#d's monthly music mondays

[windybit]

Sorry for missing another Monday! School’s crazy, and I quit my job because I simply Do Not Have Time for anything.

Got a FNAF one this time! Never Be Alone got stuck in my head when I first heard it, and although this might not be one of my best works, I still had fun with it and enjoy listening to it. I should probably look at giving some of the early The Living Tombstone stuff a try too because they’re all bops...

Here’s Never Be Alone by Shadrow, I think for FNAF 4? I don’t remember off the top of my head, but that sounds right. I can’t remember when I arranged this one either, so let’s just say within the last two years. Enjoy!

[beardedmrbean]

London — European Union regulators opened investigations into Apple, Google and Meta on Monday, the first cases under a sweeping new law designed to stop Big Tech companies from cornering digital markets. The European Commission, the 27-nation bloc's executive arm, said it was investigating the companies for "non-compliance" with the Digital Markets Act.

The Digital Markets Act that took effect earlier this month is a broad rulebook that targets Big Tech "gatekeeper" companies providing "core platform services." Those companies must comply with a set of do's and don'ts, under threat of hefty financial penalties or even breaking up businesses. The rules have the broad but vague goal of making digital markets "fairer" and "more contestable" by breaking up closed tech ecosystems that lock consumers into a single company's products or services.

The commission said in a press release that it "suspects that the measures put in place by these gatekeepers fall short of effective compliance of their obligations under the DMA."

It's looking into whether Google and Apple are fully complying with the DMA's rules requiring tech companies to allow app developers to direct users to offers available outside their app stores. The commission said it's concerned the two companies are imposing "various restrictions and limitations" including charging fees that prevent apps from freely promoting offers.

Google is also facing scrutiny for not complying with DMA provisions that prevent tech giants from giving preference to their own services over rivals. The commission said it is concerned Google's measures will result in third-party services listed on Google's search results page not being treated "in a fair and non-discriminatory manner."

Google said that it has made "significant changes" to the way its services operate in Europe to comply with the DMA.

"We will continue to defend our approach in the coming months," Google's director of competition, Oliver Bethell, said.

In December, it was revealed that Google had agreed to pay $700 million and make several other concessions to settle allegations brought in the U.S. that it had been stifling competition against its Android app store.

The European Commission has slapped Google with antitrust penalties several times already, including a record $5 billion fine levied in 2018 over the search engine's abuse of the market dominance of its Android mobile phone operating system.

The commission is also investigating whether Apple is doing enough to allow iPhone users to easily change web browsers.

Apple said it's confident that its plan complies with the DMA, and it will "continue to constructively engage with the European Commission as they conduct their investigations." The company said it has created a wide range of new developer capabilities, features, and tools to comply with the regulation.

The California company is facing a broad antitrust lawsuit in the U.S., meanwhile, where the Justice Department has alleged that Apple illegally engaged in anti-competitive behavior in an effort to build a "moat around its smartphone monopoly" and maximize its profits at the expense of consumers. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia have joined the suit as plaintiffs.

Apple has also previously fallen foul of the EU's regulators, with a first fine against the company imposed by the bloc only several weeks ago. In its first antitrust penalty against Apple, the European Commission fined the company almost $2 billion in early March for breaking its competition laws by unfairly favoring its own music streaming service over competitors'.

Meta, also no stranger to the wrath of European regulators, is being investigated by the commission over the option given to users to pay a monthly fee for ad-free versions of Facebook or Instagram, so they can avoid having their personal data used to target them with online ads.

"The Commission is concerned that the binary choice imposed by Meta's 'pay or consent' model may not provide a real alternative in case users do not consent, thereby not achieving the objective of preventing the accumulation of personal data by gatekeepers," it said.

Meta said in a prepared statement that, "Subscriptions as an alternative to advertising are a well-established business model across many industries, and we designed Subscription for No Ads to address several overlapping regulatory obligations, including the DMA. We will continue to engage constructively with the Commission."

The EU fined Meta $1.3 billion about one year ago and ordered it to stop transferring European users' personal information across the Atlantic by October, in the latest salvo in a decadelong case sparked by U.S. cybersnooping fears. Meta called that decision by the commission flawed, and vowed to fight the fine.

The commission said it aims to wrap up its latest investigations into the American tech behemoths within 12 months.

[nekaybaaw]

 🔊 Beats & Brunch 🍊 . @mondaynightbhm . B&B is a monthly showcase where we highlight local music producers / DJ’s in the Birmingham music scene alongside great drinks and a delicious TexMex style brunch. . . Featured producer this month : @nekaybaaw . Along side supporting acts @kobiebakes and @langhorne_clemens . . Music starts at 12 . Heads up, MNB does stop serving brunch at 2, however they will have lunch options such as tacos and burrito bowls . Come out and support the producers and musicians right here in bham! . . . #brunch #beats #birminghammusic #birminghamfood #lofi #hiphop #boombap #producer #mondaynightbrewery #205 #railroadpark #foodie #brewery (at Monday Night Brewing) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqHHGkTNh-d/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[greyspanama]

Metro 4 lines for 120

#METRO 4 LINES FOR 120 FOR ANDROID#

#METRO 4 LINES FOR 120 DOWNLOAD#

Cette ligne 3 couvre une distance de 11,665 km, reliant les communes de Levallois-Perret à lOuest à Bagnolet à lEst. RootMetrics rankings are not an endorsement of Verizon. Métro de Paris Ligne 3 La Ligne 3 du métro de Paris relie 25 stations de métro, douest en est, de Pont de Levallois - Bécon à la station Galliéni, en passant par la gare Saint-lazare et le quartier daffaires de lOpéra. Visit /awards for more details.Your experiences may vary. Business Wireless Satisfaction Study of business customers' perceptions with their current wireless carrier. Services on the 120 bus start at 4:34 AM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Verizon Wireless received the highest score among small business wireless providers in the J.D. Aviation/LAX Station - Whittwood Center via Imperial Hwy. Power 2022 award information, visit /awards for more details.ģ. Network Quality measures customers' satisfaction with their network performance with wireless carriers. Verizon also received the highest number of awards in network quality for the 29th time. Verizon is #1 for Network Quality in the Northeast, West, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and North Central regions. Tested with best commercially available smartphones on three national mobile networks across all available network types, excluding C-band.Ģ. Most reliable 5G network based on more first place rankings in RootMetrics' 5G data reliability assessments of 125 metro markets conducted in 1H 2022. Visible offers one simple plan for $40 per month, no contracts, fees, or complexities.1. It's a great choice for anyone who wants to use Verizon's vast 4G LTE network and have access to its 5G network (as long as your phone is compatible). Paper transfers have been eliminated as of April 4. The plan comes with unlimited data, calling, and texting, unlimited hotspot data, and great coverage for most people in the U.S. All transfers will be good for continuous travel on up to two buses for 120 minutes, whichever comes first.

#METRO 4 LINES FOR 120 DOWNLOAD#

Open the McAfee Security for Metro app on your device or download it on. The Governing Council has learnt today about the contract award proposal for installing the RailNET communications system on Metro Line 8, marking the start of the renovation of the underground’s entire communications system. Visible's monthly cost is very affordable, but it drops even lower if you sign up for more than one line with Party Pay. The way stores are scored from Metro By T-Mobile corporate. This means that if you add four lines to your "party," you'll actually pay $25 per month for each. It's a great deal for families, friends, roommates, or anyone looking to save a buck or two. With Visible you'll also get the bonus of unlimited hotspot data, though the speed is limited to 5Mbps. For most people that'll be just enough to work on their laptops, listen to music, and watch SD videos. You'll also be able to call Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, but no other international use or roaming is supported. Visible actually doesn't offer domestic roaming either, and it can't access Verizon's 3G towers. If you're someone who frequently drives through the countryside or can't afford to have a spotty network, then this might not be the best plan out there for you. Metro by T-Mobile: Metro by T-Mobile's plans You should check Visible's coverage map (opens in new tab) to be sure. T-Mobile's wireless carrier Metro by T-Mobile offers four plans you can choose from, all of which decrease in price as you add more lines. Its top plan costs $60 per month and goes as low as $30 per month, but whichever Metro plan you pick rest assured that you'll get access to T-Mobile's nationwide 5G network-the largest in the country. Unlock Bell Mobility Samsung Galaxy S6 & S6 Edge Now: 23.99.

#METRO 4 LINES FOR 120 FOR ANDROID#

Metro by T-Mobile's most expensive plan stands out with unlimited high-speed data, 15GB hotspot data, and a lot of other neat perks like 100GB of Google One cloud storage (only for Android phones), and an Amazon prime membership. 4 Lines + 10GB Data Now 35/Month per line. With the $50 unlimited plan you'll get almost the same deal, but with fewer hotspot data (5GB) and no Prime membership. when the offer 4 lines for 100 dollard metro pcs gonna end. And if you want to reduce your monthly bill, you can more lines to your plan. Discussion in Android Help started by Android Question, Nov 3, 2013. For four lines on Metro's top plan, you'll only pay $120 a month. Though no Metro plan comes with any international texting or calling you do have the option of purchasing such options as an add-on.

[laurenairay]

Take a Chance - D. Hamilton

Word Count: 12.7k

Summary: Ashley Miller is a Sunday-morning regular at her local coffee shop. Dougie Hamilton is the associate art curator who catches her eye.

Warnings: coffee shop au, some bad language, a lot of cute fluff, anxiety

A/N: This is my @hockeynetwork​ winter gift exchange fic for @huttons​! I had a lot of fun researching & creating this fic gift, and I tried to incorporate all of the preferences you stated and that we discussed. This is very self-indulgent too, definitely the longest thing I’ve written on here, and I’m not going to go into the very niche research rabbit holes I fell down! Bringing this OC to life made me so happy, and I had a blast incorporating the coffee shop au element. I hope you enjoy this! 💚

Also tagging @danglesnipecelly​, @texanstarslove​ and @itsbadgerbadgermushroom​ because they all listened to me stress while writing hah.

*

“Large latte for Ashley!”

Ashley Miller looked up from her laptop, smiling at her favourite barista at the counter. She got up from her table, leaving her laptop and scone briefly as she collected her drink, before heading back to her seat. Sunday mornings were the same every week – arrive at Storm Surge coffee shop when they opened at 7am, park herself at a table in the back corner, and consume a steady flow of coffee as she worked. Sure, her work might vary – teaching Medieval History at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill meant her lesson topics were all over the spectrum – but she just found that everything from writing notes for her classes that week to marking essays at the end of the semester became easier if she had the thrum of the coffee shop around her.

That, and she knew she’d just spend her entire weekend burrowed in her house if she didn’t get out.

Having moved to Raleigh 6 years ago to undertake her PhD, Ashley had accepted a teaching job at the very same university she’d studied at when she’d completed her studies a year ago, and she hadn’t looked back since. There was just something about Raleigh that she had fallen in love with, only a 30 minute drive away from her workplace, something that had spoken to her very soul, and actually being able to pass on knowledge about the subject that she was so passionate about made her so incredibly happy. Sure, her parents had never understood her love for 11th to 13th century European history (nor anyone else from her small town in South Dakota) but Ashley had never cared about that – New York had given her the opportunity to grow as a person during her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, but Raleigh had given her the opportunity to thrive.

And she would forever be grateful for that.

Sundays though…Sundays were something she cherished. This independent coffee shop had been a blessing when she’d found it early on in her PhD research, and they had never complained about her taking up a table for essentially the whole day (and she did pay for each of the many coffees she consumed). Baristas and bakers had come and gone over the past 6 years, but there were a couple that had stuck around recently - and a year ago when she officially became ‘Dr Ashley Miller’, her favourite barista Andrei had even given her a piece of chocolate cake on the house to celebrate. Storm Surge coffee shop was a home away from home.

Of course, there was another reason that Sunday coffee shop time was one of her favourite things in her week…

Tall Cute Guy.

He was a regular every Sunday morning, and had been for the past year - three Sundays a month he would order a mocha and an americano to go, but one Sunday a month he would come in an hour earlier and order just an americano, and drink it in the shop instead while reading an old paperback book. Every single time, like clockwork.

Okay, yes, that sounded a little stalkerish. But he was so cute. Ashley pretty much always had her earphones in playing music so she had never caught his name, but his blonde curls, pretty blue eyes and warm smile had caught her eye straight away. And he was so tall, she couldn’t have missed him if she’d tried. She’d never spoken to him, never even said hi in passing, but occasionally she would link eyes with him and he would smile at her. And that smile was enough to send her heart fluttering. Ridiculous really, but it brought her a little joy.

What was the harm in smiling back at a cute guy every now and again, right?

*

Dougie Hamilton walked into the North Carolina Museum of Art with a smile on his face. To be honest, it could’ve been for a multitude of reasons. His career was finally heading upwards, having moved museums to become Associate Curator of European Art a couple of years ago, and he loved his work. He had recently renovated his kitchen, which was now looking pretty sleek and awesome, if he did say so himself. His colleagues had genuinely become some of his closest friends, and he had a standing monthly poker night with several of them. But his smile today wasn’t because of any of that.

No, his smile today was because it was Sunday morning, and he’d just picked up his regular coffee order for him and his boss.

Speaking of…

“So, did you finally talk to your coffee shop crush, or did you just awkwardly stare at her like a weirdo again?”

“Oh fuck off,” Dougie grumbled, feeling his cheeks heat up in a fierce blush as his boss Jordie’s words.

It was far too early for this – he’d only just walked into their shared office for fuck’s sake! Jordie just hooted laughter at his embarrassment as he took his mocha from Dougie, making Dougie groan. “One day you’re going to have to talk to her, man. It’s just getting sad now,” Jordie teased.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t we have a museum to open?” Dougie scowled.

