips, pulling her body closer before reluctantly breaking off the kiss.

"I love you so damn much," He said.

"I know," Y/N smiled.

...

The stadium was dark, the music was loud and the lights were flashing as people screamed out the words to every song. Everyone was dressed to the nines in bright colors and clever costumes, covered in glitter and gems that shimmered under the lights.

The smile hadn't left Dean's face since the first song and he couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

He had traded enough friendship bracelets to have both of his forearms lined with colorful beads. Dean would keep a few for himself, but the rest were for his girl and maybe one for Cas.

His arm was wrapped securely around Y/N's waist as they belted out the lyrics to Love Story. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and she looked up at him with a smile.

Dean leaned down, pressing a quick kiss to her lips before pulling away. His hand slipped into the front pocket of his jeans, grasping the velvet ring box. Dean pulled it out, flipping the lid open and sliding his arm from around her waist as he turned to face her. Dean got down on one knee between the rows of chairs, holding up the ring. People around him screamed, pulling out their phones to record the moment.

Y/N looked over, eyes widening before her hands flew to her mouth, "Will you marry me, baby?" He asked loudly. Her eyes glossed over with tears as she nodded hastily.

Dean stood up, allowing her to pull him into his arms as happy tears rolled down her cheeks. She pulled away slightly, pressing her lips to his in a passionate kiss.

Dean pulled away, smiling down at her before plucking the ring from the box and sliding it onto her finger. He pulled her into his arms again, holding her tightly as the song came to an end.

"I love you so much, baby," He said.

"I love you too," She replied, pulling him closer.

...

The women sitting in the row behind them had asked for Y/N's cellphone number and sent their videos of Dean's proposal to her. She was overjoyed to have videos to remember such an important moment and watched the recordings before they even made it out of the stadium.

It was strange watching everyone dissipate from the stadium, making the streets brighter with their costumes while leaving jewels and glitter everywhere they went.

Dean and Y/N held hands as they walked down the street towards their motel room after the concert had concluded. The night had been an absolute dream. It was definitely an experience that they would remember for the rest of their lives.

Dean couldn't think of a time when he had been happier.

No hunting. No danger.

Just him and his girlfriend.

Correction, him and his fiancée.

Y/N video called Sam as they walked down the sidewalk, the line rang twice before he picked up.

"Hey, how was it?" Sam asked, sitting up in his bed.

"Amazing, best concert of my entire life," Dean said.

"Yes! She was fantastic and just absolutely amazing. Best night ever! Taylor Swift is just-" "Iconic," Dean stated, "Yes, iconic," Y/N agreed.

He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her temple as they walked, "We got some other news, Sammy," Dean said, smiling down at his fiancée.

"Is your news about how much you spent on concert merchandise? Because I don't want to know if it is," Sam said.

"We're engaged!" Y/N said, holding up her left hand for him to see.

"Are you serious? Is this real?" Sam asked, a wide smile spreading across his face.

"It's real. We're gettin' hitched," Dean said proudly.

"Congratulations, guys. This is amazing! Wait, when did you do it? Did you propose during the concert?" Sam asked.

"During the song Love Story like an awesome fiancé," Dean grinned.

"Some women behind us recorded it and sent me their videos. I'll show you when we get home," Y/N said.

"Alright, have a good night you guys. Get home safe and congratulations again," Sam said.

"Thank you, Sam," Y/N said.

"Have a good night, Sammy," Dean called.

Y/N ended the call, tucking her cellphone into her pocket. She squeezed Dean's hand and he looked over at her to find her staring up at him with a wide smile.

"What?" He asked, a smirk slowly spreading across his face.

"Nothing, just that I only bought this dress so you could take it off," Y/N said casually.

Dean's eyebrows rose, "You flirting with me while referencing Taylor Swift is probably the hottest thing I've ever heard," Dean stated.

"Good," She grinned.

[newapocalyptia]

How do you name your characters? All your names ooz character and charm and perfectly fit the vibe of both the character and the setting and I have to know how you do it

oh, fun question! my general naming philosophy for apocalyptia character is "make everyone sound like the kind of alias a 14 year old trying to come up with a cool name would end up with", but it depends on the character!

Misery Marian is a Mad Max parody. The Mad Hen's central character concept is "vaccines can be incubated in chicken eggs, what would someone who is using that to make medicine after the apocalypse be called". Whiskey Sour sounds edgy but a little silly, and "Rye" is a pun. I thought a chef with Cannibal in their name was funny, so I picked a common name that sounded punchy for Cannibal Jack. Mutiny, Riot, and Cricket are all things kids would think are cool to pick as names. "Nashville" sounds like "gnashing" but it's also a stupid thing to name somebody so she's the goofier sister, while "Killjoy" just sounded badass.

[humblequestvinyl]

just married

JUST MARRIED, EDDIE DIAZ X FEM!READER

APART OF THE 'ROLLING UP THE WELCOME MAT' SERIES

SUMMARY: after leaving LA, y/n flies to nashville, reflecting on her marriage with eddie, staring at the pictures of the two on their wedding day, wondering how they went from love, to just married.

inspired by just married by kelsea ballerini

previous chapter, | next chapter,

lowercase intentional! wc: 1.07k

warning: mentions of sex (no smut), divorce, swearing, marriage problems, brief alcohol mention.

a/n: THIS IS SO SHORT I AM SO SORRY BUUUT! i am so excited about this series, and im SO SO SO excited to write the next chapter !!! 

“SO YOU AND EDDIE ARE GETTING A DIVORCE BECAUSE HE WAS COMING HOME LATE?”

“i’m sure that there was a good reason for the fact that he was coming home late. there has to be.”buck tried to reason with the girl, and she shook her head slightly as she fixed the glasses that were on top of her head, “you two could’ve worked that out!”

“it was more than that buck.”she whispered, trying everything she could not to cry, “there was more than just that buck, we haven’t been on the same page for years.”

“y/n, you and eddie are the only thing that makes sense in my life. if the two of you break up, nothing in this world makes sense.”buck stressed, and y/n stood in front of him, with her hands shaking.

“buck the only reason i’m in LA is to sign the divorce papers. our marriage started to fall apart years ago.”she tried to tell him, but buck couldn’t accept it, “it started 10 months after we got married.”

—

(ONE MONTH BEFORE.)

“I WROTE A NEW SONG.”

y/n announced as she sat down with her producer brynn, who gave the girl a look as the h/c girl sat on the floor of the studio,  “i was looking at the old wedding pictures i had up in the apartment last night and started writing.”

“what’s the lyrics?”brynn questioned, before y/n pulled out her phone, and opened up her notes app, grabbing the lyrics.

“i don’t think i lied when i said i wanted that life.”she started, tapping her fingers against the ground, with her wedding band still in plain view, “maybe i was too young to understand what i wanted at all.”

“but baby it was true, with all that i knew, it felt like forever that december two.”she went on, not daring to glance up, knowing her bloodshot eyes would give away everything, “a fairytale start, with us crossing our hearts, we rode off in a car that said “just married.””

she stopped herself after the first verse, before clearing her throat and pushing her beanie down on her head more, “the rest of the lyrics are a bit rough and have to be cleaned up if we’re able to do that today.”

“yeah of course.”brynn nodded, before grabbing out a notebook and a pen, helping the girl fix up the lyrics, before they had quickly moved onto creating a sound, one that reminded the h/c girl of a wedding song.

“i don’t know what i’m supposed to do with my wedding dress now.”y/n’s voice rasped as they took a little break, and brynn looked at the girl with such sadness in her eyes, knowing exactly what the girl was going through.

“if you do anything with this song, either releasing it as a single or even have a music video for it, wear your dress in it.”brynn suggested, and the singer shrugged, picking at the rug of the studio floor, “it’s a gorgeous dress, and you can create better memories with it.”

“i feel bad about wanting out knowing chris is going to get caught in the middle of all of this.”she whispered, feeling tears threatening to spill as she thought about the boy who she adored, “i just couldn’t stay there any longer. i couldn’t continue killing myself over a marriage that was one-sided.”

“and you shouldn’t have to.”brynn reassured the girl, grabbing her hand and giving it a comforting squeeze, “in this instance, you have to put yourself first, and if leaving is the solution, then so be it.”

“chris will forgive you.”brynn told her, causing y/n to look up at her, “i’ve met the kid. he will forgive you.”

after a bit, y/n got up wordlessly and walked into the studio with the notebook, giving it one shot to sing the entire song without crying, which is something she hadn’t been able to do yet. once she got through the first part of the song, she looked up at brynn who gave her a reassuring smile.

“long distance text, make-up-for-time sex, tired of asking when i’ll see you next.”she sang, with flashes of memories from when she would constantly text eddie, asking when she would be able to see him next, the endless booked flights that he constantly missed to go and see her, “i’m too mad to fight, so i’ll stare and cry at the picture of you, and me wearing white.”

“just married.”

“but i wasn’t made for fixing a plate, and keeping our problems buried.”she went on, feeling her heart shatter into a million pieces, just like a plate would after it had been dropped onto the ground, “no i wasn’t strong enough to hold on, with all of the weight i carried.”

“yeah it was love, then it was just married.”

flashes of her wedding went through her mind, with the vivid taste of veuve they had drank as their celebratory drink on her taste buds. their vows ringing through her mind, always promising to stick by each other throughout everything.

everything little memory of the past five years tainted from her soon to be ex husband, and every little thing they had done together.

“but dammit i wish i wasn’t this ready, to undo i do.”she paused, swallowing hard, knowing she had one more verse left before she was finished with the song, “but i wasn’t made for fixing a plate, and getting divorced sounds scary.”

“but i’m just not strong enough to hold on, with all of the weight that i carried.”she admitted, playing with the strings of her hoodie, knowing she was at the finish line, “yeah it was love, it really was.”

“then it was just married.”

