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ficbrish · 1 year ago

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Journey's End

Rating: Explicit 18+ only!

[AO3 Link]

[Kinktober 2023 prompt thanks to @absurdthirst! October 5th - Body Worship (mouth)]

Summary: They've saved the day. What comes next?

Takes place during Act III/End game. There are SPOILERS FOR THE ENDGAME OF BG3 directly under the line!

[Click here for my other Kinktober one-shots]

The fireplace in their room crackled and popped. Astarion was gazing into its flames, almost trance-like; soaking up the only taste of sunlight he’d ever have again through their temporary hearth.

Vistri couldn’t stop staring.

A contented sort of grief sunk his eyes, even though they were lifted by the strength of newfound freedom. There was nothing out there now that owned either of them, controlled them, or sat in their heads. The city was still a disaster, a literal war zone, but the defeat of the Netherbrain allowed a previously-unreachable stillness to settle over them. For the first time, there was no axe waiting to fall.

It slowed them down to an unfamiliar tempo, one they couldn't remember ever experiencing. It was surreal. The most common things were extraordinary. Here they were together in a rented bed, no active threats nipping at their heels, relaxing.

Languidly tangled up in each other, they'd fallen into a steady, spacey contemplation. Astarion took in every sparkle of the fire as Vistri drank in every detail of his face.

“I’m always afraid to tell you just how beautiful you are,” she suddenly admitted.

Cuddling and watching the shadows dance over his features made her want to say it so badly that her little confession slipped passed her self-control. Vistri didn't want to bring up his looks in intimate moments like these. Not when it was ingrained in Astarion that they were the limit of his worth.

“Why afraid?” he answered quite rapidly for as far away as he seemed.

Vistri chuckled, giddy from the way his attention snapped directly to her, yet unsure of how to translate her feelings into words, “I just… I never want to hurt you. I don’t want to place value on the things you hate about yourself.”

Astarion cupped her face in his hands and kissed her forehead, “Silly little beloved.” Her compliments gave rather than took. They were treasures, closeness.

He started to laugh and it rang out of his chest, “I thought you were getting tired of me.”

Abruptly, she sat up, “Tired?! Of you?”

“You know how you tend to get bored.” He'd already lost the sun. Why wouldn't the brightness in his life disappear along with it?

“Astarion, you could never bore me.”

“Never say never,” he quipped.

As much as he was joking, Vistri did have a tendency to get bored. There was real apprehension under his wit.

Eager to prove him wrong, she dove into his chest, tightly wrapping every arm and leg she could around his body, “Never! Never! Never! Never! Never!”

He laughed harder at that. It rumbled against her ears, and Vistri’s heart felt like it would burst at the sound.

She wanted to spend every day making him laugh like this. A huge smile spread over her face, “Does this mean I get to dote on you now? Properly? As much as I want to?”

Kissing her, Astarion brought her body flush against his, “Is this what you’ve been holding back from me?”

“Wait," she was legitimately thrown, “Have I been holding back from you?”

Astarion seemed just as confused as she was, “Not entirely... You just have these moments where you stare and look sort of concerned. Like you’re deciding whether or not to tell me something I probably don’t want to hear.”

Vistri broke into relieved hysterics, “Astarion!”

He chuckled at her laughing fit, “What?”

Vistri tried to show him how she felt through the tadpoles before remembering they didn’t have those anymore. He could tell by the look on her face.

“Did you just try to tadpole me?”

She laughed again, “It’s second nature by now.”

“Well, now you’re just going to have to use your words,” he teased with an affectionate smirk, “Like a big girl.”

Vistri’s fingers trailed from his lips to the curls over by his ears. She met his eyes mischievously, holding his gaze like it was tied to hers by a string.

“Yes, Daddy,” she teased. She’d never called him that before, neither as a joke nor in the throes of passion.

Astarion found himself liking the way the word spilled out of her lips. He whimpered appreciatively and grinned, “I think I like that.”

Vistri felt herself blush. She’d said it as part of their play, but something tugged at her when Astarion said he liked it. Her vision blurred for a moment, dizzy with his words. She traced her finger across his lips again to bring herself back to the world, “I forget. Do you know that you’re gorgeous? Or are you completely clueless to the fact?”

He laughed, then adopted an affectation of utter surprise, “Me?! Gorgeous? I don’t believe anyone’s ever called me that before.”

“Never ever?”

“Never ever!”

“Incredible,” Vistri pretended to be utterly offended, “Such an insult—Nay! A deep injustice to beauty itself!”

“Oh, really?” he played along dramatically, “Enlighten me.”

Vistri put her fingertips back on his lips, lightly stroking his silky soft, cool skin. “Your face is like an orchestra,” she purred, flattering him and meaning it, “I hear every sigh from every heart that’s ever beat when I look at your face.”

“If you didn’t steal that one from me, I’ll have to steal it from you,” he smirked.

She pressed her finger to his lips in a “shush” gesture, “I’m not done.”

He pushed it to the side with a kiss, and said, “Oh? Please, do go on.”

Stroking his cheekbones with her thumbs, Vistri continued, “The self I see through your eyes captures me. Whenever I see you, I want to give you everything I have.”

Astarion couldn’t help himself, “That’s how I rob people so easily.”

They laughed. When it grew quiet, Vistri brushed a thumb over his lip, “I’m obsessed with your mouth.”

“It does provide many important services.”

Vistri slowly shook her head, “It doesn’t have to do anything. It just has to exist.”

What she said didn't make a lot of sense on its own, but to them, it meant everything. Astarion closed his eyes to her touch, feeling it dance across his lower lip, then his top one. He parted them slightly, and she let the very tip of her finger fall gently between them. She took it away, replacing it with a kiss. They both moaned as their tongues reached for each other from the soft meeting of their lips.

Her eyes glistened with emotion and her voice trembled, “You just have to be you. And I’ll love you for all my days. All I want… is you.”

“Vistri,” he cried out, kissing her in the most unhinged manner. Actual centuries of continual horror peeled away at the flick of her tongue. Astarion only pulled back to say her name aloud again and punctuated it with another wild kiss. She whimpered; he moaned.

They jumped over each other’s words as their mouths parted, each declaring their love at the same opportunity. “I love you, Astarion,” and, “Gods, I worship you,” clashed together.

Running both hands through his hair, she admitted, “I don’t have any desire to go, you know? I don’t think I ever have had any desire to go. I just want to be by your side.” Her voice was shy but firm.

He brought one hand down to his face and kissed it, “Me too.”

They smiled at each other.

Sadness sat under the joy in their eyes. And neither of them tried to hide it. The joy was there, the fear was there, and the pain was there. All of it. They shared all of it, and neither of them flinched away.

Vistri found herself playing with his lips again, “Can I put my finger in your mouth?”

He kissed it and teased it with his teeth, “You may, my dear.”

She pushed her finger past his lips until she met the tip of his tongue. “My love,” she sighed, “I bet the gods wept when they made your mouth.”

A whine came from his throat, and Vistri felt its vibrations on the tip of her finger. It drove her so crazy she sat up and climbed on him. Groaning as she settled over his hips, feeling him hard underneath her.

Sighing and rocking against him, she purred, “The world is so much prettier with you in it, my love.”

Astarion found and matched her rhythm, bucking in tune with her rolls to increase the feeling just a bit more. He growled under her.

“I want to live my life with you, and I want us to live, Astarion.”

He sat up, pulling her into his lap; into his kiss.

“Then live, we shall.”

Vistri pushed him back down onto the bed. Astarion smirked; that was his move.

She stroked him between his legs over his clothes, “Can I take it out? I’m desperate to touch you.”

He nodded and tossed his head back into the pillow. His back arched as she dipped into his lacings to stroke him skin to skin.

“I love how sensitive you are. Your beautiful mouth has so many different smiles.”

The one that spread over his face now showed his teeth and those darling fangs of his. His brow furrowed above it; his breath groaned its way out of him. Vistri leaned over to kiss his throat. Astarion called her name out and she kissed it again and licked it.

“Your fangs alone deserve their own congregation,” Vistri moaned.

Astarion grabbed her hair and whispered into her ear like it was a threat, “If you want to worship me so terribly, go ahead.”

Vistri was already drowning in him, but needed to stay afloat. She wanted this to be for him. Ever since Astarion lost the sun, Vistri wanted to show him he didn't lose her too, that he was worth the cost of it. She kissed him, licking his fangs up and down. It was a pleasure that felt sharp as pain, and Astarion could feel his bloodlust stir at the stroking of her tongue. Whines poured out of him like torrential rain, and Vistri kissed him between them; locking his lips with hers, stroking them.

Her tongue slipping past his lips to his tongue, to his fangs, to his lip, to his tongue.

They kept kissing as they worked together to pull his trousers down to his knees. It was a clumsy business. Their lips proved to be impossible distractions. Once he was free, Vistri sat upon him and grabbed hold of his cock. It throbbed in her palms and was quite wet at the peeking tip.

“Darling,” she said with wonder, “Your expressions are pure artistry.”

Vistri could see every sensation play over his face, like a sweeping river of ecstasy. She could feel herself throbbing in her core, in tune with his. She ran her hands slowly along his shaft and head until she could taste his impatience in the air. She teased him by pumping just a little faster, then a bit more, and a little faster, until she reached his preferred tempo and kept her stroking steady there.

“I love you, Astarion,” she moaned as she touched him, “Just as you are.”

His breath hitched. He was bone-hard in her palm, seemingly as rigid as it were possible to be, but as she stroked, he only grew more solid. She bit her lip, breathing hard. He was so close. She moaned when she felt him pulse against her fingers. Astarion gasped. Vistri felt wetness spill over her fingers and watched his face convulse with pleasure.

He cried out, gasping her name.

He sounded perfect.

Vistri leaned in for a kiss, tasting the euphoria on his breath before getting up to fetch a towel. She sat next to him on the bed and wiped down his torso with care before wiping down her own hand. Then she peeled the trousers off his calves and helped him remove his doublet.

The whole time, Astarion looked at her with soft eyes. Trust.

“What about you, my love?” he asked as she joined him under the covers.

She affectionately traced the bridge of his nose, “You’re exhausted, love. I want you to rest first.”

He tried to protest, but Vistri held firm, “I’d wait centuries for you if I had to, and lucky for me, I don’t think you could make me wait that long.”

