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livesincerely · 4 years

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it’s so easy (too easy) to love you, ch. 1

Also on Ao3

00000

Davey’s just gotten out of class—literally just walked out the door—when his phone starts ringing.

“Davey,” Tony says the moment he answers, not even giving Davey time to say hello, “can you swing by the apartment real quick?”

Davey sighs. “Are you locked out of the house again?”

There’s a guilty silence. Then, “Or maybe I just wanna see you, huh? You don’t know.”

“Tony.”

“Charlie’s the one that lost the spare,” Tony capitulates immediately, there’s an indignant “Hey!” somewhere in the background, “and I left my keys in my locker ‘cause I thought Charlie had his—”

There’s a scuffle of noise, then Charlie’s voice breaks in, “—don’t listen to him Davey, I asked him before we even got on the subway if he had his keys and he said he did but he didn’t even check—”

“—well, I thought you had yours, didn’t I?—”

“—and he was twenty minutes late picking me up from band practice because he was too busy making out with Spot Conlon to come help me carry my stuff—”

“—that was supposed to be a secret you little shit!”

“—you started it!”

Davey pulls the phone away from his ear as the other side of the line descends into a mess of indistinct yelling. He thinks about trying to get their attention, but he decides to just start heading towards the apartment, muting his side of the call while he waits them out—they’ll remember him eventually.

In the meantime, Davey sends a quick text:

Tony and Charlie locked themselves out of the house again

He’s not expecting a response, but Jack must be in-between projects because he gets one almost immediately.

jc again?

And you’re going to have to get a new spare made

fuck okay i’ll take care of it. are you heading over?

I’m walking there now

ur the light of my life dave

Davey can’t help but smile at this, a soft feeling fluttering in his chest. Before he can write back, Jack sends another text:

how did ur midterm go?

I feel good about it! Def did better than I thought it would!

duh youve been living in the library all week ofc ur gonna do great. ill swing by the grocery omw home and pick up some ice cream to celebrate. do we need anything else while im there?

Get a bell pepper and some tomato paste, I’m going to make spaghetti for dinner. And we need more laundry detergent.

fuck yes im starving! can we do garlic bread too?

Come home on time and we’ll see.

u drive a hard bargain. kerian owes me a favor so he can stay late tonight lol

“Davey?” The sound of Charlie’s voice, tinny and muffled, prompts Davey to lift his phone back to his ear; it seems like he might’ve been calling Davey’s name for a while. “Are you still there?”

“I’m still here,” Davey confirms.

“So are ya comin’ or what?” Tony cuts in, ever impatient. “I’m roasting out here!”

“Well, I was thinking about leaving you to ruminate on your poor life choices,” Davey responds dryly, “but I guess I can come let you in, since you asked so nicely.”

“Thanks, Davey,” Charlie says.

“I’ll be there soon,” Davey confirms.

“Hurry, will ya? Much longer and I’m gonna get heatstroke and die,” Tony declares.

Davey rolls his eyes. “Goodbye, Tony.”

00000

When he arrives at Jack’s building some twenty minutes later, Davey finds Tony and Charlie right where he expects them: crowded together in the little bit of shade the roof’s overhang offers, wearing identical grumpy expressions that brighten immediately when they spot him approaching.

"Finally!" Tony exclaims, shooting to his feet. "What took you so long?"

“Stop losing your keys and you won’t have to wait for me,” Davey counters, slotting his key into the deadbolt and hefting open the heavy exterior door. He props it open with his hip and lets Tony and Charlie scurry past him into the AC. “You couldn’t get anyone to buzz you in?”

“Old Man Davis hasn’t gotten his hearing aid replaced yet,” Charlie explains as they climb the stairs up to the second floor, “and Mrs. Ikeda isn’t home.”

“She joined a new book club,” Tony adds. “She won’t be back till late.”

“Oh, I’ll have to ask her about it when I see her next,” Davey muses.

He gets the apartment door unlocked and the boys pile inside, tossing their backpacks down with dramatic groans of relief. Charlie makes a beeline for his bedroom; Davey expects Tony to do the same but he takes a seat at the kitchen table instead, booting up his laptop with a couple of keystrokes.

“I’ve got a paper due in English tomorrow,” Tony explains. “Can you look it over once it’s finished? Maybe later this evening”

“Of course,” Davey replies. “What’s it on?”

“Lord of the Flies.”

Davey’s nose wrinkles up. “Oh, I hated that one. What’s the essay prompt?”

“Identify Golding’s argument about human nature as proposed in Lord of the Flies,” Tony reads off the top of the assignment outline. “Then make an argument agreeing or disagreeing with his assessment, using evidence from the text.”

Davey rolls his eyes. “Good to see that high school literature classes haven’t changed much in the last few years,” he says with a sigh. “How much have you written so far?”

“Oh, I haven’t even started it yet,” Tony casually rebuts.

“Is everything going okay?” Davey asks, frowning slightly. “If things are getting worse we can make an appointment—”

But Tony waives his concerns aside. “Nah, this is regular old procrastination, not ADHD procrastination. Like ya said, Lord of the Flies sucks ass, so I just didn’t want to write it.”

“Well, let one of us know if you start having trouble,” Davey says.

"Okay, mom,” Tony agrees, somewhat distracted. He’s already got a blank document pulled up on his laptop, a battered and thoroughly dog-eared copy of the book laying open beside him.

Davey looks at him for another moment, then he shrugs and continues making his way into the kitchen—he figures there’s no need to worry unless Racer starts actually missing assignments. And he’s right: Lord of the Flies does suck ass.

By the time Jack gets home they’re each fully entrenched in different activities: Davey’s washed a sink full of dishes and is working on drying the last few pieces of silverware, Tony is still posted up at the kitchen table, carefully hammering out a draft of his paper, and there are the familiar sounds of Charlie working through different musical scales on his oboe in the back bedroom.

“Honey, I’m home!” Jack calls jokingly as he enters. There’s a rustle of plastic and soft thunk of the front door closing behind him, then he comes around the corner into the dining room with an armful of groceries.

“Hey, Jack,” Davey greets absently. He starts rifling through the bags almost before Jack can finish putting them down. “Did you get the tomato—?”

“I got the tomato paste,” Jack says, kicking off his shoes and leaving them in the entryway with all the others, “and I picked up some more of that fancy coffee you like from the place around the corner, even though it’s expensive as all hell.”

“Don’t judge me,” Davey replies, gathering up an armful of vegetables and carrying them further into the kitchen. “You spend a semester grading 'Intro to Shakespeare' homework and tell me how much caffeine you consume.”

“I’m just saying, the rest of us schmucks drink regular coffee and do just fine,” Jack continues. “You can feed your crippling caffeine addiction just as well with Folgers and it’ll cut down on the grocery bill.”

“Watch it, Kelly,” Davey says, pointing a finger teasingly in Jack’s direction. “Smartasses don’t get dinner.”

“‘s that so?” Jack asks with a grin. “Then why the hell are we still feeding Tony?”

“I heard that,” Tony grumbles from the kitchen table.

“Yeah, you were supposed to,” Jack says, moving over to Tony and slinging an arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a side hug. Tony bats at Jack’s hand but makes no real attempt to get away. Then Jack says, “So, I hear you and your brother lost another set of keys.”

Tony throws Davey a look of the deepest betrayal. “You told Jack?”

“Of course he did,” Jack says. “Someone’s gonna have to get new ones made, and it sure ain’t gonna be either half of the dynamic duo.”

“Charlie lost the spare,” Tony says, mercilessly throwing Charlie under the bus while he’s not in the room to defend himself. “And I didn’t lose my keys, I just left them in my locker.”

“Uh huh, save it for the judge,” Jack responds, ruffling Tony’s hair. “Just know if I end up having to change the deadbolt, it’s coming outta your subway money.”

“Jackie, leave Tony alone,” Davey comments mildly over Tony’s spluttering protests. “He needs to work on that paper and you’re distracting him.”

“Yeah, Jack,” Tony repeats, a little smug. “You’re distracting me.”

Davey turns to look at him, one eyebrow raised. Tony quickly busies himself with his homework.

