#maybe I've been exposed to a bad sample
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A YouTube Comment I left on the Old Wound music video. I doubt anyone's gonna see it there so I thought I'd share it here. If anyone has anything to correct me on pls lmk.
To the fans: It’s understandable that this upsets most of you, a fan-base of artists, or contrarians, or supporters -- not only are you not the demographic for this video, but you see the harm it causes. My concerns, then, are not to you. Nor are they to the A.I. advocates (this is a debate I considered dead and buried). My concerns are with the minority of loud opportunists: the same people who might continue to harass Bob Bryar on Twitter. I considered this behaviour dead and buried also. But it’s back, disgusting as it is, and doing nothing of use. The small minority must know that to rip and tear as they do only harms the points they wish to defend, but especially the band. (In particular, so I’ve seen, Frank. If there’s one demand I’d make: give Frank some fucking room. Your beloved anti-fascist lyricist of Leathermouth and anti-corporate singer of Death Spells is NOT transforming into an antisemitic, conservative libertarian. Goddam!) The arguments that are common sense to you (in defence of or attacking A.I.) are absolutely not so to others. You must talk to the others as though they are children. Not patronisingly, but as though they are naive. Disregard and do not respond to anything bad faith. All the “comment section grammar correction bile” hurts the band. So if not for each other, be civil for the band.
To the band: The video is out now. It doesn’t matter. From the moment the teaser was posted it didn’t matter if the full video was released or not — it existed, it was paid for, the fuse was lit. The upset and anger are not at the form or the content, it’s at the thought (or thoughtlessness) that preceded it. Its status as art is contentious, yes, but ultimately irrelevant to the core issue. We do not live in a world where safety nets exist for artists in any form, let alone when their existence (i.e. their careers and livelihoods) are threatened by automation. This is good technology. Undoubtedly the beginning of another technological revolution. But our objective conditions do not make it safe to use when it’s application necessitates a team of artists goes unpaid in favour of one individual.
Most importantly I would say: We don’t need to consider this moralistically. If A.I. art is truly art or not, if it’s stolen or not, if it’s tied to the NFT and crypto demographic or not, is all secondary. It doesn’t matter. Materially, this application is poor now. In a decade? Maybe not. But now, there is no protection or assurance for human artists. The tale of this field’s automation is the same as any other — it will be rejected en masse and held as immoral for as long as the material conditions leave the Replaced unprotected. Art is especially tricky in this sense, as for other occupations workers may only need to be financially compensated and assigned a new line of work, but artists do what they do out of love. It is not just work, it is a pastime. So not only do the artists need the financial compensation, but they CANNOT be relocated, and they need assurance they will never be made redundant in a world that demands money be made.
I don’t like this video. If it were a decade later, or another time when artists are protected, when A.I. is assuredly a tool and not a threat or talking point, I might enjoy it more. But for now, A.I. is unfortunately objectively bad for art. And that’s something we can only change by listening to the artists
#source: @Isaac-ej2yt (YouTube)#ls dunes#old wounds#ai art#maybe I've been exposed to a bad sample#but I've been somewhat unhappy with the fan response#people I know have done their best to explain the situation in comments#but besides that it just seems to be people lambasting them or praising the video#ik it's not just me and my colleagues who are capable of delivering reasonable explanations of the situation#all of those ones are isolated to Instagram and Reddit#(and of course tumblr know where it stands)#so I thought YouTube could do with an essay too
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Hot Girls _____ | Chapter Two
Word Count: 7.9k
A/N: I've had this done for days. Life is so mean not to give me the time to publish. :( Please enjoy!
Cvr | 01 | 02
It was late afternoon by the time the pair arrived at Gossamer, a boutique store in Gastown that Vi had found online. It was far hipper than any place she had ever shopped, and she would have found it too intimidating to enter if her best friend hadn’t been at her side, hands in his pockets and shrewd eyebrows up.
Everything inside was pink or black—pink walls, black racks, pink chandeliers, black couches. One wall was studded with pink neon signs with sassy sayings like “Bad Bitch” and “Flex on Your Ex” and, below them, they featured full-length mirrors and sample outfits. The racks were color-coordinated and tarted up with nothing but dresses and bodysuits, each one chicer and more daring than the last.
It was exactly the right vibe. Unfortunately, Vi brought the world’s pickiest critic.
“I know it's your personality,” grumbled Changkyun from his chair across from her dressing stall, “but would you please quit trying to floor it? Go the speed limit for once.”
Vi scowled, knuckles whitening as she gripped the hem of the current dress’s miniskirt. “What’s wrong with this one now?”
He tilted his head, his temple resting on his fist as he propped up his arm on the bolster. His tongue raced over his teeth behind his lips before he let out a slow breath. “You don’t have to show a ton of skin to be hot, Viola. I mean, okay, sure, it doesn’t hurt, but what you really have to show is confidence. I need you to start thinking about this like a fisherman.”
“Like a fisherman! What the hell does that mean? You want me in a slicker and boots?”
After twenty minutes of shooting down every damn look, Changkyun rose from his chair and approached her. Vi got the uneasy feeling that she wasn’t a fisherman at all but the bait for the sharks as he circled her, hands in his jean pockets. He sized up the gaudy royal blue chainmail fabric, the too-low cowl neck, mirrored thigh slits, and, finally, her exposed back, but his face revealed nothing as usual.
“Think about it,” he said in his low gravel. “You need the right gear for your intended catch, but you have to know what you're fishing for. This dress is a net, Viola. It's going to pull in everything, including the stuff nobody wants.”
Her best friend’s aura was always intense, but right now, his condescension took over. Viola’s bare back bristled. “What are you talking about? I saw this exact dress on a girl you took home.”
He snorted. “Yeah, okay, maybe, but the one thing she had that you lack is experience.”
“Low blow, man,” Vi pouted and stacked her arms across her chest.
“I'm not talking about sex even though you're the one who said as much the other night,” he pointed out. “I'm talking about one-night stands. She knew how to pick out the bites she'd like best and throw back the ones that would disappoint or, more importantly, be dangerous. You haven’t learned those things yet.”
She rolled her eyes. “Sounds like you’re just giving yourself a backhanded compliment.”
“Viola.”
Changkyun’s stern voice penetrated the quiet salon’s air. Her hands fell limply to her side at once.
He narrowed his eyes. “You get my meaning now?”
“Yeah, I get it.”
“Look, we can work our way up to this. Remember what I said. Baby steps. You don't think this was the dress that girl chose for the first time out, do you?”
“How should I know?”
“Exactly,” he said with a pleased smile. Suddenly, Changkyun turned and as he walked back to his chair, he said, “Don't get me wrong, you look incredibly hot in it.”
“Really?”
He smiled at her again, but this time, there was something different in it, and once again, Vi was reminded of that shark. “Absolutely, and if you weren't my best friend, I would one-million-percent approach you in the club, but I would be one of a hundred guys, and most of them won't see you in the dress. They'll see an opportunity—a checkbox. So until you learn how to spot the users, we’ll find you something that will make you feel hot and secure. Besides, a little mystery is good.”
“Hasn’t worked for me the last 25 years,” she quipped.
“No offense, Viola, but you are charmingly easy to read.”
“Well, I don’t like keeping secrets…”
Changkyun pressed his lips together. After a moment, he nodded. “I know. I know. But I’m not talking about keeping secrets. We’re just talking about one-night stands, right?”
“Right.”
“So you don’t need to know everything about each other. Maybe you won’t even know each other’s names. Does that bother you?”
“N-no.”
“You don’t like secrets, remember, and I won’t let you have them with me for this to work. You know that.”
Changkyun was right—this dress exposed far too much, but Vi had nowhere to retreat except behind her crossed arms. She chewed her bottom lip before she answered again, “Yeah, I know. I’m really fine with it. I guess it just hits different when you say it.”
“Okay,” he said. “Just know you can back out at any time if you need to.”
She huffed. “Is that what this is? Are you trying to make me back out of this?”
“As if I could.”
“Good,” she said, her arms at last dropping to her sides, her chest thrust out as proudly as her chin. “Because I’m not going to back down. I’m going to take this all the way.”
“Then I’ll stay by your side like I promised.”
Something about the way his chocolate eyes met hers made Vi’s heart shift in her chest. She glanced at her sandaled feet as she replied, “I know. Thanks, Kyun.”
Changkyun sighed and rubbed his palms along the armrests. “Okay, then let’s get you into something else. You need something that makes you feel hot while looking mysterious.”
She scoffed. “This is way more strategy than I thought. Fine. You pick something out for me.”
Her friend nearly did a double-take. “What?”
“You don't like anything that I've picked, so why don't you pick something? Just remember what I'm going for here. Not something I might have worn before but something I need to wear now.”
“Viola—”
“We’ll be here for another three hours if you don’t,” she warned.
With a sigh, he stood up and paced the racks, his calm eyes scanning a rainbow of mini dresses. After several minutes, he came back to the dressing room, a perfectly blank expression on his face.
“One dress? Really?” she said with an eyebrow popped.
“The dress,” he corrected.
“Cocky.” Vi was about to head into the room when she furrowed her brow. “Kyun, this is something my grandmother would wear.”
“You know I know Grandma Viv, and I love her, but nobody wants to see her in this dress.”
“Hey!” Changkyun stared at her and, finally, Vi relented. “Fine, maybe not, but come on, this is like a parka compared to what I picked.”
“And your point?”
She scowled. “I’m trying to get laid, remember? I’d wear something like this to a wedding.”
“First of all, you would not. I’ve been your date to a dozen weddings by now, and I’ve never seen you wear something like this. Second, this dress will one hundred percent get you laid. I guarantee it.”
Vi turned her gaze back down to the tangerine number in her hands. It was the same stretchy bodycon material as many of the things she’d tried on, but apart from a halter neck and some satiny ribbons at the back tie, it looked about as plain as something in this store could get. She looked back at her friend dubiously, but Changkyun was unrepentant as he returned to his chair and sat down for what he clearly considered the last outfit of their fashion show.
“You seem awfully sure of yourself,” she said.
“I am. Look, the color will make your skin tone shine, and the cut will flaunt your assets.”
“Which are?” she prodded with a cheeky smile.
“Your assets, Viola,” he repeated stubbornly, but his eyes slid to her curvaceous hips and thighs, and she grinned, victorious.
“Fine, I’ll take your word for it, but I still think it’s a little boring. There’s no cleavage at all, and there’s a freaking bow at the back. I’m trying to get away from cutesy, remember?”
Changkyun folded his arms in a way that smacked all too hard of an unswerving CEO. “I promise you, you will look anything but cute in it.”
“I’d better.”
“Put it on, Viola,” he ordered, and it made her mouth go dry.
She retreated behind the saloon door and reluctantly swapped her “open 24/7” dress for what she was convinced would be more “help wanted”, but after she’d shimmied the vibrant fabric over her full thighs and fuller hips and then tied the bow behind her neck, she turned toward the mirror and her jaw dropped.
Damnit. He was right.
She looked hot. She looked damn hot.
The orange did amplify the exotic warmth of her skin and, like a buttercup beneath the chin, reflected attention to her face. A little notch on the skirt she hadn’t noticed before gave a sultry window to more thigh, and though there wasn’t cleavage on display, the snug of the dress across the curves of her chest was just as provocative.
She pivoted and glanced over her shoulder to find her ass looked just as round as a tangerine itself, and her back was far more exposed than she expected, allowing the halter ribbons to sway tantalizingly against the bare flesh there.
Vi smiled at herself, once in triumph before she tested out a few other versions that ran the gamut between coy, seductive, and hungry—or perhaps they all looked the same. She’d have to practice a bit more before she was confident she was nailing the hot girl vibe.
Finally ready, she swung open the door.
“That’s the one,” her best friend said, those cat-like eyes thin and stealthy as he regarded her from his seat.
“You think?”
Before Vi could step out of the changing room, Changkyun was out of his seat and in the dressing room beside her, the door swinging shut behind him. Trapped in such a small space with her best friend made things… weird. Through the thin fabric, should could feel his body heat, and it carried with it notes of leather and vanilla. She had spent much of her life by his side, but she swore she’d never smelled his skin so clearly.
