#the most i've done on my own is a day trip into nyc | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hwrryscherry · 3 years

Text

The one with the New Year’s Eve

characters: HARRYxMODEL Y/N

blurb: It’s Dec 31st, 2020 and this is the first time since they started dating that Harry and Model Y/n won’t be traveling for New Year’s Eve but an outing to the Rockfeller Center may be all they needed.

word count: 4.6K

author’s note: HI GUYS!!!! So first of all I wanna say MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone🥳🥳 I know I've been MIA BUT I had a major writer's block and it felt so bad and I couldn't finish this blurb even though I was trying so hard. Anyway, here it is and I hope you like it as much as I do. I also want to say that the reason why I closed my requests it's because we're starting a new year and I want to release all of my requests before receiving new ones. I'm excited for 2021 and I hope it brings all the peace that 2020 didn't. And I'm also very excited to see where 2021 will take Harry and Model Y/N's relationship🥰 Anyway, Happy New Year everyone, I'm so grateful for the support I've been receiving about my writing. I see all of you and I appreciate all of you. THANK YOU!!!♥️♥️♥️♥️

— Can I wear this? — You’d ask looking at Harry while holding one of his dress shirts that was light bluely, with some navy blue strands in it up in the air showing it to him. It's an old shirt, though. You remember buying it for Harry in your first year of dating and you also remember probably wearing it more than Harry himself.

Harry was sitting by the couch on the living room of your NYC apartment. After spending such a magical time with your families in the French Alps, you both decided that spending christmas with your family was more of a priority than going on your annual new year's trip and that's the reason why you and Harry decided to come back to the USA and after being in LA for so long, New York just felt like the perfect choice. You like Los Angeles, but New York hit different. You loved everything about NY, and you loved the memories and story you created to yourself in NY and that's why you'd choose NY over LA without thinking twice.

Anyway, Harry was in the couch using his personal phone what made you assume that he's probably talking to his mom or Gemma because it's already 2021 in London and Cheshire, and unlike him, you had already sent Gemma and Anne a text earlier today because they knew that you took hours to get ready even though you're not even preparing to be "glamurous".

Harry had his pink velvet pants on and a white shirt over it, and only complementing with his vans. Not the old "white" one with the pink shoelaces that he wore everywhere, including in the Vogue cover. Tonight he was wearing the good traditional vans. That one, that is black and have the Vans icon in white. And you couldn't smell from the spot you were but you could assure yourself that he was smelling like heaven, as he always does with his perfect hair that has just been washed, his freshly shaved beard and his nails, that even though wasn't painted by a professional, you can be proud of your job and honestly, so could Harry, because he really loved that you did his nails for him and even matched with yours. Otherwise, you were using a black baggy jeans and a bra because as always, you were procrastinating for too much time and had to get ready when Harry was already ready. A typical night out for both of you.

Harry lifted his head to analyze your figure in front of him and the cloth piece you had in your hands as he listened to your voice and question directed at him.

— Sure! — He answered your question getting his attention back to his phone right after speaking. You sighed and calmly walked towards the man on the couch and sit besides him what brought his attention to you. You rested your right hand upon his thigh and then rested your chin on his right shoulder and stared at the boys captivating green eyes.

— You're alright? — You asked with a low voice tone giving the boy a tender smile. Harry looked kinda sad, not sad, he seemed a bit down and whenever you noticed he looked like this you would usually get worried about him because you just care and love him so much that you never want to see him in anyway but happy.

— Yeah, I am! — Harry said, but it sounded more like a whisper or a murmur and you kept your gaze at him waiting for him to tell the truth and he sighed letting out a chuckle. Sometimes he'd just forget about how great you knew him. He'd look to his feet upon the grey carpet of your living room and then back at your face on his shoulder — Just feel bad, ye' know? If we were in other circumstances we'd be with our friends or family having the most fun in some place around the world — He'd tell you as he widens his eyes a little and you felt his muscles tense under your hands — It's not that I won't have fun just with you, love — He'd now complement making you let out a small chuckle at his words because of course you understood exactly what he was saying even though you didn't say anything yet — It's just different, like, there won't be having any shows by the Times Square and all that stuff and I wanted it to be fun for you.

— So...you're worried about me not having fun tonight? — You'd ask him with an ironic tone and raised eyebrows lifting your chin from his shoulder and staring at his face. Your mocking expression and tone was based on the irony f the situation because earlier today you were talking to him about how most of the times that you were together you just felt like you could be stuck in a room with him forever and it would be the funniest thing you've ever done.

— Kinda! — He'd murmur deflecting his gaze from yours until he listened to you let out a giggle which made him look immediately at you as he tried to understand why you were laughing and if you were mocking at him for being that worried about something very silly.

— Harry...how could you even think that? I’ll always have fun with you! — You'd say lively with a smile on your lips and then take a deep breath while you finished forming the words you were about to say in your mind — It's been such a long and hard year and we had some amazing moments and some really bad moments but we're here. We're alive, we're healthy and most of all, we're here together and believe me, even if the world ends by the time that clock turns midnight, there's no other person I'd rather spend the end of the world with — You'd say making a little fun of the "end of the world" conspiracy that you've read previously on that same day and couldn't help giggling with Harry as you'd hear that same angelic sound coming from his mouth. You'd take your hand that was upon his thigh and grab his hand taking it to your lips giving a slight kiss to it feeling the cold metals of his rings against your cheeks and then you gave him a tender smile — Don't worry about it, it'll be great! It will be more than great, it'll be exquisite!

— Alright, alright! — Harry'd say with the cutest smile on his face. That type of smile that you could feel his happiness through it. Now he took your hand to his lips and gave a peck in it — You should finish getting ready though, weren't you the one that was dying for pizza and burgers? — Harry’d tell you mocking at the fact that you've been talking about wanting to eat pizza and burgers from NYC for the past three days in a row and how annoying you were being about it. And with his comment you'd fastly stand up with the shirt in your hands and look at him with a cheeky smile in your face.

— I'll go, I'm sorry for being the best girlfriend in the world and use my time to comfort you! — You'd say ironically as you walked back to the bedroom listening Harry's laugh and a "You're forgiven" being loudly said by your boyfriend.

— By the way, I don't think you should go out only with that shirt because it’s freezing outside! — Harry said on a loud tone from the living room and you'd look up to the big glass window in your bedroom and realizes that he was right. It was probably 32 °F outside and only this shirt wouldn't make you warm enough, so you'd walk to the closet placed in your bedroom and take a dark grey long sleeve blouse and dress up before complementing with Harry's dress shirt and taking out of the closet your brand new leather jacket that you gained from Gemma on christmas day, remembering how perfect it was becase Gemma knows you well enough to know that you'd love it when she bought it. And lastly, you put on shoes that looks more like boots. And finally, with your jacket and your bag in your hand you walked into the living room after turning off the bedroom light.

You were completely ready when you'd step in the living room with your phone in your hand getting all the attention from Harry that immidietely stoped using his phone to admire you. One of the things that Harry most loved in you is that you don't need to put on the most glamurous outfit or makeup to look stunning and you knew that. You knew that you were beautiful in your own way and if you felt like glamming up, you'd be gorgeous and if you didn't feel like it, you'd still be gorgeous. Harry admired your tomboy styled outfit. He'd admire how your hair fell upon your face as you finished typing on your phone and how you'd use your hand to put a strand of hair behind your ear, giving to him the vision of your gold earrings that was also a previous birthday gift from him. He'd admire the fact that both of your nails were painted the same color because you only had one good nail polish to use so you'd go out matching nails color. He'd admire how the delicate golden rings on your fingers would sparkle because of the light in the room and he'd notice too how your face looked pretty with the small amount of makeup you had putten on your face for the night and he could only imagine how great you smelled now with the one perfume you use since the day he met you and he'd remember how much he loves that scent. He loved everything about you. He loved even the small things about you that stressed the shit out of him. He learned to love your annoying habits just as much as he loved the precious little things about you.

Harry would stand up from the couch putting his phone on the inner pocket of his black coat as he walked towards your distracted self on the phone. You'd only notice him when he'd stop right beside you looking at your figure. You'd stop looking at the screen of your phone and lift your head up a bit to see the man's smiley face beside you. He was silent and it seemed awkward so you'd let out a chuckle and frown a little at him.

— What are you doing? — You'd ask him holding a mistrusting look on your face as you waited for him to pronouce anything as a response.

— I just think that you look really pretty and I love you! And your hair looks really pretty, though — Harry would say quietly with a tender smile on his face as he listened you murmur a "aw, thank you, love!" with the biggest smile on your lips. He knew how much you loved when he compliments your hair so he'd do it often just to make you smile this big. He'd use his hands to cup your face and lean in a little to give you a peck in the lips — Let's get going! Where do you want to go first?

— Honestly, I wish we went to The Greens at Pier 17 because it looked really cute this year in the pics I saw — You'd tell him as both of you walked towards the door and left the apartment walking to the elevator as you both put on your masks. Your apartment was situated in East Village so depending on the place you'd choose to go, it would take you a while to get there and that's the reason why neither of you had enough patience to drive in NYC, specially on a night like this one because the traffic in New York can be considerated out of this world.

— Isn't it open? — Harry would ask pressing the elevator button to take you to the lobby of the building and feel as the elevator started to go down with both of you in it.

— No, it was between 6 and 10pm, I guess! — You said pressing your back agaisnt the elevator wall as you felt it going down. It's crazy, but whenever you enter a elevator you think about what would happen if it starts collapsing, yes, it's weird — But all I want is to eat a pizza from East Village Pizza because I haven't eaten it in ages — You'd complement letting out a chuckle feeling the elevator stops at the lobby floor.

— Alright, we can go eat pizza and just hang out! Will you be meeting Bella? — Harry said as the elevator door opened giving both of you the iluminated vision of the streets lights coming through the big glasses in the front of the building. You and Harry walked past the porter and both of you smile at him and waved before leaving. You both are very familiar to Toby, the porter of your building and that's the reason why you'd wish him a Happy New Year before leaving, and you also have lived in this building in the past 5 years probably.