Jordie just beamed even more, wiggling his eyebrows as he left their office. Dougie groaned again, running his hands through is unruly hair before he sighed. Coffee shop crush. Hah. Jordie wasn’t wrong though. Not really. His crush…Mystery Laptop Woman…was one of the reasons he always volunteered to pick the two of them up coffee before the museum opened up on a Sunday morning. Jordie had come along with him only once to pick up their coffee, about 6 months ago, and ever since then he hadn’t let Dougie’s shy smile at her go. Of course, Dougie barely knew anything about her – only that she was always in early on a Sunday, always completely consumed by her work, and she had such a super cute concentration face, whatever it is that she worked on. He could never quite tell – sometimes she had a book or two with her, sometimes it was a stack of papers – but he knew for sure that she appeared to mainline coffee like a pro. Probably some kind of teacher?

He’d certainly never had a teacher that beautiful, that was for sure.

Her long dark hair was always down and always a little messy, like she ran her hands through it often (which she did, he’d noticed). Her warm hazel eyes were hidden behind tortoiseshell glasses, and her lips were always coloured in varying shades of dark pink and red. He’d only seen her standing a couple of times, but he’d caught enough of a glimpse of her long legs to have some very inappropriate thoughts. She just looked so kind, so friendly…and so beautiful. Dougie had never been able to catch her name though – she’d always had a full coffee or at least half a coffee left whenever he was in the shop, so he couldn’t even find out sneakily that way. But whoever she was, whatever she did, when he occasionally got lucky enough for her to look at him, her smile made his entire body light up like a fireworks show. It was a bit pathetic really, how much just a smile from her made his entire day, but he was a year into it now and he wasn’t going to stop that for anything. He had a great career, some great friends, and a pretty great life, even if he was tragically single.

What was the harm in smiling at a beautiful woman whenever he got the chance, right?

*

“Alright, we’ve nearly run out of time now, but just one final thing I want you to think about for Monday’s love in the middle ages class,”

On cue, her students groaned, making Ashley grin.

“Hey, I’m giving you a head’s up here – I could just let you walk into our general lecture blind?” she shrugged, teasing.

That got her a few laughs at least. She’d take that.

“Okay, so we know through our focus on the Medieval Expansion of Europe that one of the biggest tales about Eleanor of Aquitaine in the latter half of the 1100s was of her role in the courts of love. What I want you all to look into is whether these courts of love have the possibility of being a real thing, or whether they feed into the chivalric notions of her contemporaries and were fabricated from the courtly love dynamics of knights and maidens. Just to give us some talking points, okay?”

Her students murmured their agreement, with most of them writing down a reminder. That would have to be good enough for her. At least this way, hopefully someone would discuss the talking points with her in class – she’d found out the hard way last year that there was nothing worse for a university professor than completely uninterested students. She needed something to feed off.

“Alright then, class dismissed. Have a great weekend everyone!”

Ashley moved to her laptop, switching off the projected powerpoint presentation as her students filed out of the classroom, but jumped in shock slightly as she noticed the head of her department sitting in the back corner. How long had he been there?! What was he doing there in the first place? She just hoped her smile didn’t look as nervous as she felt, as he walked up to the front of the room.

Rod Brind’Amour was a legend in the History department for a good reason. His knowledge of military history pre-1800s was unmatched by anyone, but it was his research on the first and second crusades that had inspired Ashley through much of her PhD. Sure, he wasn’t her direct supervisor, but their work interlinked enough that she’d spent many office hours with him debating the second crusade with fervour. For such a big man, he was such a nerd, and he’d made her feel so welcome as soon as he offered her the teaching position at the end of her PhD, with the promise that she would be able to continue her research to inspire future minds. She had been so moved by his words that she hadn’t hesitated to accept the job. How could she not, when someone of his calibre believed in her?

One year in, she wasn’t regretting it at all

“Very smart, setting up some talking points for Monday’s class. I’m so glad I volunteered you to run this year’s Love in the Middle Ages lectures. You’re much better at them than I was,” Rod mused.

Ashley snorted, rolling her eyes playfully. Oh thank god. It’s true that this seminar was one part of the large mandatory Medieval and Early Modern Studies course…but it suited her perfectly.

“That’s because my research focuses on Medieval Queens and the exchange of power they brought to their marriage countries, whereas yours is the effect of each of the crusades through military history. Bleurgh,” she snickered, “Linking today’s Medieval Expansion of Europe class with the generic Love in the Middle Ages lectures on Mondays is just easy,”

“Speak for yourself,” Rod laughed, “give me military tactics any day,”

Ashley just grinned. Some things never changed. “Was there anything you wanted in particular?” she asked, packing up her laptop into its case.

“Just wanted to check in with you, in general,” Rod shrugged, sitting down on the edge of her desk.

Ashley couldn’t help but smile at the thoughtfulness. “I’m doing okay yeah, thanks. Last year’s first semester was more of a struggle for sure, but I don’t have that transition from PhD student and TA to full teaching this time round. I’ve definitely settled in quicker – and this batch of freshman feel a lot more engaged already,”

“That’s good! It definitely shows that you’re handling things well,” Rod nodded, smiling back at her, “But I meant in your life outside of the university too,”

Ashley frowned. What? “What do you mean?” she asked, confused.

Rod laughed softly at her expression. “I know last year you were trying to find your stride, but this year you’ve already got it, so I’m just checking that you’ve got things balanced outside of work too. It’s far too easy to make teaching your entire life – and I don’t want you to burn out,” Rod explained. “I value you here too much for that,”

Ashley’s heart melted a little at his concern, but she just shook his head. “I may not have much going on for me outside of work, but I do get out. I spend my Sundays in a local coffee shop,” she admitted.

Her mind briefly flashed to Tall Cute Guy, but she pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind before she started blushing. So not appropriate for work.

Rod frowned slightly, but nodded. “At least you’re getting out of the house. Just promise me you’ll work on finding time for yourself too?”

“I promise,” Ashley nodded, “I intend to be here for a long time, so I definitely don’t want to burn out,”

“Good, I’m glad to hear it,” Rod grinned, “I’d better get going – see you at the faculty meeting later?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Ashley grimaced.

Rod just laughed at her disgruntled face, lifting his hand in a wave as he left the room. As she packed the rest of her belongings, Ashley couldn’t help but to think over Rod’s words. Was she in danger of a burn-out? Surely not, so early on in her career? Maybe she did need more of a balance in her life…but how?

*

Another Sunday, another early morning. Sure, Ashley could give herself a lie in every now and again, but that would mean not being able to relax on her Sunday evening, to not have the chance to unwind and reset before the working week starts up again on Monday morning. Spending all weekend in her little 2 bed house wouldn’t do her any good, even as comforting as she’d made it.

Besides, Storm Surge coffee shop was such a part of her routine now, that it would feel wrong to not go in at her usual time. Seeing Andrei the morning barista, Marty the supervisor and Jaccob the baker (who occasionally popped his head out) always made her happy – and as Rod said only a couple of days ago, she needed to make sure she actually kept a balance in her life.

So, as always, just after 7am, Ashley walked through the coffee shop door. She’d skipped eating any breakfast this morning, intent on getting one of the shop’s amazing scones fresh out of the oven, and as soon as she spotted her favourite blueberry-lemon scones in the display, something in her chest settled. Yes, this was exactly why she came every week. This feeling of home.

“Good morning Ashley! Your usual latte?”

Ashley smiled at Andrei, nodding. “Yes please. And one of the blueberry-lemon scones!”

Andrei smiled even wider, if that was possible, and immediate set about inputting her order into the cash register. It was then that she noticed something new on Andrei’s nametag. A pink sparkly kitten sticky. Huh. That was new.

“Nice sticker,” she teased.

“Very sparkly, no? Marty gave it to me,” Andre nodded.

“Oh, Marty did huh?” Ashley grinned.

Interestingly, Andrei blushed. She knew she hadn’t been imagining things. The poor Russian guy just blushed harder, spluttering incoherently, until Ashley took pity on him. It wasn’t like she could be mean to Andrei – he was just too adorable.

“I think the sticker is really cute, Andrei. It was sweet of Marty to give it to you,” Ashley said with a fond smile.

“Thank you! I will tell Marty you like it,” Andrei beamed.

Bless him.

Andrei handed her a scone on a plate, allowing her to go to her usual table in the back corner, setting up her laptop while she waited for her coffee to be ready. She heard a door out the back open, and Andrei quickly slipped away, making her smile.

“AHHHHHHHHHH MR SVECHNIKOV!”

Marty. Ashley just giggled, shaking her head before putting her earphones in for her background music. Yeah, this coffee shop definitely felt like home.

She quickly got lost in writing her lecture notes, going off on tangents that she knew she’d have to rein in later when she edited. It was a full hour before she even looked away from her screen, only to see the shop busy and bustling, every single table full. What the hell? She looked over to see both Andrei and Marty working the counter, only confirming her suspicions that they really had gotten busy while she was lost in her thoughts. Wow. Full at 8am was a new one for sure. Maybe a convention of some kind?

And it was then that she saw Tall Cute Guy walk in. Today he was wearing a pretty blue sweater, bring out the beautiful blue in his eyes, making her smile on instinct. So cute. But then she noticed him being given just the one coffee…he was planning on drinking in, and there were no tables? No!

It made her heart clench to watch him looking around the coffee shop, becoming more and more disheartened…until he noticed her. Maybe, could she, yes. Ashley bit her bottom lip but tilted her head towards the empty chair at her table, earning the biggest smile. She actually did it. She actually offered him the chair at her table. Shit. Her heart started beating faster as he walked over, and she took her earphones out as he came to a stop next to her seat, looming over her.

“I, uh…do you mind if I sit with you?” he asked softly.

Huh. Such a gentle voice on such a big man. Yeah she could totally handle this.

“Please, go ahead,” Ashley nodding, smiling as she waved her hand to indicate, “it’s so busy in here today,”

Oh no. Was that too forward, acknowledging that they’re both regulars?

“Definitely busier than usual, eh?” he mused, “I’ll try not to disturb your work, I’ll only be here for about an hour,”

Ashley laughed, but shook her head. She was just glad he hadn’t been weirded-out by her acknowledgement. That would’ve been so awkward. Her stomach was filled with enough butterflies as it was. “You won’t disturb me, I promise. Sit as long as you like,”

He smiled widely at her, pulling out the chair opposite and sitting down, Ashley just quickly shuffling her papers out of the way for him. He nodded his thanks at her, pulling a paperback book out of his satchel. Then he cleared his throat, so she looked up at him curiously.

“I’m Dougie, by the way,” he said, almost a little shy.

Dougie. That was a nice name. Oh, wow, she finally knew his name! Ashley couldn’t help but smile at him. “I’m Ashley,”

He smiled back at her. “It’s nice to meet you properly,” he said happily.

Ashley just laughed, nodding as she blushed lightly. To have him acknowledge their smiling-from-a-distance definitely sparked something inside of her. Nice to finally meet him indeed.

They sat in comfortable silence, Ashley typing up her tangent notes so far for the morning, and she couldn’t help the feeling of contentment that sat in her chest. The cute guy she’d been smiling at for a year was sitting at her table with her…and it wasn’t awkward at all. In fact, it was really quite nice. And he’d introduced himself!

No, cool it, keep calm Ashley. No-one got anywhere by acting like a giddy schoolgirl. Play it cool.

That promised hour flew by far too quickly. Every now and again she would glance up and find his eyes on her. Every now and again she would glance up only for him to look up and catching her looking. Every time she would blush. Every time he would send her a wonderful smile. But all too soon her table companion was standing up and putting his book in his bag.

“Um…”

Ashley looked up from her work at him, a smile naturally spreading across her face at his nervous expression. Why was he nervous?

“Yes, Dougie?” she said softly, smiling at a little more at finally getting to say his name.

Dougie. Dougie. Dougie.

“I’ll see you soon?” he said, almost hopefully.

“I’ll be here,” she nodded.

Oh god. Well that was stupid. Of course she’d be here. Why couldn’t she just act smoothly for once in her life?

But then Dougie smiled, such a happy little smile that it made her breath catch in her throat.

“Until next time then,” Dougie murmured, “Bye, Ashley,”

“Bye,” she breathed, watching him walk way.

Well, that could’ve been worse. What a Sunday.

*

Things felt different after that fateful Sunday. Dougie (she knew his name!) hadn’t sat down with her again, or even sat in the shop again yet, but now…now he always made a point of waving at her, waiting until she had waved back to smile. Those waves sent her into even more of a tizzy, a light blush always on her cheeks, and she couldn’t help but cherish them. Maybe it was a bit pathetic, but he was so handsome and he noticed her. It didn’t hurt to pretend it was more than friendly acknowledgement, right? A girl could dream at least.

It was only Wednesday today, but that meant only one thing. Her weekly phone call with her mom. Knowing Susan Miller, Ashley could picture exactly what her mom was doing. Her phone would be propped up on speakerphone while she pottered around the kitchen, finishing off making dinner while also planning what desserts to bake at the weekend. Her mom led a simple life, a retired teacher herself (although she’d taught at the local elementary school rather than ever leaving town), but it was a happy life. And it was these phone calls that were the only thing that made Ashley miss home.

Nothing was the same as a hug from her mom with a slice of homemade apple pie. But those were the sacrifices she made for her love of Medieval History. They never stayed on the for more than half an hour, but it was just enough to fill Ashley’s heart, at least for a little while.

“And I swear, if he doesn’t stop leaving those nasty cigar butts on the front porch, I’m going to whoop some sense into him!”

“You’ve been saying this for over 20 years mom – I don’t think dad is going to change at this point,” Ashley mused, rolling her eyes fondly.

Her dad had been set in his ways for as long as she could remember. Nothing was going to change that, not even a little nagging from the love of his life.

“Yes, well, he could at least clean up after himself,”

Her parents really were ridiculous human beings – but they loved each other, and that was all that mattered. Even if her dad didn’t clean up his cigar butts.

“You wouldn’t know what to do with yourself if you weren’t complaining about his cigar butts,” Ashley grinned. “Maybe threaten not to make that corned beef hash he likes. That might help,”

The laughter that flowed down the phone made her smile even more. Fuck she missed hearing her mom’s laugh in person.

“Oh I miss you sweetpea. Are you sure you’re okay down there by yourself?”

“Yes mom, you know I love my work and my life down here,” Ashley said, sighing softly.

Here we go again.

“I just worry about you rattling around in that old house by yourself!”

Rude. It wasn’t that old.