“Do you love it?” he asked.
Vi bit her lip and nodded sheepishly. “I love it.”
“Mm.”
He surprised her by grabbing her bare shoulders and whirling her around so she faced the mirror, him behind her. His sharp chin hovered near the crook of her neck as Changkyun continued, “Do me a favor.”
“Uh, okay?” she hedged.
“Close your eyes and picture the man you want to fuck.”
Her head whipped back as she readied to argue with him, and she realized too late that it all nearly ended in disaster. With his face so close, only a piece of paper could have fit in the space between their lips. Vi recoiled. He did not.
“Im Changkyun!” she scolded as she hurried to return her attention to the mirror.
“You said you’d listen to me,” he reminded matter-of-factly, and her temper evened out.
“Yeah, okay, fine.” She was all too happy to close her eyes now anyway.
“Picture him,” he said lowly. “Everything about him. Not just his looks but the kind of lover you need him to be.”
Resentfully, Vi squeezed her eyes shut. It took much longer than she expected considering she’d been fantasizing about this exact thing night after night for months, but she blamed it on Changkyun’s use of the word “lover.” Finally, though, the haze of her mind began to solidify into a silhouette. The shadow man moved closer, and though she couldn’t make out any of his features, his body began to take shape. Lean, defined, strong. There were tattoos there, though nothing specific besides the fact that there was a sheen of sweat glazing all of them from the hard work he’d been putting in to please her. His movements were confident and intentional from plenty of expertise.
A sliver of light illuminated a pair of lips. Soft. Delicious. The bow just a bit sharp to hint at how wicked they could be but the bottom fuller and smoother with the promise of the sweetest finish.
Vi licked her own lips.
“Good,” hummed Changkyun, and the ice water of reality washed away her fantasy.
“What’s the point of all this, Kyun?” she said both exasperated and desperately eager to move on.
“I want you to see how a dress like this will do more for you than those other ones from before.”
“Okay, but why?”
“When you know what you want and how to get it, you won’t settle for less. Dress for the fuck you want.”
Vi scrunched her nose. “You wouldn’t think it to look at you, but you also go from zero to eleven real quick, man.”
“You have no idea.”
Now she was scrunching her eyebrows.
“See,” Changkyun continued, directing her gaze back to herself in the mirror, “no man’s going to miss this dress even in a crowded club. Everyone knows how sweet a tangerine is, and they’re going to want a piece.”
“Man, you silver-tongued—” Vi cut herself off with a shake of her head. “Okay, yeah. Fine. I’m feeling you now.”
“Good because that dream man you just pictured? This is how you reel him in. There’s no shortage of selfish, lazy fucks out there, but you need a man who understands and appreciates a woman’s body. A dress like this will make him appreciate it. It’s a tease. He’ll have that sweet first taste, and he’ll find himself imagining what more is waiting for him. See the way it cinches your waist? It’s inviting hands to grab right here.”
His hands hovered at the first swell of her hips. Through the fabric, Vi could feel his residual heat like a steam from a mug, but Changkyun kept his distance, and after a moment, they fell back to his side.
“So, you’ve changed your mind about this dress?” he said with a smirk.
“You were right,” she admitted sulkily.
“Mm. And you were worried you’d only be cute… See, with the bow, now you’re something special to unwrap,” he said as he swung her around again, back to the mirror, his fingertips glancing across the tails of the ribbons and, inadvertently, her spine, “but if he’s too desperate to manage that, it’s a short detour to pleasure no matter where you end up.”
Vi imagined for a split second that her best friend’s fingertip had grazed the back of her thigh where the hem hugged beneath her ass, but she knew that had to be a byproduct of the image he’d painted. After all, Changkyun had always been good with words, especially for the kind of sultry music he wrote.
“So we’re done here?” he prompted.
“Yeah, teach.”
“Perfect. Now, take it off.”
It wasn't like the order he had given her to put it on. This—this was quiet… breathy…
Eager.
But when he spoke again, he added flippantly, “I want to get going.”
Vi crashed back down to earth like a payload of bricks. “Fine, then get out.”
She shoved her friend bodily through the door and let out a heavy breath the second she had the space back to herself. She hadn’t realized how heavy and close the air was until she was alone again.
Fast as she could, Vi dressed back in her shorts and oversized hoodie and returned with the orange dress on her arm.
“Okay, okay, we’re done,” she said.
“Actually, not just yet,” corrected Changkyun.
She popped a lush eyebrow. “I thought you didn’t even want to do this part. What else is there?”
He hummed. “I want you to start thinking 4D.”
“As in ‘four dicks’?”
“Jesus, Viola. I mean dimensions. Four dimensions.”
“Well, I don’t know! After all that ‘dream lover’ talk or whatever, I wasn’t sure what channel we were on.”
“Your dream fuckboy has four dicks?” Changkyun asked with a smirk.
“Oh, shut up. I’m eager, but I’m not that greedy. What the hell does four dimensions mean anyway?”
“There's a beauty store around the corner. I'll show you.”
Vi bought the dress, both associates eyeing her and her friend suspiciously, and the realization that they assumed something had happened in the changing room made her wince, but if Changkyun noticed, he didn't acknowledge it.
He took her bag and headed out the front door with her in tow. Her best friend was rarely chatty—usually he left the course of conversation up to her—but Vi had run out of things to talk about. Though it had always been the point of this mission, her mind was fixed on the fantasy Changkyun had ruthlessly conjured, and she couldn't unstick it.
She was so busy riding that sweaty, shadowy tattooed man that she ran right into her best friend's back as he stopped.
“You all right?” he asked.
“Sorry. Daydreaming.”
He studied her for a second before he shifted his attention to the sleek display featuring a rainbow of bottles in the window. “We're here.”
“Hey, this place is fancy,” Vi observed as she looked up at the black-and-white Parisian awning over a gilded double door. “How did you know about it?”
“I buy my cologne here. Here's your next lesson: if you want to be a lure, make yourself a sensory experience.”
“A sensory experience? And you call me a nerd.”
“That means it’s not just visuals, Viola. Your smell, your skin, your—” Changkyun stopped. His lips mashed together as he considered, but after a rough swallow, he continued, “—your taste… this is what will ensure you have the best time because he’ll work harder for you because he’ll want to.”
Vi quirked a brow. “Damn, Kyun. Sometimes it sucks that you're my best friend.”
“It does?”
“Hell yeah. Otherwise, I’d be all over you.”
While Vi fiddled with a few bottles, Changkyun watched her. After a minute, he blurted, “Viola—”
“Can I help you two find anything?” An elegant blonde woman sidled up behind them with a polished smile that twisted into something much more seductive when her eyes caught Changkyun’s face. “Oh, it’s you. Didn’t think I’d see you again so soon. How are you?”
He nodded and gave the other woman a polite smile. “Good, thanks. We’re all good.”
The associate’s smile faltered as she glanced to his companion before she echoed his polite nod and retreated behind the register.
Vi leaned up to her friend's ear and whispered, “Do I spy the next Mrs. One-night-only? Am I going to get to study the master in the wild up close? Ooh, I feel like Steve Irwin.”
“You know my rules,” he replied as he picked up a bottle and idly sniffed it.
Oh yeah, she thought. No familiar faces. No sleepovers. No repeats. How could she forget, especially after her disastrous go at Henry?
Changkyun had a lot of rules for his personal life and perfectly logical reasons for most of them. He wasn't shy about sharing them either. In fact, he laid them out for every woman he'd been with so there were fewer misunderstandings when their time was up. The only thing he refused to explain was why Vi had never seen him with a girlfriend—their entire lives. She had probed plenty of times, but the only thing he'd ever said on the matter was “There's no point.”
Unsatisfied, Vi said, “What if you ran into her at a club first and then saw her here?”
“If I did, you know I’d have to stop using this store.”
“Man, Kyun, I forget how strict you can be sometimes. Am I expected to do that, too?”
“These my rules, Viola. I don’t expect you to follow them the way I do, but you should consider some of your own. If you want to stay unattached, you need rules and the determination to stick to them.”
“You’re right. But I’m not letting some guy run me out of a store I like.”
Changkyun hummed. “That’s my girl.”
Vi returned her attention to the shelves and, more specifically, the price tags underneath. “Oh, man, these are expensive.”
“Real perfumes are,” he replied. “Don’t worry about it just yet, okay?”
“Guess my Vicki Secrets Honeysuckle Apricot body mist isn't cutting it anymore. What's wrong with my signature scent?”
“Nothing,” he assured. “It's perfect for making a man fall in love with you, but that's not what we're going for, is it?”
“Falling in love? Hell no.”
Changkyun smiled that special tight smile, the one that always told her he was holding something back, but it also meant that even if Vi asked, he wasn't going to tell her what it was.
Instead, she directed her attention to the array of glass bottles spaced far enough apart that it drew the eye one by one. Each bottle was an experience, though she expected that came with the price tag. Some were faceted like jewels and others were shaped elaborately like high heels or hearts or even hot air balloons. “Okay, so what is my cheap ass looking at here?”
“Think of the bottles the same way you thought of your clothing,” said Changkyun. “They give you a hint of what’s inside. Dark and seductive. Bright and lively. Deep and powerful. Let your eyes guide you the same as they will in a club.”
Vi looked up and down the rows where four bottles caught her attention. She wanted to grab the quirkier sculpture bottles, but she remembered her best friend’s lessons from the dress shop, and she decided she needed to think more sophisticated. She went for bottles of ruby and sapphire, black and gold, and she lined them up in front of her.
“Okay, now what?” she asked.
Changkyun appraised her choices, though his face didn’t reveal whether she’d done a good job or not. He reached down the line to little cotton strips propped up in a dish and grabbed several. He chose the ruby bottle first and brought the nozzle close to the strip as he said, “We'll spray them on some paper first to see if you like them.”
A quick spritz and then a brief fan of the paper in the air, and he offered it to Vi. Before it even got to her nose, she scowled.
“I don’t like it,” she said.
“Why not?”
“Ugh, it stinks?”
Changkyun shook his head. “No, what’s the note that you don’t like?”
“Kyun, I live my life in fruity body sprays. What do I know about this?”
He glowered at her. “Too flowery? Too powdery? Too masculine?”
“No. It smells like an old lady.”
Changkyun brought the paper to his nose now and breathed. His eyes rolled back as he considered before he said, “Mm, hints of iris and amber and definitely some rose. You’re right, it’s not the scent for you.”
It was Vi’s turn to glower at her friend. “You know, you really know how to flex without looking like it.”
They tried the sapphire bottle next, but this time Vi was clear on why she didn’t like it.
“Too flowery,” she blurted as she recoiled and rubbed her nose.
Changkyun smiled. “You’re a quick learner.”
Unfortunately, neither of the next two bottles were a fit either, and Vi was startling to feel a little defeated. If the goal was for her to be able to make the right picks to reel in the right guys, she was failing miserably, first at the clothing and now at the scents. All her planning showed how little she really knew about the waters into which she was trying to dip a toe.
“You’re doing fine, Viola,” Kyun said, reading her instantly. “It’s not a test. It’s a new experience. You can’t get it wrong. You can just learn from it.”
“Easy for you to say.”
Her best friend studied her furrowed brow and, when she didn’t shake herself out of her funk, he suggested, “How about this? I’ll pick three scents that I think might suit you, and you tell me what you think.”
At this, Vi perked up. Curiosity overwhelmed her as she wondered how Changkyun could possibly sum her up in a fragrance. Only he would propose such a thing.
“Yeah, okay,” she said. “Bring it on.”
He nodded and headed down the row and then another and, in a blink, came back with three bottles as though he knew exactly which ones to grab.
She squinted at him. “That didn’t take very long.”
“Just try them,” he said dismissively.
Vi stared at him a minute longer, but he wasn’t budging and her curiosity was only increasing. She crinkled her broad nose and relented.
The first bottle was shaped like a poison apple, and after a quick spritz, her eyebrows raised. “Okay… Yeah, I actually like this one. It’s got some fruity notes. You know I like those.”