— No, she’ll spend it with her family. They’ll all spend it together because of the baby, I guess — You'd answer him feeling the freezing air run through the skin of your face at the moment you'd step in the street. You'd notice the wet floor underneath you because it rained the entire morning and the beginning of the afternoon, there was no resting sign of the snow that happened some days ago but you could definetly still notice the past rain, specially because of all the christmas lights that iluminated the streets now.

You and Harry walked your way to the East Village Pizza because it was really close to your house which at this moment seems amazing but it's not. It takes you a lot of control to not dine their pizza everyday though. Pizza it's pizza, if you don't like pizza you can't even be consideraded a human being, just saying.

You and Harry could notice the few people leaving their houses as you walked, and some of them were already by the streets though. The thing is that the big New Year's Eve attraction in New York is the Ball Drop in Times Square and this year is not allowed to have a crowd in there so the streets wasn't completely crowed and honestly that made you feel a little better. It's just that paranoic feeling that when you're around a lot of people you start thinking that one of them is infected, probably everyone during this pandemic had felt like this at some point.

By the moment you and Harry arrived at the pizzeria and ordered your slices of pizza Harry couldn't hold back his laughs at your liveliness that you also couldn't hold back for finally eating your pizza. The place wasn't as crowed as it used to be at this time of the night and that's why you and Harry could take a sit in one of their empty tables. You and him would talk about silly things. You both would talk about the ending of Gossip Girl that you had just watched this afternoon because it was shocking to both of you. You'd talk about the songs you just added at your playlist and you'd talk about what you wanted to do tomorrow on the first day of the year.

— I don't accept any other plan that you can make but if it's to stay cuddling in bed with me all day, love — Harry would say and you'd giggle at his words. He had a point though, because you couldn't imagine anything better to do tomorrow than stay cuddled up in bed under the heavy blankets with him all day long; maybe watching a movie or starting a new tv show together as you just finished gossip girl, you'd probably starts Bridgerton because you have already read the books and you loved it. And then take as many naps as you wanted. It sounded perfect and he knew you just couldn't resist to it.

It didn't take too much for both of you to eat your pizza slices and as you ate it, Harry would take tons of photos from you all smiley eating your pizza while dancing to a random song that was playing in the background of the pizzeria. Harry loved to take random pics of you and he'd do it everytime he had a chance, which was quite often. But he did it because this way, whenever he was away and his heart ached missing you, he could go on his gallery and see all the random pics he has from you and in some way feel closer to his girl and god, so did you. Even though none of you shared the millions of photos you'd have of each other's in your phones, it felt so good to have them with you whenever you needed it to make your hearts warmer.

...

— Alright but, do you think that Brad and Angelina slept together before or after he and Jen "broke up"? — You'd randomly ask Harry as you both left the cab that was taking both of you to the Rockefeller Center because a walk from East Village to Rockefeller Center would be a hell of a walk. You both felt the christmas lights on your faces and your eyes were glowing because of them and you couldn't think of a prettier thing in this moment. It wasn't your plan to celebrate the New Year's Eve in New York and actually, the last time you've celebrated it in this city was about four years about before you even met Harry. And honestly, it just feel really cool to go ice skating in Rockfeller Center and then later go dinner somewhere and starts 2021 with a person that you really loved and appreciate on a city that you really loved, and maybe this wasn't what you planned but it was what you needed.

— They definetely were! — Harry said almost immidietely making you let out a loud laugh over his comment. You love when Harry gets into his gossiping mode, it's probably the best thing ever. He doesn't do it much when he's sober, but when he's drunk he'd just say everything you ask him and that's usually really funny, expect for sometimes when he'd tell things that are supposed to be a secret — Just look at their movie together. You could see the sexual tension and no one will convice me otherwise!

— I know but he had a sexual tension with all his co-stars! Don't you remember Legends of the fall? He had a sexual tension with his brother's fiancé that later marries his other brother — You'd argue back to him as making your point. You and Harry are definetely the "Netflix & Chill" type of couple, and as in quarantine you stayed home, you and Harry watched tons of movies on netflix and you'd always take your time to discuss them pretty often. Movies, music and books are the things that fullfill both of your souls the most and that's the reason why you'd often get caught up on discussing the things you've saw.

— It wasn't sexual tension, it was chemistry. It's different, love! — Harry'd argue back throwing his arm upon your shoulders as you both walked closer to the small line of people that were waiting to go ice skating. And you'd stop walking as realizing that you and him just arrived at the right spot and as you waited on the line of the ice skating, you had your back pressed on Harry's chest as he hugged you from behind to take the cold away as you talked. It was a nice time where you could just catch up about your thoughts while admiring the christmas lights and the people on the rink, and if you must confess, laugh a little about the people that couldn't ice skate. Harry told you about his plans to release the Treat People with Kindness music video tomorrow and talked about working with Phoebe Waller-Bridge and had to deal with your drama about not meeting her for what it seems like the millionth time, but you did make it pretty clear to him that you were so excited about the video because you haven't watched it yet because you wanted it to be a new year's surprise to you. You told him about how you missed walking the runaway and everything you want to do in 2021 in your professional career and also personal life, like the books and movies you wanted to read and watch and the places you wanted to visit.

Anyway, it didn't take you long to get on the ice skating rink, and it also didn't take you more than two minutes to start regretting it. You were clearly not the best skater in the world. You weren't even 50% good; reasonable, would be the right term. And so, when you didn’t have the ability to move gracefully and lightly across the ice, and instead had to skate by holding on to the bars or Harry's arm and then after, having Harry insisting on trying to let you skate alone and then having you to crash into on the floor, Harry couldn't help but laugh. The boy laughed so hard, in a way where he couldn't even breathe properly from laughing so much, and you couldn't contain your own laughs either. Of course, Harry helped you up and then asked you a thousand times if you were okay and you hadn't been hurt, but the scene was just too fun at the moment not to laugh and you'd admit it.

At around 11:20 pm, you both retired from the skating rink as your time was up and then, you walked away from the short line to the ice skating rink getting a little far away from the line. You used your right hand to move some strands of hair from your face as Harry carefully looked at you.

— You're sure you're alright? — Harry asked one last time making you glare at him with an annoyed look at your face becase he had already asked this about forty times now. He'd shrug his shoulders and put his hands inside the pockets of his black coat — Alright, you're fine.

— I am, love! — You said wrapping your arms around yourself while moving your head to look around you before getting your gaze to focus on Harry's face again — Should we go to a restaurant? Because it's almost midnight! — You asked Harry that looked the time as he took his phone off his pocket to see that the clock indicated the time to be 11:25 pm.

— Yeah let's go! And it's cold here! — He'd say wrapping his arm around your shoulders as you both started to walk again. The things is that near Rockefeller Center, there was plenty of cool and great restaurants that of course you had no idea if they were or not open but it didn't cost you to go check and that's why you'd walk around it to see — Oh, let's go to Bill's Bar and Burger. I want nachos and fries so bad — Harry would say as he stopped walking abruptly in front of the restaurant making you to gaze at the place and then at him.

— Oh my god, yes! — You'd nod at him as you both walked inside the place. You've been in it before and the menu was spectacular, the burgers were so amazing and the place was really cool, though. It had a dark wooden floor and tables and big glass windows that gave you the perfect vision from outside and at the moment you both entered the space you noticed that it wasn't extremely crowed but it had a few people. The televisions in the walls transmitted the Times Square New Year's Eve performances and you sat at the table in the corner of the wall with a padded accent.

You'd take a look at the menu and order. Harry'd order a alcoholic beverage, unlike you that'd go with a coke because if your boyfriend went wasted you needed to take him home and take a 6'0 foot taller man home after few drinks can be quite hard. You'd order fries and nachos for Harry because he just eats fish now and then orders a chicken burger for you and then some milkshakes because you were going to eat all that you wanted as it was the last day of the year.

While your orders were being prepared, you and Harry talked about the christmas trip with your families and how funny it was. You'd talk about how the hell could you both forget about the christmas presents and how thank god you could find good new presents in the last minute. Harry would probably tell you about a life story of his starting by "in my epoch" sounding like he was forty years older than you because he knows that this pissed you off. He's three years older. It's not like it's a lifetime. But you'd find fun on his stories, just like he does to yours because even though you're younger than him, you both came from different sides of the world. From completely different families and cultures and it's so cool to share your experiences with each other. With the time, you and Harry learned that everyone had something to add in your life. Something about art, or about bad feelings or good feelings. Something about love, about friendship and jobs and opportunities. You both would reflect about how you just find things and people in life that makes you whole. You grow older and start noticing what really matters. You and Harry always travel on New Year and this year you didn't and being there, on a bar in New York just with each other having the most fun as you shared your stories, made you realize that it's not about the trip or the journey. It's about the person you have on your side as you doing those things. It's about having someone that you love at your side to share the good and the bad and after a hard year, you're lucky for having each other and getting out of it stronger than ever.

When the countdown started, everyone in the bar starting to count as well. You used your phone to record both you and Harry as you both counted. The camera caught the big smile perfectly that you and Harry had on your faces, and it actually caught the cheese from the french fries that Harry was previously eating right in the corner of his mouth but we don't have to focus on this part just yet. When the clock turned midnight, the entire bar screamed happily and you and Harry turned to each other with the happiest smiles ever, hugging each other sharing the "Happy New Year" and then sharing your first kiss of 2021, just as you both did three years ago when the clock turned midnight entering 2018 and you both shared the first kiss of your life. You've been kissing since then.

#hwrryscherry #harry and y/n #harry styles and y/n #harry x reader #HARRYxMODELY/N #harry styles x reader #harry styles x you #harry styles au #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles imagines #harry styles imagine

83 notes · View notes

boop-le-snoot · 3 years

Text

PARTY FAVOURS I CHAPTER 21

First time reader click here

TWs/SUMMARY: Wanda fluff, Loki fluff, we're getting a whole ass friendship! Dad sucks. The outfits are neat tho! Check the end for a mood board 😍

a/n: dress inspo and aesthetic visuals can be found here, here and here. (Paolo Sebastian, Firefly Path gowns and Viona Ielegems photography).