Davey makes quick work of washing a green pepper and peeling an onion, then starts dicing both into small, neat pieces. He feels more than hears Jack sidle up behind him: the familiar weight of his gaze, the solid presence at his back. He stands there quietly, leaning against the counter-top and just watching Davey cook; unbothered, Davey leaves him be for the moment and moves to the stove, scraping the chopped vegetables off the cutting board and into a pan to start softening.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Davey glances over his shoulder at Jack and says, “Are you just going to stand there or are you going to help me with this? You know there’s no loitering in my kitchen.”

“Well, I’m nothin’ if not a law abidin’ citizen,” Jack drawls in answer, the corner of his mouth quirking up. He rolls up his shirt sleeves, exposing the long, muscular line of his forearms, and washes his hands in the kitchen sink. “Where do you want me?”

Davey licks his lips. “Think you can handle browning the hamburger?”

“I’m sure I can manage,” Jack responds with a smirk.

Davey steps out of the way, letting Jack take his place in front of the sauce pan while he gets a pot of water set up on a different burner, salting it so it boils faster. They settle into their familiar dinner-routine, moving around and past each other with ease as they work on getting everything ready, chattering idly all the while.

“I’ve gotta head back out this evening,” Jack says at one point, as he sets the tray of garlic bread in the oven to toast. “Johnson’s got me working a night shoot and I have to be downtown by 9.”

“How long is the session?” Davey asks. “Here, will you open this?”

“We’re scheduled for five hours, but we might get to wrap it up early if everything goes well.” Jack’s hand brushes against the small of Davey’s back and they trade places again, Davey stepping back up to the stove-top and Jack rifling around in one of the drawers for a can opener.

“Are ya spendin’ the night or are ya headin’ back to campus?”

“Depends on how much help Tony needs with his paper,” Davey replies, shaking his head. He takes the can when Jack hands it back to him and empties it into the saucepan, then gives the whole thing a good stir. “We might be at it a while.”

Jack huffs out a laugh. “Well, if you do spend the night, go ahead and take the bed. The extra blankets are in the usual place.”

Davey sets down the spoon he’s holding, crossing his arms across his chest. “Jack,” he says warningly.

“Davey,” Jack echoes back in the exact same tone of voice. In the background there’s the faint sound of Tony muttering, “Jesus, not this again.”

“Jack, I’m not gonna kick you out of your bed,” Davey says, rehashing the same old argument for what feels like the millionth time. “I’m perfectly fine taking the couch.”

“Or you could do the smart thing and just take the bed,” Jack counters as he always does. “I’m not even gonna be here to use it.”

“You’ll want an actual mattress when you get home, especially if you’re out late.” Davey argues. “I don’t even have class tomorrow, it’ll be fine.”

“If you don’t take the bed I’ll just carry you in there once I get back,” Jack says, as if that's a perfectly reasonable course of action. “So you might as well save me the trouble.”

Davey sputters. “That’s not— You can’t just— That only happened a couple of times!” he finally gets out.

"Well, actually, it's been more like four or five times," Jack says with a smirk. "But hey, who's counting?"

"That trick won't keep working," Davey grumbles, feeling the back of his neck start to heat up.

“You sleep like a fucking rock, Dave,” Jack says, rolling his eyes. “Why wouldn’t it keep working?”

“No, see, that’s exactly why I should take the couch,” Davey insists. “It’s not like the sound of you coming in will wake me up—”

Jack turns to face him. Davey cuts off, slightly startled—he hadn’t realized they were standing so close to each other.

“Just take the bed, Davey,” Jack all but orders, and those dark eyes with that low voice are a heady combination. “Please?”

Davey bites at his lower lip, suddenly flustered. “Fine,” he reluctantly concedes, hoping Jack will attribute his flushed face to the heat of the kitchen. “Just this once.”

"Thank you," Jack says with a dramatic heave of his chest, looking much too pleased with himself. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"

"You're letting the garlic bread burn," Davey answers tartly.

"Oh shit—!"

00000

Later that evening, after they’ve all finished eating and have cleaned up, Davey, Tony, and Charlie are still gathered around the table, working on various assignments.

Davey is finishing the readings for his Monday lecture in between helping Tony finalize the exact wording of his essay. Charlie sits opposite him, working through his geometry homework and every so often there’s a huff of breath and the rubbery scratch of an eraser—Davey makes a mental note to swipe some more pencils and notebook paper from the grad lounge when he’s there next.

Davey notices the time and frowns. “Jack,” he calls out, “it’s already 7:30. If you don’t leave soon you’re gonna be late for work.”

There’s a clamor of noise from down the hall, then Jack appears, freshly showered and fumbling to put on his socks and button up a clean shirt at the same time.

“Fuck, Johnson is gonna kill me,” Jack grumbles. He pats down his pockets, then groans. “Christ, has anyone seen my—”

“Your wallet and keys are on the counter by the microwave,” Davey says, pointing. “And take a jacket, it’s supposed to rain later.”

“Great, I’m sure the models will love that,” Jack says with a groan. “Hopefully we’ll be able to get through everything without getting rained out.”

He meanders his way over to the table, peering at Charlie’s homework from over his shoulder. “If Tony is still busy and ya get stuck, text me,” Jack tells him. “I probably won't be able to answer right away, but if ya send me a picture of the problem I can probably talk ya through it between shots.”

Charlie hums his acknowledgment, still scribbling furiously. Jack turns to Tony.

“Listen to whatever Davey tells you about your paper,” he advises. “The only reason I got through undergraduate writing was ‘cause Davey proofread all my shit before I turned it in.”

“I thought I was s’pposed to always listen to Davey,” Tony says distractedly, tongue poking out between his teeth as he types.

Jack pauses, considering. “Yeah, just do that.”

“Jack—”

“Oh, and Dave cooked, so you shitheads better do the dishes, get me?”

“Jack, you’re gonna be late,” Davey cuts in firmly, holding out Jack’s jacket for him.

“Alright, I’m going,” Jack says, shrugging it on, and he finally starts making moves towards the door.

He gives Charlie one last pat on the shoulder and cuffs Tony lightly across the back of the head in a slightly rougher, but no less affectionate goodbye, which is per usual. Then he turns to Davey, tips his chin up, and kisses him right on the mouth, short and sweet.

“Lock the door behind me and don’t forget to—” Jack stops mid-sentence, then turns bright red.

“Um,” says Charlie.

“Holy shit,” says Tony.

Jack’s mouth opens and closes soundlessly. Finally, he stammers out, “I u-uh— I-I d-didn’t mean—“

Davey doesn’t respond. He couldn’t, even if he wanted to—he’s frozen in place, his mind a sudden wash of static. For a moment, they just stare at each other. Then Jack blurts, “gottagoseeyoulaterbye,” and bolts out the front door.

Davey’s not sure how long he stands there, staring blankly into space, utterly dumbfounded.

“Davey?” Charlie asks hesitantly. “Are you okay?”

There’s a strangled, choking noise. A split second later, Davey realizes it’s coming from him.

"...What just happened?"

#newsies #javid #jack kelly #davey jacobs #*final cut #*the writing desk #*editor's note #the one where it's domestic #oof this was a long time coming #this au might become its own series #the javid coparenting vibes are REAL and i NEED them #btw there will be a couple more chapters of this so stay tuned

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princessselene126 · 4 years

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Kaider OTP Headcanons

Okay, so because I love Kaider so much I decided to do all of these for them. I literally can’t contain myself. I copy and pasted the ones I already did and then answered the ones that I didn’t.

1) Who is the most affectionate? Kai is the most affectionate of the two. Cinder is a pretty touch starved character, she grew up thinking that she wasn’t worth any type of affection, so she doesn’t go out of her way to hug people or tell someone she loves them, or anything like that. Kai, on the other hand, makes a point to always be holding her hand, or whisper a quick “I love you” when they’re in the middle of a world leaders’ meeting.

2) Big spoon/Little spoon? Cinder is usually the big spoon and Kai is usually the little spoon. But normally they sleep facing each other like in this art I found.

3) Most common argument? They don’t really argue, but they often tell each other to go to bed. Kai goes down to the garage and gets Cinder when she’s tinkering too late into the night. Cinder drags (or carries) Kai out of his office when he’s up too late looking over legislation or other important documents.

4) Favorite non-sexual activity? On the rare occasion they have free time, they love sitting together in a big arm chair and reading. They take turns listening to the other’s voice.

5) Who is most likely to carry the other? Cinder carries Kai. Kai tries to carry Cinder sometimes, but it’s difficult because of her metal extremities.