“I do,” Changkyun said with a smile.
“What is that I’m smelling? It’s sweet.”
“Vanilla. That’s a favorite scent for a lot of men.”
Vi bit her lip. “Tasty. I dig that.”
“Leave the paper there for a minute while you try the next. It’ll give the scent a little time to unfold. A good perfume changes over time.”
“Damn, okay, Mr. Nose. I’ll come back. Now, what’s this one?” She picked up a much less dramatic rectangular bottle in a translucent cherry red. It wasn’t one she would have picked up herself, but on first spray, the burst of cherry and almond hit her immediately, and she hurried for a second whiff. “Oh, this one smells delicious! But it’s not like my usual fruity stuff.”
Changkyun nodded. “This one’s darker. That’s the liquor in it.”
“Ooh, yeah? I like that. The guys will want to take a bite.”
Her friend didn’t respond, but he didn’t need to. Another whiff of the paper, and this one had definitely moved to the top of the list for now.
“Give it another minute,” he said and reached for a bowl of coffee beans sitting nearby. “Smell this.”
Vi popped an eyebrow. “Why?”
“It resets the nose. It’s easy to get the smells confused after a while.”
She shrugged and huffed the beans only to find it didn’t smell nearly as strong as she expected, but on second sniff, the coffee scent came through clearer.
“Ready?” Changkyun asked, and she nodded.
The last bottle he’d chosen was shaped like a diamond laying on its side. The black bow and smoky liquid inside gave Vi speakeasy vibes, and something about her drew her in from first sight. She sprayed a fresh paper strip, but she could smell it before she even brought it to her nose.
“Wow. Okay, wow.”
In a rare flash of brightness, Changkyun leaned forward and beamed from ear to ear. “You like it?”
“A lot! Definitely feels like nighttime. Maybe it’s ‘cause of the coffee beans, but I smell coffee in there somewhere. And there’s lots of fruits, too. And flower? Rose maybe? Okay, I don’t know what I’m talking about, but it’s super sexy.”
“Mm. If you want to know if it's a good match, you have to apply it to your skin though,” he said. “Fragrances wear differently on skin. It may smell good on paper, but there’s only one way to know if it will smell the same on you.”
Her friend grabbed her wrist and lifted it up, turning it over in his hand so the back of hers rested in the palm of his, his tan fingers curling around her toffee skin. Changkyun grabbed the bottle, the sultry liquid sloshing inside the glass facets, and he spritzed briefly across her pulse point.
“Give it a minute to dry down,” he instructed.
The first few seconds ticked by quickly, but somehow the next ticked by slower and slower, as though time itself had been trapped in molasses. Maybe it was because she was eager to smell her skin. Maybe it was because Changkyun was still cradling her hand and he’d never done such a thing before, and it was new.
In fact, today, things just felt a little weird between them. Most likely, it was the strain of their mentor/mentee relationship. They’d never had a dynamic like that before; not to mention, Vi had been out of school for several years now, so she hadn’t really planned for assignments and exams and, well, obvious failures of both this late in her life. It was more stress than she’d anticipated, even if her mentor was the person she trusted most.
But Changkyun remained just as unbothered as he usually looked. When he judged the time right, he raised her wrist to his nose and inhaled. Vi waited for him to comment, but he said nothing. Instead, he pushed her hand back toward her and said, “Here. What do you think?”
He guided her wrist to her nose this time, and she breathed in deeply, once, then twice. She closed her eyes and breathed in a third time.
Suddenly, she wasn’t in a store at all, but a crowded club. Strobe lights winked, skirts rolled up thighs, steam wafted off rolling bodies. It was intense, warm, and incredibly intimate all at once.
“Mm,” she murmured, “there’s the fruit and the rose again, but there’s something deeper. Reminds me of something from college. Incense, maybe?”
He hummed. “Patchouli I’d guess, yeah. I’m getting a lot of creamy caramel, too.”
Something about the way he said it made Vi’s brain flatline same as it had in the changing room when he was coaching her. This was the hardest she’d worked on anything since college. No wonder she was stressed out.
She sniffed her skin again and scowled. “You think it's a little strong for me?”
Changkyun stared at her. “Viola, you can pull off anything you want to. You just have to want to. A fragrance like this will give you that aura of confidence that you want.”
“You think?”
“If you let it,” he insisted. “Do you like it?”
“I do.” She paused. “Do you think guys will like it?”
“Without a doubt, but it’s important you love it, too. Just make sure it doesn’t give you a headache. You come first, remember?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Changkyun narrowed his eyes. “I mean it, Viola. Deep-ending things can drown you.”
“I know, Kyun.”
Vi sniffed her wrist again and smiled. She smelled powerful and alluring, and she felt it, too. Her best friend was right. At the end of the day, this was about her and the woman she wanted to be, and she’d never been more grateful to have a man like Changkyun in her corner to remind her of that.
“But it's only for night time, okay?” he said abruptly, and it jerked her out of her thoughts. His back was to her as he returned the other bottles to their sections, though he said over his shoulder, “Don't go wearing that to work.”
Vi laughed. “Why not?”
“Just… don't.”
“Okay fine, man of mystery,” she agreed with a smile.
“Again with the sass,” he scolded. “I’m not trying to be mysterious, you know. I thought I was being pretty transparent.”
“Nothing about you is transparent, Kyun.”
He returned his attention to her long enough to study her face, and then he let out a sigh. He held the bottle in his hand, his thumb polishing one of the facets as he said, “This perfume? It's a love spell. Cast it wisely.”
“I thought we were avoiding love?”
“Different kind of love,” he clarified. “This kind only lasts as long as this scent does.”
“Sounds like you've got a new song in the making,” she teased.
But he remained serious as said, “Don’t waste it on your coworkers.”
With that, Changkyun turned toward the register and the lengthy blonde waiting behind it, who perked the second he headed toward her. Vi hurried to catch up, and when she got there, the associate was already in the back fetching a fresh bottle.
His card was already out of his wallet as he said, “I’ll buy it for you.”
“No, Kyun,” she said waving her hands, “you don’t need to—”
“You weren't expecting to buy it, so I'm not going to make you.”
“But I already owed you dinner to thank you for today.”
“You can take me out another night this week.”
Vi’s eyebrows scrunched. “What about band practice?”
“It’s not every night. Besides, I have to eat, right? You could just swing by one of the nights. The guys would like to see you, too.”
“Okay, fine. I can bring Chicken Box for them,” she suggested.
“And what about for me?” he said with an uncharacteristic pout.
Vi laughed. “All these years, and I’ve rarely seen you jealous. It looks cute on you.”
“I wasn’t going for cute,” he retorted. “I was going for hot.”
She snarled and gave her best friend a shove to his shoulders. “You ass. Maybe I’ll just feed your friends, and I won’t bring you anything at all now.”
“Fine,” he said, hands on his hips as he leaned in with a smug smile. “Then you’ll owe me a private dinner later.”
“Fine,” she responded just as childishly.
For a minute, they stared each other down like it was high noon in the Old West, but Vi broke first, the corner of her lips twitching, and then her best friend followed until they were both laughing as the saleswoman returned.
As soon Vi’s perfume was bagged, Changkyun paid the bill and nodded toward the door. “Come on, let’s get going.”
“Kyun, no more, okay? I don’t know how other people do this much shopping. I’m exhausted.”
“So am I. Now, I’m just hungry.”
At this, Vi perked. “Good. What do you want to eat? The ramen shop Hoseok’s always rambling about is a couple blocks down if you want, or we can get some Vietnamese or Indian. It’s my thanks to you, so it’s your call, but nothing too greasy if you don’t want me falling asleep at the table.”
“Ramen’s good.”
Though Vi was decidedly more extroverted than Changkyun, she loved their easy silences, especially ones like this one. They strolled down the sidewalk under breeze-shaken maples, cars ebbing and flowing like the English Bay. The sun was warm between the skyscrapers, and nearby, silverware clinked in cafes. Sometimes, she would randomly lose her walking partner only to find him stopped somewhere behind her, squinting through storefront displays at Balenciaga or Burberry. Changkyun never said why, but she like to imagine he was dreaming about what he would buy if he made it big with his music someday. He'd always had expensive taste though he rarely splurged.
They stopped at an intersection a block away from the restaurant when a car pulled to a stop at the light, blasting some club pop remix as the driver and passenger scream-sang the lyrics, and a light bulb lit in Vi’s head.
“Hey, that reminds me,” she blurted as she swiveled to face her friend. “What’s the timeline on this mentorship because Tara texted me this flyer that on Wednesday, there’s this DJ—”
Her friend shook his head swiftly. “Wednesday? Viola, no. You’re not ready. You’re nowhere near ready.”
“Not ready? Kyun, we’ve got the bait,” she said as she waggled both handfuls of bags. “Now, we just need a fishing hole.”
“Look, do you just want sex or do you want good sex?”
“Obviously the good stuff…”
“Then pump the brakes,” he said, exasperated. “I feel like you’re not listening to a word I say.”
“That’s not true. I’ve listened to at least five of them,” she replied with a smirk, and Changkyun rolled his eyes.
Just then, her phone rang, and she groped through her hoodie pockets for it. She didn’t have the number in her contacts, but she could have sworn she’d seen it before, so she answered.
“Hello, is this Viola Flowers?” said a rich baritone on the other end.
“Yeah, this is. Who’s this?”
“Oh, hello. This is Son Hyunwoo, from your room. Oh, apologies,” he said immediately. “I mean, I’m the one who looked at renting your spare room.”
Vi pulled to a stop, a big smile on her face. Changkyun stopped, too, watching her with squinted eyes.
“Oh, hey, yeah! I was just talking about you last night,” she said, and her friend tipped his head like a cat unraveling a curious sound. “I’m glad you called. I thought it over, and, yeah, the room’s yours if you want it.”
“Really?” Hyunwoo asked.
“I mean, Minhyuk tried his best to ruin it for you, but if you help me keep his unannounced visits to a minimum, we’re on.”
“I think I can manage that. That’s exactly why I need to move out of his townhome actually. He thinks he’s the lord of the land. I have no room in my life for it.”
Hyunwoo’s tone was so even and serious, it took Vi a lot longer to process his words, and when she did, she brightened. “Was that—was that a pun?”
“I just mean some time apart is meant to be,” Hyunwoo continued unflinchingly. “I need a new sublease on life.”
“I guess it’s not normal wear and tear on your nerves, huh?” Vi prompted, and she could hear the man on the other of the line let out a short, friendly laugh, which made her burst out laughing. She bit her lip to temper her laughter before she trumpeted, “I knew it! It was a terrible pun! And then another? And another? Wow. Just wow. Bad puns are my life blood, but some people don’t really appreciate them.”
She cast a pointed side-eye to her friend, though Changkyun was decidedly unamused. In fact, something about his naturally sharp body lines looked cold and wicked as the steel of a blade.
Vi forced her attention back to her caller and said, “It’s nice to meet another aficionado for the craft of world play. So, you still want to rent the room, right?”
“I do,” Hyunwoo said. “My lease goes through the end of the month here, and I know last time we talked, I said I wouldn’t know if I could even move to the end of the month, but now I’d need to be out by then. Is that okay if it’s a month sooner than I expected?”
“Sooner’s better for me anyway,” she replied.
“Good then. If you have a sublease, can you email it to me so I can review it?”
And he’s responsible to boot? Vi thought to herself, relieved. This was a huge step up from her last disaster of a roomie.
“I’ll send it over when I get home,” she said, and her eyes narrowed. Changkyun had out-paced her now by half a block, hands in his pockets, iris tattoo flexing restlessly. “Hey, Hyunwoo, I’m out right now, so I’ll message you later once I’ve sent the lease, okay?”
“Sounds good. Have a nice day,” said the older man. He had a way of saying things as though he were twenty years older than she was instead of just five.
They said their goodbyes, and Vi jogged lightly to catch up with her best friend, who had already pulled up at the entrance to the noodle shop.
“Okay,” Changkyun said when she got there.
Her brows pinched. “Okay what?”