"Gi-i-irl..." Wanda drawled, seeing me arrive with Tony, both of us freshly showered and still hazy from the amazing orgasms. God only knew what she'd seen in both of our heads - if judging only by the vivid, crimson blush she spouted, it was definitely something very NSFW. Bruce already sat at the dinner table, quietly slurping his soup, his back and shoulders the most relaxed I'd ever seen. He gave me a knowing smile once he noticed my presence in my usual spot by his side.

The rest of the team appeared completely oblivious, preoccupied by their food.

"So, about the party. Got any costume ideas?" I cut straight to the chase, unwilling to wait for Wanda to start asking for details right in front of everyone.

Steve, Bucky, Pietro, Thor and Natasha all answered affirmative, the latter whacking Clint upside the head and firmly stating "no funny business". I couldn't help but wonder what kind of crazy shit the Bird had in mind and was kind of disappointed at Nat's intervention. A good chaotic moment was always worthwhile in my opinion!

The other bird, Sam, approached Bruce with caution as he wondered if the scientist was interested in doing a paired costume with him, only to be interrupted by Tony declaring, with childish glee, he had a "wicked project" that he and Bruce would be doing together. The scientist gave a resigned sigh and apologized.

Sam wasn't deterred by the slight setback; he approached Clint instead and after being given an okay from Natasha, the Birds decided to pair up. As they should, if you'd ask me.

"I have a costume but I need some accessories. Wanda, Lokes, join me on my lil' shopping trip?" I prompted, wanting everybody to be included. I was fully prepared for Loki to scoff and dismiss my invitation but the Asgardian nodded after a second of brief speechlessness. Didn't anyone invite him to birthday parties as a kid? Either way, Thor gave me a grateful smile, like a proper big brother. Both Asgardians had grown visibly closer during the past couple of months which made me hide a secretive smile behind a spoonful of soup.

It turned out, Loki hadn't exactly been introduced to the buzzing beehive that is NYC. He didn't get out much and when he needed to be somewhere, the man simply teleported to the desired destination. As convenient as it must've been, I still expressed my outrage at his lack of experience doing the usual "touristy" things that, in my opinion, every non-newyorker was obligated to do when visiting. Yes, even if said visitor had literally traveled across different galaxies.

Wanda wasn't much better in terms of city knowledge. According to her, she'd lived here for several years already but never bothered to go beyond the borders of the block surrounding the Avengers tower. The witch didn't have friends outside of her teammates (therapy. they all needed so much therapy. y'all...) so she simply saw no point in going anywhere beyond the local mall.

Which was trash. I mean, I loved Hot Topic and Forever 21 as much as any other young adult with depression and anxiety but it was literally impossible to wear clothes made out of cheap cotton and polyester all the time. I'm pretty sure I would have hives and ulcers if I attempted that.

"We're going on Sixth Avenue and that's final. No friend of mine will be wearing shit from Wal-Mart at a Stark party," I interrupted Wanda's defensive stuttering, using my other hand to summon an Uber.

"That is good advice," Loki, previously silent, added in a sweet tone. I counted on the fashionable Asgardian to be on my side and with his schmoozing skills, I didn't even have to drag Wanda inside the car by, like, her hair or whatever. The three of us barely fit into the small Toyota anyway.

A thought struck me when I had to consciously avoid stepping on Loki's leather shoes and keep away my elbow from Wanda's stomach. "Mister? I'll give you a hundred bucks cash if you turn around and drive to this address," I hurriedly rattled off my home address, delighting in the way the driver nearly did a U-turn at the mention of crispy dollar bills.

We arrived home quickly. Wanda gaped in mild disbelief at the size of my house while Loki looked about as interested as he'd ever be. His face was akin to an expression one made while smelling fresh manure. Opening the garage, I was greeted with an unpleasant surprise of my dad's outrageously painted Corvette standing neatly by my white Range Rover.

Loki looked and felt considerably less tense in the back of my car. The subtle signs of discomfort all but left his face replaced by slight wonder as I explained how to adjust the temperature and turn on the heated seats.

Dad met us at the gates. "You didn't come in to say hello," He pouted. His breath reeked like a five-day drinking binge hangover and he looked a dead man.

"We're in a hurry, dad. There's a lot to be done," I replied curtly, hoping to get rid of him fast. I hated being sober around my drunk father. My fingers twitched on the steering wheel.

"You're like your mother, always busy," Dad's laugh was coarse and bitter. "But at least you find time for Stark and his friends. That'll do your future real good," He clapped once on the hood of my car, heading back to the house with a wave of his hand, just in time to miss the disgusted shudder that ran through me.

I knew my dad well enough to understand the implications of what he meant by his words. In his world, fucking way up to the top was considered the norm. I'd rather cut off my own foot than use Tony that way.

"Sorry you had to see that. I thought he was still in Cali," I gritted my teeth, pulling out of the driveway.

"I'm sorry you had to experience that. I have no kind words regarding your father," Loki's look was sympathetic in the rearview mirror.

"Or your mother," Wanda added, messing with her seatbelt. Loki nodded tersely.

"Aight, aight," I sighed, set on improving the mood. "Let's not poop this party. We're getting some absolutely delicious beverages and wasting my money on outrageous pretty things. My treat."

Wanda's protests were drowned out by Motorhead and Loki's grumbling was overshadowed by Guns'n'Roses. Their resistance didn't stand a chance. Few blocks out, the witch was singing along to November Rain, heavily accented and terribly off-key, and the Asgardian watched New York city intently behind the protection of the tinted rear windows of my ride. He seemed mesmerized by the crowds and the variety of colorful shop fronts. This was the the one and only reason I eased off the gas pedal and drove the speed limit for once.

The atmosphere was, well, magical. Looking at my two companions, I discovered the familiar city anew with every question they asked, every remark they made. The desire to ask in turn about their homelands melted like the tension I was harbouring after the run-in with my father. Content and warm, I had my attention divided between Loki and Wanda juggling their wonder back-and-forth between themselves and the absolutely crazy NYC traffic.

So what if I parked in a no-parking zone just to get us the most delicious coffee in the city? Loki, the resident tea person, ordered himself something unpronounceable, something that made the barista twitch. Wanda got a sugary-sounding vanilla-white chocolate perversion. I just got a mocha, having had outgrown my adolescent desires to experiment with "how sweet can I make this coffee before I literally puke?" beverages.

With a laugh, I instructed them to pose in front of the nearest reflective surface to brag about our coffees on Instagram - this café deserved more recognition. My companions reluctantly obliged.

I wonder if the barista realized just who had bought the coffee - Loki was quite a media darling when it came to fangirls. Tony's PR team did a wonderful job on the Asgardian's redemption arc. The trickster only fueled the utter devotion his fangirls had for him by being extra nice and charming in every video I've seen. I guess you can't out-mindcontrol manners outta somebody, he was raised a prince after all.

It wasn't raining but the autumn chill seeped into the tiny spaces between my layers of clothing. I already managed to regret my fashionable dark academia inspired outfit at least twice, however the matching vibe all three of us had was positively dashing. Loki, wearing his usual onyx black and dark green. Wanda with a burgundy sweater dress and thigh high platformed boots - sweater dresses, out of all things, had no business looking this good on anybody. But she pulled it off.

"You said you've got a costume. Mind sharing what it is?" The witch said, curiously peeking into the windows of a nearby vintage boutique as we took our leisurely stroll with steaming paper cups keeping our fingers warm.

"A fairy dress. It was custom made for me last year and I actually didn't get to wear it. I need some jewelry to go with it," I explained, stopping to show a photo of the dress on my smartphone. "And some shoes, too. Let's hope the party will be held completely indoors, otherwise I'll freeze my ass off."

"Custom made?" Wanda squeaked, looking at the garment in wonder. Loki gave a vaguely approving nod.

"Yeah, there's a company that makes these fantasy dresses. You want one? What did you have in mind for your costume anyway?" I switched the topic quickly, seeing how Wanda withdrew into herself slightly. I heard from Peter she grew up poor, in the middle of a war and I didn't want to make her feel bad or anything. I wasn't good at these things...

"I thought maybe I could match with you," She replied, slowly taking a sip of her coffee.

"Sure. There are a couple of shops with really cute dresses that fit the aesthetic." Marchesa. We need a Marchesa store. And a Zuhair Murad - if there was one on this stretch of road. "What about you, Lokes? Anything in particular strike your fancy?" I asked our silent companion, frantically googling the information I needed.

"Black," He answered moodily.

"Boo, you whore," I rolled my eyes at his scoff. We had watched the Mean Girls recently and he got the reference, immediately raising a sarcastic eyebrow. "You know, you could do so much with this pale aristocratic look you've got going on. How about a medieval vampire?"

"Like Lestat? He's fucking hot," Wanda and I understood each other promptly. She jumped on the bandwagon immediately.

Combining my blunt honesty and her adorable fawning over a fictional bloodsucker, we managed to convince Loki into going on a hunt for brocaded, velvet suits and blouses with ruffles for his look. The trickster revolted at the mere suggestion of procuring some fake fangs, instead magically making them appear and showing them off in the middle of the crowded sidewalk, much to my and Wanda's delighted shrieking. He looked, I daresay, very attractive, like a porcelain figurine. Delicate but dangerous.

We arrived at the store that showcased beautiful, airy dresses of silk, chiffon and tulle. The lace was delicate and the seams invisible. I ushered Wanda into a dressing room with a shop attendant that was quietly but strictly instructed to not discuss the cost of the dresses and hide the price tags.

"I want it to be a gift. My friend here deserves no less than a magical experience," I explained quietly, winking at a bewildered Loki.

"Why did you do that?" He asked once Wanda was given a selection of several dresses in flattering colours and led into a separate dressing room.

