#dables

[dablesretrospective]

2012 - Dables - Dables

So we have finally made it to what was my biggest and most important release up to this point in my music career: The self-titled Dables album WITH A FULL BAND! Not just recordings of me playing along to drum machines by myself anymore! Probably a lot of people's introduction to Dables was this album due to seeing us play live around this time. For our first official album as a band, we decided to re-record our entire "Dables & The Fountain Inn Jam" demo so this is basically a vastly improved version of that demo (of which you can read more about in the previous blog post below if you want more backstory on how this album came to be).

I've already wrote about most of the songs on this album in previous blog posts, and the only new ones are "Negative Superman", "Casper The Friendly Ghost", and a brand new version of "Loop". Casper is simply a cover of a famous Daniel Johnston song, and "Negative Superman", although technically is an original song, was directly inspired by Daniel Johnston. I actually stole the opening lines from a short poem of his, but I wrote the rest of the lyrics and the chord progression myself. I consider it an expansion/new interpretation on an abandoned, rare song by Johnston as his version (of which the only similarities is the opening lines and title) was never officially recorded or released on any of his albums. It only exists as brief poem he reads at a live show featured in his documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston, so it's not an official song. I wish I had written the phrase "in my head there is a negative superman" but the truth is I stole it from him. The rest of the song is all me though! Jake also laid down some awesome slide guitar on it that I absolutely love that really completes the track in my opinion.

Cody, Jake, and I worked very hard on this album for 4 months straight, getting together once or sometimes twice a week (usually on Thursdays after work) and slowly pieced it all together through tons of overdubs. The parts I remember the most was recording "Sleepytime" because we had an idea to record an alarm clock beeping (an obnoxious sound I truly loath because we used my actual alarm clock from the early 2000's that I used to wake up to in the morning for years and years before our smart phones became our alarm clocks), and also lots of overdubs of random sound effects like cats meowing, dogs barking, birds tweeting, bombs exploding, etc using various cheap keyboards...The "WROQ" radio sample you can hear in it was actually an accident when I was turning the alarm clock off during a take, I accidentally flipped it to the radio in which it played a split second of a commercial for WROQ Rock 101.1, a local classic rock station which we found hilarious since we all grew up listening to Rock 101 so we left it in the song. The noise part might sound like pure noise but it was actually meticulously rehearsed with some minor improvisation in it, and we generally played it the same way each time, usually ending our live shows with "Sleepytime" since it ends with a crazy noiserock freak-out. Great way to end a show. Jake always used a beer bottle as a slide on the bass during the "Sleepytime" noisy freak-out part which was a great and essential part of the song. At one show I literally started taking the strings off the guitar and swinging my guitar around by the loose strings while still plugged in, creating a horrible sound and usually our instruments would end up laying on the floor playing extremely obnoxious feedback to end the song and show.

Also, I don't really know why it ended up happening like this, but during this time period, Cody and Jake traded off bass and drum duties on various songs. I think it just started as a way to switch things up for fun while we were recording this album, but after a handful of shows we realized switching instruments during the show like that was a pain in the ass and created too much downtime on stage, plus Cody said he wasn't really comfortable playing drums live so we stopped doing that eventually and Cody stuck to bass and Jake to the drums. We unfortunately stopped playing "Sleepytime" altogether once they permanently stopped switching instruments at shows, and the replacement song we soon started ending every show with quickly became what is arguably our most popular track "The Legend of Legbaby". More on that song in a future blog post!

I also remember recording the track "Loop", which is something I like to do on multiple Dables albums where I create a repeating loop using my Boss RC-2 Loop Station pedal. There are multiple tracks confusingly titled "Loop" on 14 Songs, Stuff Volume 1, Pretty Ugly, Dables & The Fountain Inn Jam, and this album. The one on this album is by far my favorite of the loop tracks I've released because we were laughing our asses off the whole time making the Loop for this album. I've always been fond of ending my albums on an experimental or goofy novelty filler track that isn't a traditional "song" and this one is no exception. The 'Catmeow' part is a reference to something Jake used to randomly sing all the fuckin' time and became an inside joke so it ended up as the basis of "Loop". Also Cody was always saying YEAH BOIIIII because Flava Flav was a popular meme at the time so that also ended up being repeated 1000 times in this "Loop". I love how it ends with me pressing random numbers on my cell phone too. It's crap like this that gets us called "goof metal" in reviews lol...

I consider this version of "All The Retards Are Gettin' Married" on this album to be the best version of that song, as there are 3 different versions that exist on my albums. The origin of this song is in the "14 Songs" blog post, so go read that if you want to see what it's about...In my defense, this song was written in 2009 with this particular version recorded in early 2012, back when The R Word was said by everyone, everywhere, ALL the freaking time. It was said on TV and radio and in movies regularly, I've heard teachers at school say it and multiple bosses at my jobs use it, as well as friends with actual mentally disabled family members say it. In fact, I have a first cousin myself who although does not have Down's Syndrome, he is severely mentally disabled and I have heard his father (my uncle) use the word a long time ago while joking around. I doubt he does anymore though, and I try not to as well...it just wasn't a big deal in the slightest at the time. It just meant to refer to somebody or something stupid but once it started becoming considered a slur, we decided to retire this song from live sets completely which is kind of a shame because it's so much fun to play. We used to love to open with it back then and practically clear out the room, not because of the R Word in it, but because we say 'fuck' like 50 times in it and it ends with an extremely wild psychedelic noise jam, definitely not for everyone. It was kinda like a litmus test for us to see if you could handle the unique insanity of Dables and our demented sense of humor in our lyrics. Those who were expecting to simply drink beer at the bar and hear yet another safe and boring rock band at a show would be thoroughly confused and weirded out when we busted out "All The Retards Are Gettin' Married"! It was so much fun to confuse people who were used to only hearing things like Nickleback, Linkin Park, or classic rock cover bands...Those who didn't get it and hated us, HATED us passionately which I immensely enjoyed to antagonize them with songs like this...but those with an open mind and an appreciation for weird or original, interesting music LOVED us. I would hear the entire spectrum of love and hate from people after shows sometimes. Although if we ever played it live again, I think I'd replace the R word with 'moron' instead since that's what it was intended to mean anyway...Even though we liked to antagonize a boring stuck-up crowd with our weird music, none of us ever wanted to actually hurt anyone's feelings or have people think we are prejudiced or ableists who are making fun of people with Down's Syndrome. We're certainly not and that is not the goal of that song so I have no problem with changing one word to 'moron' since that's what we meant anyway.

