#Tom and Jerry In New York

[fuckyoudoyou]

New Ink

[tootern2345]

Various women character designs from the Van Beuren Cartoons

[livingthelifebased]

“👉😬👈”

Instagram: godiscesar

[jetra4ivor]

You know what? It could’ve been worse…

It could’ve been “Minecraft characters are teleported to real life New York City and befriend average white collar job white guy and they help him gain the courage to talk to a girl he likes and absolutely nothing about the film has anything to do with Minecraft at all.”

Just like The Smurfs. And Sonic. And Rocky and Bullwinkle. And the Chipmunks. And Tom and Jerry. And Ella Enchanted. And Fat Albert. And…

[milkytheholy1]

Everything Ends: The End.

A/N: So apparently I deleted the ending to this series, so I am so sorry to anyone who's been trying to read the series.

"MOVE!" you yelled over the boisterous sounds of explosions going off inches away from you, shoving April to safety every now and again. She thanked you curtly, she couldn't offer you anything more unless she wanted to get blown up with everything else.

Casey was only a few paces ahead of you, stuck fighting the Kraang's lackeys and mutated Foot soldiers. You and April were trying to save him but got caught up with your own problems.

Another swing from your fist and the Kraangified-Foot soldier crumbled to the ground, ever since the Foot recruited actual people instead of their paper army, they were slowly becoming unstoppable. April had shouted something out to you, but thanks to the previous explosion, your hearing was a little off.

Another kick from your converse sent one of those gooey creatures skidding back, growling and whining before readying an attack. You weren't really trained for combat, sure, Leo taught you a few moves if ever the scenario arose that you needed to defend yourself or buy the others some time.

But nothing could have prepared you for this, fighting aliens from a different dimension who sought to destroy the future. You had to admit, it was a hard scenario to study for. Luckily, April had been teaching you along the way, having picked up stuff over the many years of knowing the Turtles, the girl was a natural.

"(Y/N)! We have to get to Casey!" April hollered once more, finally, the endless buzzing in your ear came down to a faint ringing sensation. You nodded your head in understanding, running as fast as you could to avoid the deadly claws of the slime creature on your trail, "I'm trying!" you snarked.

April was holding her own fairly well, with a metal pole by her side, she swung the thing like a regular baseball bat. With each violent swing, she took down a horde of those creatures without breaking a sweat. She laughed to herself, proud that she was able to do this without the brother's help; not that she didn't appreciate it when they did help.

Noticing you running past her like a headless chicken, April stalked behind the creature, closely examining the frantic path you were taking. With a nod of her head, more to herself than you, April dashed over to a wall, hiding behind it like a shadow in the night.

A clanging sound caught your attention as you scrambled around the streets of New York, hurdling over debris and smashed cars. Haphazardly looking around, you caught April dinging the metal pole against the wall, she soon smiled when she caught your attention. Miming, she pointed to the wall with her finger, giving you a quick thumbs up, which you returned, before dipping her head back behind the wall.

With your silent plan, you dashed towards the wall, taking a hard left with the monster following closely behind. But before it could nab you, April swung the metal pole directly into its face, knocking the creature out instantly; it all felt like a moment from a Tom and Jerry cartoon.

You both shared a moment of accomplishment, cheering and hollering about your small victory. But the loud, voice-cracked wail from Casey halted any further celebratory dances. April gripped her pole a little tighter, "C'mon, we gotta go help him."

"S-stay back! I'm warning you, I'm crazy!" Casey rattled out, back against the wall. There were far too many for him to face alone, and with just a hockey stick by his side? It would be impossible for him to come out unscathed. The Kraang monsters continued in on their approach, the green eyes of Casey's mask bouncing from one creature to another, "I swear I'm crazy, who knows what I'll do next? Have you even met my mom? She's crazier than me!"

But the beasts didn't care, they just growled and snarled, claws ready to pounce. Casey released a small whimper, clutching his hockey stick with all his strength. He sent a fleeting glance to the key perched high up on the tallest building in all of New York, a sense of disappointment flooding his bones.

"APRILLLLLLL O'NEILLLL!"

A swift kick to the head here and a mighty punch to the chest there. After a few minutes of commotion, Casey was finally able to see the peeking heads of you and April, fighting the crowds and boosting his morale. Wide eyes soon turned into determined ones, and once more, Casey gripped his hockey stick with purpose and scrambled to help you.

You marvelled at how well you all worked together as a team when, essentially, you had no prior training together. April would whack a foe into confusion, then you'd come in and offer some painful punches and fleeting kicks anywhere you could land, and finally, Casey would come in for the final blow.

Once enough of the mob was down, you turned to Casey with hopeful eyes, "You need to go!" he nodded his head along, but with the crowds getting right back up, his lip began to tremble. You recognised that face, it was the same expression Leo gave you whenever he was worried about you. He had a different one for every Hamato Clan member: Raph's was a furrowed brow while Donnie's was a jutted lip, Mikey was given puppy dog eyes and Splinter a hand on his hip.

But when it came to you, Leo's whole face changed. His lips would go flat, dipped at the ends in a small frown. His brows would lift enough to give him creases, but his eyes...his eyes were always what gave him away. They'd go big and shaky, he always looked like he was on the verge of tears. Battling his inner demons, begging them to let him stay with you but knowing he had to go off and do superhero shit.

Perhaps with Casey looking up to Leo like a father figure, he might have learnt a few things.

In a much calmer voice, you gave him a warm smile, "Go, we've got this." He fled the scene quickly after that, putting his trust in you and hopefully he wouldn't regret leaving you to fight these creatures alone. You turned back to see April riding one of the varmints, screaming and raising her metal pole in the air; you would have been impressed if you weren't back immediately into the action.

---

Wind flew past Donnie's ears, his limbs falling slack and yet, he felt as light as a feather. But the overwhelming feeling of gravity pushing down on his chest startled him awake, only to realise he was in the air and falling fast. Hysteria settled in, perhaps a panic attack; he used to be prone to them when he was younger but he thought it was a phase he grew out of.

An unconscious Mikey drifted past him, although Mikey was a lighter build compared to himself, the youngest brother was dropping quicker. Donnie tried getting closer to the box turtle, eventually landing on swimming toward him, not his finest moment. But it worked. Grabbing onto Mikey's arm, Donnie pulled him tight against his chest, conjuring all his ninpo energy into protecting them both.

Purple formed around them, a hard barrier that in theory should save them a few broken bones and in the worst-case scenario, death. Donnie could see the ground getting closer, soon there would be an impact and he'd see if he was strong enough to protect not only himself but his brother, who he cared deeply for.

Velocity wasn't on the brother's side as they came crashing down into the hard concrete of the New Jersey docks, rubble and pavement scattered along the ground, the purple light that engulfed the duo cracked and shattered. Donnie's head was pounding while his legs ached, flinching upwards he caught his walking appendages hanging off the edge of the concrete mass he had found himself lying on top of, bruised and dirty.

"Mikey!" He gasped, sitting up quickly and regretting it. If Donnie thought the throbbing sensation was bad before then this was like nothing he had ever experienced. But that didn't matter, he had to check on Michaelangelo.

Shaking Miguel's body only brought up more fear and bile in Donnie's throat, he just had to wake up, he had already lost one brother. Thankfully, Mikey woke up with a scream, lungs intaking so much air Donnie feared he would pass out again.

"Easy, Miguel, breathe. That's it, just in and out...you're okay, we're okay." Donnie's hushed words brought Mikey back to a state of normalcy. Looking around he caught the familiar sights of Jersey and cringed, "W-where?"

"Jersey." Donnie answered curtly, quickly checking for any major injuries, "I think, at least, it smell's like Jersey." When he found nothing but light scratches, he arose and moved closer to the water, looking up at the Technodrome coming through the clouds. Mikey soon joined him, eyes wide and hands shaking, "Is he-"

"Leo's still up there, yes." Donnie sighed, he should be there with his brother. Fighting alongside him, sometimes he may despise his 'twin' dearly, but even with all that background knowledge, Leo shouldn't be alone.

"W-we need to find the others, how do we get back?" Mikey spluttered out, brainstorming was never his favourite thing in the world, and currently, his brain hurt too much to even think about thinking. Donnie rubbed his chin, "While I agree, we have no immediate way to find them and get to them before, effectively, the world ends."

Mikey huffed, but when an idea imploded in his head he clicked his fingers in glee, "I got it! We can use my mystic hands!"

"Sigh, Mikey. No offence, but every time you've used your, quote-on-quote, 'mystic hands', it's never worked. So please, praytell, why you think it would work now?"

"Because I believe it will."

"Just how like you believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy?"

"Santa is real, Donnie. How do you explain the presents under the tree an-and the cookies?"

"Mikey that's- ugh, you know what? we'll just swim."

--

Leo stood alone as he faced off against the Kraang Leader, watching as he circled him. Without his brothers by his side, Leo felt a little powerless. All the biggest, baddest foes he had ever fought were alongside his brothers, all working as a team to take down a common enemy. But right now, here was a common enemy with only one brother left to fight it.

He had no doubt that Mikey and Donnie would find a way back up here to help him, that's if they made it of course. God, he hoped they made it.

Leo grew impatient with the Kraang, glaring, assessing him as he paced in a wide circle around him. His fingers fluttered along the handles of his blades, deciding that he had to be the one to strike first. With a running start, Leo charged towards the Kraang, clashing his katanas against the metal armour with a fiery passion.

The Kraang Leader wasn't that impressed, he had seen better combat in the Battle Nexus in 1847. But Leo pressed on, making small cuts and scratches against the alien metal. The Kraang barely felt any of it, the armour too thick for the blades to penetrate the skin, or even cut a metallic limb off for that matter. With each swing, Leo grew tired, using all his energy to make the most damage.

The Kraang used this opportunity to slash Leo with the back of his hand, sending the teen flailing towards the grounds of New York City. In a quickly-paced thought, Leo threw one of his katanas towards the floating pile of concrete he called a battleground, while the other was crushed in the palm of his hand.

