#era: heart shaker

[aq2003]

duality of the doctor coming into contact with daleks

[bbybluluv]

cr. njmsjmdct2 on twt

[w3bgrl]

can you be stealthy, agent seo?

synopsis: chan and juyeon endure a mundane schedule by talking some things out before heading home to meet with the rest of the boys. there, the members grow hungry during the early hours of the morning and changbin steps up to save the day, shockingly accompanied by none other than juyeon to the convenience store.

date: early september 2019

era: pre-levanter

word count: 3.1k

featuring: kang juyeon, bang chan, seo changbin, all other members mentioned

warnings: minimal swearing, descriptions of ot10 and former member woojin, reference to jisung's anxiety/hiatus

a/n: recently the more i write the more i feel like i'm not making any sense so let me know if i really am descending into madness on good ole tumblr.com/w3bgrl :) anyways binchu back on their bullshit

the photoshoot studio is cold when juyeon finally gets a text back, shifting from the comfortable position with her hands tucked under her thighs to pull her phone from her pocket, a gust of cool air sending goosebumps up her wrist as she reads the message. the dolled-up girl smiled down at the screen and her eyes flick up to check on chan's shoot progress again before responding.

'at least they're not playing our music. i think that would be torture.'

juyeon looked back up again, this time in search of whoever may be in charge of the music. surely she could request some more upbeat songs, right? — nothing against IU, obviously — but she was sure everyone could use some more pep today. her phone buzzed again.

bin: 'oh definitely. it's torture here. everyone's so quiet.'

'throw on some twice in between takes. heart shaker always does the trick for me.'

bin: 'you know what my song is?'

there, seated at one of the tables to rest between takes that just so happened to be the one with snacks, juyeon smiled down at her phone again despite IU's 'palette' resonating quietly off the brick walls through the camera's rapid-fire. she could already guess along the lines of what he'd say and yet she gave him the opportunity anyway.

'hm?'

bin: 'what is love <3 i wanna know know know know ~’

juyeon now had to set her phone down as she bit at her lip to conceal the stupid smile threatening her nonchalance, stewing in the confusing mix of cringe and affection combining in her chest — which is when she'd notice the absence of the repetitive click that'd been audible for the last 45 minutes, leaving nothing but the bittersweet song to fill the deathly silence in the building. by the time she noticed chan was already leaving the set and making his way to one of the seats beside her. juyeon discarded her phone back in her pocket.

"have you been awake this whole time?" the leader asked once he was in a comfortable-talking range. juyeon shifted to her right while he sat down with a sigh. "yeah?"

"damn, i thought you'd take a nap once you got a break."

chan spoke mostly monotonously, wholly unlike his typical cheerful disposition, and juyeon took this into consideration as she mulled over her response. "i thought about it...but i didn't feel like going back to makeup after drooling." and just as expected; chan simply nodded, closed off and serious despite her obviously playful remark. the younger girl waited for only a moment with a bated breath before sliding her icy hands back under her thighs.

"how you feeling?"

she could see his jaw clench as he looked back over at her.

"honestly?"

juyeon urges him on with a nod. "always."

"hurt." chan states flatly "and mad. and sad. mostly mad, though."

"understandable. do you wanna talk about it?"

his answer is immediate. "not really." juyeon smiles weakly to herself as she nods. "yeah, that's also understandable. i've had enough talking about it."

chan is now the one to prod as he shifts to loosen the arms crossed tightly over his chest. "how're the rappers doing with studio time?"

"jinnie would be hurt" she giggles at the implication and pulls her phone back out to re-read changbin's messages "good, bin said they've been quiet but productive. he said minho's been helpful for hannie."

chan sighs once more, this time much heavier in relation to the other weight reapplied to his chest, and juyeon can't help the way her gaze flicks up to check up on him. he looks exhausted, of course; the stress of these last few days had been agonizingly heavy — for everyone. woojin's untimely departure pulled the rug out from under their feet and before they could even ask any questions they were rushed to start fixing things: re-recording lines and redoing choreo and — chan suddenly spoke up.

"so, you and bin are good again? totally? i don't have to worry about you guys throwing a fit anytime soon?" finally chan grew a little lighter in his demeanor, slightly playful as he earnestly checked in on the former enemies. juyeon would carefully monitor her response.

"nah we're good. honestly, i think we're closer now. we talked it out and said our apologies, so i can kinda understand him better now, you know?"

finally the outline of a smile imprints on chan's lips, the first she'd seen all day, and he teases her with the nudge of his foot. "you guys are like hyunjin and jisung now."

"that's horrible" she remarks in passing and tucks her phone back in her pocket. there is a short beat in their conversation until chan is suddenly prodding again, this time in a secretive hushed tone; "can i ask you something?"

blood running cold upon the question, juyeon whipped her attention back to the older boy in order to analyze each and every feature in search of suspicion, her long nails clinking against jewelry as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "yeah?"

now chan seems apprehensive as he leans back, his thumbs twiddling in his hands clasped over his lap. he starts slowly. "those rumors...they were just rumors — just targeting you for being a girl, yeah?"

he is only half as calculated as juyeon — at least right now, finding his words merely as they came to him. it seemed as though he didn't know how or where to start until that came out which urged him to backpedal slightly.

"just — there's nothing going on between you and changbin, right?" chan adds almost frantically, his eyes reconnecting with her perpetually understanding ones, helping to soften his approach "you'd tell me if you felt that way for anyone, right?"

"of course, chan."

he feels relieved at the ease in her answer; it's apparent in the way his shoulders fall an inch further from his ears, how he subconsciously moves to face her fully, fidgeting hands now still.

"those rumors will haunt us forever," she says "but you don't need to worry about us. you've got enough on your plate."

chan nodded intently and took a deep breath. "well — thanks…that helps…betrayal feels like shit."

juyeon had to dig her nails into her palm as the minimal heat in her body rushed to her face. she pressed her lips together as she gulped, mirroring his nod before nudging him with her foot.

"wanna talk about it?"

chan would release a final sigh-like-grumble before admitting his defeat. "…yeah...i do."

seated in a circle gathered on the livingroom floor the disgruntled members are venturing further into the night when a particularly long lull in the conversation would reveal the audible grumbles of their bellies. they didn't even mean to entirely miss dinner in favor of their venting session, but as felix's stomach voiced its complaints for the lack of attention, seungmin turned to look at the oven clock.

"shit, it's 1."

hyunjin whipped around with wide eyes to check it out himself, mouth hanging open when he verified that it was indeed one in the morning. "dude...i need food."