“I promise I’m fine!” Ashley insisted.

Her mom stayed silent, making Ashley bite her lip to stop herself getting frustrated. Her mom would come out with it eventually…

“I worry about you being lonely, that’s all. You’re such an introvert, you always have been,”

And there it was.

“How could I be lonely mom? I have great colleagues that I talk with. And I’m around students all day and I interact all the time with them! And the baristas at my coffee shop know me by name and we chat too,” Ashley listed.

“The baristas don’t count, Ash,”

Poor Andrei. He definitely counted. Ashley couldn’t help but giggle at the sigh in her mom’s voice though. “Okay maybe not, but there is a guy that I’ve talked to,”

“Ooh a guy?”

Oh no. Oh what had she done? She had to nip this in the bud now.

“No, mom, not like that, just a friendly face to wave at,” Ashley insisted.

Dougie’s shy smiles filled her mind, but she shook her head. Now was not the time.

“Oh boo, you should work on changing that,”

Hah. If only.

“You’re impossible, mom,” Ashley sighed fondly.

“I love you too darling,”

*

Today he was going to do it. Today Dougie was going to get to Storm Surge coffee shop a little early, get his americano to drink in…and hopefully sit with Ashley again. Ever since that amazing Sunday morning where she offered him a seat at her table (she offered him!), he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. He could kick himself for not being able to do more than wave at her the past three Sundays, but even just the few smiles he seen in passing since have blown him away. Especially with that cute little blush she always had when she waved back at him.

But today he was coming in an hour before he had to get to work, just to have that chance to sit with her and talk with her. Was it a little desperate? Sure. But Dougie never claimed to be anything other than desperate to get to know the beautiful woman he’d only ever seen in passing until now. His schedule didn’t usually allow him the chance – every Sunday the North Carolina Museum of Art opened from 10-5, and he usually got there just after 9 with coffee for him and Jordie, but every fourth Sunday Jordie came in a little later, so Dougie took the time to sit in and read a little before heading into work…and it was the fourth Sunday today. He could only hope that all the nerves and butterflies would be worth it.

Oh fuck, what if she wasn’t even there?

No, she would be. She always was. Enough stalling.

Still…

Dougie walked into Storm Surge with a little ball of nervous anxiety in his chest, praying that Ashley wouldn’t stray from her routine, until he looked over into the back corner…and there she was. He waited until Ashley looked up at him to wave at her, earning a sweet smile and a wave back. Wow, her blush really was so sweet.

“Dougie! You must be drinking in today, yes?”

He snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Andrei’s voice, quickly nodding. “Yeah just the usual americano, thanks,”

“You got it,” Andrei nodded, beaming at him.

Dougie quickly paid and moved to the end of the counter to wait for his coffee. The shop was only half-full at this time in the morning, unlike last month, so he didn’t have the excuse of busy tables. Maybe…he could just walk up to her, right? He could take that chance, right? Yeah, he could do this.

“Here you go!” Andrei said cheerfully.

“Thanks,” Dougie murmured.

The barista gave him a strange look at his distracted tone, and Dougie knew that Andrei was watching as he walked over to Ashley’s table…but here goes nothing. He could totally do this. He was an adult. He paid his taxes on time and everything. He could definitely ask a pretty woman if he could sit with her again.

“Hey, Ashley,”

She looked up from her laptop with a bright smile, making his breath catch in his throat.

“Dougie! Hi!” she said happily.

She remembered his name! Wow. No, focus.

“Do you, um…do you mind if I sit with you again?” Dougie asked.

Oh god, why couldn’t he just sound cool for once in his life? Why did he always have to be the least smooth version of himself that he could possibly be?

Ashley took one look around at all the empty tables and blushed even more, before she bit her lip and nodded. “Sure, go for it,”

That was a good sign, right?

Dougie sat down with a nervous smile, putting his coffee gently on the table.

“So, um, how have you been?”

Ashley looked surprised (oh god, was she only being polite before?) before that melted into a pleased look. Okay, he could work with that.

“I’ve been pretty good thanks, yeah. I’m just revising the list of essay topics that I’m giving my students on Monday, so not too much work to do today thankfully,” she said, “How about you?”

“I’ve been alright yeah. Work has been a little nuts with the new exhibition at the museum but it’s all come together really well!” Dougie said, beaming. What? Could a man not be excited about artwork? “what do you teach?”

Ashley smiled shyly, looking a little hesitant again. Dougie couldn’t help but frown a little. Had people made her feel awkward about her work before? That wasn’t okay! “I’m a Medieval History professor at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. My general focus is on the power of Medieval queens, but I teach everything from the expansion of medieval Europe to love in the middle ages, as well as on the general medieval and early modern history modules. I did my undergraduate and masters degrees at NYU, but I moved down here for the PhD opportunity. It’s now my second full year teaching and I just…I love it so much,”

A PhD?! Holy shit, that’s impressive. Wow. Just…wow. How could she be any more perfect?

“That’s incredible!” was all that Dougie could say.

“You don’t have to pretend, I know having a PhD isn’t exactly the coolest thing in the world, especially in medieval history,” Ashley mused.

Well it was definitely pretty fucking cool to him, no matter what other people had ever said to her. “I’m definitely not pretending, I promise. Medieval history is fascinating,” he insisted.

Ashley pursed her lips like she didn’t believe him, making Dougie laugh.

“I’m serious! I may not have a PhD but my masters thesis was a specialism in Rembrandt’s work. I’m a total art history nerd – 14th-17th century in particular,” Dougie explained.

Come on, let the nerdiness pay off for once…

Her face immediately lightened, her mouth forming into a surprised ‘o’, making him laugh again. At least, he hoped it was a good surprise?

“One of the classes I’ll be teaching next semester is Italian Renaissance and European History to 1650,” she murmured.

Holy shit. What a match up.

“Told you I wasn’t pretending to be interested,” Dougie grinned, “I’d definitely love to learn more about that class when you start it,”

Ashley blushed again, but her nervous smile had shifted into a full beaming smile, and his heart could only just about take it. Then she froze slightly, blinking, as if she’d forgotten something. What?

“Sorry, did you say museum earlier?” Ashley said suddenly, “like, you work at a museum?”

“Oh, yeah, I’m an associate curator at the North Carolina Museum of Art,” Dougie nodded.

He did his best not to puff out his chest in pride. He’d worked damned hard on his career and he was proud of it.

“I just…wow, I wouldn’t have expected it,”

Dougie laughed, raising an eyebrow at her sheepish smile.

“A guy who looks like you, like such an athlete’s build…oh god, sorry, that’s so rude of me,” she groaned, burying her face in her hands.

But Dougie just laughed, shaking his head. “Believe me, it’s far from the first time I’ve heard that,”

And never with such appreciation of his body either…

Look, he knew how the world perceived him on first glance. Tall, muscled guy, blonde hair and blue eyes, probably an all-american jock right? How he loved proving them wrong.

“Still doesn’t make it okay,” Ashley winced, “so I’m sorry,”

“Apology accepted,” Dougie mused, “I love my work, so it’s fun surprising people. Especially people with similar interests,”

Ashley bit her lip again but nodded and smiled, tilting her head to show she was listening. Wow, he could definitely get used to her looking at him with this much interest.

“Like I said, I’m an associate curator at the North Carolina Museum of Art. I’m actually Canadian, but I finished my masters degree in Boston and went straight into working at the MFA, but after working on a brief project in Calgary, I realised I wanted to work more in my specialist interests, y’know? So I applied for a role at the Museum of Art here, and became the associate curator of European Art. It’s…it’s everything I could’ve wished for, when I was studying,”

Dougie took a sip of his coffee while Ashley processed that flood of information, hoping he hadn’t come across too strong. People really did tend to zone out when he talked about his work…but hopefully because she also had an interest in European history and art, she wouldn’t be put off?

“I can definitely relate to following and achieving my passions for a niche subject,” Ashley grinned, “and I love that you love it so much. It’s rare, to find someone who gets such genuine joy out of their work. Even though work can sometimes be super stressful,”

“Stressful, but worth it. Especially when a new exhibition comes together so well,” Dougie agreed.

“Oh?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Dougie licked his bottom lip, trying not to look too nervous. This exhibition is such a big deal, and it had been such a lot of work. He could get a little excited about it now, right?

“Yeah, I’ve been working solidly for the past few months on the new exhibition – it’s opening next weekend. It’s a collection of Italian Renaissance Art,” Dougie said, a little hesitant.

Hesitant…because maybe that was a bit flashy? Did it sound like he was bragging? He really hoped not – not just because he was so proud of his work but he genuinely did want to excite Ashley…

“Oh no way! Really?” Ashley gasped.

Dougie bit his lips to control his grin. Oh thank fuck. Finally, someone he could actually impress with his love of art history. “Yeah, last quarter the museum acquired over 30 paintings from the 14th century from various collectors and this will be the first time they’ve all been together in the same room,”

“I bet they’ll be so beautiful all together after so long,” Ashley said, her voice a little wistful.

Wistful? He could fix that. Maybe. Yes, this was the perfect opportunity…

“Maybe we could…I know this might feel a little soon, but I’m…

Dougie trailed off with a frustrated groan, making Ashley giggle. For once, just once, let him be smooth! He took a deep breath, before trying again.

“Would you like to come to the exhibition opening with me?” he asked softly.

Ashley’s jaw dropped slightly, but she quickly nodded, making Dougie’s heartbeat kick up a notch. “Really?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’ve got a plus one as the associate curator, and there’s no-one else I could imagine going with. I think you’d love it,” Dougie explained, “and I’d love to show you the artwork,”

Was that too desperate?

“I’d…wow, I’d love to go with you,” Ashley said, her expression shy but pleased.

Shy but pleased. He could work with that.

“Great, it’s a date!”

Oh God. Dougie could only freeze…but then Ashley smiled. Huh, maybe not so cringey?

“A date huh? I’d love that too,” Ashley said shyly.

Oh thank fuck. Ashley just giggled at Dougie’s blush.

“Give me your number and I’ll text you the details?” Dougie suggested, trying to salvage at least a little bit of his dignity.

As Ashley took his phone from him and entered her phone number, Dougie could only sit in shocked silence. He’d done it. He’d actually asked her on a date. On a date where he could impress her with a topic they both loved so much. All he had to do now was not fuck it up.

That wouldn’t be so hard, right?

*

Ashley had been in a little bit of a daze when Dougie had left for work. He’d asked her on a date. On a date! And they’d exchanged numbers, Dougie having sent her a little smiley face so she had his number in return. She was just thankful that there wasn’t much work for her to do that day – there was no way she wouldn’t been able to focus otherwise.

And then throughout the week, they’d started exchanging cute little messages. Just sweet little things, like how was your day? and look how cute this dog is and I had the loudest school tour group come through the museum today and which of these texts is going to give me the worst teacher rating? – it was all silly and sweet and fun, and Ashley couldn’t remember the last time that the potential of a relationship had excited her so much.

There was just something about Dougie that made her heart beat a little faster every time she thought of him. It was bad enough when he would smile at her in passing in Storm Surge…but now, with every little text, she felt herself smiling even more than she could’ve imagined, like a giddy little schoolgirl with a first crush.

Because at the moment, it really was just a crush. They hadn’t gone out on their first date yet – in reality, they’d only sat together twice, with one of those times essentially being the exchange of their names. They’d only had one conversation in person. And the texts were so sweet and lovely…but they were just texts. She didn’t want to get ahead of herself and get her hopes up, you know? God knows that had happened enough times.

She couldn’t help but hope that finally, she had met someone with real potential. Dougie made it easy to hope.

Ashley supposed that their first date would be the real test of whether she’d just built up all the excitement of Tall Cute Guy in that coffee shop fantasy in her head, or whether he was the real deal. Their conversation in person on Sunday had been such a good start, but fuck please make him the real deal.

Was it really that much to ask?

Finally Friday rolled around and she was finished with work for the week. Well, mostly. Ashley had just come out of a bi-monthly faculty meeting and just had to check some emails before she could go home for the weekend (and to shave her legs because she found the cutest dress for her date on Saturday) – but as she got to her office, she noticed that Rod had stopped in the doorway, waving to some of their colleagues as they strolled past. Hmm.

“So…you’re looking incredibly chipper for someone who just got out of a tedious faculty meeting,” Rod teased, leaning against her doorframe.

Ashley just laughed, rolling her eyes fondly as she sat at her desk. “I don’t know why you complain so much – you’re the one who runs them,”

“Not through choice, I promise that,” Rod mused, shaking his head, “But you are looking extra cheerful today. Just feeling a little nosy, I guess,”

Ashley bit her bottom lip, hesitating. Should she tell him about her date? It’s not like Rod was a gossip…and it’s not like she had a whole host of friends to tell…

“I may or may not have a date tomorrow night,” Ashley eventually admitted.

His eyes immediately lit up. Oh God.

“Ooh a date, exciting!” Rod gasped dramatically, fanning himself like a southern belle.

“Oh my god, shut up,” Ashley giggled. That could’ve gone worse – but his excitement definitely lit up the butterflies in her stomach all over again.

Rod just laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. “I’m just glad you’re giving someone a chance to sweep you off your feet,” he teased, “Who is he and where is he taking you?”

“He’s a guy I met in that coffee shop I go to on a Sunday, and he’s taking me to the new Italian Renaissance exhibition at the North Carolina Museum of Art,” she explained.

And she couldn’t wait.

“A cultured guy or a try hard?” he smirked.

“A cultured guy,” Ashley giggled, rolling her eyes, “he’s actually the associate curator who worked on setting up the exhibition,”

“Don’t we all love a man who knows his history, even if it is art,” Rod grinned, winking dramatically, earning another giggle, “Let me know how the exhibition is - I know my wife would love to go if it’s any good,”

“I’ll give you a full review on Monday,” Ashley agreed, nodding.

“And a full review of your date,” Rod grinned.

“Okay, out, out. I need to finish these emails before I leave,” Ashley laughed.

“I’m going, I’m going,” Rod mused, “If you need anything, even an escape clause tomorrow night, send me a text, okay?”

