#THE SONG SOUNDS SO MUCH LIKE LEO AND LEON I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT FROM ME

[imagionationstation]

Why, yes!

I did just waste all my free time writing a 3000 word Parody Songfic using the song I Don’t Dance from High School Musical 2 because inspiration hit me like a truck, and I can’t animate to save my life. So now I have yet another song that relates to ‘these teenage turtles that happen to be lovable ninjas’ that will remain locked away in my notes bc my brainspace gets wacko sometimes.

….I’m just dying to know if this is somehow relatable to anyone-

[unhealthy-leon-brainrot]

“dance with me?”

it was a rainy, saturday afternoon. you and your lover were just hanging out in the living room, with soft music playing in the background. you were reading a book while he was reading papers on a folder.

he never really told you what his job was. only that he works for the government. you had a hunch he didn’t really want to tell you much about it but you didn’t mind. you were sure he’d tell you at some point when he’d be comfortable in coming clean. for now, he’s just government employee leon kennedy, who also happens to be your lovely boyfriend.

he’s been quite busy for the past couple of weeks, finally having had a break for the next 2-3 days. but, of course, your ever diligent boyfriend just didn’t know when to stop working.

when a song you were familiar with played from the speakers, you put your book down. you stood up from the sofa and faced him, holding out your hand to him. an invitation to escape from his work for just a little while.

he looked at your hand, then up at you.

you smiled at him. “please?”

you watched him think. the gears in his mind turning, blinking once. he was quiet for a moment before closing the folder in his hand and gently dropping it on the table.

he stood up sighing. you could tell he wasn’t used to the domesticity just yet, with the awkward way he took your hand and smiled at you.

“what? have you never danced before?” you teased him, pulling him to the open space of the living room.

that got a chuckle out of him as he smiled sheepishly. “it’s been a while.”

god, he was so adorable. you couldn’t stop grinning. you guided his hands to hold your waist. “don’t worry. i’m sure you’ll get the hang of it.” you slide your hands on his shoulders then locked your fingers together behind his neck.

you recognized that the song was about to reach the instrumental part as you swayed to the beat. leon followed your movements, careful not to step on you. “just the two of us, you and i~” you sang while looking at his face, smiling softly. he was breathtakingly beautiful.

the saxophone in the music was prevalent in this part, adding to the romantic atmosphere you two have set. your bodies were moving to the beat, swaying side to side. everything about this moment screamed domesticity. the rain outside. the book and papers left lying on the coffee table. the music. how you both have created this little bubble to hide from the world. so focused on each other.

he was staring at you, a small smile gracing his lips. you could feel his thumbs rubbing on your waist.

“just the two of us.”

“just the two of us.”

you were shocked to hear him sing along to the back up voices. you couldn’t help but giggle a little.

“what?” he asked, laughing nervously. didn’t think he sings too, huh?

you’re not sure why but you couldn’t stop laughing, you nearly threw your head back. maybe because you haven’t heard him sing. ever. and it just… caught you off guard.

“sorry, but i’ve just never heard you sing.” you said, your laugh finally dying down. “and i didn’t think you’d know this song.”

“honey.” he started, raising his brow. “i grew up with this song. i couldn’t go anywhere without hearing this song at least once.” chuckling, he glanced at the folder on the table momentarily before looking back at you.

“oh, right.” you nodded. “i forgot you’re that old.”

“you’re making it sound like i’m a grandpa. i’m only a couple of years older than you and the song came out in the 80’s, you know?”

“same thing.” you shrugged.

you both laughed as you continued to dance to the song.

feeling a little giddy, you unclasped your fingers behind his neck and slid it down to his arms. you lifted his hands from your waist and stepped back while still holding them. your feet stepped forward, backward and sidewards. leon tried to do the same, and he was doing pretty well to your surprise. soon enough, you both found your rhythm, enjoying yourselves without a care in the world.

when the xylophone-like beat started creeping into the song, leon let go of your one hand but kept hold of the other. he raised it over your head and you knew what he wanted you to do.

after spinning three times, you faced him again then closed the distance between your bodies, resting against his chest. he put his other hand behind your lower back, keeping you close to him. both of you were laughing and giggling at such a ridiculously happy moment.

“how’d i do?” he asked, a deep rumble of his laugh reverberating within his chest as you propped your chin on it.

“exceeded my expectations, honestly.” you played along. it was now him who was swaying your bodies to the music. “you still need a little bit of practice though.”

he nodded, gently rubbing his hand on your back. “that’s fair.”

you moved to rest the side of your head on his chest, sliding your arms around his torso. it was quiet now, except for the music and the muffled rain.

leon pressed a kiss on top of your head. then he moved his arm to wrap around your shoulders, closing his eyes and letting out a sigh of relief.

god, he wished both of you could stay in this moment forever. let him bask in your warm, lovely presence. you make him genuinely happy—a feeling he never thought he would ever experience given his line of work and the shit he’s seen out there. you tempt him to ditch his horrific job and never give you the chance to be involved in it. just you and him and no one else.

he took a deep breath and sighed through his nose.

maybe someday.

“so, what do you want for dinner, leon?”

====

tags: @uhlunaro @so-mordor-itis @tosuckmyweenis 💐🫶

yeah yeah ik the singing along is kinda cringe BUT LET ME LIVEEEEE I WANNA HEAR LEON SING 😭😭😭😭😭😭

anyway, hope this made yall smile a little <3 LOVE YOU ALWAYS, LEON KENNEDY NATION!!!!!! 💐💖

[theawesomeninja-xd]

@tmnt-crossover-polls

Memories story part 2! Featuring

@phoenixdeleted Neon and company.

"This is amazing! There's people literally building theaters here! We are about to witness true art!"

Rafa smiled as Dee continued to ramble on.

He may not know where they are, but the place seemed cool enough. Besides, his brothers were excited; everything was good so far.

Leon tapped him. "Hey guys, look over there."

Rafa turned to where Leon was referring to and blinked. Not only was there another Mikey, who looked quite a bit younger, but a turtle who looked like an older Leon carrying him around.

Angelo and Dee seemed to notice too. "Do...you think they know where we are?"

Leon shrugged. "Let's go ask them. We got the face man and his adorable brothers. I'll just do the talking and you guys keep the cuteness. What's the worst that could happen?"

As the four begin to move to the new turtles Leon begins to get a bit excited and speeds up his pace by the slightest bit.

The Diamondback, who was on the turtle who looked like an older Leon caught sight of the 4 approaching when they were just about in hearing range and seemed to shake on the older slider's shoulders, catching his attention.

When the older Leon lookalike turned to the turtles, the Mikey on his shoulders trilled and flipped off of the slider, landing on his feet.

Waving he called to them in a pretty excited tone, “Hi there! What'cha guys in a rush for?”

Leon gave his brothers a thumbs up before speaking.

"So...uh...big me? I'll call you big me; and other Mikey? Us kids are lost; we kinda just landed here from a magic letter. Do you mind explaining where we are--?"

"And what's going on with this amazing theater!" Dee interrupts.

So much for letting Leon do the talking.

But it should be fine. The alternates seemed pretty nice so far.

The larger Leon hesitated before he huffed a more entertained huff, “You can call me Neon if that’s easier. But honestly I’m… 50% sure this is a weird competiton between alternate dimensions. Some other Leo explained it better.”

Mikey then chimed in, “Yeah! A musical theater competition! You know what song you guys want to do?”

Neon picked up his Mikey by the top of his shell causing him to stop stepping forwards, “Sorry, he’s excited. Uh...but yeah, the whole competition is meant to be a musical theater competition apparently. Where are you four from?”

That wasn't a question he expected. Yeah, he was grateful Leon was doing the talking.

"Where we're....from....?" Leon quickly looked around. "Memories!" He suddenly yelled.

How'd he know that?

Rafa looked around too, then found something on his wrist. It was some sort of watch with the exact word on it, and now that he noticed...other people had something like it.

He smiled a bit. Leon, ever the observant one.

“Memories huh?” Neon nodded, then put down the Mikey and tapped his plastron, where a gray sticker seemed to be slapped on. “I’m from Disarmed, we’re against you apparently.”

Said Mikey bounced on his toes, excited as ever. “Oh my god! That’s so cool! I love the title of where your from! That’s awesome!!!”

Mikey held out a hand for the turtles to shake. “It’s nice to meet all of you!”

"Thanks, amigo. Nice to meet you."

Leon accepted the gesture, and each of the brothers followed in shaking other Mikey's hand.

"Now....about the musical competition. And...being against you?"

“We don’t know the specifics but we got some info from the Post Hoc Leo.” Neon commented from behind his Mikey.

“Ooh yeah! That was his name! We should go see him and his family later.” Mikey muttered all gitty over this.

This was quite a bit to unpack. But now they at least had a semblance of what was going on.

"Woah! So we're like, planning a musical or something?" Angelo asked.

And this did sound fun.

"We gotta bring out the musicals we saw!" Leon exclaimed.

"I shall help with special effects," Dee added.

Rafa's tail started wagging as he got more excited. "We need costumes too!" He added.

They heard Neon laugh as they discuss among themselves. “If you want costumes I know theres a team making them, they’re quite good at it too.” Neons tail was swaying slightly.

Mikey jumped forwards pointing towards the huge curtain with a few turtles stumbling out of it with props, “Oh yeah! They should be back stage! Neon stopped me from getting a beanie from them.” He seemed to pout slightly towards the end of that.

“We still need to find your brothers Mike.”

“I know but one Beanie wouldn’t take long!”

Neon chuckled at his antics, it sounded more like a churr than anything. “Point is, you can ask the people backstage to help you with some things and others you could do on your own.”

The conversation stopped as they look up at Neon with curiosity.

"O-Oh." Rafa said, "Thank you...Neon."

"Yeah, thanks for your help." Leon added.

Rafa smiled shyly. This was going pretty well.

"And hey, we could get other Mikey a beanie! We could just...meet up somewhere."

Stars bascially appeared in Mikeys eyes, “You’d do that?! Oh my god that would be awesome!” He looked to Neon for confirmation.

“I’d be alright with that, we could meet up uhhh…” Neon pauses and scans the area and points to a charred bit of stage and smiled, “We could meet over where the disco ball exploded.”

"Alright, sounds good!" Leon said.

"Uh, wait...a disco ball exploded--?" Rafa began.

"Vamos, hermanos! We've got a beanie to find!"

Leon led everyone away.

Well. This would be interesting.

Yay! Thanks for the help phoenix!

[sanstropfremir]

some thoughts and questions:

about kingdom - seeing peniel join the mix of ateez and skz was odd for me lol that threw me entirely off and i think is the large reason why i’m personally not a big fan of it. i watch peniel’s stuff outside of kingdom and he’s just a v chill dude overall; even in btob’s performances, he’s not a big standout and is there and does his job. whereas for ateez and skz (i don’t watch skz enough but this is based on the kingdom content), their energies match very well with each other in terms of performance. ateez definitely wins in stage presence compared to skz but their sounds and dance compete, if that makes sense. what did you think of peniel in this performance (aside from the krumping mentioned in your long review, if you have any more thoughts)?

i also think wolf is such a bold song choice. it’s one of the sm staples - really only sm groups can pull off these songs and concepts because it was designed literally for them. e.g. snsd i got a boy, rv rookie, fx/tvxq/ nct songs. there’s a uniqueness to them that can’t be replicated imo. if a non-sm group is going to cover it, it’s almost always a fail (or is missing v important components to the song/performance that it lacks in comparison).

also, what do you think of the stages overall? like, in terms of variation. there’s nothing wrong with serious, dark, and/or thematic performances. but i feel like all of the groups are sticking to it because it makes their stages ‘valid’. if that makes sense. to simplify it, i wish groups did more ‘bright and fun’ concepts and played around more. ikon and btob are groups that do this but for these kingdom stages i don’t get the same energy.

about kpop in general - in your review of the recent kingdom ep, you mentioned that you can only think of 2-3 groups where most of (or all) members of the group have great stage presence. what groups do you think have this quality? off the top of my head, i think of shinee and seventeen. every time they perform, each member makes themselves known and carry their part. even for a large group like seventeen and some members get only like 3-5 seconds of screen time. when a member is missing it’s painfully obvious too.

this is so long and thoughtful, thank you! i’ll try to answer everything but if i miss something just let me know! i’m putting it under a cut because long.