“Okay, let’s go to this thing on Wednesday.”
Vi dropped her bags to hug her best friend. “Really? Hell yes! Thanks, Kyun.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” he mumbled as she crushed him in her embrace. “We're going to have to work through a lot between now and then to get you ready for the real thing, and I’m warning you upfront that you will not be ready by Wednesday, but we'll go and at least practice.”
“Okay, yeah, that sounds good,” she said as she let him go.
“But we're only doing it if you commit to it this week. We've got a lot to cover, so we'll have to meet up most nights.”
“I can do that, but can you? What about your practices?”
“We can work around them.”
“Yay!” Vi squeaked and then quickly tempered when she remembered the whole purpose of today. “I mean, yeah, sure, sounds good.”
Her friend popped one cool eyebrow.
“We can use my place while it’s still just mine,” she suggested as breezed by him into the restaurant. “Oh, yeah, that reminds me. Hyunwoo said he'd take the room. Sounds like he’ll actually start moving stuff in toward the end of the month.”
“That’s faster than you thought,” said Changkyun. “Didn’t you say he wouldn’t even know if he could move before the end of the month, and now, he’s already moving in?”
“Yeah, but at least that means I won’t have to pay the full rent again next month. My bank account will be happy.”
He hummed and returned his attention to the menu.
After they’d ordered, Vi asked, “So what do you want to cover this week?”
“Priority is safety. It always is,” Changkyun replied immediately.
“Of course,” she said though her annoyance was clear in her voice.
Her friend watched her carefully. “I know that's not the fun stuff, but we have to do it, Viola.”
“You sound like my dad,” she pouted. “But there's lots of other fun stuff on my list.”
“I know, and I'm sure you have it all organized in order of importance.”
Vi squinted at him. “Sass is my thing, not yours.”
“Is it sass if it’s factual? I’ll bet you have it typed up in your phone notepad, too.”
“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. How’s that for mystery?” she said coyly. Changkyun raised a brow, and she sighed as she pulled out her phone again. It only took her a second to pull up her “hot girl” list, and she read, “We’ve covered the clothes and accessories. I won’t need you for the other day-of prep, so I guess what’s left is logistics and technique.”
“Technique?” he asked through a slurp of noodles.
“You know, the sexy eyes and dancing and dirty talk stuff.”
Changkyun choked and thumped his chest with his fist before he gulped down some water. After he recovered from his cough, he said, “You expect me to teach you how to dirty talk?”
“I didn’t say that. You asked what’s left. I’m telling you. I’m not going to make this weird for you. I’ll just learn some lines from porn.”
Thankfully, this time, his chopsticks were halfway to his mouth, and he was spared a second round of choking.
“Please don’t,” he said. “I don’t want you picking up insane or bad habits.”
“Well, what am I supposed to do? You know this is not my wheelhouse, and I want to learn. I don’t want to embarrass myself.”
Changkyun smiled at her in his gentle way, his soft parentheses dimples bracketing it. “I understand, but what’s wrong with just trying a few new things at a time? If it’s a little awkward, so what? It happens. Sex isn’t perfect, Viola. Embarrassing stuff happens. Bad dirty talk isn’t a big deal compared to some of the stuff I’ve seen.”
At this prompt, Vi propped both elbows up on the table and set her chin on her fists. With big eyes, she asked, “Really? Like what?”
He frowned lightly and looked down at their food. “I don’t know if this is—”
“Come on, man, you can’t start a thought like that and not finish it. Make me feel better.”
“Fine,” he relented but lowered his voice. “One girl sneezed right into my mouth when she was riding me.”
Vi reeled back, barely missing knocking over her bowl as she cringed. “Oh my god!”
“And another was deepthroating me, gagged herself, and threw up on me.”
“That’s possible?” she squealed.
“Shit happens,” he said with a shrug.
“New fear unlocked, holy shit.”
Changkyun shook his head. “It was messy, yeah, and kind of gross, sure, but I still got them off before they went home.”
“Are you serious?” she gaped. “How are you so calm about that? I’d die. I’d probably never attempt sex again.”
“Like I said, shit happens. They were working hard for me. I had to make them feel better.”
“I swear to god, Kyun, there’s no other man like you.”
“You’d be surprised what a guy can forgive for the sake of sex.”
Vi deflated. “If there’s anything to make me want to stick to your code to the letter, it’s this. I could never see a guy again if I threw up on him. Catch me under a river rock, bye.”
Changkyun resumed his soup slurping as though he hadn’t just traumatized his best friend for life, leaving her to gnaw on the edge of her lip.
“Food’s getting cold,” he nudged as he took another drink.
“I’ll never eat again,” she swore.
“Hot girls eat well, come on.”
“I can’t stand you and your cool guy schtick. Okay, fine,” she said twirling some noodles into a bite. “So this week, I guess I’ll let you be safety officer first, and then maybe you can point out some hot girl dances moves at the DJ thing? You can be my living mirror.”
“Living mirror?” he echoed.
“Yeah, you know. You can reflect my successes and failures. Point out stuff other girls are doing and then give me tips when I try.”
“If that’s what you want.”
Vi nodded as she gulped down a bite.
“And what about the dirty talk lessons?” he asked.
At this, she pursed her lips. “I’m really not trying to overstep your good will, man. There’s, like, Cosmo articles and shit, I’m sure.”
Changkyun laid his chopsticks across his bowl and narrowed his eyes at her. “No, Viola, I know you. If I don't help you, you'll help yourself, and I don't need you shouting ‘Choke me, daddy’ to a stranger.”
It was Vi’s turn to choke. She banged her fist against her collar bone and downed her entire glass of water.
“Shut up,” she hissed, eyes scouring the restaurant. It wasn’t too busy, but that only made it feel that much louder. “I’m not trying to ruin everyone’s meals.”
“Then I suggest you accept my help.”
Vi glowered at him. “All this time, I didn’t realize you were a blackmailer at heart.”
“Comes in handy in the bedroom, too,” he added.
“I have so much to learn, sempai.”
Changkyun smiled that secretive smile once more. His voice dropped in octave as he promised, “Good because there’s so much I want to teach you.”
#monsta x smut#changkyun smut#multichapter#hot girls blank#slow burn#best friends to lovers#romance#third person
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Today's compilation:
Now That's What I Call Music! 49 2001 Pop / Teen Pop / Adult Contemporary / R&B / House / Hip Hop / UK Garage / Trance / Dance-Pop / Pop-Rock / Pop-Punk
Finishing out the week by continuing this little UK journey that I've been on recently with a trip back to the middle of 2001. Here we have a double-disc dispatch from the incredibly prolific and pervasive Now That's What I Call Music! series, which is an enterprise that Americans have been deeply familiar with since the late 90s, but Brits have actually known for far longer, since it originally exclusively launched in the UK in 1983, and proved very successful since jump.
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Now, as you could probably guess, there are definitely similarities and differences between the US and UK versions of Now. One, UK installments from the main series are double-disc affairs, but US ones are only single-discs; and two, plenty of hits manage to chart in both places, but a lot of songs also never end up crossing the pond in either direction. And a good portion of the UK hits that don't make it Stateside tend to be electronic and dance tunes. Pretty much since the advent of the acid warehouse parties that took place in the UK during the late 80s, Brits have been far more receptive to that kind of stuff than the US has.
And that brings us to the first song that I really wanna highlight today: British duo Zero 7's totally blissed-out vocal downtempo classic, "Destiny," which features the voice of the one and only Sia. If you're an American, the first time that you were probably ever exposed to the facially-obscured South African superstar was when she dropped "Chandelier" in 2014. But other parts of the world had known her for a lot longer than that, and maybe if you had on the right adult alternative station in the US, or watched MTV2 at the exact right time, you would've caught "Destiny" too, but I think if you had asked 99% of Americans back then if they knew who either Zero 7 or Sia was, they'd have absolutely no idea. This tune is a simply terrific piece of smooth, acoustic guitar-led late 90s downtempo beauty, though, and with some dubby effects on it too, it makes for a real, immaculately melty, sink-into-the-bathtub kind of vibe 😌.
And on the pure dance tip, we've got a few sweet cuts, but nothing really quite hits like Roger Sanchez' "Another Chance." I gotta admit, I kind of somehow forgot about this jam altogether, but it's such a nice slice of early 2000s house, and I'm really thrilled to have been reminded of it again with this comp. Sanchez crafts a lot of this tune by sampling from Toto's 1982 soft rock power ballad, "I Won't Hold You Back," and that includes the voice of the group's lead singer, Steve Lukather, too, whose calm and reflectively plaintive words are made shimmery by Sanchez himself here 😎. "Another Chance" managed its way all the way to the top of both the UK singles and UK dance charts, but it did absolutely nothing in the US, which is a total shame!
Almost everything else that's good and/or fun on this album was also big in the US too, though, and those tunes in particular should give any American who remembers 2001—before that big, main event, of course—a very sweet nostalgia rush indeed. We have one-hit wonder Wheatus' "Teenage Dirtbag," blink-182's "The Rock Show," the different version of U2's "Elevation" that was on the Tomb Raider movie soundtrack, OutKast's "Ms. Jackson," Destiny's Child's "Survivor," Dido's "Thank You," Janet Jackson's "All for You," and Nelly's "Ride Wit Me." So a really fine array of classic, poppy bangers there.
But, folks, we also have to talk about the complete and utter schlock that's on here too, because despite how many enjoyable tracks that are on this thing, there sure are quite a lot of plainly bad ones as well. And most of it appears to be just straight-up British pop, which is not to be confused with the often very good rock genre of Britpop. To be clear, there are definitely superb British-made pop tunes from this early 2000s era, but this 49th installment in the Now series doesn't have any to offer; and I have no idea how or why Geri Halliwell aka Ginger Spice's totally limp cover of The Weather Girls' "It's Raining Men" ever got to be a #1 hit in the UK, but that shit is really e m b a r r a s s i n g, man. And a lot of the rest of this pop sounds like music that was specifically targeted at nine-year-old girls too, so, diabetics, beware, because this stuff is *really* treacly.
Always love to sift through these UK editions of Now because they tend to be a lot more eclectic than their US counterparts, and while putting up a double-disc with every installment increases the chances of getting more good tunes, I also understand that it also naturally opens the door for more crappy filler as well. But at the end of the day, I really can't resist a good chunk of the electronic and dance music that gets put on these things, so if I have to endure some uninspired Spice Girls solo singles along the way, then so be it 😅.
Highlights:
CD1:
Wheatus - "Teenage Dirtbag" blink-182 - "The Rock Show" U2 - "Elevation (Tomb Raider mix)" OutKast - "Ms. Jackson" Destiny's Child - "Survivor" Britney Spears - "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" Dido - "Thank You" Zero 7 - "Destiny" Radiohead - "Pyramid Song"
CD2: Eddy Grant - "Electric Avenue (Ringbang remix)" Gorillaz - "19-2000 (Soulchild remix)" Roger Sanchez - "Another Chance" Ian van Dahl - "Castles in the Sky" Boris Dlugosch feat. Róisín Murphy - "Never Enough" Janet Jackson - "All for You" Eve - "Who's That Girl" Nelly - "Ride Wit Me"
#pop#teen pop#adult contemporary#r&b#r and b#house#house music#hip hop#rap#uk garage#2 step#2 step garage#trance#dance pop#dance#dance music#pop rock#rock#pop punk#punk#punk rock#music#90s#90s music#90's#90's music#2000s#2000s music#2000's#2000's music
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its so interesting tho how we do gravitate towards having certain preferances on what we like and enjoy watching in terms of idol groups. i liked bts for quite some time maybe a couple of years but their fans are so scary to deal with any "bad" remark never gets taken too well, i actually feel pity for whoever marries jungkook too like best of luck girly cause shes gonna need it with his stalkerlike fan base.