Her heart softened a little at his kind gesture, and she found herself nodding. “I don’t think it’ll come to that, but thank you, I appreciate it,”

“Any time,” Rod nodded.

Ashley bit her bottom lip to hide her grin as he shut the door behind him on the way out, and the butterflies in her stomach were still there. Saturday night couldn’t come soon enough.

*

Tonight was the night. Ashley only had a few minutes left before her uber arrived to pick her up to take her to the museum, and she couldn’t resist having a final glance in the mirror by her front door. She’d had a little panic over what the hell the dress code would be for a gallery opening, but after Dougie confirmed it wasn’t black tie, just formal dress, Ashley had consulted with some of her college friends (who were buzzing about the fact that she was actually going on a date), and decided that a midi cocktail dress was the way to go.

And she’d found the perfect one.

The dress she’d picked out in a local boutique was a beautiful forest green colour, complimenting her dark hair and hazel eyes perfectly. It fell to the middle of her shins, as her friends had recommended, and had thick shoulders straps, no sleeves but a neckline with a deep enough v that it should a little cleavage (classy cleavage of course, very sophisticated in her opinion). Her favourite part though was the Marilyn Monroe-esque twirl to the skirt – something she’d tested out several times already – and she just felt glamorous in it. She’d straightened her usually-messy hair and put on a little make-up too, to match the effort she was making with the dress. To be honest, Ashley felt beautiful, and she honestly couldn’t wait to see Dougie’s reaction. It was a hell of a lot different to her usual Sunday Storm Surge outfits, that’s for sure.

Soon enough, her uber was pulling up outside of the Museum of Art, and she thanked the driver as she got out. Thankfully, Dougie was already waiting at the top of the steps for her, and the smile that he sent her way made her breath catch in her throat. Ashley took the time to check him out as she walked up towards him, and she felt those butterflies start up again. He was wearing a gorgeous navy blue suit with a white shirt and grey tie, bringing out the colour of his eyes beautifully, and the stunned expression on his face as he looked at her made her blush a little. That was a good reaction, right?

“Wow. You look…amazing,” Dougie murmured, looking her up and down with awe.

Definitely a good reaction.

“You look really good too,” she grinned.

Dougie grinned back at her, before offering her his arm. “Shall we?”

Ashley fought not to squeal as she tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. What a smooth move. “Lead the way,”

Dougie walked her inside, picking up a glass of champagne each after they dropped their jackets off. Then they were off. The two of them wandered around through the exhibition, Dougie guiding her and giving her the most indepth information she could’ve possibly hoped for. She’d never had such a personal tour like this, and he was so shy yet so knowledgeable that she couldn’t help but to drink up every word. This was what she had hoped for out of tonight, that passion coming through Dougie, and she was receiving it tenfold.

“This one is one of my favourites. Batoni’s The Triumph of Venice. There’s just so much going on, and I swear I notice something different every time I look at it,”

Ashley looked at the painting, taking in the many figures, the details, the colours, and couldn’t help but smile. It truly was a masterpiece.

“Oil on canvas? Maybe…early 1700s?” she guessed.

“Fuck that’s hot,” Dougie breathed.

He immediately flushed bright red, making Ashley giggle. Good to know that her vague art history knowledge was paying off. And that she could make him react like that…

“I love all the finessed detail in this one. Especially on the carriage – it’s exquisite,” Ashley murmured, looking back at it.

“Isn’t it?” Dougie grinned.

Ashley squeezed his arm gently, smiling up at him, earning a happy smile back. He was so clearly in his element, and she was loving every second. The way his entire face lit up when he talked about art…there was something just so beautiful in that. Those beautiful blue eyes were even more alive than ever, that spark of passion adding such a gorgeous element, and she really wanted to see more of it. That was a good sign, right? That she was already imagining more.

They moved on to the next painting, and Ashley’s breath caught in her throat. Wow.

“And this…this is the star of the collection. Giotto’s Peruzzi Altarpiece, the only complete altarpiece by the artist outside of Italy,”

Her jaw dropped a little. That was a big deal. “The only one?”

“The only one,” Dougie nodded.

“Holy shit,” Ashley mumbled, eyes wide.

Dougie grinned at her. “My sentiments exactly,”

“All of that gold. So much gold. And the details in their faces. Holy shit,” Ashley murmured.

“One of my favourite frescos, and I get to see it every day,” Dougie sighed happily.

“Well count me as jealous,” Ashley teased, nudging him with her shoulder.

Dougie just smiled shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. He was just so cute.

“Would you, um…would you like a new drink?”

“Sure, another couldn’t hurt,” she nodded.

It’s not like she drank champagne that often after all. And it was a special occasion…

They stayed in the museum for another hour, looking over some of the art again as well as mingling with Dougie’s colleagues (including a mostly silent guy Dougie introduced as ‘Foegs’, who gave Dougie a double thumbs up when he thought she wasn’t looking, and a very enthusiastic big blonde man named Jordie, who she learned was Dougie’s boss – which, wow). Their conversation just flowed, and the doubts that she’d had earlier were easily shoved to the back of her mind.

She’d never thought it would feel so natural spending the evening arm-in-arm with a guy, but Dougie had just blown her away.

All too soon, it was time to leave the museum though, and while Dougie got their jackets, Ashley opened her phone to request an uber. 5 minutes away. Perfect.

“I had a really great time tonight,” Dougie murmured, when they were waiting outside.

His own uber was only a couple of minutes behind hers.

“Me too,” Ashley admitted, smiling up at him, “Thank you for inviting me,”

“There’s no-one else I would’ve wanted to take. I just glad you enjoyed it,” Dougie smiled back.

“I enjoyed spending time with you. The exhibition was just a bonus,” she said softly, looking up at him through her lashes.

Holy shit she just flirted. Blatantly flirted. Too much?

But then Dougie blushed a little, before a small smirk spread across his lips. “Yeah?”

Ashley just bit her lip, nodding. Dougie’s blue eyes flashed a little darker, sending a hot jolt running through her body. Oh wow. Just like that huh. But then her phone buzzed, the uber car pulling up to the curb, breaking her out of her thoughts just before they started to spiral.

Calm down Ashley, it’s only the first date!

She waved at the uber driver to signal that she’d seen him before turning back to Dougie. “See you tomorrow?” Ashley asked hopefully.

“Yeah, I’ll be starting work a little later on the one off, as it was the exhibition opening tonight,” Dougie nodded, “I’ll be there,”

Ashley grinned at him, before leaning up and pressing a kiss to his cheek, laughing softly as his jaw dropped.

“Bye, Dougie,” she said softly, walking over to the car.

“Bye,” she heard him murmur, just as she closed the door.

“Hot date?” the uber driver teased.

“The hottest,” she grinned back.

That earned her a laugh, and she couldn’t help but smile as the driver pulled away from the curb. Ashley glanced out of the window, only to see that Dougie hadn’t moved at all – other than his fingers brushing over where she’d kissed his cheek, a hopeless smile on his face.

What a first date indeed.

*

To: Ashley

From: Rod

So how did the date go?

~

To: Rod

From: Ashley

The exhibition was incredible. You need to take your wife, for real.

~

To: Ashley

From: Rod

I actually meant the guy but sure…

~

To: Rod

From: Ashley

He was a perfect gentleman and…amazing.

You’ll get your full gossip on Monday.

~

To: Ashley

From: Rod

Boo fine.

I’m glad you had a good time though!

See you on Monday

*

 “I had a really great time tonight,”

“Me too,”

“I had a really great time tonight,”

“Me too,”

“I had a really great time tonight,”

“Me too,”

Wasn’t the saying that if things seemed too good to be true, then they probably were not?

Ashley had gone to bed feeling over the moon, elated, bubbling with excitement. But when she’d woken up, it was like a dark cloud had settled over her, a heavy rock of anxiety sitting on her chest. Everything had gone so well last night. So well. Too well? This wasn’t the first time that she’d gotten her hopes up only to have things fall apart around her – and her hopes had skyrocketed last night. All she felt was like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. And it made her feel sick.

That niggling negativity had swum around her brain over and over again, and she hadn’t been able to shut it off – not when she showered, not when she got dressed, and not when she sat on the sofa debating whether or not to actually turn up at the coffee shop.

Was this really what things had come down to? Tempted to break her solid routine, the exact routine she’d had every week, just because a guy made her nervous? Was he really that important? Was she really that much of a coward?

She sat on the sofa so long that she passed the time she would normally leave. Hell, she passed the time she would normally be sitting down at her usual table. Oh god she couldn’t take this. It was too much. Her legs bounced nervously as she pulled up the message thread she had with him, typing out a message to cancel…

…and then she deleted it.

Fuck that shit. No matter how anxious this whole dating thing made her feel, nothing was worth this. She couldn’t just not show up, that wasn’t right. That wasn’t her. Fuck this. As quickly as she could, Ashley grabbed her laptop and her handbag, driving as fast as she could to Storm Surge.

When she parked her car, she noticed that she had a few texts from Dougie. Oh god.

~

To: Ashley

From: Dougie

Hey, I’m coming a little earlier than usual today!

~

To: Ashley

From: Dougie

Are you running late?

~

To: Ashley

From: Dougie

Are you coming?

~

Oh god. Ashley winced, practically running to the shop, immediately spotting Dougie at her usual table in the back. The sheer relief on his face made her wince again. Fuck. His expression dimmed at little, but she quickly ordered her usual latte from Andrei, who looked an interesting mix of confused and concerned, but she headed over to Dougie without hesitating.

“Hey, um, sorry I’m late,” she murmured, setting her coffee and her laptop down on the table.

Dougie frowned at her briefly, clearly taking in whatever the hell her face was showing.

“Is everything okay?” he asked softly.

Ashley bit her bottom lip, hesitating. Might as well tell him the truth, right?

“I, uh, I was second-guessing everything?”

“Second-guessing?” Dougie asked, frowning harder.

Ashley just sighed. “Yeah, um, it’s dumb. I just…it all seems too good to be true? I woke up feeling like I’d gotten my hopes up and…fuck, I’m sorry. I just feel stupid now,”

Looking up at Dougie’s sad face immediately made her regret telling the truth, but it was too late now. Fuck. Why did she have to ruin everything? The fact that he was staying silent just made everything worse. Should she just go?

“What do you want to do now then?” Dougie eventually asked “or do you not know?”

Ashley swallowed heavily, looking down at her hands briefly. Hah. The million dollar question. “I know that I like you?” she offered.

Dougie huffed a laugh. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m not going to get mad if you don’t want to go on another date,” Dougie said with a sad smile.

Oh god that was worse. He should never sound that disheartened – it wasn’t right. And it was all her fault.

“Would you even want to go on a date with me again when I’m this much of an anxious mess?” Ashley sighed.

After last night, this really wasn’t where she’d seen her day going. Self-sabotage was a bitch. But it was her own damn fault. It always was. But then Dougie reached his hand forward, fingers brushing over hers lightly to get her attention, making her blush as he smiled a bit more genuinely.

“Yeah, I would like to,” he nodded, “I had a really great time yesterday night, and I still want more,”

Oh, so maybe she hadn’t ruined everything then. What? Well shit, she was grabbing this second chance with both hands.

“I had a great time too,” Ashley admitted, blushing a little bit more, “even with this stupid anxiety,”

“Good. That’s…that’s really good,” Dougie laughed, “well, not the anxiety part, but I’m going to prove to you that this isn’t just getting your hopes up,”

“I’d like that,” she murmured.

Dougie smiled at her, a truly genuine happiness, making her breath catch in her throat. Fuck she didn’t deserve this. But there was no way she was going to let herself ruin this, not now.

“Maybe we could just talk for a couple of hours before I have to go into work? Have some coffee, a couple of those delicious blueberry-lemon scones, and just see where things go?” Dougie suggested.

Ashley nodded, the tight ball in her chest immediately loosening. God, he was such a nice guy. “I’d definitely like to get to know you more,” she agreed.

“Scones are on me then,” Dougie grinned.

Hope. A second chance. Bring it on.

*

When Dougie eventually walked into work, his shared office had more people in it that he cared for. Well, okay, that was a little mean. But right now was not the best time for the combination of Jordie and Foegs as well as Sebastian and Teuvo, especially not when all four of them had met Ashley last night. Not when they were all so intense. Not while things were still so tentative.

“So, how did it go?” Jordie asked excitedly, “it looked like the two of you were having fun!”

And here we go.

“Well last night, at the exhibition, went really well, but…”

Jordie and Foegs frowned as he trailed off, Sebastian and Teuvo just looked confused. Dougie sighed and sat down heavily at his desk.

“She was really hesitant this morning. Like, so full of anxiety that she almost didn’t show up for coffee,” he admitted, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck awkwardly.

“What do you mean?” Jordie asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

“She thinks it’s too good to be true?” Dougie winced.

Foegs looked a little stunned, Jordie’s jaw dropping. But then Sebastian jumped to his feet from where he was sitting on Jordie’s desk.

“Well then you’ll just have to sweep her off her feet!” Sebastian said firmly.

Really? Dougie sent him an unimpressed look, but Sebastian’s pout stayed serious as Teuvo giggled.

“As much as I hate to say it, Sepe has a point,” Foegs shrugged, making Sebastian stick out his tongue at him, “the two of you looked like you’d really hit it off when we were all talking, and the fact that Ashley did meet you this morning means a little anxiety shouldn’t stand in the way,”

“Take her on another date. Wine and dine, man. It’s a classic for a reason,” Jordie added, nodding seriously.

Well shit, if Jordie was being serious then maybe it would work.

“Thanks guys,” Dougie murmured, smiling softly.

“Anything to land you the woman of your many dreams,” Jordie beamed.

Dougie just blushed. Sebastian wriggled his eyebrows, Teuvo just punching him on the arm. It was almost a nice moment.

He waited until Foegs, Sebastian and Teuvo had left to start working before he pulled his phone out, biting his bottom lip as he thought of what to say.

~

To: Ashley

From: Dougie

Hey, I’m glad I saw you today.

I hope you’re still doing okay.

How do you feel about getting dinner with me?

~

Dougie jiggled his leg nervously as he logged into his computer, waiting with baited breath for any reply.