"These dresses, they're special so they're a bit pricey. And knowing Wanda, she'll make a scene and refuse to let me buy them for her," I idly twirled my phone in my hands. "But every girl wants to be a princess and it's kinda sad she never got to be one. It's more than just a dress, it's more than feeling pretty, although it's a big part of it. She'll feel on top of the world."

Loki nodded. I'm certain he didn't understand it - being a man and all - and I wasn't sure I understood it completely, too. I never lacked pretty or expensive things, always got whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. But for a moment, I thought how it must've been for Wanda - seeing all these girls on TV, looking like pictures - and never having the chance to experience that. A concept that made me so sad, I was tempted to ask the customer service person for a glass of scotch. Being poor sounded depressing as hell.

Suddenly, Loki's cool, large hand landed on mine. "Thank you. I am certain Wanda will be the most beautiful lady at the ball."

I stared at him. Loki understood.

"Well, I... I don't know how finicky you are on gender labels for clothes, but there were a couple of blouses you might want to check out. They've got the neck ruffles and shit." My throat suddenly seized up and I had to clear it before speaking, steering away from the uncomfortably emotional moment. Thankfully, Loki wandered off without as much as a word.

THE TAG LIST IS NOW OPEN! @another-stark-sub @mostly-marvel-musings @vozit @littlegasps @pilloclock @shereadsinquiet @downeyreads @hermione-grangers-wife @individualistfem @sleep-i-ness @capbrie @lillsxd @agustdowney @dee-vn @justanotherblonde23 @fanngirl19 @persephonehemingway @softie-socks @schemefrenzy @letsby @cutenessloading @romeo-the-cactus @jelly-fishy-babie

& the promised aesthetic

#tony stark x y/n #tony stark x reader #tony stark x you #bruce banner x you #bruce banner x reader #bruce banner x y/n #stephen strange x y/n #stephen strange x you #stephen strange x reader #party favours #bun writes

100 notes · View notes

avaantares · 2 years

Text

Obligatory Vacation Roundup

Unless you follow me on Twitter, where I was posting Broadway photos and videos pretty steadily, you probably couldn't tell (I had 300 posts in my Tumblr queue; who even posts in real time here?) but I've spent the past week in NYC, taking my FIRST VACATION IN ALMOST TWO YEARS! This is the first time I'd been out of the state since I slid in just under the lockdown wire returning from Egypt/Jordan in February 2020.

Normally I try to spend a few days in New York every year or so, picking up the latest Broadway shows, but the pandemic kind of put the kibosh on that, along with all other travel. And this trip was not without its difficulties: Due to the bad storms and gale-force winds blanketing New England last Saturday, JFK was temporarily shut down when we were supposed to be flying in. Our plane got diverted twice, sat on the tarmac in Boston for three hours, and ended up landing more than four hours late. Consequently, we missed part of the first act of the first play we had tickets for. Fortunately I'd seen that show a couple of times before, so I knew how it started, but it was still frustrating. We also lost one member of our party, who came down seriously ill two days into the trip and couldn't leave her hotel room.

We originally had tickets to six shows for this year's Broadway blitz, but one production had to close abruptly because of a COVID infection in the cast (RIP, Chicken & Biscuits). I did get to see the other five: I watched my high school friend in the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular (she's been a Rockette for over a decade, but I'd only gotten to see her perform once before), saw (most of) The Play That Goes Wrong for a third time, saw Freestyle Love Supreme's show for the second time, and picked up Moulin Rouge (absolutely stunning production!) and A Sherlock Carol (an off-Broadway Arthur Conan Doyle/Charles Dickens mashup that runs exactly as you'd expect from the title). I have a few (sanctioned) videos that I might post, if I can get them to upload. (Photos above were taken/shared with permission.)

I also spent a day at the Met (always worth it!), enjoyed some spectacular autumn colors in Central Park, and for the first time ever, actually went to Liberty and Ellis Islands. I've been traveling to NYC semi-regularly for more than 20 years and I'd never gone out to the statue, but now I've done the Official Tourist Thing. Took photos from the pedestal, which is as high as you can go now that they've closed the crown.

I also hit Nintendo New York for some shopping, consumed approximately my own body weight in delicious food at the Bryant Park Winter Village, and -- most surreal of all -- WALKED IN for immediate seating at Ellen's Stardust Diner during their grand reopening. I've never been in Manhattan when there was less than a two-hour wait for a table there!

I completely neglected NaNoWriMo the entire time I was traveling, but I made up for it with a multi-hour stint last night. At least I'm back up to par, though I've lost a bit of my lead. Thank goodness I decided to be a rebel this year, and wasn't trying to come up with completely new material.

Anyway, I'm back home now (much to my dog's delight), and will resume adding posts to my way-too-long queue for the next few days before I take off again for Chicago TARDIS, which is next week.

Phew!

#travel #new york city #broadway #personal #my rock star life #travelogue

5 notes · View notes

r3b3lgrrrrrrrl · 4 years

Text

A LunaTic and Her Gunn (Part 114) "Suck My Metaphysical DICK!"

Practice had ran long and late the night before with Casie eventually being carried to her bed as many patient joints and blunts were finally fired up. Giving So Am I a break, they goofed around with a couple different songs and chords. Mod and Colson finally being coaxed into treating everyone to their playful version of SummerTime.

---------------------------------------------------

With the next day starting, they're back to practicing. Luna choosing Colson, Sam and Baze to debut the new song with her. Mod proceeds to film The Movie that he had started last night of their creative process. Deanna continues to work on Casie's dresses as the younger Baker plays outside with her friends; calling her in as needed to her delight. Pete, Benny, Rook, Kevin and Slim float around the house playing video and arcade games, pool and popping into practice to offer tips or fresh beers.

"Alright, I'm done." Luna declares as she accepts a beer from Rook and rubs the back of her neck. "I think this is the most I've ever practiced a song. We either nail it or we don't." She says as a matter of fact before she takes a gulp of her beer. "What do you think?" She asks, looking over at Colson.

"We got this shit, Baby." He answers, giving her a confident nod with a soul melting wink.

"Bet." She smiles at him teasingly. "Sammy? Baze?" Luna looks over to her other bandmate's nodding heads. "That's it." She calls as she lifts her guitar over her head to the other's relief. "You think we can get a jet from Sean? It'll make tonight a WHOLE lot easier for us and Deanna" Asking as she turns back to Colson.

"You got a better chance than I do." He snorts at the idea.

"That's probably true." Luna sighs. "I'm gonna smoke a cigarette and hit him up." She goes on to tell Colson before kissing his cheek and grabbing her stuff to head outside.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Hey!" Luna perks up as Sean answers the phone.

"And to what do I owe the pleasure, Miss Smith?" Diddy laughs at her, cutting right to the chase.

"We're performing on GMA tomorrow morning. I was hoping you had a jet in LA that we could use to get to NY tonight." Luna answers, knowing he appreciates no bullshit.

"You and Colson are on GMA tomorrow morning?" He responds in amazement.

"Shit, Sean. You sound like I do with my career!" Luna laughs at his reaction.

"Nah, nah... I knew they were looken' to book y'all, I just didn't know it had happened this quick." He answers, trying to cover his ass.

"A happy Sean means Yes to a jet, right?" Luna coaxes out the answer she wants.

"Yeah, yeah. What time you need it?" He asks as his mind starts running a hundred other ideas.

"I don't know... 5Pish?" Luna prepares to negotiate.

"No problem. I'll have it up and ready for you. Yo! Tell The Kid I said Congratulations. You two break a fucking leg. I'll be watching." Sean tells Luna.

"Thanks. I'll let him know... And thank you again for the jet. It'll be so much easier with all of our shit." She goes on to finish up the conversation to his No Problems and more Congratulations.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"We got a jet, MOTHERFUCKERSSSS!" Luna shouts with a laugh. "We just gotta be at the hanger by 5P." She goes on to inform The Gang.

As Luna and Colson head up the stairs to shower, they can hear Sam shouting for everyone to remember to grab their boards; she has a line on a party tonight that she doesn't wanna miss. Besides, no true native drives in NYC. They walk, bike, ride the subway or hail a cab. It's only the cool kids that grind their way through the Five Burroughs.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Sean wanted me to tell you he's proud of you." Luna says to Colson as she pulls her tank top off.

"Really?" His chin cocks in her direction as he reaches into the shower to adjust the water temperature.

"Mmhmm." Luna purrs as she steps out of her black panties; catching Colson's eyes on her as she looks up.

"Fuck, you're hot." He pants as he wraps his long arms around her tiny, naked waist before sliding his two large hands up her body to cradle her head with them and kiss her deeply.

Luna can't resist Colson. There is no allowing him to consume her being, it just happens. Connecting so incredibly easily and naturally on not just a physical, mental and emotional level but out of the insane, unquenchable necessity they have for the other. The way Colson and Luna love each other is beyond intense.

Proving so as he lifts her up onto the countertop without their mouths separating for longer than a second. Kissing each other hungrily as he slides between her bare thighs and their hands roam each other's naked, tattooed bodies. Colson sucks on Luna's neck as she wraps her legs around his waist and works him into her slowly. She gasps in pleasure as he moans during their way towards her back wall. Once he's fully in, Luna loosens up a bit as her soaked pussy engulfs him.

"Fuck, you're so TIGHT." Colson's breath tickles her ear and neck as his words directly entice her pussy into all of his Bad Things.

Grabbing her ass, he pulls her hair with his other hand. Groaning as her walls clench tighter around him, loving his assertive actions. Syncing together roughly as they both cum on the bathroom countertop.

"FUCK." Colson sighs as he kisses Luna's right temple.

"Shower?" She asks while still catching her own breath.

"Yeah... " Colson breathes out.

They rest in each other's hold for a few more moments. Enjoying the quietness of the bathroom and each other's breathing. With their chaotic lives, Colson and Luna have a tendency to hoard every stolen moment between them.

Finally they get into the steady running shower. Fucking it out again. Taking in every piece of each other before stepping out. Carrying on with their usual routine of drugs, kisses and jokes as they dress for their evening flight.