I think it's more that with a fandom so large, there are more chances to be exposed to "negative" fans - there's just a larger sample size to pluck from. I've been around the K-Pop scene since 2007, so it's been very interesting to watch the generation I started with (early 2nd gen) navigate the social contract. Now that Kpop is much more global, I wonder how that will effect the "end game" of idols and public relationships. For example, Taeyang (Big Bang) was able to publicly date his now wife, while, Changmin (TVXQ) did the surprise "we're getting married" announcement. Both of these groups were the height of the game in their times, and we've seen EXO start carving the path for 3rd gen, but truly, we're in uncharted territory with BTS.
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Hey, Morgs. It just occurred to me that, even on the occasions when I've been able to make contact with the Cluster, I haven't heard from you. I dunno, maybe we just never manage to be online at the same time, maybe you're angry that I didn't get a chance to give you the goodbye you deserved, maybe--I dunno. I wanted to reach out, is all.
I hear that SHIELD is getting all up in your biz. That sucks, and it's not something I know how to help you with. They were only just starting to make themselves a problem in my life when Captain America exposed and destroyed them. If it makes them leave you alone, you could try and point them towards Doctor Octopus, or explain to them how almost every supervillain is their fault. But honestly, if they're secretly HYDRA in your dimension like they were in mine, I don't have any concrete knowledge of what to do. The only outline for a means to permanently stop them is...well, an extended road trip like the bullshit I'm on. All I've got is my sympathy.
...How's the webbing coming along? I put sticky notes on some of the chemicals in my apartment that I wanted specifically you to have; that supply of polyethylene terephthalate pellets should last you at least four months if you ration them. In hindsight, I realize that I didn't exactly explain to you what do do with those yeast jars. Basically, they make spider silk. If you dissolve a sample from one in a boiling saltwater solution you ought to be able to use that as your webbing base. You're brilliant; even if I was there to walk you through all those supplies, I don't think you'd need the help.
...I wish I had more to offer. I wish I could guarantee I'll be there to watch you graduate. I wish...I wish a lot of things. You deserve a hell of a lot more than I know how to give you, a hell of a lot better than what your Earth is throwing at you. Know, at least, that Emjay and I love you. You don't have to forgive us for leaving. Just know we love you.
-Specs Peter
ahhhhhh, man of the hour. hey peter!
uh, yeah. i guess we're just not online at the same times! y'know how it is. i've just been out earlier and more often, y'know! well you don't but yeah. and plus i've got more homework than i used to so yeah. and i'm not mad! it's all good!! don't even worry! just bad timing!
as for shield stuff, i love you, i love you, i love you so much, MAYBE don't mention the possibility of shield secretly being hydra right now. because, i'm gonna be honest with you for the first time in this response peter, if i find out anything about hydra right now i'm going to break. full stop.
but yeah! i'll look into it later, but i'm sure i'm not that unlucky!
with webbing. i did pick up the chemicals labeled for me! been a bit nervous about using them, but once i have more time i'll actually work with them. similar story with the yeast jars, now that i actually know what to do with them i have some ideas but again. time. only so many hours a day, unfortunately
brilliant is an overstatement that i'm gonna let slide, btw
but honestly, don't beat yourself up to much for things you can't control. it'll be fine and all that jazz. love you and emjay too
sorry for the wait AND the fact it's short. i'm answering asks rn while staking some place out. multitasking babeyyy. but yeah
love you, miss you, don't die
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Imagine giving Clair a break from work
Word Count: 1,389
Notes: Nsfw warning for this, 18+ only. I've been wanting to write for Clair for awhile and I feel kindaaa bad the first thing I write for her is shameless smut but not too bad XD also HUGE thanks to my friend @sapphichellie for drafting the first half of this otherwise there prolly would've been like 2k words of emotional buildup before anything actually happened and I prolly wouldn't have finished the spicy part.
Okiedokie here it is
****
You open the door to the study slowly, a bowl of fresh strawberries in your hand. Clair is sitting in the chair at her desk. It's littered with sheets of paper, preserved bug samples, and books opened up to diagrams and thesis on things like insect anatomy and species differentiation. She's pouring over one such book now, and you can tell by the furrow of her brow that she's completely engrossed in what she's doing.
"Hi, baby." You say softly. "I brought you a snack."
She smiles and hums her thanks, not tearing her eyes away from the book. You move further into the room.
"Can't you take a small break?" You ask, finding a space for the bowl amid the clutter and planting yourself on the footstool next to her.
"No, sorry darling. I've got to finish this, no time for breaks..." She trails off, speaking in that airy, distracted tone she always gets when she's focused on a project.
"But don't you want some strawberries?" You ask. "They're fresh from the garden, I just picked them."
She still doesn't look up, even when you lightly nudge the bowl towards her.
"Mmh, maybe later..." She adjusts her glasses and scribbles a note in the journal she has laying next to the book.
In all honesty, you didn't come just to bother her with strawberries. For the past few weeks she's been working late every night, often only leaving her study and collapsing into bed next to you when she could no longer write a coherent sentence. You missed spending time with her, and she deserved a chance to relax.
And you had something in mind she hadn't received for awhile.
You get up from the stool and move behind her, working your fingers into her shoulders. You're surprised at how tense they are - must be the result of sitting hunched over a desk for so long - and as her muscles slowly loosen under your touch, accompanied by a pleased groan from her, you start removing the light yellow cardigan she's wearing, gently tossing it to the side.
You notice she's wearing one of your favorite sundresses of hers, and you start peppering soft kisses across her shoulders, running one of your hands down her body to her thigh and rubbing slowly while the other still massages her shoulder.
"Clair, please come to bed. I've missed you." You move your kisses up to her neck, now sucking slightly.
She only hesitates for a moment before protesting. "Really, baby, I've got to get this done." She moves her shoulder up to block you and brushes your hands away.
You scoff, offended that she would choose her work over you. You have one last thing to try, the only way of getting her attention at this point. You're sure it will work, it never failed to make her melt in your hands.
You drop to your knees, moving under the table to where her legs were. Grabbing her by the knees, you push her legs apart.
"Baby, what are you doing?" She says, leaning away from the desk to look down at you. You move your hand under her dress and start rubbing the outside of her underwear, biting your lip and looking up at her through your lashes for the full effect. She moans softly, gripping the desk and rising her hips to your touch.
"Just let me take care of you, Clair." You hook your fingers into the hem of her underwear, pulling them down, and she lifts her hips to help you. Then you grab her and pull her to the edge of the seat, your intentions now clear as your breath graces her core. She's not wet yet, but you can tell how badly she wants you by the way she spreads her legs a little wider, her breathing uneven.
You place a feather light kiss on the sensitive skin where her thigh joins her body. "Do you remember the last time I touched you like this?" You murmur.
"Mhm. Last... last month."
"Last month." You repeat. "Such a long time." You let your lips barely brush her folds as you move to kiss the same place on the other side. "But you remember how good it felt, don't you?"
You receive a jerky nod in response, and she moves one of her hands down to lace her fingers with yours.
"Do you remember the way you turned to putty in my hands? How relaxed you were?" You ask as you press kisses along the line of her lips, purposely not spreading them apart just yet. "I wanna make you feel like that again, Clair."
You finally use your tongue to spread her lips apart, licking from the base of her entrance to the tip of her clit. The motion is slow and possessive, your tongue pressed flat and firm against her. Her fingers tighten around yours and her hips buck up as she lets out a noise of pleasure somewhere between a whimper and a moan. You did the same thing again, this time letting your tongue flick teasingly inside her entrance.
"Oh, please." She moans, burying her other hand in your hair and pulling you closer. Her nails scrape the back of your scalp slightly, sending tingles erupting down your spine.
"Mm... please what?" You ask, going back to kissing the now exposed pink flesh.
"Your-your tongue. Inside me, please, baby."
Her begging makes heat rush to your stomach, and you press one more soft kiss to her clit before dipping your tongue completely inside her, swirling it around. The taste of her explodes in your mouth, sweet and warm, and you feel her thighs tense under your fingers as she clenches around you, letting out a sigh of relief. You begin pumping your tongue in and out and she falls back against the chair, eyes closed in pleasure.
"Look at me, honey." You say, removing your tongue to swirl it around her clit. Her eyes snap open and she gazes down at you, hips bucking into your mouth. The look of pure pleasure on her face makes the heat in your stomach even more intense, turning to a hot coil, and you continue alternating between her clit and fucking her with your tongue, wanting to make the pleasure as sweet and slow as you can. She whines and squirms in your grasp, her pants and whimpers of your name egging you on. Every time she closes her eyes you dig your nails slightly into the soft skin on the inside of her thighs, reminding her to keep looking at you. Her small thrusts become strong, then messy as she gets closer to her orgasm.
"I'm about to... come.." She finally gasps out, wrapping her legs around you. Her heels dig into the small of your back. You only hum in response, the vibration sending a shudder through her body.
You feel it the moment her orgasm washes over her, in the way she clenches around your tongue as her juices flow into your mouth. Her hand untangles itself from yours, joining the other in your hair to press you harder against her while her hips rut into your face, her thighs spasming as you keep them forced open. Her moans of bliss are music to your ears, sending waves of pleasure through you while she rides out her orgasm.
When its over, you keep dragging your tongue through her folds, wanting to get every last drop of her arousal before she pushes you away from the over stimulation. Then you climb up into the chair, straddling her and capturing her in a deep kiss before either of you could catch your breath.
You pull away, taking in her post-orgasmic appearance. Her face and chest are flushed pink, her glasses are a little askew and she's panting slightly, her chest rising and falling with the motion. You fix her glasses and run your thumbs soothingly over her cheeks.
"How was it?" You ask.
"I may have to take breaks a little more often." She says breathlessly. You laugh and kiss her again.
"Will you please come to bed, now?" You murmur against her lips. At her nod, you take her hand and lead her to the bedroom where you two spend the rest of the night.
****
I’m not putting a tag list this time coz i dont wanna accidentally tag someone underage.
#clair spivet#clair spivet imagine#clair spivet x reader#n ;)#the ending feels rushed but we gon ignore that
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youtube
Advice for people who feel like giving up (and why it might help you) by struthless
2:42 AM 6/3/2021
Recently I watched a Struthless video, which are usually so helpful and encouraging to me, which mentioned evaluating which art medium to pursue, by seeing which one yielded progress after time, and I just got really disheartened. Because it's been like 10 years and living as an artist has gone no where for me. I haven't even had the guts to open an online shop in all this time. ;o;! I feel like it's the same type of self sabotage that I did to myself when I was in an office job I didn't care for. I mean, *I* think I've made a lot of personal progress as an artist and have increased my skill to the point of some confidence in having even the teeniest bit of ability...But personal Growth means nothing in terms of competitive professionals. ;_; AT times like this, I wonder what it would have been like if I had stayed focused on writing. That was my real art form, since I was young. I wonder if I'm going to be one of those people who rediscover an art form that I had abandoned years ago. Am I going to later in life become a writer then wonder why I ever detoured into visual arts for all those decades at all?
I loved writing. I only really gave it up by accident. I loved writing so much that I saw everything in my life, in terms of writing. Writing was my lens on everything. Every experience was fodder for my writing. Even when I went through emotionally hard times, I thought of it as valuable so that I could put it into my writing, enhance it with real emotional experiences. It was my whole identity.
But I really respected manga-ka who did their own writing AND illustration. I looked at them with stars in my eyes. I didn't want to just be like the comic book writers who didn't do their own illustration.
And frankly, I had gotten to a point in my writing where I felt frustration with my limitations. I was confident that my writing could continually Grow, but at the same time, it wasn't Growing enough for me to meet the scenes I saw in my head. I could see it so clearly. If only I could just draw it, instead of constantly describing what I saw in my head...