ok to start: peniel. i agree, there is quite a bit of dissonance having him in with a group that’s comprised of 98-01 liners, and especially because he does have a very laid back personality. i do think he stepped it up pretty well in the stage, even if his energy wasn’t a perfect match. and he clearly did put on a different performance than he usually would, if eunkwang and minhyuk’s incoherent and hilarious screaming at the end of the stage was any indication. it was a smart choice to position him as the ‘alpha’ wolf of the stage. when there’s that large a gap of performing experience with idols, no matter what you do, it's going to show. even if he wasn’t a chill guy, his stage presence is just gonna be different. same thing with minhyuk in the rap stage. i know having a low member number puts them at a bit of a disadvantage, but btob (and subsequently ateez and skz) actually kinda lucked out in that regard for this stage. say for example, the full group was competing and they sent multiple members to the performance unit like the other two groups did. because ateez and skz are the same age and have relatively compatible performance styles, they can make a cohesive unit, but now you have multiple performers who have an incompatible style and will stand out from that group. how do you thematically bridge that gap within the performance itself? when you only have one unhammered nail, you can capitalize on that nail being unhammered. hence making peniel the alpha wolf, or making minhyuk the ‘boss’ at the end of the rap stage. there just isn’t enough time with this show to actually do the rehearsal to make a truly cohesive unit, so the best thing to do is highlight the difference. 

my position on covers is that it's futile to try and match the original perfectly, so match the energy but make it your own. one of my all time favourite covers is kings of leon’s dancing on my own. yes, the robyn song. also the 1975’s cover of thank u, next. rtk features a few stages that i think got the right idea, with pentagon’s follow and their collab with onf for kill this love. sm songs are tough for this for though because yea, they are pretty tailored to their groups, and the groups themselves have very unique signatures and theyre often so famous that it's hard to separate them from their contexts enough to pull off a more abstract cover.

honestly the variety of themes hasn’t been the worst? obviously i’m a person who likes narrative and thematic elements though so i'm going to be a little more biased towards those types of stages. i think people keep using the term ‘dark’ to describe any concept that’s vaguely thematic and has moody lighting. i wouldn’t describe any of btob’s stages as dark, or ikon’s, and i wouldn’t describe ateez’s wonderland stage as dark either.  i do want to see more variation in aesthetics, especially in the costumes. really only ateez and btob have got this one down; you can tell the group’s style and that it's the same designers/stylists, but there’s been enough variety that none of their looks have felt the same. tbz and sf9 have only worn embellished suits so far, ikon has not made much effort with their costumes all, and skz have just been alternating one stage black one stage white in like, exactly the same outfits. boring!!!! where is the drama!!! so yes, i would like to see everyone having a little more fun on stage and with their concepts, but i also dont know if i'm willing to risk the 60% chance that it will be school uniforms for the younger groups. because i really Do Not want that.

and as far as groups where all the members have great stage presence, i'm so sorry but i suspect you were typing this while i published a post where i detailed the exact reasons i dont find seventeen compelling, please do not be offended. i guess i can say they have good collective presence? the ones that i was thinking of are shinee and tvxq. shinee for obvious reasons, and tvxq is just two dudes, so they both have to have stage presence or the whole thing would have collapsed in 2011. oh, by default also superm, because sm cherry picked seven of their best performers and slapped them together in a group. honestly baekhyun is probably the weakest link in terms of stage presence but he makes up for it in screaming so i forgive him. if we wanna count 50%+, where the group has good presence as a whole but not all the members, i would say ateez, got7, mx, and vixx. vixx is a weird one because 50% of their stage presence is hakyeon, jaehwan, and hyuk being pretty normal charismatic dudes and 50% of it is leo’s absolutely incomprehensible cryptid vibes. why is he like that. we'll never know.

[vampiresuns]

Window Bird

I wanted an excuse to write both Anatole’s family and Leon/Anatole, so lo and behold.

Leon is @apprenticealec‘s, and uses He/They pronouns, which I use interchangeably.

Word count: 1792; No cws this time.

Leon didn’t usually come to the Heart District, if he went there at all, except for the times the band had a gig or the like. There was no appeal in that part of the city to them, yet there they were on a Sunday morning, going up the steps of the Palazzo Cassano, the Consul’s seat, to pick up Anatole for — Leon wasn’t sure. 

The shop had been alone and they didn’t want to be alone right now.

Whatever laid inside the house (an understatement) he couldn’t tell, but he could tell it was big. Very big, with corridors twisting and turning, secret alcoves and sliding doors. The foyer must have been bigger than most city homes, yet not bigger than the palace’s out of the way it echoed. 

Someone came to greet them. 

“Good morning, and welcome. What may we help you with today? Are you here for the library or are you here to deliver a message?” 

“No, I’m here for Anatole? My name is Leon and we are—“ 

“Oh, are you a friend of Aelius?” The person didn’t wait for an answer. “I’ll go see if he’s available. Do wait here, or you can wait in the drawing room to the left. Do you need any help with that?”

“No, I can find my way on my own.” 

“I’ll be right back then.” 

They weren’t right back. Minutes slipped away without anyone coming back to retrieve them. If Leon gave it a thought, it made sense no one came around the foyer. Had he given it two thoughts, which he wasn’t about to do, he would’ve figured out there was some kind of way it was known the foyer was occupied, because they didn’t ring a bell. It would come back later to him. 

Someone approached, stopped, but went by without saying anything to Leon, leaving before Leon would say anything. 

Could one of his tethers find Anatole? He had never asked if he was okay with it, but did he have to ask? He didn’t know. Leon could just check if he was busy and if he was, yet Leon thought Anatole would not appreciate the intrusion. They had spent enough time together for Leon to notice Anatole guarded his private life, keeping it away from his job. It made sense — if that were the last beacon of reprieve Leon himself had, he would do it too.

Did he care that much about Anatole? Or was it basic consideration? A Gentlepeople agreement of you shall not trespass, and neither shall I? 

The unmistakable sound of someone who needed a cane to walk took him out of his thoughts. Leon heard them say something that resembled Vesuvian common tongue, but nothing he could make up clearly. He couldn’t make out the reply either, but it sounded almost like Valerius. 

The person with the cane stood under the threshold of the foyer, tapping their cane to get Leon’s attention. 

“Are you a friend of my great grandson?” 

“Excuse me?” It dawned on Leon that Anatole had never mentioned his family, except to talk twice about where he lived. He had mentioned his parents loosely, and an Aunt who lived in Vesuvia but passed some years ago, never of his family. Only now Leon realised the Palazzo wasn’t full of workers or people who came for the library or other of its amenities, but of Anatole’s relatives. It made him incredibly human.

“I was told you were a friend of Anatole’s, are you not? What is your name?”

“I’m Leon. I am a friend of Anatole’s.”

“I’m Valerian Cassano. My great grandson was sleeping, but I am sure he will be with us any minute now. You have to excuse him, he needs his rest.” 

Valerian began walking away, stopping and yelling back into the foyer when he realised Leon wasn’t following him. “I am older than you can imagine, young thing, I am not going to go back there and get you.” 

It wasn’t a request, and it seemed better to be invited in than waiting in a foyer he couldn’t even admire or despise. 

Valerian only asked if Leon needed anything once, assuming if he did he would ask. They sat in silence in a room he described as a family parlour. They both sat in silence for a moment, Leon expecting him to want to know how he knew Anatole, but the question never came. Instead, they tap their cane again, rhythmically, trying to emulate a song Leon does not recognise.

Eventually the questions do come, but they’re not what Leon expects. The only thing Valerian wanted to know is what it is that they do, and after they reply he’s a musician, the conversation took off. He asked other things, as where did they play the most, did Leon play alone, and what type of music, but most of the conversation ends up being about Valerian’s past and the city. How they used to be an actor, the Operas in the city and Goldgrave. He spoke little of the late Consul, and made excuses for the actual one not letting them in. 

“Where is it that you know Valeriy, anyway? He is much less inclined to blend in with people—”

“Uh, sorry?”

The eye roll was audible. “Valerius, who else.”

“I— through a common friend.” 

Valerian did noy buy it, huffing a laugh instead. “Very well, everyone has always seemed to say Anatole does take after him. Though, of course, Valeriy would never sleep in the city for someone. You care about the boy.”

Leon didn’t sense any maliciousness from the old man, but it didn’t mean he liked the question. It felt too open, like Leon had made his own decisions without even noticing, but apparent to the rest of people. 

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“It has to do with everything. You could’ve just checked if he was sleeping and left. I’m assuming you sense your way somehow, remarkable, really.”

“Stop tormenting Leon,” Anatole’s voice, with the exasperated fondness some people have to their family members, cut through Leon’s internal screaming. “Hi Lee, good morning Valerian.”

“You missed breakfast, Toly.”

“I chugged some coffee.”

“You drink too much of it.”

“Blame Valeriy for waking me up in a fissy.” 

Anatole put his hand on Leon’s shoulder, squeezing lightly, as they finally said hello back. It was strange to witness him around people who had known him all his life. It felt like looking into someone’s life from a window, a limbo of an invitation, unsure if you wanted to step in, despite not having been pushed further out. 

“Did you want us to go somewhere, Lee? Sorry if I took too long.”

“Actually, I did. Don’t worry, your great grandfather put up with me.”

“And your Leon put up with me.”

Anatole laughed, delighted. “Being terrible is a family trait. Whatever he told you about me, he’s lying.”

“I was an actor, I studied people’s characters for a living.”

Anatole kissed his great grandfather’s forehead before asking Leon if they should go. As easily as he had been pulled into this private corner of Anatole’s life, he was pulled out of it. 

Anatole apologised. “He is incredibly lucid for being so incredibly old… but he must have liked you, Valerian doesn’t really speak to many people. He says it tires him.”

“How old is he?”

“About 102, I believe? I’m not sure, I don’t think many people are anyway. Besides, he keeps insisting he’ll die when he wants to die, so age is not a thing that matters.”

“Do you want your family to like me?” Leon teased him. 

“My family has little to do with anything. As of late, I don’t really sleep here all that much. If I’m not spending the night at the Palace, I’m spending it in town — speaking of which, where do you want to go?”

“How about the market, so you eat something, and then we decide.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

Leo began walking towards the foyer, but Anatole stopped him. 

“No, no, I leave through the back door. You can’t tell anyone where it is, though.” 

Leon followed Anatole through the house, into an unassuming corridor with an unassuming door, yet by the sound of Anatole opening it, it had some sort of mechanism to guard it. Outside, the breeze and sounds of the city awaited for them, in an equally quiet and unassuming corridor. 

Anatole closed the door after him, but didn’t advance. “Leon?”

“Yes?”

“If you ever wanted to visit while I’m here, you can use this door. It doesn’t have a bell, what you have to do is spin the doorknob three times to the right, quick and sort turns, and someone will come to open and let you in.”

“And would I find you inside?”

“Just ask. Or test your luck, you always end up finding me.”

“I could just use a tether, they do save time.”

“That’s up to you, really.”

“So, you don’t want to know if I have one on you?”

“I know you don’t, Lee. That’s not what we do.”

Leon frowned. “We could.”

Anatole stepped closer to Leon, cupping his cheek, and rubbing his thumb against his skin. In safe company he relaxed, but in shared privacy he unfolded. Perhaps, the old man had been right. Perhaps the Gentlepeople’s agreement laid in respecting each other’s boundaries not out of indifference but care. Wasn’t it so? Genuine, honest Anatole who did care for Leon, now realised he was allowed to care. He did tell them he didn’t allow people into his life if he wasn’t going to care about them. Why would he waste his energy pretending to care about something? 

Leon couldn’t see the sun, but he could feel it. He could feel it on his skin, and Anatole’s incommensurable caring for that which did have his attention felt a lot like it. The city, his family, his friends, the city once again, people and corners Leon wasn’t privy to, but which Anatole did not pretend not to have in him. 

Neither of them pretended to be people they were not. Was that honesty not caring? 

“You’d have to let me take care of you.” 

Leon took Anatole’s face in his hands, Anatole letting his own hand fall and rest over his waist. His fingers were soft over his lips, and Anatole kissed the tip of every one of them, until Leon replaced them with their own lips. 

“I think I already do.” 

It was like finding a partner for a journey you both knew would take you to different places, yet while the journey lasted, you had each other. 

[lady-charinette]

Chapter 2 - Strings & Papers Lukanette AU (Teacher!Marinette & SingleDad!Luka)

A/N:  Hi everyone! I’m very sorry for the delay of Chapter 2, I’ve been so busy at university and studying and everything. I hope to update faster next time, anyhow here’s the next chapter! :)

Tagging: @seraphkitty @canadianburd @macaknight @fher43 @vivilakitty @quickspinner @im-here-for-the-content @decaffeinated-happyshit @jessigurl-design @2sunchild2 @zebrabaker @didnwant2come @redscarlet95 @graduatedmelon @eve-is-the-dawn @anjuschiffer @alissawhited-blog @rudy-ruby @mystery-5-5 @winter-gardenflower @bresso23 @kayla-the-rambling-writer @teresarosiadeviluke2112 @captainmac6 @violatiger @crazywhitemofo @hauntedfreakdeputyhero @gingersnapnoir @a-marlene-s @omgelisahagemanuniverse @samslash @kryptored @lukatherat ​ 

Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 2

“Auntie Jule!” Leon stared up at his aunt, tugging on her the hand holding his securely as they crossed the street.

The woman didn’t answer immediately, eyes focused on looking left and right as they rushed across the street, once they made it safely on the other side, copper eyes stared down at the child questioningly. “Yeah, Leo?”