[mangeretpain]

Trade Proposals

Pairing: JD x TZ

Word Count: 1.2k

Warning for language and slight angst (I'm not sorry)

~~

Trevor’s ears are ringing and the whole room feels like it's spinning around him. He’s in shock, he can recognize the symptoms well by now considering the amount of times he’s been injured on the ice. Jamie is still standing in front of him, looking like he’s trying to put on a brave face for Trevor’s sake. He finally shakes himself out of his stupor long enough to reply. 

“What?” He asks, his voice barely above a whisper. Jamie sighs, casting his eyes to the floor. 

“I said that was Verbeek. I’m being traded to the Flyers. My flight is early tomorrow morning, they want me in Philly for their afternoon practice.” 

“No. No, they can’t do that. They can’t trade you! What the fuck, Jamie, they can’t do this!” Trevor knows he’s being unfair. He probably sounds like a spoiled little kid right now, but he doesn’t care. They can’t do this to him, to Jamie. They can’t trade him away, not when he’s finally healthy. Not when he’s finally back playing with the team after a full year away from the ice. Not when they just moved back in together, not when their relationship is still so new. 

Jamie looks like he’s trying not to cry now, still not meeting Trevor’s eyes. “I know. It’s not fair. But you know there’s nothing I can do. Verbeek said it's been in the works for a while now.” Trevor wants to punch their General Manager. How could he possibly do this to Jamie? After everything they went through this summer with their contracts and now he’s just going to up and trade him out of nowhere? It’s not fucking fair!

Jamie steps closer, wrapping his arms around Trevor’s shoulders. “I’m gonna tell the rest of the boys, say my goodbyes and everything. Then we can head back to the hotel, ok? I need to get my stuff packed anyways. Just stay here and I’ll be right back.” He kisses Trevor’s cheek, giving his shoulders a squeeze before heading back into the pool hall. Trevor stands there frozen for another minute, mind racing. He doesn’t know what he’s going to do without Jamie. He’s been his rock for their entire NHL careers, the one person who always had his back. His best friend, recently turned boyfriend, his roommate, his linemate, the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. 

An idea pops into his head. If he wasn’t in such a distressed state, he would probably consider it one of the dumbest ideas he’s ever had. At the moment though, he’s desperate and it seems like the only available option he has. He pulls his phone from his pocket, opening google to see if any places would still be open at this time of night. He knows he needs to act fast if he’s going to do this, Jamie’s flight leaves early in the morning, which means they only have roughly 12 hours before he’ll be across the country for good. Luckily they’re in Nashville tonight, a city with a crazy nightlife and various tourist traps that are open late. He finds exactly what he’s looking for after a few minutes, saving the address in his phone for later. 

~~

They’ve just walked through the door of Jamie’s hotel room when Trevor decides to spring the idea on him. 

“We should get married.” 

Jamie freezes where he was grabbing his suitcase from the floor. He turns his head to stare incredulously at Trevor. 

“We should do what now?” 

Trevor’s not backing down though, not after he’s already made up his mind. “We should get married. Tonight, preferably. Before you leave for Philly. I found one of those stupid Elvis chapels that’s open ‘till 2 am, they have legit marriage licences and everything.” Jamie’s still looking at him like he’s grown a second head. Trevor just smiles, trying to prove that he’s being completely serious. Jamie sighs, finally placing his suitcase on the bed and moving to grab his clothes from the closet. 

“You want to get married? Tonight?” Trevor just nods, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Why do you want to get married tonight?” Jamie’s avoiding his eyes, focusing on getting his clothes packed away. 

“I mean why not? It’s a perfect night for it, we’re in Nashville, we have the time and the resources. I can get Mason to be our witness.” Trevor’s starting to get desperate now, he needs Jamie to agree to this, if he doesn’t he won’t be able to take it. 

Jamie just sighs again. “Trev, don’t you think it's a little soon to be talking about marriage? We’ve only been dating for like, six months.” 

Trevor frowns, “So you don’t want to marry me?” 

“I never said that. I do want to marry you someday, obviously. But I don’t want to marry you just because I’m leaving tomorrow. When we get married I want it to be because we’re ready to take that step.” He finally turns to face Trevor, his face softening. 

“It’s not just because you’re leaving.” Jamie gives him a look. “Ok, it’s a little because you’re leaving. But it’s mostly because I love you, and I want to marry you. I know it’s sudden, and I don’t have a ring and none of our families or friends are here, but I want to do this. There’s no one in the world I would rather be with, Jamie.” He steps forward, grabbing both of Jamie’s hands in his own. He needs him to see that this is for real, that he’s not lying about wanting this.

Jamie pulls his hands away, reaching up to cradle Trevor’s face. “Trev, what are you so worried about? I know you wouldn’t be suggesting this if you weren’t having doubts about me leaving.” 

Sometimes Trevor hates how well Jamie knows him, how he can see right through him and all his insecurities. “I just, I just don’t want to lose you. I know people do long distance all the time, but I’m just worried it’s not going to work for us. I mean, we’re going to be on completely opposite sides of the country, in two different time-zones. Hell, we’ll only get to play each other twice a year. I just don’t know we’re going to do it, Jimmy.” He can feel the tears he’s been holding back climbing to the surface, threatening to spill over at any moment. He drops his head onto Jamie’s chest, trying to ignore the wetness on his cheeks. Jamie’s arms come up to wrap around him, holding him tightly. 

“We’ll make it work, Z. I know we will. You aren’t going to lose me, and there’s no way in hell I’m going to lose you either. It’s only a couple months until the end of the season, and then we can spend the whole off season together, ok?” 

Trevor sniffles, “If the Flyers make the playoffs and we don’t can I come live with you?” 

Jamie chuckles, burying his face in Trevor’s hair. “Of course you can, I wouldn’t expect otherwise.” He places a kiss on the crown of Trevor’s head, tilting his chin up to meet his eyes. “Tell you what, if we can make this work until the summer, I’ll marry you.” 

Trevor laughs wetly, “You mean it?” 

“Of course I do. I hear California in August is beautiful, perfect for a beach wedding.” 

Trevor just laughs again, tilting his head up to peck his boyfriends, or fiancé's, lips. “You’ve got a deal.”

[foxes-that-run]

People keep saying that HS doesn't go to TS concerts and doesn't support her. But has Taylor ever been to any of Harry's concerts during 1D / solo career to support him? This is why it's interesting that Taylor went and performed a set for 1975 in London when she was still with Joe.

When they dated they were seen watching each other perform *a lot* and they've also been in the audience for a lot of award shows.

Concerts

2012 One Direction at Madison Square Garden - the afterparty is where they danced in NY with no shoes and there's extensive footage of them doing karaoke with Ed and 1D

2013 - Red Tour Wembley - Harry seen backstage

(I have more possible dates below but these are the only sightings)

Other performances

Xfactor USA, Harry watched Taylor perform and carried her to a trailer

Jingle Bell Ball 2012 USA - Both performed, footage of him watching her perform and kissing.

Capital FM Jingle Bell Ball - Taylor watched Harry, footage of him looking her on stage

X-Factor UK - Taylor watched Harry

2014 iHeartRadio music festival- both perform, Harry heart kiss in little things, Taylor performs love story and 1989 songs with pointing

2014 - VS Show - Taylor performed Style for the first time and left with Harry from afterparty (though unclear if he was at show)

Award shows

2012 Kids Choice - they both performed and started dating

2012 Teen Choice BBC1 - both perform, first photographed together

2012 VMAs - both perform, Harry said Taylors name and smiled on TV

2013 Brit Awards - both performed, both watched, footage of awkward upset looks at each other

2014 AMA Awards - Both perform, heart eyes, pointing, Harry whistles for Taylor on film.

2021 Grammy's - Both perform, these were were pre recorded in different groups, but played for the room with them both in it. Footage of them speaking.

2023 Grammy's - Harry performed and Taylor stood up to dance, footage of them speaking

Possible dates

There are a few concerts where the other is rumored to have been there or could have been, but no sightings at these.

2011 - Speak Now - Paris - 17 March - Taylor played the Fearless/Soul Sister mashup for the first time, Harry was MIA. They also both played the O2 Arena in the same week the next month so likely Taylor also saw the One Direction X-Factor Tour

2012 - One Direction Up All Night Tour - January UK leg - One Directions first tour started in the UK and Taylor had a mystery 'holiday' in England on those dates, returning to the US the same day as 1D. She was only seen in the UK on dates the band did not have a show.

2011 - Speak Now -Harry was MIA in the US when Taylor's Speak Now St Paul show (17 June 2011) had the Temper Trap arm lyrics, the next day she wrote a lover journal about meeting people and he got that song tattooed on the anniversary.

2013 - Red and Take Me Home Tours - Harry and Taylor were both playing in Pennsylvania in July. Taylor was MIA for a week after her show and still there, Harry sick backstage

2018 - HS Live on Tour - Chicago June 30 2018 2 days before Taylor had a Reputation AT&T Fan show/event, she told a wild story about new years day and he did his first heart kiss in year, it seems likely they saw each other if not their shows. St Paul, Harry's next show, was also likely a well known Medicine performance and he changed the lyrics of MMITH to 'Running with you'

2018- Last Reputation Tour show in Tokyo - Harry was in Tokyo on this date. Taylor played Wildest Dreams (1 of only 3 times she did on this tour) and So It Goes (1 of 8 times - for the album it was of!) Harry wrote Little Freak and Ophelia.

2019 - Lover Live in Paris - this one is clowning, but Joe was in Toronto, Harry and Taylor at Eds wedding the week before, Harry MIA and Taylor kept pointing/looking at the sound booth.

2022 - HS Love on Tour - Nashville - 1 October - Taylor was in Nashville, Harry wore Peace ring and added To Be So Lonely to the set, he wore all white.

2023 - HS Love on Tour - Wembley - Deux Moi reported Taylor was at Wembley N1

It's highly likely Taylor also saw the One Direction Where We Are Tour as they were dating when this was on, but I don't have dates, probably LA and/or NY.