Once Astarion slipped into his trance, Vistri moved about the room. She made sure every curtain was shut tight, and enchanted all the windows hidden behind them with sun-blocking illusions. Then Vistri threw another log on their fire and poked it secure before crawling back into bed. There she wrapped herself around Astarion, and savored the sweet ache of her desire until she fell into Lolth’s nightmares.

“Vistri,” a precious sound eventually called out to her through the dark visions.

She opened her eyes to see Astarion’s captivated and heated with lust. A base need borne from his heart shivered all over his wonderful body.

He kissed all down her chest and back up along her neck. When Vistri cried out, he pried her knees apart and positioned himself between her thighs.

“Do you want me, Vistri?” he asked, his eyes and tone equally as serious.

“Yes,” she begged.

He nestled his cock against her but didn’t push in. She squirmed against him.

“And you want all of me?”

“Entirely,” she promised.

Astarion took her, giving himself. He was as rough with her this morning as she was gentle with him last night. Pounding and slapping into her, to break her over and over. To be taken again and again. Until she was screaming his name, and he was screaming hers too.

By the time they were both spent, the sun was harsh on its high throne in the sky. They held each other’s hands under the sheets and stared at each other for a while before Astarion spoke.

“Can't go out in the sun," he said sadly, "And I've trapped you here with me in darkness."

Vistri nuzzled into him, “You’re wrong this time, Astarion. I could never be trapped as long as I’m with you. You are my freedom and my joy.”

He melted into her smile and squeezed her hand, "Ugh, now you've gone all sappy!"

Falling in love again at the little smile that punctuated his pouting, she squeezed him back, “By your side is exactly where I want to be.”

[Click here for my other Kinktober one-shots]

#vistarion #kinktober 2023 #absurdthirst kinktober list #prompt fill #vistri #astarion #balders gate 3 #full fic #astarion x tav #journeys end fic #BrishFics #fluff #smut #lemon #bg3 spoilers

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themickey · 6 months ago

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MICKEY JACQUEMIN ( RUBY CRUZ ) is a TWENTY SIX year-old AEROSPACE ENGINEER in MONTREAL, CANADA. They were brought under Richard’s care when they were only ELEVEN YEARS OLD. They are known as THE NOSTALGIC because they are UNDERSTANDING but also NAIEVE.

BASIC INFORMATION

Full Name: michèle jacquemin (she only allows richard and mrs tristian to call her michèle)

Nickname(s): mickey, mick, mj

Date of Birth: march 5th, 1979

Age: 26

Occupation: aerospace engineer

Current Residence: montréal, canada

Orientation: lesbian

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Hair: dark brown

Eyes: blue (maybe hazel, idk)

Height: 5'5"

Notable Features: full, expressive eyebrows. gay face

PERSONALITY & BEHAVIOR:

Strengths: kind, caring, understanding, loyal

Weaknesses: naive, gullible, too trusting, spacey

Quirks: always a bit fidgety, especially when excited or anxious. has an obnoxious french canadian accent

Vices: drinks occasionally and will never deny a drunk cigarette

INTEREST & HOBBIES:

Interests: space, comics, computers and the rise of new technology, music from the 90s, hockey (any good canadian should)

Hobbies: video games, mostly gameboy and the brand new nintendo ds. runs a myspace and livejournal like the military, always posting new "surveys" and blog posts daily even if no one reads them.

Special Skills/Talents: very good at math, can do long equations in her head without a calculator. can pick up most things pretty easily though she usually gets too distracted to keep up things for too long so she always had a bunch of unfinished projects or hobbies she gave up on

BECOMING A WARD

mickey, born in montreal, was raised by a single mother and never knew her dad. the only thing she knew about him was that he was american because she has dual citizenship. however, when she was seven years old, her mom passed of sudden heart attack. mickey was too young to really understand what happened but her life drastically changed. at first, cps tried to take her to her father in chicago, but he denied even knowing he had a kid and she was placed into foster care. she spent four years in foster care, some good homes and some bad but it never quite broke her spirit and generally positive outlook on the world. she caught richard's attention when he was visiting her school on a business trip and was intrigued by how bright she was and despite her teachers warning of how her hyperactivity makes it heard to teach her, richard decided to bring her to woodrow and give her the tools she needed to flourish.

LIFE AS A WARD

mickey was always seen as the naive ward, too trusting and gullible. she always seemed much younger than she really is and hates that people think she's the youngest even though she is quite young. she sees the others as her family but after much teasing from the other wards, she tries to keep those feelings to herself, she always wants the others to like her and make everyone happy. at first, she had trouble bonding with the other wards because english was not her first language, speaking mostly québécois french when she first came to the states but she quickly learned english and has since tried her best to connect with her fellow wards. there were many times she would get in trouble growing up because she's very easily influenced by the other wards, letting them drag her into their schemes and dumb ideas. if mickey wasn't a girl raised in the 80's and 90's she would probably be considered to have adhd and be autistic but since we didn't know as much about it back then, mickey was written off as being hyperactive and childish. she often visits woodrow even after moving away because it was the only place that has felt like home since she was a child. even though most of the wards are gone now, she still sees them all as a family. the last time she was home was just a few months before richard's passing.

AESTHETIC

mickey is never one to care about the latest fashion trend or what is in style, she prefers to be comfortable and wear things that make her feel good. she was always a tomboy growing up, would sometimes try to steal some of the boy wards' clothes until richard caught her and allowed her to shop in the boys' department of stores. she likes baggie clothes and will hide her body in layers. loves a good graphic tee over a long sleeve shirt. think of any classic 2000's teen heartthrob and put his wardrobe on a 5'5" girl. [pinterest inspo if you're curious] she's always preferred her hair on the shorter side, grateful that richard always allowed her to be herself and experiment with her looks. now it's cut past her chin and with swoopy bangs that she's always flicking out of her eyes. again, think of any 00's teen heartthrob with the classic vaguely scene boy hair cut

EDUCATION

mickey chose to go with the woodrow home schooling. she was never very good in a tradition school setting because her mind seemed to move faster than the teachers could teach which often got her into trouble for "acting out." so instead she liked that she could set her own pace with the teachers at woodrow and learn what she was interested in. after high school, she went on to go to richard's alma mater. she's always had a dream of going to space and working for nasa.

EXTRACURRICULARS

mickey loved extracurriculars growing up, she did science club and science fairs, was a mathlete, even tried model un for a year but realized she didn't like geo political sciences. though, outside of her academic hobbies. as a child, she played hockey but was never quite big enough for it to get back into it as a teenager. instead, she found she loves fencing, which may seem out of character but as a young hyperactive teen, richard encouraged her to try a physical hobby to get her energy out and liked the idea of being able to swing a sword around.

THEIR LIFE NOW

after graduating college, mickey accepted a job at DART areospace in montreal. she didn't plan on going back home after spending so many years in america and being two and a half hours away from woodrow, but when the opportunity came, she couldn't say no. currently, she lives in an apartment in the city with her long term girlfriend, jessica, and their cat. unbeknownst to the other wards, however, mickey and her gf have not been on the best terms. they met while in college and when mickey took the job, jessica moved with her but moving to a new country has caused a lot of tension between them. jessica thinks mickey works too long of hours and doesn't give her the attention she deserves because even when she's not at work, she's talking and thinking about work. mickey's not perfect, but she loves jessica. before receiving the letter about richard's death, they had the talk about how they want different things in life and mickey knows their relationship is pretty much over. going back to woodrow for the funeral, she's not sure what she'll be coming home to and is scared that it will be nothing

#wrhq.intro

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cruel-cupid · 2 years ago

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Valorie Spencer - MTA OC

Below is the profile for my Mage The Ascension OC

ART GIFTED TO ME BY A FRIEND.

General

Full Name: Valorie “Valentine” Spencer

Nicknames:

“Val” “Sunshine” “Valentine” “Sunshine Valentine”

Birth Date:

March 5th

Age:

Pronouns:

She/Her

Sexuality:

Pansexual

Occupations:

Twitch V-Tuber

Species:

Human - Mage

Theme Songs:

RPG - SoraMafuUraSaka

Current Residence:

Something something homestead.

Mind & Body

Voice:

Kylie McNeill

Clothing:

She’s always seen in modern clothes, with a splash of her costumes thrown in. A holographic jacket here, a red scrunchie there.... You know, small things.

Personality Traits:

Val has a hard time expressing herself outside the streams she hosts. She’s spacey, a little sassy, but will die by your side if you prove to be a friend. She’ll struggle to ask for help, she’s learning about expression through words so cut her some slack every once in a while. She also has SEVERE anxiety.

Hobbies:

Cosplay Sewing, Song and Dance.

Health:

Stable - Subject to Change

Disorders:

PTSD Anxiety ADHD

Other

Family Members:

William Spencer -FATHER, ALIVE-

Malissa Spencer -MOTHER, ALIVE-

Backstory:

Born in an unnamed city, Valorie Spencer is raised in emotional seclusion... No more like neglect. They berate her, tell her of her shortcomings often, and even lock her in her room for days without food. She has one escape, the internet. She views cosplayers being given fame, love, and money. She practices sewing, researching what’s popular with what crowd. Within time she starts a small following, which then morphs from y’kno... Extreme twitch trolls turning serious over a love for a genuine sweet soul. It starts as a joke, sending the haters to “reform” for 10 minutes, chanting at the mods to “Flip that frown upside down!” until eventually the worst offenders begin to come up missing IRL. Found in their chair with their faces drawn into smiles, glitter being dumped into their mouths. They call her their “Valentine” and are deathly devoted to her wellbeing and spreading her joy through the internet, though they keep Val in the dark about the “Smiling Cult”. Her songs are one of the most streamed on Spotify, her cosplays while underground is really on par with a professional, most call her “underrated” but to Val.... She’s not there yet. Sometime in her late teens, she shoves her belongs into a bag and scales the building. Running away from home. We pick up on a “On the run” Val who soon forgets herself and joins a trip to Egypt. Where will she go? Who will she become?