And then eventually, his phone buzzed. Ashley. Thank god.

~

To: Dougie

From: Ashley

I’m alright thanks. That scone definitely helped ;)

I would love to get dinner with you.

~

Dougie couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. Good. This was good. They exchanged a few more messages, eventually figuring out that because of his next few late nights with the exhibition and her essays she had to mark, neither of them were really free until next Saturday. A whole week away again. Fuck. No, this was going to work. Dougie knew it was worth it – and if she needed him to text a lot over the next few days to remind her that he was all in, that he wasn’t just going to disappoint her like those other guys, then he absolutely would.

Wine and dine next Saturday. He could absolutely do this.

“Hey, what was the name of that place you took your wife out for date night a couple of weeks back?” Dougie asked, looking up at his boss.

Jordie’s face lit up. “Oh man, it was so good…”

*

As Dougie promised himself, they kept texting throughout the week. He told her fun stories from visitors to the exhibition. She told him silly comments her students made that she couldn’t respond to without laughing in class. He told her all about his time in Boston. She told him all about her time in New York. He sent her a picture of the cutest trio of dogs his neighbours adopted. She sent him a picture of a sunset that took her breath away. Things were…good. He was just glad that Ashley seemed as enthusiastic as she was before their first date.

All he could hope was that he was proving to her that he was different. That he was serious about giving their budding relationship a shot. He hadn’t bonded with someone as quickly as this, as deeply as this, ever – so he wanted to see where it went. The unknown with Ashley genuinely excited him, and he wanted her to feel the same excitement.

He could only try to be good enough to deserve her.

By the time Saturday rolled around, Dougie was a nervous wreck. He’d left work exactly on time for once, Jordie giving him a thump on the shoulder and Foegs a thumbs up (he mostly ignored Sebastian and Teuvo’s shimmies), racing home to change into a nice sweater and his favourite pair of smart jeans. Casual but like he cared about making an impression. That was what he was aiming for.

And then Ashley arrived 10 minutes early, just after he’d arrived himself, looking nervous but happy in the prettiest baby blue tea-dress he’d ever seen, with her hair curled and wearing a pretty pink lipstick. Wow.

“You look beautiful,” he blurted.

Oh god. Mr Smooth, again.

Ashley just blushed, smiling up at him. “Thank you. I love your sweater,”

Dougie blushed in return. What a pair they made.

“After you,” he said, opening the restaurant door for her.

As much as her anxiety had worried him, he was so glad he didn’t give up – she was absolutely worth it. They were lead to their table, Dougie being a bit extra and pulling out Ashley’s chair for her, but the giggle he got in return was what he was aiming for. Wine and dine. Sweep her off her feet. That’s all that he wanted to do, and if it was working then he wasn’t going to stop now.

“I was thinking we could split a bottle of wine tonight, if you want?” Dougie offered.

“Yeah that sounds good to me,” Ashley nodded, “Maybe a white wine?”

That was more than okay with him. Red wine made him a little…over the top? He definitely talked too much when he had red wine, he knew that much, and he wanted to save at least a little dignity tonight. Hopefully, at least.

The wine was ordered, and by the time they each had a cold glass of sauvignon blanc, Ashley looked as relaxed as Dougie felt. He could only hope the rest of this night turned out the same way.

“So did I tell you what one of Rod’s students said to him yesterday?”

Dougie grinned, shaking his head. “No you didn’t!”

Ashley grinned back. “Well…”

They talked for hours, sharing stories about their jobs, their interests, their families, not stopping when any of their three courses came, not hesitating even once. Nothing was awkward in the slightest – their conversation just flowed like they’d known each other for years, and Dougie’s heart was just so happy. This was everything he’d wanted for so long, someone he could truly been 100% himself with, and he couldn’t believe that she seemed as into him as he was into her.

How was this possible, after only two dates?

Time flew by so fast, too fast, and they did eventually have to leave their table, even as much as Dougie didn’t want the night to end. He just felt utterly consumed by her, completely and utterly lost in her very being, and he didn’t want this feeling to stop for anything.

It probably didn’t help that they’d split three bottles of wine though.

It wasn’t enough to make either of them sloppy drunk, not with the delicious food they’d eaten, but Ashley was definitely a bit more giggly than usual, and he was definitely smiling like an idiot.

“I wish your uber wasn’t on its way,” Dougie sighed, when they were outside.

“I’m actually not a far walk from here, so I was just going to walk home?”

At this time of night? Absolutely not! Ashley saw the look of indignation of his face and burst into laughter, making him blush (again). What? He wasn’t wrong for being worried about her getting home safely.

“You could always walk me home?” she suggested.

Oh. Oh. Oh yeah okay, he could do that.

“Yeah, definitely,” Dougie nodded quickly.

Dougie’s heart started beating a little faster as she looped her arm through his, and it was all he could do not to smile at her too helplessly. How did she manage to affect him like this? He’d never fallen so head over heels so quickly. And she seemed completely oblivious to how gone he was for her – in the most innocent of ways.

They walked slowly, leaning on each perhaps a little more than they would without the wine, but it just meant that they had more time for talking. Dougie was blissfully happy to let Ashley rant about the indignity of the black myth surrounding Eleanor of Aquitaine, taking in everything that she was trying to teach him. He loved how much she loved her medieval history, just like he loved his art. It was quirky and different and so unique to her. And honestly, he could picture them doing this together for years, discussing their passions and their love for their careers and…

“Okay this is me,” Ashley announced, breaking him out of his thoughts.

Dougie looked up at the old two-storey home with a smile. So this was her home. Pretty.

“That wasn’t so bad a walk,” Dougie grinned.

“I feel bad now though, making you get further away for your own journey,” Ashley frowned.

But Dougie shook his head. “It’s fine really. I’m sure there are plenty of ubers still running around here,”

“Well…”

Ashley trailed off, biting her lip, making Dougie smile. What was on her mind?

“You can stay, if you want?” Ashley said, a shy smile on her face.

Oh fuck. Stay? Ashley saw the shock on his face, before she blushed furiously, quickly shaking her head.

“I have a spare bedroom! I swear I didn’t mean it like that,” she groaned, covering her face with her hands.

Dougie couldn’t help but laugh, tugging her hands away gently. Not that he was opposed to…sharing a bed with her, but that wasn’t the vibe of tonight. Tonight was for building them up, getting them to a more comfortable level. And fuck did it feel good tonight.

Waking up to see her first thing in the morning would only be icing on the cake.

“I would love to stay, as long as you don’t mind,” he said softly, brushing his hand against hers.

Ashley inhaled sharply but nodded, wordlessly reaching in her handbag for her keys. They stayed silent as they walked into the house, Dougie barely moving a foot away from her as she showed him the kitchen, the bathroom and then the spare bedroom. He could do a proper tour in the morning, he knew that. He was just a little stunned that he was even still with her, to be honest.

“So here’s some basketball shorts that my cousin left last time he visited. I don’t have a shirt big enough for you though,” she apologised, handing him a soft bundle.

Dougie just shook his head, smiling. “This is more than enough. I usually sleep shirtless anyway,”

Ashley’s lips parted a little in surprise, her eyes glazing over slightly, making Dougie grin as she shook her head as if to clear it. Good to know he had that effect on her.

“There are spare toothbrushes under the sink from when I last when to the dentist’s office, so help yourself to whatever one?” she offered.

Dougie just nodded, squeezing her hand as he walked into the bathroom. He willed himself to retain at least a little bit of chill as he got changed, quickly washing his face and cleaning his teeth with one of the toothbrushes she’d offered. This was all still a little bit surreal, being honest. But he was going to seize this with both hands – this was a chance he was never going to get again if he fucked up.

Ashley couldn’t seem to keep her eyes off him as they swapped places in the bathroom, and Dougie tried not to grin as he flexed his abs a little, making her blush. He could have a little fun, right? Especially since he knew the boundaries he needed to stay behind, he wasn’t dumb.

By the time he’d put his phone on charge and folded his clothes onto a chair for tomorrow, and then headed back out into the corridor, Ashley was back, dressed in a cute little pair of shorts and a giant t-shirt. Oh wow, he could definitely imagine her wearing his t-shirt to bed one day. No, not the time!

“Hey,”

Ashley’s voice brought him out of his thoughts, and he couldn’t help but smile down at her.

“Hey,” he murmured.

“See you in the morning?” she said hopefully.

Like fuck he was going to leave. “Bright and early,” he nodded.

But when she didn’t go anywhere, her hand moving to rest on his bare arm, Dougie couldn’t stop himself from stepping towards her. Fuck. She inhaled sharply, but didn’t push him away, and that was all he needed.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked lowly.

Ashley’s lips parted in a soft gasp, but she nodded. “Yeah, please,”

Dougie raised a hand to cup her face, giving her one last out, but as she raised up on her tiptoes he didn’t hesitate any further. He leant his head down, and pressed his lips to hers softly, barely able to stop the moan that wanted to tear from his throat. Holy shit. Ashley clutched at his biceps, leaning up into the kiss even more, making Dougie’s head spin as he kissed her softly, slowly, over and over again. This was so not what he expected from tonight, or even hoped for, but fuck did it fill his body with butterflies. Holy shit, kissing her was everything. Eventually, he brushed his tongue against hers gently, before pulling away, knowing there was a stupid smile on his face.

“Wow,” he breathed.

“Wow,” she nodded, laughing softly, “That’s one hell of a goodnight,”

Dougie laughed softly too, pecking her lips in a soft kiss one last time before stepping away. She leaned against the wall, looking a little stunned, making him grin as he walked into her spare bedroom. If he didn’t walk away, he knew he would do something stupid to break them out of this perfect little sweet bubble, and that wasn’t what he wanted. Not tonight.

Tonight had been perfect. 

*

Ashley woke up slowly, a little groggy, feeling like she was forgetting something. Then she heard the bathroom door opening, and everything came flooding back to her. Dougie was here. He’d stayed over after their date last night. They’d kissed. Holy shit. Holy shit. She took a deep breath to calm herself, fingers rising to her lips without a second thought, and it was all she could do to smile.

Dougie had kissed her. And it was everything.

She squealed softly into her pillow, feeling stupidly giddy, before quickly picking out a cute jumper and her comfiest skinny jeans to wear. She could hear him moving in the spare bedroom, so she quickly darted into the bathroom, washing and then brushing her teeth, unable to stop the smile that spread across her face at the sight of the toothbrush that Dougie used resting in the holder. There was just something about it that felt right.

She took a deep breath, running her hands down her sweater to smooth it, before she headed out of the bathroom and into the kitchen. It didn’t take long for Dougie to join her, and he accepted the glass of juice that she passed him with a smile.

“Good morning,” he murmured.

“Good morning,” she said softly back.

Dougie seemed to hesitate slightly, before his face became determined. She didn’t have time to ask him what was wrong before he leant down and pressed his lips to hers in a firm kiss. Ashley whimpered softly into his mouth, earning a soft noise back, and it was all she could do to clutch at his sweater. Holy shit. This was just as incredible and sweet as she remembered from last night. Wow. Dougie cupped her face with his free hand, thumb brushing over her cheekbone as he slowed the kiss down to a few gentle pecks, before he pulled away with a smile. Ashley just smiled back up at him, a little overwhelmed in the best way. Wow.

“Coffee shop?” he said.

“Yeah, if that’s alright,” she nodded.

He understood her routines. And he didn’t care that she wanted to stick to them. How could she not appreciate that?

Dougie just nodded in response, smiling as he sat down at her kitchen table, taking a sip of the juice she’d given him. “I wouldn’t mind changing out of last night’s clothes though. Not really my vibe,” he teased.

Ashley giggled, understanding perfectly. It wasn’t her vibe either.

“I could drive you over to yours, to get a change of clothes, and then we could head to Storm Surge together?” she suggested.

“Yeah? You want to walk in together like that?” Dougie asked, a little hopeful.

Holy shit, that would be one hell of a declaration. But…

“Yeah, I want that,” she nodded.

The grin that spread across Dougie’s face made the butterflies in her stomach worth it.

“Let me just put on some mascara and lipstick, and we can go?”

“Sure, whatever you want,” Dougie smiled.

Now that was a dangerous thought.

All too soon, Ashley was parked down the street from the coffee shop. She took a deep breath, Dougie sending her an encouraging smile, before she steeled herself and got out of the car. This was nervewracking. Storm Surge was her home away from home, her safe space, her comfort, and now she was completely changing the status quo. But as Dougie walked to her side, smiling down at her with such hope in his eyes, she knew it was worth it. He was worth it.

“Ready?” Dougie asked, holding out his hand.

Holy shit. Bring it on.

Ashley smiled up at him, taking his hand in hers, embracing the butterflies that came with the warmth of his grasp. They walked to the coffee shop together, Dougie squeezing her hand gently as she opened the door and walked through.

“Ashley! And…Dougie?”

Andrei’s gasp made her blush, Dougie just laughing. Then Andrei’s face broke into a huge grin, and he spun around.

“Marty! It’s happened! It’s finally happened!” Andrei yelled into the back of the shop.

What the hell?

A door slammed open in the back, and then Marty came barrelling out. He took one look at them holding hands before punching his fist in the air.

“LET’S GOOOO!”

Ashley flinched at Marty’s loud voice, but couldn’t help but giggle when he bounded over to Andrei, swinging an arm over his shoulders.

“Finally! Do you know how long we’ve been rooting for you two?” Marty beamed.

Oh god. Ashley blushed furiously, as did Dougie, and she couldn’t help but laugh. “Was I that obvious?” Ashley asked shyly.

“Both of you were. It was so frustrating but so sweet,” Marty shrugged, Andrei nodding enthusiastically in agreement. “We just hoped you guys would take a chance,”

Take a chance. Hah. That’s definitely a good way to describe it. And he was so worth taking a chance on. Dougie smiled fondly down at her, before pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head.

“Well I’d say our second date went pretty well,” Dougie said softly, squeezing her hand.

Ashley smiled back, nudging him with her shoulder, earning coos from Marty and Andrei.