"me too." jisung, who'd been especially quiet today, spoke in a small voice. from his place beside the glum boy minho would jump to offer the first meals that came to him. "i can make kimbap? or — we have the noodles for japchae?"

chan was already shaking his head "it'll take too long to make a portion for all of us. we should just go to bed, tomorrow'll be even longer."

finally, amongst all the pessimism filling the room in the form of hungry and tired mumbles, changbin spoke up in a light and playful tone with the ghost of a smile on his face. "what if i ran out to grab snacks? it'll only take 20 — 30 minutes."

juyeon's eyes now shot over to chan to watch the disapproval already creasing his brow. "everyone could pick their favorite" she chirped before he could say no in her best mimic of changbin's delicate demeanor. "little 'pick-me-up' before bed?"

soon all heads turned to the leader who sat contemplating with his own gaze shifting between the outspoken pair. he knew them — all of them — well enough to understand he was in the minority on this one, and though he also knew the risk of punishment for 1) sneaking out past curfew and 2) buying unhealthy snacks, chan would simply sigh.

"okay, but be quick, yeah? and please — whatever you do — just don't get caught, okay?"

changbin is already to his feet with a serviceable nod. "all will be well, hyung. now send me your orders!" he shrieks while stumbling his way through the crowd of boys toward his bedroom "i'm gonna grab a hoodie."

"i'll go with you." says juyeon naturally as she mirrors his actions, pushing herself to her feet and carefully stepping through the members closest to the front door. "grab me one, too!" she calls after him. a hand taps her calf once changbin is out of view.

hyunjin, with a hushed tone, has his neck cranked to look up at the older girl with furrowed brows. "since when were you guys cool again?" he asks, and she can feel heat blooming on her cheeks for the second time today as well as the other boys' growing proximity while they leaned in closer to hear the breaking news.

truth be told; after their huge argument bin and chu made amends and fixed their attitudes without ever clarifying what had happened to the members — not that they even asked, anyway. it seemed too tender of a topic; too fresh and too delicate, so instead they kept to themselves and observed from afar. by this point all they knew for sure was that they didn't bicker anymore and that was enough for them! but some of them swore the formerly close pair had begun warming up to one another again. in fact, just the other day jeongin had sent individual texts to tell the members they were taking selfies, so juyeon joining him on a solo trip to the convenience store seemed like a big moment.

reaching for her hair pulled into a bun juyeon's hand falls short to slyly scratch at her neck as she offers an uncertain-looking shrug, and just as her lips part to spit something out, changbin emerges from his room adorned in a sweatshirt with the hood up and one for juyeon in hand.

"ready?"

she hums and takes the hoodie to pull it on. changbin nods at hyunjin still sitting with his head uncomfortably panned upwards, "send me what you want."

"oh! right!"

the hoodied duo now turn their backs to slide their shoes on and the remaining boys all share a look with one another before whipping back to watch them leave. changbin steps out first, holding the door open for juyeon who pauses to wave before leaving, and then the front door closes behind them and the final 7 are left speechless.

"did you bring your wallet?" is the first thing changbin says once it's just them. juyeon's eyes narrow. "...no?"

"well — then who's paying?"

it only takes her a second longer to register the smirk lingering in the corner of his mouth threatening to destroy the act put forth. she can only smile and shake her head at his resumed antics. "come on." she chuckles, grabbing his wrist to pull him towards their destination despite the way her palm began to burn. "we've got 25 minutes to make it there and back."

changbin is smiling now too, the playful facade replaced by a genuine toothy grin, his tone now entirely too fond for the halls of the company building. "what would i have done without you?"

"is that what this is? you just wanted to hang out?"

changbin simply shrugs indicating that yes; this was just a ruse to enjoy her company (or undivided attention) since they couldn't interact how they wanted to around anyone else. it had become somewhat of a game they played throughout the day — to see what elaborate way they could sneak off without anyone noticing, though changbin was usually better at it. the first week after their amends, changbin faked back pain for her heating pad which was conveniently located in her room.

"i wanted to see you, can you blame me?"

juyeon finally releases his wrist and is positively certain of the burn mark left on her palm while she replicates his sly shrug, exuding charisma with her pompous tone "i mean, i am awesome, so that's understandable." she laughs at herself now and drops the act "but i texted you all day and now you've got me walking half a mile."

"i want to see you, though." changbin hums, his eyes on the blush warming her face "plus you left me on read for an hour! what's wrong with my twice pick?"

"nothing! what is love was a great choice! chan got a break and came to talk, that's all."

"oh...and how was that?"

juyeon sighed and shrugged again, this time far more serious and authentic than the last. "i don't know...i think it's just on his mind, you know? these long days give him more time to think about it — and he says he doesn't want to talk about it but woojin just keeps coming up." changbin now pulls his gaze away to open another set of doors for her leading to the familiar elevators that would bring them down to the first floor.

"what did he say?"

"just...you know —" juyeon presses the call button before crossing her arms, trailing off while she recalls their lengthy conversation at the shoot location and omitting the information that didn’t need repeating "he wishes they could've talked before it got to this point. he feels betrayed and on edge right now — especially with how hannie's been recently — not that it's his fault or anything. but he's mad about being left out of the conversation entirely, just kept in the dark until the decision was made."

the elevator dings as it arrives to their floor. changbin and juyeon step inside silently with the same reminiscent memory in their mind, and as their gaze meets again like the pull of magnets, the older girl leans against the railing to tap his shoe with her own. "he asked about us today, too."

changbin waits for the doors to close before he responds in a half-whisper. "and?? what did he say??" despite juyeon's cool manner in presenting this news changbin is nearly frantic, far more intrigued by her response now than the last time he asked.

"well, he wanted to know if we were good again — if he had to worry about us fighting anymore. so i told him no, we're good, and then he asked about the rumors; if there was actually anything between us."

"and you said...?" changbin's eyebrows furrowed at her, now clearly on edge in wait for her conclusion.

and yet, she remained shockingly optimistic, a faint smile on her lips as she spoke. "the truth; no matter how we interact, what's been said can't be unsaid, those rumors will follow us forever."

"so..." he sighed "we'll have to be like this forever? not to say that i don't enjoy these times with you, but i hate staying so far away all the time."

juyeon would now reach out to make contact once more, her delicate fingers trailing down his arm like she wanted to grab hold while her smile grew into a dazzling grin, eliciting an admittedly confused smirk from him. "actually, i think it's the opposite." she hums "i think if we play our cards right things'll go back to normal in time. i mean — we've always been good friends up until the rumors, right? and then we kinda had a falling out and grew apart, right?”

changbin nodded along to show he was still following as her demeanor became more mischievous the further she spoke. he could almost see the feigned innocence in her doe eyes as she said, “so now we’re just getting back to being friends — little by little every day. at some point we’ll be totally normal again and then any resurfacing rumors can be explained away by our fallout. if we play our cards right no one will even bat an eye — they'll just be glad we're close again."

the crimson-haired boy would merely blink back at her for a moment as he tested her theory in his own head and was shocked to find many of the same ideas pointing him in the same direction. whether her plan would go accordingly or not was still left up to the general public's perception of them — particularly her — which would leave their conclusion in the air until the time came, but this wasn't even the part he was really interested in anymore. instead, changbin's restrained smirk would grow to reveal his teeth before a dry chuckle escaped his throat.