I also really love Jake's keyboards in "Awkwardly Awkward". I truly can't listen to that song without busting out laughing at the epic faux-opera ending. This song came out PERFECT and is perhaps my personal favorite from this album. However, it is likely equally as offensive and non-PC nowadays as "All The Retards Are Gettin' Married" is, although we did play it multiple times in front of gay, queer, and transgendered fans and no one has EVER expressed any issues with it to us. Hopefully most people listening to "Awkardly Awkward" know we were just fucking around and being edgy & stupid on purpose and they take the goofy lyrics for the tounge-in-cheek dumbassery that was intended. In fact, the origin of the song came from us goofing around at practice one day while singing a parody of The Flaming Lips song "Bad Days", in which their lyric is "all your bad days will end" which we changed to "all my gay friends are gay", sung in the same tune and melody as The Flaming Lips song. We found our little parody of The Lips so stupidly hilarious it somehow got turned into an actual Dables song. Of course, "Awkwardly Awkward" sounds absolutely nothing like "Bad Days"...I actually consider it more inspired by a goofy mixture of a Pink Floyd and Queen song musically, with it's epic synth filled faux-opera ending and spacey guitars. The epic ending part was basically ALL Jake's doing. If you read this be sure to tell Jake how much you love "Awkardly Awkward", that song is kinda his baby.

I absolutely love the cover art for this album. That ABC Package Liquor store was very literally right next to Jake's old house, where we recorded this album at. Main Street Fountain Inn, SC! I mean literally his driveway shared the parking lot with this liquor store, it was like 30 feet from his front door. I got the idea to stack every single amp and speaker that we had and make a wall of amps in the liquor store parking lot (on a Sunday so they were closed of course...no booze on Sundays in South Carolina! Praise Jebus) and pretend to play a show in front of them. Cody's girlfriend Tiffany came out to take these photos of us playing in the liquor store parking lot in front of an obnoxious wall of amplifiers and we picked our favorite out of 30ish pictures that she took of us. Our mutual friend Adam Watson worked at that liquor store and was also in a band called Before There Were Gods with Jake and Cody and since he was there hanging out with us that day, we thought it would be funny if he looked like a homeless guy who wandered up to us randomly--as if the only person who came to see Dables play a show at a liquor store was a homeless dude. So he took one shoe off, held some old newspapers and a bottle of booze and slumped against the drums while we dabbled it up! I also should thank Cody's younger brother Jake Blackwell and our mutual friend Alex Cooke for helping to contribute amps and/or lug equipment around for us that day.

The final result of the album cover didn't quite look the way I originally envisioned it, in which I wanted us to be surrounded by an obnoxious amount of amplifiers and the shot to be from up high on a ladder, looking down on the band, but the photo we ended up picking I felt represented Dables pretty well even if you can only see a bit of the amp wall we built. So I have attached some of the unused photos to this post so you can see some of the other options we had for the cover art. Also notice the outtake pics with Adam's big toe in it, he had recently injured it so his toenail was gross and black, which we found hilarious but not quite right for the final cover art.

I ordered 100 copies of this CD from Discmakers and we eventually sold all 100, and I've made probably another 100 something copies myself by printing out the cover, burning the CD-R one at a time, and putting it in a slimcase which were also all sold or given away at shows. My friend Keller also made about 30 cassette tapes for this album as well, which also sold out. I remember when he gave me the cassette tapes, there was an issue with them where the audio was slowed down rather considerably. Enough to make the tapes unlistenable and therefore could not be sold at shows! This was barely a week before a big show so I had to painstakingly re-record every single cassette tape one at a time, in real time, using my crappy tape deck so they would be ready to sell at the upcoming show. It took for goddamn ever to re-dub those tapes because I only had 1 week to do it and was also working a full time job during the day but I managed to get it done and we sold them all! Even though he gave me faulty tapes, I still gotta give props to Keller for printing out the artwork and donating the tapes and cases to us. They were a big hit. I also remember my friends Brittany M and Ashley H made a ton of beaded bracelets that said Dables on them for us around that time which also sold very well. I wish I had kept one of those bracelets! I also didn't keep any of the cassettes and only kept 1 copy from the original run of the 100 Discmakers CDs for myself and Jake and Cody likely have a copy somewhere too, so there's roughly 225 or more copies of this album out there of which I believe makes "Dables" by Dables my most produced and best selling album of my entire small music career, at least in physical copies anyway. It got reviewed by Wes Gilliam on a popular Greenville, South Carolina based music blog We Are The Upstate which also resulted in several hundred downloads. Not too bad considering we had a budget of 0 and everything except the cassette tape copies was paid for by me personally and produced entirely by me and Jake at his house in our free time.

We also had two songs released on some compilations. "Negative Superman" was featured on a cassette tape release (also digitally on Bandcamp) of various local SC bands called "Delicious Defiance Fan Zine: Senseless, Shameless", along with locals like Rubrics, MEH, The Cherry Icees, Scamming Spree, Keller's band Satan in Bondage, and The Postmodern Penguins (whose guitarist ran the Delicious Defiance Fan Zine and also wrote about Dables for a short review in Maximum Rock'n'Roll Magazine...more on that in a later blog post for our next album).

"Paint The Town Brown" was featured on a digital-only compilation called "Un_Scene: Music of a Different Flavor" that was made by my good friend and future band mate in Trolls, Caleb Riley.