6) What is their favorite feature of their partner’s? Kai loves Cinder’s hair. He likes burying his face in it when they sleep. Cinder loves Kai’s smile. It makes her artificial heart melt.

7) What’s the first thing that changes when they realize they have feelings for the other? We lived through that, so I’m not gonna bother. Instead I’m gonna talk about what changes when they first start living together. As we saw in Something Old, Something New, Kai and Cinder aren’t strangers to falling asleep in each other’s arms when they’re around their friends, but I have a feeling that didn’t happen much when they visited each other on Earth and Luna. I think Cinder has her own suite in New Beijing Palace set aside before they officially get married just because that seems like something Torin would say they should do to keep up with traditions... but that doesn’t mean Cinder ever uses it. In fact she never does. Now that they live together why would they stay in separate rooms? After dealing with a long distance relationship for almost two years, there’s no way in the stars they’re not sleeping tangled up in each other’s arms.

8) Nicknames? & if so, how did they originate? When they’re in teasing moods, they’ll call each other Your Majesty. If the rampion crew is around, Throne will make gagging noises when they do it. The maids at the palace think it’s adorable. Aside from that I don’t think they use nicknames very much. They like calling each other by their names because from anyone else it comes with a title ahead of it. They feel more like ordinary people when the other just calls them by their name.

9) Who worries the most? They’re both pretty big worriers, the difference is that Kai internalizes it while Cinder frequently voices it. Many would think it would be the opposite because Cinder is usually the more closed off, but that’s just not the case.

10) Who remembers what the other one always orders at a restaurant? Cinder. She has a computer in her head, remember?

11) Who tops? I’d say it’s pretty 50/50 just depends on what they’re in the mood for.

12) Who initiates kisses? Kai usually. He’s a bit more physically needy.

13) Who reaches for the other’s hand first? I’d say it’s pretty even again. Cinder reaches for Kai’s hand under the table when they have meetings or at press conferences. Basically any time that she feels slightly insecure or intimidated by some other leader’s experience compared to her own. Kai reaches out for her all the time. He’s pretty much always holding her hand when they’re out in public.

14) Who kisses the hardest? I… I really want to say Kai. Like I said before he’s a bit more needy and desperate (not in a bad way) and Cinder is a bit more go with the flow.

15) Who wakes up first? They wake up at the same time every day because they have to be briefed in the morning–usually during breakfast–about what’s on their schedule for the day.

16) Who wants to stay in bed just a little longer? Kai. Cinder was used to having to get up early to go man her booth at the market. Kai on the other hand? He used to be allowed to sleep in and he misses it.

17) Who says I love you first? I honestly can’t remember who says it first in canon, it’s been too long since I’ve read tlc. But if I’m just allowed to make this stuff up? I’d say Cinder. Kai knew he loved her but he wanted her to say it first so he didn’t push her into saying it back when she wasn’t ready.

18) Who leaves little notes in the other’s one lunch? (Bonus: what does it usually say?) Okay they don’t leave notes in each other’s lunches, but they do comm each other randomly throughout the day. It’s usually stuff like “Vargas was being an ass today” or “I love Iko, but if she makes me wear heels again I swear to the stars--” or “I know it’s been 10 minutes, but I miss you already. Wanna skip lunch?”

19) Who tells their family/friends about their relationship first? They don’t have to, everyone already knows. Cinder was pretty fucking obvious about how much she liked *cough* loved *cough* him before they kidnapped Kai. And once Kai joined them on the Rampion? All bets were off if they even wanted to hide their relationship.

20) What do their family/friends think of their relationship? This depends on who you ask. Iko thinks they’re the cutest couple in history. Thorne thinks they’re sickeningly adorable and obviously enjoys teasing them. Jacin thinks the same but without the teasing. Wolf, Scarlet, Winter, and Cress think that Kai and Cinder just... make sense in such a strange way that it doesn’t make sense.

21) Who is more likely to start dancing with the other? Kai is the one to initiate dancing of course. Cinder is absolutely terrible at it, and often accidentally steps on his toes, but she’ll let him guide her along anyway.

22) Who cooks more/who is better at cooking? Honestly? Neither of them knows how to cook very well. Cinder knows the basics, but Kai is completely lost. Let’s just say it’s a good thing they have a kitchen full of chefs.

23) Who comes up with cheesy pick up lines? Neither of them. There’s a lot of heavy flirting and teasing, but neither ever uses cheesy pick up lines.

24) Who whispers inappropriate things in the other’s ear during inappropriate times? Kai does it a lot actually. When they’re dancing at galas or balls he’ll lean in close and whisper in her ear, or he’ll say something that’s subtle enough other people won’t think it’s anything strange, but he said the same thing the night before and Cinder definitely picks up on what he’s trying to do. Most of the time he does it to see if he can get a reaction out of her, a hint of red on her cheeks, anything. But more often than not he gets an eye roll or an elbow to the ribs.

25) Who needs more assurance? I feel like they both do equally as often. Cinder needs assurances from Kai that she’s a good person and that she matters. Kai needs assurances that he’s doing what’s right for their people.

26) What would be their theme song? I wanted to say “I’m not a Robot” by Marina and the Diamonds, but I feel like that’s much more of just Cinder song. For them as a couple I think I’d go with “Only Exception” by Paramore (not just because it’s one of my favorite songs) because they really are the only exception for each other? Kai def wasn’t going to love Levana–no way in hell. And Cinder never really thought of love until Kai came around.

27) Who would sing to their child back to sleep? I’ve said before that I headcanon Cinder as a closeted singer, so I’m carrying this over. Cinder sings their kids to sleep. By the time they have kids, Kai knows that she can sing. He often leans against the kids’ doorway and listens to her voice with a smile on his face.

28) What do they do when they’re away from each other? When one is on a trip to a different country without the other, they both try to immerse themselves in work so they can pretend they get to sleep next to the other when they go to bed that night. If they’re at home but can’t see each other for a while because running the country gets in the way, they comm each other every couple hours throughout the day to check in.

29) one headcanon about this OTP that breaks your heart The concept of happiness is very foreign to both Cinder and Kai. Cinder because Adri made her feel worthless. Kai because he was resigned to the fact that his entire life was going to revolve around his people and he would never get to do things for himself.

30) one headcanon about this OTP that mends it Now that they have each other, they know that they’ll be happy for the rest of their lives. It doesn’t matter if there’s another war, if they someday have to absolve the monarchy in the Eastern Commonwealth too. As long as they’re together, as long as they face things side by side, they’re happy and they’re okay.

#kaider #mine #linh cinder #emperor kai #lunar chronicles #the lunar chronicles #x headcanon #otp asks #kaider headcanons

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kinkymagnus · 4 years

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Twi YouTube AU?? 👀

dlgjk ok i dont have a coherent au idea i just like the idea of like.

alec being this confident youtuber man who does all sorts of shit, like funny vlogs and maybe some sketches with his siblings or some lets plays or something, idk, he’s just a popular youtuber like, idk, fuckin markiplier or something, you know, kinda does a lot of stuff. maybe some fashion/interior design shit? idk? but like. he’s pretty popular and if there’s any list on tumblr that’s like “some queer creators you should try watching” he’s always up there because he’s pretty open about being gay. maybe at first he wasn’t in the earlier youtube days but he had a pretty emotional coming out video and everyone was like “holy shit”

meanwhile magnus is like, a quietly popular youtuber, you know? kind of a niche audience, but with decent numbers. he does a lot of things, like vlogs about being trans. like, oh my god. magnus documenting his transition? would that even be a thing? wait oh my god is this mundane au, or is this canon? because twi magnus who’s actually a warlock with a youtube channel would be hilarious but maybe not a good idea. you know what? how about a mix. he’s mortal and was born in modern times and all, he’s like the same age as alec–idk why but i’m thinking he’s like a few weeks older or a month or two older than alec and alec jokingly teases him about being old–but he like…. still has magic, because why the fuck not. actually, you know what? fuck it? it’s an au where magic is just openly a thing. not even necessarily canonverse magic, just. some people have magic. magnus does little tutorials and shit, he has a real talent for it and he’s actually really powerful but he hides that. (possible plotline: some paparazzi discover he’s like, a level ten mage, and it’s a scale from 1-10 and 8 is the most powerful u get most of the time, there’s been a few really famous 9s and there’s been one 10 ever and that was fucking merlin. you feel. because why not. idek fuck.) anyway he has little diy make your own magical charms and weaving enchantment and safe summoning circles and tips for writing magical contracts and shit like that. he’s this cute little nerd but he’s like incredibly knowledgeable and he knows how to teach it in a way that’s understandable and accessible? and he answers questions in really clear ways, and he does amazing demonstrations that look so cool people accuse him of editing but he’s just That Good. and he’s like, actually a really well-published wizard/magic scientist, he invented the fucking portal, but probably under a pseudonym because he doesn’t really want the attention. (his last name is fell in honor of his mentor. yes. although if he does multiple ones he may or may not also use loss, santiago, rollins, etc.) anyway he’s just so fucking good, he has all these videos explaining magical theory in pretty easy to understand ways (maybe going from really simple to like “i understand the basics here and am ready for the technical terms but need an overview” videos you know.