The boy pursed his lips in thought, trying to express himself in words, a feat his own father had trouble sometimes accomplishing. “Does…does dad have time to come to school sometime?” big brown eyes, his mother’s eyes, stared up at her expectantly.

Juleka Couffaine briefly stared at the sky, spotting the school not too far ahead, trying to recall her brother’s schedule. “Hmm…I’ll have to ask him. Why? Did something happen?” Worry immediately shot through her heart like an arrow, causing her grip to tighten slightly on her nephew’s hand.

He shook his head, much to her relief. “No, my teacher just wanted to see him!”

The woman rose an eyebrow in confusion. “Your teacher? Your homeroom teacher Miss Marinette?” that was weird, “Did she tell you why?”

Leon rubbed his chin, eyes squinty as he thought hard about yesterday and what Miss Marinette said. “Um…um….I think…I think…she said she would love to meet him.” He shrugged, not entirely sure if she had mentioned a reason. He remembered drawing his picture and hanging it up in class. Leon jumped, eyes wide and excited as he tugged on his aunt’s hand again. “Auntie Jule! Auntie Jule! I drew a picture yesterday you have to see it! Come on!”

The boy tightened his grip around her hand suddenly and marched forward like a soldier on a mission. Juleka stumbled before quickening her own pace, trying to keep up with the ball of energy that was her nephew.

Her thoughts were still on Leon’s words from earlier. Why did Marinette want to see her brother? She was sure Leon hadn’t done anything wrong, otherwise Marinette would’ve called herself or Leon would’ve mentioned something.

‘She said she would love to meet him.’

Juleka blinked, now very curious on the reason behind the sudden question. Then again, Marinette had a right to know where Leon’s parent was, up until now, it was Juleka she’d had regular contact with and who picked up Leon from school. Luka had attended parent meetings, but as far as she was concerned, Marinette hadn’t been there due to other meetings.

Taking out her phone while ascending the steps to the elementary school, Juleka typed in a quick text and sent it to her brother.

“Good morning Lea! Good morning Emma!” Leon’s excited shouts echoed in the hallways, greetings his friends with wild waving, immediately distracted from his initial goal of showing his aunt a picture he drew.

Juleka smiled, making small talk with the gathered parents ready to see their children off.

————–

A ping sound made the man quickly take out his phone, heart pacing in his chest worriedly.

Juleka normally sent a text at lunch, it wasn’t nowhere near lunch yet. Was it the school? Did something happen to Leon?

Luka’s heart raced wildly right up until he opened the chat, a relieved sigh leaving his lips when he carefully read the message from his sister.

‘Hey Lu, don’t worry, nothing happened. Was wondering when you’ll come to school, people are curious about Leo’s mystery dad.’ – Jule

Luka frowned. Mystery dad? He’d attended parent meetings before…granted, he didn’t come often to school like picking his son up like he wanted. He was sure some people did wonder about him, especially since he hadn’t met all the teachers yet either.

But he did come when he could.

“Something the matter?” his manager rose an eyebrow at the musician staring at his phone thoughtfully. “Something wrong with your kid?”

Luka snapped out of his thoughts, fingers flying over the screen to hurriedly send the message before pocketing the device again. “No, sorry.”

Bob Roth hummed, eyeing the man a moment longer before he pulled up a photo from his drawer. “Anyway, I wanted you to try and collaborate with my son for a few songs. He’s good on vocals, I thought you’d provide the back-up vocals and maybe some guitar on the side. How’s that sound?” the overly large lopsided grin on his manager’s face didn’t spell ‘a few’ songs, more like a whole album.

The picture of XY’s sleazy face stared at Luka, who grimaced at the too wide smile and the overbearing amount of jewellery on the younger man’s face.

Luka shifted uncomfortably in his seat, rolling the black and silver ring on his finger back and forth. “…I thought it was about producing more copies for my recent solo hit. Penny Rolling told me there weren’t enough copies in stock.” He rose an eyebrow curiously, wondering how they’d jumped from his music onto possibly collaborating with Roth’s son.

Bob laughed, a boisterous, too loud sound for so early in the morning. “Of course! Of course! We’ll get to that later, don’t worry Luka! Now, about my son-“

Luka wished there were more parent meetings.

—————–

Juleka’s phone vibrated with the zig zag pattern she’d set for her brother.

A message.

He must be bored, or stuck with Bob, that had been a very quick response.

She opened their chat and scrolled down to the new message, eyes briefly glancing towards Leon who laughed with his friends in class.

‘Sorry. Talk at lunch. Weasel’s here.’

So, he was with Bob Roth. Juleka rolled her eyes, sending a short ‘Good luck’ back to her brother. Any dealings with Bob Roth were mentally and physically exhausting, she just hoped Luka would have some free time during lunch to talk about school and Leon.

Juleka pocketed her phone as soon as she saw Marinette, who was watering the plants on the windowsill.

“Good morning.” The teacher turned around, setting down the watering can when she spotted Juleka standing at the doorway of the classroom.

“Good morning Juleka!” Marinette’s far more cheery greeting put a smile to her face. She was rarely ever in a bad mood and Juleka appreciated it. The teacher being in a good mood meant classes flowed smoothly and the other kids were infected with the positive energy she radiated. Mornings were always hard, standing up so early to get Leon ready for school if Luka had to leave even earlier for work, before Juleka herself had to head to work.

There were mornings that Juleka did get up for without complaint, when she would be treated to the too rare sight of her brother and nephew in the bathroom, her brother shaving and Leon trying to imitate him by spreading toothpaste over his mouth, which always elicited laughter from them. Or when Luka would play a relaxing tune to start the day at the breakfast table and the family would talk about their plans for the day.

She realized Marinette had asked her something and the woman grabbed her hair instinctively, feeling ashamed for having ignored her. “I’m sorry, what did you say earlier Marinette?”

The teacher smiled in understanding, shaking her head. “It’s fine Juleka. I just asked how your morning was.”

The woman smiled, heart warming at how considerate she was. “It was fine. Leon was a bit fussy while getting dressed, but it was alright otherwise.” She glanced at the two thermos flasks on Marinette’s desk and she smiled sympathetically. “Rough morning too?”

The teacher laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. “I forgot to eat breakfast this morning, but Alya thankfully packed lunch for me and some coffee. Do you want some? I have enough for three people!” both women laughed and Juleka politely declined, spying the clock on the wall.

There was more than enough time to enjoy some coffee with the kind teacher, but she had to get to work. “I’m sorry Marinette, I would love to, but I have to get to work.” She shrugged, but other woman understood, nodding in understanding.

“That’s fine, I don’t want to hold you up any longer.” She glanced to the side, until her eyes widened and she impulsively grabbed Juleka’s hand. “Oh wait! I almost forgot!” she dragged the stunned brunette with her towards the side of the class, a string reaching from wall to wall with many drawings attached to it.

Marinette lead her to one particular drawing and upon closer inspection, a smile automatically lit up the young woman’s face. “That’s Leon’s!” without even glancing at the messily scrawled name in the corner, Juleka easily recognized the bright blue hair of what looked like her brother’s stick figure and her own purple mixed with black, along with a flower clumsily drawn on top of her head.

Juleka rarely wore any kind of accessories in her hair, but Leon had always liked putting flowers in her hair and in Luka’s too. It was a trait he’d since he was four, the time where they went on a little family trip and Rose had shown her favourite spots in a garden they visited. Juleka was used to people – particularly Leon or Rose – putting flowers in her hair, Rose being the primary suspect.

Their house was full of flowers, according to Rose, all pretty things deserved to have a flower to accentuate their beauty.

Juleka, in her eyes, was no exception.

It still made her blush, to this day.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Juleka admired the creative picture, full of colours and adorable stick figures representing their family.

“Um…I’m sorry if I’m too forward but…” Juleka turned her head to look at the teacher, who suddenly shifted her weight and only hesitantly met her copper gaze. “May I ask about…Leon’s father?”

Juleka blinked. “My brother? Luka you mean?”

“Luka…yes.” Marinette seemed to test the name how it rolled off the tongue easily. “Does…I mean…is he home often?”

Honestly, Juleka couldn’t blame Marinette for asking, as far as anyone from the school staff was concerned, the principal was the only one who’d seen her brother more than a handful of times. Marinette had also been a bit unlucky, always missing each-other at parent teacher conferences.

She couldn’t help but giggle slightly. “Yeah, of course. But he works a lot, he’s busy but always manages to make time for Leon.” Warmth flooded her chest at the thought of the cute moments whenever she would stay over and catch her brother tiptoe his way to Leon’s room just to check if the boy was fine and sleeping.

When he would wake up earlier than he had to and prepare Leon’s lunchbox before collapsing on the couch for a few more hours of precious sleep. The sheets strewn about in his room, working on a new lullaby for Leon to fall asleep to whenever he had nightmares. It always made her brother anxious whenever his son shuffled into his room and crawled into his bed, small body cuddling up to his father to sought out comfort in the safety of his arms, who had never failed to offer that protection.

Marinette nodded, noting the expression on her friend’s face. “I see…I’m sorry if I’m prying Juleka-“

She shook her head, waving her hand dismissively. “Not at all, Marinette. You’re Leon’s teacher, you deserve to know about his family. It’s just…” she played with her bangs, nausea settling into the pit of her stomach. “Some things are…a bit more complicated. But Luka is a good dad, he always takes care of Leon and makes sure he doesn’t lack in anything. I’ll talk to him and try to clear his schedule so you guys can meet.” Her painted lips raised into a tentative smile, Luka’s message still at the forefront of her mind.

The polite smile remained on Juleka’s face despite the teacher’s yelp of mortification. “Thank you Jul- wait…h-how did you know I wanted to meet him?” the dumbfounded and increasingly nervous look on the teacher’s face made Juleka’s smile widen.

“Leon told me.”

“W-What?”

“Miss Marinette would love to meet him!’ Juleka imitated her nephew’s higher pitched voice, watching an interesting shade of pink spread over the teacher’s cheeks.

Hands quickly covered the teachers face in embarrassment. “Oh no, that sounds so wrong. I’m so sorry Juleka, I should’ve called personally!” Marinette groaned and ran a hand down her face, making her friend giggle.

“It’s fine, Marinette.” She squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. “I assumed it was to meet him, I think you’re one of the few teachers who never met him before. It’s weird, it’s been a few months of school already.”

Marinette bit her lip, shaking her head helplessly. “I was so caught up organizing events for school, I had to cover shifts from a few colleagues so I couldn’t really attend all the parent teacher meetings. But I’ll definitely be there for the next one!” she grinned, giving a meaningful wink to Juleka. “And I hope you won’t be the only one I see there!”

Juleka smiled. “Don’t worry, you definitely won’t.” Juleka excused herself before she kneeled down to be at eye-level with Leon, who was off in the corner playing with his friends on a colorful carpet. They hugged briefly and Juleka bumped fists with him, which made Marinette smiled, before both women waved each-other goodbye.

With the majority of parents gone and students shuffling into the classroom, Marinette stood in the center and clapped her hands. “Good morning everyone!”

Many heads turned and almost all the children yelled back, some energetic, some tired. “Good morning Miss Marinette!”

———————-

Hours passed and finally lunch time rolled around.

Juleka’s steps were hurried, trying to reach the coffee machine before all the coffee would run out. She glanced at her phone, reading the time and wondering when her brother would be free. He did mentioned around lunch time, but-

Her phone buzzed in her hand, the screen flashing with her brother’s name.

Juleka quickly answered and lifted the device to her ear, blinking owlishly standing in front of the coffee machine. “Lu?”

The breathless voice of her brother greeted her back. “Hey Jule, sorry it took me so long. Bob took his sweet time and I had a performance that dragged on with the fans. How are you?”

Juleka scoffed gently, wedging her phone between her ear and shoulder and grabbing a clean mug from the shelf, deftly preparing herself some much needed caffeine boost.

“Fine, just have so much stuff to do about work. You?” she grabbed three sugar cubes from the bowl and threw them into her mug, watching the machine come to life and vibrate as it processed the coffee capsule within it, the pleasantly smelling brown liquid filling her mug.

“Fine, wished I was already home.”

A laugh left the woman’s lips and Juleka shook her head, grabbing her coffee after the machine was done. “We’re in the same boat.”

“I guess. How was Leon? I’m sorry I left earlier, Bob told me that meeting we had was important, a shame it wasn’t. I would’ve made Leon his lunch.” The man sounded disappointed and Juleka knew the father in him would reprimand himself over not making his son lunch, despite the circumstances.

Juleka rolled her eyes, taking a small sip from her coffee. “You’re such a dad, you know? Don’t beat yourself up over it, I made Leon lunch and it was fine. He was fine, Lu.” Juleka’s gaze caught sight of her fellow co-workers, smiling amicably at them before her feet carried her downstairs.

A sigh was heard on the other line. “Well, I am a dad for your information. No offense Jule, but you used to make a better lunch when we were in school.”