And that's when the trouble started. I had to choose a major in collage, and out of all the core classes, sampling each field, art was the only one that I not only put a lot of unprompted excess effort into, but I actually enjoyed putting in that unprompted excess effort! If you enjoy working hard at something, that's a sign that it's the career where you belong, right? And I was so confident that my writing could continually Grow through my own practice, since that is what I had always done. So if I wanted to be a writer-artist, then I had to admit that when it came to art/drawing, that's where I needed external help. I chose art as a major. I didn't expect it to be so (time) consuming that I would let my writing fall to the wayside. Writing used to be everything to me, my whole identity, and Growing continually on its own... But now I didn't even do enough reading of other people's writings, to nourish my own writing skills. And before I knew it, I hadn't written a story in years. The only writing I still do regularly is journaling, and does that really count? What can I do with essays, if I'm too scared to let my personal opinions known? You can't make video essays or write articles, when the thought of exposing your inner thoughts gives you more anxiety than you can live with. And any attempts to make essays seem impersonal, is just sterilizing, and likely to yield bad writing. ~_~; But how can I get back into narrative writing, when I became so disillusioned with reading novels that I swore off of them for the rest of my life, since the middle of high school. I used to be a bookworm, but after all that girly crap my high school fed us---after they promised they were the type of all-girls school to not restrict girls to outdated female stereotypes---I had just had it with reading novels. I went to comic books, anime, manga, fanfics, and reference books, and never went back. ...But if I don't go back to novels, then how can I become a writer again? What about becoming a writer who can draw my own stories? Or more relevant now, how can I return to the artform that I originally felt at home with, Writing, after being a visual artist has proven a professionally/financially unsustainable fit for me? ;____;
Then again. I always had a sense I'd die young, and I'm getting older. Maybe I'll die soon and not have to worry about any of this.
#random thoughts#reminicing#writing#drawing#illustration#life path#please ignore my idiocy#venting#quitting art#Youtube
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The Truths Found On Petram Viridios IV (2/?)

A/n: I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Read Part 1
____________
Chapter 2: Getting Along
There was so much you still had to learn about mice and Salamandrian men; minus the mice part. You were surprised by V'gha's chattiness. Why, it was no sooner when you two had taken a seat that he began asking about your culture, interests, as well as to what you did for occupation. It seemed that he was fascinated by how both you and Zeta-7 lived; being that you were the only human he's officially met, he wanted answers for the questions which his home world's databases could not answer. You couldn't fool him when it came to your acquaintance with Rick as his neighbor, but you played it off by saying that he was the local mad scientist that everyone knew of but gave little importance to; it hurts you to say this, for he was worthy of the highest praise, with his extraordinary mind and his winsome personality, but V'gha was more familiar with Zeta-7 then you had known; it seemed Rick had a bigger reputation then you had thought, and the chemist hoped that he could make his acquaintance once all this was over; how he could be interested after all your initial rudeness was inspiring and in its own right.
You found his straightforward nature refreshing, albeit at times coming across as nosy, but first impressions at times gave allowances for this; to discover that despite how one may come across in passing, is not always the sincerest, true version of oneself. There was no malice or ill intent in his inquiries or reactions to your answers, and while you had redirected many of his questions, he didn't seem to mind; whatever you shared gave him delight. Over and over you wondered why Rick couldn't have been seated at this table, for this creature could have shared all that fascinated him with a fellow scientist and they could have debated in peace over theories and experiments; for your part, you would have sat there raptly, admiring the like-minded individuals who might or might not have been jealous at one point or another over understandings, discoveries and what not. As you two talked, you scanned the garden with your eyes, and searched for Rick, but couldn't spot his bowl cut anywhere; you trusted that he'd show up one way or another, but you hoped for sooner rather than later. In the meantime, you two discussed how fascinating the planet and its inhabitants were while making remarks on the flavor of the food "My soup is thin and looks as though I stuck my foot in it, but it tastes like honey." you commented as you set your spoon back down. "I'm not sure whether to drink it or to jar it."
"Neither. It's what your utensils will go in once you are done eating."
"Oh, I probably shouldn't have tasted it then."
"No harm will be done." he chuckled, which exposed his fine, sharp rows of teeth. "I've taken the liberty of scanning it to make sure."
If Zeta-7 had been here, he might've tried the utensil cleaner on purpose in the good ole' way of tasting the chemical when he should've tested it. Yet, since he wasn't here, you were ready to admit that you found V'gha a bit more intriguing then you had anticipated. When you had initially boarded the ship and met him upon entering a cabin, you were determined to despise him for you didn't want to appear weak in front of strangers, but it melted away as he decided to apologize once you two had reached your assigned table. Sure, you weren't really into reptiles, but whether it was how his skin glistened in the starlight, his intellect, or how his bright oval eyes seemed to bore into you as you spoke, it was somewhat flattering; you thought only Rick could make you feel this way; hopefully, it was his simple charm and newfound politeness, and nothing more. To ease the anxious thoughts which were building in your chest, you glanced at the empty third chair. "Do you think Noathamas is in trouble?"
"I'm not sure." he confessed in all seriousness. "After all, he did violate one of their laws which was not to eat any of the guests. I don't know what came over him, but hopefully, whatever consequences come his way, will simply be disciplinary action and nothing more."
"Yeah, that would be good."
Though, you blamed the fact that the knight had returned from battle not long ago, and might've been triggered by something done or said; you hoped he'd survive. To distract yourself further, you stabbed your synthesized meal. It was a mass of congealed worm meal, and you pretended to eat it, but you weren't really hungry; it was supposed to be calcium-rich if you were correct. "So," you wondered as you pushed away your dish. "where you're from, do you do stuff like this?"
"You mean attend formal gatherings where I'm not allowed to have fun? Or meet total strangers that I'd rather study then stand next to? Hmm, more often than I'd like. It does have its perks. I'm highly respected in my field and get paid well, but I don't get out much unless it's work-related. A majority of my free time is used to study journals or to sleep. Occasionally both."
"That's a bummer. Not the studying part, because that can be fun if it's a topic you're passionate about, but you strike me as someone who enjoys good company. I'm surprised that at this point you haven't mentioned hanging out with friends or family."
The pause in conversation didn't seem long enough for your liking, but neither was it short enough to keep its natural flow. There seemed to be a distant, far off look, as though he were staring through you, at someone else; longing; one which would've gone without notice if you hadn't been used to reading people who were like Rick; intelligent, curious, lonely people who were less like normal men, but were no less mortal, and not quite a machine. When he started, you hadn't expected the familiarity in his words. "I consider my lab as my friend and my lab samples as my family. It's where I am most of the time."
Before you met Rick, would he have said the same? Almost, for his inventions and things bought, made, or salvaged held meaning; he was very sentimental but desperate to cling on to good feelings; maybe, these two weren't so different. "I used to feel the same way about the characters I wrote," you started, wondering if this was a good idea. Yet, now that you've shared this much, you couldn't stop now. "and the stories which I typed for others consumption and entertainment. It's as though you spill and pour a bit of yourself into these dreams and passions. As a famous singer once sang, 'You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.'"
"What a way to put it. I think I might've heard the song you quoted some years ago. I believe my satellites picked up the transmission."
You smiled at that. You had heard the stories, read the theories, and admired man's will of wanting to make contact with the unknown; if only they would have known what they were getting themselves into. It wasn't all bad, and could very much be as Star Trek would put it, 'To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before!' And to watch an intellectual man like Zeta-7 to almost wax poetic about the marvels and atrocities which were in the depths of space, and listening to how an alien admired what was in another quadrant of space, why it warmed your heart. "That's neat. It's funny," you admitted a bit quietly at first, then you raised your eyes towards him. "I'm not used to these kinds of events, but I gotta admit that it hasn't been so bad. You've made an otherwise tiresome task a joyful one."
You had long since noticed that his face was very stiff when it came to expressing emotions, but he still managed a smile that was no less winning. And unlike most of the evening there was an unaccountable silence. Till now, it seemed nothing could stop the Salamandrian from talking, but whatever had come over him went away as a danceable tune began to play, and you felt a subtle shift as he stood and wondered if you cared to dance. Keeping in mind the strict rules of this planet, you raised a brow, but he seemed to know what to do. "Come, I'll show you how it is done."
With a nod, you followed him all the while keeping a fair distance. Beneath your feet, you felt the bumpy path through your thin flats and relished the strong gust of wind that whipped your hair about. If you had closed your eyes, you could almost imagine yourself back home in Rick's backyard, remembering one of the first times you urged him to dance under the moonlit night, admiring how he colored when you realized it was a first for him; reluctant he stood on the patio unsure of what to do, but you smiled at him and told him there wasn't much to it because it was simply more romantic. Oh, how your heart ached for those days, but there wasn't much time to continue reminiscing, for you were dragged back to reality by the candor of the chemist's voice. "We're here."
On a raised platform was a honeycomb pattern of tiles, which illuminated when stepped on. V'gha took his place and stood very still until a see-through chamber enclosed him in. There was no panic or surprise, which led you to believe that he had done this before. In like manner, you followed his lead and took your place a few feet away and stood still until a chamber rose to encapsulate you in it. You felt a tightness in your chest, and took deep breaths in order not to panic, but a new tune began to play and it struck you with a sense of deja vu.
A glance at the stage revealed the appearance of a tall, veiled figure surrounded by six guards. You pressed a hand over your heart, feeling it quicken as he swiftly, but gently passed his fingers over a golden orbed plant which had very stiff leaves, and when it detected movement, it vibrated, and this, in turn, caused it to emanate a sound a little more delicate than that of a kalimba. Its melody seeped into your bones, buzzing against your skin, and in it you felt a sense of belonging and warmth to a moment. Along with the veiled figure was the being made of pure energy, whose voice added body to the already beautiful tune; flowers bloomed at high frequencies, and thread-thin roots spread along the stage and dance floor; illuminating at rhythmic intervals.
You imagined yourself dancing with Zeta-7, on a plane of nothingness; submerged in a viscous sweetness then rising to the surface; floating, falling, losing yourself in a funny world, with every intrinsic, idiosyncratic, and inviting thing in your path; laced fingers, shared breaths, surrounded by his warmth, secure in the nearness of him, and sure in his grasp; he was incandescently happy, and he was as much yourself as you were of him. "C-can you hear me princess?" he whispered.
You could hear him, but you couldn't answer. Lips ghosted over yours, whispering phrases you thought you recognized; haunting you; trying to tell you something of the utmost importance, but the song ceased, and the figure was gone; breaking the trance you hadn't known you'd been under. When the chamber returned from whence it had come, you followed V'gha back to the table; confused, embarrassed, lost, but with a sense of knowing. You thought to yourself that the veiled figure could've been Rick, for who else could evoke such feelings except for Rick; that or it truly was a tune which was out of this world. "You're quite a dancer." he commented, which interrupted your thoughts.
"What are you talking about? I didn't do anything."
Taking a sip of his murky beverage, he explained. "There is no physical dancing done on this planet, except to those exclusively done by royalty and that of the Milleannos guardians. What the rest of us did, including yourself, was dance with our soul. None of us can really discern what the other is dancing to, which makes it appropriate and is in line with the laws, but while the others might not have understood what you were about, I could tell from the bliss which you exhibited on your face when we came back this way. It made me conclude you had enjoyed yourself. Call it instinct, but I believe this is the happiest you've been all evening."
Again, he wasn't wrong. Yet, how could you not know? It's possible that Zeta-7 didn't know it would take place either. You remembered how you felt, how real and tangible it seemed, but if that was the case, were you really dancing with Rick, or the idea of him? Did it matter?
The music now, albeit stimulating, was light and nearly silent as though someone was lightly humming. It was not as provoking as the tune earlier had been, but perhaps the experience you had was exclusive to your own feelings. "I did enjoy myself," you replied. "did you?"
"It was fascinating," he admitted smoothly. "but I much more prefer the view of all twenty-nine of this planet's moons. I cannot study the intangible thought of a feeling."
"If it helps, I much would've preferred regular dancing, but the experience...it's… it's one I wouldn't mind trying again."
One you wouldn't mind trying again, but only with Rick.
Tbc
#Doofus Rick#Doofus Rick x reader#rick sanchez x reader#Rick Sanchez#multi chapter#j19ζ7#rick j19z7#rick j19zeta7#j19zeta7#j19z7#My writing#My works#my fanfiction#Fanfiction#rick and morty fanfiction#Rnm#Rick and morty#Rnm fanfic
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Second question, completely different. I had a gallon bottle of grape juice that was almost empty. When I opened it, there was a release of a foul-smelling gas that I think must have been some kind of sulfur, maybe broken down from the sulfite preservative in the grape juice. (Potassium Metabisulfite, says the ingredients label.) Do you know how that could have happened? I've sometimes poured the juice into a crystal glass, not drunk all of it, and poured back the remainder into the bottle.