also he doesn’t just do magic videos, because i said so. also maybe some blogs, and like. because i want to. some fashion/makeup tips. and it’s weirdly endearing because it’s not something you’d expect since he doesn’t wear makeup that often–although a) there are def gifsets of his full makeup looks on tumblr, and b) when he does occasionally decide to wear lipstick or eyeshadow or whatever, most of his fans are like omg yes!! u look cute! also headcanon: twi magnus wears less makeup in general but he still indulges in nail polish. mostly dark/muted colors on his fingers, but bright silly colors on his toes. NAYWAYWYA

also magnus bane is his chosen name because he wanted something cool and wizardy sounding and undeniably masculine.

also he’s so fucking sweet like look his videos are pretty popular because they’re just handy but he’s not exactly like, a super popular celebrity or anything, you know? but when he does meet fans he’s so incredibly sweet and he does selfies and he’s very appreciative of his followers? he’s so genuine?

and alec is way more popular–not that he’s not kind and appreciative of his followers. it’s just the thing is, magnus and alec are totally opposite sides of youtube. alec is friendly charismatic completely non-magical youtuber, he plays video games with his sister and like, does vlogs and reaction videos and shit you know. magnus is out here with educational tutorials and excited rambles about magical theory. (i feel like sometimes he accidentally starts doing groundbreaking research for a video and forgets to like, publish it first, and people are like wait what the fuck holy shit)

but then they fucking meet.

and a) they’re Instantly smitten. b) this will eventually result in the weirdest collab ever.

like NO ONE would expect magnus bane, tarot reader and tutorial on magic diy and shit, occasionally does makeup videos and little vlogs and talks about Issues sometimes, to collab with typical hot vlogger gamer man alec lightwood. but it happens, and somehow it’s the best fucking thing ever.

i’m not sure how their channels collide. maybe alec plays a game involving magic and magnus talks about all the ways it’s right/wrong but it ends up just being bantering and giggling and magnus may or may not end up leaning into him on the couch their sitting on and giggling as he makes a stupid joke with the character in the game and immediately everyone’s like…… we ship it

not that i support irl shipping but u know how it goes, everyones like “damn they’re cute” and they’re both openly queer so there’s that. i mean, still not cool, but you know

but really tho they keep doing collabs after that and become actual friends and both start kind of….. doing things for each other’s channel? magnus does a thing like “interview with someone who knows nothing about magic” and we just see a total mundane take on magic and honestly it’s really interesting for both of them, we have more “magnus, who’s an Old Soul and despite having a youtube channel is actually not that great with technology, raphael does all the editing, tries to play video games and kinda fails at it but he gets the hang of some of them”?? he likes puzzle games and mariokart, he does NOT like super smash bros because “THE CHARACTER NEVER DOES WHAT I WANT IT TO ALEXANDER” “you’re just jealous bc i beat ur ass” “you wanna play mariokart again, lightwood?!”

magnus does a tarot reading for alec, alec does a vlog with him just like “day in the life of alec lol :P” and there’s moments where he just comes up behind magnus like “hey what’s up” and magnus, who’s in rumpled home clothing, sees the camera and chuckles and kinda half heartedly waves it away, and the audience loses their mind at how cute he looks lkdhjgfh

they just become actual good friends, you know? it’s weird bc you wouldn’t think it would work but it really, really does

also on of alec’s fans at some point tries to make a transphobic crack at magnus during a livestream and alec goes OFF on his ass and it’s trending for the next week, the clip goes viral, it’s like “HIMBO GOES OFF ON HATERS FOR BEING TRANSPHOBIC TO HIS FRIEND/POSSIBLE LOVER?” and alec apologizes to magnus for all the attention it brought them but magnus is like “it’s okay, we can use this” and they end up using the hype to do one of those charity livestreams youtubers do and all the proceeds go to something like mermaids or the trevor project, you feel? they’re like “suck it transphobes look at all this money you got trans ppl” khjfgh

ok but eventually they do get together, not on camera, and while it’s slow at first and kind of secret (from the internet, not from friends and family) they’re also not super subtle. they know they’re not, but they’re just sort of like “it’s no one’s business, we’ll announce it when we’re ready”

and honestly tho they love each other so much

also i’ve just decided it’s not uncommon for strong magic-users, even like, level 4 or 5 and up, to have marks, so while his cat eyes are usually glamoured maybe he showed them after a q&a or in a vlog or something? and there are like. lots of gifsets of this, okay, and like, lots of thirst comments. which are like, this weird mix of slightly uncomfortable, really flattering/validating, and embarrassing (in a good and bad way). anyway, magnus has cat eyes in this au, because i fucking said so.

ANYWAY back to their relationship, they’re in love

how did they meet? maybe at a con they bumped into each other, or a totally random fan was like “y’all should do a collab” and everyone was like “what”

or maybe a mutual friend and fellow youtuber, meliorn, who is a nonbinary youtuber who fucking has a sword don’t question me, introduces them?

idk. but when they meet they hit it off instantly and flirt and end up getting coffee and they don’t date for a while (maybe mutual pining/misunderstandings like “oh he doesn’t like me like that, but it’s okay, we can still be friends :)” or something lkfgjhfgh) but eventually they end up getting together

how? no idea. let me think about it.

idk why but im thinking they’re filming at magnus’s apartment and they’re on his couch and just. late night. they’ve finished up filming but they’re still bantering and maybe playing some video game like mariokart or watching a movie together and just. magnus is leaned all the way into alec, just snuggled up and pressed close against him, alec ends up putting an arm around him, and alec cracks a joke or teases him and magnus sits up a bit to like, poke his chest or flick his nose (you know what i mean? like in an otp person a shifts, still kinda sitting in their lap, and is like [playfully hits shoulder or boops nose or something] and now they’re making eye contact and person b ends up pulling them into a soft kiss???) anyway THEY MAKE EYE CONTACT AND ALEC PULLS HIM INTO A SOFT KISS and alec almost pulls away when he realizes what he’s done but magnus makes this soft little happy noise and leans into him, kissing back, and they just end up kissing for a bit and when they break apart alec is just looking up at him with breathless wonder and magnus is looking down at him with that same soft reverence and alec blurts out something like “you’re magical” and magnus just loses it and he’s giggling and leaning against alec’s chest and alec starts laughing too and magnus can feel the vibrations in his chest and it’s just so nice and pleasant and wonderful and they may or may not end up making out

they have to talk about it in the morning when they end up falling asleep together in magnus’s bed, cuddled close, but they find, to both of their delights, they both want to date and be in a serious relationship and it’s so fucking good ok

they go to dinner and the transition from friendship to romance is a little awkward but so worth it, especially when they realize HEY IT’S BOTH YOU DONT STOP BEING FRIENDS WHEN YOU DATE. i mean like, they didn’t not know that, but it’s like, idk how to explain you know they’re kinda like “are we doing this right” and then they’re like “fuck doing it right we can keep cuddling on the couch and giggling and bantering over stupid shit and watching dumb movies and kicking each others asses in video games it doesn’t matter we just also kiss and have dinner more often and sleep together and also we may or may not be in love”