Another eyeroll. “I’m hanging up, Luka.”

“Hey, wait, don’t, I was just kidding!” he laughed and Juleka pursed her lips, shaking her head at her brother’s antics. “Sorry, anyway, what did you wanna talk about earlier when you sent me that message?”

Juleka stopped by the stairs, a slow smile spreading over her lips.

With a certain lilt in her voice and a positively devious glint in her copper eyes, Juleka finally settled at her desk, eyes absentmindedly scanning the sketches depicting models for the upcoming fall season.

She smiled. “Oh, right. You remember I told you about Leon’s homeroom teacher, Marinette?”

Thanks for reading everyone! Let me know what you think :3

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

Some Seventh Year Leo and Draco content, so Leo goes Back to His natural hair color when He's More older

Draco: Leo?

Leo: Yeah, in bone and blood

Draco: What are You doing here?

Leo: Well, You seem Like Someone who needed help

Draco: I'm sorry.

Leo: What? Why are You saying sorry to me Of all People?

Draco: I dissapointed You

Leo: Draco Lucius Malfoy. You don't dissapointed me, I Still Looking at You and see my friend who Is Lost and needs me.

Draco: Heh, You Never get rid Of that Hero complex After All these years

Leo: There's no me trying Play The Hero rol or any Other rol, You need a Friend that's Why I'm here.

Draco:... *Embrace His legs strongly un silence*

Leo: *Down ok His Knees* listen, bud. There's something I can do to cheer You up, singing! Like the Old times, I know You Never Liked me singing All The Time in The common room, but I could tell in The way You moved your head that You actually Liked my Voice.

Draco: You're calling me transparent, Levesque?

Leo: That's The Draco I know! *Starts to think In a Song* Ok, There's This Muggle Song Hermione show me a while ago. I Think It fits This Situation quite well. *Starts singing quietly* Petrified Of who your are and who You have Become, You Will hice from everyone denying You need Someone to exterminate your Bones *Takes draco's hands to look him in The Eyes as he uses His veela Powers to put him at ease* Friend, please... remove your hands from over your eyes for me, I know you want to leave but friend, please... don't Take your life Away from me...

Draco: *Starts quietly sobbing* I'm so sorry.

Leo: Hey, I tell You Before to not be sorry ok? You'll Never have to apologize to me for something You didn't have an Option.

Lucius: *Looking at Them in silence from The door*

Leo: *Looking at Lucius* Thanks for Let me come, sir.

Lucius: *Sighs* I Guess that's All I Can do for my son

Leo’s expression about being there “in bone and blood” instead of saying something like “in the flesh” is so funny to me for some reason? Like it should sound morbid if you think about it but somehow when Leon says it, it’s endearing? Anyway, just catch me sobbing against a bewildered Seely as I think about Draco realizing how much he fucked up and how patient Leo was with him. Sobbing as Leo just instantly forgives Draco for all of his fuck-ups, Iroh and Zuko style. What’s more, Leo having a hero complex and trying to “save” people sounds quite familiar, actually...yeah, this just proves that Draco and Harry would have gotten along very well, though I think Leo has more patience than Harry. 

Leo knowing Draco better than anyone, even better than Draco knows himself. Leo choosing the perfect song to get right to the heart of Draco’s issues and also convey Leo’s own feelings. That he is forgiven. Always and completely forgiven. And I can’t be the only one who, during that song, got Frodo and Sam vibes? It brought me back to “Don’t you let go.” I also dig the growth on Lucius’ part, in  understanding that Leo is an important person for Draco to have in his life at this point. 

[fanfic-inator795]

RotTMNT Oneshot: Family Karaoke Night

(Also on AO3 if you want to leave a kudos/comment there)

Plot: No matter what their singing abilities, anyone can get into karaoke - even an old rat.

((Finally finished this after having it in my drafts for like a month. Basically, I love family fluff, I love silly fun, and I love imagining characters singing. Put them all together, and you get this. Enjoy! ^v^))

While most kids her age probably had to be pushed and dragged into getting their homework done early, April had no problems with it. Of course, that MAY have had something to do with wanting to hang out with her brothers for a couple hours before having to go to bed and prepare for another exhausting school day, but hey, motivation was motivation.

Though, naturally, this motivation waned a little on the weekends, where it was far too easy to just push everything off until Sunday afternoon. It was a bad habit, April could admit that, but she had gotten a bit better at doing at least a little work each day before rushing off the sewers. And, on nights like tonight, she didn’t want to risk anything weighing on her mind and possibly ruining her night.

So, she worked through her assignments as soon as she got home, and munched on reheated leftovers as she wrote out the outline for her essay that was due the next week. Once she was satisfied with the progress she had made, April shut down her computer, grabbed her already packed bag and heading out the door, making sure to give Mayhem a quick pet goodbye before leaving. It was a bit later than she had hoped, though that hardly mattered when you were staying up all night.

“Heyyyy, I’m here!” April yelled once she reached the entrance of the lair. Almost immediately, she heard footsteps race towards her, and with a grin, she ran towards the brothers with open arms.

“See, boys? I told you she’d show up soon!” Raph said as soon as their group hug ended.

“Of course! I just had some homework I had to finish up, but there was no way that I was going to miss-”

“Karaoke niiiight~” Leo sang, holding a pretend microphone to his mouth. His brothers joined in, harmonizing. “Karaoke niiiiight!” “Karaoke ni-i-iiiiiight~!”

April snickered, shaking her head. Such dorks, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. After a moment though, she noticed the missing member of their quartet. “Hey, where’s Donnie?”

“Oh, you know how he is,” Raph answered, “He’s still downloading songs. I guess there was this album that was just released that he really wanted to sing?”

“Ah,” April nodded. That definitely sounded like Donnie. “Heh, you’d think he’d be happy with the songs we have. He texted me yesterday, tellin’ me all about how it was apparently ‘the most advanced karaoke machine of all time’. Wouldn't be surprised if that thing had a thousand and one songs on that thing by now.”

“Thaaat sounds about right, but apparently it’s still not enough,” Leo shrugged. Not that he could really complain, more songs could only be a good thing, just as long as they weren’t a bunch of cheesy love songs that he and his family sang at literal nauseum while they were high off a case of Rat Flu. No matter how fun the idea of an all-night karaoke night might have been, Leo wasn’t and would never be in the mood to hear a another three hour rendition of “My Heart Will Go On”.

“Come on, let’s go grab the snacks and then we can ask him about it!” Mikey told them, already grabbing April’s arm and eagerly dragging her towards the kitchen, “Oh! And April, did you bring-?”

“Of course!” April grinned, holding up her bag full of goodies. Beads and tacky sunglasses, huge hats and feather boas, and at least half a dozen old halloween costumes. It would seem that one person’s trash was another person’s stage outfit. Mikey grinned back at her, giving her a quick hug.

“This is gonna be AWESOME!” “Heh, isn’t it always with you guys around?” “Could say the same thing about you, sis~”

It took a bit of maneuvering to grab all of the snacks and treats Mikey had made in one go, but thankfully the box turtle’s near perfect balance and April’s experience in waiting tables helped them enough to carry all of it into the next room without spilling a single crumb - though they’d have to come back for the drinks. Naturally there were pizza puffs, as well as chicken wings, tortilla chips, popcorn shrimp, and even cupcakes (and in three different flavors, no less). Even with supper still settling in her stomach, she couldn’t deny that it all looked delicious!

“Gee Mike, you think we have enough to get us through the night?” April asked, smirking a bit despite the weight on her arms.

“I sure hope so.” Mikey placed the final bowl on his head, making sure not to tilt it. “But, if we get really desperate, I think we’ve got some ice cream in the back of the freezer.”

“Uh huh, and how old is it?”

Mikey thought for several moments before he finally answered, flashing a sheepish grin as he did so. “Uhhh, probably best not to ask.”

The tv room had been completely transformed. Leftover streamers from past birthday and holiday parties had been strung around haphazardly while a small ball with rainbow lights spun in the corner, giving the whole room a sort of disco effect. The lights were low and the projector was already on, and near the screen were two speakers that had been dragged out specifically for this night. From the karaoke machine, Donnie (whose classic goggles had been replaced with a pair of purple shutter shades) gave April and his youngest brother a brief wave, barely looking up from his tablet.

Beanbags, blankets and pillows had also been dug out, creating a classic sleepover mood. Near Splinter’s chair was their usual eating table, where they quickly dropped off their load. Almost immediately, Raph and Leo dug in, putting their “Best Power Rock Anthem of All Time” argument on hold for the time being.

“So, we about ready to start this night, already?” April asked, “Cause I’ve had a loooong day, and I’m ready to get singin’!”

“Just a few more minutes!” Donnie told her, “Just have to finish downloading these last few songs, plus install the love song blocker-”

“Tha’k yuu!” Leo said through a mouth-full of pizza puffs. His twin simply gave him a thumbs up.

“If April’s callin’ the first song of the night, then Raph’s callin’ the second one! After all-” He smirked, his voice deepening. “Someone’s gotta bring a bit of soul to this shindig. Awww, yeahhh~”

April snorted, covering her mouth before her giggles could escape. How Raphael managed to get into soul music of all things, she would never know. But hey, whatever made him happy. “Heh, second song’s all yours, Raph.”

“Sweet. Thanks, girl.”

“Ooh! And we’ve just GOTTA do duets!” Mikey chimed in, quickly turning back to his genius purple brother, “That thing does duets, right Dee?”

“It had precisely two hundred and thirty nine duets programmed into it, as well as a second microphone plug-in available. ...So yes, ‘Angelo,” he smiled simply, “It does duets.” Mikey leapt across the sea of blankets to pull him into a hug, silently thanking him for all his hard work. Not that it was really THAT hard or even that much of a bother - Donnie was just as much of a showman (er, show-turtle) as the rest of his brothers, and it didn’t take a genius to realize that they would be hearing quite a few Broadway numbers that night. Still, he appreciated the gesture, and returned it with a quick pat on Mikey’s shell.

“Well then come on, guys! Let’s stop talking about it and get started already!” Leo grinned, standing from his seat and striking a bit of a pose, “I hope you’re ready to be blown away by my sweet singing skills.”

“Hmph, gonna be hard to be ‘blown away’ if all you sing are meme songs,” Donnie retorted, rolling his eyes while everyone else snickered.

Leo however was hardly offended. “Don’t act like you still don’t consider ‘All Star’ to be a jam even after all the memes,” he said, smirking back at his twin.

“You know, in my time, people went out for karaoke rather than just taking over the nearest space for who knows how long.” Everyone turned to see Splinter in the doorway, looking not too happy about losing control of the tv room for the night. Sure, he had a tv in his bedroom, but the smaller screen plus what was sure to be a whole night of loud singing and laughter wasn’t much of a consolation.

“Aww, come on, Pop, don’t be like that,” Raph said, offering his father a welcoming smile. The rat man just huffed, crossing his arms.

“We’ve got snacks!” Dashing back over to the small table, Mikey picked up the bowl of chips. “You looooove snacks~”

Splinter hummed. “I do love snacks,” he mumbled, softening a bit.

“And-” Leo began, hoping to seal the deal and free themselves from their rat-dad’s grumpiness towards their special night once and for all, “I’m sure we could fit in some time to let you sing a few songs too! Come on, Dad, join in on the fun!”

At that, Splinter’s yellow eyes narrowed and hardened once more. “Ohhh, so NOW you don’t mind me singing, huh?” he asked, “Have you boys learned to appreciate other people’s musical talent, or do you simply not mind listening to something that ‘belongs in the sewers’?”

While April could only look on in confusion, the four turtles all winced in harsh realization. So THAT was why he was so upset and annoyed…

“Okay, but that was different!” Leo argued, “That was for our band and, and we just wanted it to be OUR thing!” In a lower tone, he added, “Plus it’s not like weird opera singing would’ve fit anyway-” Splinter growled. He tries to impress his sons a little with something unique and this is what he gets?

“BUT, that still doesn’t make it right!” Raph said, quickly jumping in (and shooting Leon a glare for good measure), “We’re sorry for what we said, and for bein’ so rude about it, okay Pop?”

“Yeah!” “Totes!” April nodded as well, despite having nothing to do with whatever incident brought all this up, just to give her support. Getting an idea, she then reached over and grabbed one of the microphones.

“You could even have the first song!” she offered, handing him the device as a peace offering, “What do you say, Master Splinter?”

“...” Splinter looked at the microphone, then at the faces staring back at him. All of them (the boys especially) were looking at him with concern as well as encouragement. Splinter sighed through his nose. He might have been petty at times, but he wasn’t so stubborn that he’d totally ruin his kids’ night. “I suppose I could sing one song.”

“Then step on up, Dad!” Donnie smiled, giving a dramatic wave of his arm towards the karaoke machine. Splinter smirked at the gesture, and began scrolling through the seemingly infinite song list.