He tried to aim for a delicate landing but ultimately skidded down tall skyscrapers hoping it would break his fall. His one blade was lodged in the windows of the building, tearing it apart as he plunged down to the bottom. Once on the ground with shaky knees and a panting chest, Leo dislodged his katana and steadied himself.

He looked up towards the floating mass above, brows furrowed. A rich blue light brought his attention back down to his weapon, Leo took a moment to breathe before he would vanish and reappear back into the fight.

"LEO!" Called a voice from the distance, he knew that voice anywhere. You were panicking, he could pick that up from your tone alone. Before Leo could even respond your arms were thrown around his neck and your face was pressed snuggly against his plastron. Leo wrapped his arms around you, basking in the smell of your shampoo mixed with the copper smell of blood and sweat.

"I was so worried about you," you huffed out, refusing to move from his grasp. Leo's hands shuffled up and down your arms, slowly pulling you away from him so he could get a proper look at you, "Hey, don't worry. It's not like I'm going anywhere." he smirked. But on the inside he was hiding pain, he was still hurting.

"Where are your brothers?" you asked, finally taking a minute to look around and see that he was on his own. Leo grimaced, "I got separated from Mikey and Donnie." was all he said. You raised a brow, "Ooo-kay," you hummed, "So, where's Raph?"

Leo's eyes widened, he could see it in your own gaze that you were just as confused. The red-eared slider couldn't look at you, instead opting to turn away and look at the cracked concrete ground. Your fingertips traced along his jawline, willing him to look back at you. Although he moved his head to face you, Leo kept his eyes down, "We- I couldn't save him."

You gasped, hands covering your mouth as your pupils shook and salty tears began to build up in the corners of your eyes. Leo gripped your hands, needing to feel some form of contact with you. Even in a possible apocalypse, you were always warm. My little toaster he would often say.

"Are April and Casey-" he trailed off, you nodded your head, "Yeah, no yeah, they're fine. Casey's heading for the key just like you planned, me and April are protecting him."

"What about dad?"

You stilled at the question, Leo watching your face very carefully. Your tears had been running freely down your face, your nose was stuffy, your eyes red and lips trembling. Leo's grip on you loosened a little as realisation kicked in, "Oh," was all he said. Pulling away, Leo looked back up at his floating battleground, his one-stop tour.

"I-I need to go, I have to get back up there and end this."

"On your own?" you questioned, sounding slightly mad. Leo knew he needed to tread lightly, he didn't want to scare you but with his track record over the last few hours he doubted he'd be able to stop you from losing it. He pulled you in for another bone-crushing hug, "I'll come back to you, I promise."

"And you never break your promises." you pressed, a silent agreement that he would return otherwise you'd search all heaven and hell until you found him again. He leaned in and pressed a deep kiss against your lips, you didn't even have time to react before he was pulling away. He flicked his attention down to the glowing blue blade in his hand, "Make sure Casey gets to that key, it's our only chance." he spoke, sounding like a true leader.

You gave him a brief salute, a small smile gracing his lips. In a quick flash, Leo was gone and you were left alone. A shuddering breath passed through your mouth, so not only had you lost Master Splinter but also Raphael too? Those Kraang bastards can rot in hell. With a new vengeance fueling your thoughts, you dashed back to the fight and joined April.

--

When Leo reappeared in front of an awaiting Kraang Leader, tensions were high. The monster in question stood with his mechanical arms folded along his chest, a devilish smirk gracing his features, "Oh, I see you've returned then? Good. I was looking forward to an actual fight with you, finally, I'll be able to put you out of your misery."

"Funny?" Leo lightly laughed, getting into a battle stance, "I was gonna say the same thing about you, Squiddy." The Kraang growled, moving faster than light and heading straight for Leonardo. Although this wasn't Leo's first time battling a, quote-on-quote, 'God'. Leo dug one of his katana blades into the ground, disrupting the concrete and rocks. He then skidded along the floor, avoiding the grasp of the Kraang.

He sent the demon a quick smirk before running at him with his weapons raised high. Each slash was accompanied by a beaming blue light, flashing in and out of existence just like Leonardo. Just like the Kraang, Leo was fast and it quickly grew tiresome for the villain.

"Enough!" he yelled, grabbing Leo by the throat as another portal appeared. He squeezed his windpipes before throwing him to the ground, but Leo got back up again. Coughing as he stood, Leo braced his arms out in front of him, weapons still in his clutches.

"C'mon, Pinky, is that all you've got?" if he couldn't hurt him physically then damaging him mentally would do the trick. Leo narrowly avoided a red laser blast shooting his way, using his swords as a barricade more than actual killing and cutting tools. The occasional red beam would scrape his arm or graze his thigh, but Leo kept fighting.

"You think you're going to win? Your fighting will only lead to everyone around you dying! Think, Leonardo! We will outlast you all, you insignificant, fragile beings. You might even live long enough to see this world crumble to dust and be blown away! Everyone and everything you have ever known will be gone! And what will you have left?"

"Hope. I'll have hope." Leo hummed, running forward one final time and slashing at the Kraang with everything he had. He was making good marks too, hitting the Kraang in the joints of the suit, scrapping his blades along tender muscles. At one point he was able to scar the Kraang's actual face. But like life, all good moments are immediately crushed by the bad and Leo was slammed against the ground once more.

Though this time it really hurt like hell.

The Kraang watched on from the distance, smirking widely as Leo's body shook on the ground. Leonardo blinked his eyes open a few times before they remained that way, spitting out some blood to the side and groaning in pain. He held his stomach as he stood on quivering knees, using his katanas as an aid.

Cuts and bruises littered his arms and legs, some were bleeding while others were crammed with dirt and small rocks. Leo panted, his weapons illuminating a deep blue, runes running along the bladed edges. The Kraang cackled, slowly walking over to him.

--

Casey huffed and panted as he made it to the top of Metro Tower, he wiped away the slickness of sweat building up on his forehead. His mask was pulled back and his hockey stick strapped to his rear, he could hear static coming through the makeshift com device Donnie had given him when they were all in the Turtle Tank.

"Casey? Casey, come in? Casey, do you hear me?" Leo's voice filtered in and out of existence. Casey rapidly shook his head, even if Master Leonardo couldn't see it, "Yes, Sensei, I'm here. I've got eyes on the key, just tell me when you're home free and I'll pull this sucker out."

Leo grimaced, shining red eyes getting closer and closer towards him. With a jerky breath, Leon spoke, "Casey, listen to me. When I get to the other side, you close that door."

"W-what? Sensei, no!" Casey struggled to speak, his breathing was becoming random, his chest was tightening. Unfortunately for Leonardo, his heroic sacrifice was broadcasted to everyone, including you.

You crumbled to the ground, tears streaming down your face, "Leo..." you muttered out under a muted breath. April dropped the metal pole from her hands, her eyes were wide and mouth agape. Donnie and Mikey were still on Staten Island, arguing about how to get back into the fight to stop Leo from doing something stupid.

"Casey, it's the only way." he carried on, "The Kraang are too strong, he's not gonna stay on the other side unless I keep him there." His blades were pulled close to his chest as the Kraang swung a fist.

"B-but, there has to be a-another way!" Casey desperately begged, hand hovering over the key. Leo gruffed, taking another punch like a champ, "W-we tried, Cass. This is the only way."

Leo's words broke you, not him, you couldn't lose him too. You had already lost so much, this family had already lost so much. What would you do without Leon by your side? You begged and pleaded to whoever would listen, your voice going hoarse, "Leo, please don't do this!" you cried.

Leo swallowed down a choking cry, his throat closing tightly as the words left his lips, "Pfft, you're the one who said we should keep fighting for what's right no matter the consequences."

"I lied, I was wrong, just please don't do this...I'll never get to see you again." you whispered, big eyes staring up at the Technodrome; he was up there somewhere.

Leo held back another sniffle, but a tear rolled down his cheek along the edges of the red crescent moons that coated his eyes, "Of course, you'll see me again, I still owe you that pizza date." The coms fizzled out for a brief moment, Leo fully pulled back into the boss battle.

"Outmatched and alone, yet you persist." the Kraang laughed, "And for what? Honour? Redemption? Sacrifice? All meaningless."

"We'll see about that." Leo growled, running into the fight once more. He threw one of his blades towards the Kraang, but it missed him completely. With a hero's sacrifice on his mind, Leo leapt up against the Kraang plunging his other katana into the Kraang's chest plates. The Kraang Leader let out a ferocious roar, yanking Leo off of him.

He quickly pinned Leonardo to the ground, his breath fanning across the reptile's bruised face. Leo's com continued to buzz in static, Casey's voicer wavering through, "Leo, please, please don't do this!"

Leo's hands gripped the Kraang's shoulders, trying to wrestle him away to no avail, "Hey listen," he starts. Leo's head dips out of the way when drool pools beside his mask, "Future me would be super proud of you, I just know it. I'm proud of you."

The Kraang above him laughed, his grip on the turtle tightening, "Weak words, weak actions. I have forever known what you fail to understand, strength will always prevail."

Leon smirked up at the Kraang, his eyes half-cast, "And what you failed to understand is that I missed on purpose." he quickly grabbed the katana handle sticking out of the Kraang's chest. Once the leader of the Kraang realised what was happening he quickly tried to pull it out, but it was already too late. The moment the blade left his suit, the two of them were already in the Prison Dimension and the rouge blade was left to fall to the grounds of New York.

"CASEY! NOW!" Leo yelled, growling at the Kraang, using all his willpower to keep him in place. With reluctance on the other side, Casey tugged the key out with as much force as he could fathom. And when he did...

The top of the tower began to explode, along with the Technodrome. The world lit up in yellow and orange flames, the sky covered in smoke and dead alien tentacles. But the monsters are still attacking, still fighting on even when their general is nowhere to be seen. You've managed to find yourself a plain of broken glass, the jagged edges cut your palms but the weapon proves to be useful.