"I fucking love you." Colson slams his hand onto Luna's ass cheek with authority.

"You fucking better." She laughs as she checks her face before turning around to throw her arms around him and firmly kiss his agreeing grin.

---------------------------------------------------

"You know I don't ever know where I'm going." Colson tells Emma with a chuckle as he hands her Casie's bags. "We're headed to NY tonight and then I think LA but I don't know for how long until the wedding. Hit up Ash, she'll know." He advises Casie's mother of his schedule.

"YEAH... I know." Emma replies with an engrained eyeroll.

"GIVE IT TO ME, PEANUT!!" Colson shouts for his daughter as he squats down and she sprints into his open arms. "Love you!!" He declares as he attacks her with a million kisses.

"DAAAD!!" Casie squeals in laughter as she hugs and tries to wiggle away from her father all at the same time.

"Alright, alright... " He agrees after planting another loud kiss onto her cheek before letting her go.

"He's such a neeerd." Casie whispers into Luna's ear as they hug each other GoodBye.

"Yeeeeah... But he's a good nerd." Luna kisses Casie's cheek. "See you in a few?" Luna asks as she pulls back.

"Yup." Casie grins at her.

"Love you, Dill." Luna holds the young girl in for another tight hug.

"Love you, Looney." Casie replies as she squeezes her back.

---------------------------------------------------

The flight to NY is rowdy as fuck. During the 6hr flight, Colson, Luna, Sam, Baze, Rook, Slim, Mod, Benny, Pete and Kev get FUCKED up. Making up Ten of Them. Except Deanna, she's only along for the flight... And to watch the many antics. Smoking blunt after blunt. Pouring drink after drink. While also snorting more than a few things along the way. The trip itself could be a whole ass Hunter S. Thompson Movie.

Luna and Colson dip out to fuck each other in the bathroom. They've already joined the mile high club together but there's something about making your girlfriend coo your name as she cums for you in the air. Especially on your Boss's private plane.

--------------------------------------------------

"Listen... I only got a few things so far." Luna tries to prepare The Gang as she unlocks The Brownstone's front door.

Flipping on the light, the house is clean but bare. Over to the right is the only object on the ground floor. It's a drum kit.

"Is that for ME!" Rook shouts out in disbelief to Luna's happy grin.

Fuck everything else. Rook pulls his sticks out of his back pocket and begins to pound. Providing the soundtrack to their home as the rest of them run eagerly through their new spot. Some, Baze and Slim, check to see if anyone caused any damage during The Break In. They did not.

"YO!! WHERE THE FUCK YOU COP THESE MOTHERFUCKERS!?!" Slim shouts down the stairwell to Luna.

"He finally found his room." Colson laughs as he holds onto Luna and she snuggles into his warm scent.

They all have beds. In each of their rooms. Nothing else because they can decorate it themselves but there are king sized beds in each room with dark sheets and neon green double Xs on them.

Colson reaches his long leg over to kick the door shut. Catching a deviously inviting smile from Luna he eagerly devours her body. Breaking their new bed in with his mouth and oversized cock.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Nah... We're goin' under Sutter Bridge where those old half pipes are... " Nipple tries to explain to Luna where they're headed for the night.

They're all sitting along their stoop. All Ten of Them plus now Nipple and his girlfriend Carrie. Preparing to make their way into the NYC night.

"Oh!" Luna sucks her teeth. "You're talking about the old wooden half pipes!" She exclaims once she realizes where he's describing. "Okay, yeah, I know where that's at... What are we doin'? We ready ride?" She asks as she tosses her hands up.

Nipple nods and Luna goes to find Colson. He's in the kitchen but is immediately up for an adventure. With her school bag packed, boards in everyone's hands and the front door locked; The Terrible Twelve, along with Nipple and Carrie, slip in with the NYC air. Boards and hair flowing like the wind.

---------------------------------------------------

There are many different kinds of parties you can find around The World. Each country or continent offering it's own type of vibe and experience. New York has no ONE vibe. Every location is different. Every party is unique. Every experience is it's own.

As the Terrible Twelve, plus Nipple and Carrie, roll over the worn down road they can hear the blasts of decks slamming, music blaring and laughter floating. Nipple's ahead of them all with Carrie close to his side. Sam follows behind as she leads Baze. Catching the feeling of home, Luna grabs Colson's hand as she plants both feet on her board and guides them into Her World.

Underneath the bridge looks like a mix of 90s nostalgia, the 70s drug scene and the repercussions of the early 2000s. Flowing together with plywood and spray paint. There's dozens of people Luna hasn't seen for months. Kicking her deck up, she grins at Colson while keeping their hands tight. Floating into exactly where she's missed.

"YO!! WHERE THE FUCK YOU BEEN GIRL!?!" Luna's friend Darnell shouts the main question of the night as he grips her into a tight hug.

"I've been falling in love." Luna smiles modestly as she introduces him to Colson.

Colson and Darnell hit it off immediately. Along with everyone else who Luna introduces to Colson. This relieves a huge weight off of Luna's soul. These are her people. Justin's people. Although Luna may not care what people think, their feelings are still important to her.

After introductions, Luna and Colson rip it apart on one of the many homemade half pipes. Grinning and busting each other's balls as they fly passed each other. Catching up with one another on the same lip, they ride down to grab a drink.

"I hate that you're so fucking cool." Colson teases her, finding more comfort under an abandoned bridge than in a multi million dollar club.

"No you don't." Luna grins as she cracks him a can of PBR and stands on her tippy toes to kiss him.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Yo... Where the fuck you been?" Carrie asks Luna as she lays on Sam and Sam lays on Luna; all three comfortably taking up more than half of the graffitied boards to themselves.

"I don't know... " Luna answers by waving her hands around. "I've just been doing things."

"Yeeeeah" Carrie laughs. "We hear you. It's kinda fucking weird, Dude."

"Is it bad weird?" Luna asks in a moment of uncertainty.

"No. Just weird. I can't describe it... I've been listening to you for YEARS, Loons. Both live and recorded. I guess it's just weird to have you pop up on a Spotify playlist is all... " Carrie trails, regretting saying anything at all.

"I'm on fucking Spotify?" Luna asks in horror.

Normal people would celebrate this achievement. Luna. Luna wants to climb into a kangaroo pouch and never emerge. Fame is a Monster that Stephanie described and Luna wants no parts of. But it's here, whether she wants it to be or not.

"Are you fucking serious?" Carrie laughs at her. "You can't be THAT naive. You've got three songs trending and you're about to marry MGK... Not that he's Channing or anything but he's definitely hot and you're way more out there than you've ever been... You don't know this?" Carrie scoffs in slight jealousy of Luna's resistance.

"What the FUUUUUCK... " Luna doesn't respond, just let's the rumble of the boards next to her vibrate her soul from underneath.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Later, Luna finds herself sitting with Pete and Kevin on the lip of the old half pipe, sharing a joint along with a 40 of Old E. They're not fancy and they don't pretend to be. Sam's on the other half pipe with Mod and Carrie still grinding while Colson, AJ, Baze and Slim bust it up with Nipple as Rook and Benny talk to a group of girls. Luna can see them all as her happy feet swing free.

"I gotta ask you something." The tone in Pete's voice changes the air around them.

"What's up, Petey?" Luna asks, expecting ANYTHING except for what he's about to say.

"You didn't cheat on Colson, did you?" He questions her with hesitation.

"WHAT? NO. Why the fuck would you ask me something like that?" Luna immediately jerks her head towards her old friend.

"A thing he said." Pete admits, secretly regretting his question immediately but Luna is one of his bestfriends so he had to.

"What the FUCK did he say? Don't fucking play with me either, Petey." Luna threatens as she feels her soul drop through her already drunk belly.

"You remember the night you caught that late flight back from seeing Jackson?" Pete sighs to Luna's searing nod before he continues to elaborate. "Kells said something to the effect that it wouldn't be the first time you cheated. What was he talking about, Loons?"

"He fucking told?" Luna's heart breaks as it catches what Pete is saying to her. "I can't believe he would do that to me." Luna can feel her face heat up as her heart begins to race.

"He was talking about shit that doesn't concern him or you. ACTUALLY. But if you MUST know, I had an affair back in 2013. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go handle my fucking business." Luna's words are curt towards him before she slides down the half pipe.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"WAIT... 2013? That means she cheated on Justin?" Pete is so confused as he watches Luna stand up and hone in on Colson. "FUCK. What did I just start." He worries as he grabs Kevin and slides down to follow behind Luna.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Luna marches straight up to Colson and snatches his up by the arm. Dragging him away from whomever to a secluded corner under the bridge. Standing in the dark she stares up at his confused face.

"Who else did you tell about my affair with Tommy?" She asks him directly with a quiver in her angry voice.

"What?" He automatically responds after being caught off guard by the question.

"Don't lie to me Colson." Luna warns in a low voice.

"I... I didn't tell anyone really but Slim figured it out after our fight over that article." Colson admits with hesitation as he watches tears begin to drop down Luna's cheeks.

"Then what the fuck is Petey talking about?" She continues to question him.

"MOTHERFUCKER. I told him not to say shit." Colson's brain sets on fire.

"I didn't tell him anything Loons but something obviously slipped. I'm sorry." Colson apologizes as he goes to reach for her.

"No." She states as she jerks away from him. "That's not okay." She's full on crying now as the anger starts to boil. "That's not okay AT FUCKING ALL!" She finally snaps. Drawing her right fist back, she catches him on the bottom of the LeftSide of his chin. It's hard enough of a blow to knock him out of their conversation but causes no physical damage. Colson grabs his jaw in shock but not pain. "WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU DO THAT!?" Luna screams at Colson as she shoves him with all of her force. "IT WASN'T YOURS TO FUCKING TELL!" She continues to scream through her tears while shoving him again.

"I'M SORRY!!" He yells back at her, grabbing her by the arms to catch his drunken balance.

"Get the FUCK off of me." She snarls before kicking him hard in his shin.

"AHHHHH!!!" Colson cries out in pain as he collapses to the ground and grabs his injury.