also they’re That Couple. they’re like straight to the honeymoon, they’re domestic from the first week. magnus is casually doing magic around the house (imagine: he just dyes his hair on a whim and grows it out a little bit and alec is like “i love u no matter how u style ur hair and stuff, and like, ur usual look is so fuckin cute and handsome, but also I Love This.”) but like he’s like (casually summons small ball of light to read book at night) (casually makes alec little protective charms–side note alec def makes him some of these too, but he asks magnus’s old mentor, ragnor, and two of his friends that can do magic, catarina and dot, to enchant it, since he can’t himself, and having magic woven by people who care about him will make it stronger. oh mhyhogfd) and just like. magic used to be something he mostly kept to himself (this def has something to do with his parents–his mom, who he thinks killed herself because of his eyes/magic, his birth dad who’s a powerful sorcerer–level 9, actually, and they think magnus is level 8 for a long time–who was an abusive fuckstick) and then he started doing youtube and it was a kinda show, a gift, something to share, but still not really something he just used openly in front of people he cared about (other than his close friends, since most of them do magic too anyway) but with alec it’s so easy to do that casually?? it’s so easy to just feel comfortable and safe????? yes

anyway they do eventually “come out” as boyfriends, maybe something short and sweet like just. a tweet of magnus sleeping curled up on alec’s chest and he’s like “god i love my boyfriend

they were already not subtle but now that they’re not hiding it they’re so fucking blatantly in love tbh. they do one of those boyfriend tag videos and it’s fucking adorable, at high request they do some couples games kind of videos, like the newlywed game and fuck marry kill (mostly on alec’s channel but magnus has a few, too) and it’s just HIGH QUALITY FUCKING CONTENT

also originally i was just thinking something along the lines of “in canon verse, twi alec is instagram famous/famous on social media and he gets cute tarot boyfriend and is like look at my cute boyfriend and then magnus’s small insta account mostly for his business gets a fuck ton of new followers and alec’s gets a considerable amount too” and now i’m imagining everyone from their respective audiences first thirst-following the other, then actually getting invested

but really tho they’re the internet’s hottest couple for a while it’s great

for some reason i’m picturing them doing a live tour now, with like, accessible tickets and magnus does magic live on stage and idek what else they’d do tbh but it’d be fun as fuck

anyway this au got away from me

me: i dont have any real coherent ideas

also me: [vomits a 2,500+ word ESSAY]

#malec #magnus bane #alec lightwood #shadowhunters #twi #twi malec #trans magnus #long post #youtube au

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vinylexams · 5 years

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A very special fireside interview with XUXA SANTAMARIA

Check Insta for our thoughts on this landmark album from Oakland duo XUXA SANTAMARIA. Stay right where you are to read a really fun interview I scored with the band this week. They’ve just released Chancletas D’Oro on Ratskin Records out of Oakland and Michael blessed me with my very own copy. It was so good I knew I needed to tell you all about it and I wanted to pick their brains a little bit, too. Without further ado, please enjoy:

//INTERVIEW

You’re still breaking into indie world at large, but you’ve already got a huge following back in California and your home-base in Oakland. What has it been like to be featured in major outlets like The Fader?

SC: We are a funny project; we ebb and flow from being total hermits to having periods of relatively high visibility (relative to aforementioned hermit state). I wouldn’t say we have a huuuge following in CA but I do think that the ‘fandom’ we’ve developed here is really genuine because we don’t play shows out of an obligation to remain visible but instead do so because we feel super passionate about the work and the audience and I think people respond to that energy. I for one, and perhaps this is because of my background in performance, have a hard time performing the same stuff over and over without change which accounts for us being selective with our playing live. That’s also why videos are such an important part of what we’re about. The piece in The Fader was important to the launch of this album because it established some of the themes and, to an extent, the aesthetics of this album in a way that can be experienced outside of a live setting. None of this is to say we don’t like playing live, in fact we love it, we just like to make our sets pleasurable to ourselves and to our audience by constantly reworking it. We strike a weird balance for sure but we’ve made peace with it. If we ever ‘make it’ (lol) it’ll be on these terms.

Chancletas D'Oro is a pretty incredible record and while it reminds me of a few bands here or there, it’s got a really fresh and unique style that merges dance with all sorts of flavors. How would you describe your music to someone who is curious to listen?

MGK: Haha, we generally struggle to describe our music in a short, neat way (not because we make some kind of impossible-to-categorize music, but just because it’s the synthesis of a ton of different influences and it’s hard for US to perceive clearly). But with that caveat in mind - IDK, bilingual art-punk influenced dance/electronic music?

SC: Thank you for saying so, we’re pretty into it :) Like Matt says, we struggle to pin it down which I think is in part to what he says – our particular taste being all over the place, from Drexciya to The Kinks to Hector Lavoe- but I think this slipperiness has a relationship to our concept making and world building. As creative people we make and intake culture like sharks, always moving, never staying in one place too long. Maybe it’s because we’re both so severely ADHD (a boon in this instance tbh) that we don’t sit still in terms of what we consume and I think naturally that results in an output that is similarly traveling. Point is, the instance a set of words - ‘electronic’, ‘dance’, ‘punk’- feel right for the music is the same instance they are not sufficient. I propose something like: the sound of a rainforest on the edge of a city, breathy but bombastic, music made by machines to dance to, pleasurably, while also feeling some of the sensual pathos of late capitalism as seen from the bottom of the hill.

The internet tells me you’ve been making music as Xuxa Santamaria for a decade now. What has the evolution and development of your songwriting been like over those ten years?

MGK: Well, when we first started out as a band we were so new to making electronic music (Sofia’s background was in the art world and mine was in more guitar-based ‘indie rock’ I guess - lots of smoking weed and making 4 track tapes haha), so we legit forgot to put bass parts on like half the songs on our first album LOL. We’ve learned a lot since then! But in seriousness, we’ve definitely gotten better at bouncing ideas back and forth, at putting in a ton of different parts and then pulling stuff back, and the process is really dynamic and entertaining for both of us.

SC: This project started out somewhat unusually: I was in graduate school and beginning what would become a performance practice. I had hit a creative roadblock working with photography - the medium I was in school to develop- and after reading Frank Kogan’s Real Punks Don’t Wear Black felt this urge to make music as a document of experience following Kogan’s excellent essay on how punk and disco served as spatial receptacles for a wealth of experiences not present in the mainstream of the time. I extrapolated from this notion the idea that popular dance genres like Salsa, early Hip Hop, and Latin Freestyle among many others, had served a similar purpose for protagonists of a myriad Caribbean diasporas. These genres in turn served as sonic spaces to record, even if indirectly, the lived experiences of the coming and going from one’s native island to the mainland US wherein new colonial identities are placed upon you. From this I decided to create an alter ego (ChuCha Santamaria, where our band name originally stems from) to narrate a fantastical version of the history of Puerto Rico post 1492 via dance music. We had absolutely no idea what we were doing but I look back on that album (ChuCha Santamaria y Usted - on vinyl from Young Cubs Records) fondly. It’s rough and strange and we’ve come so far from that sound but it’s a key part of our trajectory. Though my songwriting has evolved to move beyond the subjective scope of this first album - I want to be more inclusive of other marginalized spaces- , it was key that we cut our teeth making it. We are proud to be in the grand tradition of making an album with limited resources and no experience :P

We’re a big community of vinyl enthusiasts and record collectors so first and foremost, thanks for making this available on vinyl. What does the vinyl medium mean to you as individuals and/or as a band?

MGK: I think for us, it’s the combination of the following: A. The experience of listening in a more considered way, a side at a time. B. Tons of real estate for graphics and design and details. C. The sound, duh!

SC: In addition to Matt’s list, I would just say that I approach making an album that will exist in record form as though we were honing a talisman. Its objecthood is very important. It contains a lot of possibility and energy meant to zap you the moment you see it/ hold it. I imagine the encounter with it as having a sequence: first, the graphics - given ample space unlike any other musical medium/substrate- begin to tell a story, vaguely at first. Then, the experience of the music being segmented into Side A and Side B dictate a use of time that is impervious to - at the risk of sounding like an oldie - our contemporary habit of hitting ‘shuffle’ or ‘skip’. Sequencing is thus super important to us (this album has very distinct dynamics at play between sides a/b ). We rarely work outside of a concept so while I take no issue with the current mode of music dissemination, that of prioritizing singles, it doesn’t really work for how we write music.

MGK: We definitely both remain in love with the ‘album as art object/cohesive work’ ideal, so I would say definitely - we care a lot about track sequencing, always think in terms of “Side A/Side B” (each one should be a distinct experience), and details like album art/inserts/LP labels etc matter a lot to us.