"kang juyeon, you sly devil." he teased in a silky-smooth tone "i think you'd be a great supervillain, you are far more mischievous than you look. how long did you think about this master plan of yours?"

the elevator slows to a stop as they arrive on the lobby floor and she finally pulls away again to tuck a strand of hair behind her red ears with a casual shrug. "i told you i was awesome."

changbin has to bite back a full beaming grin when the elevator doors open and they exit silently towards the front doors of the jyp building. he rummages in his pocket for his id card to press to the reader before pushing the door open for her once again and resuming conversation the moment they were outside.

"and chan's not suspicious at all?" he asks, the cool breeze biting at his cheeks "you really think this'll work?"

juyeon laughs and looks back over at him with her signature beautiful smile (at least in his eyes) "i do. we just need to be stealthy, that's all." she then grabs the neckline of her sweatshirt and brings it to her lips as if talking into a mic, an eyebrow cocked at him. "can you be stealthy, agent seo?"

once again changbin has to fight back the giddy, knee-jerk reaction of a sunny smile at her antics and swallow the urge to remake contact, instead pressing an index to his tragus like he was listening through an earpiece. "actually, i think i can, agent kang."

ju's perpetually flowing giggles indicate utter satisfaction with his response and the so-called agent now nods forward toward the convenience store growing closer with each step. "good answer. now for our first mission; gs25 on yangjae boulevard."

[twicecreations]

welcome to twicecreations !

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[mariabtsos]

One That I Want ||M.YG|| Chapter 11: I'll show you.

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Description: It is summer of 1956, and leader of the T-Birds Yoongi is working at a food joint at the beach to make extra money over the summer, when he meets a pretty girl. They start a summer fling that unfortunately had to come to an end, but an unexpected turn of events will bring them back together.

Genre: 1950s au, angst, fluff, some smut, Greaser!Yoongi x Square/Goody-Two-Shoes!OC.

TW: underage drinking and smoking, sexual content, violence, misogyny (it’s the 1950s so peak macho man era).

Word Count: 1.4k+

The guys were over it, they were over the solemn mood their leader had brought over the group. They had just come back from spring break and they had barely heard anything from him, they’d hung out occasionally here and there, but he’d basically been MIA. It had all gone downhill a few months back with the last home soccer game for their school.

Once again, some of them needed to go and get proof of them being there for extra credit, they’d be lying if they said they didn’t enjoy this sport, some of them had even been a part of the team at some point in time, but their dislike for the team captain was greater than their love for soccer. Yoongi wasn’t very interested at all at first, whilst the others basically cheered at good passes and all the shots taken by the players.

“Hyung, come on! Why are you acting so low?” Jimin asked, sitting back down after the latest attempt at a goal by the opposite team.

“You know how I feel about Kim Taehyung, I’m only here for you nosebleeds,” he took out a cigarette from the packet he was holding, placing it between his lips and lighting it.

“You’re being such a wet rag hyung, that stupid foreigner soc ruined you, I mean you were the talk of the town and now everyone thinks-”

Yoongi didn’t let Hobi finish his statement, getting up quickly and coming up awfully close to him. Yoongi knew in a sense that Hobi was right, Lottie had ruined him, why couldn’t she be like every other broad and just be happy that he wanted to give her the time of day? He had so many chicks throwing themselves at him every day. Sure, he’d been through all of them, and they were grody and easy, but they wanted him, they were giving him a shot, why couldn’t she give him one? It didn’t matter, he still didn’t like the way Hobi had put down about her.

“Don’t talk about her, at all, Hoseok,” the younger shivered at the use of his legal name, his lips zipping as fast as they had been loose spewing all that crap about Lottie.

“Speak of the Devil,” Jin spoke next, after a beat or two of silence from the group, Yoongi turned around, looking for whatever it was that he was referring to.

Lottie

There she was, in her cute paper shaker uniform, with a bright smile and a high pony. Her skin looked so radiant against the golden hour sun. Yoongi felt his heart falter, the pain from her rejection all that time ago clawing its way back up his ticker. He wished so badly he could go back to the summertime and tell her the truth. How would she have reacted? Would she accept him the way he was — hell the way he is — would she have laughed at his face for even trying to talk to her? She did seek you out first, she came back after you closed that day, his brain spewed out, but that didn’t matter, not one bit, especially not when the final whistle went off and he saw the bane of his existence running toward her. Taehyung picked her up in a tight hug and spun her around, Yoongi looked up and realized their school’s team had won. She was laughing the whole time, at least that's what it looked like from the back of the bleachers.

And then it happened, he kissed her.

Yoongi’s blood boil seeing Lottie like this, letting herself be kissed by a man that wasn’t himself, but that did not compare to the next thing that happened.

“Holy shit, Tae jacketed her?” Jimin exclaimed. The whole group watched as the team captain helped you into his letterman jacket, Yoongi was sure if he tightened his fists anymore his nails would pierce through the skin of his palm and bleed.

“I’m leaving, Namjoon, make sure everyone makes it home safe,” their leader mumbled and walked off, leaving the venue before he could be seen by the girl who’d stolen his heart and completely fucked with his daily routine.

Taehyung is a wonderful and smart young man, what have you ever done?

Lottie’s words rang loudly in his ears as he waited outside the office, was he truly going to do this? All for a chick that had done nothing but treat him like gutter trash ever since they saw each other again? Who was he kidding, it was mostly his fault, he treated her lousy first, he’d been a phony first. Even if this wasn’t for her, at least this could be for himself, he did want to be something more than a greaser eventually, and he couldn’t do that if he couldn’t afford to go to school after he graduated.

“Min Yoongi?” Coach Bang looked entirely too confused seeing him there. Yoongi put on his charm right away.

“Hey coach, I wanna do a sport,” he half smiled.

“Is this some sorta joke? Where’s the rest of your gang? Are you gonna to pie me again?” the affable man looked around in concern. Admittedly, Yoongi chuckled a bit, remembering the prank his friends and himself had pulled on the man two years ago.

“No coach, I genuinely want to be a part of something,” Yoongi said, trying to sound sincere, and although Coach Bang still looked skeptical, he ended up nodding and pointing towards the gym’s locker room doors. “Well, if you really want this the first thing you gotta do is change,” the older man stated, they stopped in front of one of the many lockers as he looked through his comically large key ring.

“Well yeah, that’s what I’m here to do,” Yoongi put his hand on the coach’s shoulder, the aforementioned looking a little weirded out by the action, “to change…”

Coach Bang stared at him for a little longer before looking back down at his key ring, picking out a key and opening the locker they were standing in front of, “I meant your clothes,” he pointed at the locker, which had a few different sets of sporty clothes, “Hopefully some of these should be your size, change and come meet at the baseball court,” Yoongi nodded and the coach walked off, leaving him alone to wonder if he still had time to leave.

Yoongi truly didn’t think of himself as someone with a short temper, realistically he had a lot of patience, his cousin Jungkook could attest to that, he’d never once yelled at him, not even when he broke his favorite guitar.

But these jocks? Yoongi was sure he was close to having a bad hissy fit, he was ready to beat them into the pavement actually.