"I DECIDE WHO I TELL ABOUT MY SHIT!! ESPECIALLY WHEN IT DOESN'T EFFECT YOU!!" She's shouting again as her head viscously snakes around and hands fly like hummingbirds. "SO FUCKING WHAT!?! I DID HAVE A FUCKING AFFAIR... AND I DON'T GIVE A FLYING FUCK WHO KNOWS ABOUT IT BECAUSE THE ONLY PERSON IT SHOULD MATTER TO IS DEAD... You and everyone else can SUCK MY METAPHYSICAL DICK!" She screams to anyone and no one at the same time. It's been said before, Luna does not lie. "You ran your mouth on me... " She let's out with a tear drenched gasp. "I have way bigger shit than this... How can I ever trust you... Let alone fucking marry you?" Luna sighs out with a sad coldness as she looks down at him and shakes her head in disgust before walking away. Grabbing her bag and board before she disappears into the night.

The Bridge is not bothered by Luna and Colson. Only their personal entourage is truly watching what had happened. Slim walks over to Colson who's still laying on the ground. Her words strike him like lightning, stopping his heart and soul. Most of the time he knows when and when not to fight with Luna. Right now, he doesn't know what to do. Choosing not to say a word; he just lays there watching His Girl angrily stalk away from him as Sam and Carrie rush to catch up to her.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"They are ALWAYS going through some type of bullshit." Their friends think collectively. Except for Pete; he's confused and pissed but not sure at who.

---------------------------------------------------

It begins to pour as Luna drops her deck. Feeling the warm summer rain pelt her skin, she pushes off of the asphalt. Choosing to glide on the street's edge as she ignores Sam's calls from behind her. Losing her and Carrie without a second's thought.

"I can't believe he did that." Luna's heart growing weak with betrayal. Thinking of how Justin never knew about Tommy because he never asked. Shoving her foot hard onto the rainy street, she can't help but bawl as she pushes out her frustration, sadness and guilt.

"All you would've had to do was FUCKING notice and I would've told you!" Luna screams into the NYC streets as the rain drenches her soul.

16 notes · View notes

fiercestpurpose · 4 years

Note

i love your deep analysis on xmen characters especially Storm! i wanna know, where would you like to see Ororo's arc go would you like to see her in a new relationship, take on more leadership, maybe see her take some time off and learn about her godhead and family history, i've heard a few people say they would love to see Ro and Forge get closer now that they're older...??? i feel like ororo has been all over the place in the marvel universe helping everyone... but what are your thoughts 💕

I’m glad you appreciate my analysis, thank you for saying so! 😊

Post-DoX, I’d definitely like to see Storm take on more leadership in the X-Men. I really like her in team books, especially when she’s in charge. Some of her most interesting characterization only comes up in context of her being a leader and in seeing what her teammates have to say about her.

With that in mind, I obviously don’t want her to leave the X-Men, but I wouldn’t be opposed if she got a solo book where she did some things that weren’t X-Men based. I’d love to see her connection with Harlem, which was established in Black Panther and the Crew, expanded upon and carried on, so that there’s some continuity in that aspect of her life. I wouldn’t mind a story that relates to her past, whether that’s her mother’s family and her history with the people of Uzuri or her time in Cairo and the relationships she made there.

As for relationships, I’m hoping that she’ll get back together with Logan. Even if that’s not an option, I’m still not a fan of Ororo/Forge. It doesn’t feel to me like it’s a relationship that’s likely to move her character forward. It might be cute for her to have a civilian boyfriend, since as far as I can remember, she hasn’t had one of those before, and the idea of her sitting down to a perfectly normal date with a perfectly normal man is charming to me.

In a world where I run the X-office, I’d like her to be in two different team books and a solo. One would be a standard X-book, maybe the flagship of the line, and she’d be working alongside a lot of her classic teammates. The other team book would be an X-Factor book based in NYC, less about her throwing thunderbolts and more about the team working with and for the community. It could touch on her relationship with Harlem and her history with Callisto and the Morlocks and would be a more grounded look at the goddess. The solo could feature any of the things mentioned above, but I’d really like it to have at least one space arc. I like it when Storm goes to space, both because it’s cool and because it’s always interesting to see a character so tied to the earth taken away from it.

I’d also like a couple of mini-series. One would be a book about her supervising a field trip for a group of students that definitely includes Marisol. They’re probably doing something normal for a field trip, like visiting a science museum, when they find out that there’s a supervillain lair underneath the museum. The kid books of the X-line are usually pretty fun, and although we know Ororo is a teacher, we don’t get to see that as much as we do with some of the other characters.

The other miniseries would be a book where Storm and Beast get tangled up with something magical, and Doctor Strange isn’t answering his phone, and Ororo has magical sensitivity and potential but no training and Hank hasn’t done magic since he was a teenager. Hank is one of my favourite supporting characters for Ororo because Pak did such a good job of establishing him as the one who nags her to follow rules even when she wants to do things her own way. And I think it’d be fun to see two capable heroes out of their element but ultimately capable of saving the day.

I mean, the bottom line is that I’ll be happy as long as they approach her character with the respect she deserves and give her interesting stories and relationships, but those are some of the things I’d choose if I were in charge.

#Anonymous #asks #ororo munroe #ch: no such things as limits

26 notes · View notes

litakino · 3 years

Text

Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of Rose's death. Also, this November she would've been 30y/o.

She was a close friend of mine, and died of an aneurysm; she collapsed on stage while singing and playing the guitar, and died the next day.

Rose was the same age as my sister, two years younger than me, and her sister is my age and was my best friend. So the four of us were really close, almost like sisters. We would spend the summer holidays either with our family, or theirs, whichever family went to the beach that year.

She was such a big part of my life growing up, that it's weird thinking that she's "stuck" at 20, and I'm 32 now.

I'll try really hard to convey, how important she is to everyone who knew her. How missed she is.

She was so smart, like book smart, but also surprisingly insightful for a 20y/o.

I remember Rose telling me once "I wanted to know if I liked it, so I kissed a girl. But it's not for me". You have no idea how important that was for me. Like I've never even thought of the possibility of not being straight (raised catholic and very conservative), it's not that I was repressed, it was just something I never even considered before.

And she was from a family very much like mine, but able to break away and try her own path (it wasn't that she went around kissing people; and there's nothing wrong with being that person, but she just wasn't, I'm saying this to illustrate how important it was that she did it).

Rose also loved things with all her being. And she was never ashamed of the things she liked. Like she would go into forums and investigate about her heroes and know all there was to know about ER and Sarah McLachlan and Rent and U2 and musicals and Broadway and Wicked.

I'm writing because there's so much she would've done, so many what-ifs I feel I need to make her be present this way, this year.

She wasn't top of her class when she graduated high school, just because she didn't want to spend too much time studying. She was close second though, and that was just with minimal effort. She was a real life Hermione.

Also, Rose was tall, and big, and had long bushy hair. She had to buy her heels from drag queen shops bc her feet were so big, "regular" shoe shops didn't carry her size. And she was CONFIDENT. Like, loved to wear her hair down, big and all, no shits given.

And was really good at shopping for cool clothes, even though most traditionally "feminine" shops didn't carry her size (take into consideration, this was 2009/2010 and we grew up in a small city in Argentina, there weren't many shops available, and "plus size" meant grandma's clothes)

Her last birthday (2010) she rocked a really short shirt-dress with bright yellow tights, I can't even begin to imagine what her style might have been nowadays.

It took her some time to gain that confidence, went through the awkward baggy-pants-and-big-sweatshirt phase like most of us fat girls, but she already loved herself when she was finishing high school. It took me many more years to reach that stage.

I'm painting the best picture, since everything positive about her comes to mind these days.

That's not to say, she was perfect. She definitely wasn't. She was human and made mistakes and (I'm sure) hurt people.

She was loud and could be obnoxious sometimes, but there are very few teenagers and young adults who aren't.

Oh also, Rose really enjoyed singing. And she was really good at it.

She was studying to become an English teacher.

She was really spiritual, and sang in church every Sunday, and was part of the community.

I would love to speak to her now, about feminism and love and gender and sexuality and family. There's so much we didn't know back then, so much I want her insight into.

When I heard the Hamilton soundtrack, all I could think about was about her. And how much she would've loved it.

I want to have the opportunity to hear her rave about things like Lin Manuel Miranda, or Doctor Who, or Good Omens.

I'm glad Rose got to meet my (now) husband, and that she liked him is an endorsement like very few I can think of.

I wonder where she would be living now (I think Ireland or England, studying for her third master and singing in pubs some nights).

I know she would have finally found someone who saw her for who she was, and loved her for it. Perhaps a few whirlwind romances before that.

I wonder if she would've even wanted to have kids.

When Rose died, it was a shock, because no one saw it coming (both her parents are doctors, and the aneurysm was never diagnosed, she never had any syntoms before. And by the time she was rushed into the hospital, it was too late).

Afterwards, slowly but surely, all of her friends and family finished high school, then university. Some of us got married, some got kids. Some moved to other countries.

The year she died, I was out of the country, doing one of those work and travel programs, that encompass our summer (December through March), in WDW. It was something she had actually suggested, that she wanted to do, but last minutes backed out (I never knew why). I was far away from home, working 13-hour shifts (the holidays in the resort are madness). And after her death, a friend suggested some of us took the days off from two weeks, put them together, and take a 4-days trip to NYC. I didn't really have the money to do it, but said yes anyways because Rose wanted to attend Juilliard (childhood dreams), and so we said we were going to visit her in her break (more childhood dreaming). So I ended up eating rice and crackers for a few weeks in order to pay for travel and lodging, but it was so worth it. Everything there reminded me of her, of what she dreamed of doing, of becoming.

I miss her so much, and as I go through life and hit new "milestones", I wonder what she would be doing right now.

Yesterday some close friends and her family gathered (socially distant, and out in the open air) in our old high school. It's a place of 400 square meters, most of which are various sports' fields, and a small forest. It was a place she felt was home, and since the moment she said she wanted to become an English teacher, a spot was there waiting for her to finish her studies.