Weaponry:

GUN - 13 Bullets

Powers:

MAGE - Spirit/Mind Path

Tag: Val Aesthetics Val Headcanons

EDITS 1/11/2023 - CREATED

#my oc #my original characters #my ocs #mage the ascension

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reignmaefall · 1 month ago

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hi dear moot. i would love it if you told me more about amelia and pandora being roommates and selling together. what house are they in? is there anyone else in the dorm? who are their regular clients? is xenophilius involved? are they close friends or just friendly because of the circumstances? how does amelia feel about pandora's friendship with the slytherins? idk i'm just really fascinated by the idea of them two interacting i never thought of it before

Okay admittedly i didn't think too hard abt it originally but I feel like it'd be something like this

Pandora wasn't really friends with her roommates, choosing to just stay to herself most of the time, until like 5th year. She and Amelia had a few classes together (herbology lmao) and often got paired together because they were both "intelligent and respectful young ravenclaws!" (wrong so very wrong), and they started to talk more and realized they had more in common than they originally thought. They both had an odd sense of humor and often joked about how herbology would be "so much more interesting and silly" if they grew weed (once the professor heard one of them say that and knocked off a few house points but it was worth it for the joke). Somewhere along the way, Amelia figured out how to grow Marijuana and one thing led to another, and then, somehow, they were testing to see if they could actually grow it in the ror.. and well..

Anyway turns out they grew a bit too much and didn't know what to do with it so they did the only logical thing they could (there were definitely more logical options), sell it. Eventually they ran out, but they counted their money and realized they had made a shit ton of profit and actually had a lot of fun doing it, so they started growing more and expanding their business. Amelia was the brains of the operation, coordinating meet-ups, running background checks on clients to make sure they aren't rats, making back-up plans and strategies for how when the teachers eventually caught on. Pandora was the saleswoman and spokesperson, she sought out potential clients, psychoanalyzed them to the point they maybe got a bit scared of her, she did all of the dirty work that kept the ring going. And they didn't, under any circumstances, smoke their own supply (wrong so, so very wrong).

Since Pandora was naturally giggly and spacey, professors didn't think anything was out of the ordinary when Pandora was actually high. Amelia, however, definitely had quite a few professors raise an eyebrow when she giggled at nothing or zoned out or acted sleepy in general. But Pandora having Pandora as both a friend and roommate was a good crutch, Pandora would always just hum a little, giggle, and say "sorry professor, we talked a lot last night so she's a little sleepy, I think im wearing off on her too, we'll try not to do it again tonight though" when teachers would ask.

As for their clients, they sold to a lot of people, experimenting 4th year Gryffindors, most of the people in Hufflepuff, stressed out Ravenclaws, depressed slytherins, although their clients were a variety of ages, they did have one main rule, no selling to 3rd years and below, and only give 4th years a very small amount. Their biggest clients were the Marauders, often they'd send Peter because it was less questionable for him to be seen talking with Amelia or Pandora than it would be for Sirius or Remus or even James. Sometimes Marlene or Mary would buy some for parties or just because. Even though Lucinda, Emma, and Hestia were Amelias friends and Hestia was their roommate, they still had to pay when they bought lmao, Amelia didn't give friend discounts. If Pandora sold it for more than the actual price when Emmeline bought from them, that was nobodies business but her own ("she's just so obnoxious! Acting like she's so smart and perfect and pretty and kind and sweet and.. whatever, payback and all that" "..if you say so" "really I hate her" "..uh huh...")

Xeno was a huge client, Pandora didnt really know if he was buying all of it for himself or for his friends too, but he definitely was a major client. That's probably how they met/got close (in this au at least), drug dealer x stoner yk the deal. Eventually, Pandora and Amelia gave xeno a special discount and he probably ended up working with them for a bit too.

Amelia was a bit wary of Pandora at first because of her friendship with the slytherins, but eventually, she realized that the slytherins are just people, and Pandoras connections were actually better for potential clients.

Anyway yeah, Amelia and Pandora being very strategic, and very successful drug dealers and being those friends that know a lot about each other and talk a lot, but also don't really talk much outside of the classes and business they have together. Like work/class friends that get along real well but probably wouldn't hang out outside of class and work

This got a lot longer than i expected lmao, anyway tysm for the ask lovely moot, I get so happy on the rare occasion I get them

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geographerdose · 2 years ago

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Moon and appearance, pt. 2

🚨 I am a traditional astrology student and not a certified astrologer. This is for entertainment and my learning purposes only. Please do not copy or plagiarize my work. I’ve been procrastinating for years to get this out of my head, throw me a bone here. 🍖

🌝I learned that moon has an effect on appearance so I figured why not start with the moon-ruled risings? Libra - Pisces

⏰ clockwise by picture in description

cancer rising - libra moon: Vanna White, Joan Bennett, Kate Capshaw, Fergie

🌮they have the cutest noses ever, look at them all slender — I bet they’re a cute button nose from the side, lol. I had to look up Amy Adams to see if she had a Libra moon but she has a Virgo Moon/Gemini Rising so I think air influence helps to give good noses? This is purely hypothetical. (Also maybe Uranus-Ascendant aspects contributing to a **larger,/beefier/wider** nose?? 🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️ could be earth-water influence only or something too. Like yes Uranus-AC can do that but only on earth-water dominant charts or something)

🌷look how much trust is in those eyes. I feel like they’re looking at a long-term partner/friend or something, and all the secrets shared in such a connection? Idk maybe it’s just me.

🦁Noticeably great hair, similar to Leo 👩‍🦳

🪞Did they like practice getting their eyes open just the perfect amount? Because it seems like they did 😆 of course these are pictures found on GOOGLE so they are going to be objectively “good” ones. Unless you’re Kevin Spacey.

cancer rising- scorpio moon: Lisa Kudrow, Molly Ringwald, Star Jones, Lizzy Caplan

☀️their smiles are underrated, truly great smiles. They feel sincere

👀I feel like these are the types that people gaze and stare at because you kind of get lost in their eyes

🦂Okay hear me out; the noses remind me of the end of a Scorpio tail then have the structure similar to a three-leaf clover ☘️

😩I wish I could write more for them but they’re so mysterious, I just can’t get a read on them! I think it might be because Scorpio falls in my 5th house (next to the subterranean/hidden 4th) so it’s hard for me to *see* them. Similar to how I’m blindsided by Libras in my Cancer Enemies post. I just find myself like gazing off into their pictures wondering what to say. I’m sorry Scorpio moon.

🍵They all have a rounded square jaw shape I noticed

👀 remember how I said Virgo moon had the biggest eyes of cancer rising? I’m gonna have to give that to Scorpio moon here, followed by Sag moon, then Pisces moon then Cap moon

cancer rising - sagittarius moon: Anne Archer, Marcia Gay Harden, Judy Garland, Adele

🪷Looking at them makes ME want to smile, that Jupiter expansive energy introduced with the moon

🌩 also I get this strong feeling like I would not want to disappoint these folks. Like they’re so easygoing but could get scary really quick. Fiery energy baby.

👃Very prominent nose bridges and nostrils. Okay I know that sounds like it would be bad but CLEARLY it is not. They have beautiful noses, dare I even say regal? So much structure and power between that and the stronger eyebrows. [side note: Sandy Cohen (The OC, 2005) has Sag+Aries influence 100% —> that mf has the strongest eyebrows and nose I’ve ever seen]

📈You know how the symbol for Jupiter starts as a soft curve up then downward before the SHARP and straight line across? Before another vertical straight line intersects it to complete? Well… their faces are kind of sharp like that like but still soft, especially with the moon influence. It’s quite striking actually. Gorgeous bone structure but different than a Cap rising… wider. Which makes sense: Jupiter expands, Saturn restricts. I don’t mean wide in a bad way, obviously every single one of these women is gorgeous and still have fairly more narrow and petite faces still but somehow the features are spread wider, if that makes sense

👀 Big, beautiful eyes “yes the better to see you with!” 🐺🧣from Red Riding HOOD. that’s not from wizard of oz but I always got a red riding hood vibe from Judy Garland. Idk why but that wolf disguised as an old lady that says that and eventually says “the better to eat you with!” 🫣 came through. Idk I think it’s because Saggs have this reputation for being savage 🥊 but also my point being: they have big, clear bright gorgeous eyes

cancer rising - capricorn moon: Cher, Liv Tyler, Claudia Pandolfi, Kate Hudson

🐐 the cap moon bringing in a bit of that infamous **cap rising bone structure **��

🍗I feel like somehow this opposition with the moon being in its detriment in Capricorn and opposing the ascendant makes them✨ shine extra bright ✨

🍾They seem SO FUN. Like I just wanna go and party with them and I already trust them.

👃Okay these guys have prominent nose *sides*. Please share the technical term if you know if. Their noses kind of come to a point, similar to the Capricorn symbol ♑️ right? I love it. So much structure too and it’s a wider nose but it’s not like a big box. Just fking great noses, man.

🪞Bro their eyebrows are **on point**

🎢I know the other Cancer risings out there probably find themselves lingering on these ones? Because Capricorn falls in the seventh house and I read somewhere that you can stare at that rising sign forever. It is how I know when someone has Cap influence because I will find myself struggling to break my gaze from their beauty.

“…Like Christian, he always wants things beautiful and interesting.”

-Clueless, 1995.🚗🎾🏂

cancer rising - aquarius moon: Joan Allen, Teal Swan, Victoria Beckham, Cheryl Tiegs

🍵There’s this *dryness* to their look with the fixed air influence but it enhances that luminous matte “moon” glow

🤺Their eyes are smaller and more intense; they feel judgmental or something about them makes me feel challenged? Probably the Uranus influence.

🪴fixed moon gazes though, amirite? It’s like a panic thing: you look at them directly for too long and start to panic. This is exciting and endearing.

👄their smiles are so small and 3/4 are not showing teeth. I don’t think they smile that often. It’s the Saturn influence that makes them more restricted and tight-lipped.

👃 also have the cute button nose but less of a defined bridge as the Libra moon. It’s more smushed but obviously not like wide smushed just not as structured as Libra moon. Just so tiny and like petite. (Jealous, lol)

cancer rising - pisces moon: Cindy Crawford, Joni Mitchell, Sally Kellerman, Rachel Maddow

🧞‍♀️Ok do you know that made-cringey-due-to-being-overplayed song by Staind, So Far Away? I hear this song when looking at the cancer-rising / pisces moons because they don’t seem to be “here”. Off in the distance, as you might expect from a 🏳️‍⚧️ Neptune-ruled moon

🤧I think the cancer rising stereotype of looking like they just got done crying stemmed from Pisces moons

🥭It’s easier to look away when they aren’t looking at you, anyone else feel this vibe? It’s like the eyes hook you, and once you start staring, you can’t stop.