Baseball did not go well, coach set him up to bat, and every single time he missed, and the catcher was throwing so many insults each time. He’d heard the others call him Haechan, “this fucking greaser can’t even fucking hit one,” he’d yelled at the pitcher, and that caused Yoongi to turn around, grab at his mask, pull it and let it go, and if coach wasn’t there he would’ve given him a knuckle sandwich. Then he had him try wrestling, he paired him with this guy named Matthew, according to coach they called him Big Matthew, and Yoongi immediately knew he was not going to have a good time, Matthew probably thought of his attempts as a panic-and-a-half. Every single time he’d given up, until he got tired of doing that, so he pulled Matthew’s pants down, revealing his pink p.e. shorts, and the latter almost put him in a real choke hold, but coach stepped in and took him away, apologizing to Matthew on his behalf.

He finally let him try basketball… And boy did he excel. He moved through his seasoned players like it was nothing, assisting the team he’d been assigned to and even scoring a few three pointers himself. “Well I’ll be damned son! Did you know you set a new school record? You scored that first basket faster than any other player I’ve seen!” the man fawned over Yoongi’s skills, “are there any other secret skills you have?”

“I can run pretty fast,” and that’s how Yoongi ended up in both the basketball AND track and field team. Later on, as he left the gym after talking about the details with coach Bang, he saw Lottie and Taehyung down the hall. Lottie was leaning against a locker, she held her hands together behind her back, and Taehyung had one hand on her waist and the other next to her head. 

“You’ll see what I have done,” he whispers, walking out of the closest door available to him. He would make her look at him the way she looked at Taehyung right now.

[slashdementia7734]

A Eulogy to Gary Floyd by Jeff Smith (Hickoids).

Pour one out for the man I hold up as the greatest American punk vocalist of all time, Gary Floyd of The Dicks.

I first saw The Dicks when I was 16 or 17. They were a ramshackle freight train oozing danger and a dark romance that telegraphed the message  “our love is doomed — but the cops will probably kill us before we can fall apart.” Fatalistic but defiant with some unquantifiable level of simmering violence lurking beneath.

If all the clownish portrayals of punk rock to be seen on television and in movies during the late 70s through the mid-80s had conveyed one fourth of the power of The Dicks on a good night, punk rock might have actually been banned.

To be sure, the original outfit was more than the sum of its parts - a true band. Glen Taylor’s twitchy, dissonant and inimitable guitar playing cast a hollow spread over the relentlessly bouncing frame of Buxf Parrot’s ever-moving groove while Pat Deason’s steadfastly off-kilter drumming reminded one of a twenty-five-cents-for-fifteen-minutes motel bed shaker that occasionally coughs and still chugs when the quarter has run out. All of this propelled Gary to sing at the top of his lungs while laying atop this queasy chemistry, secretly hoping his voice will rattle the plaster off the ceiling and maybe the whole fucking roof will cave in so he can forget about that man, the pigs and every other cruel thing the world has thrown at him. And then maybe the whole seedy motel will collapse and it will all seem random rather than intentional, so he can go to sleep for a long, long time in the comfort that it’s not just him.

It’s the soundtrack of decay and desperation.

Decadence fed by heartache.

I saw some fucking great punk and hardcore bands in the day…but I have rarely if ever seen a punk band (or rock-adjacent band of any genre) who could deliver with the emotional power of The Dicks.

The reason was simple: Gary’s struggle was real. By late ‘70s Texas standards, the notion of an openly gay, morbidly obese, Maoist poor boy from East Texas fronting a band of novice outcasts was the stuff of a pornographic sci-fi novella a la Martin Amis. And, not to short change another group of local heroes fronted by an outsized gay man, the Big Boys, but they had more to do with the good times than the bad. It’s not necessarily a great analogy but they were the light of The Beatles compared to the darkness of our Austin punk rock Stones.

On a musical level Gary and The Dicks found their greatest power (like the Stones on their epiphanic masterpiece Exile On Main Street) with the blues, and were the first punk band, American or otherwise — with the possible exception of The Gun Club — to fold the style into punk in a successful way. In spite of the greatness of the art, one could make the  argument that Jeffrey Lee Pierce’s narrative and musical choices had a studied contrivance not found in The Dicks. “Successful” is used here to mean artistically high-performing rather than financially rewarding, of course.

The world is chock-full of guitar players who can hit the notes and bend the strings while making the ugly sex face. Our planet is also fully stocked  with those who can carry a tune and string together a rhyme of heartbreak and appear emotionally vulnerable while doing so. That doesn’t make it either good to my ears or moving to my heart.

Gary was free of artifice when it came to his singing. Not to say that he couldn’t be a sometimes silly yet riveting frontman, but his poetry was always forceful and direct. Folk music stripped of everything that distracted from the point. As a young man, I failed to fully grasp where he was coming from - it was too far from my realm of experience. But he sang with his whole body and absolute conviction, whether the subject was heartbreak or injustice. I might not have understood where all of his pain came from, but his voice told me it was real. And while a lot of other punk singers of the era spewed opportunistic political diatribes that amounted mostly to complaining, Gary simply belted out his truth. Even though the conflict might not have been mine, his voice made me understand the righteousness of the fight. Gary’s words helped provide me with the empathy starter kit I lacked.

Gary had a couple of other very good and more commercially palatable bands after The Dicks - Sister Double Happiness and Black Kali Ma. He didn’t get the commercial success he deserved, but he’s not alone there. Still, I believe he died a happier man than he was in the era I remember him most vividly from. We exchanged messages on FB and spoke on the phone occasionally during the past decade.

Rest in power my friend. It’s not just you - it is the world.

You might not have changed the world in the way you once hoped, but you changed mine.

Gary Floyd // 1979 // 📸: Tom McMahon

[sharpestasp]

Fem February: Black Canary

Ahh, DC Comics, my forever home, it feels like, where fandom is concerned.

And specifically my beloved, the incomparable Dinah Lance aka Black Canary? WHOO HOO.

Black Canary has been through many changes, and I may have given away the answer by naming 'Dinah Lance' instead of 'Dinah Drake', as to who my favorite is. Even still, WHICH Dinah Lance is my favorite?

Justice League: Year One may have come LATE on the scene, but it codified the Justice League Origins that had been in play since Crisis had concluded. Wonder Woman had not been a founding member of the League — Black Canary was.

This Black Canary is short (5'4" was her most often given height), young (at 19 she was the youngest founder), dealing with mommy issues (seriously, Crisis's changes set Mama Canary up to be a difficult stumbling block in Baby Canary's growth), and she was the 'well the JSA did it this way' voice on the team.

This particular version did not contradict the one I'd been following even longer, the one fleshed out by Mike Grell. But ASP! HE MUTILATED HER?!

Yes. Grell stripped the Canary of her voice, put her at death's door, and then, over the course of 75 issues, showed her growing into a new kind of tough while putting her through hell at Oliver Queen's side. The reason I still prefer The Longbow Hunters concept for Dinah is that she OVERCAME GRAVE ODDS and is still committed to being the best damn vigilante she can be.