You slash the creature's throat, watching as it oozed green. It dropped to the ground, and then another and another. More and more of these creatures fell to the floor, a hive mind but the mind had been separated. You could finally see April from the other side of the street, between you laid bodies of countless ooey gooey aliens.

"T-they did it.." you muttered, hand going to your mouth out of shock and then morning. He was gone, Leo was gone. Forever trapped in the Prison Dimension. Tears poured down your cheeks, "Oh my god, April...He's gone." you bawled out. April watched you from the other side of the street, sadness written across her face. But what started as sorrow contorted into fear, "Watch out!" she yelled.

A breath spluttered past your lips, the whole world momentarily fell silent. You could feel your heartbeat in your chest, it almost hurt. Your vision was going blurry, you could nearly make out April's wide-eyed expression. Following her gaze, you caught the silver blade coated in red.

"Oh..." you puffed out, looking back up at her with your own horrified expression. You suddenly felt faint, like you could pass out at any momen-

--

"You've been portal-chopped!" Leo bragged, folding his arms over his chest while he floated around aimlessly. Of course, he was absolutely terrified. Trapped alone forever with a dangerous enemy who despised him and the air he breathed.

The glare he received from the Kraang could have killed him. With a burning vengeance, the Kraang launched at him. Leo was thrown through brick wall after brick wall, he was shot and blasted by lasers, punched and kicked until he bled. But he never fought back, he had no reason to. Everyone on Earth was safe, his brothers, April, you.

As long as Squidward was here, he couldn't harm them. And the only way to keep Squiddy in the Prison Dimension was to give him a target to let out all his anger. Maybe the Kraang would kill him immediately, he hoped that would be the case; he didn't want to suffer.

Or maybe he'd grow bored of beating the ever-living shit out of Leo and move on, letting the poor turtle die from a punctured lung or something.

"You think you've won, YOU WRETCHED LITTLE PEST!" the Kraang screamed, his face a deep red instead of the pastel pink it was before. With another punch to the face, Leo whistles, he thinks he might have swallowed a tooth with that one. But he's okay with that, who needs teeth anyway?

That sounded like something you would say, like that time you had cracked your baby tooth on a chicken nugget. Leo remembers howling with laughter and you had just shrugged it off, "It's only a baby tooth, besides if I do lose all my teeth I can just eat mush for the rest of my life. Like, realistically, who needs teeth anyway?"

He smiles at the memory, at least he can still remember it too; probably means he don't had an concussion...okay so maybe he did have a concussion.

But he'd die happy if you were his final thoughts, you and his family. Mikey, Donnie and Raph would be sat in their respective chairs for a movie night, April crashing on the beanbag with you huddled to his side. Jupiter Jim would be on the screen until Splinter would crash the movie night and force everyone to watch Lou Jitsu.

"You ruined everything! And now you, you will face my wrath all alone!" The Kraang seethed, veins popping out of his head. The metallic fist of his suit was littered with red splotches, and they only seemed to increase the more he hit Leo.

What would Christmas have been like? Leo starts to wonder, eyes blinking shut into an inky abyss. It would have been your second Christmas together as a couple, or was it your first? The details were starting to get fuzzy. No matter, Leo can see how the day would go anyway.

Mikey would have woken everyone up bright and early, you and April would have stayed over the night before. You'd all sit by the tree and spend the morning opening presents and such, many 'thank yous' and fake 'I love its' chorused around the room.

A team effort to create such a beautiful Christmas spread, which would have taken hours to make but only minutes to eat; especially with Raph around. The feelings made him feel all fluttery inside, warm even.

"WIPE THAT GRIN OFF OF YOUR FACE!" The Kraang screamed, rolling back his fist and with a powerful blow sent Leo out into the empty space of the Prison Dimension. A trail of dirt and smoke followed behind him, a broken sob the only sound in the area. Leo weakly pulled out the photo Casey had given April earlier that day, he had swiped it just before the mission to retrieve the key in the first place.

He looked at that photo now, you were still a family just...smaller. A lone tear rolled down his cheek, clutching the photo to his chest Leo's body rattled with cries.

--

Donnie watched in awe and guilt as the Technodrome ceased to exist, gone like the entire alien population. Given the context clues, Donnie knew Leo wasn't here anymore. It was almost more frustrating than losing Raph, at least he knew with Raph there was no chance of getting him back. But with Leo? Donnie would have to live with the knowledge that he was somewhere out there, unable to come home.

Something wet fell onto Donnie's cheek, with a slow glance and a shaking hand, Donnie found a tear. He- he was crying? The emotionless bad boy who had to maintain a perfect image was...crying? From his left he could hear Mikey panting for breath, with a deep sigh he spoke out, "Mikey, give up already. He's gone."

Sometimes Donnie hated being the realistic but pessimistic one. Mikey shook his head, eyes focused and brows furrowed, "Leo never gave up on us, so I'm not giving up on him."

The tears that blotched his usually happy-go-lucky face dripped onto the concrete below them, turning the light brown into a dark grey. He continued to push and pull his arms out, fingers flexing and turning just to create something. He believed he could do it, he knew he could do it, he hoped he could do it.

When all yearning seemed lost, orange flicks of light burst out of the air. Slowly, more and more appeared all ranging in colour. Donnie's brows shifted, flinching upwards as he jumped to Mikey's side, "Mikey, whatever you're doing keep going!" he cheered. This was amazing, never before had he seen something like this; and by his younger brother no less!

But Mikey wasn't strong enough, his skin flacking away, leaving behind an orange-tinted body. Mikey gave a shakey look towards Donnie, fear in his eyes. The taller brother quickly attempted to soothe him, "I'm here, Miguel." the moment Donnie touched Mikey a powerful energy burst through him. Michaelangelo's left eye lit a neon yellow, "It's- it's not enough! W-we need Raph here!"

Donnie's eyes filled with sorrow, "But he's not here, Mikey! We have to open this portal now!"

Mikey flinched at Donnie's tone, but when another hand graced his shoulder, his posture relaxed. Looking to his right, a lime green hand caught his attention, "R-Raph?" Mikey cried. Raphael's form was lit with white accents, looking the exact same as when he appeared to Leonardo.

"I'm here, Mikey." his calm voice sent a whole new wave of emotions over the remaining brothers. Mikey's right eye was now lit to a bright yellow, a true sign that his power was increasing. With a curt nod to Donnie, Raph faced the portal and helped his brothers balance the mystic power flowing through them. Little by little the portal opened more and more, Mikey released a painful scream as his entire being chipped away.

But it wasn't strong enough, even with the three brothers using all their might. Donnie shook his head, a few more tears dribbling down his cheeks, "It's not working!"

"I-I don't know what to do!" Mikey cried out, his hands shaking. A shiver crept up Donnie's spine, turning his head away from the partially formed portal, he caught a small figure in the distance. The figure was lit all in white, a ghostly green aura surrounding them. Stepping forward, the height of the individual shrunk until they were just above Donnie's hip.

"D-dad?" Donatello questioned, his voice wavering. Splinter placed cold hands along his two son's arms, wrapping a comforting tail around Raph's legs. Although Mikey and Donnie couldn't feel his usually warm touch, they did feel a warmth radiate their hearts.

"My sons." Splinter spoke.

With the final member of the Hamato clan beside them, Mikey let out a roar as the mystic magic spluttering from his hands formed an orange portal. Every ounce of love, grief and hope went into creating it.

The view inside the portal swiftly changed from the docks of Staten Island to the deep purples and navy blues of the Prison Dimension. The entire place was desolate, save for a few spiralling rocks and the lone body floating without meaning.

"Leo?" Donnie questioned, but once he caught sight of that blue bandana, Donnie all but screamed his name, "LEO!"

Said turtle slowly turned around, eyes wide and blurry. A small smile lit up his face, even if the action caused him to wince, "Took you guys long enough." he joked. With an outstretched arm, Leo waited for his brothers to pull him in. Donnie formed a long extension of his bo staff, like a fireman's ladder it effectively reached Leo long enough for him to grab a hold of it and slowly pull him back.

But a dimmer shadow lay lurking in the dark, the Kraang Leader leapt from crumbled buildings to burning cars; clawing his way to the injured turtle. His right eye twitched, no doubt from the pure anger that fueled him, "You shall not escape me, Leonardo!" he wailed.

"No, no, no, not again." Mikey mumbled out, he shrieked and a powerful orange wave burst from his chest. Leo held onto Donnie's bo stick for dear life, while the Kraang was sent flying into the deep depths of space, "NOOOOOooooo!" his voice fading out.

With the threat now gone, Donnie continued to pull Leo back into the real world, all while the possibility of Mikey accidentally closing the portal was very real. When Donnie's hand grabbed at Leo's, his bemused twin swore he'd never let go. Leo collapsed into Donnie's arms, nearly bringing the soft-shell turtle down with him.

The genius carefully laid Leo down onto his shell, closely examining him and frowning at all the possible internal injuries that no doubt plagued his body. Mikey looked at Leo with a smile, the flakes of his skin had not been restored when the portal closed, and Mikey's whole frame began to shake.

"I-I feel like jelly..." were his last words before he passed out, colliding with the floor. Donnie and Leo called out his name, but it fell on deaf ears. Donnie left Leo's side, how was he meant to look after two brothers all on his own?

The spirits of Raph and Splinter watched on, and although they felt present, they couldn't do much to help but look on in worry. Leo looked over to their father, fresh tears falling, "Dad..." he whispered. Splinter switched his attention to the newly crested leader, his ears twitching, "Blue-" he stopped. He grabbed his ears, a painful expression on his face. Raph grabbed his father's shoulder, "Pops, what's wrong?"

"I-I feel another." was all he said, looking off towards the city. Leo tried to follow his gaze, but any head movement caused a tremendous amount of pain, "Is Mikey?" he trailed off, unwilling to truly finish his thought.

Splinter shook his head, "No, his spirit is still very much in reality."

"I can confirm Mikey is just tired, maybe?" Donnie shut one of Mikey's eyelids. Leo cringed while moving to a sitting position, "Maybe?"