The metasulfite ion, also known as the disulfite ion, isS2O52−. In aqueous solutions, under acidic conditions, it converts into the sulfite ion and sulfur dioxide.
S2O52−⇋SO32−+ SO2
This is what makes metabisulfite salts useful as preservatives. Sulfur dioxide gas is soluble in water, and at low concentrations, it can serve as an antioxidant and an antimicrobial agent.
The potassium and sodium salts of metabisulfite appear to be the most commonly used, and both are important chemicals in brewing and winemaking. Normally, we think of fermentation as something you want to happen when you’re making alcoholic beverages. You need microbes like yeast to metabolize sugars into ethanol. However, you always run the risk of having wild microbes in the mix, which don’t ferment as well as others, and wind up producing an undesired amount of hydrogen sulfide waste. To cope with this, winemakers and brewers use metabisulfite salts, which introduce a small concentration of sulfur dioxide, which neutralizes any hydrogen sulfide present in the product.
SO2 + 2 H2S → 3 S + 2 H2O
This may seem counterproductive, since you’re just using one smelly sulfur gas to counter another smelly sulfur gas, and you end up with elemental sulfur, which stinks too. In fact, elemental sulfur is odorless. The rotten egg smell associated with sulfur is just hydrogen sulfide that forms when a sample of sulfur is exposed to moisture in the air. Sulfur dioxide has a bad odor too, but it’s more like the smell of a matchstick just after you strike it.
What sets hydrogen sulfide apart is that it doesn’t take very much at all to cause a stink. The odor threshold for H2S is just 0.47 parts-per-billion. So you can see how it wouldn’t take much to ruin a batch of wine. Fortunately, this also means it doesn’t take much metabisulfite to counteract the odor, and the sulfur dioxide concentration involved probably isn’t anywhere near enough to be noticed.
What I think is happening in your grape juice is that it’s been sitting around for a long time, and it’s just begun to spoil. There were probably some microbes present in the juice in the first place, and the preservative was able to keep them in check. But over time the sulfur dioxide dissolved in the juice would eventually work its way out of solution and into the atmosphere. There was probably enough metabisulfite to compensate for this, forming more sulfur dioxide to replenish what was lost to attrition, but it couldn’t last forever. And every time you open the bottle, you’re exposing the juice to new microbes floating around in the air. Eventually, you get to a tipping point where there’s enough microbes present to start spoiling the juice, and not enough metabisulfite ions to stop them.
I don’t know that hydrogen sulfide would be a major byproduct of this process, but again, it doesn’t need to be, because the odor threshold is so low. I suppose the human sensitivity to H2S odor is something we evolved to recognize food that’s no longer edible. Even a small amount tells us that something is seriously wrong. The real danger might be the increased microbial activity, or a much higher content of some other byproduct that doesn’t have a distinctive odor, but the rotten egg smell is what throws up the red flag.
Transferring the juice from one container to another and back again may have accelerated the process, but this was going to happen no matter what. My advice is to buy grape juice by the quart instead.
#chemistry#sulfur#sulfur dioxide#hydrogen sulfide#potassium metabisulfite#nobodysuspectsthebutterfly
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weinstein and more
IKM: Man, this Weinstein thing is turning into a fucking VORTEX of a shitstorm
IKM: sucking in everybody close to the dude
Kenzie: yep
IKM: Now Affleck has all kinds of groping allegations
Kenzie: I don't know if they are allegations
Kenzie: a bunch are on tape
IKM: at this point, I think we can say "groping facts"
Kenzie: Tarantino had to release a statement
Kenzie: Ben is toast
IKM: yeah, a bunch of his movies were produced by Weinstein
Kenzie: Matt Daman had to be like "I had no clue. keep my name out your mouth."
Port: Ben and his bro been bout that creep life
Kenzie: all of his movies
Kenzie: yeah I forgot about Casey
Port: I've just heard that Hollywood, generally, is filled with creeps and weirdos the higher you go
Kenzie: I would bet most of them get into the business for the ladies
IKM: Yeah the stories are starting to come out of the woodwork
IKM: the Steven Segal stories are terrible
Port: Once Terry Crews talked about getting groped up by some dude in front of his wife I was like shit.
Kenzie: what happened with Steven Seagal
DG: yeah Afflecks are verified creeps
Port: Women don't have a chance out here.
DG: Segal is involved with the Russians
IKM: Segal was inviting women to his house for "casting" interviews and would answer the door in a robe
Kenzie: Terry could have put hands on that man but didn't for his career sakes
Port: Correct
DG: Oh, didn’t see that (doh)
Port: For career's sake. Now think about a 5'3" lady
Kenzie: Segal looks like the type
Port: She can't do shit.
Kenzie: nope
IKM: Segal aint shit
IKM: and aint been shit for a long time
IKM: question is, what do we do with the likes of the Afflecks?
Port: Are we sure Segal doesn't not think he is starring in a new movie?
IKM: Casey has an Oscar and got it AFTER the whole allegations of something or other
Port: Sure did
Kenzie: there is nothing that will be done
Kenzie: they will apologize
Kenzie: give money to a cause
Kenzie: and continue to get jobs
DG: ^that
IKM: "In 2010, Affleck was sued by two former co-workers. I'm Still Here's producer, Amanda White, sued Affleck for $2 million. She detailed numerous "uninvited and unwelcome sexual advances" in the workplace, alleging that Affleck had instructed Spacehog guitarist Antony Langdon to expose himself in her presence, spoke "inappropriately" about her advancing age and fertility, discussed his "sexual exploits", referred to women as "cows", invaded her "personal space" by locking her out of her hotel room while entertaining another woman, attempted to "manipulate" her into staying with him in a hotel room, "violently" grabbed her by the arm when she refused and sent her "abusive text messages" for refusing to stay with him. White alleged that Affleck refused to honor the terms of the production agreement, including her fee, in retaliation.[163] The film's cinematographer, Magdalena Gorka, sued Affleck for $2.25 million.[164] Gorka alleged that she had been subjected to "routine instances" of sexual harassment by crew members including Langdon, "within the presence and with the active encouragement of Affleck."[165] While staying in Joaquin Phoenix's apartment during filming, Phoenix offered Gorka the private use of his bedroom. Affleck allegedly joined Gorka in bed while she slept, wearing only "his underwear and a t-shirt ... He had his arm around her, was caressing her back, his face was within inches of hers and his breath reeked of alcohol." She claimed that she was later berated and verbally attacked by Affleck for refusing his advances and she was forced to resign because of harassment and abuse."
IKM: Jeez man
DG: oliver stone said something dumb ass yesterday like “you don’t realize but what Harvey is going through right now is very difficult”
IKM: Oliver is....
IKM: I just don't know man
IKM: what a disappointment that dude is to me
IKM: seems absolutely clueless
DG: so, which Affleck is that? because either is plausible
IKM: Casey
Kenzie: yeah I knew about the Casey Affleck stuff
Kenzie: some of these guys are in a tough position
Kenzie: because they know Harvey personally
Kenzie: and some probably had prior knowledge of it
Kenzie: they have to act like they didn't know about it and hope no one has evidence contrary to that
IKM: but everybody knew
IKM: MANY people were complicit in this
IKM: apparently all of Hollywood
DG: supposedly Weinstein's contract had verbiage in it about sexual harassment suits lobbied against him
DG: not sure if that is standard contract shit or not
Schaedey: I mean it been a pretty established assumption for years, I have been hearing the same Harvey Weinstein jokes for a loooooong time
DG: really?
IKM: I think that's a problem though
IKM: people joked about it but who confronted him?
IKM: told him to stop that shit
DG: Harvey Weinstein is not on my radar on a normal day
DG: I think there’s a lot of Hollywood that is disgusting
DG: and there’s going to be a lot of shit that comes out that is terrible
DG: tip of the iceberg type shit
Port: That's what I'm saying. The culture of Hollywood seems to be gross
IKM: That's not just Hollywood though
IKM: This is pretty much male culture at large
IKM: Hollywood is just high profile
IKM: male culture at large is gross
Port: Also correct
Port: I'd imagine every creepy Hollywood exec is like turbo Gronk
Port: Jus a non-stop stream of sexually suggestive jokes
IKM: we "expect" Hollywood to be better cause they are generally liberal, pro-women in Hollywood
IKM: but that's a falsehood. Nowhere is pro-women
Port: Nah I dunno if I ever expected anyone with power to not be a scumbag but this is still exceeding my expectations
Kenzie: you expect a certain level of decency
IKM: Do you?
Kenzie: and I don't believe all in Hollywood are scumbags
DG: I think there’s gotta be more good people than bad, just the bad is so terrible
IKM: Maybe yall grew up differently than me
Kenzie: exactly DG
IKM: Cause male culture growing up...
Kenzie: growing up yes
Kenzie: but then you grow up
DG: some do
IKM: exactly
Kenzie: and you realize you were a scum bag
IKM: SOME
DG: but where does that example of the culture come from?
DG: you don’t just conjure this shit up
IKM: exactly
Port: Easy guys this is just locker room talk
(unamused)
DG: for example: I hadn’t seen blade runner in decades so I watched it this last week prior to seeing the new one… there is a scene where Harrison ford straight up rapes the replicant chick
IKM: Real shit, if you were to ask all the women you know if they have a sexual harassment, assault or straight up rape experience and they were to be truly honest with you, what percentage do you think would say "yes" to at least 1 of those three?
DG: but it was this scene that was probably thought of as an attractive and aggressive man keeping a woman from leaving when you know she wants to stay
DG: at least
Kenzie: their entire life?
Kenzie: I would say 75%
DG: revenge of the nerds the head nerd straight up rapes the hot girl
Kenzie: I am thinking about all of the shit I did as a teenager
IKM: Man DG I don't remember that
DG: he has a Darth Vader mask on I think? and screws her pretending to be her boyfriend
IKM: shiiiit
IKM: didn't even remember that
Kenzie: although that is rape it isn't what was considered rape back then
Port: 100% IKM
Kenzie: I want to hold out some hope Port
Kenzie: are we talking catcalls are sexual harassment also
IKM: Makes you really want to go back and think when you were younger like "Did I do some repugnant shit?"
Kenzie: I know I did
Port: This is coming from my small sample size but I've asked every one of my lady friends every one of them has at least one story
Port: From the light end to the awful end.
Port: I know for a fact I did
Kenzie: teenage boys are awful
Port: Can confirm
Kenzie: myself included
Kenzie: how many random asses did you grab on a dare from your friends
K Myers Jr.: I didn't do any of that cause I was an anti-social misfit.
IKM: And friends can't dare you to do shit when you're friends just as wack as you, lol
IKM: but who knows, I think I totally erased high school from my memory banks it was so wack, lol
Kenzie: yeah I try not to think about all the inappropriate things I did
Kenzie: all of the stupid statements I have made
Kenzie: and young Kenzie still wasn't as bad as others that I know
IKM: Oreilly, Affleck, Weinstein, Cosby, they are dinosaurs
IKM: world has changed
IKM: even from 10 years ago
IKM: that type of behavior is simply unacceptable
IKM: except if you're the president
Kenzie: but what about shit happening at new companies
DG: the google manifesto
Kenzie: isn't Uber going through shit
DG: yes it is
IKM: and I think 10 years ago we don't even hear about that
Kenzie: of course not
DG: definitely don’t because of no social media
DG: giving people public voices that never had them before
Kenzie: shit like that becomes standard practices
Kenzie: some women are coming out saying that co-workers kept her away from Harvey because they knew the deal
Kenzie: what are the chances that Harvey's brother knew what was going on
DG: 100%
IKM: of course he did
Kenzie: exactly
IKM: whole board knew
DG: scope and breadth, maybe not
DG: I picture one of those scenes where they are talking and a name comes up and brother goes “Jesus, Harvey”
DG: “but I had to make her watch me jerk off onto a plant”
Kenzie: You think Hugh Hefner was out here being a scumbag
Kenzie: he seems like he was in the perfect position to be one
IKM: I think Hugh set his shit up the proper way
IKM: Never heard of any harassment claims or anything on Hugh
Kenzie: Like Bill Burr said you just live too long
DG: I'm a pornographer and sexual exploiter of women… (y) aaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyeeeeeeeee (y)
IKM: Hugh was never a pornographer
Kenzie: it is called soft-core porn
DG: he was never a hard core pornographer
IKM: and whether or not what he did was sexually exploit women is up for argument
Kenzie: and he has a tv station dedicated to that
IKM: Exploitation is 1-way street
IKM: and porn has no artistic value
Schady: playboy was artistic?