That said, I keep the pre-Crisis story of her being Roy's savior. I don't see a conflict there. I keep the Gotham-born, grew up on the West Coast implied by mixing the canons she's present in. And, most of all, these make a wonderful cocktail shaker that delivers the penultimate Black Canary:

Birds of Prey Black Canary.

All of Justice League, all of Green Arrow's solo book, even her mostly-panned solo miniseries evolve into the woman that takes Oracle's offer to fly under the radar and kick ass, take names, and make the world a little safer. I faithfully followed the original miniseries and one shots, then the first series of the book through so many artist and writer changes with absolute delight and glee. She was older, she was jaded, she held her ground, she was selfless when it mattered, she cared…

Just. Everything I needed in a woman that was at one point in time considered to be in the top ten of DCU's martial artists. (Richard Dragon, Cassandra Cain, and Shiva are all considered better than her. For a time, the jury was out on if she or Connor Hawke was the better, and Tim Drake was up in here during that era. In at least one issue, Batman says she is better than he is.)

I love, adore, and worship the woman that Dinah Lance was between Crisis and Identity Crisis, considering her my end-all, be-all favorite of that character.

(Honorable mentions to the animated TimmVerse Canary, but TimmVerse got a LOT of my faves perfectly. And the spin they took in the Birds TV show was intriguing, but there, it was Mama Canary that stole my heart with her brief appearances.)

[nerdyandfashionincorporated]

My Favorite Tzuyu Outfits in Each Era Pt.1:

Ooh Ahh:

Cheer Up:

TT:

Knock Knock:

Signal:

Likey:

Heart Shaker:

What is Love:

DTNA:.

Yes or Yes:

[kpodcast]

What makes a good concert setlist? I've been to three concerts this year, and watched the Eras tour movie, and I don't think there's a perfect formula. I saw Twice in Dallas this year, and I'm going to look at their setlist to see what patterns we can identify.

We're going to talk just about song choice, not the videos or chatting, and I'm going to exclude the encore songs since those changed every night, and the solo songs (except POP, see notes).

Here's the full set list:

SET ME FREE I CAN'T STOP ME GO HARD MORE & MORE MOONLIGHT SUNRISE BRAVE First Solo Set Feel Special Cry for Me FANCY The Feels Second Solo Set - including POP! Queen of Hearts YES or YES/What Is Love?/CHEER UP/LIKEY/KNOCK KNOCK/SCIENTIST/Heart Shaker Alcohol-Free Dance the Night Away Talk That Talk When We Were Kids CRAZY STUPID LOVE

As is becoming the norm, I decided to look at MV views and Spotify streams for every song at the concert.

I think any Kpop fan knows a few of these songs - Feel Special, The Feels, FANCY are the ones I would guess - and the average Twice fan probably knows most of them. But, there are some more deep cuts, ones that I didn't know, like BRAVE and GO HARD.

Some other things to note about the concert:

Feel Special, Cry for Me, FANCY, and The Feels were performed with a live band

YES or YES through Heart Shaker were performed as a medley, with only a verse or chorus from each song.

With all that in mind, what can we determine about setlists from Twice's concert?

Off the bat, I see that the graph shows some lulls - GO HARD and BRAVE at the start, Queen of Hearts before the medley, and both When We Were Young and CRAZY STUPID LOVE to finish off the show. I think lulls in the show are important, as someone who is pushing 30, I need time to rest. It also gave Twice time to rest! There were a few songs where the choreography was really designed around them sitting for a while, which is important when you're planning a 3 hour show.

Also, as previously mentioned, their most well known songs were all done with the live band. This took their most popular songs and gave them a new twist and made them exciting. I have never screamed Cry for Me like I did with the live band. It kept people engaged with songs that they've likely heard hundreds of times already. If you haven't seen it, check out Jihyo's incredible a cappella solo for Feel Special.

And then the medley. I loved the medley. I thought it was such a fun and smart way to incorporate some of their older songs. You can see on the graph those seven songs are among the most popular, and Twice has likely performed them hundreds of times in the years since their release. The medley was a way to, again, keep the audience engaged and give Twice a new way to interpret and perform these songs and play with the choreography as well.

I have so many thoughts about setlist choices! How venue and size makes a difference in song choices and interaction with the audience, how each song flows to the next, how recent releases and future teasers affect song choices, it's all so interesting.

How important do you think the order of the setlist is? Do agree that there should be lulls in the set? I've seen iKON and DKB as well and would love to share some thoughts on their setlists as well if anyone is interested!

As always - some notes:

Views and streams numbers were pulled in early November

I used the Cry for Me choreography video views in place of MV views, since there is no MV for Cry for Me

Just straight view/stream counts is not the clearest way to gauge popularity, since older songs will have more views due to age. I may release an updated version of this post with views/streams over time!

I left in POP! since it was released on the Twice channel, and as of writing this post I realize that I should have included Nightmare from Jihyo as well as it was released after the concert

[ga-yuu]

[Drunk In Each Other - Nasu no Yoichi] - Card Story

This is about one special night that Yoichi-san and I spent together in the modern era-----

There are no other customers at the bar counter at night after closing.

Yoshino: "It's past closing time, will it be alright?"

Yoichi: "Don't worry. I already got permission from the owner."

Yoichi: "Also..."

A hand extended from behind the bar counter and gently stroked my cheek.

Yoichi: "I can't just leave my girlfriend with a dejected look on her face, can I?"

(...He noticed)

Today is Valentine's day.

I visited the bar where my boyfriend, Yoichi-san works to give him Valentine's day chocolate...

(I Know many women coming here admire Yoichi-san...)

Realizing his popularity once again, I started having mixed feelings.

Yoichi: "Just so you know, I didn't accept chocolates."

Yoshino: "Huh?"

Yoichi: "Oh yeah, except for the ones I got from my friends."

Yoichi: "I tell all my clients that I can't accept their chocolate because I have a lovely girlfriend."

Yoshino: "Yoichi-san..."

Yoichi: "Give me a moment."

Smiling softly, Yoichi-san patted me on the head and started making cocktails.

Yoichi: "...."

(He sees through me so easily...and also he looks very cool. It's so frustrating)

(No wonder he's popular)

The way he spectacularly shakes the shaker is a sight to behold...

Yoichi: "What's wrong? Am I looking so handsome that you fell in love with me all over again?"

My heart skipped a beat when I saw the sexy look in his eyes that was staring at me.

Yoshino: "...Stop reading my mind like that!"

Yoichi: "Haha. Don't sulk."

Yoshino: "I'm not sulking...and yes, I've fallen in love with you all over again."

Yoshino: "Every time we're together I fall more and more in love with you and it's frustrating."

Yoichi: "...."

That's why I have mixed feelings about Yoichi-san being popular.

(It's so childish of me to think like that)

I want to be more mentally mature and suitable to stand next to Yoichi-san.

Yoichi: "..u're really good at disturbing my heart, aren't you?"