I think On the Road Again and 1989 are the only tours I don't think they have seen of each others, which was 2015, during Calvin Harris, but even there are plausible UK dates.

I think Harry will see Eras in a box at Wembley, but we may now know about it. He was also playing golf nearby when she was in Florida in 2023.

[aliypop]

Anyway You Want Me: Chapter 1

(Rewrite)

Word Count: 3,015

Writers Note: I abandoned this fic, but I'm rewriting it now that I've expanded on Cecelia and Elvis, This is an au idea as stated last time! Well let us try this again

Warning: None so far except for language and historic language

Pairing: POC OC x Elvis

Plot: In 1953, in Memphis Tennessee, Cecelia and her mother Denise Valmos move to Shelby County as Her mother Calpurnia's Nashville home is going through renovations, but when asked to keep a low profile by her mother, Cecelia makes friends with the quirkiest, shy, yet charming kid in class, at least Friends is what she'd call them.

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Taglist

@darkmoviesquotespizza

@sissylittlefeather

@richardslady121

@thegettingbyp2

@presleyenterprise

@sissylittlefeather

@dkayfixates

@rjmartin11

@thetaoofzoe

@your-nanas-house

@zayurir

@60svintage

@sillybookmarks

@leapresley

Memphis May 1953

The spring winds of Memphis blew as a pink Chevrolet Bel Air was parked in the parking lot of Humes High School. A place where this one particular student knew she wouldn't belong. Getting her books from the back seat, she dusted off her skirt, looked at her watch, and took a deep breath. Until she realized she was almost late for her first day of school, and she couldn't be late, at least not as the new kid in town!

 The hustle and bustle of everyone was different from when she lived in Georgia, where everything was a bit slow-paced. And with a mix of a few faces that looked like hers. But here it seemed she was the only face that. Well, looked like hers, and the glares she was getting had explained that very clearly. Her saddle shoes kept walking down the hallway until she finally found her homeroom. The glares and stares were harsh, but she continued inside until all eyes were on her. Whispers all around the classroom, some of the students pointing and laughing at her, 

"I think she got on the wrong bus..." 

                 "Whys her hair all like that?"

"Must have stolen that dress..." 

"Class..."

"Class..."

"CLASS!" The room was silent, 

"Class, I want everyone to meet Cecelia Shanel Valmos. She's our new student, Welcome..." 

"Thank you. You know a fun fact about myself is I like comics and-"

"Now attendance." 

Cecelia sat in the back of the Class, where a few students had glanced at her as if she carried the fleas. It was starting to get as bad as when they had driven here to Memphis.

 Tapping her fingers, Cecelia could tell this would be a stressful time. And she couldn't wait to move to Nashville with her glammy, her grandmother.

As the bell rang, Cecelia went to her arithmetic class. Her least favorite subject. But very well needed. At least, it was what Midge told her, looking over the checks she'd signed for Valmos Music and Sound. Taking her seat in the back, Cecelia had begun to read her Batman comic book. Other students filled the room, talking and chattering as she flipped the page on the Joker's crazy antics. 

"You're late..."

"S-S-Sorry, I ain't mean to be late, I just..."

" Lost track of time, Mr. Presley." The teacher sighed, following his gaze as his eyes landed on the tawny-skinned girl with dark brown hair curled up in a tall style. 

"Take your seat, Mr. Presley..."

Sitting next to Cecelia was a kid who had to be about her age. She couldn't tell, and she didn't want to ask. She figured, at this point, her breathing would cause a problem. But something about him was different, after all. He had blondish brown hair and fading black roots. And he smelled like shoe polish. He also had rolled-up jeans and loafers with pink socks, the same color as hers. 

"Is that the 3-D edition..."

"Yeah, it is..." Cecelia kept reading,

"I-I've been tryin to find that one for weeks." 

"Found it at a comic shop in Chattanooga." she huffed. She wasn't annoyed that he was talking to her, just while she was reading her comics. 

"Am I botherin you, doll..."

"A little, and I'm not your-" Cecelia looked up, seeing eyes bluer than James Dean's and a cute but crooked smile that seemed so shy yet so sweet.

"Are you okay? You're starin'?"

 "Sorry, I'm new here, and it's stressful, and I don't have any friends and-" 

"Mind if I be your friend..."

"I wouldn't mind that at all ah..."

"Elvis Presley... But u-uh, most everyone calls me, well no one calls me anything cept for Red West, who calls me E..."

"Well, I'll call you Pres." She smiled, "I'm Cecelia Valmos, by the way." she winked at him as he blushed a little, 

"I'll call you Cece..." he tried to wink back at her, but his hair got in his eyes. Cecelia giggled a bit, "I like it." she grinned. Elvis could feel his heart beat faster, trying to push the emotions aside as he looked into her hazel eyes. Finally, he might not have been so alone in the world. 

"So, favorite superhero..."

"Easy, Jay Garrick," she smirked, "What about you?"

"Captain Marvel Jr." he grinned, "Sometimes I imagine myself as him."

"Flying to the rock of eternity ..." Cecelia smiled back at him,

"Yeah."

"I used to think I was the Flash until I bumped into a wall." she snorted a bit when she laughed, and she could hear the teacher clearing her throat. Cecelia mouthed sorry as she went back to take her notes. 

"Do you understand any of that..."

"Nope..." Cecelia laughed, "But I do know. That, that answer should be 35." Elvis laughed as he changed it,

"You're a lifesaver." He blushed, his accent thick, but Cecelia found it cute, 

The bell rang again as they got up and went to their next class. Elvis and Cecelia were walking side by side, still talking. It was beginning to feel like she had known this kid since childhood, which was nicer than what she had been recently feeling.

"I love the color pink. " Elvis smiled,

"My car is pink!"

"No way!"

"It's a Bel Air." she winked, 

" You're too cool for me, Cece." He joked as Cecelia nudged him, 

"Honestly, I'm just me." she shrugged,

"Again, too cool for me, "He nudged her back as she laughed with him. 

"Say, would you care to eat lunch with me?

"Yeah, sure, I ain't got much but-"

"You can have some of my lunch." 

"Cece, I couldn't."

"I usually don't eat it all." 

"You sure?"

"Positive." 

Sitting alone at the table was Cecelia and Elvis, who were enjoying their lunch together. It was nice to know that he wasn't afraid to go against the normal and politically correct, but instead eat with someone who wouldn't bully him.

"So, how was your first day here so far."

"Eh, crappy..." she sighed, 

"The bullies stop eventually." He sighed as Cecelia looked over at him,

"Easy for you to say, I got called a teacher's pet 'cause I knew all the answers in my history class... Not my fault some of us read for fun." she mumbled to herself, "Or in my typing class, I typed over several words a minute. And yet I'm wrong... Well, excuse me for writing songs when I'm bored!" she began to get angry as Elvis looked at her. 

"At least you've passed your typing lessons on the first day." He joked, "I got a C in that, which ain't bad..."

"But it's not good, Pres." she looked at him. 

"Well, maybe you could tutor me." 

"To type? Sure." she smiled, splitting her candy bar with him. The two cheered each other with their Pepsi-Cola bottles.  

When the day was over, Cecelia went to her car as she saw Elvis walk to his car,

 "Nice 41 Lincoln!" she waved as she was next to her pink beauty. It suited her well. He thought to himself as she got in, 

"See you tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah!"

Dinner was on the table, and Cecelia was doing her homework as her mother was on the phone with the electric company. This move was a headache, especially with her mother having an album on the way and getting settled into a temporary house and Cecelia adjusting to her new school for only a month. It could drive a single mother completely insane. 

"Guess what! I made a friend today, and he's really nice and-"

"Cecelia, I'm on hold with the heating and air..." 

"Right..." She continued to do her homework. She knew things were going to be different. They always had been since her father left, and her mother devoted her life to her music. And her half of the label and studio. Cecelia = sighed as she blushed, thinking about Elvis and his eyes and how she couldn't wait to see him again. 

"Mama!" Elvis nearly ran into his family apartment like a whirlwind. It had been a while since Gladys had seen him so happy after school, like a puppy waiting for a treat. 

"Elvis!"

"Pa! You'll never believe what I made in school today." he grinned as Vernon was about to guess. "A friend. Well, I think she's a friend. We shared a sandwich together, and I think she's giving me one of her comics to read-" 

Gladys chuckled. Vernon perked up. Some special girl, if he was going on and on about her like this, the last girl he did that with was Dixie, or was it another girl?. Meanwhile, to Gladys, it sounded like he had a crush on this mystery schoolgirl. 

"So I assume you'll be staying up in class more."Gladys scolded him playfully.

"And paying attention." Vernon glanced at him as Elvis blushed and nodded, 

"Of course." He rubbed the back of his head, Gladys laughing as Vernon shook his head.

The next day, all the students were back in homeroom, and Cecelia was in the back, dreaming away about her new friend and what they'd talk about that day. Would it be comics or music? Maybe books? Or after-graduation goals? But those thoughts were crushed until a group of girls came behind her and pulled her hair. Cecelia only sighed as she tried to ignore them. It wasn't like she didn't get a note in her locker that said Stay away. Well, words she'd rather not repeat. Yes, this would be a tough couple of months. She just had to make it to, 

"Oh No..." 

Her eyes caught on to several kids running with scissors in their hands. 

"Come here, fairy!" one kid shouted,

"Long-haired freak!"

"Oh, please don't let it be..."

"PRES!" Cecelia shouted, standing up, eyes on her as she grabbed her books, "Ent and I have to go use the girl's room... really, uh, quickly." storming out of the classroom, Cecelia quickly tried to follow the rest of the kids. They had Elvis cornered, with no room to escape, and there was fear in his eyes as if he'd been on death row. 

"Maybe we'll cut off those flashy clothes next." It was no secret Elvis craved the fashion of Beale Street, but it wasn't a secret that everyone else at his school hated it, let alone hated him. He could feel the blades get close to his hair, and he closed his eyes and prayed until he heard a voice say. 