🤔there’s something intriguing about them and mysterious — I want to know more. I want to know what they know, what do they know? 🐴 Hollywoo Stars and Celebrities: What Do They Know? Do They Know Things?? Let's Find Out!🐴

👃 less structured noses of them all, which makes sense with Pisces being mutable water. There is zero structure to mutable water, only their inner core of values+beliefs. Same with their nose…. ☁️ except Im not sure what the inner core of a nose might be. I was going to say fantasies, then I thought emotions, then I got emo and thought **the emotions of the entire world they carry**

🐠wtf istg their noses look like the Pisces symbol ♓️ I can’t even make this sht up. Just look at how the *sides* sort of curve outward like that. Each nose is unique in the size, shape and how structured it is which I find very cool

🌈ALSO I think these are the types whose nose seems to change shape and appearance depending on the lighting, etc. maybe even their mood I swear haha idk I am super biased because I have this placement and I have always had problems with my nose so I’m lowkey trying to show myself some compassion and love here because I don’t want the other Pisces moons to feel bad about their noses. I love all their noses. And I think they should all take comfort in have unique noses because that means mine isn’t a great representation. Like we wouldn’t advertise John Wilkes Booth as the average American, would we?

#astro observations #astro notes #cancer rising #Libra moon #Scorpio moon #Sagittarius moon #Capricorn moon #Aquarius moon #Pisces moon #astrology and appearance

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markwatkinsconsumerguide · 4 years ago

Photo

Consumer Guide / No.111 / American musician, Barbara Markay, with Mark Watkins.

MW : Why decide (initially) to switch from making classical music to pop?

BM : It happened during my first year at Juilliard College toward the end of the school year. It was in their new building at Lincoln Center, and I was practicing the piano in one of their practice rooms on the 5th floor, which had windows and a beautiful view of the streets below and the whole Lincoln Center area. I was taking a little break, and was looking out the window and thought to myself that I should be down there experiencing life and meeting interesting people, instead of practicing piano all day long! I had gotten into the Juilliard prep department / pre-college division when I was 10 years old, and had been a classical pianist for a long time. Maybe it was time for a change!

After that day in the practice room, I started to think about this more and more, especially every time I got a practice room with a “window on the world” so to speak. I started to think about all those people walking around on the streets, and who among them was actually going to be interested in listening to classical music. I thought that I might be wasting my musical talent on my present studies as a pianist and composer, and that I was much more interested in talking to people and finding out what they were thinking and why they said and did the things they did.

I became more and more interested in writing lyrics, which turned into my first pop songs. I realized that I could communicate the music I had inside me via pop music better than just performing classical music, because I could write about the whole new exciting culture of the times with no narrow, preordained musical style restrictions, or older musical rules. I could write and say whatever I wanted to! It was a brand new world for me! And so much fun! I still appreciated and loved classical music, and graduated from Juilliard college at the end of the four years, but I was now writing these funny, risqué, pop songs, just piano and voice, and everyone I played them for loved it!

We had academic studies as well as music classes as part of our program, and one of these classes was English literature, which I suddenly was great at. I don’t know where this understanding of human beings came from, or my love for reading English literature, but one day my English teacher, Beatrice Taub (who also taught at Columbia University), asked me after class if I really really was sure, that being a classical pianist and composer was really what I wanted to do with my life, because I was exceptionally good at literature. She suggested that I might take some extension classes at Columbia University to explore it further, maybe transferring to Columbia eventually.

It was then that I realized that these songs I was writing were going to be a better career path for me because they involved both writing and music, and I got that encouragement to continue with pop music. There was also another class I took that the music students would take together with the actors, that also was encouraging me to continue to write pop music.

Some of the people in my class were destined to be really famous actors, and one of them was Robin Williams. I felt more at ease in this class because they were mostly all actors, and had broader interests than the music students, I felt. Robin asked me one day to play some more of my songs for him, because he wanted to do a show out of them. He said he just loved the humor and the music I had put to the songs. He said he wanted to do some kind of a musical review with it. He was very funny even then. Just a natural comic, but also a great actor. Nothing came of it at that time, but my songs were eventually made into many musical reviews years later.

That was the beginning of my pop musical career.

Christopher Reeve, Kevin Spacey, Christine Baranski (1974), Kelsey Grammer, Kevin Kline, Patty LuPone, William Hurt, and more, were all actors who were part of the new acting department at the new Juilliard building at Lincoln Center. Eventually, years later, they would put in a classical guitar department, and a jazz department, which would have been unheard of before the new building came into being. Before these new times, Juilliard considered classical guitar to be “folk” music, and jazz wasn’t even on their radar. I guess someone was thinking like me, and these other forms of music needed to be heard and expressed as well as traditional classical music. So I think it was in the 1980s they got Sharon Isbin (fabulous classical guitarist) to head up the new guitar department, and Wynton Marsalis to head up the new jazz department to get these new genres started at the new Juilliard.

So much for my very formative Juilliard years!

These early songs were part of my piano & voice comedy act that was very popular at the time. A lot of people compared me to being a musical Joan Rivers. ‘It’s All Rite’ was part of this set of songs. I went to the UK on vacation soon after graduating college, and met Lee Allen, a music promoter with Carousel Artists (I think that was the name of his company) who booked me on a college tour of England and Ireland. Eventually, I put a small group together and performed everywhere. I played at the New University of Ulster, Belfast, and I opened for 10CC at, I believe, Kings College in London, and played many other colleges as well. What a great time I had, and everyone really liked the songs, including the risqué ones! And I just loved England! But then it became time to return to the states.

MW : Where does your music fit in terms of categorisation / the music scene?

BM : It wasn’t until the mid-1980s that I started writing more serious pop songs, not the early comedy stuff anymore. That was just after I had put out ‘It's All Rite’, the 12” dance, salsa single version of the song, and it was such a huge international hit. After that, I got interested in metaphysics - the invisible world so to speak - and more philosophical and spiritual matters. I found my first and very great meditation teacher, Anne Elizabeth Cooper, in New York City, and studied metaphysics with her for two years. It absolutely changed my life! I developed a totally different point of view of everything! I started writing songs more along these lines, and also songs about how people relate to each other on deeper levels. I needed to grow as a writer and artist, so this new path I took expanded my views of life and consciousness level.

Some of my early pop albums like Change To Come and Heart Like A Song contain some of my favorite and most prized songs, like ‘Still Need You’, ‘Change To Come’, ‘I Am The River’ and ‘Fallen Angel’ from the Change To Come album. And from the Heart Like A Song album, my favorites are, ‘In The Silence’, ‘You Are What You Believe’, ‘Hands Of The Artist’ and ‘All That I Am’. You can tell by just the titles how I had shifted focus and had finally grounded myself in more meaningful songs that brought in a brand new audience.

After those two albums. I continued expanding to world beat grooves with the Shambhala Dance album, which won best dance/dub/club album of the year (New Age Reporter finalist 2005 Lifestyle music award!). ‘Atlantis’, the first cut on the album, got great reviews and lots of airplay, even today it’s still being played. It’s been called “a meditation through movement”, and, “an exotic voyage of mysterious flamenco, Asian and middle eastern melodies, full of powerful world beat grooves beautifully blended together to create an atmosphere of intense, vital emotions both sensual and meditative at the same time” (Wind and Wire magazine, April 2005, Bill Binkelman).

I continued exploring different styles with a meditation album, Heaven And Earth, which is a continuous 50 minute meditation. I got and still get a lot of plays in the yoga studios and meditation classes with this one and the Shambhala Dance album. But you can see how my shift to more metaphysical and spiritual music has carried me into these different, but related styles. I even composed a musical rendition of the ancient, venerated prayer, ‘The Great Invocation’, given to humanity by ascended Tibetan master Djwhal Khul. I have shifted styles as I matured and explored a more expanded and deeper understanding of what I wanted to express musically.

MW : How are you using social media to stream / promote your music on platforms such as Spotify, iTunes etc?.

BM : It’s great! You can see all of the albums and singles I’ve done on Spotify, iTunes, and the other streaming services right away. So can all the other artists who put content out there. Everyone had to switch to streaming for the great international exposure. There’s nothing like it!

MW : Two of your early records were banned. Did you set out to challenge the mainstream with titles ‘It’s All Rite To F*ck All Nite…’ and ‘Give Your Dick To Me’?

BM : I was never really “banned”. What happened is that I produced the first 12” dance single version of ‘It’s All Rite’, and took it to all the record labels, which were mostly all in New York at the time. Everyone absolutely loved the record! Everyone absolutely wanted a few copies for themselves and their friends. But nobody had the balls to put it out into the market!!!! They were all afraid of repercussions, censorship, and their reputations! So I decided that I would put it out myself, something nobody had done at the time! I thought the record needed to be heard. I found a pressing plant in New Jersey, who were fine with pressing it up, then I went to an art store and got some “press type” and designed my own album cover. I got a friend of mine to take a picture of me, and voila! I had an album ready to go. I had no monies to promote the record, only just enough to record it and press it up. I figured that if I could get it heard by some people, maybe I could get some interest in it and maybe sell a few copies.

At that time, in New York and across the whole country, there were record pools, which were organizations of DJ’s who played the music in the dance clubs. I sent a 12” record (CD’s hadn’t been invented yet) to a list of record pools around the country, and to my surprise, I got a great response. Everyone wanted a copy to play. It was a salsa dance groove, something kinda new for mainstream clubs at the time, but the song was funny and danceable so everyone liked it and wanted to hear it. This was a time when you couldn’t get any airplay without a record label behind you. It was payola all the way. But what I could get was club play, and these DJ’s kept asking me for more and more records. And now people were asking the DJ’s where they could buy the record. So I had to get a distributor to put the records into record stores.

By this time, the record was being played in most all the clubs in the United States, but with no place to buy it. My first thought was to go to Sam Goody, one of the biggest record stores in New York at the time, and see if they would sell the record. They said yes, showing me a copy of some dance/club charts they had in the store that said that the record was #1 on the charts!!!!! I had no idea about these separate dance/club listings and was really excited that it was already charting. But there were about five dance charts around at this time, and ‘It’s All Rite’ was #1 on all of them! It stayed #1 for about five or six months in a row! It was a sensation! This started in about May of 1978, or 1979, I think, and ran thru September. Sam Goody gave me the very hard to get whole window display of my record, so did Colony records, another big record store in New York City at the time, and the rest is history! Other record stores followed.

Soon I realized that I needed a bigger distributor, so I contacted several in all the sections of the US, like the South, the Midwest, North Central, East Coast, West Coast, etc. They kept asking me for more and more records. I couldn’t figure out where the records were going. So one day I called my local one stop guy in Long Island City, and he said they were all going overseas. I asked where overseas, and he said, “Everywhere! Especially Holland.” Apparently, 12 miles off the coast of Holland was a ship that had a radio station broadcasting from it, and they could play anything that they wanted. My record was the number one request! Nobody could do anything about it to stop them, because they were in international waters. 12 miles out!!!