Yoshino: "? Did you say something?"

Yoichi: " Nothing, like I was saying..."

Yoichi: "It's ready."

A clear red cocktail was placed on the counter.

Yoshino: "Wow, it's so beautiful and cute! Thank you..."

I tried to reach out for it, but for some reason, he pulls the glass away.

(Hm?)

Instead, he pointed at the box of chocolates that I gave him...

Yoichi: "Can I have some of that chocolate you gave me in exchange for this cocktail?"

Yoshino: "Hm..Okay."

I nervously opened the box of chocolate and fed one to him.

Yoichi: "Mm....I've never tasted such delicious chocolate before..."

Yoshino: "You're exaggerating."

Yoshino: "Can I have my drink too?"

Yoichi: "Please. This drink is called Kir...the cocktail word is 'euphoria"

Yoichi: "Because you're the only one in my eyes."

(! Yoichi-san..)

Yoshino: "...Fufu, it feels like we're the main leads of a movie or something."

Yoichi: "To be honest, I'm a little embarrassed myself. But as long as you're smiling..."

The hazy feeling in my chest that I had been holding on to until a few moments ago disappears cleanly thanks to Yoichi-san.

Yoichi-san licked his lips after eating the orangette.

Yoichi: "These are actually very delicious..."

Yoichi: "...Promise me, that you'll make them for me every year, even after we grow old."

Yoshino: "...Of course."

I had a feeling that the cocktail wasn't the one that made me drunk.

[twiceland]

Twice for the k-pop group ask ^^

hiiii vacant!! happy new year <333

✦ my first bias tzuyu!!

✦ my current bias(es) sana <3

✦ my album and/or era ranking (or favorite of each) okay i can't rank so i'll just share my favs:

debut: going crazy, truth, like ooh ahh page two: cheer up, touchdown twicecoaster: tt, one in a million twicetagram: likey, heart shaker, 24/7, love line what is love / summer nights: what is love, dtna the year of yes: yes or yes, say you love me fancy you: fancy, strawberry feel special: the entire album more & more: m&m, oxygen eyes wide open: icsm, hell in heaven, up no more, do what we like, handle it, behind the mask, taste of love: alcohol free, baby blue love formula of love: the entire album between 1&2: basics, ttt

✦ how i got into them one of my old twt mutuals introduced me to alcohol free + then i got more into them throughout the end of the year and here we are LOL

✦ which member would be my best friend sana because we're both enfps <3 i'm not biased at all /silly no but actually i would love to be her friend you can genuinely see she cares about the members and is so <333

✦ something i associate with them (or with a bias/any member) lollipops, margaritas, pink !

💌 send me a kpop group and i'll answer ...

[bbybluluv]

cr. njmsjmdct2 on twt

[taamistuffbox]

who owned each twice eras (totally biased)

for this, "owning" an era means being the first member that comes to my mind when talking about an era lol

keep in mind this is only my opinion ♡ i love all the girls with my whole heart

long post ahead

♡ like ooh-ahh - momo

this iconic dance break speaks by itself

♡ cheer up - sana

she got me singing ‘shy shy shy’

♡ tt - nayeon

THE ORIGINAL CENTER

♡ knock knock - jeongyeon

blonde jeongyeon you will always be famous 

♡ signal - tzuyu

she is the cutest. i mean it.!!! this was HER ERA

♡ likey - sana

i likey

♡ heart shaker - nayeon

AHHG!! she looked so good !!!!

♡ marry and happy - nayeon

i am in LOVE with this stage . it makes me so happy

♡ what is love? - dahyun

i love dahyun parts!! she is hilarious and her rap... immaculate

♡ dtna - chaeyoung

HER HAIR also i wont get into it to much but !! the grip this picture had on me —>>>

♡ yes or yes - mina

texas girl english skills are no jokeeee!! i scream when this teaser came out

♡ fancy - chae

she was BORN for fancy

♡ feel special - dahyun

YOU MAKE EVERYTHING ALRIGHT 

구름이 쫙 낀 햇살 한 줌 없는 날

네가 바로 나의 SHINING LIGHT

THAT'S WHAT YOU DO

아무리 어두운 밤도 다시 낮

I OWN TO YOU

BECAUSE YOU MAKE ME FEEL-

♡ more and more - momo

iconic blonde momo dance break p2.

♡ i can't stop me - jeongyeon

the happiness that this women made me feel when she came on screen is literally embarrassing

♡ cry for me - sana

more concepts like this for sana I REPEAT *MORE CONCEPTS LIKE THIS FOR SANA!*

talk about duality all you want. this woman is insane.

♡ alcohol free - jihyo

nahh she was born for this concept. in fact jihyo is latina (she is my prima) oh jihyo the women you are...

♡ scientist - mina

LOVE AINT A SCIENCE UHH UHH

NEED NO LICENSE UHH UHH

♡ talk that talk - jihyo

WHAAAAT WAS GOING ON!!! what were they feeding jihyo during the filming?? she ROCKED that bob too…

extra / non korean eras here ₊˚⊹

[colourscabinets]

Revitalize Your Home with colourscabinets.com: Transforming Worn-Out Cabinets into Stunning Centerpi

In the hustle and bustle of daily life, your kitchen often becomes the heart of your home—a place where family gatherings, meals, and memories are created. However, over time, the wear and tear of constant use can take its toll on your kitchen cabinets, leaving them looking dull, worn-out, and in need of a refresh. Fortunately, with the expert cabinet refinishing services from Colours Cabinets, your tired cabinets can be transformed into stunning centerpieces that breathe new life into your home. Let's explore how our services can reinvigorate not just your kitchen but your entire living space.

The Impact of Cabinet Refinishing

Cabinets play a crucial role in defining the aesthetic of your kitchen. Whether you prefer a modern, rustic, or classic look, the condition and appearance of your cabinets can make or break the overall ambiance. While replacing cabinets entirely is an option, it can be a costly and time-consuming endeavor. This is where cabinet refinishing comes into play—a process that offers a more affordable, efficient, and eco-friendly alternative to replacement.

Refinishing your cabinets involves stripping away the old finish, repairing any damage, and applying a fresh coat of paint or stain. The result? Cabinets that look brand new without the need for a full renovation. Not only does this process save you money, but it also allows you to customize the look of your cabinets to match your evolving style preferences.

Why Choose colourscabinets.com?

At colourscabinets.com, we understand that your home is your sanctuary, and we take pride in helping you create a space that reflects your unique personality and taste. Our cabinet refinishing services are designed to do just that—transform your worn-out cabinets into a stunning focal point that enhances the overall beauty of your kitchen.

Here's why our services stand out:

Expertise and Experience

With years of experience in the industry, our team of skilled professionals is well-versed in the art of cabinet refinishing. We use only the highest quality materials and techniques to ensure that your cabinets not only look amazing but also stand the test of time. Whether your cabinets are made of wood, laminate, or another material, we have the expertise to deliver flawless results.