“So you’re SURE there’s no love songs on there,” Leo whispered. Donnie nodded - though, he still wasn’t expecting that great of a ‘performance’ judging by how far back he moved, phone in hand. He just hoped whatever his father picked, it wasn’t too long of a song.

Thankfully, the genre tabs made it a bit easier to search for something familiar to him. He didn’t expect there to be any non-anime opening Japanese songs on there, but- “Aha!” He selected a song, and after a couple seconds, a light enough tune began playing through the speakers. First a keyboard and guitar, and then a blast of trumpets.

Immediately, everyone sat up a bit straighter. “Whoa! Is this-?” Raph asked, beginning to grin.

“I didn’t know he liked THIS kind of music too!” Leo commented.

“Ha! I grew up with this music, frankly I’m surprised YOU all even know it!” Splinter chuckled. The wonders of the Internet and timeless hit songs, he supposed. He then began to sing as he struck a bit of a pose, not even needing the words.

“Do you remember... the 21st night of September? Love was changing the minds of pretenders, while chasing the clouds awayyyyy~” His young audience started clapping along with the beat, giving a small cheer or two as they did. “Our hearts were ringing, in the key that our souls were singing. As we danced in the night, remember how the stars stole the night away~”

Sure, Splinter’s voice was still a bit gravely and off-key, but- “You know, he’s actually not that bad,” Donnie smiled, “Definitely has stage presence.”

“Heh, yeah,” Raph agreed, “And he can sure put a lot of energy into somethin’ when he wants to, don’t you think-?” April’s laugh cut him off, bringing the snapper’s attention back to the ‘stage’ in front of him, where his younger brothers now stood beside their father, happily singing along with the chorus despite not having microphones of their own. Splinter just grinned at them, not minding them all.

“Ba de ya!” Leo and Mikey sang.

“Someday you’ll remember-” Splinter sang back.

“Ba de ya!” They sang again, with Raph and Donnie now joining in as well.

“Dancing in September~”

“Ba de ya!”

“Never was a cloudy dayyyyy!” Splinter and April both belted out, with the latter still trying to hold back her laughter. The song went on, and not a single voice completely dropped out, with Splinter naturally taking the main part while his children kept the chorus strong. Even as the tune faded out, they all still sang and danced and giggled until Splinter finally spoke up once more.

“Well, I think it’s clear that I’ve properly gotten this karaoke night started~” He smirked, “April, I believe it’s your turn.”

“Don’t mind if I do!” April grinned as the rat passed the microphone.

April and Raph kept things in the 70s a bit longer with “Hanging On the Telephone” and a bit of Stevie Wonder while the twins brought it back to more moderns hits with  “Never Gonna Give You Up” (“Seriously, Leon? We were having such a great time and I feel so annoyed right now.”) and a bit of Daft Punk. Mikey nearly brought the sewers down with his rapping, and then it was back to Splinter with “Right Back Where We Started From”, a song the boys could swear they remember him singing from the childhoods, either while he was preparing food or just a light sorta-lullaby to calm them down.

The song selections went from disco to glam rock, broadway to hip-hop, soul to techno, and everything in-between. Costumes were naturally dragged out with each new performance, further adding to the fun as numerous pictures were taken. Snacks were replenished twice and Splinter grabbed some sake from his second “Do Not Touch” cabinet in the kitchen. He wasn’t much of a drinker these days, finding milk and cake more appealing, but he figured a glass or two wouldn’t hurt. As for everyone else, they loaded up on sugary pop and juice, not minding missing out.

It didn’t take long for Splinter to drop out after that, though he was still content with sitting in his chair and watching everyone else sing. He clapped after the surprisingly impressive rap battle between his youngest and his oldest, and laughed along with everyone else when Leo tried to sing some Vanilla Ice.

But, not even the most fun karaoke nights could last forever. The time between songs, where they’d just talk about random things or play on their phones, was getting longer and longer. Donnie had begun singing one of the more mellow songs currently on the billboard top 100 when Splinter finally closed his eyes.

When he woke up, the atmosphere in the room was much different. It was quiet, warm and peaceful even, despite the harsh neon lighting from the spinning light ball. On the screen, a turtle-shell logo silently bounced around. Surrounding his chair, Splinter could hear the light snores and mumbles of his sons and their friend. He could also see all the empty cans and wrappers, not to mention all the dishes and crumbs.

Splinter shook his head, mentally scolding them for the mess before shrugging it off. They were teenagers and making messes was just a thing they did, they could always clean later. He then put a paw to his mouth, muffling his cough. He didn’t lose his voice, but his throat was still pretty dry.

Slowly, he got up, and crept around the covered lumps, silent and swift like the ninja master he was. He stole one last glance at them once he reached the doorway, their laughter from the night before still echoing in his mind. He smirked at the memory, chuckling lightly before making his way to the kitchen.

Not wanting to wait for tea, Splinter just grabbed a cup and ran some warm water, drinking that instead. He made sure to sit as well, his aging joints still aching slightly despite being plenty mobile. He had accepted his age, having fought off any ‘mid-life crisis’ thoughts pretty well so far, but that didn’t mean he didn’t still notice certain things. The aches, the fatigue, the white hair.. (He still wasn’t completely sure if that last one was simply the mutation’s doing, or if raising four kids really stressed him out that much.)

Even so, nights like the one they just had and the content mornings like the one he was having now reminded him that he still had plenty left to enjoy and much more life to live. He definitely appreciated that… Perhaps that was why, once he finished his drink and his throat no longer ached, Splinter began getting out various pans and ingredients.

Ever since Michelangelo developed his cooking passion at the age of eight, he and his brothers had taken care of whatever meals that weren’t just ordered in. But just because Splinter was no longer the chef of the house didn’t mean he still didn’t know how to prepare a decent family breakfast. He started the rice first, then the eggs. They would have just enough for everyone to get one omelette each. He was just about to start cracking them when he heard footsteps.

“Morning,” April said quietly, giving him a nod.

“Good morning, April,” Splinter nodded back, “Feel free to go back into the tv room and relax, it’s going to be a while.”

“Actually, I think I’m gonna stay here for a while,” April replied, “I needed to stretch for a bit, and I do have another set of hands right here for you to use.”

“I’m capable of making breakfast on my own,” Splinter told her, his tone betraying his otherwise distancing words. You are a guest, don’t feel like you need to help.

April just smiled, and walked over to the counter. “I know, and so am I. Mind handin’ me a peeler?”

Having no real reason to argue, Splinter did as he was told. “...By the way, thanks for joining us last night,” she told him. With all the adventures there were to be had around the city and Splinter’s shows that he enjoyed watching, the six of them didn’t always get to hang out together too often. But just because these instances were more rare didn’t mean they weren’t still wanted. “The guys and I really enjoyed havin’ you around. ...You’re a pretty cool guy, Master.”

A warm smile crept onto his lips. “...I could say the same about you, April.”

The two worked in silence, with Splinter concentrating on the rice and eggs while April made her favorite hashbrown recipe as well as some bacon. Slowly but surely, the rest of their underground home (or in April’s case, home away from home) started coming back to life.

Mikey woke up first, greeting them both with a hug and eager to help by making toast. Raph came next, having smelt the food. With the food covered, he assigned himself table setting duties. Finally, a very groggy pair of twins joined them. Donnie started up the coffee machine and tea kettle (with the majority vote settling on camomile with a bit of honey) while Leo got out all the juice they had left in the fridge.

By the time everything was done, conversations had started up, hoping to hide the sound of their stomachs growling. “You know, we should try to do this next week!” Mikey said as they all began to sit down, “Or next month or, you know, just sometime soon!”

“What, karaoke till we pass out and then breakfast the morning after?” Donnie asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mikey nodded eagerly. “Yeah! At least once a month! Come on, you guys are lyin’ if you say you don’t want to do that more often.”

While Mikey’s brothers and sister considered it, Splinter hummed in consideration. “Not a bad idea, Orange, though why don’t we focus on eating breakfast and cleaning up last night’s mess before we plan anymore karaoke nights, hm?”

The box turtle gave a sheepish smile. “Heh, right,” he said as he began digging into his food, “Got it, Pops.”

Splinter smiled back at his orange son before looking back down at his own plate. He nibbled on his rice and toast, and resisting the urge to start humming a certain song from the night before… Fun karaoke nights with his family were one thing, but getting a tune stuck in his head for hours on end was quite another.

Still, it wasn’t a bad idea… Not a bad idea at all.

THE END

[rowenaravenpuff]

title: What do I do with all that I’m feeling?

word count: 1,674

who: Leon x Rory ( @agaywad )

where: cabin they rented for the weekend to hang out with friends

when: WINTER BITCH (idk when)

i almost said how and then said stop Dr. Seuss............

“Your flight was delayed--? wait, it’s canceled? Where are you right now then?” Leo spoke quickly into his phone, trying to understand the situation. “Jesus christ... okay, let me know if you can at least book a ticket back home. I love you too.” Leo cleared his throat, as he looked over at Rory. He looked distracted, looking into the distance, probably solving world hunger or something. 

Leo waved a hand in front of Rory’s face. “Vanessa’s flight got canceled and our friends said they’re booking a night at a cheap motel to save themselves the drive in the snow and black ice. They should be here at least by tomorrow afternoon if the weather stops being shitty.” He shrugged, trying not to show that he was excited to have the entire, gigantic cabin to just themselves. Rory’s expression didn’t change, and he didn’t offer any empty words of sympathy that most people did with a smile on their face. Leo liked that about Rory.

The fireplace crackled softly, hungry for more wood to burn. “I’m... going to go get more wood from outside.” The interior hadn’t warmed up, since the two of them had arrived together. At first, Leo figured the heating system needed a second to kick up again, but it had been a few hours. It had been more than enough time for the cabin to get warm. 

He passed the thermostat on his way outside, and it read 50 degrees. The temperature hadn’t budged since they arrived, and he shivered slightly as he put his ratty leather jacket back on. It didn’t do shit for the cold, but he didn’t have any proper winter clothing. He was just an idiot and much to Rory’s dismay, lived on 2 pairs of jeans, a couple of t-shirts, and his beloved leather jacket. He had refused any clothing Rory had offered in the past, but now he wished he took a sweater or that high-tech jacket that’s for people who climb Mount Everest for breakfast.

He blew into this hands, cupped around his mouth in a last attempt at trying to keep them from falling off of his wrists. He squinted through the icy winds, that numbed his nose and cheeks instantly once he stepped outside. He wandered a little bit before finally stumbling into the shed that had a neat pile of wood stacked to one side. He lifted a few into his arms, and when he thought he could hold more, he hugged more to his chest, despite the repulsive cold that he felt from the neatly cut wood. 

Leon braced himself to face the snow again, but the doorway was blocked. “Can you put your masculinity aside before you hurt yourself?” Rory loosened a few logs from Leo’s arms, and now he could actually see Rory standing there disapprovingly. 

“Pendejo,” Leon replied with a grin, “Get a few more but don’t hurt yourself either.” To which, Rory replied by bumping his shoulder to show his displeasure and side eyeing him for using the same tone he had used on Leo.

They walked side-by-side with the wood in their hands, and Leo almost fell after tripping over a rock and he conveniently acted like he was going to run into Rory as a joke. “Don’t you fucking dare,” Rory warned before picking up the pace and practically running into the cabin. “Pussy ass bitch,” Leo yelled behind him.

Leo placed the wood in their designated basket and went to wash his hands. He had never cared about germs and stuff before, but he knew it bothered Rory. And if he had at first done it out of obligation or consideration for his friend, he did it out of habit now.

“Hey fuckface!” Rory yelled from the kitchen below. “You want some cereal?” Leo wiped his hands on a towel and left it haphazardly on the sink, and he knew he’d regret that later. “Yeah, I’m starving!” Leo yelled back as he made his way back down the stairs. 

Leo walked into the dimly lit kitchen and found Rory pouring corn flakes into two bowls. He hugged himself in an attempt to control his shivering, but it was too cold for someone who had been spoiled by LA’s signature sunny skies. “Jesus, is the heater even working?” Leo hissed. 

“No,” Rory replied matter-of-factly. “I called the owner, and he said someone would be up here to fix it tomorrow. They can’t make it up here until then.” Leo’s first instinct was to get angry, but nobody responsible was there for him to fight. “Fucking heater,” Leo muttered instead. He took a bowl and poured milk into it. He sulked towards the warm living room and sat on the couch there. He sat there and miserably took a few bites of his cereal.

“We just have to keep burning wood and stay warm. I don’t think we can sleep in our rooms. We might freeze to death,” Rory shrugged, “I think we should drag a mattress down here and lay it in front of the fire. Not too close to the fireplace obviously.” Leo’s head whipped back at Rory, who was now sitting down on the arm chair next to Leon.

“Wait what?”

“We’re sharing a bed, genius.” The sarcasm was familiar, but something else lingered there with it.