Overall, this album did well and I'm pretty proud of it and we had a lot of fun making it, although I would love to do a remaster of it someday to spruce it up a bit. You might also notice the tracklist on Spotify & Apple Music is missing 3 of the cover songs, and that's because it's just too expensive to release that many covers on streaming so I had to make the tough decision of cutting them all except for "Sorry Entertainer" because I consider "Sorry Entertainer" a truly essential Dables song that I believe we have played at every single Dables show ever, so it was worth the price of releasing that one on streaming, although I usually barely break even for the annual charges of having my music on all the streaming apps. Don't care, it's worth it! In this day and age if your music isn't on Spotify & Apple Music it's like you don't even exist! Although I do wish the 3 missing songs were on the streaming copy of this album, and if I ever start making money from streams (YEAH RIGHT LOL), I will re-upload it with the missing tracks. The full album with the missing tracks are all still on our bandcamp site though if you wanna dabble for free!

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Released June 1, 2012

All music & lyrics written, performed, and recorded by: David Walker, Cody Blackwell, and Jake Garrett

Except for: "Sorry Entertainer", "Casper The Friendly Ghost", & "I Live My Broken Dreams" originally written by Daniel Johnston. "Effervescing Elephant"originally written by Syd Barrett.

Recorded from Nov 2011 - Feb 2012 at Deep Roots Family Records HQ in Fountain Inn, SC.

Dables is: David Walker - lead vocals and guitar on all tracks backing vocals on 11 & 12

Cody Blackwell - bass on 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 drums on 4, 5, 8, 9, 14 backing vocals on 1, 2, 3, 6, 8 lead vocals on 11 & 12

Jake Garrett - drums on 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13 bass on 4, 5, 8, 9, 14 backing vocals on 8 & 12 steel guitar on 4 keyboards on 8, 9, 12

Deep Roots Family Records© 2012

1.All The Retards Are Gettin' Married 2.Paint The Town Brown 3.Boredumb 4.Negative Superman 5.Piece of Rock 6.Love Headache 7.Sorry Entertainer 8.Effervescing Elephant 9.Sleepytime 10.Hey Sid 11.Every Day is a New Day 12.Awkwardly Awkward 13.Casper The Friendly Ghost 14.I Live My Broken Dreams 15.Loop

Download this album for free at: https://dables.bandcamp.com/album/dables

[douyinvids]

Offering congratulations to "Father" with sand

by 梦想做大佬的男人 @ Dable

[unabashegirl]

Vicious 17 — hs

After his father's death, Harry Styles must take control of the family mafia while dealing with his unpredictable brother, Silas. He meets Y/N Castellano, the daughter of an Italian mafia boss, and learns about their arranged marriage.

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Y/N hated her family home. La villa.

Every time she stepped inside, the familiar scent of leather and old wood crept into her nostrils, and the walls seemed to close in around her, trapping her in the suffocating memories of her childhood. This house wasn’t a home—it was a prison, filled with ghosts of her past and the weight of her father’s oppressive control. Every room held echoes of Federico's voice, his cruel commands, the forced compliance, and the moments she wished she could forget.

Her feet dragged across the marble floors as she made her way down the hallway. The paintings on the wall, relics of wealth and power, stared down at her with cold indifference. She hated how this place always made her feel so small, so powerless. Every step felt heavier as she approached the office—the room where Federico had broken her spirit time and time again.

Y/N wasn’t the same girl who had left this place. She had found strength outside these walls. But being here brought back every ounce of fear, every memory of the things her father had made her do against her will. The weight of it all pressed against her chest, making it hard to breathe.

As she reached the door, she paused, taking in a deep breath before entering. Federico sat behind his large mahogany desk, his eyes gleaming as he looked up at her. The same smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, the one he used when he knew he had power over her.

“Ah, Y/N. You’re finally here,” Federico said smoothly, rising from his chair. “Come, sit. We have much to discuss.”

Y/N reluctantly took a seat in front of his desk, her posture stiff. She wasn’t here for a pleasant reunion. She could feel the tension, the unspoken manipulation hanging in the air like a thick fog.

Her hands gripping the armrests of the high-backed chair. The room, with its dark wood paneling and heavy drapes, felt suffocating as Federico began to speak. His voice, steady and authoritative, carried a story she had heard many times before, but this time, it seemed more personal, more direct.

“Yesterday I had my afternoon free, so I had a chance to catch up on my reading. It was lovely. I even got to read over the old families books” Federico began, his eyes locking onto hers. “What I read it resonated with me and I felt the need to tell you about it”.

Y/N's gaze remained fixed on him, her heart already heavy with the weight of what was to come. Federico leaned against his desk, his expression somber yet intense.

“Many generations ago, during the height of our family’s influence, there was a man named Giovanni Alighieri,” Federico continued. “Giovanni was my great-grandfather’s closest friend, a man who was like a brother to him. They built their empire together, side by side, facing challenges and forging alliances. Their bond was unbreakable—or so it seemed.”

Federico’s eyes darkened as he spoke. “Giovanni’s loyalty was tested when an outsider, a wealthy and influential merchant, offered him a tempting deal. This merchant promised Giovanni untold riches and power if he would betray my great-grandfather and sever their partnership. The merchant’s offer was seductive, and for a time, Giovanni wavered.”

He paused, letting the gravity of the story sink in. “Giovanni accepted the merchant’s offer, believing he could have it all—wealth, power, and influence. But the moment he betrayed my great-grandfather, everything changed. The merchant’s promises were empty. The wealth he was promised was nothing more than smoke and mirrors, and the power was fleeting.”

Federico’s voice grew colder. “When the betrayal was discovered, the consequences were swift and severe. My great-grandfather was left to fend for himself, but Giovanni faced a much harsher fate. The merchant, having used Giovanni to further his own ambitions, discarded him once his usefulness had ended. Giovanni was left with nothing—no wealth, no power, no friends. He lived out his days in obscurity, a cautionary tale for those who would betray their own.”