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" 

Elvis looked at the crowd as he saw Red West behind him and Cecelia beside him. 

"Or what!"

"You'll answer to my fist..." Cecelia glared at one of the boys. What was she thinking was the main thing Red and Elvis were thinking. 

"Your fist aint gonna do nothing cause you're just a nig-"

POW!

The students scurried, dropping everything they had to torture Elvis. Shaking her wrist, she looked back at the two guys and sighed. She probably made it worse, and the principal would call her mother, and then there'd be a commotion about it all. 

"Where'd you learn to throw a punch like that."

"My mother taught me." Cecelia shrugged, looking at Red,

"Some mother..." Red nodded until they both saw Elvis shaking like a leaf. 

"El!" Cecelia ran over, "Are you okay? Do you need to go home? Do you wanna stay at my home..." she offered, but Elvis stood up, shook it off, and tried to laugh even though he wanted to cry and scream and yell,

 "Cece, Red, I'm fine..." 

"E, yer tremblin." 

"Like a leaf, Pres..."

"I SAID I'M FINE!" He shouted. He didn't mean to. He was having a rough day and an anxiety attack.

 Cecelia approached him, "We're just worried, is all..."

"At least let us walk you to class." Red offered as Elvis nodded. Cecelia's hand brushed against his. He blushed a little. Was Cecelia flirting with him?

"So then Superman catches him in the water!" Cecelia said as the three were walking down the hallway,

"You're spoilin' it, Cece." Elvis groaned, 

"Well, I have a TV in my room. If y'all ever wanna come by and watch it." her southern accent escaped her as Elvis had a slightly brighter blush on his cheeks. 

"Or we could go to the drive-in!" Cecelia then said as Elvis's eyes wide. He's only been a third wheel to the drive-in, mooching off his friend's french fries and whatnot. And if he did bring a girl. Then he was either making out with her, or he was super into the movie.

"I think I'd leave that up to you two," Red said as Elvis had short-circuited. Walking to their English Class, Elvis had taken in the charm of Cecelia. She was a big ball of mystery who was protective, loyal, and stood up for him after only knowing him for a day. Cecelia was kind enough to share her sandwich with him. And she was pretty to look at in her pink gingham dress. But this wasn't how you thought about a friend. Besides, he was Elvis, the weird kid with a guitar and his head in the clouds, dreaming.

"Since it's Friday, what'cha got planned for the weekend?" 

"Well, work, but I'm off at 3 p.m."

"Well, I'm still new in town, so... maybe you could show me around Beale Street or comic shops you like to go to. Or record stores." She began to ramble on as he laughed, her stomach doing small butterflies at the sound of it,

"We can do all of that," he bumped her shoulder as she bumped his back. 

"That would be great," Cecelia smiled, "Oh! You'll need my number. So you can call." Things were looking up for Elvis. He had gotten her number. And he got to hang out with her. It wasn't a date, but it sure enough was something. Besides, he spent his weekends playing football, fixing his car, or on Beale Street. Now, he wouldn't have to be alone doing it.

When school was out for the day, Cecelia rushed to her car with a now-popped tire. Kids were so cruel, but that still didn't stop Cecelia. Going to the back of her car, she rolled the spare tire until she remembered that Midge had taken the tire kit with her. Elvis walked out with Red West, talking to him about his weekend plans, and then he saw Cecelia, who looked like a pinup girl in a calendar posing with a tire, "A little help here..." She sighed, watching some of her peers walk by, 

"Could you help me here... And they walked off." Cecelia huffed until she saw Elvis, 

"Not bother you, but..."

"I caught a flat last week." Popping open his trunk, he took out the jack. "How'd this happen."

"Those bullies you were talkin about..." she gritted her teeth,

"Don't let 'em get to ya, Cece. Which ain't easy to do," he sighed as he fixed her tire, "Just breathe and imagine the good Lord pickin' 'em off one by one." Cecelia laughed hard as Elvis laughed with her,

 "Morbid, but it helps." Cecelia grinned, "Say, call me when you get home so I know you're safe, okay."

"Cece, I'll be fine." Those hazel eyes pierced his soul in a glare, 

"Okay, okay, I will."

"Good, you better, or I'll find out where you live. And I'll!"

"You'll what." He smirked. His face was close to hers and she blushed a little.

"Bug ya! to death," she smirked,

"You could never bug me, Val." He winked,

"Cece the phones for you," Denise said as Cecelia raced down the stairs, 

"Thank you, Mother." she winked, taking the phone as she took a deep breath, 

"Cecelia speaking,"

"It's me, Elvis. We're still on for tomorrow. Right? " 

"You bet we are!" Cecelia grinned, "Do you wanna meet at your job or a restaurant or-"

"My job is fine." Elvis said, "You can park your car in the front, and we'll take mine." 

"Sounds good. " she smiled, trying not to sound so giddy, "Oh, and El!" she said as if she forgot something, 

"Yeah, Cece?"

"I may have bought several volumes of Captain Marvel Jr."

"You gotta let me read 'em!" 

"Why do you think I bought 'em..." 

"Cece, you're the best." he grinned. 

"No, El, you're the best, " she smiled. If only he knew how much he was starting to mean to her, 

"Say, bring the comics. There's a diner in Beale Street we could read 'em at."

"Deal." 

"Cece, time to get off the phone."

"Let me guess your mama."

"Mhmm."

"Elvis Aron Presley!

"Let me guess yours?"

"Yeah," 

"Well, Good night, El,"

"Night, Cece."

"So who was that," Denise asked as Cecelia smiled widely, her dimples on display,

 "Elvis Presley, he's a friend from school. And he's showing me around town tomorrow." Denise only laughed a little at her daughter's reaction. She was happy to see that something made her smile since they moved to Memphis. "And is this Elvis cute..." Denise asked as Cecelia blushed a bit, embarrassed, 

"Mother!" her brown cheeks turning red, "We're just friends!"

"For now... After all, you and Anthony Rodgers were friends..."

"That was a poor judgment. Besides, Anthony's an actor." 

"Who pretended to love me to get to you." Her mother was right, but she knew that Elvis was different. Besides, he didn't know her secret. And she didn't plan for him to find out anytime soon either, 

"He's not like that."

"What's he like then."

"I don't fully know yet, but he's not that." Cecelia sighed,

"Just be careful tomorrow."

"I will, and you have fun getting Daddy to do the electrical work for the studio," Cecelia mentioned as she walked up the stairs. 

 Neither party could hardly fall asleep from the excitement of seeing the other. Elvis tossed and turned in his bed. And Cecelia was counting sheep and talking to her posters as she swooned. This wasn't a date, right? Right?"

[alienelvisobsession]

The Jack White Connection

In January 2015, Elvis’ very first recording, an unassuming simple acetate dating back to 1953, was sold at an auction to an undisclosed buyer for $300,000. It featured two sentimental ballads sung by Elvis, then a shy 18-year-old kid with a ducktail haircut: on the A-side was “My Happiness”, a tune from the 1940s that would be later made famous by Connie Francis, and on the flip side “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin”, which Elvis would later re-record and release as a B-side to “All Shook Up”. Back in 1953, Elvis had paid $3.98 for this service offered by Sam Phillips at Memphis Recording Service, either to hear how he sounded on record, or as a present for his mum, as he would later claim in interviews. Some would go so far as to say that he hoped Sam would hear his voice and sign him up at Sun Studios. Whatever the reason, Elvis took the record to his high-school friend Ed Leek, who, in his recollection, had given him the money ($3.98 amount to about $45 adjusted for inflation) and owned a record player. Elvis played the songs there, and then for some reason left the record at his house. It’s funny how in later years some articles would claim that Gladys played the record over and over, while Elvis admitted in the Million Dollar Quartet recordings that he had lost it. In 1988 Ed Leek let RCA transfer the songs to digital to be released, but he kept the original acetate until his death in 2010.

In March 2015, a couple of months after the record was sold at an auction by Leek’s niece, it was disclosed that the buyer was a fellow rock ‘n roll musican, Jack White. The Detroit native planned to reissue the precious artifact on vinyl in a limited edition for Record Store Day. For this, he faithfully recreated the 10-inch, 78-rpm record in every detail, including the yellowish aging paper of the plain sleeve and the typewritten labels. Alan Stoker, the son of Gordon Stoker from the Jordanaires, the background singers in many of Elvis’ hits, did the transfer at the Country Music Hall of Fame. He ensured that the sound would be as clean as possible while maintaining the old haunting feeling of what many consider to be the Holy Grail of rock ‘n roll.

From this, you may have gathered that Jack White, who has won 13 Grammies in his career and is credited for writing the most distinctive guitar riff of the early 2000s with “Seven Nation Army”, is an Elvis fan. Not only did he embark in the project of bringing Elvis’ first record to the public with a precise replica, but he also played Elvis in a cameo for the comedy “Walk Hard: the Dewey Cox Story” (2007), which is a parody of music biopics. In the now iconic scene, Dewey, played by John C. Reilly, is terrified because he has to go on stage after Elvis, who’s hungry and wants to get out of there early. When Elvis approaches Dewey Cox, he speaks in an unintelligible Southern drawl, and anachronistically attempts a karate chop in the 1950s, before he even started to study it! This is a spoof of music biopics, after all, where these “artistic liberties” are plentiful (Baz Luhrmann’s movie has Elvis sing “Trouble” at Russwood Park, for instance). Then Jack White’s Elvis hilariously explains karate: “It’s called karate, man. Only two kinds of people know it, The Chinese and The King.” This unflattering and stereotyped portrayal of Elvis purposefully misses everything about Elvis’ personality, especially his humility and his Southern accent, focusing on some unimportant stereotypes instead: the sweating, the love of junk food, and the mumbling.