IKM: so if his pictures have artistic merit they are not porn
Kenzie: didn't he get his hands on Marilyn Monroe skinny dipping pictures and published the pictures
Kenzie: he had an entire station that was not dedicated to art
IKM: from what I know about playboy
IKM: it was about doing tasteful nude pictures
DG: throwing money at someone who needs it to pose naked in your magazine so you can make more money is sexual exploitation
IKM: No it isn't
IKM: I need money. I get paid to program. Am I being intellectually exploited?
DG: but you would normally program, yes?
IKM: Yes
DG: i’m gonna go out and say not everyone that appeared in playboy would normally strip for money… some sure
Schady: yeah i dont think the girls doing nude photo shoots came out of school saying that is the career i need to be pursuing
Kenzie: http://www.npr.org/2017/10/01/554854492/marilyn-monroe-helped-hugh-hefner-but-not-by-choice
Kenzie: yeah he published those pictures without her permission
IKM: He woulda got sued out the ass today
IKM: suprised he didn't back then
IKM: or really I guess im not suprised
DG: if hugh ever sold being in a playboy as a way to jump start an acting career, or saying something like “i know people, do this for me…”… that’s exploiting
IKM: I can agree with that
Kenzie: i don't know
IKM: but there were plenty of women who appeared in playboy who did have acting careers
Kenzie: if he said sleep with me i know people than yes
DG: sure that happened too
DG: pose naked so i can sell magazines
IKM: I dont want to fall into the slippery judgement slope
DG: the man did it for decades, so i’m sure there’s a little bit of everything in his history
IKM: To me there is acceptable behavior and theres unacceptable. Paying women or men to be naked in your magazine? I honestly don't think anything is inherently wrong with that
IKM: As long as they weren't duped
IKM: as long as they know what they are getting themselves into
IKM: this is a free country, so do what you want
Port: Nah Hef came from that old school where quaaludes were like tic tacs
IKM: lol so you think hef was Lud'in em up?
Kenzie: i bet his playboy mansion parties where drug dens
Port: That's the era he me up in!
Port: I'm sure they were 'ludin in the grotto
IKM: if two people choose to take drugs and have sex while high that's not necessarily a problem
IKM: it's the Cosby, "I'll lude them in secret"
Port: Hmm that's where it gets tricky sir
Kenzie: but how many people were getting cosby'd up in that bitch
Port: Lot I'd say Kenzie.
Kenzie: yep
Kenzie: i doubt cosby invented the game
Port: Throughout the 70s and 80s. Prolly enough blow to build a snowman in the grotto
Kenzie: brotha from philly he didn't know how to get down like that
Kenzie: i bet they tried
Kenzie: Hef probably took Bill under his wing
Schady: i dunno i mean there is something to be said about attracting women to a place with piles of drugs and then them making even more poor decisions in an altered state of mind
Schady: obviously the women taking them intentionally are mostly to blame but it is very is enabling and promotes poor decisions
Kenzie: substitute drugs for alcohol and is it still wrong?
Schady: its still wrong but just gets a pass cuz its "socially acceptable"
Schady: alcohol gets a pass on so much shit
Kenzie: in those circles it was socially acceptable to do the same with copious amounts of illicit drugs
Schady: there are some differences
Schady: coke is much more physically addictive short term than say alcohol
Schady: so once some girl tries it once she could be doing some fucked up shit just to stay high
IKM: listen, if you go to the grotto you know what its about
IKM: if you're getting fucked up in the grotto it's with a purpose
Schady: maybe? You think it was always known to everyone
Schady: we say this after decades of tales of debauchery
IKM: two people go to a party and get drunk
IKM: they sleep with each other
IKM: is one a rapist?
IKM: I think we would say no
Port: We would
Schady: im not saying rapist
Port: Consent law not so much
Schady: but i am saying that having piles of drugs accessible to anyone that is around is somewhat exploitative
Schady: having spent plenty of time around people that like to get fucked up
IKM: isn't it the same as having a bunch of beer and alcohol?
Schady: like i said
Schady: some drugs are different
Schady: whats the joke in half baked? "I used to suck dick for coke.... ever suck dick for some marajuana?"
IKM: LOL
IKM: Its a weird line though
IKM: cause it says, "Ok men, it's ok for you to go out and get fucked up. Women? You have to stay sober."
IKM: If men can go out and get drunk and try to get laid, why can't women?
Kenzie: if that was your intention then go ahead
Port: You can but you gotta know as a guy that that could go left.
Kenzie: yes
Port: Honestly never thought about it till later in life but yeah whenever someone doesn't have their full mental capacity about themself
Kenzie: back in the day that was easy pickins
Port: You open yourself up. Because just being wasted isn't consent.
Kenzie: when that happens you have to get as drunk as them
IKM: I mean, I was wack so I don't know the answer to this question, but as a single dude, how many times are you having sex without the influence of alcohol?
Kenzie: if both are wasted then you are good
Port: More than I did not
Kenzie: if you are sober and she is wasted you could be in trouble
IKM: sober + wasted is bad for business unless the man is the one wasted
Port: Yes. If you are both wasted you still could be if she says I don't remember consenting to this.
Port: Correct IKM. If you're blasted then it's whatever.
Kenzie: what if you say i don't remember consenting to this
Kenzie: then the question is who has sex with who
Kenzie: DUN DUN DUN
Port: Then same rules apply
IKM: lol @ dun dun
IKM: See, this is why I don't drink
Kenzie: you can drink without getting wasted
Port: Jus nobody would give a shit about Kenzies story of being wasted then taken advantage of
IKM: so you gotta give breathalizer tests at the door Kenzie, lol?
Kenzie: i don't like not having my wits with me out in the street
IKM: "Aaaaaand now sign this release form..."
Port: I think you just gotta use your adult sensors
Kenzie: at home get as wasted as you want
Port: You can tell when someone is rippppppped
Kenzie: you can tell the signs of a drunk woman
IKM: you cant tell if you are drunk too
Kenzie: they get really touchy feely
Port: Like I was out one time and this chick was wasted. Slumped in a photo booth type thing in the bar
Kenzie: LOL
Kenzie: always makes me laugh
Port: And dudes were swarming
Kenzie: sloppy drunks
IKM: See Porter, you call her homegirl to come pick her up
Port: And I was like...this may end up bad
Kenzie: somebody is going to put their junk on her head and take a picture
Port: She had no friends around her
Kenzie: i know how that story goes
IKM: Came alone and got drunk?!?
Kenzie: seen it a thousand times
Port: She could barely talk we got her phone and the last missed call was her homies looking for her
Kenzie: first off no girl goes out alone
Kenzie: they will end up alone because apparently girls get lost easily
Port: She got out safe but the guys tryna engage in "conversation" KNEW she was trshed. An easy mark
Port: Correct
Kenzie: you got to stay away from that
IKM: Far
Kenzie: even if you know the girl
Kenzie: you have to know how fucked up they are because if they cross the deep end game over
Port: Nah man these days I feel like I do my part and get em an Uber or something
Kenzie: oh so you now mr captain save a hoe
Kenzie: lol
Kenzie: i just had to say it
IKM: That would be the last time I hang with such a girl
Port: Lmaooo
K Myers Jr.: If you can't handle your liqour you shouldn't be drinking
Port: Nah man just tryna break trip cycle of male shitiness
Port: I can't handle my liquor IKM BUT GUESS WHAT
Kenzie: but how does she learn not to get that drunk
[Kenzie: not saying she needs to get assualted to learn
Port: I dunno man I can't teach that lesson.
Kenzie: but i am a 6'2 250lb black man and i don't get that drunk
Kenzie: i have no fear of someone raping me and i know better
Port: Yeah I wouldn't want anyone to learn the lesson that way.
IKM: I tell you how such a person learns that lession: the next time she wants to go out her friends are like "uggggghhhh no. YOu can't handle your drinks."
IKM: done
Port: Or they smack drinks out of her hands
IKM: even better, lol
Kenzie: i have heard of stories of girl completly losing members of the group
Kenzie: that has never happened to me once
Kenzie: they can be horrible at watching each others backs
Port: Horrrrrible
] Port: That was the girl in the story we were like where TF are your friends?
Port: They left her at the spot because they couldn't find her slumped in the photo booth
Kenzie: granted i probably wouldn't look in the photo booth for you
Kenzie: we have the sense to passout in the bathroom
Kenzie: "PORTER YOU IN THAT STALL MAN"
Kenzie: wait i got seperated once when i got kicked out the club and my boy was still in there
Kenzie: he was looking for me and i was slumped outside
Kenzie: wasn't a good look for me
Port: Lmao Kenzie that has literally been me
Port: In the stall giving up all the body
Kenzie: i had friend say he had to use the bathroom and then 30 minutes later we was like where did he go
Kenzie: i go to the bathroom and that is where he was still at
Kenzie: said he just needed a rest
Kenzie: legs wouldn't get him back up
Kenzie: lol
IKM: lol
TS: http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/12/media/rose-mcgowan-harvey-weinstein/index.html
Kenzie: why was she banned from twitter?
TS: apparently she put someone’s personal phone number on there and it got her kicked off for a day
Kenzie: ok
TS: Bro, y’all had a real ass convo on here
TS: Gotta edit it but I definitely think this goes to the logs.
TS: @Kenzie, yeah, when I think about shit looking back, I thought I was a choir boy but shit. Definitely grabbed boobs and asses
Kenzie: same
TS: My twitter isn’t the worst BUT OH GOD IF I EVER GET FAMOUS, FIRST THING GOING IS FACEBOOK
[Kenzie: i thought i was just playing a part in the game that we all thought was cool
Kenzie: i grab your ass, you pretend like you didn't like it, rinse and repeat
TS: there was a time as teen that i tried to use porn logic… Grabbing turns them on...
TS: I was lied to
Kenzie: little did i know i was a habitual sex offender
Kenzie: never used that logic tre
IKM: On 10/13/17, at 11:58 AM, Kenzie wrote:
> little did i know i was a habitual sex offender
IKM: lol wut
Kenzie: by my sophmore year in highschool i stopped most of that shit
Kenzie: it was really around the ages of 12 - 15
TS: I remember and I think this kinda will haunt me. Wasn’t me but there was this girl in HS, ran for Ms Freshman. Beautiful, fun, great personality, everything. She was being her as usual, relaxing outside the JROTC building. I went to the shooting range, came back and she was in the bathroom BAWLING. Her brother runs in furious. asks where did he go and burst out the door.
TS: Dude, for whatever reason, decided to flip this girls skirt all the way up
TS: Asked me before that and I saw enough TV to think that wasn’t a big deal. TV lied to me
Kenzie: i remember in 7th grade a bunch of guys (myself included) was chasing this girl around the park so we could get her shirt wet
Kenzie: after about 5 minutes of this she got PISSED
Kenzie: turned around and lifted up her shirt and was like is this what you want to see
Kenzie: we all sat there with the dumb face on after that realizing we fucked up
Kenzie: she was legitmately pissed
Kenzie: i remember the girls name and everything
DG: yes... cool and funny wasn't cool nor funny
Kenzie: i still feel bad about that shit
DG: and no one ever told me otherwise
DG: that's the kicker
Kenzie: it was almost considered boys will be boys
DG: have to piece all that shit together yourself through age and experience
Kenzie: can't blame all that shit on hormones but it has to play a part
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