What records or albums were most important to you growing up? Which ones do you feel influenced your music the most?

SC: I know they’re canceled cus of that one guy but I listened to Ace of Base’s The Sign a lot as a kid and I think that sorta stuff has a way of sticking with you. I always point to the slippery role language plays in them being a Swedish band singing in English being consumed by a not-yet-English speaking Sofía in Puerto Rico in the mid 90s. Other influences from childhood include Garbage, Spice Girls, Brandy + Monica’s The Boy is Mine, Aaliyah, Gloria Trevi, Olga Tañon etc etc. In terms of who influences me now, that’s a moving target but I’d say for this album I thought a lot about the sound and style of Kate Bush, Technotronic, Black Box, Steely Dan, ‘Ray of Light’-era Madonna plus a million things I’m forgetting.

MGK: Idk, probably a mix of 70-80s art rock/punk/postpunk (Stooges, Roxy Music, John Cale, Eno, Kate Bush, Talking Heads, Wire, Buzzcocks, etc etc), disco/post-disco R&B and dance music (Prince, George Clinton, Chic, Kid Creole), 90s pop + R&B + hip hop (Missy & Timbaland, Outkast/Dungeon Family production-wise are obviously awe-inspiring, So So Def comps, Jock Jams comps, Garbage & Hole & Massive Attack & so on), and unloved pop trash of all eras and styles.

Do you have any “white whale” records that you’ve yet to find?

MGK: Ha - the truth is that we’re both much more of a “what weird shit that we’ve never heard of can we find in the bargain bin” type of record buyer than “I have a custom list of $50 plus records on my discogs account that I lust over”.

SC: Not really, I’m wary of collectorship. That sort of ownership might have an appeal in the hunt, once you have it do you really use it, enjoy it? Funnily, I have a massive collection of salsa records that has entries a lot of music nerds would cry over (though they’re far from good condition, the spines were destroyed by my Abuela’s cat, Misita lol, but some are first pressings in small runs). For me its value however, comes from its link to family, as documents from another time and as an amazing capsule of some of the best music out of the Caribbean. I’m glad I am their guardian (a lot of this stuff is hard to find elsewhere, even digitally) but I live with those records, they’re not hidden away in archival sleeves, in fact, I use some of that music in my other work. Other than that, the records I covet are either those of friends or copies of albums that hold significance but which are likely readily available, Kate Bush’s The Dreaming or Love’s Forever Changes, or The Byrds Sweetheart of The Rodeo as random examples

Finally, is there a piece of interesting band trivia you’ve never shared in another interview?

SC: haha, not really? Maybe that we just had a baby together?

Congrats on your new baby, and also for this wonderful new album. It was a pleasure chatting with you and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for you and your music!

#xuxasantamaria #interview #oakland #music #electronic #electronicmusic #ratskin #ratskinrecords

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garyofrivia · 5 years

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a few Modern!Gang college AU headcanons!!!!!

not that anyone asked!!! and this has probably been done already!! but i’m bored at work so :/ i’m so sorry

Arthur:

graphic design major, creative writing minor

took a photography class to impress that cute albert boy from down the hall and worked extra hard all semester just to end up accidentally telling his advisor that he wanted to double minor in photography as well

Tired™

he’s def one of those students that can fall asleep a n y w h e r e on campus

has a sleeve tattoo and is working on a second ;;;)))

he doesn’t party often, but when he does, the entire fire department and 7 cop cars show up by the end of the night to break it up

there was a rumor his sophomore year that he beat up 5 frat dudes at once during rush week for harassing girls and no one has heard of any issues from that frat since

is banned from the local chili’s for dining and dashing

shoplifts chef boyardee, microwavable ramen, and snickers bars from the student center convenience store to Survive

Charles:

environmental studies major

is in 50000000 activist clubs

regularly punches racist white boys w/ maga merch in the dorm common rooms and when the RA saw one time he didn’t do jack shit bc…. he right

he’s never procrastinated an assignment in his life

studies until 5 am every night but? still wakes up at the crack of dawn to go to the gym????

works part time as a barista at a hole in the wall coffee shop/bookstore and is 100% a coffee snob

doesn’t smoke but knows every weed dealer on campus, mostly bc they’re all enviro studies majors

his roommate thinks he’s a myth bc he’s never there or is just super quiet, but rly he just Minds His Damn Business

can be seen reading for leisure on the quad when it’s sunny and warm

Dutch:

political science major, philosophy minor

arthur and hosea are his friends from high school and they’re the only ones that can tolerate his mood when he goes on Insane procrastination benders where he’s trying to write 4 essays in a single night on a fuck ton of adderall and energy drinks

frequently goes on rants while studying in the student center about capitalism and it somehow always results in him on top of a table, yelling about ronald reagan

it gets Annoying when he talks about ancient greece, which is… constantly..

has 4 girlfriends and 3 boyfriends but still has time to participate in debate team every saturday

accidentally incited a student labor strike on campus one time and the cafeteria wasn’t functional for a week

started 6 clubs, but never goes to meetings and can’t remember what literally any of them are for

doesn’t work at all but somehow? always has money??? like he pays for his friends’ dinners all the time?? how??????

Hosea:

graduate economics student

he’s that cool TA in a super hard class that sends the prof’s tests from previous semesters to all the students so they can study for the final

Constantly in the library reading/studying/tutoring

still lives on campus for some reason and pirates textbook pdfs out of his dorm room

has a 4.2 gpa, but acts like he’s never been to a single class in his life

gets high all the time and talks about moving to europe on a whim and is *THIS* close to just fuckign doin it

makes his own kombucha

when he can’t sleep bc of test anxiety he rambles to arthur and dutch until the wee hours of the morn about existentialism and how great the beatles were

is responsible for multiple people discovering they have a daddy kink despite not having one himself

John:

undecided major (communications maybe, but he hasn’t found his “passion” yet)

failed freshman english twice for just not showing up to class

drives one of those old subarus from the 90’s and does donuts in the student lot when it snows

has a CD collection from his Emo™ days in the glove box and pops one in every now and then when he’s alone and feelin’ nostalgic/sad

skateboards to class and usually almost runs over a bunch of people since he always has headphones on

death note is his favorite anime

that One Room on your hall that is ALWAYS playing loud ass music until 3am

is surprisingly really good at math and tries to help tutor his friends but gets frustrated when they don’t understand “basic” calculus on the first try

his favorite hobby is harassing the ducks on campus and has made enemies of multiple geese

Sadie:

criminology major

plays intramural sports, probably volleyball and softball

everyone’s Jock Girlfriend they wished they had but are too afraid to talk to bc she might snap someone’s neck if they look at her wrong

wears leather jackets and aviators for every occasion

one time gave a monologue about sexism in her political theory class after not saying anything for the entire semester and her professor was moved to tears

has a lot of friends but only a few are ride or die babey!!!!!!!! (it’s arthur, charles, and abigail and they bully john together)

knows a lot about cars and ppl pay her to fix theirs since college kids usually can’t afford to go to a garage

speaks german because she got bored one summer and taught herself a fucking language i guess

Sean:

french major (????why is he like that???)

he says he’s studying a different language because the thinks it’ll make him hotter, but really it’s because he fantasises about moving away one day to start a new life

always says how college isn’t really for him and is .2 seconds away from dropping out

hangs out with john a little too much for his own good and once broke his wrist while trying his skateboard

“hey, have you heard of [insert incredibly obscure punk rock band name here]?”

gets blackout drunk every weekend and keeps a journal for the sole purpose of documenting the various places he’s woken up

wears stupid beanies and owns one (1) hoodie that he wears year round

quotes memes out loud to be able to communicate his emotions effectively

a ~Film Hoe~

also………. he vapes

Javier:

international studies major, finance minor

studied abroad in spain and almost didn’t come back bc he loved it so much

plans to get mega rich so he can travel Everywhere

um,,, he loves classic lit and owns an entire library full of it

took a gap year after high school to tour with his band and kinda became a lil famous so that’s cool

runs a thirst trap instagram acct and models part time ;)

every single person that encounters him has been attracted to him in one way or another and they truly don’t even question it

he’s a major mama’s boy and she visits him all the time

he rooms with sean who drives him insane but they have similar music tastes and were able to bond over that

they get rowdy on saturdays but has his (few) friends over on sundays for a “family dinner”