But, aside from playing him in a now famous gag, Jack White payed homage to Elvis as a musician as well. His 2014 Grammy-winning single “Lazaretto” features a cover of “Power of My Love” on the B side. The single holds the record of being the world’s fastest released record. It was recorded live in Nashville in front of an audience, pressed and released in under 4 hours. The B-side is according to The Tennessean “a thunderous version of Elvis Presley's ‘Power of My Love,’ — a faithful rendition, aside from cranking up the tempo and piling on the guitar overdrive.” In 2022, as we know, he had the honor of recording a duet of the same song alongside Elvis’ voice. The song is featured in the soundtrack of Baz Luhrmann’s movie.

And finally, Jack speaks about his love for Elvis Presley in a 2018 episode of the podcast “Revisionist History” by Malcolm Gladwell. In an episode called “Analysis, Parapraxis, Elvis”, the author tries to understand why Elvis never seemed to get a particular part of “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” quite right. Jack, accompanied by his guitar, sings the song in full, including the slightly corny spoken bridge where the singer feels vulnerable, deceived and rejected, which is the emotional part that Elvis couldn’t face to sing. He says there are a lot of minor chords in the song that can get you in that melancholy vibe. The singer is lonesome and he doesn’t really care if his ex lover is lonesome: “it’s a McGuffin to pretend he’s worried about her”, Jack explains.

I’m sure there will be more occasions to hear Jack White paying homage to his idol in the future. After all, he has an Elvis shrine at home, as Gladwell reveals!

This is part of a series of posts about Elvis’ influence on the artists who followed him. You can read the other Elvis connections I wrote about here. So far I’ve written about people as diverse as Jimi Hendrix, Quentin Tarantino and Andy Warhol.

[canonicallysoulmates]

J2 Gold Panel Nashcon 2023

Before we get into the questions I have to mention that Jared is wearing a Christmas sweater that says 'Shitters Full'. And I have to mention it because of the story of how he got that sweater. When they were having dinner, there was a young lady who was wearing this sweater, and Jared liked it so much that he traded his shirt for it. People pay thousands (not an exaggeration or a joke) for a shirt this man has worn and he just randomly gave one away for a sweater he liked 😂 I love him and congrats to that girl!

Jumping into questions, the first fan doesn't have one they just want to say thank you because in a previous con the boys told the story of a Make-A-Wish kid who visited the set once and the fan really connected with that because they had a Make-A-Wish trip when they were a kid so they know how impactful those things are for chronically ill children. x

The first actual question of the panel is: have they given any more thought to doing Lonesome Dove?

Jensen answers not necessarily, he thinks it’s one of those lofty things that sound like a great idea but there’s been no pen to paper yet.

The fan comments that they just wanted to know if the idea was still alive and they reply it's not dead, and Jared thinks it'd be amazing. x

Did Jensen get the chance to sing or have a jam session with Reba while he was working on Big Sky?

He says one time. They didn't work together a lot because they had separate storylines but they did overlap one day. It was a night shoot, it was really cold, and while the crew was setting up for another shot he and Reba were sitting around the heaters in their cast chairs. This was his first time having her essentially to himself and he told her his favorite song of hers is How Blue, and in that song, there’s a person who sings harmony he asked her if it was her who sang the harmony on top of the melody, and she replied "fun fact for you, that’s actually my sister" and then she told him the story of where they recorded it, it was Nashville in some renovated church that had been turned into a studio so they got into a whole conversation. And then out of nowhere she told him to sing the harmony and she’d sing the melody and they started singing, and he says he was so nervous he thinks he didn’t hit one note. But she was as charming and as lovely as you would hope her to be and that was a moment that he really cherishes. 

He also shares the story about how when their characters first meet - and he thinks this was in the morning of the same day as the singing - they're supposed to shake hands and say their character's names but during like the fourth take she said her name, Reba McEntire, instead of her character name and then went oh shit when she realized. x

The next person wants to know how they like the current Cowboys coach, Mike McCarthy, because he used to be the coach for the Packers and according to this fan he was no good. (They didn't actually say he was no good just that Packer fans weren't thrilled with him when he was coach.)

Jared says they're not thrilled either. Jensen replies he thinks he's doing alright this year to which Jared concedes that he is doing good this year. Jensen thinks it was a little bit of a slow burn for them but he's turned around and he's positioned the team well this year.

Jared makes a crappy dad joke so Jensen asks him if they're doing dad jokes already and when Jared answers yes, Jensen literally pulls a dad joke out of his pocket 😂

The joke is: The gingerbread man went to the doctor's complaining of a sore knee. "A sore knee?" The doctor said. "Have you tried icing it?"

Then he hands the piece of paper that has the joke on it to Jared, and at first, Jared thought he was giving him another joke to read then when he saw it wasn't he just re-read it 😆 x

How does Jared think Sam’s character or storyline would have been changed, or been different, if the show had been on somewhere like HBO which doesn't have the regular standards and guidelines?

Jared replies that he has thought about this, he kind of really enjoys that there are guidelines because otherwise- and at this point Jensen quips you get The Boys.

Jared continues, the reason why he likes guidelines is because you have to be more creative within boundaries. It's how he parents these are the guidelines, these are the rules, this is the box you can’t leave, play within it as opposed to just do anything and everything. He says The Boys is amazing but The Boys wouldn’t work on the CW but that’s what it is and you know that’s what it is; he doesn’t know if when they come back he wants to say fuck, it’s going to be a discussion between him and Jensen, and them and whoever else but he doesn’t know there was something magical and universal, and he points out that there were a dozen or more kids running around the previous day at the con than if he and Jensen had been running around naked saying this or the other on the show, it might not translate and hopefully parents wouldn’t show that to their kids but he doesn’t know, he’s happy with the CW. And also because CW let them work through their growing pains they got 15yrs, he thinks anywhere else they would have been dead in the water.

Jensen says that he thinks it would be an elevated gore-like version of SPN. He doesn’t think necessarily more colorful language or more skin because he doesn’t think that would benefit the story necessarily but he thinks what they could and couldn’t show in regards to scare and blood is something they had to temper so he thinks they’d probably elevate that to an extent if they were on a network or a streamer that allowed it to happen where there aren’t standards and practices. But they pushed the envelope, the writers pushed the envelope like he remembers they couldn’t say prick but they could say dick so the writers wrote an entire season with a guy named Dick Roman just so they could hammer that home, and he thinks that was- like Jared said there were ways to try to push the envelope a bit within the parameters that they had to but as a show that was on a broadcast network they probably took a bit more of a risk and took some chances more so than most network shows. And that was exciting for them but he thinks even if there were no parameters, and they were able to do whatever they wanted to, he doesn’t think it’d be that much different because he doesn’t know if it would serve the story as well.

Jared then tries to make a puzzle metaphor saying if the puzzle has no rules is it really a puzzle. To quote Jensen what??? He tries to explain that if somebody gives you 1,000 pieces of a puzzle but anything can go anywhere who gives a shit. I feel like I understand what he's trying to say but it's so badly worded.

Then things take a turn to the strange because this fan is under the impression that Jensen at some point in a previous con said that Dean had a history of sex work as a child........what???? Jensen is baffled, the crowd is baffled, I am baffled. 

Jared has to step in and say that he’s speaking for Jensen when he says he’s sure that if Jensen ever said anything like that it was in jest and not as actual backstory for the character.

Jensen then says "Yeah, no 'that's too bad we're a broadcast show I really think he would have done some teenage sex work' Yikes!"

For the sake of clarity, I will add the note that I suggest seeing the moment for yourself because I do fear Jensen's answer could be misinterpreted in the written form but to be clear his answer is that he did not say that and the idea is yikes.

The fan tries to continue and mentions something about Dean and drug use but Jared basically cuts her off by saying 'thank you for your question'.  x

Awkward. Moving on.

How do they manage some self-care and love on their mental health?

Jared’s quick answer is he spends a lot of time continuing therapy and trying to better himself, that he had a pretty great session on Friday with his therapist which was great, and even attending cons for example the day prior before he went to the con he went for like a 2hr walk and listened to some music and that was a little piece of peace for him and kind of quiet the brain. For him unfortunately, right now he’s trying to perfect or get better at finding peace when he’s stationary but right now he finds peace when he’s in motion so walking, biking, swimming, whatever so he’s looking to find that inner peace when he’s not moving. He’s working on it though and he knows it can happen.

Jensen says just finding those moments, that for him he doesn’t necessarily have to carve out a specific thing, time, or activity in order to better himself like every morning he gets up and takes his dog for a walk before anybody wakes up at the house. 6am, he’s up and it’s largely before the sun comes up so he’s walking in the dark with the dog and he takes him down the street and he just kinda lets his brain do nothing, looks for the deer, looks for the birds, watches the sun slowly come up, and he doesn’t have to do that he can just wake up when everybody else does and let the dog out he knows how to come back but it’s just a little thing for him that he enjoys doing. And it’s those little things, outside playing with the kids then just standing on the back porch watching them run around and just appreciating those moments when they do arise it calms his brain. That’s what he does. x

What would they most like to be remembered for? Or in other words, if their eulogy could only be three sentences what would they be?

Jensen answers being a light. Jared jokes about being remembered for his big forehead to which Jensen replies, kinda cutely not gonna lie, by pointing to himself and saying "being a light" and then pointing to Jared and saying "being my bounce."

For those like me who don't know what a bounce is, Jared explains that it's a term used in filming when you don't want direct light on someone because it washes them out so you'll shoot direct light at something and bounce it unto the subject. Jensen quips that for 15yrs he never needed bounces cause he just worked opposite of Jared. 

Serious answer, Jensen says if he could be remembered as somebody who brought positivity to the world in some way shape, or form and it maybe inspired one person to be a better person, he’d be happy. Jared says that he is and we all know that 🥹 

Jared answers that he thinks there’s something really ironic about this situation and that they’re on stage because he realy believes they’re both introverts. Like Jensen's not going out red carpeting every day or asking about the new party he’s home with his family, and his dog, and himself and it's the same with him so trying to kind of dissect why they do what they do, he’d rather mean something to the fans and the people he interacts with than win an Oscar. He doesn’t know the three sentences but hopefully, he would rather have two or three people say he helped them than 30 million people buy a ticket to his concert or something and not really give a shit. Which is something he loves from his journey from Gilmore Girls to SPN to now Walker, and Jensen’s journey, is that they were never plastered on the billboards outside of Times Square or on every talk show so when someone came up they weren’t like 'hey you're that famous person on something can I take a picture?' instead they tell him about watching his shows with people they love and that’s much more meaningful to him than any award from somebody who has never met them. 