"Weeeell, he could be like this for an unknown number of days."

"Donnie, you just described a coma." Leo pointed out, Donnie shrugged his shoulders, "Oh, did I? Weird. Anyway, from what I can gather he seems to be fine. Vitals are steady and his breathing is fine, we just need to get him somewhere comfortable and wait."

"Dad," Leo wanted to ask his father what he meant by 'there is another', but found that his chance was gone. The spot where Raphael and Splinter stood was empty, blank, void of any supernatural spirits.

"Donnie, we need to get to the others. I need to see (Y/N)."

"And how do you suppose we do that, Mikey's unconscious. And if you haven't noticed, you're severely injured? Besides we have no way of getting out of here." Donnie threw his arms up in the air, today had been a very long day.

"Where is here exactly?"

"New Jersey."

Leo cringed, "Ugh, New Jersey? Are you kiddin' me?"

--

The blue handle made it harder to sit like a normal human being, but that was the least of your problems. What alarmed you more than anything is that you wouldn't be able to see you're family again, explain to them why this had happened; tell them about the double life you lived.

But you smiled in comfort at the thought of possibly being able to see Leo again, heck, maybe even Raph and Splinter if that afterlife place was real. Though you were certain you were the only one comfortable with dying, April and Casey were surrounding you with guilty chants and pleas to keep your eyes open.

They were good friends, well April was. Casey you had only known for a few hours, but he seemed like a nice kid. There was no doubt in your mind that you would have been good friends in the future. Speaking of the future, you could see it in Casey's eyes that this had happened before. Something about the look of deja vu that crossed his face.

Had you died in the future?

"(Y/N)?", you creased your eyes shut as a blue portal formed in the distance. The light hurt, and you would have made a joke about heaven and shit, but now didn't feel like the right time. Leo was being held up by Donnie's right arm, limping over to you with hurry. April and Casey moved out of the way, rushing to help Donnie who was carrying an unconscious Mikey over his left shoulder.

Leo's jaw dropped when he caught his blade plunged into your chest, his throat ran dry. His hands moved to cup your face, thumbing away the tears that were threatening to break through "H-how?" he stuttered out.

You let a whimper fall past your lips, your breath cold, "Just my l-luck, right?" you tried to smile. Leo held back a sob, not you, he couldn't lose you. One of your hands managed to grab a hold of his own, squeezing with everything you had left, "I'll say hello for you." your sweet voice becoming breathless.

Leo squeezed back with just as much love, "You better look after them up there, my dad may be a ninja master but he's also pretty senile." You tried to laugh, you really did, but it ended with you in a coughing fit. Leo looked panicked, holding your shoulder to keep you upright, "Hey, calm down, I still need to take you on that pizza date. I-if you leave, then I'll make you pay for the n-next one."

"I'll p-pay for all of them." Leo looked into your eyes, watching the life drain from your face and the colour of your cheeks pale, "Please don't go." he whimpered, lip trembling. You rubbed a bloodied hand against his cheek, cooing at him, "I have to say goodbye."

"What if I don't want to say goodbye? Please, just let me be selfish this once. Stay with me." he begged, invading your personal space as much as he could, he needed to feel you before he lost the chance. You once again smiled, this time, however, your lips barely moved.

"I'll be waiting for you, I promise."

That line almost broke Leo, "A-and you always k-keep your p-promises." You nodded weakly, Leo leaned in closer, smushing his lips against yours. You followed along, the last of your remaining strength sent into making sure he knew you loved him. You held back the trembling lips and the cracked voice, he didn't need to hear that.

As you kissed, Leo could feel the lack of your presence against him. He could no longer feel you pushing. Pulling away, Leo didn't need to look to know. He just tugged you into his chest, kissing your head and relaying that he loved you.

"I love you so god damn much." he wheezed, tightening his hold on you. And that's where he sat for hours, scared to let you go. His remaining family all bowed their heads, the clean up on New York could wait. Leo's cries for you to come back, to wake up, echoed along the city streets. But he knew deep down, that everything must come to an end.

[toastedkiwi]

does pen pal!reader ever move to Kansas City with Travis? If so how long into their relationship is it? How does his family and teammates react?

A job opportunity has her saying “fuck it” and moving out there especially knowing that Travis is out there and she’s not moving to a place where she knows nobody. She got a 6 month lease on an apartment- the fucking Chiefs moved her in even though she didn’t have much especially since she came from such a small apartment in New York with roommates. But two months in, she’s barely there because she’s constantly over at Travis’ making out with him on his very comfortable couch. Her cat had made it home at Travis’ since the fifth week and neither of them have been able to catch Tom to bring him to her apartment. By month five, Travis is coming over with boxes and informing her that she’s moving in with him. He was also paying for her rent since the third month because she had left that info out on her laptop and she didn’t even notice.

I’m thinking two-three months after meeting for the first time.

His teammates aren’t that shocked. It was more shocking that Jerry isn’t a fugly old guy. His family isn’t that shocked either with how he’s spoken about her. It was very clear that Travis loves her and sees a future with his Jerry.

[cr4zy-esm3]

"NEW YORK CITY KIDS MOVIE"

Characters:

- Josh and Blue (Blue's Clues and You)

- Tom and Jerry (Tom and Jerry)

- Ryder and Chase (Paw Patrol)

- Baby Shark and William (Baby Shark Big Movie/Show)

Here's an explanation on why I done this :D

[from-memphis-with-love]

Let's talk about Hound Dog

With the upcoming release of the movie Priscilla, it seems that there are tons of trolls out and about on Tumblr trying to inundate the #Elvis tag with lies and misinformation about Elvis.

Like, for one, that he stole music from black recording artists. One of the most pervasive--and incorrect--rumors specifically revolves around the song "Hound Dog."

People say that Elvis stole the song from Big Mama Thornton, a talented (and black) rhythm and blues singer/songwriter.

But what if I told you that "Hound Dog" was written by two Jewish guys?

And that Elvis' rendition was not based on Big Mama Thornton's 1952 version, but rather on Freddie Bell & the Bellboys 1955 version?

First, let's talk about how the song came to be in the first place.

In 1952, bandleader Johnny Otis introduced Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton to songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who were inspired by her powerful and gritty blues style to write the song. Characterized by its bold lyrics and Thornton’s robust delivery, the song told the story of a woman dismissing a useless man from her life, with the iconic opening line serving as a euphemism for a man who is a burden rather than a benefit ("You ain't nothing but a hound dog/Been snoopin' 'round my door/You can wag your tail/But I ain't gon' feed you no more").

The writing process was influenced by both Thornton's imposing physical presence and vocal style and sought to capture her fierce and unapologetic personality without using explicit language.

And quite frankly, the song is kick ass. Have a listen here:

It was written for a woman to vocally chastise her selfish and exploitative man, making use of metaphor and sexual double entendre common in the bawdy genre, and effectively embodied Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton's robust and unapologetic persona.

In a stroke of genius, Leiber and Stoller crafted the iconic piece in just 12 to 15 minutes, with Leiber jotting down the lyrics spontaneously during a car ride. The process involved a challenging rhyme scheme and a complex metric structure of the music. In addition to the original version, they also created an alternate version titled "Tom Cat," adding diversity to Thornton's musical repertoire.

Thornton’s rendition of "Hound Dog" played a pivotal role in transitioning black R&B into rock music and symbolized the blending of racial lines in music ahead of legal desegregation in public schools. Initially, Thornton performed the song as a ballad, but Leiber and Stoller, who held her version as their favorite, guided her to the more rhythmic and edgy style that became iconic. New York University music professor Maureen Mahon highlights the significance of Thornton's version as "an important [part of the] beginning of rock-and-roll, especially in its use of the guitar as the key instrument."

Many assert that Elvis was the first to cover her song, but that is untrue. By the end of 1953, at least six "answer songs" that responded to 'Big Mama' Thornton's original version were released. According to Peacock Records' Don Robey (who, it would come to be known, defrauded Leiber, Stoller, and Big Mama Thornton out of money for "Hound Dog"), these songs were "bastardizations" of the original and reduced its sales potential.

By 1955, enter Freddie Bell and the Bellboys.

In 1955, Bernie Lowe of Teen Records believed "Hound Dog" could have a broader appeal and commissioned Freddie Bell of Freddie Bell and the Bellboys to rewrite and sanitize the song for mainstream audiences.

Jerry Leiber found these alterations irritating, criticizing the new lyrics for making "no sense", even though the modified version became a regular feature in Bell and the Bellboys’ Las Vegas act.

You can listen to their version here. Sound familiar?

Finally, we come to Elvis.

In 1956, Presley and his band first heard "Hound Dog" while they were in Las Vegas, where they were booked to perform at the Venus Room of the New Frontier Hotel and Casino. During their stay from April 23 to May 6 of that year, they encountered the song at the Sands Casino, where Freddie Bell and the Bellboys were performing their sanitized version of the tune, having transformed it from a racy song about a disappointing lover into a song literally about a dog.

Elvis Presley was instantly captivated by the song. Its catchy melody and lyrics had him returning to the performance multiple times to grasp its chords and lyrics fully. Scotty Moore, Presley's guitarist, and D.J. Fontana, his drummer, corroborated that Elvis was heavily influenced by the Bellboys’ version of the song. Presley, although acquainted with Big Mama Thornton's original bluesy version, was more drawn to the Bellboys' rock and roll, more comedic rendition.

Soon after, Presley introduced "Hound Dog" to his own live performances, first showcasing it at the New Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas. Initially, his execution of the song bore a more measured pace and almost burlesque feel, influenced directly by the Bellboys’ comical, Las Vegas-style performance.

At around 1:30 in the video below, you can see and hear the slowed-down version as Elvis might have performed it in Las Vegas.

It was not long before the song became a staple in Presley’s performances, and a twangy guitar and a hard-driving rock and roll beat were added, making its debut as the closing number at the Ellis Auditorium in Memphis on May 15, 1956. The audience of 7,000 at the Memphis Cotton Festival witnessed the inception of what would become a classic element in Presley’s shows, enduring for a time as his standard closer.