Federico’s gaze bore into Y/N’s. “The lesson here, Y/N, is that family is the cornerstone of everything. Betraying that bond is not just a personal failure; it’s a catastrophic mistake that can unravel everything we’ve ever built. Giovanni’s story is a reminder that loyalty to your own blood is paramount. You must understand that choosing to side with outsiders over your family can lead to your downfall.”

Y/N felt a shiver run down her spine. The story, though steeped in the past, felt chillingly relevant. Federico’s manipulation was clear, and the weight of the tale was meant to pressure her into reconsidering her loyalty to Harry and his family.

“I understand the importance of family, Father,” Y/N said, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside. “But I also believe that loyalty should be earned and not just given because of tradition. I’ve made my choices based on what I believe is right.”

“Family is where your loyalty should lie,” Federico continued, his voice smooth and persuasive. “Your fiancé’s family might offer you comfort and luxury, but they cannot offer you the same bond and protection that your bloodline can. You must understand that.”

A bitter laugh escaped Y/N’s lips. “You’re not talking about loyalty. You’re talking about control.”

Federico’s face remained impassive, though his eyes flashed with irritation. “Control? Perhaps. But it’s also about survival and protecting what’s ours. Harry’s family is an external force—an ally today, but who’s to say they’ll be there when you need them most?”

Y/N fought the urge to roll her eyes. She had heard this argument before, and it always seemed to come down to the same point: her father’s need to dominate and manipulate.

“Tell me,” Federico said, his tone shifting to a more insidious gentleness. “What have they promised you that’s worth risking your loyalty to us? Have they given you something more than what we’ve provided? Are they truly your family, or are they just a convenient arrangement?”

Y/N tried to steady her breathing. Federico’s words were like a tightrope she was forced to walk, balancing between her past and her present. “Harry and I have built something real. It’s not just about promises or convenience. It’s about who we are together.” She lied. Things were still rocky between them. However, he didn’t need to know that.

Federico’s gaze hardened. “And what happens when that bond is tested? When your fiancé’s family is no longer there to support you? What will you have left then? Remember, it’s not just about the present—it’s about the future, and what you stand to lose if you don’t choose wisely.”

Y/N felt a pang of anxiety at his insinuations. Federico was always so adept at planting seeds of doubt. She had to remind herself that she had chosen this path, and she needed to stay strong in her decisions.

“You know, Y/N,” Federico said, his voice carrying a tone of dark satisfaction, “Harry is probably already cheating on you. He’s always been unfaithful, if not physically, then certainly emotionally.” Y/N could tell that he. was done being nice and now he was coming directly at her. He wanted to hurt her.

Y/N’s eyes widened in shock. The accusation was jarring, especially after everything she had learned about her father’s manipulative ways. “Why are you so invested in my relationship with Harry?” she asked, her voice tinged with frustration. “Don’t you have more important things to worry about?”

Federico’s demeanor shifted instantly. His face darkened, and his anger flared. “More important things? You think I’m wasting my time with your personal affairs?” He took a menacing step closer, his eyes narrowing. “I know what you’re really involved in. I know Harry has kidnapped Gina and orchestrated the break-in at Augusto’s house.”

Y/N’s heart raced as Federico’s words hit her like a hammer. She struggled to process the gravity of his claims. “What are you talking about? How do you know all of this?”

Federico’s face was a mask of rage and control. “I have eyes and ears everywhere, Y/N. I’m not blind to the movements of those who threaten my family’s position. Harry’s actions are not just petty crimes—they’re direct attacks against my authority and my interests. His defiance won’t go unpunished.”

Y/N’s mind was spinning. The accusations against Harry were not only devastating but also deeply personal. She felt the weight of Federico’s manipulation more acutely than ever, realizing that his agenda was far more sinister than she had imagined.

“Why are you so determined to destroy him?” Y/N demanded, her voice rising. “What has he ever done to you that justifies all of this?”

Federico’s anger flared again, and he slammed his fist on the desk. “This isn’t just about Harry! This is about maintaining control and power. If Harry can challenge me, it means anyone can. And if anyone can, then my entire empire is at risk. I will not tolerate threats to my family or my position.”

Y/N stared at Federico, seeing him not just as a father but as a tyrant driven by a ruthless desire for dominance. Her heart ached with the realization that her choices were entwined with a web of power struggles and personal vendettas.

“I won’t be a pawn in your game, Federico,” Y/N said, her voice firm despite the turmoil inside. “I have to make my own decisions, and I won’t let you dictate my life or my relationship with Harry.”

Federico’s expression was a mix of frustration and grudging respect. “Do what you must, Y/N. But remember, every choice has consequences. And if you choose to defy me, you must be prepared to face them.”

With that, Federico turned away, his anger simmering but his resolve unshaken. As she left the office, the echo of Federico’s harsh words lingered in her mind. She knew she was caught in a dangerous game, one where personal relationships and family loyalties were tangled in a web of power and betrayal.

Stepping out into the hallway, Y/N took a deep breath, trying to steady her emotions. The world seemed darker and more complicated now, filled with shadows cast by Federico’s manipulations and the unsettling truth about Harry’s alleged actions. She had to confront the reality of her situation and make decisions that would impact not just her future but the lives of those around her.

Y/N walked back through the grand hallways of the manor, her thoughts racing. She needed answers, clarity, and a plan. The love she felt for Harry was now overshadowed by suspicion and fear. Her father’s threats had stirred doubts, and the accusation of Harry’s betrayal gnawed at her heart.

Y/N stepped into her home, the weight of the conversation with Federico still heavy on her shoulders. The tension that had built up within her since her father’s accusations now simmered beneath the surface, leaving her feeling uneasy and unsure. As she walked through the entryway, the familiar warmth of the space did little to ease her anxiety.

Giana was seated on the couch, flipping through a book but clearly waiting for her. She glanced up as Y/N entered, instantly picking up on her friend’s troubled expression.