Since this was my first big hit, I was inexperienced as to what I needed to do next. It wasn’t too much later, about December of that year, I got a call from WEA International in Holland (Warner Brothers, Electra & Atlantic records all together) who said they wanted to license my record. It sounded great to me, so I took the deal. They published it in Europe, South America, England, Japan, Asia, etc. and promoted it in all the clubs. And I finally got legitimate airplay on it, because on the “B” side I had recorded the “clean” version, called ‘It’s All Rite To Truck All Nite’. Lots and lots of airplay everywhere! Finally!

It became #16 on the Billboard pop charts in the Benelux countries, and #2 on the charts in Paris, Michael Jackson being #1 at the time. WEA asked me for another single to put out, and I gave them, ‘Give Your Dick To Me’, and that was also very successful. I did the same thing with the “clean” “B” side, ‘Give Your Flesh To Me’.

So the bottom line is that if you have a record that everyone wants to hear, nothing will stop it from being heard. The people decided they wanted to hear ‘It’s All Rite’, and it squeezed itself through the cracks to be a big hit. Also, it started a new trend in music of what could be heard and played. Several DJ’s told me that I had really done something BIG with that song. They said it changed the music business forever! It opened the door for new things to come into the market, and then the people could judge for themselves whether they liked it.

Now getting back to your original question about being censored/banned, I really didn’t have any criticism for doing the record. People just wanted to get a copy of it and enjoy it. And I didn’t set out to “challenge” the system. I was simply expressing my views on what people were really thinking, and I did it via a danceable, funny, comedy record. I was just having fun!

Now, a lot of people took it seriously, literally, and that’s ok. Everyone has their own interpretation of things. That is what Art is for. To make people think. And that is what, ‘It’s All Rite’, did. It made people think, laugh, dance, party, and feel good! Remember, this was a time when Lenny Bruce had set a new standard, Joan Rivers was on the scene, along with Richard Pryor, George Carlin, etc. By the time I came along I took it all for granted that I would be able to put this record out. I wrote it when I was 19 years old and still in college, so that’s what you write when you’re that age. I didn’t care at all what people would think about me or this song!

Nobody I was aware of wrote anything negative about this “outrageous” song. One of the many reviews I got for my act (when I was performing all my funny songs with piano & voice around town in the late 1970s) was from Michael’s Thing, an LGBT magazine, New York City’s #1 weekly entertainment magazine and “going out guide” with reviews, comics, of all the performances, Art in the city, new and noteworthy etc. which said about my act, “…...she (Barbara) makes you laugh while she stabs you in the back!” I got nothing but praise for putting this song out! The LGBT community loved what I had done and fully supported me, along with great reviews from the Village Voice, and a nice write up from Billboard magazine by Roman Kozak. I also played at Huey’s Bar, a gay men’s bar, on Hudson street (west side of New York city near the Hudson river) for several months, through that whole summer, just piano and voice. It was a big hit!

MW : Tell me about your involvement with Carly Simon’s Coming Around Again album?

BM : I was doing synthesizer programming for a few of the songs on the album. The arranger I was working with was doing some arrangements for her new album, and I got to do some of the synth programming. It was lots of fun to be involved and to go to the recording sessions.

MW : …and the Michael Jackson (BAD) video…. also include any thoughts on Jackson’s charisma, ability (song & dance)….

BM : I never got to meet Michael Jackson, but I did get to meet Martin Scorsese who was really really interesting! He was asked to produce the video for the song. He came up to the office one day to discuss what kind of extra scored music was needed for the BAD video, music before the song started, and after the song was through. He was very intense, a real thinking kind of guy, and someone who knew what he wanted. He also has a great sense of humor! He impressed me as someone who really knows people. Meeting Scorcese was actually more exciting for me than meeting Jackson as he’s a real character!!! A mature adult!

MW : You’ve worked with Bruce Willis as a backing singer. Tell me about those times … also include your views on his abilities as an actor turned singer…

BM : Bruce Willis is a really great actor, and can play almost any part. That includes as a blues singer. The show we did was as his backup singers (along with two friends of mine) for the opening of the new Hard Rock Café in Austin, Texas. It was a very long day, full of rehearsals on stage with the band, and waiting for Bruce to arrive. As we tested mikes and stage positions, we could see a huge crowd starting to form in order to get a good view of the coming show. The press was there, and reported close to 100,000 people waiting to see this opening.

Bruce eventually got there, extremely exhausted. By the time the show started it was dark out, and everyone was excited. Then came the big moment when Bruce Willis came on stage, and everyone went wild! The band started to play and he started to sing. I was shocked by how well he could sing, and put over a song. It was a real “performance”.

He may not have all the technique of a “professional” singer, but what he has is better. He can make you get into the song, feel the song, …it’s not really the voice but the performance that’s spectacular. So close up to me. I could really see why he’s considered one of the great actors of our time. Acting, singing and performing are all connected. And he puts it all together beautifully.

MW : Describe a typical weekend….before lockdown and during…

BM : Well, I used to love to go to the ocean and watch the sunset a lot, then meet my friends for dinner in one of the great restaurants by the beach or in town. Before lockdown there were great movies to see, not just at home (these days) but at the real movie houses. Plenty of them around in the “old” days. During lockdown everyone has to stream movies at home. At least streaming is safe!

I also used to like to work out at the gym, but you can’t do that yet, so I’m hoping that sometime in the near future that will become viable again. Sometimes it’s fun just to take a ride up pacific coast highway and breathe in the sea air and see the beautiful scenery. You can still always do that.

There are lots of farmers markets around town, so I always go on the weekends to shop for fresh, whole, organic fruits and veggies! That’s always fun, and sometimes I go with my friends too.

Eating good, fresh, organic foods is my entire “Health Plan”! You are what you eat! So far, so good! And I can do this all year long. And during this lockdown, we just all wear masks. It’s fun being at the farmers markets and seeing all the chefs from all the great restaurants in town shopping for their weekly recipes with those big shopping carts they push thru the market. They buy whole boxes of produce and everything else sold there.

MW : What is your favourite…Carly Simon single?

BM : I think that would be ‘Mockingbird’, especially the 2015 remaster. James Taylor sounds great on this, and the two of them together just fit together perfectly. This remaster is from Songs From The Trees (a musical memoir collection). I’m glad they did this, because this is a classic! You can hear all the instruments clearly, the voices are very present, and the whole thing is a pleasure to listen to. Musical tastes change, but the classics will remain with us from “gentler” times.

MW : AND your favourite… Bruce Willis film?

BM : (I can’t choose just one!)

The Whole Nine Yards : hysterically funny!!! I laugh every time. The Fifth Element is a real classic! I see it again every time it’s on TV. Bruce Willis is fantastic in that “deadpan” character he plays. And the score by French composer Eric Serra is superb. Hip, powerful, rhythmic, smooth, jagged, everything needed to match the screen scene.

But the music stands alone if you just listen to the score by itself without the movie. I think they sold a lot of the music score. The Sixth Sense - so powerful, and metaphysical! It’s right up my alley! And Bruce Willis has a knack for finding well written screenplays! That’s a big key to the success of the movies he’s in.

And since they’re so well written, he has an opportunity to really show off his talent and get into those great parts.

MW : AND your favourite… Michael Jackson album?

BM : I think I like the Thriller album the best. I love the songs, especially, ‘Beat It’, ‘Thriller’, and ‘Human Nature’. And it was so well produced by Quincy Jones, with pounding gritty grooves, and great songs.

MW : List, in order of preference, your Top 10 singles & albums of all-time…

BM : (I have the original CD’s of this music, and still call them CD’s, but I’m sure this music is all streaming/downloads by now!)

1. Famous Blue Raincoat: songs by Leonard Cohen, studio album by singer Jennifer Warnes: exquisite, perfect singing of songs with her crystal clear voice! What a superb collaboration this was! I wish they had made more albums together like this one! A true classic! When I first heard it I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! Songs so well written, songs with a real message, and so well sung and produced.

2. I also love Leonard Cohen’s, ‘Hallelujah’, sung by anyone! It gives me chills every time! Powerful and hauntingly beautiful! The best cover of it that I love is K.D. Lang’s version. (I think it was on her album, Hymns Of The 49th Parallel, 2004).

3. Bach: Sonatas & Partitas: violinist: Itzhak Perlman: The sub-title of this 2 CD set put out by EMI classics says it all: “Great Recordings of the Century”, which is aptly titled!!! I can listen to this album at any time, and it will put me into a deep trance. I can’t stop listening.

Itzhak Perlman is an absolute master of the violin, and these solo compositions are not only some of Bach’s finest works, but Perlman’s rendition of them is flawless. He understands what the composer was trying to accomplish, and every time I listen to this it feels like he is showing us the true soul of humanity! The longing, the passion, the “reaching to the Light”! The thing about this kind of classical music is its very high vibration! I think it does make you smarter!

4. Then we have Jorge Aragao and his live album entitled Ao Vivo (which means “live”). Another album I have listened to for years. He’s a Brazilian singer/songwriter, and the songs are all sung in Brazilian Portuguese. But don’t let that stop you from listening. It’s exciting, passionate and very well recorded. It has the whole flavor of Brazil in it! Recorded in 1999.

The last song is a great rendition of ‘Ave Maria’. A true classic! (I took a great vacation to Brazil for a month once in the mid-2000s and this album is the real deal! The Brazilians absolutely Love him!)

5. Edith Piaf: 30e Anniversaire 2 cd set (probably on all the streaming services by now). All the songs are beautifully recorded, written, produced and her voice is extraordinary and present. It gives you the whole culture and passion of the French. It always puts me at a French café with friends and great great food! If you’ve never heard Edith Piaf, it’s well worth a listen.

There was a wonderful movie on her life called La Vie en Rose which I also recommend to get the whole feeling of this music. And I listen to this music often, especially when I’m feeling like there’s no culture west of New York City! She saves the day every time!

6. John Lennon: Imagine: I think everyone knows this is a classic! It’s a positive message!

7. The Eagles: Hotel California the whole album, but especially the title song, ‘Hotel California’: It never gets old!

8. Bach: English Suites performed by pianist Andras Schiff: he’s a Bach specialist, and has a great insight into what Bach intended with this great recording: Part of my regular listening.