What Jared says makes Jensen think of how he recently met Cary Elwes, and he shared with him that he had posted a video a few years back of him sitting on the couch with his daughter explaining the story of Princess Bride while they were watching it, and meeting him now he had to tell him how that was such a special memory for him, how he loves that movie, he thinks it’s amazing, his daughter still watches it to this day and he was sure Cary is sick of hearing this and that people tell him Princess Bride stories all the time but Cary was like no, no, no it is the gift that keeps on giving and that in fact on his tombstone it’ll probably read "mostly dead". And if you don't understand that reference go watch Princess Bride right now. Literally, stop reading this post, go watch it, then come back. And if you do understand the reference, go watch it anyway, it's a great movie. x

If they could make a bumper sticker with their parent’s catchphrase on it what would it be?

Jared’s gonna go with his dad cause he had four words that he basically said if you do this you’re gonna be alright: don’t speed, don’t tailgate. So bumper sticker: "Don’t speed, don’t tailgate. You should be okay."

Jensen says he doesn’t know if he has a catchphrase that he probably has more catchphrases than his dad he'd probably be "what are we doing?". Jared suggests "so get this". x

If they had to pick their funniest moment on set what would it be?

Jared says French Mistake is pretty great, that Jensen killed him during Yellow Fever. That he saw an interview with Christina Applegate talking about doing Anchor Man with Will Ferrel and she said that it sucks that the funniest stuff he did is not in the movie because she was laughing so it couldn't be used, and he feels that's a lot of the stuff that he did with Jensen he'd just be laughing.

Jensen says it’s funny in hindsight, and they were laughing at the time, but when Kim Manners pranked them when filming Bugs. Quick version of the story for those that may not know it is that when they were filming Bugs, the scene where the boys have to go down the manhole that was a set piece, there was nowhere to go at the bottom. So they do their take and are waiting to be told they can climb back up when the crew comes over with two 5-gallon buckets of ice water and dump it over them! Everybody on the crew was in on the prank and it was carefully planned out cause Jared was wearing a cast at the time so they made sure he had an appointment to get his cast replaced, and Jensen had gotten a new phone so they made sure it wasn't on him. x

J2 Gold Panel Nashcon '23

[wrongcaitlyn]

Are we going to see anything more… mature… in Nico and Will’s relationship in tyt? I know that sex and like sex education should be normalized a lot more within teenagers and like society as a whole, but I feel rlly weird asking. I understand that it’s obviously very real and valid if you as an author feel uncomfortable writing about it, but I was wondering if there would be a mention of … something? Obviously fine if not

I just mean like how they’ve learned to grow and mature into young adults (which is something really hard with extended lengths fics, to show how characters grow like aging kids do from the characters us as writers usually start with in our heads). I think it’d be a great way to show how Nico has grown as person, and also normalizing the fact that these are growing young men and women in this fic, and that sex is a normal part of life.

Let me be clear‼️ I am NOT asking you to like write smut or something, just wondering if we’ll be getting a mention of that kinda thing.

that's a totally valid question!! and short answer: no, not really. and this is similar to the thing with pet names - logically, i know that they do it, and it makes sense - but i just don't know how to write it, don't feel very comfortable writing it, and so i don't write it😭

i think the closest i've ever gotten is like that one line where cecil makes a joke after nico flies to nashville, and it's like "do everything i wouldn't do!" because he's ace. sorry that was funny to meSDLKJF but yeah dirty jokes are about the furthest i'll get, just because i'm a sex-repulsed ace and it just feels weird to me, personally.

also, i've written a few fade to black scenes in other fics, and everytime i even get CLOSE to it i literally have to shut my eyes and look away from the keyboard because i'm just. cringing. idk i feel like whenever i even try to attempt a heavy makeout session it's just...sjdfksjdjkaf

i'm not sure if i'll ever like mention it offhandedly, because to me- idk, it just feels strange? especially in this fic, seeing as they started at fifteen in this universe, and so even though ik that they're nineteen now, it's just... this gut feeling i guess? like, i feel like i'm slightly more comfortably implying sex in fics where they start off at an older age, like, 20+.

and this is 100% not meant to shame authors who do write smut/implied underage sex, like as long as it's safe that's completely fine!! it's just a personal preference, and i feel super awkward writing anything even remotely dirty. like, some aces have this superpower of writing smut but i do not have that, i can barely get kiss scenes to sound naturalSLKDF

but thank you for the ask!! i've been kind of avoiding anything to do with that, so the answer is this: probably not. at most, a few dirty jokes and a brief mention. we'll see if it ever just comes into the fic, but i don't have any plans for it right now!

[bullet-prooflove]

The Beauty of the End Part 5: History - Michael 'Riz' Ariza x Reader

Tagging: @anime-weeb-4-life, @danzer8705 @mysoulisasunflower @vannabanana1995 @im-just-a-mississippi-girl @sxmmarie @queeniesdiary @briefpersonenemy @creativitybeware @genius2050 @mortal--soul @buddinglinguist @oureternalbond @baybaybear1 @@thanossexual

Part One: Nashville - Riz makes a decision that affects your relationship in Nashville.

Part Two: Reckless - Taza and Neron realise that Riz is spiralling.

Part Three: Walk The Line - Taza calls you to get the truth about what happened between you and Riz.

Part 4: Bright - Vicki reminds Riz it's not all about him.

You don’t pick up the phone when he calls and Riz doesn’t blame you. When it goes straight to voicemail he doesn’t even bother to leave a message, he simply hangs up the phone and sighs. He tries to plan out his next steps in the shower but every avenue he looks down comes with a problem.

Access.

It’s not just as simple as picking up the phone anymore, if you block his calls, it’s not as if he can just turn up at your house. He’s lost track of your schedule over the past few months, he’s not even sure which city you’re in.

Those tickets at the box office, he would bet his life they aren’t even in his name anymore. Even then they only gave him access to the venue, with security the way it is, he wouldn’t be able to get anywhere hear you. He presses his palms to the cool tiles and hangs his head under the hot stream of water in an attempt to drown out the noise that resonates through his head.

He’s fucked up.

He’s ruined the best thing that’s ever happened to him because he can’t face the prospect of being rejected by someone that he loves.

He knows what this is about, but he hates the fact that it still fucking affects him even after all these years. The scars, they’re buried deep underneath the ridges of his skin but that time he spent in the orphanage in Mexico still stings. He knows his mother did what she thought was best, twenty-two with three kids, no man in the picture, too many mouths to feed… It wasn’t abandonment not really.

He was fifteen when he was cut loose, a few bucks to his name and a backpack. He knew his mother had a sister in the US so he’d made the trip under the cover of darkness and ended up here in Santo Padre, Vicki had just started up the brothel at that point. A wayward nephew had never factored into her plans. She had had taken him in anyway, putting him to work doing anything that needed doing around the house. Turning rooms over between clients, helping with the bar, keeping the appointment books and balancing the accounts.

He’d been a dropout ever since kindergarten, at least in the brothel he was productive. He’d learned from the best how to please a woman, how to listen to the sounds of her body, the heady echo of her moans. For the briefest moment in those exchanges, he felt like somebody loved him, that somebody wanted him. He forgot that love in his world was transactional. It took him a long time to accept that Vicki kept him around because she cares about him and not out of obligation.

“You’re surprisingly well adjusted.” You had told him as the two of you sat in the yard, sharing a spliff as the sun went down. Your feet were resting in his lap, his thumb caressing the hollow of your ankle before he leant over and handed you the joint.

“The MC helped balance me out.” He told you when he settled back into his seat. “It gave me the thing that I was missing, showed me that love and loyalty doesn’t have to come with stings. I think I have Taza to thank for that. He sponsored me, took me under his wing, he was the first person who really saw me for who I was and gave me that encouragement to grow as person and explore who I am.”

“He’s your MC dad.” You told him as you took a drag and he had laughed because he’s never thought about it like that. Taza’s the guy that calls him on his shit, sits with him when he’s low, he’s the one that taught him how to play guitar, that shared his love of music.

Taza always been there when Riz has needed it, despite the fact that Riz has done everything he can to fight it recently.

“Fuck.” He mutters, throwing his head back and using his palm to wipe the water from his face. Even when he’s an asshole, Taza’s still there, trying to help him put the pieces back together.

He’s barely set foot out of the shower when he hears the knock on his door. He almost ignores it. He doesn’t want to see anyone else tonight, he wants to get into his bed and scroll through pictures of the two of you on his phone the same way he has every other night since he ended things. He’s still clutching the towel to his waist when he answers the door and sees you standing there.

You still look as beautiful as the first day he saw you, that black silk dress hugging your form. Brown boots and a matching leather jacket thrown over your shoulders. Your suitcase is propped up next to you. In the background he sees Taza and Creeper idling in the van, Taza gives him a nod before he turns his head to Creeper and the two of them pull away from the curb.

He’s thought about what he wants to say so much over the past couple of hours, however now that you’re here the words just won’t come out. As your gaze shifts to the towel slung low around his hips, he realises this he’s still standing there at the front door, dripping wet and wearing next to nothing. It’s you that breaks the silence.

“Can I come in?”

Love Riz? Get added to his tag list!

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[jordie-gvf]

can you do an angsty josh blurb? i’m feeling a screaming match maybe and reader leaves? idk!

josh blurb #4

warnings : angst, arguing, drunk josh, language, fighting

word count : 1.0k+

expect a part two, i loved writing this!