“I’m not going to attack you or some shit. Chill out,” Leon laughed, “I respect people now, haven’t you heard?” He laughed too much and too loudly, but he didn’t care. It was helping with the nervous knot in his stomach.

----

The power had at least managed to brave through the snow storm, so they had lights, but the wifi was gone and there was no cell service in the mountains. Leon was bored out of his mind, but simultaneously nervous by the warm body next to him. 

Rory was reading a book. He looked completely engrossed in it, and there was a line across his forehead that always appeared when he concentrated on something too hard. His head and book were falling off the side of the mattress, and he looked so goddamn effortless. It pissed Leon off a little.

“Stop staring at me asshole,” Rory said between flipping the page and lightly kicking Leon.

“I’m bored,” Leo whined. He stood up and regretted it immediately. Only one side of his legs was extremely hot from the fire, and he was fucking freezing everywhere else. Rory threw him an extra blanket, and he wrapped it around his shoulders while he went to grab his ukulele, a gift from Vanessa for his birthday this year.

He began to tune it while he scuffled back into the living room with the blanket threatening to fall off his shoulders at any moment. The melodic hum made Rory put his book down to look over at Leon. “The fucking temperature is even fucking with my baby,” he complained dramatically as he tuned the instrument back to life.

“Shut up, I’m cold too,” Rory replied.

Leo playfully strummed the strings and played an array of songs, ranging from what should have sounded like a hilarious attempt at playing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons - Winter to “Never gonna give you up”. Everything sounded hilarious with the uncharacteristically cute tone of the ukulele ruining any mood any song had. It had the boys rolling around the bed in a fit of laughter.

They ended up laying in opposite directions. Rory’s feet next to Leo, and Leo’s feet next to Rory. Leo mindlessly played chords and hummed, and when he started singing, “Rory Rory Rory, you’re a pendejo”, Rory pulled on his ukulele. “Don’t pull!” Leon protested, “You’ll break it!” He sat up, and he was facing Rory, prying the ukulele from his fingers.

“I’ll buy you a new one later, if it means you’ll stop singing that.”

“Asshole,” Leo muttered, before realizing he was a lot closer to Rory than he thought. The two had play-wrestled before, but there was a softness to the fire, the bed, and their hands entirely tangled in the other’s. This was a different intimacy, and he felt it.

Leon was the first to pull his hand away, bewildered by the unexpected closeness. The glimmer of mischief and play had faded from his eyes, and he just looked embarrassed, avoiding Rory’s eyes. All he could hear was his heartbeat and see the wild thoughts flying through his mind, but he still whispered, “I think... I’m in love with you.”

Rory held the ukulele in his hand, and his eyes were on Leon. “Yeah, of course you would be. Everybody fucking loves me,” Rory laughed as he gave the ukulele back to Leon.

Leon looked at the instrument but didn’t move to take it from Rory. “I’m not fucking around... I said I fucking love you.” He breathed in shakily. “Just hit me or something. I can’t do this shit--” Leo looked up at Rory, who didn’t respond but looked shaken. 

“Just forget I said anything...” There was a heavy silence between them, and then Leo abruptly laid down next to Rory, turning his back towards him. “Good night.”

He felt the mattress shift as Rory stood up, and he groaned inwardly as he clamped his eyes shut. He wondered if Rory would leave to sleep in another room, risking freezing to death than being around Leo, who had been obsessed with him since the day they had met at the bar. The lights clicked off, while the fire still crackled above his head. It was too hot against his skin, but he didn’t want to move.

The mattress shifted again as Rory moved back onto it. Leo didn’t react, other than balling himself tighter against himself, trying to give Rory as much space as he could possibly offer.

And then, he felt an arm go around him and then another. His cold skin cherished the new warmth against it, and Leo covered his face with his hands, not knowing what to do with everything he was feeling... because even if Rory didn’t say he loved him back, he cared about Leo, and he could feel it. 

[revolutionarynoodles]

Rules: Tag 10 people I would like to get to know better!

Tagged by @nitenebresnicoupsdefoudre (This is my first time doing this, so I hope I’m doing this correctly!)

NAME: I’d prefer not to answer, but you can call me Noodles!

STAR SIGN: Leo

MIDDLE NAME: Yali

SPOTIFY/ITUNES IS NOW ON SHUFFLE! WHAT ARE THE FIRST 4 SONGS?

1. Viva la Vida - Coldplay

2. Ra Ra Rasputin - Boney M

3. Orpheus in the Underworld - Jacques Offenbach

4. Freefall - Two Steps From Hell

QUICK! GRAB THE BOOK NEAREST TO YOU! PG.23, LINE 17!

“...belittling of the significance of the objective or the spontaneous...“

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A POEM OR SONG WRITTEN ABOUT YOU?

Nope.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU PLAYED AIR GUITAR?

I don’t think I’ve ever played air guitar.

WHO’S YOUR CELEBRITY CRUSH?

Tom Hiddleston and Alan Rickman? idk

SOUND YOU HATE?

Babies crying. I have nothing against babies, but when they’re screaming at the top of their lungs, I feel the need to jump out of the nearest window.

SOUND YOU LOVE?

Rain.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?

No, not really.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN ALIENS?

I’m not sure. But at the time of me writing this, probably no since there’s no evidence of their existence yet.

WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ?

The Twelve Who Ruled, by RR Palmer.

DO YOU LIKE THE SMELL OF GASOLINE?

No, I absolutely despise it.

WHAT WAS THE LAST MOVIE YOU SAW?

Incredibles 2 (2018)

ANY OBSESSIONS?

The 1789 French Revolution, Robespierre, France, World War I, Wilhelm II, the Russian Revolution, Leon Trotsky, Robespierre, political philosophy, classical music (classic/romantic era stuff is the best!), Two Steps From Hell, Robespierre, art of any kind, pudding, and Robespierre. Quiches are also great. (If anyone knows a good quiche recipe, hit me up!)

I’d go on, but I don’t want this post to take up too much space.

ARE YOU IN A RELATIONSHIP AT THE MOMENT?

No.

I tag:

@minophisch

@reichouu

@citoyen-robespierre

@happy-little-pancake

@albanotvittoria

@alili-lunamoon

@yuri-alexeyevich

@macronwaifu

@karinrobby

and anybody else who wants to do it! I’d tag all of my followers, but there’s not enough space, unfortunately.

[pynksunshine]

I dare u 2 do all of the ice cream asks BictH

BINCH i willThis is gonna be long bear w me Chocolate: when was ur first kissUhhhhh December of eighth grade, kissed a rly shitty dude I thought I liked. Felt like a vacuum on my lipsFrench vanilla: how old r u 16, 17 in augustCotton candy: 3 places u wanna travel toAll of Europe (I’m going this summer!!!), New York, any warm lovely island Strawberry: a language u wish u could speakProbably french. I’m taking german but I prefer how French sounds having listened to more of itCoffee: fav cosmetic brandsOH BOY UH nyx, wet n wild, too faced, makeup revolution, fenty, urban decay, tarte, essence, god just like everything tbh I’m a makeup nerd (and hopefully gonna start a YouTube channel in the near ish future!!)Mint choc chip: indoors or outdoorsBoth tbh, unless it’s cold then indoorsCookie dough: play any instruments?Yup clarinet and tromboneRocky road: fav songs atmOof uh Cheap Hotel - Leon Else, anything Hayley Kiyoko, ILYSB - LANY, anything by BørnsButter pecan: fav songs for lifeAnything by the Beatles and the killers Cheesecake: zodiac signLeo! Toasted coconut: beach or poolFor lounging, beach. For actual swimming, poolChoc chip: most popular postOne of my cat on my second blog @adventuresofsimon-and-annie!! It’s got almost 7,000 notesBubblegum: books or moviesIt depends tbh but I’ve been having trouble with both lately, woo depression attention Pistachio: manga or animeI don’t rly do much with either anymore but animeSalted caramel: fav moviesDirty Dancing, Can’t Buy Me Love, Clueless, Forrest Gump, a lot more that aren’t coming to mind rn Birthday cake: fav booksEleanor and Park is my all time fav, The Help, Matilda, uhhhh I like a lot of booksMoose tracks: fav manga 🤷🏼‍♀️Orange sherbet: fav animeProbably ouran high school host club it’s the only one I ever finished lolPeanut butter: fav academic subjectIn general, English probably but I love psych and social politics Black raspberry: any pets?Yes!! Two cats!! You can see them on my second blogMango: when and why did u start ur blogLast year bc @oceanicasteroids pestered me so much I finally gave in Mocha: ideal weather conditions70s-80s, sunshine, light breeze, a few clouds Black cherry: 4 words that describe meCute, stupid, depressed, loving Neapolitan: what stresses u outEverything Raspberry truffle: fav type of music Alt/Indie stuff Chocolate marshmallow: fav brands of candyIdk Hershey’s probably Toffee: card game you’re good at?Literally nothing I suck at themLemon custard: do u eat breakfastMost days I do but sometimes I don’t bc it makes my stomach feel bad Dark chocolate: turn ons?Turning other people on, grabbing my ass, just like a lot of good foreplay, being loved unconditionally Fudge: turn offsCalling me names, hurting me, not reciprocating, not giving any signs of enjoyment Peach: how do u relaxWatch funny/cute shows, watching YouTube especially makeup videos, cuddling my cat, colouring Praline: popular book u haven’t read yetI never read divergent Superman: do u like sweatersOnly the big soft comfy onesCherry: do u drink tea or coffeeIf I had to pick I’d pick tea but I mostly drink Mountain Dew Kickstarts™️Dulce de leche: am instrument u wish u could playCello or piano Blackberry: have u ever laughed so hard u criedGod yes more than once and my laugh is so stupid and it just gets progressively worse as I laugh harder Ginger: a new feature u wish tumblr hadThe lil like typing thing so u can see if someone is responding Blueberry lemon: fav blogsAny cat blog, autumn tenderlesbian, lesbianhoneys, butchstudsubmit, just all the gay blogs, all my friends!! ( @oceanicasteroids@oceanwaker @solar-singularity @jumbleton @sleepless-saturn ) Almond: fav mean girls quoteToo gay to function Butterscotch: what colour r ur nails rnBare but I’m gonna paint them orange later today Cinnamon: have u ever been confessed toNot unless I kinda nudged it out of them bc I knew they liked me Blue moon: have u ever had a crush on anyoneYep all the time my guysCappuccino crunch: do u take napsDidn’t used to but lately I’ve been taking like A Lot woo school and depression Mint: most embarrassing thing u have ever doneGod I don’t know I’m just an embarrassing human tbh Brownie batter: do u like sushiNope don’t like seafood in generalKey lime: where do u want to be rnWarm n cozy in my bed with my cat in my arms and me in someone else’s arms Red velvet: do u wear prescription glassesNope 20/20 vision bitches Green tea: fav flavours of ice creamChocolate fudge brownie/brownie batter, cake batter, Marion berry pie, cookie dough, and my order at cold stone is always Oreo cream filling w raspberries, brownies and marshmallows Sorry that was so long but it was fun to answer!! 💖💖💖

[rube-de-leon]

I was tagged by @sarrialives

Rules: Answer thirty questions, then tag twenty blogs you would like to know better.

1. Nicknames?  

When I was growing up fam called me Benny, and when I was playing sports in High School was called Mutumbo cause my voice kind of sounded like the rockets player. Couple of my coworkers at TSA and Family Dollar used to call me Ruby...now that I think bout it both women who had a thing for me. And more recently at this unit people call me Theo, or Teddy.

2. Gender?

Male

3. Star sign?

Leo   

4. Height?

6′

5. Time?

2028PST

6. Birthday?

August 14, 1989

7. Favourite bands

Tame Impala, Petite Nori, Real Estate, Steve Lacy really just who I’m listening to right now really, usually anything in my fav list is what I’m feeling at that time.

8.Favourite solo artist?

Daniel Cesar new album is good do yourselg a favor listen to ti 

9.Song stuck in my head?

STEVE LACY - SOME / Daniel Caesar - Blessed /Barry White - Never Gonna Give You Up 

Been feeling that soul lately

10. Last movie you watched?

Age of Adeline

11. Last show you watched?

Narcos

12. When did I create my blog?

May of 2011, actually started it to track my military career took a sideways real quick ha ha

13. What do I post?

Whatever catches my eye, some random thoughts, and photos of whats going on around me.

14. Last thing I Googled?

My apartments address still don’t got it memorized I did just move 2 weeks ago tho.

15. Do you have other blogs?

Yea but mostly for when I’m deep in a gaming session and want to see what I’ve done.

16. Do you get asks?

sporadic usually just random anons

17. Why did you choose your url?

around the time I was leaving TSA so took the rub from ruby, I’m from Florida so ponce de leon, has a myth tie in which I like and I’m a Leo so just came up wit it and its stuck.