“Okay, you two are giving me cavities,” Marty said cheerfully, not even slightly annoyed, “Coffee and anything you want to eat, on the house. I need to tell Slavs – he’s going to be thrilled!”

Ashley just giggled, leaning into Dougie’s body as she looked over the cakes and pastries on display. Being with Dougie, this fledgling relationship, was scary – but it was also so exciting. She couldn’t wait to see what happened next. This was the start of something amazing, she just knew it.

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: August 2020

August! Lots of reading this month but I did manage to catch up on two movies I’ve been meaning to see for aaaaaaages! Here’s how I spent the month.

……….FILM……….

Arrival (2016) Whoa. I’ve been meaning to catch this for ages and finally got around to it! I’m amazed I didn’t really have anything spoiled and I loved it. It’s a shame that the themes of fear and skepticism are evergreen but I really loved the overall message. Now I better appreciate why this director was a good fit for the Blade Runner sequel. Anyway I 100% recommend.

Clue (1985) Exactly what I was hoping for. I think we’d put this on our list of movies to watch after loving Knives Out and this was wonderfully adjacent while being completely different. Comedies like this don’t really seem to get made any more, do they? Fun and silly and smart all at once. Just fantastic.

……….TELEVISION……….

Insecure (Episode 1.01 to 3.03) So great! I wasn’t sure about it at first (I don’t generally connect with characters who are just kinda meandering through life) but the cast and writing are very very good.

Mad Men (Episode 4.12 to 5.03) I wasn’t sure about Megan but she’s such a great foil for Don and has far more personality than I was expecting (I was expecting Jane 2.0). Also the new copywriter (Ginsberg) is already my favourite character and I sure hope he sticks around.

What We Do in the Shadows (Episode 2.05 to 2.10) Another solid season of this series. Each finale really wraps up the season’s ongoing conflict while immediately opening up to the one, and it’s a really fun way to pace a show. Still super fun and funny.

……….READING……….

The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson (Complete) While still a fantasy novel, this was unlike anything I’ve read in this genre before. I’d almost describe it as...narrative poetry? It took me a bit to adjust but the experience was closer to gleaning a story from a song than it was reading a novel. It has some jarring language but I think that adds to the lyrical quality. All this is to say if you want a change from your typical fantasy, give it a go.

Illuminatus! Part II: The Golden Apple  by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson (Complete) I now realize that this truly is just one long story being told and it’s changed my whole perspective. Book I didn’t really have a complete narrative and neither does this, but I can see it's building towards something that (hopefully) comes to a head in Book III. It’s fun, if slightly indulgent, but the worldbuilding is very very good.

Saga Book Three by Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples, and Fonografiks (Complete) Oof what a gut punch. Waiting for the hardcover collections before catching up means a long time passes between reading them and it always takes me a minute to get back into it. But after that 30 second hurdle is jumped, I remember why this series is so so incredible. Consequences and stakes, funny and heartbreaking, it’s just everything a comic can be. It sounds like there’s only one more hardcover to go before the series wraps so if you haven’t checked it out, now’s a good time to start.

Seven Little Sons of the Dragon by Ryoku Kui (Complete) Short stories by the creator of Delicious in Dungeon? Oh yeeeeeeah. These were fun and there were more hits than misses, as is hopefully the way with an anthology book like this. Worth checking out if you’re a completionist of Ryoku’s work, but I admit it can’t deliver on the same depth that Delicious does (nor should it). It’s the same, but different.

Petit: The Ogre Gods Book One by Hubert Boulard & Bertrand Gatignol (Complete) The art is beautiful and the world is richly fleshed out but I couldn’t really connect or want to follow any of the characters. Petit, the main protagonist of this book, doesn’t really have much personality. If you liked Attack on Titan then it might be worth checking out (similarly violent, strict hierarchy, some politics at play). Truly a beautiful book but it just wasn’t for me.

……….AUDIO……….

The Empty Town by Jaguar Sun (2020) Great end-of-summer energy and I think this’ll be on regular rotation for the rest of the year.

Lofi Hip Hop Music - Beats to Relax/Study To (Playlist) I have trouble listening to music with lyrics while I write so this has been my go-to playlist. I listen on Spotify but it looks like you can find a bunch of other options on YouTube and such.

……….GAMING……….

Neverland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The party has met a bunch of Fairies, delivered a tea set, and are about to ambush some Pirates! I’m really having a lot of fun with this setting and am super stoked for it’s release in October! In the meantime, you can read more detailed accounts of the group’s adventures over on Reddit.

D&D Homebrew Adventure (Menace of Merlin) Is this it??? The trio have saved the Viking village and have begun infiltrating Merlin’s tower! They seem skeptical of his non-magical security but who doesn’t love a cookie-themed puzzle?

And that’s it! As always, I love a good recommendation so don’t hesitate to send me something you enjoy and happy Monday!

[windybit]

Last week was spring break and I was having A Time packing for my trip, so I missed Monday. I meant to post yesterday, but between class and my new cold, I just forgot. Anyways! Monthly Music Monday number two!

For anyone who might see this and doesn’t follow me, I had COVID in January and was really bored in my room alone so. This is the end result. I think I completed the whole arrangement in roughly 12 hours over the course of two days, but that whole week was a fever dream so who’s to say.

Unlike last month’s arrangement, this one actually uses MuseScore 4′s new soundfonts, just because I thought they actually worked well here. I don’t like the way the trumpets sound in the new MuseSounds, but as far as I know there isn’t a way to make them sound less... distant is the word I’ve been using. I have to jack up the volume on the mixing so you can even hear it in combination with the other instruments. All of the brass, except for maybe tuba, have that issue. Dynamics are just wildly unbalanced and inconsistent, especially when in use with woodwinds (I actually have to turn most of them down because they’re super heckin loud). But other than that the actual sounds themselves are lovely and I do like working with them for the most part!

This is The Apex of the World from Fire Emblem: Three Houses, arr. January 2023. Enjoy!

[luvneedsnosyt]

My Favorite Albums of August 2019

Here’s my monthly list of albums released in August I was feeling.

My Previous monthly lists from 2019: January, February, March, April, May, June, July

You can find my list from June of my favorite albums halfway through 2019 here

The Best:

Astrid S - Trust Issues Genre: Pop

Proof: Doing To Me / Someone New

AUGUST 08 - Happy Endings with an Astrisk Genre: R&B / Neo-Soul

Proof: Simple Pleasures (Feat. GoldLink) / Blood on My Hands (Feat, Smino)

Baby Rose - To Myself Genre: R&B / Soul

Proof: Borderline / Regrets

Bas - Spilled Milk 1 EP Genre: Hip Hop

Proof: Fried Rice (Feat. J.I.D.) / Nirvana (Feat. Falcons & B. Lewis)

Black Milk - DiVE Genre: Hip Hop

Proof: If U Say (Feat. BJ The Chicago Kid) / TYME

Blaq Tuxedo - Blaq Tuxedo Genre: R&B / Neo-Soul

Proof: 1am Watermelon / Jet Speed

Bon Iver - i,i Genre: Indie Pop / Experimental Folk

Proof: Hey, Ma / U (Man Like)

Boy Scouts - Free Company Genre: Indie Rock / Alternative

Proof: All Right / Cut It

BROCKHAMPTON - GINGER Genre: Hip Hop

Proof: NO HALO / DEARLY DEPARTED

Channel Tres - Black Moses Genre: House / R&B

Proof: Sexy Black Timberlake / Raw Power // Bonus: Sexy Black Timberlake (SG Lewis Remix)

Clairo - Immunity Genre: Indie Pop

Proof: Sofia / Feel Something // Bonus: SG Lewis & Clairo - Throwaway / Mura Masa & Clairo - I Don’t Think I Can Do This Again

Dabin - Wild Youth (The Remixes) Genre: Electronic / Future Bass / Dance

Proof: Part Time Lover (Crystal Skies Remix) Feat. Claire Ridgely / Alive (Trivecta Remix) Feat. RUNN

Electric Youth - Memory Emotion Genre: Synth-Pop / R&B / Electronic

Proof: The Life / thirteen

Friendly Fires - Inflorescent Genre: Synth-Pop / R&B / House

Proof: Heaven Let Me In / Sleeptalking

G Flip - About Us Genre: R&B / Pop

Proof: I Am Not Afraid / About You

half●alive - Now, Not Yet Genre: Synth-Pop / Indie Pop

Proof: steel feel. / arrow

HVDES - Stand Alone Complex EP Genre: Electronic / Dance

Proof: Akuma / Human

ILLENIUM - ASCEND Genre: Electronic / Future Bass / Dance

Proof: Good Things Fall Apart (Feat. Jon Bellion) / Gorgeous (w/ Blanke Feat. Bipolar Sunshine) // Bonus: Crashing (Rock Mafia Remix) Feat. Bahari / Pray (Sam Lamar Remix) Feat. Kameron Alexander / Good Things Fall Apart (Tiësto’s Big Room Remix) Feat. Jon Bellion

Jay Som - Anak Ko Genre: Indie Rock / Alternative

Proof: Superbike / Peace Out

Jidenna - 85 to Africa Genre: Hip Hop

Proof: 85 to Africa / Babouche (Feat. GoldLink)

Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell! Genre: Pop

Proof: Venice Bitch / Fuck it I love you & The greatest

Little Brother - May the Lord Watch Genre: Hip Hop

Proof: Everything / Black Magic (Make It Better)

Mabel - High Expectations Genre: R&B / Neo-Soul 

Proof: Don’t Call Me Up / Mad Love

Mac Ayers - Juicebox Genre: R&B / Neo-Soul / Funk

Proof: Shadows / Better

Marika Hackman - Any Human Friend Genre: Pop

Proof: the one / come undone

Missy Elliott - ICONOLOGY EP Genre: R&B / Hip Hop

Proof: Cool Off / Why I Still Love You

MURS, 9th Wonder & The Soul Collective - The Iliad is Dead and the Odyssey is Over Genre: Indie Hip Hop

Proof: Give Me a Reason / SIN

Olivia Nelson - Back to You EP Genre: R&B

Proof: Summertime / No Answer

Raphael Saadiq - Jimmy Lee Genre: R&B / Soul

Proof: Something Keeps Calling Me (Feat. Rob Bacon) / My Walk

Rapsody - Eve Genre: Hip Hop

Proof: Nina / Aaliyah

SAINt JHN - Ghetto Lenny’s Love Songs Genre: Hip Hop / R&B

Proof: Trap (Feat. Lil Baby) / Call Me After You Hear This

Shura - forevher Genre: Synth Pop / R&B

Proof: religion (u can lay your hands on me) / BKLYNLNDN // Bonus: BKLYLNDN (i-vu London Dub)

SiR - Chasing Summer Genre: R&B / Soul

Proof: You Can’t Save Me / Mood (Feat. Zacari)

Taylor Swift - Lover Genre: Pop

Proof: Lover / Afterglow

William Black - Pages Genre: Electronic / Dance

Proof: Dying Day (Feat. Prettyheartbreak) / Back Together (Feat. RUNN)

!!! - Wallop Genre: Synth-Pop / Dance

Proof: Serbia Dreams / $50 Million

Bonus:

A few albums I missed and a compilation album of one off singles by one of today’s biggest artist.

Curren$y & LNDN DRGS - Umbrella Symphony EP Genre: Hip Hop Released May 2019

Proof: Ghetto Gospel / Payback

Drake - Care Package [Compilation] Genre: Hip Hop / R&B Released September 2019

Proof: How Bout Now / Girls Love Beyoncé (Feat. James Fauntleroy)

Olivia Nelson - For You EP Genre: R&B Released August 2018

Proof: Hideaway / Smother Me

Tyla Yaweh - Heart Full of Rage Genre: Hip Hop / R&B Released February 2019

Proof: High Right Now / They Ain’t You

Others:

Abby Jasmine - Abbnormal EP, AJ Mitchell - Slow Dance EP, The Alchemist - Yacht Rock 2, Algee Smith - atl, A$AP Ferg - Floor Seats, Bazzi - Soul Searching, Bishop Nehru & Brady Watt - The Real Book, Vol. 1 EP, Black Belt Eagle Scout - At The Party With My Brown Friends, bLAck pARty - Endless Summer, Blank Mass - Animated Violence Mild, Blu & Damu The Fudgemunk - Ground & Water EP, Bun B - Bun B Day EP, Cousin Stizz - Trying to Find My Next Thrill, Chase & Status - RTRN: THE ORIGINALS EP, Christian French - bright side of the moon EP, Common - Let Love, Cross Record - Cross Record, Curren$y - Hot August Nights EP , Dame D.O.L.L.A. - Big D.O.L.L.A., Deb Never - House on Wheels EP, Dillon Nathaniel - Obsessions EP, Emmavie - Honeymoon, Emmavie - Stop the Tape EP, FLETCHER - you ruined new york city for me EP, Four Tet - Anna Painting EP, G&D - Black Love & War, G-Eazy - B-Sides EP, GRAFIX - Refuge EP, GRiZ - Bangers[2].zip EP, Headie One - Music x Road [Mixtape], Hope Tala - Sensitive Soul EP, Hoodie Allen - Whatever USA, HTRK - Venus in Leo, i_o - House of God EP, Isabella - 12 Angels, JackLNDN - Thoughts, Jezzy - TM104: The Legend of the Snowman, Joell Ortiz - Monday, Joseph Ray - Room 1.5 / Chem - Ex EP, Justine Skye - Bare With Me EP, Kayzo - Unleashed, Kevin George - My Darlings a Demon, Kingdom - EXTERRA, Vol. 1 EP, LICK - Dark Vibe Order, Little Boots - Jump EP, Lillie Mae - Other Girls, LV - Xcited, Lyfe Jennings - 777, Lynda Dawn - At First Light EP, Madeaux - Club Demons EP, MarMar Oso - Oso Different, Moksi - The Return of House Music, Nao Yoshioka - Undeniable, Navvy - The Breakup EP, Nick Catchdubs - Ufo, Obie Trice - The Fifth, Pete Yorn - Caretakers, PJ Morton - PAUL, P-LO - SHINE, Powers Pleasant - Life Is Beautiful EP, Quality Control - Control The Streets Volume 2, Ra Ra Riot - Superbloom, The Regrettes - How Do You Love?, Rick Ross - Port of Miami 2, SATICA - Dear April, Ily EP, The Score - Stay EP, Sheer Mag - A Distant Call, Sleater-Kinney - The Center Won’t Hold, Slum Village - The Source, Snoh Aalgra - Ugh, those feels again, Snoop Dogg - I Wanna Thank Me, Social House - Everything Changed… EP, Somos - Prison On A Hill, Tess Henley - Better EP, Tora - Can’t Buy the Mood, Trae tha Truth - Exhale, Tropical Fuck Storm - Braindrops, Valentino Khan - House Party EP, Various Artists - 13 Reasons Why (Season 3) [Music Inspired by the Netflix Series], Velvet Negroni - NEON BROWN, Whitney - Forever Turned Around, YACHT - Chain Tipping, Zo! - FourFront, 93PUNX - 93PUNX

[ame77lala]

ahh doki doki live grace coming soon~ also, i flying tomorrow =v=... anyway on to her blog celebrating Kado D (cherry boys violinist) and Mukai the stage director birthday~ then she also explains that kado D is the arrange leader for cherry boys (the 1 who prepare how music goes and timing) she felt sad that all sudden after the new year holiday he and cherry boys have to start writing the music (well i hope they did start before =v=...) but yea looking forward to their hard effort XD 

sushi! again more DEATH STRANDING recording this time not much info, she only can explain by her feelings as she cant spoil the story ^^;; mainly nervous and must put all their soul into voice acting XD like gave their all to act out their character

congratz, nana for 200 times on seiyuu Grand Prix under a page called 奈々が行く!! (Nana ga iku) https://nanamizuki7.wordpress.com/tag/%E5%A5%88%E3%80%85%E3%81%8C%E8%A1%8C%E3%81%8F/ on the title it states aiming for 300 =v=;; (and later 700 ish...)