Elvis Presley’s version of "Hound Dog" is not considered a direct lift of Thornton’s original, but rather an adaptation of a song that had not reached the status of a "standard" in the music industry. Presley encountered the song through the Bellboys’ version, which was itself one of a number of covers of the original. Furthermore, respected music analysts and critics, including George Plasketes and Michael Coyle, emphasize that most of the audience in Presley's era were not familiar with Thornton's 1953 original recording, and thus, Presley's version cannot be perceived as a theft or usurpation.

Moreover, it is essential to highlight that Presley held a deep respect for Thornton’s original version and even had a copy in his personal record collection, indicating an acknowledgment of the song's origins.

Presley's rendition of "Hound Dog," influential as it became, was part of the broader practice of artists adapting and interpreting songs to suit different styles and audiences. Presley's had often recounted his admiration for other renditions and related songs--and often rebuked the notion that he was the King of Rock and Roll, instead preferring to refer to Fats Domino with the title.

Contrary to persistent stereotypes suggesting Elvis Presley claimed sole credit for the rise of rock and roll, the singer himself acknowledged the black community’s paramount contribution to the genre. In a 1957 interview with Jet magazine, Presley openly dismissed the notion of being the originator of the genre.

In the interview, he expressed his admiration for black musicians, conceding that his own renditions could not match the authenticity and soul of artists like Fats Domino. Elvis cited his childhood experiences attending black churches, such as Rev. Brewster’s church in Memphis, as instrumental in fostering his love for the music that would later define his career. Through such statements, Elvis sought to underscore the black community's foundational role in shaping rock and roll.

His open admiration for and familiarity with black music and black artists proved that his interpretation of "Hound Dog" was not an act of appropriation, but rather a contribution to the evolving landscape of rock and roll.

[digitalmidnight]

Times Tom and Jerry kiss list [as of 2023]:

Total of 36

Pick your era:

Classics (1940-1967) 21

The Tom and Jerry show (2014) 8

Misc (movies, comics, and the other series that had only small amounts of kisses) 7

Or just look under tag "Tom and Jerry Kiss List"

Some fun facts, Reasoning and the Grand List below the readmore!

*If I missed one please provide the name of the episode and year/what series it would be in so I can find it and add it. Does not count hugging, nuzzling, blowing kisses, licking or foreheads knocking together [unless there is a kiss sound effect]. Does not count Tom or Jerry kissing anyone else [ie. Tom kissing Toodles]. Only counts instances of kisses, so if Jerry kisses Tom 7 times in the same scene, it only counts as 1 kiss.

Fun facts:

The era with the most kisses is Hanna-Barbera with 16, followed by The Tom and Jerry Show (2014) with 8 and Chuck Jones with 4.

Tom initiated the most kisses by 8! Tom initiated 21 times and Jerry 13, with 2 kisses listed under other/undetermined*

Counting only classics, Tom initiated 14 times and Jerry 7 times.

Counting everything but classics, Tom initiated 7 times and Jerry initiated 6.

The only era with more than 1 kiss that Jerry beat Tom in initiating kisses is The Tom and Jerry Show (2014). Tom initiated 3 times and Jerry 4 times, however one of the ones counted under Jerry is technically accidental [episode Kiss and Makeup]

There is little to no overlap in their reasoning for kissing. The only overlap is in the accidental category.

The only Tom and Jerry movie with a kiss between them [as of 2023] is the Tom and Jerry Movie (2021).

Their first kiss is in the third short released, The Night Before Christmas (1941)

Their latest kiss is in Tom and Jerry in New York, episode Dream Team. Released July 1st, 2021

Kisses by era counter:

Hanna-Barbera: 16

Tom and Jerry Show (2014): 8

Chuck Jones: 4

Tom and Jerry Tales: 2

Eras with 1 Kiss:

Gene Deitch

Tom and Jerry Dell Comics

The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show

Tom and Jerry Kids

Tom and Jerry Movie (2021)

Tom and Jerry in New York

Kisses by reasons counter: Categories subjective to me

Tom:

Thanks/Please/Sorry: 9

Friend Proof: 7

Personality Change: 3

Tom's reasons with 1 kiss:

In Love with different character [Springtime for Thomas (1946)]

Accident [Guilded Mouse Ille (1967). First kiss was accident, so counted under accidental.]

Jerry:

Taunt 4

Glad you are back/Glad I am back: 3

In Love: 2 [The Brothers carry the Mouse (1965) and TJ Show (2014)'s Bottled Up Emotions]

3. Taunting someone else: 2

Jerry's reasons with 1 kiss:

Distraction [The Night before Christmas. Initiates by holding mistletoe and inviting Tom to kiss him]

Accident [Tom and Jerry Show (2014) Kiss and Makeup. Throws himself between Tom and Toodles to save Tom. Accidentally gets kiss on cheek from both.]

Other category is for stuff that I genuinely struggled to find/write reason for OR it's kinda unclear what/who it should count for. For instance, in the Tom and Jerry show (2014) episode Return to Sender, they were pushed together by a wizard and forced to kiss. Other is not counted under either Tom and Jerry and so is not in the counter.

THE MEGA LIST (ORGANIZED BY ERA YEAR)

Hanna-Barbera [1940-1958] 16

The Night Before Christmas (1941) While running from Tom, Jerry spots mistletoe tucked in the wrapping of a present. He grabs it and holds it over his head. Tom immediately stops, to which Jerry points at the mistletoe and then makes a kissing gesture. Tom pouts, then becomes bashful, then gives Jerry a kiss. (Counts under Jerry)

Sufferin' Cats (1942) Jerry previously made Tom jealous by kissing another cat [Meathead]. When Meathead tries to eat Jerry, Jerry does the same move to Tom. He jumps on Tom's shoulder, kisses Tom, sticks out his tongue to Meathead, then snuggles Tom.

The Million Dollar Cat (1944) Tom gets a million dollars so long as he doesn't harm Jerry. When Jerry follows him to his new home, Tom goes to attack him when Jerry points out the telegram. Tom kisses Jerry's cheek, then tries to flee.

The Bodyguard (1944) Spike becomes Jerry's bodyguard after Jerry saves him. Tom chases Jerry with a pipe all the way to spike. After seeing the teeth, he picks up Jerry, kisses his cheek, puts him in a baby carriage, pretends the pipe is a musical instrument, then runs.

Mouse in Manhattan (1945) After discovering the solo city life sucks, Jerry runs back to his home to find Tom still asleep. He rips apart the letter he wrote Tom then peppers him in kisses, to Tom’s complete confusion.

Springtime for Thomas (1946) Tom sees a pretty cat [Toodles] in his neighbors yard. He gets heart eyes, kisses Jerry (who is jealous and offended Tom isn't chasing him), then calls out to and waves to Toodles.

The Truce Hurts (1948) Tom, Jerry and the dog [Spike] make a treaty to be friends. When Tom sees Jerry about to be attacked by an alley cat [Butch], Tom saves him then kisses his cheek before letting him go.

Heavenly Puss (1949) 1. Tom can only get on the heavenly express if Jerry forgives him. Jerry rips up the certificate of forgiveness, so Tom is about to hit him. When the devil appears and tries to encourage Tom to hit Jerry, Tom smothers Jerry in kisses.

Heavenly Puss (1949) 2. The events of the episode were a dream. When Tom wakes up, he gives Jerry many kisses and nuzzles him, to Jerry's confusion. (Counting under Thanks)

Jerry's Cousin (1951) Muscles scares Tom enough that Tom kisses his feet when he whistles as a sign of deference. Muscles then gives Jerry his outfit and tells Jerry he only needs to whistle. Jerry whistles and Tom kisses his feet. (Counting under thanks/please/sorry)

Nit Witty Kitty (1951) 1. Tom gets hit on the head and thinks he's a mouse. As a mouse he offers Jerry cheese, then retracts the offer and eats it himself. When Jerry goes inside his mouse hole, he tries to follow. To Jerry's surprise, he kisses Jerry's cheek the shoves himself in the mouse hole.

Nit Witty Kitty (1951) 2. After being annoyed with Tom acting as a mouse, Jerry tries to hit his head and return him to normal. When he succeedes and Tom is back to normal again, Jerry is so happy he gives Tom a large kiss on the lips.

Nit Witty Kitty (1951) 3. Tom is hit on the head again by his owner and returned to being a mouse. When Jerry goes to sit on his bed in disappointment, Tom goes in the mouse hole and kisses his cheek, then steals his bed.

Hic cup Pup (1954) Spike will beat up Tom if he wakes Tyke. Jerry straps horns to his feet, goes to where Tom is waiting outside his house hole and gives him a big kiss under his nose, barks, and then they chase.

Little School Mouse (1954) Tuffy, after passing how to outwit cats tests by being nice to Tom, teaches that cats and mice should be friends. Jerry shakes his head in disagreement. Tom nodds his head in agreement wirh Tuffy, takes off Jerry's dunce hat, then kisses Jerry on the forehead.

Mouse for Sale (1955) Jerry is treated as a dancing house pet so long as he is colored white. Tom eventually paints himself white and the owner agrees to let him in "but you must promise to be friends [with Jerry]". He gives Jerry a little kiss and nods. He then dances to beat up Jerry.

Tom and Jerry Dell Comics (1949-1980) 1

#106 (May, 1953): Tom abandons chasing Jerry and Tuffy in favor of trying to hunt a bird. Jerry and Tuffy get jealous and try to dress up like the bird so Tom would still technically be chasing them. Tom shoots the "bird" and a woman gets angry at him for hunting it. Jerry and Tuffy go to rescue Tom from the woman by scaring her, she lets Tom go. They chase briefly before Tom catches them and gives Jerry a kiss for helping him out.

Gene Deitch [1961-1962] 1

Buddies Thicker than Water (1962) Tom is freezing and starving while Jerry is hidden in a penthouse. After Jerry drags him inside and warms him with a heated blanket, Tom gives Jerry a kiss on the cheek. Jerry then makes him instant food.