Customization Options

We believe that your cabinets should reflect your personal style. That's why we offer a wide range of customization options, from paint colors and stains to finishes and hardware. Whether you're looking to achieve a sleek, contemporary look or a warm, traditional feel, our team will work with you to bring your vision to life.

Eco-Friendly Approach

In an era where sustainability is more important than ever, we are committed to doing our part for the environment. Cabinet refinishing is inherently eco-friendly, as it reduces waste by reusing existing materials rather than discarding them. Additionally, we use low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints and finishes that are safer for your family and the planet.

Cost-Effective Solution

One of the biggest advantages of cabinet refinishing is its cost-effectiveness. Replacing cabinets can be a significant investment, but refinishing allows you to achieve a similar transformation at a fraction of the cost. This means you can allocate your budget to other areas of your home that may need attention.

Reinvigorating Your Community

At shaker style cabinets birmingham, we believe that home improvement has the power to uplift not just individual homes but entire communities. When you invest in cabinet refinishing, you're contributing to the overall aesthetic and value of your neighborhood. A beautifully updated kitchen can inspire your neighbors to embark on their own home improvement journeys, creating a ripple effect that enhances the entire community.

In addition to our commitment to quality, we are also dedicated to supporting local communities. By choosing our services, you're supporting a business that values community engagement and strives to make a positive impact in the areas we serve. We are proud to contribute to the revitalization of neighborhoods by transforming kitchens, one cabinet at a time.

Your kitchen cabinets don't have to be a source of frustration or an eyesore in your home. With the expert cabinet refinishing services from colourscabinets.com, you can turn your worn-out cabinets into stunning centerpieces that elevate the entire aesthetic of your kitchen. Our expertise, customization options, eco-friendly approach, and cost-effective solutions make us the go-to choice for homeowners looking to reinvigorate their living spaces.

[benefits1986]

Shades & Shakers

NGL, Leo szn 2024 is not a ghost month, yes?

My first hero is my Prep teacher. I think, I've talked about her previously or it may just be another thought bubble. She carved a tiny home for me and my purple Prep Joey mates back in a small and highly progressive school ages ago.

Today, I remember her and should our paths cross again, I'd give her a solid hug and for sure, I'll cry. Teacher Rosa hailed from Leon Guinto and damn, I must say that it kinda seems a "premonition" looking back. One that I didn't ever see coming and one that shaped my worldview even when I'm not totally sold about being cloistered in the halls that once cradled the wounded soldiers of WW2. However, as I come in peace, this makes sense.

Maarte ako e. Hahahaha. Masungit pa. (Parang normal naman 'to sa mga hinubog sa Leon G. Street like Teacher Rosa pero siya, 'yung sungit niya sa mga bagay na may kwenta, unlike ako na sa lahat masungit.) And what I'm super sold about after ages of loathing this chapter was that, mukhang tama ng nanay kong dragon. She housed me there for four years to prune me as bonsai --punggok na, pudgy pa, ako e. LOL.

Still curious as to when I'd see my first official social group as a daldal kahit saan bitch. Very interesting.

Best Lesson from Teacher Rosa: Just be you but try to hold your tongue at times. Also, you can read well even when your mom tells you that you'd have to perfect reading words with "b" and "d". You can do it, but stop being frustrated about the tiny things. Keep your high energy, but don't be too rowdy.

Note to Self: SHEMAY. OO NA. Eto na since 1986. Bakit parang ganito pa rin ako? Hahahaha. Shet. Next.

My next highlight for today, sa ngalan ng pakikibaka with a heart is my second dad. He's my OG mentor and one of my benchmarks. He came from Katips and is a loud and proud promdi. While he came from an alta fam, he worked his ass off to get a scholarship kasi nga 'di daw sila mayaman. LUL. He tried LS but gave up because the vibe did not sit well with him. Sungit din niyan. Hahaha. And whenever he wants to steer me in a direction that I deem directionless, the battle gears are high and mighty. There was even an era when I loathed him talaga. What I like most about my second dad is that he's keep slaying shit.

From the crazy and colorful world of being an expat in the 80s and surviving the market crash nung 90s, jusq. He's now working with the grassroots people to power up their cooperatives with AI. Then, he'd teach me the pitfalls and perils of halo marketing. Now, we'd deep dive-ish into the prompts he's pumping. How crazy does this boomer go? He's building business models and modules with the bot gods. I find it funny that now, he's keeping up with me. Well, kinda. Marketing and finance expertise niya along with social responsibility. He's actually one of the may panaka ng market leader sa botika with the tagline since the 90s. Wala ng ibang clue because he's super underrated.

Recently, his ask from me was to build his LI profile. Tawang-tawa ako. I told him na why now lang? And if he wanted to go with the social selling route. Ako na. Maiba naman bilang he's immersed in the barrios and the barangays most of his days and nights. He chuckled and said that he doesn't need LinkedIn to light things up. TACCA. Apaka ugh talaga. Pang-add lang daw talaga nung mga nagtatanong from his network. That's it. Iba rin naman ang angas. LOL. Pero 'di pa rin ako papagiba kasi sayang 'yung leads na magenerate niya kahit 'di na raw siya workaholic at 70+. Hahaha.

He lambasts my Lego affinity and biking. Tanda ko na raw for Lego, pero joke lang 'yun syempre. Sa bike naman, dapat daw scooter or big bike tapos cruising in the countryside. Sabi ko, wait lang sa scooter. Paparating na. Also, mag-drive na raw ako ulit as a gala person. What I like best about my second dad is that he's so not out of touch. Apaka pak niya diyan. Pero kitang-kita ang blue vibes niya 'pag nasa debatehan szn kami. No one's backing down talaga. As in. Kahit magkamatayan na. Ganernsss. But, we agree to disagree saka mas 'di na kami rarasisbumba now. Siguro dahil sa AI? Labo. LOL.

Best Lessons from Second Dad: Don't let them butcher you. Butcher them but be classy kahit basura kausap mo. Bawasan mo rin kasungitan mo, minsan. Highlights ko sa kanya are Lessons from Geese and this quote he shared: You plant a tree not to enjoy its shade. Saka 'wag na raw ako mag-LS lalo sa hood niya. Hahahahahaha. 'Di ba? Pakialamero siya talaga lagi akala mo anak niya akong totoo. Sa AI na lang daw ako mag-focus. LOL. Very Jesuit pero ugh. LUL.

Recently, we talked about my will to die. OPAK. Sabi niya, 'wag daw muna akong excited. Masyado raw poetic mga attempts ko. Gago e noh. Baka raw sa anti-climactic way pa ako ma-deads, so kapit lang daw ako. Siya 'yung boomer na legit progressive. Hindi siya cancel mode in all levels pero may wisdom saka may sense. EAT SHIT KAYONG MGA BOOMER BOMBERS. CHE. And that I just need to strengthen my core people and actually ask for help. May tawa pa 'yan plus reminder to get checkups with his network na trusted niya. HAHAHAHAHAHA. Shemayyyy. Note to Self: Pag-isipan ko pa mga sinasabi niya. Hahahahaha. LELS. And also, reminder to get our shit done na rin this Leo szn. Let's go. Another super important thing is to remember that the new coding language is ENGLISH so, tara naman sa finance side of things lalo sa marketing emerut. It's time. Eto na. Lapag. UGH. Side Note: Was going over my documents for something I need to work on and poof, oks naman pala letter grades ko sa Finance and Quatech. OPAK. Gulat ako, honestly. Kadire. Hahahaha. Maka-podcast nga beyond Rotten Mango na about progressive financial emerut. Sana may oks and legit na progressive.