POWER GATE radio, celebrate early for her birthday~ (because they only record and broadcast monthly =v=..)  and she said she cant believe she that old...(yes you are 39 lol...yeap this woman is hitting 39, this coming monday...) but will keep on challenging even though she is old (yes nana ganbatte!! but please dont push too hard T_T) she ends off but 1st lets make LIVE GRACE best stage (YEAA!!)

finally, start rehearsal with the orchestra, and only 2 days rehearsal =v=;;;  so is more of matching timing and sound between singer and orchestra (ma....at choir for me we only get to practice by piano but with other instruments only days before the performance, get to rehearsal with them for short while =v=.. so yea i understand why they only rehearsal 2 days together lol)  the orchestra team is 150 people plus choir also (OAO huge team) she explains is the highest luxury and happiness (base on the music from the orchestra) then as the music start nana sudden switch to her epic singing mode ^^;; (you know her erm... possession mode ^^;;;) so yea the music is so epic that it causes nana to change character all sudden XD and i know that feel... sugoi i looking forward to it XD 

haiz... since is an orchestra live, which is not needed to move alot or dance also, she shows off her easy to move in dress =v=;;; (someone please give her a guy to date with her)

speaking of rehearsal fashion (as she said) the females staffs wore pop team epic shirts XD nana also wanted to wear with them ^^;;;

ahhh cannot wait, sounds LIVE GRACE going to be epic....well nearly all live are going to be epic lol i will try my best to post setlist but see how (and my connection at japan lol) also, try my best to not blur out ^^;;;

[thotyssey]

On Point With: DJ Ten Yards

Sam Branman, the DJ third of Brooklyn nightlife monster trio Str8 to DVD, is also churning out some of the skimpiest and most fashionable Speedos on the planet (among other things). Thotyssey tries to keep up with Ten Yards!

Thotyssey: DJ, hello! Thanks for chatting with us today! First of all, OMG YOU GOT HIT BY A CAR!? How exactly did this happen, and how are you?

DJ Ten Yards: It was super fucking annoying. I was actually on my way to Annie Mae, which is Laè D Boi’s party (currently first Sundays at The Rosemont) I’m the resident DJ / video curator for, and I was literally crossing the street one block from my house and a fucking pickup truck hit me from behind! I’m mostly okay--my left arm got banged up and I’m doing PT to get that back to full fighting strength. They also destroyed my laptop! The truck actually sped off after hitting me, but I found it thanks to some nosy neighbors, and I’m starting legal proceedings. I obviously didn’t make it to the party, and went to the ER instead.

Does this bring home how terrible the world and it's people can be?

I mean, everyone who saw me get hit were super nice and helpful! I’m not letting one asshole who can’t drive ruin my worldview. even if it did jack my arm up.

That's the spirit! Will you still be making it to DragCon, if that's something you were planning to do?

Absolutely! I’m lucky in that I am able to work on jewelry and I’ve been preparing for it for months, so I have a lot of apparel no one’s seen yet ready to go! I’m at table C31, and I’m there all weekend (except Saturday morning because there’s no way I’m going directly from Str8 to DVD to DragCon, which starts at 9. My husband Erik can work that alone.)

Between your designs and your DJ’ing, there's lots to talk about, so we better start right at the beginning. Where's your hometown, and what came first: fashion or music?

I grew up mostly in Olive Bridge, NY, but I just say I’m from Woodstock because it’s the closest landmark that people who aren’t from there know. Fashion came first! I loved dressing up as a child, and I started sewing what mostly resembled actual clothing when I was 18. I had decided to go to college for photography, not fashion. But I’m a big nerd, so I’d do a few cosplay projects to wear at the anime conventions I went to every summer.

Who were you cosplaying as?

My first actual cosplay was Hirai Ken from the “Pop Star” video. There’s three of him in different colored jumpsuits, and I could sort of do the hair he has in the red one! I also did a very loose Tommy February6 (we share a birthday!), invented a fake Japanese band with friends, and Ray Watts from KMFDM / PIG / Schwein. I still wear the shirt I made for that, but the jumpsuit was sacrificed last year to become Beltane ribbons, and the others just languish in my clothing labyrinth.

And when did DJing come into the picture?

I’ve always wanted to be musical, but I’m not. I tried to learn instruments, to learn how to write music. I was briefly sort of in a band or two (I even have album credits). I am, however, a collector and very opinionated... so I can DJ! My friend DJ A-Ron’s DJing partner moved away, and he offered to show me the ropes. We did a few gigs together at Nowhere back in 2013, and I struck out on my own DJing for a few now-defunct parties around Manhattan and Brooklyn. I didn’t start the drag-DJ gig until Qhrist With a Q and Sherry Poppins asked me to do what was then 1-900-HOT-GLUE two years ago!

You met Qhrist in a nerdy chat room, right?

Yep! Eightish years ago? I helped convince Qhrist to go to Purchase, too.

Good for you! What was the rationale at the time behind creating HOT GLUE, which is now STR8 to DVD?

At the beginning, I was just helping out! They wanted to make a space for themselves and the other performers coming out of Purchase, like Maxxx Pleasure, Lindsay Blowhan, and Jenn D'Role, and I was along for the ride. I didn’t initially do any production work besides promo, letting Qhrist and Sherry stay at my place, and making sure I had everyone’s music at first. But now we all do booking / coming up with names. I’ve been the one finding our newbie performers all year long, and I convinced them to change the name to STR8 to DVD.

This has become a hugely popular night, enough so to warrant a recent move from monthly Mondays to Fridays! What have been some memorable moments for you from STR8?

Every single one of Qhrist and Sherry’s stupid, perfect, beautiful, unrehearsed duets. They’re so good together that people don’t realize how unrehearsed they are. When Sherry was still getting ready at my house with Qhris, they might listen to the song once or twice to get the words down, but that’s it! 

I’m also very fond of our massively overbooked Halloween show last year, when we all kept booking people and forgetting until it was too late. We wound up with 9 performers and 13 actual numbers. It was perfect. Half of them involved food, because we’re gross and live in Brooklyn.

That reminds me, I hear that pasta and fake blood were factors in a perilous Bushwig this summer!

I fully missed all of the mess, because of where my booth was at Bushswag! I couldn’t see shit. I made sure to see the performers I’d made clothes for, and my personal legends like Charlene, Untitled, Ragamuffin, Tyler Ashley, and Chutney Spears with that fucking snake.

Gurl, that snake! So STR8 is turning 2 this Friday at Gold Sounds ... what's in store for the anniversary?

STUPIDITY! I’m glad we’re leaning into being irredeemable and canceled. Qhrist already has to redo the flyer because one performer canceled, we forgot we booked one performer, and Lindsay Blowhan is coming all the way up from Virginia for it, and we should probably have her perform? I guess? It’s not like she’s Sherry’s daughter and performed at our first, like, six shows or anything. 

We’ve got Sandy Devastation who made her debut at STR8 to DVD, Papusa Smear who made their debut with us, and Kaey Kiel, a nice cabaret singer and journalist from Berlin who doesn’t deserve to deal with any of this! She’s staying with my husband and her dream is to perform in New York, so we’re making all her dreams come true.

Another monthly (third Saturdays, in this case) you've been DJing, Emi Grate's “A+: The Asian Revue,” has also recently had it's own (1st) anniversary, and has moved to The Monster in the West Village. What has it been like, being a part of that?

It’s super fun! Emi is so fucking on top of every detail. She sends out a multi-page email with every piece of information you could ever want, she has the lineup a month in advance sometimes, and the show is at a reasonable hour! Never underestimate how great it is to leave the gig at 10pm and still be able to go out afterwards... or even just go home, have dinner, and go to bed. Because of the way Gold Sounds is set up, I don’t actually do much DJ work if there aren’t drag queens on stage. But with A+ (and Annie Mae), I spend a significant amount of time actually DJing. That’s always fun. For both those shows, I play exclusively Jpop and Kpop (and would happily take suggestions for fun pop and dance music from throughout Asia! A cute boy suggested some Hindi pop songs at the most recent A+)

And the next “Annie Mae” is October 7 at the Rosemont! That's a super geeky celebration of genre fan culture that Laé D. Boi produces. That must be right up your ally!

It is! I always choose anime movies or TV shows to screen during the party on top of DJing! This month the theme is Studio Ghibli, so I think I’m gonna be playing Princess Mononoke, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and either Pompoko or Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro. I’m pretty sure Sherry Poppins will bring one of her swords, too.

So, your Ten Yards clothing line is all the rage! The sexy and colorful speedos are especially in demand! How did this come about?

I wanted to make bathing suits--made a few for myself. And then it felt like suddenly people started asking me to make them suits, and now here I am! A local bathing suit mogul. It’s been over four years, and all it took was saying “Sure, I can do that.” and then figuring it out.

How long does it take you to make a speedo now?

My first few took time, but I’m a fucking wizard now. Obviously with my arm it’s hard right now, but I can make a speedo from start to finish in about 35 minutes. Jockstraps are 27 minutes if I go at full speed!

And now you’re bringing us jewelry as well!

You can thank my mom for the jewelry! She made it all in the 80’s and early 90’s. I’m just the refurbishing squad. I’m actually photographing it right now, so I have a record of it, because most of it’s totally unique and once it is gone, it’s gone.

And much-belated congratulations on having your Fashions nominated for a Brooklyn Nightlife Award a few months back.

It was amazing to be nominated, and I knew I would lose to Florence or Diego because they’re both powerhouses! Luckily, Florence moved to Manhattan, so I have an entire year to snatch that brick from Diego’s beautiful and talented hands.

Another thing to congratulate you on: being happily married! That may sound trite, but finding true love in the nightlife biz is damn hard. What’s your secret?

So, part of it is that we don’t live together, so I’m usually not disturbing him when I come home at 4am. And when we have problems, we talk it out! Erik’s also a lovely angel who supports me no matter what. He helps out whenever I have to sell shit, and buys fabric and zippers even if it makes him nervous. But he has a day job, so he’s only been able to come to three of my gigs in the five and a half years we’ve been together.

I also wasn’t working in nightlife when we met! That probably helps, too. He’s been there every step of the way as I’ve made the switch into nightlife and fashion design.

Okay, do you have anything else you wanna plug or discuss before I ask the closer?

Nah, just a schedule recap for people who get lost in my rambling! STR8 To DVD: CANCELED is at Gold Sounds (44 Wilson Ave) on 9/28, we have shows at Midnight, and it costs $5-10. I’ll be at table C31 during DragCon (that’s the 28-30th at the Javits, ugh), Annie Mae: Ghibli is at The Rosemont on 10/07, and is free, I’ll be there at 10:30 to start the movies! See you there!

Finally: who would you really love to see in one of your speedos?

Anyone who wants a pair! But I wouldn’t say no to some Instagram thots with 30k+ followers, so long as they tag me.

Thanks, Ten!

Check Thotyssey’s calendar for DJ Ten Yards’ upcoming gigs, and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

On Point Archives

[greenbagjosh]

27 June 1997 - Payday!  Radio Raheem reference and train ticket to and from Milan via Zurich

Friday 27 June 1997

Hi everyone, Well the day I had been waiting for had finally come.  It was the end of June 1997, and it was payday at that.

I was very excited as I had my eye on a portable cassette CD-playing radio for at least a week, on sale at Saturn Hansa for just 149 D-Mark, a 50 D-Mark discount for that week only.  It was a no-name cassette recorder/duplicator with AM, FM and Longwave bands.  I had to work that day, so I had to concentrate on my work until about 4:30 PM.  At the end of the workday, I went to Neuperlach Zentrum to see my monthly Kontoauszug, or my bank statement to verify that a money transfer took place.  A deposit of 1,500 D-Mark was deposited.  I had to be sure that I had 400 D-Mark free for rent, as well as about 80 D-Mark to pay for the next month's Ausbildungstarif II bus/train fare, so I had to be very careful what I spent.  