9. Buena Vista Social Club: it really gives you the heart and soul of Cuba. I think the reason this album was such a hit when it was first put out is the huge amount of heart, passion, and honesty it evokes. You can feel it’s the real deal. Nothing fake here!

10. And last but not least, two albums that were put out by Putumayo a while back, called Brasileiro and Samba Bossa Nova. They are compilations of several Brazilian artists and styles, including bossa nova, folk, light samba, and I think some other styles too, beautifully put together. They are calming, gentle, rhythmic and haunting, and a great way to wake up in the morning. So many positive vibes! So musical and unpretentious!

MW : Where / what was the best meal you’ve ever enjoyed and what was the company like?

BM : Well, all I can remember is that it was in a Paris restaurant, and I was taken there by a record company executive to discuss publishing my music through a Paris company. I remember she told me that the closer you get to Paris from anywhere in the world, the better the food gets!!!

And I wasn’t disappointed!

The meal was some kind of spectacular steak, mousse au chocolate for desert, and fine red wine throughout the meal. Cheeses for dessert! (that was more dessert after the dessert!) And it was the atmosphere and vibe, not just of the restaurant, but of Paris, and the French people and their culture that I found so fabulous! I love the French and they loved me back!!!!

MW : What can we anticipate coming from you later on in 2021?

BM : I’m currently thinking about something along the lines of my previous Shambhala Dance and Heaven And Earth albums. Worldbeat and with a sleek groove.

It takes time to compose something like that.

It will be announced on my website when it’s done. www.barbaramarkay.com and I will put it out on the streaming services / downloads as usual.

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a-piece-of-garbage · 4 years ago

Text

title: divine commedy

type: oneshot

characters: archangel gabriel; jesus christ (yes you heard me);

fandom: good omens

summary: upon having to tell an entire army of angels, and Jesus Christ himself, that Armageddon has been cancelled, the archangel Gabriel recieves some new information that reminds him how God works sometimes.

Contrary to most people’s assumptions, Heaven didn’t look like an open field of rosy clouds. It was rather the top floors of a very, very high building. As a matter of fact, like most things, it wasn’t that much different from what Monty Python portraited in The Meaning Of Life.

After people seize their existence on Earth, and manage to go to Heaven, they either leave the Purgatory court room and climb the escalators themselves, guided by angels, or - when they have the fortune to take the shortcut, - just find themselves at the entrance of one white and spacey reception room of what looks like an hotel.

And althought the angels there didn’t perform silly songs - most shows were more intelectual, - wearing tight collants, and breasts weren’t showing like in the movie; there were still nice angels, - not just female looking, and very much better dressed - and they were always ready to help new-comers and take care of the souls who now deserved to rest.

The archangel Gabriel, however, wasn’t crossing that white hall so he could spend time walking with children gone to soon, or chat with nice old people; althought he did take the lift to meet one specific person.

He let out a sigh, preparing himself for the rather inconvinient conversation he was about to have, and a second later, the lift doors opened and he saw Jesus Christ speaking with a beautiful woman.

“Hey,” Gabriel greeted them both who looked at them with a smile, “could I have a moment with you?” he walked toward Christ.

“Could you excuse us a minute, Pina?” he looked at Pina Bausch with an apologetic smile that meant she could go to the dining floor and eat that cupcake she had been craving, and they’d catch their conversation later after her show - which she returned with a happy one, walking to the lift.

“I understand how this must be annoying and inconvinient for you” started Gabriel, while Jesus’ brows lightly knotted together in confusion, “but I’m afraid I’ here to inform you the plans for Armageddon have been... uhm,... cancelled.”

“Oh, yes, I know that, She already told me” Christ said, pointing up.

Gabriel’s being pauses, and his eyes follow the man’s finger up to the ceilling and close, only to be wide open the next second.

“I’m…” he shook his head as if it was one big misunderstanding, ready to dismiss what the man in front of him just said with a smile that was too typical of him, “I’m sorry,” he sighed, “She told you what?”

“She told me” Jesus said in a second time, completely oblivious to all the complications running on the archangel Gabriel’s mind, “I wouldn’t be doing it, after all”.

There was another small and awkward pause before Jesus spoke again.

“Well, I thought, it shouldn’t be me the one to do it anyway, should I?” he said innocently, in a shy person’s tone trying to make a conversation.

“What?” Gabriel’s astonishment growth impressed himself.

“Well, I thought, it couldn’t be me the one to do it, could I?” Jesus gave a little chuckle, to which Gabriel responded, merely on instinct, with his own artificial one.

“Why not?”

“I’m part of the Holly Trinity” he said, a bit confused to why the archangel didn’t understand, “I’m literally holly. If She’s going to judge the human race, she might as well simply choose one of them to do it, right?”

Gabriel never was one to ask questions, but at the given moment, there were a lot of thoughts ending with question marks running through his mind - which he has always disliked.

“I don’t think I quite follow...” his smile appears once more.

“God decided a few things should be changed,” Jesus spoke calm and patiently, “maybe Armageddon wasn’t ready to happen yet.”

Gabriel was staring at him the whole time he had spoken. Although he had no clue, he was staring at Jesus the exact same way a 5th grader who had been sick for two entire weeks looked at his teacher as she explaining what would come up on their test next class. There was one difference between these too, however - the child’s ignorance was due to his classmates who failed to tell him about the test, while Gabriel’s was due to his own understanding of the Great Plan.

Gabriel knew how the Great Plan was written, as humans said, ‘like the palm of his hand’. He knew how it began, how it would end, how it had been in the middle of those two (the beginning and the end). He knew it backwards and forwards. He knew it word by word, event by event. He was sure God didn’t play games with the universe.

“Well, but you know how God works” Jesus told him innocently, “I’m sure you were aware of this?”

Gabriel’s annoyance was rather badly hidden with another of his smiles, yet good enough to relax the icon in front of him.

“I see” Christ smiled, “It’s probably the frustration...”

The archangel took a deep breath.

“‘frustration’ isn’t the word I’m thinking of...” he was right, it certainly wasn’t. The words that Gabriel was thinking of were mostly what parents whose kids are just learning about swears call ‘no-no words’.

“Oh” was all Jesus Christ said for a few seconds, “I see. I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything. You see, She didn’t even tell me who it would be.”

“Who?”

“She never got to tell me” he shrugged.

“No, no, who-”

“Oh, the human who’s supposed to take place in the High Judgement.”

“A human in the High Judgement?”

“Yes,” Christ nodded, “that’s what I was told it would change about Armageddon.”

“But-” Gabriel shook his head, still confused, “Wha- So let me get this straight,” he cleared his throat, “Armageddon has been postponed, meaning it will still happen, and a human will take place in the High Judgement.”

“Yes.”

Gabriel took a few moments to take all the information in, and process it. It wasn’t usual for him to go through that process. Jesus Christ stood silently looking at him, giving him time. He had never seen an archangel acting like that, but decided not to judge.

“She didn’t even give you, you know,” after a long breath, Gabriel’s little grin came to his face again “any details, a clue... about this…” he let out a sigh “human?”

“No, I’m sorry.”

Another sigh left Gabriel’s body, and he clap his hand together. Jesus was happy to see the archangel seemed to come back to his more confident attitude.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Gabriel smiled once again, and turned around to go assemble with the other archangels, who either were more informed than him, or were just as aimless.

#I wrote a thing #good omens #divine commedy

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darlingpetao3 · 5 years ago

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Strasberg v Stevens (Miles Strasberg x Reader x Ed Stevens)

Rating: G

Summary: You’re about to ask Miles out on a date, but end up mistaking him for someone who has a very similar face...

A/N: In honour of the new Darrow & Darrow next Sunday and my current/5th rewatch of Ed, I was in the mood to do a little crossover!

As if staring at the man through the window of the doughnut shop wasn’t weird enough, you had to be murmuring your little speech under your breath and watch it fly out into the crisp autumn air.

“Miles, hi,” you practice, “funny running into you here! No, no, he always comes here, there’s nothing funny about that.”

Today is the day you’ve finally decided to ask out district attorney Miles Strasberg after working up enough courage over several weeks of weighing it up. But the opportunity has arisen, and there he stands at the counter, ordering a doughnut and a coffee.

He looks different today. It’s like Miles has forgotten to coiff his hair the way he usually does. Instead, it’s got a different sort of height to it - in a stylized way of sticking up rather than swooping. Also, where are his glasses? Maybe he has contacts in today, but that’s usually not like him. Perhaps you’re reading too much into his appearance.

“Okay, here I go. No turning back now.”

The door chimes as you walk inside and you try to swallow your nerves. You approach the man at the milk and sugar station off to the side.

“Maple doughnut,” you observe his selection, “the perfect choice on a day like today.”

Miles turns to face you, and wow, he really does look different today. He grins at you, a boyish kind of smile and happy eyes.

“That was my thought exactly! I’ve always said maple was the quintessential fall flavour.”

“I thought that was pumpkin?” you can’t help but mirror his upbeat demeanour and match his megawatt smile. Is he normally like this? You try to scroll back in your memories for any evidence.

“Pumpkin is only perceived as quintessential,” he explains, “It gets all the attention from marketing execs. Pumpkin is the popular girl at school. Maple is the quiet, sweet girl in the corner of the room hoping you’ll notice her. I love me some maple.”

You laugh. There must be a ton of sugar in that coffee because Miles is being extra sweet himself. Your heart quickens at this interaction, which propels you forward into your speech.

“So, listen, Miles,” you start, “I was wondering-”

“Oh whoa, whoa, wait, I’m-”

The chiming entrance door interrupts you both.

You and the man you have obviously mistaken for Miles turn to find the actual Miles approaching. Grey suit, striped blue tie (to match his eyes), the coiff, and his signature black glasses perched on his nose.

Yep, this is Miles, alright.

Then, who is…?

“-Ed?” Miles says. “(Y/N)? Good morning. I see you two have already met.”

“Actually…” you say, wholly embarrassed.

“Not properly,” the man now known as Ed says. “She mistook me for you.”

Miles laughs. “If I had a nickel.”

“I’m sorry,” you pipe up, “am I missing something here?”

Ed makes the same adorable laugh. “Ed Stevens, nice to meet you. (Y/N), was it?” He holds out his hand and you shake it. It’s warm and oddly comforting.

“Yes. Hi, Ed. It’s nice to meet you too. Can I ask- were one of you cloned or what?”

The two men share an amused glance.

“Luckily that’s not the case,” Miles replies. “Ed is my cousin from Ohio. He’s a lawyer as well. Here on business.”

“You better believe it.”

Cousin, huh?