Bill:

computer science major

used to play COD competitively and wants to get into videya game development

seems like kind of an idiot when he asks questions in class but his grades show that he’s smarter than he looks

did ROTC for the tuition money but dropped as soon as he found out that you have to enlist after you graduate lmao

southern angery boi that drives a pickup truck and hosts tailgates every single football game

has a bunch of dudebro friends that he hangs out with due to societal pressure, but all he wants to do is bake some cookies

his roommate was scared of him at first but when he bought him a lil gift for christmas before break, he realized that he was a big ole softie

is late to class bc he spends 65943598 years on his hair in the morning even though it literally never looks different

Lenny:

english major, applying to the education masters degree program

he wants to be a high school english teacher fuck me up!!!!!!

was super homesick when he first moved away :(

writes his friends papers for them sometimes even though he’s killing himself with his own schoolwork

netflix binges and video game benders are regular weekend activities and he’s been known to not move from his chair for 15 hours at a time

runs an avengers stan blog and cried at comic con when he met robert downey jr

begged the manager at the local comic book store for a job and the guy was just like “yeah, kid literally just apply online idc”

has lots of friends that rope him into doing hooligan shit instead of study

is a giant ball of anxiety for the majority of the semester and is just,, Trying His Best

Micah:

he was the maga kid that charles knocked out the first week of classes

#rdr2 #red dead redemption 2 #rdr headcanons #rdr2 HCs #modern rdr2 #jedmdjskjdkd jk about micah i cant do him out of pure bias so feel free to add him or anyone else!!!!!#this is EXTREMELY self indulgent wow #pls dont drag me

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josephlrushing · 4 years

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The V-MODA Crossfade M-100 Master Updates a Classic

The original Crossfade M-100 I reviewed are still going strong. Now, however, their price has dropped to an MSRP of just $150. That’s a bargain for an incredible pair of wired headphones. The new V-MODA Crossfade M-100 Master is an update to the original. They look similar but have a few important updates that make them compelling.

The original Crossfade Wireless is also just $150. (The Crossfade Wireless 2, which, along with the Master & Dynamic MW50 and MW65 remain my favorite wireless headphones, are now $280.) Why you might ask, would someone spend $250 when for the Crossfade M-100 Master when the Crossfade M-100 are a hundred dollars less? The simple answer is, you don’t unless you are using a hi-def audio file and a device that can take full support of them. (More on that a bit later in the review.) Still, even if you aren’t using hi-def files and a hi-def source device, there are reasons you might want this updated version of the Crossfade M-100.

V-MODA has sold over half a million pairs of the Crossfade M-100s. I did one of the early reviews and was blown away at the time. (You can read my review here.)

As the company notes,

The world’s first crowdsourced headphones, Crossfade M-100 was developed to achieve ultimate reliability and accuracy for stage performance and studio mastering. Since its release date in late 2012, more than 150,000 professionals and musicians of all levels selected Crossfade M?100 for their craft.

They go on to note,

It now passes the torch to Crossfade M-100 Master, which carries all of its strongest features while raising the bar in comfort, sound quality and durability.

So while the original M-100s were, and are, great, the new version builds on their success but offers several significant tweaks and updates that make them an even more compelling pair of wired over-the-ear headphones.

Inside the box you get the Crossfade M-100 Master, an exoskeleton carry case, a carabiner clip, an ARAMID Fiber-Reinforced SpeakEasy 1-button microphone cable, a reinforced SharePlay Audio cable, a gold plated 1/4” pro adapter, two V-CORK to close either of the two 3.5mm ports and documentation explaining the 2-year warranty and the company’s Immortal Life Replacement Program.

The two cables are nice but, to a degree, are a throwback to when the first M-100s were released. At the time, every smartphone and tablet had a 3.5mm audio input. Fast forward eight years and most high-end phones and tablets have shed the 3.5m port. In other words, for someone like me who has a current model iPad Pro and an iPhone 11, the cables are useless unless you have an adapter. (For the iPhone, you would need a 3.5mm to Lightning adapter while, for the iPad, you would need a 3.5mm to USB-C adapter.)

Fortunately, the company also sent me V-MODA’s SpeakEasy DAC/AMP 3.5mm to Lighting cable. It has a durable, woven cable, a three-button inline controller, a microphone positioned close to the end of the cable, so it sits near your mouth, and a built-in DAC to ensure the best quality music. It’s an additional $101, but it is worth it if you use an iPhone.

At some point, V-MODA is going to need to start including a cable like this (or one with USB-C), but at over $100, doing so would likely require them to increase the price of the headphones. You can check out the MODA’s SpeakEasy DAC/AMP 3.5mm to Lighting cable here.

The range of available cables include:

CoilPro Cable features TwistLock technology and extends listening reach for DJs and audio professionals

BoomPro Microphone ensures crystal clear communication and a next-level gaming experience

Speakeasy DAC/AMP Lightning Cable allows for studio-quality sound from your iOS devices

Audio Only Cable removes remotes from the equation, going straight to your instrument for pure analog sound

I have the BoomPro Microphone from a previous review and find it to be a great way to use V-MODA headphones for things like podcasts or calls. That, of course, assumes your device has a 3.5mm headphones jack.

The company employs a unique design-language that is immediately identifiable. When I first boarded the ship for our latest cruise, I passed by the DJ and immediately noticed he was using a pair of M-100s. When I went up to discuss the headphones, he asked me how I know they were V-MODA. I told him they have a unique appearance. He replied, ”And they sound amazing. Sadly I’ve almost worn these out.” (He was correct, they have gotten a lot of love, and the headband was beginning to show signs of wear.) The Crossfade M-100 Masters employs the same design and look every bit V-MODA.

The headband is wrapped in material and has just enough padding on the underside that sits on your head.

The connection between the ear cups and the headband are made from flat metal. As with previous V-MODA headphones, this metal gives the headphones a bit of an industrial look. I love it. The metal also gives the headphones a superior degree of durability without adding too much weight.

As was the case with the original version of the headphones, V-MODA’s CliqFold Mechanism is present on the M-100 Masters. It allows the headphones to collapse into themselves and take up a far smaller space than would be possible without this feature.

That’s important since it allows the headphones to fit into the included Exoskeleton Hard-Shell Case. This case, another V-MODA exclusive, is tough as nails and far smaller than you might otherwise think. So while some companies design their headphones and then throw in a case or bag that is ”good enough, ” V-MODA designed the headphones and case, so they work together seamlessly.

A Traveler’s Delight: CliqFold Mechanism and Exoskeleton Hard-Shell Case: Travel like a pro with Crossfade M-100 Master thanks to the iconic CliqFold hinge: enabling it to fold into the smallest of spaces, the dreaded question of how to fit your headphones safely and comfortably into your carry-on is officially over. Simply fold Crossfade M-100 Master into its compact travel form, place it in the premium protective Exoskeleton carry case included and either place it in your bag, backpack or luggage of choice, or clip it to the outside with the carabiner clip to maximize packing space.the included carabiner let’s you clip the case to a backpack or luggage.

I’ve traveled extensively with V-MODA headphones and the combination of the small size when they are folded, and the hard-shell case make them ideal for travel.

At home, on stage, and for the long haul: Fold the Crossfade M-100 Master into the smallest spaces thanks to the CliqFold hinge, making it ideal for taking on the road. Most importantly, it fits into the premium protective Exoskeleton case included, which can be clipped onto the bag, backpack or luggage of your choice, maximizing your packing space.

The earcups are made from thick, durable plastic. That might sound like a shortcut, but the quality of the materials and build is fantastic. These headphones put up with a lot of use and abuse and keep doing their job.

The only headphones you can make completely yours.: Endorse Yourself with custom full color or laser engraved shields: with a range of colors and materials to choose from, and the ability to upload your own designs, you’ll be sure to stand out from the crowd.

Just four of the possible customizations

On the outside of the headphones are V-MODA’s unique shields. My review sample is black and has solid black shields. For a few dollars, you can get custom shields that make your headphones unique to you. You can also spend a small fortune and get shields with intricate designs and made from precious metals. I guess that great if you have money to burn, but I’m pretty happy with the stock shields.