Chuck Jones [1963-1967] 4

Is There a Doctor in the Mouse? (1964) Jerry invents a potion that makes him go fast and eats Tom's food before he can. After eating the banana, he tries running away in the peel. Tom picks him up and peels back the banana peel. Jerry gives him a peck on the lips, then escapes right as the potion fails.

Ah, Sweet Mouse Story of Life (1965) Tom gets stretched after chasing Jerry down a downtake pipe. Jerry helps him escape by blowing the air horn. Tom thanks him by giving him many kisses on his forehead. Jerry wants more kisses, but Tom realizes Jerry tastes delicious and tries to bite him. Tom is still long.

The Brothers Carry Mouse Off (1965) Tom puts on a costume and perfume to look like a female mouse. Jerry instantly falls for it and kisses his hand and arms. However, many other mice also fall for Tom, and so Jerry continues kissing a path away from Tom. Jerry then watches the disguised Tom get chased by a bunch of cats as the camera pans to a heart on the tree and then the end credits.

Guilded Mouse ille (1967) Tom gets blasted back to the stone age. Tom is about to clobber Jerry when Jerry offers him the bone he was nibbling on to share. While nibbling, Tom accidentally kisses Jerry. Realizing he is tasty, he gives Jerry several kisses on the cheek. Then tries to actually eat him. (Counting under other)

The Tom and Jerry Comedy show (1980-1982) 1

Farewell, Sweet Mouse: Tom floods Jerry's mouse hole, the resulting water pushes him into the rain and pops his balloon, leading Tom to gleefully think he drowned. When Tom gets back, he looks at a picture of him and Jerry, imagines Jerry as an angel, and Angel Jerry kisses picture him's cheek. (Counted under other category due to it being a Jerry kiss, but Tom's imagination.)

Tom and Jerry Kids (1990-1993) 1

Hawkeye Tom: in a move that's a similar to Sufferin' Cats and A Mouse in the House , Jerry puts himself in Tom's hands then kisses Tom's cheek before sticking his tongue out in taunt to a bird.

Tom and Jerry tales (2006-2008) 2

Abracadumb: Tom was looking for Jerry under cups, but Jerry was on Tom's shoulder. Before Tom can retaliate against Jerry, Jerry gives him a kiss on the cheek and gets caught between Tom's hand

Don't bring your pet to School day: Tom tries to eat Jerry. Tom's owner tells Tom to say he's sorry to Jerry. Tom gives Jerry a kiss on the forehead. And again. Once more that's more of a suck and then he eats him.

The Tom and Jerry Show (2014) (2014-2021?) 8

Bottled Up Emotions: Love potion (in bubble form) hits Jerry and he falls in love with Tom. Kisses his nose. Kisses his hand when Tom tries to shove him off. Kisses feet when Tom tries to push him away.

Return to Sender: Flower shop owner picks Tom and Jerry by scruffs of their neck, sings "take a chance, to romance", then forces them to kiss

Splinter of Discontent: Tom begs Jerry and Tuffy for help as Tyke has a splinter and Spike is threatening to hurt him. Jerry agrees to help and Tom kisses his feet.

Catitude Adjustment: Tom had been under a spell that made him too clingey/nice to Jerry. At the end of the episode they get him back to normal and he chases Jerry again. Jerry makes a stop gesture, Tom leans down and glares, Jerry gives Tom a kiss with a heart to Tom's confusion.

From Riches to Rags: Jerry, after losing to Tom all day and going to bed starving, has a dream where Tom is his servant and Jerry harasses Tom until they get into a fight. After getting hit by a chandelier he wakes up, runs downstairs to Tom who is asleep, gives him a hug and kiss on the nose, lookes sheepish, kicks his nose and then the episode ends as they chase one another.

Kiss and Makeup: Toodles (Called Misty Makeup Marvin in this short) has magic and wants to kiss Tom with this evil Lipstick in hopes to mind control(?) him so she can retire in the haunted mansion he lives in. Jerry and Tuffy have been trying to prevent this kiss from happening. When Toodles goes for a kiss on the couch, Jerry jumps in between and gets a kiss from both of them on the cheeks. Then Jerry turns into a bat.

Mirror Image: Tom gets stuck in the mirror dimension and there's an evil mirror Tom in the real world. Tuffy, who is trapped with Tom, tells Jerry to make the evil Tom touch the mirror so they can get out. Jerry does so, and Tom escapes with both Tuffy and Jerry in his hands. He gives them both a kiss on a cheek before laughing at his mirror self's misfortune.

Pumpkin Punks: Jerry is hiding in root vegetables, popping out to taunt Tom, then going back underground. When Tom gets tired, he pops out and gives him a kiss on the cheek with lots of hearts (then waves and runs away so Tom can chase him)

Tom and Jerry Movie (2021) 1

1:33:50 Spike, Tom and Jerry begin to chase and start to destroy the wedding. Human cast gives them disapproving look. Spike apologies and Tom kisses Jerry to show they are friends. Tom closes ending curtain then goes back to chasing Jerry

Tom and Jerry in New York (2021-) 1

Dream Team: Tom dreams he's in a basketball game against Butch, but due to cheating/skill he has no points. Jerry climbs into the ball and helps him win, however becomes very dizzy. When he topples out of the ball, Tom picks him up and gives him several kisses. Then he gives the real Jerry an ice cream bar, to Jerry's confusion. (Tom's imagination but we're counting it under Tom kiss)

[geekcavepodcast]

"DC Finest" Collections to Focus on Characters and Genres

DC Comics has announced DC Finest, a new set of large-size paperback collections that will focus on characters, genres, and periods in the DC library. For example, a "Robin" collection or "Green Lantern" collection may feature multiple characters who have donned the mantles.

The first DC Finest collections include:

"DC Finest – The Flash: The Human Thunderbolt - classic adventures of Silver Age Flash Barry Allen by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, including 1956’s iconic Showcase #4 and stories that include the first appearances of Captain Cold, Mirror Master, Gorilla Grodd, and other Flash rogues.

DC Finest – Batman: Year One & Two - collects stories set after Crisis on Infinite Earths like Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's Batman: Year One and Mike W. Barr and Todd McFarlane's Batman: Year Two in addition to ’80s Batman stories from Barr, Max Allan Collins, Norm Breyfogle, and more.

DC Finest – Wonder Woman: Origins & Omens - "spotlights fan-favorite writer Gail Simone’s run on Wonder Woman, starting with 2007’s “The Circle,” with artist Terry Dodson, plus celebrated story arcs “Ends of the Earth,” “Rise of the Olympian,” and “Warkiller,” featuring art by Aaron Lopresti." (DC Comics)

DC Finest – Catwoman: Life Lines - collects "Catwoman’s 1989 solo debut by Mindy Newell and J.J. Birch, Peter Milligan and Tom Grindberg’s Catwoman Defiant from 1992, and the first year of DC’s Catwoman ongoing series, by writer Jo Duffy and artist Jim Balent." (DC Comics)

DC Finest – Superman: The Coming of Superman - collects "the Man of Steel’s earliest and most iconic adventures, starting with Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s groundbreaking Action Comics #1." (DC Comics) The collection also includes Action Comics #1-25, Superman #1-5, and New York World’s Fair Comics #1.

(Image via DC Comics - Promo Picture for DC Finest)

[tootern2345]

I love how excited Jerry is here lol

From the 1932 Tom & Jerry toon. A Spanish Twist.

Directed by John Foster & George Stallings for Van Beuren

[grem-archive]

Pspsps may we ask for some romerica headcanons/thoughts? 👀👀

A great majority of these are between the esteemed @temtamtom and me! I think I accidentally converted you to Romericism Tem, so I apologize. I hope you heal soon :facedowncrying: also I am sorry in advance that there are so many. There are just as many more that I’m not including.

Romano is a respectful short king at 165 cm/5’5” next to Alfred’s 188 cm/6’2”. Poor Roma is also in an entirely different weight class; 55 kg compared to 102 kg.

“Romano dates what he can’t have (fat ass and big titties).”

“If you don’t love me like Hadrian loved Antinous it’s not worth it.”

This is 100% a Zoomer BF & Boomer BF situation. Alfred had to teach Romano how to use Zoom and FaceTime and always uses strange magic Gen Z words that leave Romano bewildered. Alfred’s “she eb on my nezer til I Scrooge” to Romano’s “look at this funny minion meme I found” (it’s 8 years outdated).

Romano loves paired dances and Alfred has a fair bit of energy. They adore swing dance and jive! When determined they’ll clear the room to listen to their old records and swing.

Related to this, they love to dance together in general and sing. They’ve made a playlist for doing their home chores when together and it’s chock full of songs both know by heart; both in English and Italian. And the amount of dancing they do to distract themselves? Immense. We’re talking a disco outbreak in the hall, Alfred starting to do the hand jive and Romano joining. They have fun.

They love watching westerns together. And I do mean love. We call Romerica “Spaghetti Western” in this house! And we’re not saying Romano has a cowboy kink, but he’s got a cowboy kink. Will find any excuse to get Alfred into some version of western wear (he’s usually pretty willing, it’s really not that hard).

Alfred lets Romano dress him up like a Ken Doll. He's just happy to be spending time with Roma, who, let's be real, has a much better fashion sense. Romano also has a history of patching up Alfred's clothes and uniforms, sometimes hiding hidden stitched hearts on the former.

They cook for each other a lot. The way to both their hearts are through their stomachs and it’s very obvious at times. Food driven to the core.

“Your cooking is going to make me fat.” Romano complains. “Y’know you don’t have to eat it if you don’t want to.” Alfred replies. Romano scrunches his nose, “Don’t tell me what to do.” He then takes another bite.

When Romano first arrived in New York, he knew very little English. On the other hand, Alfred knew very little Italian, if any. Communication was a very glaring issue in the beginning. They figured out that they both knew Spanish and could communicate that way until they taught each other more of their respective languages.