Saturday I had more time to go to the Saturn Hansa and pick out the portable radio.  The radio came in a box about two feet / 60 cm wide, 6 inches / 15 cm high and maybe 9 inches / 23 cm deep.  It weighed maybe 4 pounds / 1.8 kilos.  When I took it home, it did not have size "D" batteries (you might know the scene from "Do the right thing" when Radio Raheem asked for 20 of the "D" sized batteries, my radio only took six), but it had a "type C" plug which was ready to plug into a type C/type F Schuko round-pin outlet, similar to my table lamp that I bought a week prior.  I plugged it in, and it received the local FM stations, AM stations and even longwave as well.  The CD player worked fine and the tapes could be dubbed at twice the normal speed, just as advertised.  At some stage I had recorded Double's "Devil's Ball" on a longwave radio station.  You may remember Double from 1985/1986 with their "Captain of her heart" song.  

I did not do much that weekend, except stay most of the time at home and record music.  Sometimes I listened to Radio Gong, sometimes the Munich frequency for the French-based NRJ network, sometimes Bayern 3, and even some Dutch, Danish, Czech, Croatian broadcasts.  Transferring from CD to tape worked fine but there was a bit of fade-in for the first two seconds or so.  And the ticking sound of skipping songs was also audible.  I had a cheap copy of Sabrina "Boys" and Deuce "Deuce on the loose!", both of which I bought at the Neuperlach Zentrum location of Hugendubel, which has since withdrawn the music CD section.

Either Monday or Tuesday, the 30th June or 1st July, I wanted to see about taking the train to Zurich and Milan and come back through Trentino Alto Adige and Tyrol.  I had my Eurail Pass, and the DB long distance agents told me that I would have to buy a separate ticket for the section between Lindau Hbf to St. Margrethen SG, and for Brenner to Kufstein.  This was because my Eurail Pass was not good for Austria, as I had not requested Austria/Hungary to be valid.  

My next story will be an at-the-last-second journey from Munich to Zurich, Milan and back by Verona, Brenner and Innsbruck.  Will I remember where the actual youth hostel in ZH-Wollishofen is?  Hope you will join me then.

[theda-rison]

So...

Thursday Night Link Roundup is dead, long live Thursday Night Link Roundup!

I think it’s time that I come to term with the fact that I don’t have the mental bandwidth to continue collecting and commenting on five video essays and at least three songs each week. (Maybe if my day job were less stressful, but that’s not going to happen, so...)

But I do like sharing music I find, because I love music and I have a huge music library, and there’s so much fun music in the world-- so this is the new thing I’m trying:

Once a month, I’m going to make a mixtape on this cute little site called Kaseta, where you can make and share mixtapes. (I think they might even have some compatibility with itunes or spotify or something, but I don’t know for sure since I don’t use either. After getting burned by Amazon for having the audacity to go to another country and try to watch a movie I had already paid for, I’ve been done with the concept of not owning my own shit. Bandcamp forever!) I’m also going to turn each into a physical mixtape, since I just found a site that sells colored cassettes, but I’m still deciding what colors I want.

So here’s the first: Monthly Monday Mixtape!

Love is a Warm Raygun

We can thank Key’s campy, fun, retro album Bad Love for this. I realized that one of the “hoo!”s in Key’s Helium reminded me of a “hoo” of a similar pitch in Mystery Skulls’ Freaking out, and spent a couple days putting together this mixtape of retro, synthy, poppy goodness.

I mean, how can you not be inspired by Bad Love when the album photoshoot looks like this?:

(I mean, I wasn’t even a Shinee fan, but I am DEFINITELY a Key fan. Please let this man be in charge of himself, he knows what he’s doing.)

That’s some good ol’ fashioned pulp scifi, TOS Star Trek looking shit and I am ABSOLUTELY here for it.

Here’s the tracklist:

Bad Love - Key

Ghost - Mystery Skulls

Genghis Khan - Miike Snow

Man on the Moon - MNQN

Sick of Being Honest - MILKBLOOD

Desire - ATEEZ

Helium 헬륨 - Key

Fall In Love - Phantogram

Gold in the Fire - Monarchy

Freaking Out - Mystery Skulls

Fade Away - Trevor Something

Take Me Home (English ver.) - ATEEZ

I hope you enjoy it! :D

[windybit]

So um

Music Mondays now? I guess? Maybe like the first Monday of the month or something.

I do my arrangements on MuseScore (it’s free and it serves my purposes well enough), so the instrumentation sounds pretty midi-ish. At least until recently with the Muse Sounds update, but I have my complaints with that too. I still think it sounds good :)

Anyways, this is Onward to Our Own Futures from the credits of Pokemon Black & White, arranged by me c. 2020

[theyoganews]

TheYogaNews.com:Beer Yoga with Chance the Rapper | Kevin Hart: What The Fit Episode 13 | Laugh Out Loud Network

New Post has been published on https://theyoganews.com/2021/08/06/theyoganews-combeer-yoga-with-chance-the-rapper-kevin-hart-what-the-fit-episode-13-laugh-out-loud-network/

TheYogaNews.com:Beer Yoga with Chance the Rapper | Kevin Hart: What The Fit Episode 13 | Laugh Out Loud Network

Kevin Hart and Chance the Rapper drink beers, FaceTime celebrities and find their inner yogi at the bar.

Kevin Hart: What The Fit is a brand new unscripted comedy starring Kevin Hart and celebrity guests. In each episode, Kevin invites his friends to join him in taking on a different whacky workout from sumo wrestling with Conan O’Brien to goat yoga with Khloé Kardashian and cowboy rodeo-ing with Leslie Jones. New episode every Thursday and bonus footage every Monday!

FOLLOW THE FUNNY: Facebook▶ http://bit.ly/LOLNetwork-FB Twitter▶ http://bit.ly/LOLNetwork-TW Instagram▶ http://bit.ly/LOLNetwork-IG YouTube▶ http://bit.ly/LOLNetwork-YT Snapchat▶ LOLNetwork Official Website▶ http://www.laughoutloud.com

Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud Network YouTube channel is a specially-curated global platform for the NOW generation of comedians and original comedic content. It’s the ultimate destination for fans of funny. Subscribe for exclusive behind the scenes, live commentary by Kevin Hart, pranks, skits, and everything fun. Laugh Out Loud Network is a joint venture brainchild of Kevin Hart and Lionsgate.

© MMXVII LIONS GATE TELEVISION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Executive Producers MATT KUNITZ PIP WELLS REBECCA SHUMSKY QUINN DAVID SHUMSKY MARK HARRIS JEFF CLANAGAN KEVIN HART

Co-Executive Producers MATT KAYE D. MAX PORIS

Hosted By KEVIN HART

Guest Starring CHANCE THE RAPPER

Directed By ALEX VAN WAGNER

Supervising Producer DOMINIC CICCODICOLA

Line Producer RACHEL KIELBORN

Producers NICK ALARCON KRISTINA GOROLEVICH AMBER MIKE MARIE MITCHELL CANDICE C. WILSON

Editors JOSH BELSON JOE CAULEY

Comedy Producer HARRY RATCHFORD

Associate Producers JADA BATES SCOTT MARTIN KEVIN WILSON

Associate Director JASON EDWARDS

Stage Manager WOLFGANG DELGADO

Director of Photography TIM MURPHY

Audio Supervisor CURTIS ROHM

Production Designer RYAN FAUGHT

Talent Casting By JB TALENT

Production Manager MCKENZIE HANSON

Post Production Supervisor LINDSAY HEMPEL

Camera Operators RUBEN AVENDANO IVAN DURAN RICHARD “RICKY” MARTINEZ MALCOLM SERRETTE MARQUES SMITH

Lead Camera Assistant JEREMIAH THORNE

Camera Assistants DEANDRE GREEN DAVE HAWES TERRANCE LOFTON JR.

Tech Supervisor ED DANIELIAN

Tech Department MIKE DELLAMONICA WALLACE DIXON DAN FERRIS

Still Photographer MIKE WEAVER

Media Manager ANDREW CURTIS

Audio Mixers ANGELO CAVUOTO ROBERT MATTHEWS FRANK MONTES NATE NADELL

Gaffer AJ TAYLOR

Best Boy DANNY VINCENT

Key Grip ROLAND MARTINEZ

Electricians DOMINICK ADAME ERIK GONZALES JIM KIMURA

Grip MARVIN MEJIA

Lead Man KEVIN MINCIN

Set Dressers RILEY CRAPPER MARSHALL KING

Production Manager STEVEN PONCE

Production Accountant SHARON PACK

Production Associate MICHAEL A. ROWE

Talent Producer ASHLEY RHORER

Talent Manager DOMINICK MERONE

Talent Associate MARLENA HALLER

Wardrobe ASHLEY NORTH DARI SETTEL

Makeup MICHELLE DEMILT

Location Manager CARLYN COUCH

Key Assistant Location Manager CLAY DODDER

Assistant Location Manager SHERRY ROLDAN

Drivers JONATHAN ANDERSON CHRIS CLARK

Set Medic JOHN AUSTIN

Craft Services ANTONIO MARCOS

Lead Assistant Editor CHRIS HICKS

Assistant Editor ALEX GILBERT

Music Supervisor RICK KRIMBEL

Colorist TAL, C.S.I.

Online Editor JOSIAH COHEN

Re-Recording Mixer TERRANCE DWYER, C.A.S.

Music By ANDREW APPLEPIE MUSIC BEAR & OWL KILLER TRACKS SIGNATURE TRACKS

Graphics By MIDNIGHT SHERPA

Production Assistants AARON BELL CAP CREDLE KEVYN DELGADO JEFF DODSON EKKO GAHA STEPHEN GARONE JOHNNY GOMEZ DAVE KERN EVAN NELSON STEPHANIE SINGER SCOTT WHITEMAN

Production Legal RAYMOND LEGAL, P.C.

Special Thanks BLUEPRINT POST PRODUCTION BRUCE’S CATERING C-MOUNT INDSUTRIES ILLUMINAR LYFT MIXERS POST SOUND SERVICES THE BOSCHETTI GROUP VER EQUIPMENT RENTALS

Join Adriene on Day 13 of The 30 Days of Yoga journey! Endurance and Ease! Find the mustard for your (yoga) pretzel in this fun full-body sequence.

Lucky Day 13 invites you to fly like an eagle aiming for full breaths and eventual exquisite ease. Check-in with your Day 13 endurance by softening your jaw and the skin of your face. Unfurrow that brow, lighten your heart, and unwind your mind with this savory Humble Warrior sequence. Stretch, twist, and FLY. Listen to your body. Don’t push. Don’t worry, have fun!

Connect and support others down below! Cultivate positivity. Remember each day is different! The journey is the reward! See you tomorrow!

Namaste.

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Need the BASICS of Foundations of a pose? Check out the Foundations Of Yoga playlist: http://goo.gl/Bc2iUc

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Music by Shakey Graves: https://www.shakeygraves.com

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Download Nifra - Rebel Radio 071 for free now!

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Nifra - Rebel Radio 071

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Artist: Nifra Show: Nifra – Rebel Radio 071 Quality: 320 Kbps 48000 Khz Genre: Trance Source: RSS

Discover more Nifra live sets & radioshows HERE | Listen or download more Rebel Radio episodes HERE

Nifra – Rebel Radio 071 Tracklist

Rebel Radio is a monthly radio-show airing every 4th monday of the month on DI.fm (Trance channel) 18:00 CET and brings you the latest in progressive trance music.

1.Cosmic Gate – Feel it [Wake your mind] 2.Anske & Mia Koo – Back in my arms (In Bloom Edit) 3.Somna & Mark Bester & Tara Louise – Leave [Enhanced] 4.Daniel Wanrooy – Radiophonic [In my opinion] 5.Khomha – Carbon Voices [Heldeep records] 6.Will Sparks – Cumon [Armada] 7.Ben McConnell – Linking Light [Interstate] 8.Orjan Nilsen pres Dj Governor – Memoirs [Armada] 9.Leo Reyes & Mofasa – The Return [Find your harmony] 10.Holbrook & Skykeeper – Searching [Interstate] 11.Norni – District 13 [Interplay] 12.Maarten De Jong – M4D World (Extended Rave Mix) [Armada] 13.Roman Messer & Ruslan Radriges – Heartbeat [Suanda] 14.Arjans – Stargate [Suanda]

The podcast Nifra – Rebel Radio is embedded on this page from an open RSS feed. All files, descriptions, artwork and other metadata from the RSS-feed is the property of the podcast owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by EDMliveset.com.

Follow us on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit & VK

[edmlivesets4u-blog]

Listen or download Nifra - Rebel Radio 071 for free now!

EDMliveset.com

Nifra - Rebel Radio 071

Play Episode Pause Episode

Mute/Unmute Episode Rewind 10 Seconds 1x Fast Forward 30 seconds

00:00 /

RSS Feed

Share

Link

Embed

GENERATE FREE DOWNLOAD

Artist: Nifra Show: Nifra – Rebel Radio 071 Quality: 320 Kbps 48000 Khz Genre: Trance Source: RSS

Discover more Nifra live sets & radioshows HERE | Listen or download more Rebel Radio episodes HERE

Nifra – Rebel Radio 071 Tracklist

Rebel Radio is a monthly radio-show airing every 4th monday of the month on DI.fm (Trance channel) 18:00 CET and brings you the latest in progressive trance music.

1.Cosmic Gate – Feel it [Wake your mind] 2.Anske & Mia Koo – Back in my arms (In Bloom Edit) 3.Somna & Mark Bester & Tara Louise – Leave [Enhanced] 4.Daniel Wanrooy – Radiophonic [In my opinion] 5.Khomha – Carbon Voices [Heldeep records] 6.Will Sparks – Cumon [Armada] 7.Ben McConnell – Linking Light [Interstate] 8.Orjan Nilsen pres Dj Governor – Memoirs [Armada] 9.Leo Reyes & Mofasa – The Return [Find your harmony] 10.Holbrook & Skykeeper – Searching [Interstate] 11.Norni – District 13 [Interplay] 12.Maarten De Jong – M4D World (Extended Rave Mix) [Armada] 13.Roman Messer & Ruslan Radriges – Heartbeat [Suanda] 14.Arjans – Stargate [Suanda]

The podcast Nifra – Rebel Radio is embedded on this page from an open RSS feed. All files, descriptions, artwork and other metadata from the RSS-feed is the property of the podcast owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by EDMliveset.com.

Follow us on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit & VK