“You okay?” Giana asked, closing the book and setting it aside. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Y/N let out a shaky sigh and dropped her bag onto the nearest chair. She wasn’t sure where to begin, but Giana had always been her sounding board. If there was anyone who could help her navigate the mess in her head, it was her.

“My dad told me something today,” Y/N began, sinking onto the couch beside Giana. “He said Harry’s been sleeping with other people.”

Giana’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, but she didn’t interrupt. She could see that Y/N had more to say, and she waited patiently.

“I don’t even know why it bothers me so much,” Y/N continued, her voice soft and contemplative. “It’s not like we ever talked about exclusivity. I didn’t expect it... because we haven’t really defined what’s happening between us.”

Giana frowned slightly, her gaze focused on Y/N. “Why haven’t you talked about it?”

Y/N paused, running her hand through her hair as she tried to find the words. “I guess... I’m scared. Scared that I’ve been making everything up in my head. That maybe I’m just projecting my own feelings onto him and assuming that he feels the same. And what if he doesn’t? What if I bring it up and it turns out I’m just... imagining this connection?”

Giana leaned forward, her expression softening. “Y/N, do you really like him? Do you have feelings for him?”

Y/N looked away for a moment, feeling vulnerable in a way she hadn’t expected. The answer to Giana’s question was obvious, but saying it out loud made it all the more real. She swallowed hard before finally answering.

“Yes,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “I do. I’ve tried to push it down, tried to ignore it, but I can’t. I care about him. A lot. I know I am insane to like someone as ruthless as him, but I can’t help it”

Giana gave her a gentle smile. “Then why are you so afraid of that? What’s the worst that could happen if you tell him how you feel?”

Y/N sighed, leaning back against the couch and staring at the ceiling. “What if he doesn’t feel the same? What if this is just some temporary thing for him, and I end up hurt? I’m not sure I can handle that. Especially with everything going on.”

Giana reached over and took Y/N’s hand in hers, squeezing it reassuringly. “You won’t know until you ask him, Y/N. You can’t keep living in this uncertainty. If you really care about him, you owe it to yourself to find out the truth.”

Y/N nodded slowly, knowing that Giana was right. The fear of rejection and heartbreak had kept her silent for too long, but it was becoming unbearable to stay in this limbo. She needed to confront her feelings and find out where she stood with Harry, even if it meant facing an uncomfortable truth.

“I just don’t know how to bring it up,” Y/N said, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

“Just be honest,” Giana advised. “Don’t overthink it. Harry’s not perfect, but if he cares about you even half as much as you care about him, he’ll listen.”

Y/N bit her lip, her mind swirling with thoughts of her next steps. She wasn’t ready to face Harry just yet, but she knew the conversation was inevitable.

The invitations had been sent, and the wedding was just a week away. Y/N sat in the backyard of the manor, her mind racing with details of the upcoming ceremony. The manor, had been chosen as the venue because it was the safest place. Y/N would be taking the initiation oath the night before the wedding, and Giana had been working tirelessly with Charlie and Lex to ensure everything went smoothly.

Y/N sat at a table, going over a checklist for the day, enjoying the rare peace the sunny afternoon offered. Her thoughts wandered to the oath, the ceremony, and Harry. The anticipation for the wedding filled her with a mix of excitement and dread. Despite the tension with her father and the whispered doubts about Harry’s loyalty, she couldn’t help but wonder what the future would look like after the vows.

She took a deep breath, letting the warmth of the sun relax her, but her mind never quite settled. She was still grappling with the conversation she had with Giana. Her feelings for Harry had grown beyond what she had expected, but the uncertainties, the secrets, and the games people around them played made it hard for her to trust in anything completely.

Just as Y/N’s mind started to drift away from the checklist in front of her, she noticed movement from the corner of her eye. Harry walked out onto the terrace, his expression unreadable, as it often was lately.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked, his voice smooth, but there was a tension beneath it.

She nodded, gesturing to the seat across from her. "Please"

Harry sat down, looking at her for a long moment before speaking again. "A week away… how are you feeling?"

Y/N smiled slightly, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. "A little overwhelmed, to be honest. It feels like everything is happening so fast."

"That’s because it is," he replied, a flicker of something dark in his gaze. "But I think we’ll manage”.

"Will we?" she asked, her tone unintentionally sharp, betraying the unease she had been holding in.

Harry raised an eyebrow, sensing the change in her demeanor. "What’s going on, Y/N?"

She hesitated, unsure if she wanted to broach the subject that had been gnawing at her since her conversation with her father. But it had been eating at her long enough. She deserved to know, even if the truth hurt.

"My father said something to me," she began, her voice quieter now. "I think he is just feeding me lies, but I don’t know”.

Harry’s face hardened at her words. He didn’t immediately deny it, and that silence felt like confirmation to her.

Y/N looked down, trying to hide the sting of the moment. "I don’t know why I even brought it up”.

"Stop," Harry interrupted, leaning forward. His voice was softer now, but still intense. "Your father doesn’t know what he’s talking about."

"Then tell me what I don’t know," she replied, finally meeting his gaze again, her eyes searching his for something—anything—that could reassure her.

Harry leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. He looked at Y/N, his jaw tight and eyes shadowed with unspoken thoughts. He stood up, glancing at the manor behind them before turning back to her.

"Let’s go for a walk," he said suddenly, breaking the tense silence between them. His voice was firm, but there was an underlying vulnerability in his tone. "I’d rather we weren’t here… not for this conversation."

Y/N looked at him for a moment, then nodded. She knew what he meant. The house had too many ears, too many eyes—especially when it came to matters like this. Without a word, she stood, and Harry offered his arm for her to take. It was a simple gesture, one that momentarily reminded her of the boyish charm he used to have, the one she used to admire before everything became so complicated.

“Leave the papers,” Harry said, glancing at the table where her checklist, diary, and half-drunk cup of coffee sat. “Someone will take care of them for you.”

She hesitated, her fingers lingering on the edge of the diary, but then she nodded, letting it go. Together, they stepped off the terrace and onto the freshly cut grass of the manor’s sprawling grounds. It was quiet, the only sound the occasional rustle of leaves in the breeze. The stillness between them, however, was heavier than the serene afternoon.