We’re not calling Alfred Romano’s sugar daddy, but hey, it doesn’t hurt when your beefcake boyfriend has a shiny credit card and makes a wonderful bag carrier :shrugs:

Romano’s common household weapons: the wooden spoon (the only actual weapon), the rolling pin (threat only), a comically large frying pan (threat only unless they’re getting up to Tom & Jerry shenanigans), and a comically long pizza paddle (for long range ass-smacking). However, Alfred has started learning to declaw the rolling pin threats by responding with “That’s so hot,” or some equivalent. Romano is having to rethink some of his battle plans.

Both are serial cuddlers when they’re together, but Romano is more confident in bolder displays of PDA and touchier overall. A hand on Alfred’s back or waist as he passes by, a kiss to the shoulder. Alfred, taking advantage of his height, loves hugging Romano from behind and resting his chin on Romano’s head.

Alfred loves to carry Romano and pick him up. Romano complains but never actually means it. In fact, he loves it but is simply a stubborn fool.

Alfred has beef with Romano’s pet rooster, Ugo. Ugo is the only force that could make Alfred F. Jones, the United States of America, run for his life. Fear the peck!

Romano is the bedtime enforcer in this relationship. Alfred’s sleep schedule is pretty shit and Romano loves his sleep (and his cuddles). When they visit each other, he often has to physically drag Alfred to bed. They also nap together, though often it’s just Romano that ends up sleeping.

Alfred is constantly fascinated with Romano’s stories from childhood or at least the Nation equivalent of such. The number of things Romano and Veneziano can remember from times far before Alfred or frequent guest Ludwig ever existed blows his mind. He’s always asking for more. It’s both his natural wonder and curiosity, but also the archaeologist in him.

Alfred F. “Hey Romano babe can I bench press you? I wanna hold you but I gotta get my workout in.” Jones. Does squats with Romano on his back. Will be doing sit-ups with Romano sitting on him so he can give him smooches on the up. Romano complains about the sweat but doesn’t actually make any moves to get up or leave.

Both are romantics in their own way, but in this dynamic, Romano is the one who typically initiates the moment. Alfred is usually the one who ruins the moment with a joke but in the most affectionate way possible. He’s embarrassing, but he’s Romano’s.

Alfred and Ludwig have made their own joint study of the way Romano and Veneziano use their hands when they speak. I wish I had their notes.

Over time they’ve learned each other’s old full names and use them. Not that they have much of an effect, it’s more a silly than anything. But it is still a jumpscare. Alfred Fly-from-Fornication Kirkland versus Publius Romilius Romanus Regillus. Who wins?

If they encounter some bullshit together in public, Romano is the “I’m going to kick your ass.” Alfred is the “And I’m about to hand him the chair.” That, or he’s picking Romano up and carrying him away.

[therecordchanger62279]

THE BEST WRITTEN SONGS OF ALL-TIME

     Because I have zero innate musical ability, the idea that someone can sit down with a musical instrument, and create an original song out of thin air is magic to me. Songwriting is a craft, but it’s inspiration that makes a good song into a great one. There are songwriters who seem able to turn out high quality songs in perpetuity. There are others who write maybe one or two great songs, and are never heard from again. So, I made a list of what I think are the 50 best written songs I’ve ever heard. These are in no particular order. I’ve listed the title followed by the songwriter or songwriters, and in parentheses is the performer I most enjoy hearing do the song – although most of these songs have been recorded countless times by a variety of artists. You can probably find all of these on YouTube or any of the streaming services. Most have lyrics, but some do not. But, it’s hard for me to imagine any of these songs being recorded by anyone with talent, and not retaining the brilliance with which the song was written.

Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy (Eugene Ormandy & The Philadelphia Orchestra)

Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin (Zubin Mehta & The New York Philharmonic, Gary Graffman, piano)

A Change Is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke (Sam Cooke)

Coal Miner’s Daughter by Loretta Lynn (Loretta Lynn)

Hello Walls by Willie Nelson (Faron Young)

I Left My Heart In San Francisco by George Cory and Douglass Cross (Tony Bennett)

God Bless The Child by Arthur Herzog, Jr. and Billie Holiday (Billie Holiday)

Eleanor Rigby by Paul McCartney and John Lennon (The Beatles)

Blind Willie McTell by Bob Dylan (Bob Dylan)

A Remark You Made by Wayne Shorter (Weather Report)

She’s Always a Woman by Billy Joel (Billy Joel)

Roll Me Away by Bob Seger (Bob Seger)

Margie’s At the Lincoln Park Inn by Tom T. Hall (Bobby Bare)

Angel From Montgomery by John Prine (Bonnie Raitt and John Prine)

Rainy Night in Georgia by Tony Joe White (Brook Benton)

You Never Can Tell by Chuck Berry (Chuck Berry)

Where or When by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart (Dion and The Belmonts)

American Pie by Don McLean (Don McLean)

It Was a Very Good Year by Ervin Drake (Frank Sinatra)

Gentle On My Mind by John Hartford (Glen Campbell)

Early Morning Rain by Gordon Lightfoot (Gordon Lightfoot)

Book of Rules by Harry Johnson and Barry Llewellyn (The Heptones)

Highwayman by Jimmy Webb (The Highwaymen)

American Music by Ian Hunter (Ian Hunter & Mick Ronson)

That’s Entertainment by Paul Weller (The Jam)

Song of Bernadette by Leonard Cohen (Jennifer Warnes)

Jazzman by Carole King and David Palmer (Carole King)

Talking Back to The Night by Steve Winwood and Will Jennings (Steve Winwood)

My Favorite Things by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (John Coltrane)

Don’t It Make You Want to Go Home by Joe South (Joe South)

Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down by Kris Kristofferson (Kris Kristofferson)

Heart Like a Wheel by Anna McGarrigle (Linda Ronstadt)

I Am a Town by Mary-Chapin Carpenter (Mary-Chapin Carpenter)

Footprints by Wayne Shorter (Miles Davis Quintet)

Pleasant Valley Sunday by Gerry Goffin and Carole King (The Monkees)

This Old Town by Jon Vezner and Janis Ian (Nanci Griffith)

Brooklyn Roads by Neil Diamond (Neil Diamond)

Thrasher by Neil Young (Neil Young & Crazy Horse)

Box of Rain by Robert Hunter and Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead)

Is That All There Is? By Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller (Peggy Lee)

Louisiana 1927 by Randy Newman (Randy Newman)

King of the Road by Roger Miller (Roger Miller)

America by Paul Simon (Simon & Garfunkel)

The Sound of Silence by Paul Simon (Simon & Garfunkel)

Children’s Crusade by Sting (Sting)

My Girl by Smokey Robinson and Ronald White (The Temptations)

Green, Green Grass of Home by Claude “Curly” Putnam, Jr. (Tom Jones)

Downtown Train by Tom Waits (Tom Waits)

The Whole of The Moon by Mike Scott (The Waterboys)

My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys by Sharon Vaughn (Willie Nelson)

[strathshepard]

Lewis H. Lapham, editor of Harper’s Magazine, in 2004. 

I remember seeing, in a small East Village theater not long after I had moved to New York City, a reading by George Plimpton and Lewis Lapham of the written correspondence between F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. The two old friends sat on stage playing the part of those other old friends, Lapham reading Fitzgerald’s letters, as I remember it, and Plimpton playing the part of Hemingway. (The event was sponsored by Glemorangie or some other Scottish whisky; in the lobby reception afteward, my wife at the time accidentally spilled hers on Plimpton’s leg. He was very gracious about it. As I remember it.) 

We had been invited because in those years – the first-term Dubya years – I spent a good amount of time hanging around the offices of Harper’s Magazine with a few friends who worked there. They had the biggest O.E.D. I had ever seen, which for all I knew dated back to the magazine’s founding in 1850. The etymologies were wildly full. I would look things up while I waited for my friends to go get a beer at The Scratcher or Tom & Jerry’s or Botanica. As an outsider – I was in design school at Parsons – the scenes that played out daily in the offices and hallways of Harper’s, as well as the magazine it produced with Lapham at the helm, were absolutely riveting. It felt like a place where history and the now continuously circled each other in a ring, and this extended group of uniquely curious, sharp, thoughtful, very funny people gave it intensely critical side-eye and wrote about it. I think about that experience often and it brings me great inspiration.

Photography Neville Elder

[ptbf2002]

My Yes Shows List:

Spongebob Squarepants,

My Life As A Teenage Robot,

The Fairly Oddparents,

Rugrats,

All Grown Up,

Rocket Power,

The Adventures Of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius,

Danny Phantom,

T.U.F.F Puppy,

ICarly,

Victorious,

Sam And Cat,

Henry Danger,

Danger Force,

The Adventures Of Kid Danger,

The Amanda Show,

Kenan And Kel,

Big Time Rush,

It's Pony!

Ollie's Pack,

Bunsen Is A Beast,

Harvey Beaks,

The Loud House,

The Casagrandes,

Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi,

Teen Titans,

Pokemon,

Annoying Orange,

The Powerpuff Girls,

Dexter's Laboratory,

Johnny Bravo,

Cow And Chicken,

Ed Edd N Eddy,

Time Squad,

The Tom And Jerry Show,

The Grim Adventures Of Billy And Mandy, Codename: Kids Next Door,

Sheep In The Big City,

Courage The Cowardly Dog,

Foster's Home For Imaginary friends,

The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack,

Chowder,

Ben 10,

Ben 10 Alien Force,

Ben 10 Ultimate Alien,

Ben 10 Omniverse,

Adventure Time,

Regular Show,

Steven Universe,

Animaniacs,

The Looney Tunes Show,

Close Enough,

The Amazing World Of Gumball,

Elliott From Earth,

The Fungies!