After the tour, Josh had been off the rails. He was going out to bars every night, coming home at 4 AM and doing it all over again.

You had been at home alone, raising Dove. Dove was your four month old, spitting image of her father. You couldn't take care of her and Josh at the same time, he needs to help you. 

He arrived home, 3 AM this time. He came upstairs and came over to your side of the bed. “C'mon Mama, wake up. I need you.” he said in your ear.

You shuffled awake and saw Josh standing over you, shirt off. “No, I'm tired.” 

“That's never stopped us before,” he said. You could smell the weed and the alcohol on him. He rubbed his hand up your bare thigh.

“I said no, Josh!” 

“Damn, what the fuck happened to you?” he questioned and walked away. He changed and got into the bed. He laid opposite you and fell asleep.

You were woken up by the sound of crying. You walked into Dove’s room and saw Josh with her. She wouldn't stop crying until you grabbed her from him. He got up and walked out of her room and said, “My girlfriend and my kid don't like me.” 

You ignored him and rocked her back to sleep.

You woke up to Josh shaking you awake. “I'm leaving, going to the studio,” he told you.

You looked at the clock and saw 9:35 AM. You kissed his cheek and let him go to work. You were making Dove’s lunch when the doorbell rang. You opened the door and saw Jake. 

“Hey Y/N! Josh here?” he asked you.

You shook your head and said, “No? He told me he was going to the studio.”

“We had the day, he's not here?”

“No, he's not here.”

Jake grabbed his phone and called Josh. “Bro, where the hell are you?” he asked Josh.

“Downtown. Nudie’s” you heard Josh say. 

“Day drinking? You don't think Y/N needs help with your child?” 

“Who are you, our mother? She can handle Dove just fine on her own.” 

Wow. You walked away, tending to your child's lunch. You put everything on a plate for her and gave her some milk. She ate her fruit and you heard Jake on the couch. He walked over to the kitchen and said, “I'm so sorry about him. I don't know what's gotten into him.” 

“Whatever it is, he needs to get his shit together.” 

You had just put Dove down for a nap when you got a call. You answered and heard, “This is a prepaid call from Joshua Kiszka, an inmate at Nashville Downtown Detention Center. To accept charges, press the pound key.”

You pressed it and heard, “Mama?” 

“Josh!? What the hell happened?”

“Arrested. Got the cops called on me. Can you come get me?” 

“Fine.” 

You grabbed the car seat and put Dove in. You put a blanket over her and made your way downtown. You carried the car seat on your arm inside. “Hi, I'm here to pick up Joshua Kiszka, please.” you said.

He came out, blood on his shirt. You turned around and walked back out to the car. You put Dove back into the car and didn't say one word to Josh.

“Y/N, I-”

“No. Do not talk to me.”

He turned his head to the window and looked out as you drove home. You pulled into the garage and grabbed your child and went upstairs. You went into her room and fed her, changed her and put her back down.

You walked back downstairs and saw Josh in the kitchen, leaning on the island, head in his hands. He heard you come down and lifted his head up. You walked over to the fridge and grabbed something to eat. 

“Can we talk, please?” he asked you.

“What could you possibly want to talk about?” 

“I wanted to say I was sorry. I'm sorry for never being here. I'm sorry for not helping with Dove. I'm sorry for coming home at 4 AM.” 

“Mhm.” you said.

“Really? I'm apologizing and that is all you have to say?”

“That's not just it, Josh! You go out, you get high, you get drunk, you come home at 4 AM and you do the same thing all over again. It's a never ending cycle! I can't keep doing this!”

“I wanted to get the hell out of here! I wanted to get away from you! And her!” he yelled out.

You stopped dead in your tracks and said, “Fine. You want to get away from us? From your child? Fine, her and I will leave.” 

“That's not how I meant it, come on. Come back here please.” he said to you as you walked up the stairs.

You walked into your room and locked the door. You grabbed your suitcase and packed as much stuff in as you can. You grabbed a tote bag and put all your electronics in there. 

You walked out of your room and went into Dove’s room. You grabbed her some clothes, diapers, socks, mittens, shoes, and all of her stuff for her hair.

You walked out and grabbed both of your bags and brought them downstairs. “Go say goodbye to your kid, if you even want to.” you said to him.

He got off the couch and ran up the stairs to his daughter’s room. You loaded everything in the car and went back into the house. You saw Josh putting her into the car seat and covering her with her favorite blanket. He put the binkie into her mouth and kissed her one last time. 

You let him carry her out to the car and put her into the base of the seat. You started the car after he closed the door. He opened the passenger door and said, “Mama, look at me.” 

You reluctantly looked at him and he said, “I am so sorry. Listen, I am going to make this right. I am! I love both of you.”

He closed the door and let you drive away. You rolled down the window before you left and said, “Hey Josh?” 

He walked up to the car and you said, “I love you Josh. I know you can get sober. I know you can. We love you. I promise you we will be back, as soon as you get clean.”

[sigynpenniman]

WHAT IF ALL OF THE FEMALE TOUR CHARACTERS ARE ACTUALLY STAGES IN THE LIFE OF ONE WOMAN?

Disclaimer: I'm not 100% sure I'm the first person to have this theory/idea. We stand on the shoulders of giants etc

So, I've been getting really into the various tour date anniversaries, and it's brought something to the front of my mind that wasn't before: the order the outfits appeared in, and the fact that most of the outfits are roughly in historical order, for the vintage style of each garment.

Acknowledgements about possible issues with this theory at the bottom.

There's a segment in Shakespeare's As You Like It which goes through the seven ages of man. As listed in the play, these are: the infant, the schoolboy, the lover, the solider, the justice, old age, and eventual oblivion. So, what if Gerard's outfits are the ages of woman? Cheerleader > nurse > lady/wife > office worker > eventual oblivion. Nashville > Detroit > Riot > Firefly > Ring of Fire.

I'm allowing a bit of wiggle room for slight anachronism in the styles of the various dresses as I think Gerard and Marina were more concerned with the overall look & impression of the outfits than with being 100% historically sound.

So, let's take just the dresses (and Alpharetta), and go through - in the order these outfits appeared on the tour.

The Cheerleader

Let's imagine a woman born around ~1945. Maybe 1944 or 1946. She'd be 16 in ~1960. And she's a cheerleader!

x

The Nurse

She gets a bit older, and becomes a nurse. Nurses in the 50s and 60s tended to be young and unmarried. Our hypothetical woman would be 24 in 1968.

x

This is just about right for our Prettiest Nurse In The Whole World - the dress pre-dates the shift for nurse attire from dresses to scrubs, but could easily be a later 60s silhouette (straighter, slimmer fit compared to the "new look" fluffier skirts of the 50s and earlier 60s).

The Lady/ The Wife

I think this both overlaps with and leads into Riot. This is her when she's off duty.

x

This is very easily a late 60s look. It was also common in the 50s and 60s for women to quit working upon getting married, or even be forced from their jobs upon getting married. There were parts of the world even where nurses were not allowed to be married. Perhaps Riot is not only the nurse off duty, but also a transitional outfit, symbolizing who she's becoming, as she ages into the next phase of her life - the wife. Maybe she has kids, even, in this space. And then...falls off the radar a bit. Perhaps the fact that we lose track of her for a bit in the "timeline" is in itself relevant.

The Office Worker

The office worker takes us through multiple outfits, and a pivotal point in history. Through the late 60s and 70s, it became increasingly acceptable and common for women with children to re-enter the workforce. So, we assume she has kids, maybe, and when they're 6, 7, 8 - old enough to go to school - she goes back to work, perhaps in the mid 70s. You know what looks quite 70s?

x

Good old Alpharetta.

From here, I think, we follow her through her career. Firefly is sometimes called the teacher, but there's no particular reason to assume that. The only real evidence is Gerard's joke "you get this at the end of class," and I don't know that they meant anything in particular by that. So what if Firefly isn't a teacher, but just a further evolution of office worker?

x

This could easily be a very late 70s or early 80s office worker fit. Our hypothetical woman would be in her 30s at this point, which feels quite right for this look. Which takes us toooooo Auckland.

x

This still feels quite 70s, actually. There was obviously quite a bit of shifting and minor changes to what we call the Dead Secretary over the course of ring of fire, but if you assume you're looking at an office worker's wardrobe from the late 70s onwards (and we accept that Brisbane 2 was just for the sex appeal), it all follows fairly smoothly. And so we move on to

Eventual Oblivion

When the Dead Secretary Dies.

x

If we assume that the prevailing theory that the character from Ring of Fire is implied to have died on 9/11 is correct, that puts this fit in 2001, and makes our hypothetical woman 55ish years old. It's hard to think of 2001 as vintage, but it is to some extent - and the skirtsuit here is actually a bit more 2001 than it is modern, with its shoulderpads and pantyhose. This is very much what a 55 year old woman with a closet slightly out of date might have worn to an office job in 2001 (if we discount the gloves, which, Character Choice). I've seen it recently pointed out that the outfit changed and then stopped changing - and it DID! It stops changing when the contacts come out. The outfit stops changing when she dies.

Obviously, like I said, it's not perfect. I'm allowing some stylistic wiggle room with dates and clothing eras. But when you look at the feminine outfits overall, there's a striking order to them - they seem to be traveling forward in time, aesthetically, from the 50s to the 2000s, in a fairly consistent way.

But wait, what about -

Joan of Arc: I don't count Joan of Arc as part of any tour "canon," plot or concept. Joan of Arc is her own thing, we know Gerard loves Joan of Arc, she stands alone.