The earcups are made from memory foam wrapped in ”premium vegan leather.” It’s a synthetic material, but it looks and feels excellent. The ear cups on the M-100 Master offer a bit more space than the original version and do an excellent job of blocking out ambient noise. These headphones don’t have active noise cancellation, but the seal created by the redesigned earcups is almost as effective. As the company explains:

Larger Cushions Enhance Sound and Comfort with Negligible Noise Leakage: The extra space afforded to the Crossfade M-100 Master via the L (Large) size memory foam ear cushions acts as a natural amplifier while the premium vegan leather cushion covers provide ultimate comfort, guaranteeing fatigue-free long listening sessions, resistance to sweat and overall durability. Together with the virtually indestructible SteelFlex headband, this key comfort upgrade, developed after fan feedback, prevents the development of pressure points so it feels like the headphones are not even there. Through innovative design and hand-selected premium materials, the Crossfade M-100 Master achieves first-class natural noise isolation, creating an immersive 3D soundstage without resorting to active noise cancellation which can pollute pure analog sound.

The earcup design is a relatively small change, but it is worth a bit of focus. For while they look the same as the original M-100s, the new design makes a huge difference. My original M-100s are great, but the combination of fairly small ear cups and a serious degree of clamping pressure become a bit uncomfortable during long listening sessions. The larger ear cups of the M-100 Master combined with slightly reduced clamping pressure, making them far more comfortable. In other words, this change is subtle but, in use, significant.

Unrivaled sound quality: Complete with CCAW Japanese coil, the Crossfade M-100 Master support frequencies up to 40kHz. The re-engineered driver cover enhances driver stability, for the structural integrity to manage a vast tonal range.

Inside, the M-100 Master has 50mm dual-diaphragm drivers. These drivers are an upgrade to the original version and make use of Japanese CCAW coils. Also, ”the re-engineered driver cover enhances driver stability, for the structural integrity to manage a vast tonal range.” All of this helps ”push the sound quality into the ranks of Hi-Res Audio, as certified by the Japan Audio Society (JAS).”

V-MODA has always been fiercely independent, but for the M-100 Master, they partnered with engineers from Roland.

For the first time, Roland engineers managed the tuning process of a V-MODA headphone throughout the different iterations to make Crossfade M-100 Master sound just as sound engineers intended. This co-engineering process emphasized a “creators first” approach and makes the new headphone a natural choice for professional DJs, producers and video streamers who want to improve their skills with an exceptional audio tool.

Specifications:

Type: Over-Ear Circumaural

Speaker driver: 50mm dual-diaphragm driver

Frequency response: 5 – 40,000 Hz

Speaker sensitivity: 107dB @ 1kHz 1mW

Microphone sensitivity: -42dB @ 1kHz

Impedance: 32?

Weight: 283g

So let’s talk sound. V-MODA headphones have always been targetted toward people who love music. DJs love them, and I wasn’t surprised to see the ship DJ using a pair. Musicians love them too. These are not, however, reference headphones. Every pair of V-MODA headphones I have reviewed- and I’ve reviewed quite a few- have been heavy on the bass. The M-100 Master is no exception. They sound crisp and clear. The soup stage is fairly large. And there, bass- lots and lots of bass. So while the headphones are good for pretty much any genre of music, they excel when used for EMDR, Downtempo, and other music with a heavy beat. Since much of my listening falls into these categories, V-MODA headphones are a great fit for me.

What distinguishes the Crossfade M-100 Master from the original version is the Hi-Res Audio Certification.

Experience more with Hi-Res Audio: Powered by dual-diaphragm 50mm drivers, the Crossfade M-100 Master are Hi-Res Audio certified by the Japan Audio Society (JAS). Featuring a sophisticated sound signature and unparalleled clarity from the deepest bass to the sharpest highs, your sound will be so vibrant and detailed, you can practically touch it.

As the product page explains, Hi-Res Audio is “lossless audio that is capable of reproducing the full range of sound from recordings that have been mastered from better-than-CD-quality music sources.”

The company goes on to explain:

In its simplest terms, it refers to music files with a higher sampling frequency and/or bit depth than CD (which is 16bit/44.1kHz). Hi-Res Audio is therefore able to reproduce sound which is incredibly close to the sound originally created by the musicians and engineers in the studio at the time of recording. In short, Hi?Res Audio is the closest thing to actually being there when the artists recorded the track.

Here’s the problem with that. To get Hi-Res audio, everything that creates the audio experience has to support Hi-Res audio. Not only do the headphones need to be capable of handling high resolution, but the source device does too. Moreover, the audio file needs to be a high-resolution file. If everything isn’t ”speaking the same language,” the audio will default to the highest quality shared by all aspects of the experience.

That’s a problem since MP3 and AAC audio files, the most common music formats, aren’t high-resolution. Apple Music compresses tracks, so they are easily downloaded, streamed, or stored. The same goes for other streaming services. So while something like Apple Music is convenient, the ”price” is a compromise on quality.

What does work are formats such as WAV files, the standard format for CDs, FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) and Apple’s ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec.) Most consumers aren’t using them, opting instead for the convenience of streaming or subscription audio.

Also, the audio source device needs to be able to handle these less compressed files and output high-definition audio. The iPhone or IPad, my most common audio source, doesn’t do this unless they are connected to a high-quality DAC/AMP lightning cable. Even then, however, the file format has to offer high-resolution too, so, as the company explains, ”if you’re trying to listen to an AAC track from iTunes, you’re missing the last piece, and your audio will revert to a lower quality.”

V-MODA goes on to explain that the is good news in the department.

Hi-Res Audio support has made its way into all sorts of audio gear, from DJ controllers to computers and even smartphones and car stereos. Just like headphones however, this varies from device to device, so always research whether the device supports Hi?Res Audio before buying. On top of that, all of your audio components need to be able to support the bitrate required for Hi?Res Audio, from the file to the source device, to the cable and finally the listening device.

Does it matter? Yes and no. If you usually use your smartphone and no other audio source to stream and listen to music, you will perhaps not receive the full benefits of a device tuned for Hi-Res Audio as, once again, your devices will not be speaking the same language.

If you do, however, use high-quality files for producing, DJing, mixing, critical music listening, studio sessions, streaming, and so on, you will notice the difference with Hi-Res Audio, making a Hi-Res Audio-enabled device a true benefit and well worth choosing. In fact, a study published by QMUL (Queen Mary University of London) concluded that “people can hear the difference in high-resolution audio.”

It is, to a degree, similar to a picture taken with the original iPhone and one taken with my iPhone 11. They both capture the same scene. But while the picture taken with the original iPhone may look fine on its own, when compared to the one taken with the current iPhone, the difference is remarkable.

Or, for you oenophiles out there… A bottle of $15 red may taste fine until you drink a fine bottle of expensive wine. Once you taste the latter, it is hard to do back.

So are the V-MODA Crossfade M-100 Master headphones only for musicians, DJs, and audiophiles? I don’t think so. Yes, they are great for people in those and similar professions, but they are also good for folks like me who simply love music. For the additional money compared to the original M-100s, you get a more comfortable headphone that is future proof as to the quality of streamed and downloaded music increases. Also, while the sound signature is pure V-MODA, I think these sound a bit better than the original M-100s- even when my phone is the audio source. So while you CAN save some money and get the original version of the headphones, if you have the extra cash, it makes sense to get these instead. Before you do, though, you might want to step back a bit and reconsider. Because while these are amazing for DJs, etc., for us common folks the V-MODA Crossfade Wireless 2 may be the better choice. They don’t offer hi-res audio, but they sound fantastic and can be used in either wired or wireless mode. For me, and I suspect many of you, that’s the sweet spot that balances convenience and quality. Either way, you can’t go wrong. V-MODA makes some amazing headphones. The V-MODA Crossfade M-100 Master is $250. The SpeakEasy DAC/AMP Lightning Cable is $101. Check them out here.

Source: Manufacturer supplied review samples

What I Like: Amazing build quality; The included case is amazing; Durabible; A bit more comfortable than previous models; Sound great when used with an iPhone, sound better if you can access high-definition tracks

What Needs Improvement: Included cables rely upon antiquated 3.5mm standard; Equipment and audio file formats limit who can access the hi-res audio prowess of the headphones

from Joseph Rushing https://geardiary.com/2020/01/24/the-v-moda-crossfade-m-100-master-updates-a-classic/

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