Mao Mao, Heroes of Pure Heart,

Mighty Magiswords,

OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes,

Summer Camp Island,

Tig n' Seek,

Victor and Valentino,

Tom And Jerry In New York,

Phineas And Ferb,

Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil,

Wonder Over Yander,

Big City Greens,

Hamster And Grete

Pucca,

Jimmy Two Shoes,

Yin Yang Yo,

Milo Murphy's Law,

Star Vs. The Forces Of Evil,

Gravity Falls,

Ducktales,

House Of Mouse,

The Replacements,

Family Guy,

American Dad,

The Simpsons,

The Cleveland Show,

Bob's Burgers,

Bless The Harts,

Duncanville,

Beavis And Butt-Head,

King Of The Hill,

Rick And Morty,

Robot Chicken,

The Mr. Peabody And Sherman Show,

Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia,

Trolls: The Beat Goes On!

DreamWorks Dragons: Rescue Riders,

Home: Adventures Of Tip And Oh,

Harvey Street Kids/Harvey Girls Forever,

Glitch Techs,

Disenchantment,

Futurama,

Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous,

The Boss Baby: Back In Business,

Fast And Furious: Spy Racers,

Hilda,

Magiki,

Pac-Man And The Ghostly Adventures,

Shaun The Sheep,

Adventures Of Sonic The Hedgehog,

Sonic X,

Sonic Underground,

Sonic Boom,

Sonic Prime

Sonic Colors: Rise Of The Wisps

Transformers: Animated

Transformers: Prime

Transformers: Earthspark

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Rise Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Sally Bollywood,

And Arthur.

[elipheleh]

David Wojnarowicz - Photo

Continuing my series of learning about things referenced in the book, I'm looking at things Alex references when he talks about engaging with queer history. These are all tagged #a series of learning about things that are referenced in the book, if you want to block the tag.

This post will cover the AIDS pandemic, which means there will be discussion of an incredibly large number of deaths, as well as government neglect of AIDS patients due to homophobia. There will be talk of the grief from the queer community & the ways it was weaponised to protest in an attempt for fundamental change. This is not a light topic, please take appropriate care when reading. As this post is going to have a few different topics in, so I decided to actually start with a read more, rather than arbitrarily place it partway down, I'd do a list of what is covered in this post & then have it all behind the cut.

So, in order, this post covers: David Wojnarowicz; AIDS; ACT-UP. In the additional reading section is a section subtitled "NAMES AIDS Memorial Quilt". This is worth looking into if you aren't already aware.

David Wojnarowicz is the man in the photo shown above, and referenced by Alex in the book. He was an AIDS activist, artist, writer, and filmmaker - among other things. He drew on his personal experiences with AIDS for his art & his political activism. In 1988, Wojnarowicz wore the leather jacket pictured above, with a pink triangle underneath text reading "if i die of aids - forget burial - just drop my body on the steps of the f.d.a." This jacket, and his similar sentiment from his book Close to the Knives, inspired David Robinson who - in 1991 - dumped the ashes of his deceased partner on the grounds of the White House in protest. These protests came to be known as "Ashes Action". Wojnarowicz died in his Manhattan home on July 22, 1992, aged 37, from what his boyfriend, Tom Rauffenbart, confirmed was AIDS. His ashes were scattered on the White House lawn in 1996.

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The AIDS epidemic in the US dates back to around 1970, but it wasn't until 1981 that cases started to come to light. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) published a report about 5 gay men becoming infected with a type of pneumonia only seen in people with compromised immune systems. As these men were healthy, this was unexpected. A year after, the New York Times published an article about a new immune system disorder, affecting over 300 people and killing over 100. Officials coined it GRID, gay-related immune deficiency, as it appeared to only be affecting gay men. It became officially known as AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) by August 1982, but was referred to as "gay plague" and many other derogatory terms for many years. Ninety-five and a half per cent of those diagnosed with AIDS between 1981 and 1987 died.

At the time, Ronald Reagan was president. He has been widely criticised for his reaction to the epidemic, for good reason. He didn't mention the word "AIDS" in public until 1985, by which time there had been 5636 deaths due to AIDS in the US. His first speech about the disease was delivered to the College of Physicians in Philadelphia in 1987, by which point there were more than 36,000 Americans living with AIDS & more than 20,000 had died. In the documentary When AIDS Was Funny (linked at the bottom), audios from press conferences in the early 1980s show how little the Reagan administration cared. Not only do they refer to AIDS as "gay plague", but joke around about it. It shows just how much the epidemic was derided - the people in charge of the country were so flippant about something so devastating, reflecting the general opinion of AIDS. Reagan's public support came overwhelmingly from the 'religious right', with Rev. Jerry Falwell using his political action group (the Moral Majority) to encourage homophobia aimed at gay men, especially those diagnosed with AIDS. Pat Buchanan, the White House Communications Director from 1985 to 1987, described the crisis as nature “exacting an awful retribution against gay men” in 1983.

Larry Kramer, when recalling the attempts to get help from public officials said:

You learn very fast that you’re a faggot, and it doesn’t make any difference that you went to Yale and were assistant to presidents of a couple of film companies, and that you had money. [source]

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On the 13th August, 1998, the Bay Area Reporter paper published a headline "No obits". For the first time in 17 years, there was finally a week without any deaths due to AIDS in the area covered by the paper - they are clear that there were deaths elsewhere, and they may have belated obituaries the following week, but for now this was a positive change. They had previously had up to 30 obituaries at points. Derek Gordon was quoted in the article as saying:

"I remember my grandfather said he knew he was getting near death because he used to scan the obits," he told the B.A.R. "I used to think how tragic because I was doing the same thing at 30."

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Wojnarowicz's jacket features a pink triangle on it. This was being used as a signal, as the pink triangle had been reclaimed by gay activists - originally in early 1970s Germany - to be used as a memorial to past victims & to protest continuing discrimination following its use by the Nazi Party to identify queer men in concentration camps. ACT-UP (AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power) adopted this icon, and turned it the other way up (so the point was at the top) and continue to use it to this day.

ACT-UP was formed in 1987, in New York City, and is now an international political group. It is working to end the AIDS pandemic using direct action, medical research & treatment, and trying to influence legislation. They debuted in October 1987, at the second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, not only by participating in the march but also with civil disobedience the day after. In the following October, ACT-UP shut down the F.D.A. (Food & Drug Administration) for a day in a demonstration against their drug approval process. The image of Wojnarowicz was taken that day, by William Dobbs. Activists shut down the F.D.A. by blocking the doors & walkways that would allow staff to get into the building. Some lay on the floor with faux-headstones, reading “DEAD FROM LACK OF DRUGS” and “VICTIM OF F.D.A. RED TAPE”. They attached a banner to the front of the building with ACT-UP's slogan - SILENCE = DEATH, bracketed by two pink triangles.

ACT-UP utilised different tactics from other groups - not only did they carry out (entirely non-violent) civil disobedience actions, but they also had the knowledge to be able to argue their demands successfully. The demonstration at the F.D.A. and their precise demands led to the F.D.A. listening to them and including them in decision making - and a year later their demands had started to come to fruition, with easier access to experimental drugs for those living with AIDS.

One 'Action' ACT-UP coordinated, was coined 'Ashes Action', as mentioned above. In 1992, ACT-UP marched to the White House fence to scatter the ashes of loved ones who had died due to AIDS onto the lawn of the White House. Inspired by Wojnarowicz's memoir, ashes were poured over the fence, demonstrating to the government explicitly the physical result of the AIDS policies. 'They had drums play a funeral cadence. They chanted—Bringing our dead to your door / We won't take it anymore and Out of the quilt and into the streets / Join us, join us. Unlike other protests, the Ashes Actions were not only meant to shock an uninterested public into empathy—they were meant as releases of grief for the activists themselves. "There was lots of room to scream and yell," Butler said, "but it wasn't always conducive to the work of mourning. I knew none of the people whose ashes we were carrying, but I remember when the ashes went over the fence of the White House. I just don't remember convulsive grief like the grief I felt in that moment."' [source]

sixteen, ashes of your forerunners rest on the lawn of the White House because SIXTEEN, THEY HAVE ALWAYS WATCHED US DIE. -SpondeeSoliloquy - Seventeen things (alternate link)

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I had to cut down a lot of the information here, so I would really appreciate it if you took the time to have a look through the additional reading below, there was a lot of things I would have added if I had the space.

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Sources: Wikipedia - David Wojnarowicz Guardian - David Wojnarowicz: still fighting prejudice 24 years after his death NY Times AIDS Timeline 1980-1987 History.com - History of AIDS Wikipedia - History of HIV/AIDS vox.com - The Reagan administration's unbelievable response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic US Studies Online The AIDS Crisis and the US Presidency SFGate - Reagan's AIDS Legacy / Silence equals death Washington Post - Pat Buchanan's Greatest Hits Wikipedia - Moral Majority Bay Area Reporter - No Obits Wikipedia - Pink Triangle Wikipedia - ACT UP New Yorker - How ACT UP Changed America Vice - Why the Ashes of People With AIDS on the White House Lawn Matter Pioneer Works - The Jacket

Additional Reading: When AIDS Was Funny - Documentary Film (cw for images of very unwell aids patients) LA Times - Police Arrest AIDS Protesters Blocking Access to FDA Offices Youtube - ACT UP Ashes Action 1992 Washington Post - AIDS ACTIVISTS THROW ASHES AT WHITE HOUSE Wikipedia - How to Survive a Plague Wikipedia - The Normal Heart (originally a play), 2014 film BBC - The drama that raged against Reagan’s America Wikipedia - Silence=Death Project Brooklyn Museum - Silence = Death Wikipedia - And The Band Played On - Randy Shilts NPR - How To Demand A Medical Breakthrough: Lessons From The AIDS Fight ACT-UP oral histories ClassicFM - Sobering black-and-white image of a gay men’s choir reminds of loss of life during AIDS epidemic Snopes - Does a Poignant Photo of Gay Men's Choir Show Devastating Impact of HIV/AIDS? Why We Fight - Vito Russo NAMES AIDS Memorial Quilt Wikipedia - NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt national aids memorial - quilt history Cleve Jones interview (specifically: How he came up with the idea for the AIDS Quilt) View the NAMES AIDS memorial quilt online