They walked in silence for a while, the weight of the conversation they were about to have pressing down on both of them. Harry kept his gaze ahead, his jaw clenched, clearly wrestling with his own thoughts. Y/N finally broke the silence.

“I’m not expecting anything unrealistic from you. I don’t need a fairytale, and I definitely don’t expect love to just happen because it’s not like we’re the typical couple. But I do expect respect.” Her words were steady now, the knot in her chest easing as she let the truth spill out. “I need to know that, despite all of this, you’ll be honest with me. I don’t expect you to feel the same, but I do expect respect.”

Harry stopped walking, his brow furrowing slightly. “Respect, yeah?” His tone was low, thoughtful, as if weighing her words. “You think I’ve not been respecting you?”

“It’s not that,” Y/N replied quickly, taking a step closer to him. “It’s just… I don’t know where we stand. There’s been talk… my father said things, things that made me wonder if you—”

“If I what?” Harry asked, his gaze hardening as he locked onto her. His jaw tightened ever so slightly, but his voice remained steady.

Y/N took a breath. “If you’ve been… with someone else.”

His face darkened, not out of anger toward her, but at the mention of Federico. He took her hand in his and started walking again, slower this time.

“Your father’s saying things to turn you against me, Y/N,” Harry said quietly, a heaviness in his voice. “He wants to mess with your head. I told you before—our families have agendas. And that makes this complicated. But what I need you to know is that you’re not just a pawn in this to me. I might not be good at showing it, but…”

Harry hesitated, his grip on Y/N's hand tightening for a brief second. His jaw tensed, and he let out a long breath before finally speaking, his voice softer but laced with tension. "Look, I’m not going to lie to you, Y/N. I have slept with other people." He said it straight, no dodging, no sugarcoating, but the weight of his confession hung in the air between them.

Y/N's stomach twisted, but she stayed quiet, letting him continue.

“It’s not because I don’t care about you,” he added quickly, his tone urgent, as if trying to make her understand before she pulled away. “It’s because I do. And that terrifies me. You’re… you’re already a target just because of me. And every day, every night, it eats me up inside thinking about how easily someone could hurt you just to get to me.”

He stopped walking, turning to face her fully now, his eyes searching hers, desperate for her to understand. “You have no idea how many enemies I’ve made. People who wouldn’t think twice about using you as leverage. I don’t sleep most nights because of it. The thought of you getting caught up in all of this—it’s too much. And I guess… sleeping with other women, it was a way to push you out of my mind, to convince myself that I didn’t care as much as I do.”

Y/N’s breath caught in her throat as she looked up at him, the hurt still raw, but something in his voice tugged at her. His eyes were darker than usual, shadowed by something deeper, something real. Fear. Guilt. Shame.

“Harry…” she started, unsure of what to say, her mind spinning with the weight of his words. She had expected to be angry, to feel betrayed, but hearing him like this—seeing the vulnerability in his usually composed exterior—she just felt… lost.

“I know I’m no good at this,” he continued, his voice quieter now, like he was confessing something he’d never let himself admit. “I thought pushing you away would keep you safe, but it hasn’t worked, has it?”

Y/N blinked, trying to process it all, but she could see it. The fear behind his actions. The desperation. He wasn’t just a man playing games or being reckless—he was someone who didn’t know how to deal with his own feelings.

[women--are--amazing]

And if I were to say that Damian would hate being robin and quit vigilante life before he turns 18?

[honestlyitsjustsam]

Please god let me refresh my page one day and see a Gale fanart where he is blushing, whimpering and looking needy as ever amen lord

[galaxyspark-6e16]

APT fever is on baby...

[foursidecity]

Anytime someone uses that miyazaki qoute out of context owes me or the nearest disabled person like 20 dollars. By the way

[planetarythorns]

Give these bitches melanin!!!

[transformers-synergize]

Is Chip a gamer? He looks like a gamer

ya, he games.

[11ych33]

Can any printmaking folks out there help me understand the difference between woodcut and wood engraving? The prev posts w Agness Miller Parker led me down a hole of trying to wrap my head around what wood engraving was, but I found conflicting info :(

[rhearoy-hunter]

I have discovered the pixel brush on medibang paint (also gravityfalls fusion au let's goooooo)

[dablesretrospective]

2012 - Dables - The Couch Family

I discovered the book "Sang Branch Settlers" by Leonard Roberts (also published as "Up Cutshin and Down Greasy") in my Dad's closet (as well as a huge cd-wallet full of Couch Family music) as a kid and found out about my great grandpa Dave Couch and my great great uncle Jim Couch and their coal-mining, moonshining, Kentucky mountain hillbilly lives and the hundreds of folk, bluegrass, and traditional country songs and hymns they recorded in the early 1950's. I learned how to play several songs from the book and with the help of my friends and family ultimately created this album as a tribute to the music of my ancestors.

The first 10 tracks are my interpretations of the songs of The Couch Family: the songs of my family, performed and recorded by myself and my friends. The last 10 tracks are the original recordings from the 1950's, performed separately and together by Jim Couch, Dave Couch, and Frank Couch (Jim's son), and was recorded by Professor Leonard Roberts in the hills of Kentucky while writing his book 'Sang Branch Settlers', on a single track reel-to-reel.

Listen to small things like roosters crowing and children playing nearby throughout the original recordings as these songs were recorded quite literally in the hills of Kentucky, out on the front porch, sippin' on moonshine.

This album was recorded in 4 different home studios throughout upstate South Carolina from Dec 2010 - Sep 2011 thanks to the help of my friends Alex Murray, Micheal Keller, Jake Garrett, Cody Blackwell, Daniel Neely, and the moral support of my parents John and Susan Walker, and several others.

It is a honor and privilege to carry on the music of my family, and was a wonderful experience to find so many people willing to help me bring this idea to completion.