“The resemblance is uncanny, honestly,” you admit.

“We’ve gotten that a lot,” Ed confesses. He really does have an amazing smile… It’s like Miles’ but somehow distinctive at the same time. You’re not blushing, are you? Impossible… it’s Miles you’re crushing on.

“I think (Y/N) was wanting to tell you something though, when she thought I was you,” Ed continues.

Oh God.

Miles directs his attention to you, looking like the lawyering angel he is. “I’m all ears.”

Feeling the need to dig yourself out of an awkward-hole, you ditch the speech and come up with something else.

“Oh, I just wanted to wish you good luck with the trial today,” you half-lie.

“Ha ha! Yeah, he’ll need it,” Ed chuckles.

You tilt your head. “Why’s that?”

“Miles is going head to head with me in court.” Ed leans in to lower his voice to you, but loud enough so his cousin can still hear. “He thinks he can beat me.”

“I know I can beat you,” Miles retorts. “You’re just a small-town bowling alley lawyer.”

“Correction - I own a bowling alley and I am a lawyer,” Ed clarifies. “Two separate things.”

“You still own that place, eh?”

“I’d never let Stuckeybowl go.”

Okay, there’s not enough time to unpack all of that.

“That would be quite the scene to witness,” you say at last, imagining these two battling it out in court.

“You should drop by,” the ‘bowling alley lawyer’ offers to you, “then you can see just who the best lawyer in the family is.”

“Oh, she already knows it’s me,” Miles answers, and puts a hand on your arm. Miles’. Hand. On. Your. Arm. “Isn’t that right, (Y/N)?”

You stutter, then merely laugh. How on Earth did you get in the middle of this adorable-yet-hot lawyer sandwich?

“Maybe I will drop by city hall, then.”

Ed checks his watch before adjusting the strap of his messenger bag on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, I better get going. It was nice to meet you, (Y/N). I’ll see you around. I hope.”

Just as he goes to leave, the man shoots you a quick wink, so fast that you’re wondering if it even happened at all. It isn’t until Miles says your name that you snap out of your spacey state.

“Helloooo? (Y/N)? I asked if I can buy you a coffee while you’re here? Pastry? My treat.”

You give a long unintelligible “Uhhhh...” before somehow settling with a “yes, please.”

“What would you like?”

You think about it for a second.

“A maple doughnut, please.”

#reader insert #miles strasberg x reader #miles strasberg imagine #darrow and darrow fanfiction #ed stevens x reader #ed stevens imagine #ed fanfiction

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tvsmacktalk · 5 years ago

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You had to know this was coming. Kevin Spacey’s criminal case has been dismissed. It always seems go that way for wealthy, white actors, huh?

According to the legal docs, the sexual assault case was dropped “due to the unavailability of the complaining witness.”

In case you don’t know the story, the man (who was 18 at the time) claims Spacey repeatedly groped him in a bar. While being questioned by Spacey’s lawyer earlier this month, the alleged victim was “grilled over his cellphone and whether he deleted texts that were exculpatory for Spacey. He then took the 5th.”

The case started off strong back in 2016 when the man first made the claims. He worked at the bar Spacey was at and even had text messages he sent to his girlfriend while the groping was taking place.

But those texts ended up getting him in trouble because he refused to deny the fact that he may have deleted messages.

For what it’s worth, the victim’s mother claims she’s the one who deleted a chain of texts, but only to protect her son’s “frat boy activities,” whatever the hell that means.

So yeah, looks like Kevin Spacey is a free man now. Will this mark his return to Hollywood? Probably not, considering all the other sexual misconduct claims from his past, but I suppose it’s a small victory for him.

#kevin spacey

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thegoodcraicguide-blog · 6 years ago

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5 Cheap Concerts every student needs to attend this March in Dublin!

A blog for students who love all things music.

Are you a student looking to discover some new Irish music? Or maybe you’re fed up with going to Copper’s every week and listening to Despacito played on repeat. Do you want to find out about some concert’s happening this month in Dublin that won’t break the bank?

This is The Good Craic Music Guide, a blog for students who love all things music. I’ll be providing you with my 5 must go to concerts this March, whether you’re an Erasmus student looking for the best nights out or you’re from this Emerald Isle and are searching for a concert that’s in your price range.

1. TOUCAN

@toucanband

Type: Concert

Date: Saturday, 23rd March

Price: €18.95

Location: The Grand Social, Dublin

Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.ie/toucan-dublin-23-03-2019/event/1800562EAD2A2FF9

First up is TOUCAN, an Irish funk and disco inspired 10-piece ensemble that are definitely one’s to watch in 2019. Their unique bright funk-pop sound is an evenly weighted pendulum of big-brass slices and soulful guitar licks, while Conor Clancy, the lead vocalist of the band provides some beautifully delivered melodies that are guaranteed to get you humming. They play at The Grand Social on Saturday, the 23rd of March for the reasonable price of €18.95, a venue that is the definition of intimate gig. The venue is at the steps of the Ha’Penny Bridge and there is no need to go anywhere after the gig is wrapped up, as the bar downstairs is the perfect place to have a few nightcaps before you get that Nightlink home. The gig marks the one-year anniversary of their debut single “We Fell for Miles”, a summery track which reached as high as the number 4 spot on the iTunes singles charts. Check it out below and make sure to comment.

Check out TOUCAN here

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2. The Riptide Movement

@theriptidemovement

Type: Concert

Date: Saturday, 16th March

Price: €25

Location: Whelans, Dublin

Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.ie/the-riptide-movement-dublin-16-03-2019/event/18005641BC8E907F

Next up is The Riptide Movement, the critically acclaimed band from the capital. They formed ten years ago and have seen worldwide success with tracks like “All Works Out”, “Elephant in the Room” and “Changeling”. Their indie-rock sound draws comparisons to The Killers and Franz Ferdinand, but their live performances definitely stand alone. The group even care about the environment (even more reason to like them), as they aired a four-part documentary about the impact of plastic pollution on the environment that was coupled with the track “Plastic Oceans”. The gig itself is on the eve of St. Patrick’s Day and Whelan’s are celebrating 30 years of establishment, an amazing achievement. The band are set to release their fourth studio album and their gig in Dublin’s best intimate concert venue is guaranteed to be a good one.

Check out The Riptide Movement here:

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3. Irish Trad Session

Type: Irish Traditional Music Session

Date: Sunday, 17th March, St. Patrick’s Day

Price: Free!

Location: The Bleeding Horse, Dublin

St. Patrick’s Day is a date that many of us have marked on the calendar. It is celebrated across the world and this is very much the case in Dublin. So, where can you go and see a true Irish Trad Session that won’t break the bank? The Bleeding Horse, located on the top of Camden street is hosting a Trad session from 2pm to 4pm on Paddy’s Day and the cost of entry is free. A pint of Guinness will set you back €4.60 and the toe tapping is free. They are featuring some local musicians who are guaranteed to play a few jigs and reals that will surely please the crowd. But be warned, it is guaranteed to be busy so get down early to get a seat and take it all in. And remember, always drink responsibly. (Note: If that get’s too busy, head down to the International Bar where there is live music all day)

Check out some Irish Trad here:

youtube

4. Gus Dapperton

@gusdapperton

Type: Concert

Date: Tuesday, 5th March

Price: €20.83

Location: The Button Factory, Dublin

Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.ie/gus-dapperton-dublin-05-03-2019/event/1800557AE16076BF

Our first non Irish artist of the list, but too good to pass up, it’s Gus Dapperton. He’s an American singer/ songwriter who draws his inspirations from cinema and heartbreak. And he’s playing two nights in one of my favourite Dublin venues the Button Factory. He cuts his own bowl cut and his sound is completely his own. He goes against the norm of the modern day Popstar as his new wave, pop synths are paired with airy rhythm guitar that produce an 80’s inspired psychedelic dream. The intimate venue of the Button Factory is going to be the perfect backdrop for an artist that is slowly but surely making a name for himself in Ireland.

Check out Gus Dapperton below:

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Honey Dijon & Luke Solomon

@honeydijon

Type: Club night

Date: Saturday, 30th March

Price: €20

Location: Pygmalion, Dublin

Tickets: At the door on the night @10pm (Get there early!)

Pygmalion is hosting a special party with the London electronic music label Classic Music Company. The head of the operation Luke Solomon will be performing, as well as Honey Dijon, the American electronic music artist. She stays strong to her Chicago house music roots, but she does not put herself in a musical box, as she draws influences from all over the globe. She curates breath-taking cross genre sets and the opportunity to see her in Dublin’s Pygmalion really can’t be missed. Top tip, get down there early, door @10pm!

Check out Honey Dijon here:

youtube

Someone to Check Out: FOZSA

Luke O’Brien, a new Irish producer, songwriter and artist goes by FOZSA, and his fresh sound is truly exciting. He’s been dropping single after single and his electronic indie music is as dreamy as it is impressive. The sensual textures and spacey vocals create a buttery sound that is as smooth as it is catchy. And not to mention he creates all of his music from his bedroom. Keep an eye on FOZSA and check him out below!

youtube

Comment Below!

Make sure to comment your own recommendations and experiences and use the #goodcraicmusic to be in with a chance to be featured on next months blog post!

#goodcraicmusic

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farsight-the-char · 7 years ago

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My characters: Jacqueline Edward

Part of my dream 40k game, she is a former Rogue Trader.

Born to nobility, she yearned for adventure. Gathering enough funds to finance a ship and crew, she explored the stars and made a fairly decent name for herself as a Rogue Trader. 2 problems came up however. She started using a bit to much of her funds on recreational drugs and her crew both questioned her leadership and aspired for more profit and influence then what Jacqueline would risk.

Her crew rebelled after an encounter with a meeting with an Eldar Corsair went wrong. The leader of the rebellion her first mate Roberts who had gotten her addicted to drugs and secretly sabotaged her at many intervals (including the inciting meeting with the Eldar) in order to get control of the ship. Thankfully for Jacqueline they were in Balder IV’s vicinity so she jumped ship in an escape pod and hid out on Balder IV when the rebellion started.

You recruit her late in the game, probably the 5th or 6th recruited. Her recruitment mission is you catching her after she sneaked aboard your drop ship. She tells you she just wanted to get off world. You are given the option to space her but before you can her old ship, now thoroughly corrupted by Slaanesh, appears and it drags your drop ship in with a fucking tentacle. One of your companions is knocked out, and you, Jacqueline and another companion must fight your way free.