18. Following?

535

19. Followers?

1167

20. Favourite colours?

Grey

21. Average hours of sleep?

6-8 depends on my watch schedule can get p random if I’m on Echo which is PM to AM through the night 

22. Lucky number?

7 and any combos that equal 7, didn’t notice till after I moved but I’m in apartment 34 so mean meant to be right 

23. Instruments?

Used to be a rhythm guitarist and vocalist when I was studying music in Jr College, can barely read music and probably trash at holding a cord but if/when I ever get the time will want to go back to the piano actually.

24. What am I wearing?

Red hoodie love the material like this smooth cotton, bball shorts and a blanket lol this sundown chill in the Bay is no joke.

25. How many blankets I sleep with?

1 or 2 depends on how much the chill is buggin me 

26. Dream job?

Writer, Illustrator, and Inventor.

27. Dream trip?

Really been wanting to do those like 3-4 month cruise that stop at ports all over either the Atlantic or Pacific.

28. Favourite food?

Rice, Beans and Chicken can have that ALL DAY any DAY

29. Nationality?

American (USA), Haitian

30. Favourite song now?

Already did this on 9

@sp3tra @retro2mod @foreign-feelings @foongerfid @aloe-goddess @msmedusa alright done wit this

[thesnhuup]

Pop Picks – December 4, 2018

December 4, 2018

What I’m listening to:

Spending a week in New Zealand, we had endless laughs listening to the Kiwi band, Flight of the Conchords. Lots of comedic bands are funny, but the music is only okay or worse. These guys are funny – hysterical really – and the music is great. They have an uncanny ability to parody almost any style. In both New Zealand and Australia, we found a wry sense of humor that was just delightful and no better captured than with this duo. You don’t have to be in New Zealand to enjoy them.

What I’m reading:

I don’t often reread. For two reasons: A) I have so many books on my “still to be read” pile that it seems daunting to also reread books I loved before, and B) it’s because I loved them once that I’m a little afraid to read them again. That said, I was recently asked to list my favorite book of all time and I answered Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. But I don’t really know if that’s still true (and it’s an impossible question anyway – favorite book? On what day? In what mood?), so I’m rereading it and it feels like being with an old friend. It has one of my very favorite scenes ever: the card game between Levin and Kitty that leads to the proposal and his joyous walking the streets all night.

What I’m watching:

Blindspotting is billed as a buddy-comedy. Wow does that undersell it and the drama is often gripping. I loved Daveed Diggs in Hamilton, didn’t like his character in Black-ish, and think he is transcendent in this film he co-wrote with Rafael Casal, his co-star.  The film is a love song to Oakland in many ways, but also a gut-wrenching indictment of police brutality, systemic racism and bias, and gentrification. The film has the freshness and raw visceral impact of Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing. A great soundtrack, genre mixing, and energy make it one of my favorite movies of 2018.

  Archive

October 15, 2018

What I’m listening to:

We had the opportunity to see our favorite band, The National, live in Dallas two weeks ago. Just after watching Mistaken for Strangers, the documentary sort of about the band. So we’ve spent a lot of time going back into their earlier work, listening to songs we don’t know well, and reaffirming that their musicality, smarts, and sound are both original and astoundingly good. They did not disappoint in concert and it is a good thing their tour ended, as we might just spend all of our time and money following them around. Matt Berninger is a genius and his lead vocals kill me (and because they are in my range, I can actually sing along!). Their arrangements are profoundly good and go right to whatever brain/heart wiring that pulls one in and doesn’t let them go.

What I’m reading:

Who is Richard Powers and why have I only discovered him now, with his 12th book? Overstory is profoundly good, a book that is essential and powerful and makes me look at my everyday world in new ways. In short, a dizzying example of how powerful can be narrative in the hands of a master storyteller. I hesitate to say it’s the best environmental novel I’ve ever read (it is), because that would put this book in a category. It is surely about the natural world, but it is as much about we humans. It’s monumental and elegiac and wondrous at all once. Cancel your day’s schedule and read it now. Then plant a tree. A lot of them.

What I’m watching:

Bo Burnham wrote and directed Eighth Grade and Elsie Fisher is nothing less than amazing as its star (what’s with these new child actors; see Florida Project). It’s funny and painful and touching. It’s also the single best film treatment that I have seen of what it means to grow up in a social media shaped world. It’s a reminder that growing up is hard. Maybe harder now in a world of relentless, layered digital pressure to curate perfect lives that are far removed from the natural messy worlds and selves we actually inhabit. It’s a well-deserved 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and I wonder who dinged it for the missing 2%.

September 7, 2018

What I’m listening to:

With a cover pointing back to the Beastie Boys’ 1986 Licensed to Ill, Eminem’s quietly released Kamikaze is not my usual taste, but I’ve always admired him for his “all out there” willingness to be personal, to call people out, and his sheer genius with language. I thought Daveed Diggs could rap fast, but Eminem is supersonic at moments, and still finds room for melody. Love that he includes Joyner Lucas, whose “I’m Not Racist” gets added to the growing list of simply amazing music videos commenting on race in America. There are endless reasons why I am the least likely Eminem fan, but when no one is around to make fun of me, I’ll put it on again.

What I’m reading:

Lesley Blume’s Everyone Behaves Badly, which is the story behind Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises and his time in 1920s Paris (oh, what a time – see Midnight in Paris if you haven’t already). Of course, Blume disabuses my romantic ideas of that time and place and everyone is sort of (or profoundly so) a jerk, especially…no spoiler here…Hemingway. That said, it is a compelling read and coming off the Henry James inspired prose of Mrs. Osmond, it made me appreciate more how groundbreaking was Hemingway’s modern prose style. Like his contemporary Picasso, he reinvented the art and it can be easy to forget, these decades later, how profound was the change and its impact. And it has bullfights.

What I’m watching:

Chloé Zhao’s The Rider is just exceptional. It’s filmed on the Pine Ridge Reservation, which provides a stunning landscape, and it feels like a classic western reinvented for our times. The main characters are played by the real-life people who inspired this narrative (but feels like a documentary) film. Brady Jandreau, playing himself really, owns the screen. It’s about manhood, honor codes, loss, and resilience – rendered in sensitive, nuanced, and heartfelt ways. It feels like it could be about large swaths of America today. Really powerful.

August 16, 2018

What I’m listening to:

In my Spotify Daily Mix was Percy Sledge’s When A Man Loves A Woman, one of the world’s greatest love songs. Go online and read the story of how the song was discovered and recorded. There are competing accounts, but Sledge said he improvised it after a bad breakup. It has that kind of aching spontaneity. It is another hit from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, one of the GREAT music hotbeds, along with Detroit, Nashville, and Memphis. Our February Board meeting is in Alabama and I may finally have to do the pilgrimage road trip to Muscle Shoals and then Memphis, dropping in for Sunday services at the church where Rev. Al Green still preaches and sings. If the music is all like this, I will be saved.

What I’m reading:

John Banville’s Mrs. Osmond, his homage to literary idol Henry James and an imagined sequel to James’ 1881 masterpiece Portrait of a Lady. Go online and read the first paragraph of Chapter 25. He is…profoundly good. Makes me want to never write again, since anything I attempt will feel like some other, lowly activity in comparison to his mastery of language, image, syntax. This is slow reading, every sentence to be savored.

What I’m watching:

I’ve always respected Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, but we just watched the documentary RGB. It is over-the-top great and she is now one of my heroes. A superwoman in many ways and the documentary is really well done. There are lots of scenes of her speaking to crowds and the way young women, especially law students, look at her is touching.  And you can’t help but fall in love with her now late husband Marty. See this movie and be reminded of how important is the Law.

July 23, 2018

What I’m listening to:

Spotify’s Summer Acoustic playlist has been on repeat quite a lot. What a fun way to listen to artists new to me, including The Paper Kites, Hollow Coves, and Fleet Foxes, as well as old favorites like Leon Bridges and Jose Gonzalez. Pretty chill when dialing back to a summer pace, dining on the screen porch or reading a book.

What I’m reading:

Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy. Founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, Stevenson tells of the racial injustice (and the war on the poor our judicial system perpetuates as well) that he discovered as a young graduate from Harvard Law School and his fight to address it. It is in turn heartbreaking, enraging, and inspiring. It is also about mercy and empathy and justice that reads like a novel. Brilliant.

What I’m watching:

Fauda. We watched season one of this Israeli thriller. It was much discussed in Israel because while it focuses on an ex-special agent who comes out of retirement to track down a Palestinian terrorist, it was willing to reveal the complexity, richness, and emotions of Palestinian lives. And the occasional brutality of the Israelis. Pretty controversial stuff in Israel. Lior Raz plays Doron, the main character, and is compelling and tough and often hard to like. He’s a mess. As is the world in which he has to operate. We really liked it, and also felt guilty because while it may have been brave in its treatment of Palestinians within the Israeli context, it falls back into some tired tropes and ultimately falls short on this front.

    June 11, 2018

What I’m listening to:

Like everyone else, I’m listening to Pusha T drop the mic on Drake. Okay, not really, but do I get some points for even knowing that? We all walk around with songs that immediately bring us back to a time or a place. Songs are time machines. We are coming up on Father’s Day. My own dad passed away on Father’s Day back in 1994 and I remembering dutifully getting through the wake and funeral and being strong throughout. Then, sitting alone in our kitchen, Don Henley’s The End of the Innocence came on and I lost it. When you lose a parent for the first time (most of us have two after all) we lose our innocence and in that passage, we suddenly feel adult in a new way (no matter how old we are), a longing for our own childhood, and a need to forgive and be forgiven. Listen to the lyrics and you’ll understand. As Wordsworth reminds us in In Memoriam, there are seasons to our grief and, all these years later, this song no longer hits me in the gut, but does transport me back with loving memories of my father. I’ll play it Father’s Day.

What I’m reading:

The Fifth Season, by N. K. Jemisin. I am not a reader of fantasy or sci-fi, though I understand they can be powerful vehicles for addressing the very real challenges of the world in which we actually live. I’m not sure I know of a more vivid and gripping illustration of that fact than N. K. Jemisin’s Hugo Award winning novel The Fifth Season, first in her Broken Earth trilogy. It is astounding. It is the fantasy parallel to The Underground Railroad, my favorite recent read, a depiction of subjugation, power, casual violence, and a broken world in which our hero(s) struggle, suffer mightily, and still, somehow, give us hope. It is a tour de force book. How can someone be this good a writer? The first 30 pages pained me (always with this genre, one must learn a new, constructed world, and all of its operating physics and systems of order), and then I could not put it down. I panicked as I neared the end, not wanting to finish the book, and quickly ordered the Obelisk Gate, the second novel in the trilogy, and I can tell you now that I’ll be spending some goodly portion of my weekend in Jemisin’s other world.

What I’m watching:

The NBA Finals and perhaps the best basketball player of this generation. I’ve come to deeply respect LeBron James as a person, a force for social good, and now as an extraordinary player at the peak of his powers. His superhuman play during the NBA playoffs now ranks with the all-time greats, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, MJ, Kobe, and the demi-god that was Bill Russell. That his Cavs lost in a 4-game sweep is no surprise. It was a mediocre team being carried on the wide shoulders of James (and matched against one of the greatest teams ever, the Warriors, and the Harry Potter of basketball, Steph Curry) and, in some strange way, his greatness is amplified by the contrast with the rest of his team. It was a great run.

May 24, 2018

What I’m listening to:

I’ve always liked Alicia Keys and admired her social activism, but I am hooked on her last album Here. This feels like an album finally commensurate with her anger, activism, hope, and grit. More R&B and Hip Hop than is typical for her, I think this album moves into an echelon inhabited by a Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On or Beyonce’s Formation. Social activism and outrage rarely make great novels, but they often fuel great popular music. Here is a terrific example.

What I’m reading:

Colson Whitehead’s Underground Railroad may be close to a flawless novel. Winner of the 2017 Pulitzer, it chronicles the lives of two runaway slaves, Cora and Caeser, as they try to escape the hell of plantation life in Georgia.  It is an often searing novel and Cora is one of the great heroes of American literature. I would make this mandatory reading in every high school in America, especially in light of the absurd revisionist narratives of “happy and well cared for” slaves. This is a genuinely great novel, one of the best I’ve read, the magical realism and conflating of time periods lifts it to another realm of social commentary, relevance, and a blazing indictment of America’s Original Sin, for which we remain unabsolved.

What I’m watching:

I thought I knew about The Pentagon Papers, but The Post, a real-life political thriller from Steven Spielberg taught me a lot, features some of our greatest actors, and is so timely given the assault on our democratic institutions and with a presidency out of control. It is a reminder that a free and fearless press is a powerful part of our democracy, always among the first targets of despots everywhere. The story revolves around the legendary Post owner and D.C. doyenne, Katharine Graham. I had the opportunity to see her son, Don Graham, right after he saw the film, and he raved about Meryl Streep’s portrayal of his mother. Liked it a lot more than I expected.