Anyways, there in the small forest, around the fallen walnut tree, people who loved her, and miss her, gathered, to remember her smiles and jokes and songs.

Her mother read a poem Rose wrote, and her sister sang the solo in "Seasons of Love".

It was lovely, and sad, and had her in every moment.

She is loved, and missed so so much.

#Spotify

5 notes · View notes

thekwanderer · 4 years

Text

Today again felt like three separate days! It also was quite action packed. We started the day with another delicious breakfast of dosas and Indian parathas. I tried to eat a little lighter since I definitely over ate the day before. Bobby leaned in and his stomach is definitely feeling better since he got to India since there is little to no cross contamination. We met up with my friend Stephanie who went to college with me and her husband Patrick. They had gotten in at 2 am after their trip to only be turned away because the hotel had overbooked! They were troopers though and ate breakfast at the hotel with us. We then got ready for the Haldi ceremony! And as usual fashion, the groom's family was late (an hour to be precise).

The Haldi ceremony is when family members rub turmeric on the bride and groom. In this ceremony, they had mustard oil, yogurt, and turmeric powder and each person had two little utensils with some sort of green leafy plant tied on to them. You are supposed to dip the leaves into the oil, yogurt, and then turmeric and touch the bride and groom on their feet, knees, shoulders, cheeks, and then the top of their heads. It's meant to be a ceremony that helps the couples fertility. They even let the guests partake and it was fun smearing it on Anna and Rahul! After each person has their turn with the leaves, they mix together the rest of the ingredients into a box and mixed it into a paste. The family then proceeded to smear it on the bride and grooms' faces. After that was done, the family began to sing and guests danced around. Rahul's family were all wearing these beautiful pieces of clothing in a deep mustard yellow color. Anna wasn't sure of the customs so we didn't dress up.

After the ceremony, we took an Uber into more of the center city to a mall called Select CITYWALK. We got a chance to meet up with our friends, Ishan and Namrata, a couple who we meet up every week in Seattle for trivia. Worlds colliding! I brought Stephanie and Patrick along with us and we went to a store called FabIndia to get some traditional clothes. Bobby got a long kurta in a copper orange and I got a salwar kameez in blue with orange accents. It was fun trying on other clothes! However I started feeling a little sick that I deduced later that it some dehydration. We went Punjab Grill that everyone raved about! I wasn't able to partake, but the highlights were the grilled paneer, the grilled chicken tikka, and the black daal. We had a lovely time meeting up with Ishan and Namrata but we had to leave the mall since it was getting close to rush hour on a Monday!

At the hotel I wasn't feeling so well, but rallied for the wedding! I change into my new Indian threads, which are amazingly comfortable, and go see what's going on with the bride. What I loved about this experience is that I had a backstage pass to all of the preparation for the bride. There were about 100 people at this wedding and the bride only had 20 on her side. She asked us to be a part of her wedding procession. We were supposed to start the wedding at 7, but as we learned quickly in India nothing goes to plan and you have to roll with it. Luckily, the groom thought ahead and rented a hotel room and filled it with liquor for folks to partake in while waiting. Indians love their whisky so that was definitely in attendance.

I got to peek into the bride's area where she got ready. There was a professional woman who was the lead who had 3 assistants. Some of the first women at work that I've seen! Anna's hair looked like it took hours. She had not one, but two fake pieces of hair. One to give a platform on top of her head to attach the veil and one to make her bun more voluminous. Around her bun there fresh flowers that were quite fragrant but I'm not sure what they were (I'm guessing jasmine). Her outfit was pretty simple to get on. It was a top and skirt separate, but the skirt was super heavy at about 20 pounds and there was so much structure underneath the dress that it could stand up on its own. On top of her henna she also had bright red and gold bangles that went up half of her forearm. The original tradition is to keep them on for 13 months, but most modern brides keep them on for 13 weeks instead. But Anna and Rahul have already been married for a year, so no need to prove her devotion to him. Additionally she had on a bracelet with long dangling pieces that almost look like bells. Anna was supposed to wave these pendant things over single women's heads to ensure that they get married soon, but I didn't see her actually do that. Lastly, Anna had to put on a veil. It was a pink tulle like material, but it had to be folded in such a way and pinned. I'm not sure of the significance, but apparently it's a big deal because it took 20 minutes and the head attendant did it twice. Once ready, it was hurry up and wait! Simultaneously there was a big drum show to entertain the groom's side of the family while the bride gets ready. I didn't see any of it since I was waiting for the bride to get ready.

Finally, around 8:30, they are ready for us. We go downstairs and they bring out a canopy made out of flowers. Anna's two sisters are up front to hold the front two corners, but there are also 6 more of us holding up the sides of the canopy. We then walk out to the rest of the crowd in our little procession to Christina Perry's "1,000 Years" from the Twilight soundtrack which I get a giggle out of since I know Anna is not a huge fan of that movie. The music quickly switches to an Indian love ballad and we approach Rahul on the stage. He's wearing white and has a red turban on. Once they make it to the stage, after a flurry of pictures of course, Anna needs "some friends on stage". Of course, being the Wellesley women we are, we get on stage. They turn us away and ask for the men. It turns out that they need guys to help lift Anna into the air while Rahul is being lifted to put flower garlands on each other.

As that ceremony goes on, the DJ is already spinning beats. One of Rahul's cousins really wants to dance, and of course Bobby is the first to say yes. They jump on the dance floor, and because they look like their having so much fun, others join in. Sadly our dance party was cut short because they started the religious ceremony. There was another stage where everyone has to take off their shoes. It was a gorgeous platform, it was green and there were real flowers hanging from the ceiling next to a chandelier. Anna's and Rahul's families were on stage and the priest was reciting a mix of Hindi and Sanskrit which Anna and her father had two repeat. Anna did a pretty good job and even the aunties and uncles we were standing nearby were impressed. There is also a small fire that they stoked with ghee and Anna's family poured other things into like puffed rice. In this ceremony, Anna made 7 promises to the groom and they walked around the fire 7 times. It was very cool to see, however, strangely no one can tell us what the 7 promises are after the fact. So you'll just have to know that it was a religious ceremony. The ceremony traditionally went in for 7 days, it was shortened to 7 hours, but they did the ceremony in about one hour.

During the religious ceremony, Rahul's youngest aunt gave us a hot tip. It turns out that there's a tradition where the bride's friends steal the groom's shoes and hold them ransom until he gives them what they want. Anna's sisters proceed to steal one, and us as Anna's friends stole the other. We didn't understand the tradition very well since it was second hand knowledge, but we knew there were spies everywhere since Rahul's side outnumbered us at least 2 to 1 if not 4 to 1! We all stand in a tight circle and take out our scarves and wrap them around our hands so people don't know who had the shoe. Then, we walked to different corners of the wedding area to hide it! The time finally comes around where the negotiating began. Anna's sisters cave quickly to $50 each. The Wellesley women drove a harder bargain. We weren't happy with just money, we wanted more. After fierce negotiations, we landed on a pretty good deal. First, Rahul will treat us to a nice thanksgiving dinner on Thursday in Goa. Secondly, he will visit each of Anna's friends in their cities within the next year (Seattle, LA, Philadelphia, and NYC). And lastly, as a kickback to our informant, we said that Rahul had to take his aunt to a nice spa day.

After the main ceremony, dancing resumed and we ate a hearty dinner of Indian food. But by this time it was 10 pm on a Monday and the wedding was dying down. The day was an incredible experience that I don't think I'll have one of again. I was so happy that we made the long trip halfway around the world to see one of my dear friends Anna get married.

1 note · View note

catholicartistsnyc · 5 years

Text

Meet: Laura Pittenger

LAURA PITTENGER is a NYC-based writer and director, and a Catholic Artist Connection board member. (www.laurapittenger.com)

CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION (CAC): What brought you to NYC, and where did you come from?

LAURA PITTENGER (LP): I graduated from Ball State University (go Cards) in 2012 with a degree in theatre production and moved here almost immediately from Fort Wayne, Indiana. I have known I wanted to live in New York City since a high school drama club trip. Living here has shattered my illusions about what it would be like, but I think in some ways the reality is better than the fantasy. I never knew New York was so diverse and fascinating outside Manhattan, but I've really fallen in love with the entire East Coast at this point.

CAC: How do understand your vocation as a Catholic artist? Do you call yourself a Catholic artist?

LP: In mixed company, I call myself a theater artist, or a Catholic, but not often both. When I get to introduce myself as such, it is a real joy, because that’s a much more complete picture of who I am. I think it's a label that is often maligned and misunderstood, but I don't make it a personal mission to correct every single person's presumptions about what it means. I try to let my work speak for itself. I couldn't have the ideas I do about life and being human if I weren't a Catholic, and it shines through everything I create, whether I like it or not. (I think that's the Holy Spirit. Right?)

CAC: Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?

LP: Being on the board of Catholic Artist Connection, while it has been a lot of work, has also been so faith-building and rewarding and communal. Because I have not often found the support I need as a Catholic artist in the church proper - aside from individual priests and friends, who have been lifesavers - I want to make it my mission to be that open door for other Catholic artists. This is something I believe the laity can do and can do well.

CAC: Where have you found support among your fellow artists for your Catholic faith?

LP: It really depends. Some people can see that the theater is a place where diverse creatures gather to present and grapple with interesting questions, and that gives them the curiosity to explore what it means to be a Catholic during this strange period of history. Some people aren't yet in that frame of mind, and that's okay. If I can be Christ to them, that's what I care about, and that's in my power to do. I'm actually embarking on a process with Project Y Theatre right now where I'm going to be doing a short adaptation of a piece by Hrotsvitha of Gandershaim, a Catholic religious sister who wrote plays in the 10th century, of all things.

CAC: How can the Church be more welcoming to artists?

LP: By supporting groups like the Catholic Artist Connection!

CAC: How can the artistic world be more welcoming to artists of faith?