After proving her combat ability, she offers to join your retinue to prove her non-involvement in the heresy that her crew partook in as well as earn her passage out of the Balder system.

Her loyalty is earned via trusting her and getting her to kick her drug habit. Distrusting/billeting her will cause her corruption to go up, and so will not resolving her drug habit. If her corruption maxes out she will fall to Slaanesh. Her loyalty missions go through pretty quick and is the shortest loyalty plot line, but her corruption goes through pretty quick as well. Doing her plot-line as soon as she is acquired is how she is meant to be done.

In terms of game-play she has a stealth cloak, a shotgun and a pair of power swords. Her CRUDE AUDACITY ability gives her sneak attack basically. You choose an enemy, she will cloak and wait for it to be distracted. When it is she will sneak up on it and blast it point blank with shotgun blasts or stab it. She unlocks digital weapons as she levels up and her story line buffs your own CRUDE AUDACITY.

As a romance option she is here for those who want a pirate GF or a punk GF. Like all LI in this game they are available to all genders.

Clever, ambitious, thrill seeking and a bit spacey, she is a privateer in her own words, although she would be a bit more of a pirate in others. An individual seeking redemption, you must grant it to her lest she fall to her vices.

#rogue trader #pirate #warhammer #warhammer 40k #writing mode #dream 40k game #my characters #5 done 1 to go of the companions #will do him soon #have questions about the game #or my characters #ask me

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imbuity · 4 years ago

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“no I’m not, I’m sorry”

You check the words on your wrist as soon as you wake up, a daily ritual. You’re fairly certain, after spending so many years contemplating in what scenario these words could possibly be the first thing someone says to you, that one day you would mistake your soulmate for someone else. You regularly wondered what name your soulmate had on his wrist, and what he possibly thinks that it means. He must do a double-take every time someone calls out a name at the local coffee shop. Or perhaps, he plays it smooth and waits for a memorable moment, never breaking a cool outward demeanour whenever someone yells a name. Or maybe he’s spacey, and never pays enough attention to the world to notice how many times a day people call out to their friends.

You do, though. You notice everyday how many times people get the attention of those around them. Sometimes, you witness the meeting of two souls this way - though celebratory in itself, you feel a particular attachment to these chance encounters. You count yourself among them, if you can only be patient.

Your siblings have all met their soulmates, even those younger than you. It is embarrassing to be waiting so long, even more than it is lonely. Your mother reminds you that it takes time, that all goes according to plan, and though you rationally know it to be true, that doesn’t take away the ache in your heart that you know is one day to be filled. Any day now, you’ll find your other half and understand why everyone who has already done so can think of no one else.

You finish your morning, and lock up your apartment as you leave for work. While not in the best area, it is in a clean building and rented out for cheap, so you have no complaints. You approach the bus stop just as the two people waiting inside hold up their wrists to each other. One looks on in shock and awe, glancing from his wrist to the face of his soulmate and back again. The other smiles shyly, not yet able to decode if the shock is favourable or not. Soon, she will know this expression and all his others like the back of her hand. They will spend a lifetime of happiness together and know that it was all foretold. You smile at them as you steal their spot in line for the bus.

Your day passes uneventfully. When you ask the woman waiting by the building-wide coffee machine if she is in line, she responds, “Oh, no, I’m not, sorry.” You flinch, but it is not verbatim what is on your wrist, and you pull a polite smile as you pour your 5th cup of the day. She does not seem to notice your gloom.

You leave the office late, just as the sun is setting. You feel the early beginnings of hunger pangs in your stomach, and wonder if you can make a quick grocery run before dark. You doubt it, but the call of frozen pizza is too loud to ignore.

You hop off the bus, frozen pizza and other groceries in hand, just as the last vestiges of sunlight leave the sky. You cross the road to your apartment complex, and as you look down to pull out your keys, you hear a loud bang from down the block. It is followed so immediately by a scream that the echoes of both intertwine with each other. You run towards the sound, pulling out your phone to call for help.

The shaky streetlamp in the alley a few feet from your complex illuminates a pulsing lump on the ground. You run over and watch as the lump forms into a man, clutching his abdomen and groaning as blood pools around him. He is conscious, but barely. You kneel down beside him and at once know that he will die. There is far too much blood already. Nevertheless, you press the emergency number into your phone and listen to the short, sharp ringing.

His eyes meet yours, wide with pain and fear, before darting away, and away again, frantically. You have to console him, so you say the most comforting lie you can think of as you try to keep his attention: “hey, hey, you’re going to be ok, I’m here.”

His eyes widen further, and you hear the operator of the emergency line answer. You tell them where you are as you press your free hand onto the still-gushing wound on his stomach. When you place your phone on the ground, the man finally finds his voice to answer you. He replies in a feeble whisper:

“no, I’m not, I’m sorry.”

You freeze as your gazes lock. He holds up his wrist for you to see, an action that seems to take all his strength. In small print, in that unmistakable font:

“hey, hey, you’re going to be ok, I’m here.”

#shoutout to all the fanfic in the kpop tags i follow that i endlessly scroll past for reminding me of the soulmate aus #drabble #soulmate!au #i tried to make this as gender neutral as possible but it still comes off as pretty heteronormative #also #it is bad #but thats ok #i am just practicing #imbuity #saves

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gigsoupmusic · 5 years ago

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BBC Radio 6Music Festival - Review - Camden (6th-8th March 2020)

It’s probably safe to say that not everybody who listens to 6 Music likes everything they play, but it’s almost certain that all the listeners are united in their unconditional love of 'proper' music. In that spirit, the offering at this year’s BBC Radio 6 Music festival is a veritable smorgasbord of musical genres, each artist contributing their own distinct flavour to the musical feast. Opening the festival, black midi meander between delicate fingerstyle melodies and thrashing, aggressively distorted guitar. They are chaotic and slightly unsettling, though hopefully not too brash so as to scare off the fans expecting to see Michael Kiwanuka later that night - this odd line-up juxtaposition testament to the versatility of 6 Music and its listeners. The band’s powerful vocals emanate from a largely static Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin, while conversely, on the other side of the stage drummer Morgan Simpson goes to town on the drum kit whilst delivering a brilliantly tight and complex performance.

Nadine Shah, drafted in to fill a gap left by the laryngitis-stricken Michael Kiwanuka, has a soulful voice, and her music is slower, more sultry. The band’s sound is a somewhat exotic infusion of middle-Eastern influences in the sitar-like guitar riffs and complex drum patterns - Shah has talked about her father’s Pakistani heritage and its influence on her music. Thrilled to be on stage to kick off her 'residency' (she will also open the closing night of the festival on Sunday evening) she also sends her best to Michael Kiwanuka for a speedy recovery - have a lemsip on us, Mikey! The last artist in the Roundhouse on Friday night is the wonderful Brittany Howard; a vibrant and joyful soul singer set against a classic Americana backdrop. Howard’s amazing falsetto ad-libbing dazzles against the choral backing, much like her glittery shawl against the dusty orange backdrop. She holds her own as headliner in Michael Kiwanuka's absence with a more jubilant, celebratory sort of soul music; very much what the doctor ordered.

On Saturday in Dingwalls, Jordan Rakei delivers a startlingly raw set with record-perfect precision. Rakei's voice is used as an instrument, his beat-box like percussive breaths punctuating his silky smooth flows. The band too are tight, and super precise, but not lacking in flexibility. There are melodic similarities to the likes of Fat Freddy's Drop, hinting at Rakei’s New Zealand influence. One of Jordan’s guests on stage is the inimitable Loyle Carner with his signature hushed vocals and gentle swagger, together the duo perform their hit ‘Ottolenghi’, Carner’s appearance makes the crowd go wild and their performance doesn’t disappoint. Grammy-winning pianist Robert Glasper kicks off his set with a dazzling Radiohead cover, putting his own New-York-Jazz spin on their distinctly British sound. Glasper and his band create a rich narrative; sonic layers phasing in and out to guide the listeners along on a musical journey. Together their sound is expansive, with plenty of jazzy improvisation thrown in for good measure.

Later that night in the Roundhouse Sackler Space The Orielles take to the stage. They look like they're straight out of a 70's music video, striped sweaters and flared jeans a plenty. Lovely crunchy bass and swimmy vocals abound in a performance that resembles a pick’n’mix of musical styles with cascading 80s synths, grungy 90s rock and everything between. The erratic and disjointed 'Rapid Eye' paints a vivid dream sequence with shimmering guitar and quirky percussion, toy-like laser sounds adding to the quasi-nostalgic feel of the band. The Big Moon start their set with a live radio broadcast on 6 Music, with a little help from DJ Tom Robinson, who warms up the crowd and introduces the band. Again, this is genre bending music, much like the Orielles but more fluid. Juliette Jackson’s husky vibrato vocals float over the band’s rolling rhythms whilst punchy synths create a dynamic, spacey atmosphere. All four of the women have amazing voices and they make full use of their abilities with some delightful, uplifting harmonies.

On Sunday, again in Dingwalls, Ghostpoet delivers an electrifying performance - his body is an extension of the music as he twists and flows with the melody. Dark and twisted, his sound borrows from a diverse catalogue of influence, from heavy metal to trip-hop. He also debuts a new song ‘Nowhere to Hide' - a song that builds on an escalating tension, pierced violently by eery, cinematic strings. It is a powerfully intimate performance that goes hand-in-hand with the intensity of his music. Not long after, The Hot 8 Brass Band, the textbook example of creating joy through music, give a jubilant performance that gets everyone moving. In a double-whammy shout-out they perform an Amy Winehouse cover to celebrate the late artist’s life in her old stomping ground of Camden whilst also celebrating international women’s day. This performance is a treat, the bright and bold brass lifting the spirits of the crowd.

Closing the festival in the Electric Ballroom are the indie stalwarts Bombay Bicycle Club; the masters of turning quotidien melancholy into excitable, upbeat anthems. Having returned from a 5-year hiatus to release their 5th studio album in January this year, the band have been gigging non-stop, though evidently this hasn’t tired them out. Their performance is gentle at first, but builds to a fever pitch as they turn to their older tunes; bound to put smiles on the faces of the thinning-haired indie kids amongst the crowd. The snarling bass-solo in ‘Overdone’ sets the ballroom alight, and the vibrant, fruity melodies of ‘Luna’ get the room dancing. The festival draws to a close, but 6 Music very much lives on - and as well as continuing to serve up musical cocktails to its loyal listeners, fans will be able to listen back to recordings from the festival on the BBC sounds app. All photos by Rob Waters. Read the full article

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