April 27, 2018

What I’m listening to:

I mentioned John Prine in a recent post and then on the heels of that mention, he has released a new album, The Tree of Forgiveness, his first new album in ten years. Prine is beloved by other singer songwriters and often praised by the inscrutable God that is Bob Dylan.  Indeed, Prine was frequently said to be the “next Bob Dylan” in the early part of his career, though he instead carved out his own respectable career and voice, if never with the dizzying success of Dylan. The new album reflects a man in his 70s, a cancer survivor, who reflects on life and its end, but with the good humor and empathy that are hallmarks of Prine’s music. “When I Get To Heaven” is a rollicking, fun vision of what comes next and a pure delight. A charming, warm, and often terrific album.

What I’m reading:

I recently read Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko, on many people’s Top Ten lists for last year and for good reason. It is sprawling, multi-generational, and based in the world of Japanese occupied Korea and then in the Korean immigrant’s world of Oaska, so our key characters become “tweeners,” accepted in neither world. It’s often unspeakably sad, and yet there is resiliency and love. There is also intimacy, despite the time and geographic span of the novel. It’s breathtakingly good and like all good novels, transporting.

What I’m watching:

I adore Guillermo del Toro’s 2006 film, Pan’s Labyrinth, and while I’m not sure his Shape of Water is better, it is a worthy follow up to the earlier masterpiece (and more of a commercial success). Lots of critics dislike the film, but I’m okay with a simple retelling of a Beauty and the Beast love story, as predictable as it might be. The acting is terrific, it is visually stunning, and there are layers of pain as well as social and political commentary (the setting is the US during the Cold War) and, no real spoiler here, the real monsters are humans, the military officer who sees over the captured aquatic creature. It is hauntingly beautiful and its depiction of hatred to those who are different or “other” is painfully resonant with the time in which we live. Put this on your “must see” list.

March 18, 2018

What I’m listening to:

Sitting on a plane for hours (and many more to go; geez, Australia is far away) is a great opportunity to listen to new music and to revisit old favorites. This time, it is Lucy Dacus and her album Historians, the new sophomore release from a 22-year old indie artist that writes with relatable, real-life lyrics. Just on a second listen and while she insists this isn’t a break up record (as we know, 50% of all great songs are break up songs), it is full of loss and pain. Worth the listen so far. For the way back machine, it’s John Prine and In Spite of Ourselves (that title track is one of the great love songs of all time), a collection of duets with some of his “favorite girl singers” as he once described them. I have a crush on Iris Dement (for a really righteously angry song try her Wasteland of the Free), but there is also EmmyLou Harris, the incomparable Dolores Keane, and Lucinda Williams. Very different albums, both wonderful.

What I’m reading:

Jane Mayer’s New Yorker piece on Christopher Steele presents little that is new, but she pulls it together in a terrific and coherent whole that is illuminating and troubling at the same time. Not only for what is happening, but for the complicity of the far right in trying to discredit that which should be setting off alarm bells everywhere. Bob Mueller may be the most important defender of the democracy at this time. A must read.

What I’m watching:

Homeland is killing it this season and is prescient, hauntingly so. Russian election interference, a Bannon-style hate radio demagogue, alienated and gun toting militia types, and a president out of control. It’s fabulous, even if it feels awfully close to the evening news. 

March 8, 2018

What I’m listening to:

We have a family challenge to compile our Top 100 songs. It is painful. Only 100? No more than three songs by one artist? Wait, why is M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” on my list? Should it just be The Clash from whom she samples? Can I admit to guilty pleasure songs? Hey, it’s my list and I can put anything I want on it. So I’m listening to the list while I work and the song playing right now is Tom Petty’s “The Wild One, Forever,” a B-side single that was never a hit and that remains my favorite Petty song. Also, “Evangeline” by Los Lobos. It evokes a night many years ago, with friends at Pearl Street in Northampton, MA, when everyone danced well past 1AM in a hot, sweaty, packed club and the band was a revelation. Maybe the best music night of our lives and a reminder that one’s 100 Favorite Songs list is as much about what you were doing and where you were in your life when those songs were playing as it is about the music. It’s not a list. It’s a soundtrack for this journey.

What I’m reading:

Patricia Lockwood’s Priestdaddy was in the NY Times top ten books of 2017 list and it is easy to see why. Lockwood brings remarkable and often surprising imagery, metaphor, and language to her prose memoir and it actually threw me off at first. It then all became clear when someone told me she is a poet. The book is laugh aloud funny, which masks (or makes safer anyway) some pretty dark territory. Anyone who grew up Catholic, whether lapsed or not, will resonate with her story. She can’t resist a bawdy anecdote and her family provides some of the most memorable characters possible, especially her father, her sister, and her mother, who I came to adore. Best thing I’ve read in ages.

What I’m watching:

The Florida Project, a profoundly good movie on so many levels. Start with the central character, six-year old (at the time of the filming) Brooklynn Prince, who owns – I mean really owns – the screen. This is pure acting genius and at that age? Astounding. Almost as astounding is Bria Vinaite, who plays her mother. She was discovered on Instagram and had never acted before this role, which she did with just three weeks of acting lessons. She is utterly convincing and the tension between the child’s absolute wonder and joy in the world with her mother’s struggle to provide, to be a mother, is heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once. Willem Dafoe rightly received an Oscar nomination for his supporting role. This is a terrific movie.

February 12, 2018

What I’m listening to:

So, I have a lot of friends of age (I know you’re thinking 40s, but I just turned 60) who are frozen in whatever era of music they enjoyed in college or maybe even in their thirties. There are lots of times when I reach back into the catalog, since music is one of those really powerful and transporting senses that can take you through time (smell is the other one, though often underappreciated for that power). Hell, I just bought a turntable and now spending time in vintage vinyl shops. But I’m trying to take a lesson from Pat, who revels in new music and can as easily talk about North African rap music and the latest National album as Meet the Beatles, her first ever album. So, I’ve been listening to Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy winning Damn. While it may not be the first thing I’ll reach for on a winter night in Maine, by the fire, I was taken with it. It’s layered, political, and weirdly sensitive and misogynist at the same time, and it feels fresh and authentic and smart at the same time, with music that often pulled me from what I was doing. In short, everything music should do. I’m not a bit cooler for listening to Damn, but when I followed it with Steely Dan, I felt like I was listening to Lawrence Welk. A good sign, I think.

What I’m reading:

I am reading Walter Isaacson’s new biography of Leonardo da Vinci. I’m not usually a reader of biographies, but I’ve always been taken with Leonardo. Isaacson does not disappoint (does he ever?), and his subject is at once more human and accessible and more awe-inspiring in Isaacson’s capable hands. Gay, left-handed, vegetarian, incapable of finishing things, a wonderful conversationalist, kind, and perhaps the most relentlessly curious human being who has ever lived. Like his biographies of Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein, Isaacson’s project here is to show that genius lives at the intersection of science and art, of rationality and creativity. Highly recommend it.

What I’m watching:

We watched the This Is Us post-Super Bowl episode, the one where Jack finally buys the farm. I really want to hate this show. It is melodramatic and manipulative, with characters that mostly never change or grow, and it hooks me every damn time we watch it. The episode last Sunday was a tear jerker, a double whammy intended to render into a blubbering, tissue-crumbling pathetic mess anyone who has lost a parent or who is a parent. Sterling K. Brown, Ron Cephas Jones, the surprising Mandy Moore, and Milo Ventimiglia are hard not to love and last season’s episode that had only Brown and Cephas going to Memphis was the show at its best (they are by far the two best actors). Last week was the show at its best worst. In other words, I want to hate it, but I love it. If you haven’t seen it, don’t binge watch it. You’ll need therapy and insulin.

January 15, 2018

What I’m listening to:

Drive-By Truckers. Chris Stapleton has me on an unusual (for me) country theme and I discovered these guys to my great delight. They’ve been around, with some 11 albums, but the newest one is fascinating. It’s a deep dive into Southern alienation and the white working-class world often associated with our current president. I admire the willingness to lay bare, in kick ass rock songs, the complexities and pain at work among people we too quickly place into overly simple categories. These guys are brave, bold, and thoughtful as hell, while producing songs I didn’t expect to like, but that I keep playing. And they are coming to NH.

What I’m reading:

A textual analog to Drive-By Truckers by Chris Stapleton in many ways is Tony Horowitz’s 1998 Pulitzer Prize winning Confederates in the Attic. Ostensibly about the Civil War and the South’s ongoing attachment to it, it is prescient and speaks eloquently to the times in which we live (where every southern state but Virginia voted for President Trump). Often hilarious, it too surfaces complexities and nuance that escape a more recent, and widely acclaimed, book like Hillbilly Elegy. As a Civil War fan, it was also astonishing in many instances, especially when it blows apart long-held “truths” about the war, such as the degree to which Sherman burned down the south (he did not). Like D-B Truckers, Horowitz loves the South and the people he encounters, even as he grapples with its myths of victimhood and exceptionalism (and racism, which may be no more than the racism in the north, but of a different kind). Everyone should read this book and I’m embarrassed I’m so late to it.

What I’m watching:

David Letterman has a new Netflix show called “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” and we watched the first episode, in which Letterman interviewed Barack Obama. It was extraordinary (if you don’t have Netflix, get it just to watch this show); not only because we were reminded of Obama’s smarts, grace, and humanity (and humor), but because we saw a side of Letterman we didn’t know existed. His personal reflections on Selma were raw and powerful, almost painful. He will do five more episodes with “extraordinary individuals” and if they are anything like the first, this might be the very best work of his career and one of the best things on television.

December 22, 2017

What I’m reading:

Just finished Sunjeev Sahota’s Year of the Runaways, a painful inside look at the plight of illegal Indian immigrant workers in Britain. It was shortlisted for 2015 Man Booker Prize and its transporting, often to a dark and painful universe, and it is impossible not to think about the American version of this story and the terrible way we treat the undocumented in our own country, especially now.

What I’m watching:

Season II of The Crown is even better than Season I. Elizabeth’s character is becoming more three-dimensional, the modern world is catching up with tradition-bound Britain, and Cold War politics offer more context and tension than we saw in Season I. Claire Foy, in her last season, is just terrific – one arched eye brow can send a message.

What I’m listening to:

A lot of Christmas music, but needing a break from the schmaltz, I’ve discovered Over the Rhine and their Christmas album, Snow Angels. God, these guys are good.

  November 14, 2017

What I’m watching:

Guiltily, I watch the Patriots play every weekend, often building my schedule and plans around seeing the game. Why the guilt? I don’t know how morally defensible is football anymore, as we now know the severe damage it does to the players. We can’t pretend it’s all okay anymore. Is this our version of late decadent Rome, watching mostly young Black men take a terrible toll on each other for our mere entertainment?

What I’m reading:

Recently finished J.G. Ballard’s 2000 novel Super-Cannes, a powerful depiction of a corporate-tech ex-pat community taken over by a kind of psychopathology, in which all social norms and responsibilities are surrendered to residents of the new world community. Kept thinking about Silicon Valley when reading it. Pretty dark, dystopian view of the modern world and centered around a mass killing, troublingly prescient.

What I’m listening to:

Was never really a Lorde fan, only knowing her catchy (and smarter than you might first guess) pop hit “Royals” from her debut album. But her new album, Melodrama, is terrific and it doesn’t feel quite right to call this “pop.” There is something way more substantial going on with Lorde and I can see why many critics put this album at the top of their Best in 2017 list. Count me in as a huge fan.

  November 3, 2017

What I’m reading: Just finished Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere, her breathtakingly good second novel. How is someone so young so wise? Her writing is near perfection and I read the book in two days, setting my alarm for 4:30AM so I could finish it before work.

What I’m watching: We just binge watched season two of Stranger Things and it was worth it just to watch Millie Bobbie Brown, the transcendent young actor who plays Eleven. The series is a delightful mash up of every great eighties horror genre you can imagine and while pretty dark, an absolute joy to watch.

What I’m listening to: I’m not a lover of country music (to say the least), but I love Chris Stapleton. His “The Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning” is heartbreakingly good and reminds me of the old school country that played in my house as a kid. He has a new album and I can’t wait, but his From A Room: Volume 1 is on repeat for now.

  September 26, 2017

What I’m reading:

Just finished George Saunder’s Lincoln in the Bardo. It took me a while to accept its cadence and sheer weirdness, but loved it in the end. A painful meditation on loss and grief, and a genuinely beautiful exploration of the intersection of life and death, the difficulty of letting go of what was, good and bad, and what never came to be.

What I’m watching:

HBO’s The Deuce. Times Square and the beginning of the porn industry in the 1970s, the setting made me wonder if this was really something I’d want to see. But David Simon is the writer and I’d read a menu if he wrote it. It does not disappoint so far and there is nothing prurient about it.

What I’m listening to:

The National’s new album Sleep Well Beast. I love this band. The opening piano notes of the first song, “Nobody Else Will Be There,” seize me & I’m reminded that no one else in music today matches their arrangement & musicianship. I’m adding “Born to Beg,” “Slow Show,” “I Need My Girl,” and “Runaway” to my list of favorite love songs.

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