PS - “Sang branch” is slang for ginseng. The couches were ginseng farmers as their main source of income (as well as coal mining, making and selling moonshine, and being bluegrass/folk/country gospel musicians). In fact, my Grandpa Robert moved to South Carolina to escape the same fate as his family—working in a coal mine and being an alcoholic. That’s how I ended up being born in SC.

————————————

Released March 1, 2012

All music performed and recorded by David Walker. All music mixed and mastered by Alex Murray. Additional Music Performances: Will The Circle Be Unbroken: Alex Murray-guitar Daniel Neely-guitar Micheal Keller-percussion,production Icy Mountain: Alex Murray-guitar,percussion Daniel Neely-guitar,percussion Micheal Keller-percussion,production Willow Garden: Micheal Keller-production Old Dan Tucker: Cody Blackwell-guitar,vocals Jake Garrett-banjo,vocals Cock Robin: Alex Murray-guitar Micheal Keller-guitar,vocals,production Daniel Neely-guitar,vocals  

Slackerpop Records 2012

1.James A. Garfield 2.Moonshiner 3.Will The Circle Be Unbroken 4.Icy Mountain 5.Willow Garden 6.Old Dan Tucker 7.I’m Alone in This World 8.Those Brown Eyes 9.Cock Robin 10.Jack Was a Lonely Cowboy

Download this album for free at:

https://dables.bandcamp.com/album/the-couch-family

[unabashegirl]

Different 15 — college hs

Harry's quiet, routine-driven life changes one weekend when he meets Y/N through a mutual friend at her party. She comes from a superficial, materialistic world with absent parents who believe money solves everything. Despite their differences, something clicks that night, and Y/N can't stop thinking about him.

Author's note: Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well! Here is a new chapter of Different. Here are a few things I would like you to know!

I'm trying to come up with new ideas for one shots. Pls vote! Especially if you are subscribed to Patreon! Help Decide the Next One-Shot!

I'm still trying to gather the money to continue my journey to medical school in January. I've only gotten 1% of my goal. I'll leave the link here in case you would like or are able to help me. Please I am desperate! 🥺 https://ko-fi.com/mariabernal8706

check out my patreon (starting at $2) and get full access to the rest of the chapters, various one shots and much more :)

--> different masterlist <--

WARNINGS: mentions of sexual abuse and violence.

Harry found it weird that so many people at the university knew about her. He hated that they knew her for the wrong reasons.

“Styles!” Ezra Hart called out to Harry as he had just walked out of the classroom. Harry was going to make his way to the pool, wanting to blow off some steam before meeting up with Y/N later.

“What do you want?” Harry asked dryly. He never stood up to Ezra’s constant condescending comments. Ezra chuckled and smiled at his friends that stood with him.

To Ezra, everything was a big game. He was kind of surprised that Harry had responded to him in that sort of tone. He enjoyed pushing Harry’s buttons. It was fun.

“How is your girlfriend?” He decided to brush off his rude tone. He wanted to know how he had managed to catch the attention of Y/N.

“Who?” Harry frowned as he took a few more steps closer to him.

“Her” Ezra showed him Y/N’s Instagram account where she had uploaded a lovely picture that Sarah had taken of them. It was a picture of them on the train, as he was about to kiss her. It was the first picture that she had ever uploaded of them. Harry’s heart felt like it was about to explode. He felt all fuzzy inside and giddy. As opposed to other men, he felt incredibly happy to be shown off on his girlfriend’s social media. It also meant that she wasn’t embarrassed of him or to be seen with him.

“That’s you, right?” He asked again, capturing Harry’s attention again.

“Yeah,” He confirmed proudly. “That's my girlfriend.”

“Congratulations. You’ve finally grown up” He joked, “Now. Tell me. How is the sex? Good? Is she as good as everyone says? Or bad?” He smirked, “Because after all she has been with multiple other men,” Harry clenched his jaw which didn’t go unnoticed by Ezra, who could tell that he was pushing the right buttons. “How does it feel to have the leftovers from everyone in Chicago?” Ezra laughed.

Harry was never able to remember how everything in the following seconds unfolded. He just remembered coming back to his senses and finding himself on top of Ezra after his fist had already come down on his face a few times.

Mitch had been walking past that all when he had noticed that people were gathered. Him being very noisy, he approached to check it out, come to find out that it was his best friend. Mitch was quick to pull him off Ezra, not wanting Harry to get in any sort of trouble.

“Don’t you ever fuckin’ talk about her!” He yelled as Mitch tried to drag him off the scene. “You twat!” he said under his breath just as he picked up his bag and left.

No one could believe what had just happened. People hadn’t gotten involved because no one thought that Harry was capable to fight with someone. People knew him to be very serene and quiet, and today he had proven a point. Harry had proven to everyone that he was more than capable of fighting for the people that he cared for, and he wasn’t going to be pushed around anymore.

“What the fuck?” Mitch exclaimed as they walked out of the building. “What happened? Breath, Harry” He patted his back, hoping that the chilly wind would calm him down. His hands were shaking as he ran them through his hair.

“Who the fuck does he think he is?” Harry whispered as his eyes filled with tears. He was filled with rage and just wanted to go back and finish what he had started. He was tired of feeling so helpless and powerless. Mitch looked at him with concern and didn’t know what to tell him or how to call him down. He had never seen him such as.

“Should I call Y/N?”

“No!” Harry stopped walking, “Please don’t tell her” He sniffed as he tried to stop the need to cry out of anger. “Just give me a few minutes.” Mitch allowed Harry some minutes of utter silence as they walked in the direction of the athletic center. “I am sorry,” he said as they stopped in front of the building.

“What are you apologizing to me for?” Mitch chuckled, “I am just sad you didn’t break his nose sooner” He joked, earning a small smile from Harry. “Proud of you for standing up for yourself and her”.

“I am just going to blow off some steam and do a few laps before Y/N gets here.”

“Is she picking you up?” Mitch asked him not wanting to leave him alone in case Ezra’s friends came looking for him.