LP: Ask more questions about faith instead of relying on pat and easy answers. Let religion appear onstage as more than a punchline or punching bag. Let's have stories about religious persons struggling, yes, but let's also have stories about them thriving in religious communities. We could all benefit from that kind of open-mindedness.

CAC: Where in NYC do you regularly find spiritual fulfillment? Do you recommend any particular parishes?

LP: I attend a parish in Queens - reach out to me directly if you want more specifics. Otherwise, in Manhattan, I'll recommend a few parishes that stand out:

St. Francis of Assisi is fantastic, very welcoming, diverse community, and caters to so many marginalized people.

If you want spectacle and the Seat of Everything in NYC, St. Patrick's Cathedral.

I have a special place in my heart for the Dominicans over at St. Vincent Ferrer, it was one of the first churches I attended regularly in the city. You might see a few familiar faces at the noon mass, and sometimes the Sisters of Life go there.

If you want to go to an 11pm mass in Times Square, check out the The Actor's Chapel/St. Malachy's. It's quite something. They have actors and singers galore so the liturgy is pretty beautiful.

St. Ignatius Loyola is a BEAUTIFUL Jesuit parish on Park Avenue, and the music is out of this world good.

CAC: Where in NYC do you regularly find artistic fulfillment?

LP: I have done a lot of work with Turn to Flesh Productions with my good friend Emily C. A. Snyder. I've worked with a lot of companies, some of which have moved away or developed into other companies - such is the nature of the theater!

To get inspired, I visit new places in the city. There are always new places to go. There are still neighborhoods I've never even set foot in and I've been here since 2012.

I read about 50 books a year on average. You have to keep your mind moving so it doesn't get stagnant. And there are a lot of independent used bookstores in the city that you should DEFINITELY support. The Strand is an institution. And Heaven help us, when we get the Drama Bookshop back, you should support them, too.

I also took a class recently with the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research when they had one on "Bible as Literature." Take any class that you can afford. Sign up for Barnes and Noble alerts, they always have famous people come to read from their books in Union Square.

CAC: What is your daily spiritual practice?

LP: I pray throughout the day. My prayer life is extremely simple, basic, and conversational. I spent a long time dealing with anxiety and depression, and I have found it best to just live in the silence with God. I expect a lot of myself by nature, and so my biggest challenge has been learning when to ease off and just know that I am loved by God. I find a lot of comfort in spiritual reading. Read Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke.

I'm self-conscious of the fact that it seems like I often do the bare minimum of what is expected of me as a Catholic, but my heart is at peace - most of the time. It helps to find a spiritual director or regular confessor who knows you well and can guide you when you're feeling lost, and it was important to me when I moved here that I find one quickly. He's busy, but he'll make time.

CAC: What is your daily artistic practice?

LP: When I was writing my novel I wrote several times a week, and it was a real pleasure. It's good sometimes to work on creative projects that are simply for fun, because it's easy to lose sight of your art as anything but hard work. But, in general, I try to be really protective of my time and energy. I wouldn't say I have a daily practice, but I am trying to get better at doing at least one creative thing a day, even if it's just composing funny dumb tweets.

CAC: Describe a recent day in which you were most completely living out your vocation as an artist. What happened, and what brought you the most joy?

LP: A collective of playwrights including myself have been meeting regularly with the New Sanctuary Coalition at St. Francis Xavier Church in order to write plays based off the interviews the NSC does with immigrants living in the city. It’s been a salve to the soul to find a way to share those stories with the world, they are urgent stories for our times.

CAC: You actually live in NYC? How!?

LP: If you want to move here and are not sure what you want, or if you don't have a big budget or any credit, or some other reason why you don't want to or can't rent your own apartment right away, I recommend starting in a short-term sublet. I arranged a sublet on Facebook in the month before I first moved here, with a girl I hadn't met. I found a sublet group on Facebook, and I know Craigslist (although sketchy) does have sublet opportunities as well. Technically speaking not all subletting is "legal," but NYC subletting laws are pretty draconian. There are legal sublets out there but I can't speak for all of them. It's a little ridiculous, but only the strictest of landlords really seem to care. Just something to keep in mind.

I will be very candid with you - if one of your parents has a very high paying job, you'll be in much better shape to rent your own place. Oftentimes landlords want renters with a guarantor who makes anywhere from 40x to 90x the monthly rent.

If you can find a roommate, do it. Keep open lines of communication about what your priorities are in a living situation. Those things typically come down to:

1. Distance from the train/Manhattan/jobs 2. Space in the apartment 3. Personalities 4. Interest in the neighborhood

If your roommate has a parent who can be the guarantor, or one of yours can be, you will be in great shape to find your own place, even without jobs right away. If not, subletting is your best bet. Do NOT be afraid to speak openly and candidly with each other about finances. You have to be realistic. You have to be wise.

I live in a neighborhood in Queens called Astoria. I share a 3bed convert (meaning it's 2 bed with no living room now because we made it into a bedroom) with a big kitchen, a decent bathroom, and a great landlord. I pay around $900 every month for this, and I'm paying for proximity to the train, proximity to Manhattan (I can be in Times Square in 25 minutes if the trains are running on time), and space. The price jumps up at least $500 a share once you try to find a similar place like that in Manhattan. Yes, the prices are insane. The cheapest studios I see are somewhere around $1500 and you usually don't get much space for that money. The more roommates you have, the cheaper your rent can be, but you will have to sacrifice things like privacy and quiet.

When I first moved here, I paid $750 a month for one half of a 2 bedroom apartment in the same neighborhood, but the landlord was not great, and we had mice and heat problems. You really get what you pay for, and sometimes neighborhoods (like mine) get trendier every year.

I found both apartments with a local broker who knows the neighborhood, and I found her on Craigslist. This is not a blanket endorsement of Craigslist. If something seems too good to be true, it definitely is.

Stay away from Williamsburg, or anything off the L train for now. Look up where the train lines are going to be shut down for long periods of time, and don't move there. Good neighborhoods to look at for lower budgets:

Manhattan: Inwood, Washington Heights, Harlem, Queens: Sunnyside, East Elmhurst, Astoria, Long Island City Brooklyn: Bushwick, Crown Heights.

I don't know Brooklyn super well, honestly, but there are parts of Brooklyn that are still affordable. The ones I listed are all really vibrant and diverse communities, and if you want to be a part of them, they'll be glad to have you. If you have your heart set on Manhattan, you will be paying a lot more for a lot less convenience (longer walk to the store, higher prices, fewer laundromats), but you will have proximity to a lot of cool stuff.

CAC: But seriously, how do you make a living in NYC?

LP: When I first moved here, I got a job at a hotel as a food runner and then a server by attending an open call I found on Craigslist. I also got a job as a host at a Times Square chain restaurant because I had friends who were working there at the time and got me an interview. Another friend recommended a temp agency to me. I got a decent amount of work through there. Basically, it's easier to get a job if you have an "in," but you may have to start at the bottom of the barrel and work your way up.

Some weeks I worked five days at the restaurant, one day at the temp job, and mornings at the house of an actor preparing for a one-man show he was doing. I had to keep really careful track of my paychecks and budget to make sure I would have enough for rent. I made sure I had a cushion of money in my checking account just in case I had an emergency.

The hours will be long and frustrating and you might cry a lot, but if you can stick with it through the tough times, I promise you that you will be able to work anywhere in the world and do anything you want to do, because you did it in New York. Go to open calls. Make phone calls. Walk in and be ready to fill out an application in person, and ask to see the manager right away. Be proactive. Let the rush of energy and fear from being in a new place help you take action.

The one thing I will say is don't let the job become your whole life. There are so many things to see and do here, and you want to have the time to enjoy them. It's not just about survival, it's about living well, and about having time to work on your art. Now I have one job in due diligence, with benefits and healthcare, that allows me to work on my theater stuff, my real passion, in my spare time. I've been with that firm for a little over four years.

CAC: How much would you suggest artists moving to NYC budget for their first year?

LP: I moved here with about $5k, and it took me about $3k to get settled over a period of three months. I lived out of suitcases but clawed my way into an apartment, and took it from there. I also talked to my parents to figure out what my "bailout" fund looked like, and they gave me a ballpark figure - if things ever got really bad, I knew I could call them, but there was a limit, so that encouraged me to stay frugal. I didn't consider that money part of my budget, just a little peace of mind - and I still haven't used it. (But keep in mind, this was in 2012, so adjust for inflation!)

CAC: What other practical resources would you recommend to a Catholic artist living in NYC?

LP: Apply for an IDNYC. It's a municipal (city) ID card that comes with yearlong museum memberships that you can sign up for via the website and it's also a valid ID card if you're somewhat irregular in your living situation - anyone who can prove residency, even homeless persons, can get one! Also, make www.broadwayforbrokepeople.com your bookmark for discounted play tickets. Most theaters have discount programs based on age. You can also try for lotto tickets using the TodayTix app.

CAC: What are your top 3 pieces of advice for Catholic artists moving to NYC?

LP: 1. Go to Mass, every Sunday. Try out different parishes until you find one where you feel comfortable and welcome. We have so, so many and they are waiting for you to fill them up with your time and talents. If they are in your neighborhood, so much the better.

2. Invest in your neighborhood. Shop local. Get to know the community. Attend local events. You're going to meet people you'd never have met back home, and most of them won't be artists, or Catholic - although some might be both! It will inform you creatively more than you know.

3. Surround yourself with people who treat you with the respect and dignity you deserve. This might seem like general life advice, and it is, but as a Catholic you'll find yourself facing challenges in the city, and as an artist in this city, you'll certainly be challenged. But at the end of the day, when you lay your head down, wherever you find a spot, you have to know you are safe and loved. Nothing is worth your respect and dignity, and do everything you can to maintain it. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you feel trapped and afraid. You aren't the only artist (or Catholic) to feel this way in this city.

#laura pittenger #playwright #director #catholic #catholic artist #catholic artists nyc #catholic artist connection #ball state university #new sanctuary #new sanctuary coalition #writing #writer

1 note · View note