So what?

The Venn Diagram of my two heroes of the day is no less than Rissaaaahhh Honti. Ayoko na lang mag-talk because, we don't meddle na sa mga bagay na nilabanan natin pero tapos na. Finish na. Galing-galing niya. HUHUHUHU. IYKYK. Ganda pa ng singing voice saka nag-scuba sa Batangas. HIHIHIHI. Ganda niya pa in person as a fangirl na 'di na silent. LOL. Pinaka love kong anecdote from her mismo is one time, naputulan sila ng kuryente kasi nasa work siya as a single mom. OPAK. KK --Kulasang Katips na legit right there. O baka kasi nakikiusap ako sa Meralco lineman na sorry na talaga kasi nga nasa meeting lang ako at nalimutan ko na namang magbayad ng bill with abot ng pang merienda niya at ng pamilya niya. HAHAHAHHA.

Let these lessons and notes be reminders to hang onto to the frameworks from humble sticks and stones, with blood, flesh and bones. EME. Hahahaha. Akala mo naman apaka profound ano po? LOL. I'd really have to just keep going and trust the process amidst my superlative trust issues that circle back to my trust issues with myself. HAHAHAHA. Ang lala, but we're on track naman. Sana tuloy-tuloy lang kasi naman ang spirals ay spiraling. But, sa ngalan ng life outside Manila at iba pang kaganapang emerrruttthhsss, okay, fine. Tara na talaga. It's time.

Also, always choose to be kind BUT firm. And keep my shoulders strong kahit masakit talaga because alam mo naman as a degenerating noona na talaga tayo.

And of course, sa ngalan ng pananalo sana naman ng 2ne1 concert sa kahit saang lupalop ng JP. Jusq. Napaka hirap, mhie to the point na susugal na ako sa mga legit scalpers. Sign up pa lang pota kang Jap characters ka as a wala namang alam sa kahit anong form ng pagsulat o pagbasa. UGH. Sobrang strict pati sa mga bagay na dapat simple lang. TAKAYO TALAGA. Also, narealize ko, Japan didn't happen earlier this year, because eto na tayo. HIHIHIHIHIHIHI. Sa Kobe kaya para makabike sa Kyoto? EMEEE. CHOZ. Abangan!

PS: Bilhin ko na ba talaga 'yung last na kulang na LS pero sobrang taas na nung reseller price. POTA. Or hanap na lang ako sa Japan. Hahahahahha. Abangannnnn!

[21astor]

Say Hello to New luxury apartment developments in Portland

Get to Know Robert Ball

Robert Ball has become synonymous with luxury residential apartments portland, but that reputation didn’t come without paying the dues of hard work. Robert Ball’s passion for renovation and real estate began nearly 25 years ago.

On the Road to Portland’s Premier Luxury Apartments

After honing his incredible talent for purchasing and rehabilitating small properties, Ball purchased his first apartment building in Portland’s Nob Hill District. With a ton of elbow grease, he was able to transform the 1920s-era Sara Ann Apartments into a Class A apartment community, with the highest quality rating for a property.

Becoming One of Portland’s Leading Developers

Following the Sara Ann Apartments, Ball’s passion for revitalizing aging properties has grown exponentially. Robert Ball has completed six high-profile projects, in the heart of Portland’s downtown, including 21 Astor.

And now on to the star of the show — the 21 Astor community and its 27 impeccable units. Residents not only benefit from decades of experience in residential development, but also a deep-rooted philosophy of service, style, functionality, attention to detail, and excellence. There are many reasons why 21 Astor is distinct from other luxury apartments in Portland:

An Incredible Location in NW Portland

Located steps from the notable NW 23rd Avenue in the Nob Hill District, 21 Astor’s LEED-certified homes have an impressive walk score of 97. Tenants have everything they could need right at their fingertips. In addition to Portland’s top coffee shops and restaurants, there’s no shortage of major grocery stores, boutique shopping, banks, houses of worship, and local businesses that support health needs.

The Robert Ball team worked hard to incorporate equally elegant and purposeful features. This ensures that every resident experiences the seamless harmony between a vibrant urban center and chic, comfortable apartments:

Building Features

Timeless red brick exterior

Controlled access and exterior call box for guest admittance

Statuary Carrara marble slabs and 24k white gold Bisazza “cut-tile” mosaic in the lobby

Neoclassical designs

Ground-floor restaurants and storefronts

Private balconies for street-facing apartments

Public transportation options nearby

Community Features

On-site, indoor parking

In-house management services

Reserved storage spaces on each floor

Bike storage and maintenance areas

Pet-friendly facilities including washing station

Package acceptance and holding

Exquisite and Spacious Apartment Homes

Robert Ball Companies knows it is crucial for an exceptional community to be impeccably complemented by an exceptional apartment home. 21 Astor merges functional and sophisticated elements to create ideal living spaces for the contemporary Portlander:

Apartment Floor Plans

One bedrooms luxury apartments range from 701 to 743 square feet and boast fabulously unique living and dining spaces larger than other apartments in Portland’s Pearl District. Every one bedroom also includes an en-suite, pass-through style bathroom and large walk-through closets with plenty of storage.

Two bedrooms luxury apartments Portland range from 933 to 1,165 square feet. All units spotlight large living and dining spaces, pass-through style bathrooms (with the master including a stand-up shower and double vanity sinks), and large walk-through closets. Plus, each bedroom is located on the opposite side from the other so as to generate as much privacy as possible.

Apartment Features

Crisp, clean, and modern designs and fixtures

Wrap around kitchens with top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances

Breakfast bar seating

Lofty ceilings

Conveniently located stackable washers and dryers

Air conditioning

Enormous windows that allow plenty of natural light

Quartz Carrara countertops and shaker cabinets with abundant space

Tiled bathroom floors as well as tiled shower/tub surrounds

Food pantries and linen storage

Extra storage lockers available

As you can tell, we’ve built something remarkable here at 21 Astor. With only 27 units, our team is able to put all our time and energy toward making sure every resident feels that they are truly at home. Our goal is to cultivate an upscale experience that’s a perfect complement to how you live, work, and play.

Are you searching for a place in Portland that’ll provide a little something more, both inside and out? 21 Astor’s luxury apartments near the Pearl District provide an unprecedented level of comfort for those looking for a refined living experience in NW Portland.

The leasing agents at 21 Astor would love to hear from you! Connect with us to get more acquainted with our Portland’s Newest Luxury Apartments!