“Yeah, in an hour or so”

“Alright. I’ll see you. Text me if anything” Mitch called out the building’s door closed behind Harry.

Y/N arrived an hour and twenty minutes later. She pulled over outside the building and waited patiently until he died off and threw on some clothes. She hadn’t had class all day, so she wore sweatpants and a hoodie. Y/N had just left the apartment to pick him up. She had been in bed all day sleeping. She had been having nightmares that involved Brian. They had woken her up multiple times at night and had made her night a living hell.

As soon as her eyes landed on him, she knew that something was wrong. She could see it. He was in much discomfort as he walked up to the car.

“Hi,” She smiled at him as he got into the car. Harry kept his head down and gave her a weak smile. Y/N frowned and started to drive toward her apartment. She didn’t push him knowing that whatever had happened, it had affected him. She drove quite quickly and was soon enough parking. “What happened?” Y/N finally asked when the elevator doors had closed.

“Nothin” Harry shook his head at her. He wasn’t proud of what he had done. He wasn’t the kind of man that gloated after a physical altercation. He had been feeling very guilty to have resorted to fists. So, Y/N took the cue and instead of asking again, she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his torso.

“Sorry, I didn’t make the bed” She sheepishly said as they walked straight into her bedroom after taking off their shoes at the entrance and dropping the bags at the door. “I’ve been having a lazy day” she explained, “Last night, I didn’t catch much sleep”.

Harry nodded and helped her to make the bed in utter silence. He threw himself on it as soon as Y/N disappeared to the kitchen. He closed his eyes for a second as he went over everything that had happened earlier. He was exhausted. The swimming had drained the last bit of energy that he had.

“What are you doing?” He asked as she felt her cold fingers on the hem of his shirt. “I - I’m not in the mood”.

“Just shut up” She demanded as she started to undress him. Y/N pulled him into the bathroom where she had prepared him a bath. She wanted him to relax and get the chlorine smell off his skin and hair. “Get in” she encouraged him. “See? Not everything is sex” Y/N pointed out before turning to leave.

“You are not coming in?” He asked as he soaked his body up to his chin with hot water.

“This is meant for you” Y/N smiled, “Let me just do something and I’ll be right back.”

Harry sat in the warm water, enjoying the sensation of relief and the smell of eucalyptus that the water had.

“Here” She had prepared him a cup of tea using her favorite cup that had pigs on them. “I’ve never made tea before, but I hope it’s drinkable” Y/N explained nervously as she sat on the floor by the edge of the tub. She rested her chin on the edge of the tub and smiled at him. “Is it okay?”.

“I’ve had worst” Harry smiled, feeling cared for and thankful to have her in his life.

“Now. Let’s see those hands” Y/N had brought out the first aid kid after noticing that the skin over his knuckles had opened without much dialogue, she had figured out that he had gotten in a fight with someone. Although she was concerned, she wasn’t going to push him or interrogate him.

“We need to talk.”

“What do you want to know?” She asked as she used hydrogen peroxide to clean his knuckles.

“Everything”

“Our freshman and sophomore year is a big blur to all of us” Referring to James and Sebastian in us. “We partied and drank until we couldn’t remember who we were and regretted it the morning after” Y/N shrugged, “and like most privileged kids spent our time traveling, spending money on unnecessary things.” She chuckled, “Not my proudest moment” Y/N regretted it every day and even though all those experiences had made her closer to James and Sebastian.

“I met Brian my sophomore year. I found him very charming, and he was in the same social circle as us, so we clicked. Plus, he was very nice to me.” Things hadn’t been that bad at the beginning which was why she had never seen it coming. “What an idiot” she shook her head in disbelief. “Everything carried on well for a year and a few months. There was a huge party at the end of junior year. I don’t know if you heard of it, but it was at the home of this new kid who lived on the Magnificent Mile” Y/N decided not to wrap his hand, so she was done tending to his wounds very quickly. “We met up with Brian at the party. James and Sebastian had gone with me. By the time we found him, Brian was already drunk. He and I went upstairs after I persuaded him to take a nap and drink some water. The issue was that he wasn’t just drunk. He had also taken something else” Y/N paused and fiddled with her fingers as she tried to gather up the correct words. “I don’t remember what led to it, but we started arguing back and forth and he suddenly got very violent and attempted to abuse me after I refused. Thankfully, James busted in before anything else could happen. I’ve never seen him angrier. It was punch after punch. Sebastian ripped them apart before he killed him” Y/N wiped her tears, “We hid at home for a week before flying out to Spain where we detoxed ourselves from all the shit that we had put our bodies and mind through.”

Harry was shocked. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard. He had thought that things were less complicated, and it had been a cheating incident something more benign.

“I never told anyone else because no one would believe me. I had been sleeping around before Brian and he could have used that excuse. I kept it to myself and asked the boys to do so too. I just wanted all of us to forget about the whole thing and enjoy the last year. I wanted things to go back to normal. Come to think of it was very selfish of me to ask them to forget about it as quickly as they did and not let them process everything at their own pace”. Y/N exhaled loudly as Harry leaned over and placed the cup of tea on the counter. “And now you know”.

Harry leaned over and gripped her chin, forcing their eyes to meet.

“I would’ve” He whispered to her, “I would’ve believed you.” Harry pressed their foreheads, “I believe you” he repeated just before he kissed her.

-> Chapter 16

[convxction]

ooc. All I want to krumb get cool outfits yehaw rent free this sort of outfit how I see him dress for his de.tective aus (ESPECIALLY THAT BELT THIGH I AM NOT GONNA GIVE UP ON THAT IT IS HOLDING THE WORLD FROM CRUMBLING LIKE ATLU----)

[cookiekitkat8484]

the problem with making an oc is half the time they look like a lazy self insert but usually no they genuinely are nothing like me I just think pink hair looks sick and I like talking about my hobbies

[yin-shimo]

ying n abel render as late bday ones for them lol (it’s them fucking nasty JOKE)

but genuinely might do a render