Houston - Houston is the one real non-canon/non-fitting dress here. Interestingly, it does actually fit nicely in the chronology of the outfits over the 20th century - the Manson girl fit would be late 60s/early 70s, which slots in just fine after Alpharetta. I'm not sure, though, if it makes sense as an event in the life of our hypothetical woman - she would have to be in her 30s at the time, and already have had a number of phases of her life, which seems doubtful for a Manson girl - but frankly, who knows. I do think, as much as I risk sounding like I'm disregarding things that don't prove my theory, it's important to remember this is Gerard we're dealing with, and while they most certainly have a concept or story they're working off of, they also will Do What Ye Will depending on the vibe of the moment. The whole Manson girl thing fits nicely into the overall theme of disparaged and victimized women, and fits well into the overall vibe, so I don't think its existence disproves the previous theory. Gerard very well may have just wanted to do a Manson Girl fit and thus he did - we may never know. Or maybe I'm completely wrong about everything I've said!

I don't know if this is what was intended to be the "story" of the tour but it sure does work nicely and I have to admit I am sort of obsessed with it now. It fits nicely, the chronology is fairly clean, and it feels like something Gerard is always trying to do - to tell a story.

[wherewhereare]

Amber Sampson

Thu, Apr 11, 2024 (2 a.m.)

When Paige Overton sang with the cowpunk quartet The Clydesdale, she performed at Brooklyn Bowl and during the Neon Reverb fest, and seemingly every other local venue and event. She has played her share of stages, but few compare to the setup of Blake Shelton’s new country bar and restaurant Ole Red.

“This is definitely different from anything I’ve experienced in this town,” says Overton, who fronts outlaw country band Paige and the Overtones and duo Opal and Turq. “I feel like we’re all kids again. It’s this new, buzzy, fun place and there’s a lot of camaraderie there.”

Overton is one of several local musicians who’ve been invited to play the Strip venue, and the feedback has been resoundingly positive. From the professionally staffed sound and lighting teams to the sprawling stage and lightning-fast stage breakdowns, she regards Ole Red as a true concert venue.

This new, high-profile home for live performance at the heart of the Strip should impact the local country music community, which, despite the popularity of the genre, only plays in a few local venues. Stoney’s Rockin’ Country at Town Square, Gilley’s at Treasure Island and Losers Bar at MGM Grand are among Vegas’ most prominent country bars and lounges.

“I don’t even know if it’s the lack of country bands, but sometimes I think it’s the lack of places that they fit,” Overton says. “I know bands that there’s only a few and far places that really embrace [country] so they have to drive all the way out to Pioneer Saloon to play, or the LeDoux that’s all the way over by Lake Las Vegas.

“I think it may encourage people to step out a little bit, but also it’s a breath of fresh air for people who already play this type of music and have their own little spot in the sun now.”

Ole Red senior talent buyer Marc Feldman says that’s precisely what this venue has set out to do here.

“We’re really giving the opportunity to plant a flag and give country music a home, and give some of the folks who live here, who truly are authentically country, a place to shine,” he says.

A big part of that has been encouraging musicians to play original music rather than what may be popular with Strip crowds. To Feldman, Ole Red is “the proudest stepping stone anyone could have in their career,” and artists are taking that seriously.

Local musician Zach Ryan, who spent eight years in Nashville before returning to Vegas, can attest to that. He often performs his twangy brand of ’60s and ’90s country at Ole Red.

“They treat you there like you’re the talent,” says Ryan. “Some places I’ve played, they’re herding me around and don’t give any breaks. In Nashville, we played about three hours and 45 minutes with no breaks, so someone would have to jump on the drums, which was usually me, while the drummer went to the bathroom.”

Transitioning from the shotgun bars of Nashville to Ole Red has been a “real treat,” he says. “A place like that is a place where you can come as a casual music country fan or a real country fan. It felt a step above Nashville.”

Ryan views Ole Red’s arrival as a sign of the times. He points to Beyoncé releasing Cowboy Carter—“Country music is becoming relevant again, and it’s not your grandpa’s music anymore,” he says. “It’s something young people identify with because so much of it just is talking about everyday problems.”

It’s also incredibly versatile. At Ole Red, Overton can lay on the Waylon Jennings and the Loretta Lynn.

“Sometimes if I’m feeling crazy I’ll even do ‘Stand By Your Man’ from Tammy Wynette, which is sometimes a show suicide because it’s slow, but I don’t give a sh*t,” she says. “It’s fun, and people are usually really into it.

“I hope we see this as a step in the right direction to really embrace more of our musicians in this town,” Overton says. “Let’s get the people paid to play and let them do what they love.”

[apassionateman]

"17 INCHES"..........,

You will not regret reading this an excellent article to read from beginning to end. Twenty years ago, in Nashville, Tennessee, during the first week of January, 1996, more than 4,000 baseball coaches descended upon the Opryland Hotel for the 52nd annual ABCA's convention.

While I waited in line to register with the hotel staff, I heard other more veteran coaches rumbling about the lineup of speakers scheduled to present during the weekend. One name kept resurfacing, always with the same sentiment — “John Scolinos is here? Oh, man, worth every penny of my airfare.”

Who is John Scolinos, I wondered. No matter; I was just happy to be there.

In 1996, Coach Scolinos was 78 years old and five years retired from a college coaching career that began in 1948. He shuffled to the stage to an impressive standing ovation, wearing dark polyester pants, a light blue shirt, and a string around his neck from which home plate hung — a full-sized, stark-white home plate.

Seriously, I wondered, who is this guy? After speaking for twenty-five minutes, not once mentioning the prop hanging around his neck, Coach Scolinos appeared to notice the snickering among some of the coaches. Even those who knew Coach Scolinos had to wonder exactly where he was going with this, or if he had simply forgotten about home plate since he’d gotten on stage. Then, finally …

“You’re probably all wondering why I’m wearing home plate around my neck,” he said, his voice growing irascible. I laughed along with the others, acknowledging the possibility. “I may be old, but I’m not crazy. The reason I stand before you today is to share with you baseball people what I’ve learned in my life, what I’ve learned about home plate in my 78 years.”

Several hands went up when Scolinos asked how many Little League coaches were in the room. “Do you know how wide home plate is in Little League?”

After a pause, someone offered, “Seventeen inches?”, more of a question than answer.

“That’s right,” he said. “How about in Babe Ruth’s day? Any Babe Ruth coaches in the house?” Another long pause.

“Seventeen inches?” a guess from another reluctant coach.

“That’s right,” said Scolinos. “Now, how many high school coaches do we have in the room?” Hundreds of hands shot up, as the pattern began to appear. “How wide is home plate in high school baseball?”

“Seventeen inches,” they said, sounding more confident.

“You’re right!” Scolinos barked. “And you college coaches, how wide is home plate in college?”

“Seventeen inches!” we said, in unison.

“Any Minor League coaches here? How wide is home plate in pro ball?”........“Seventeen inches!”

“RIGHT! And in the Major Leagues, how wide home plate is in the Major Leagues? “Seventeen inches!”

“SEV-EN-TEEN INCHES!” he confirmed, his voice bellowing off the walls. “And what do they do with a Big League pitcher who can’t throw the ball over seventeen inches?” Pause. “They send him to Pocatello !” he hollered, drawing raucous laughter. “What they don’t do is this: they don’t say, ‘Ah, that’s okay, Jimmy. If you can’t hit a seventeen-inch target? We’ll make it eighteen inches or nineteen inches. We’ll make it twenty inches so you have a better chance of hitting it. If you can’t hit that, let us know so we can make it wider still, say twenty-five inches.'”

Pause. “Coaches… what do we do when your best player shows up late to practice? or when our team rules forbid facial hair and a guy shows up unshaven? What if he gets caught drinking? Do we hold him accountable? Or do we change the rules to fit him? Do we widen home plate? "

The chuckles gradually faded as four thousand coaches grew quiet, the fog lifting as the old coach’s message began to unfold. He turned the plate toward himself and, using a Sharpie, began to draw something. When he turned it toward the crowd, point up, a house was revealed, complete with a freshly drawn door and two windows. “This is the problem in our homes today. With our marriages, with the way we parent our kids. With our discipline.

We don’t teach accountability to our kids, and there is no consequence for failing to meet standards. We just widen the plate!”

Pause. Then, to the point at the top of the house he added a small American flag. “This is the problem in our schools today. The quality of our education is going downhill fast and teachers have been stripped of the tools they need to be successful, and to educate and discipline our young people. We are allowing others to widen home plate! Where is that getting us?”

Silence. He replaced the flag with a Cross. “And this is the problem in the Church, where powerful people in positions of authority have taken advantage of young children, only to have such an atrocity swept under the rug for years. Our church leaders are widening home plate for themselves! And we allow it.”

“And the same is true with our government. Our so-called representatives make rules for us that don’t apply to themselves. They take bribes from lobbyists and foreign countries. They no longer serve us. And we allow them to widen home plate! We see our country falling into a dark abyss while we just watch.”

I was amazed. At a baseball convention where I expected to learn something about curve balls and bunting and how to run better practices, I had learned something far more valuable.

From an old man with home plate strung around his neck, I had learned something about life, about myself, about my own weaknesses and about my responsibilities as a leader. I had to hold myself and others accountable to that which I knew to be right, lest our families, our faith, and our society continue down an undesirable path.

“If I am lucky,” Coach Scolinos concluded, “you will remember one thing from this old coach today. It is this: "If we fail to hold ourselves to a higher standard, a standard of what we know to be right; if we fail to hold our spouses and our children to the same standards, if we are unwilling or unable to provide a consequence when they do not meet the standard; and if our schools & churches & our government fail to hold themselves accountable to those they serve, there is but one thing to look forward to …”

With that, he held home plate in front of his chest, turned it around, and revealed its dark black backside, “…We have dark days ahead!.”

Note: Coach Scolinos died in 2009 at the age of 91, but not before touching the lives of hundreds of players and coaches, including mine. Meeting him at my first ABCA convention kept me returning year after year, looking for similar wisdom and inspiration from other coaches. He is the best clinic speaker the ABCA has ever known because he was so much more than a baseball coach. His message was clear: “Coaches, keep your players—no matter how good they are—your own children, your churches, your government, and most of all, keep yourself at seventeen inches."

And this my friends is what our country has become and what is wrong with it today, and now go out there and fix it!

"Don't widen the plate."