#they’re the core three of wednesday

[dark-visitors]

[rootbeerworshiper]

I think the issue is , it’s nothing new. Like they aren’t really expanding on anything new. Like the past ten Wednesday videos have just been food vids no vlogs like before and the Friday vids have NO topic it’s just them yapping don’t get me wrong love the yapping but it’s nothing that like life changing

THIS THIS THIS

the same thing for three years can get a little annoying and omg if they don’t have a topic and stick to it next car video i’m gonna lose it

i’m a yapper okay, i get it. but hearing chris and nick talk out of their asses for 20 minutes while matt just shakes his head is BORINGGGGGG

and wednesday videos omfg. why are we cooking. where tf are triplet tournaments and vlogs?? these hoes can’t cook let’s just leave it to what they’re good at!!!

AND i’m a podcast lover to my core. but i was okay with it being gone for better content and for their own sanity…. so why the fuck are the vids the exact same?

do not get me wrong of course i fucking love them with my whole heart i literally fall asleep to matt’s twitch streams but i just think they need to switch it up before ppl *cough cough* me! get sick of the same shit

[cosmowes]

handling shit teachers.

cough cough… sixth period look, we’ve all had them, right? and they suck ass. but don’t let what can do and have worked for be shirked by someone who can’t do their job.

you make your future. and though this may be annoying for now, you can turn it around.

tldr at the end ❤️

ONE- reeeally think about it.

what’s the problem you’re having? is it professional or personal? this is an issue i’ve had a lot. i’ve had teachers i thought sucked, when really it was me failing to communicate as a student. i thought they had a vendetta- i was just bad at talking.

i’ll use my current shit teacher as an example. sixth period. super disorganized, always changing due dates without telling us, changes rubrics and doesn’t post it, gets upset when the work she didn’t assign isn’t done.

disaster, right? and usually i’d just correspond more but she doesn’t answer email. aka: this is not my fault.

now what?

TWO- what you can control.

the good thing is you can still handle things from here. use the syllabus and teach yourself anything that isn’t in the class. do your best with what they provide.

if if’s a huge issue and not a core academic, you can switch classes. if it is a core academic, i’ve still had friends switch teachers mid-year so depending on your school’s rules it can happen.

if you teacher is, like mine, disorganized, use what they provide. don’t be afraid of working in advance. whenever i get an assignment in her class it goes up in priority cuz, for all i know, it may go from being due on a friday to a wednesday.

if the teacher can’t control the class, earbuds are a lifesaver. go to the library to do the work. get photos of whatever notes they give and teach yourself.

my school provides online textbooks. if your teacher is not teaching: USE THEM. lordie they’re helpful. and use resources like khan academy, ixl, noredink, kuta, etc. they’re redundant i know but they can be a lifesaver.

THREE- what you can’t.

don’t beat yourself up over this. it sucks but it’s another period that you will come out from, and when you do you’ll have new tools for handling difficult people. don’t view it as an instant negative, just a minor setback.

your words shape your reality. if you walk into class praying for them to be absent, grumbling and all negative, you do nothing nowhere except more pissed. smile, nod, and keep it moving. do not let this break down your spirit.

TLDR:

figure out whether the problem is the teacher or you. 🖊️

use your class syllabus 📑

if needed, switch class/teacher 🧑‍🏫

work in advance 🕰️

teach yourself whatever you miss (online textbooks!) 📚

use online resources (kuta, khan, ixl, noredink) 💻

don’t beat yourself up over it - think positive and keep going ☀️

[swaps55]

WIP Wednesday

A deeper look at Jacob's POV in Mezzo, for @asthewindbehaves

~

Shepard watches his every move before dropping his gaze to the table and tracing a finger through a ring of condensation left by whoever had vacated the seat before they got there. It’s like being a mouse pinned under the paw of a cat that hasn't decided weather to let him go or bring the claws out.

“Don’t hear about many biotics manifesting past puberty. Adult eezo exposure?”

“You could say that,” Jacob replies, trying to rein in the bitterness. “Corsair job gone wrong. Alliance wrote me off as dead, same as you. Cerberus saw things differently.”

“You seem pretty convinced they’re trustworthy.”

“You seem pretty convinced they’re not.”

Shepard raises an eyebrow. “I don’t tend to trust shadow organizations who take out inconvenient Alliance admirals.”

“Is it that much different from the Alliance? Or was Lord Darius special somehow?”

Shepard doesn’t quite flinch, but it’s close. The Alliance had tried to spin the massacre on Nonuel as a negotiation gone bad, but the murder of an ‘ally’ who’d become a thorn in the Alliance’s side was too convenient, and Shepard isn’t the guy you send when plan A is to talk it out. Your hands are as dirty as mine were, Jacob thinks. Jacob just hadn’t had a Spectre badge and a heroic pose to hide behind.

The asari returns with their drinks. Shepard examines his glass before taking a cautious sip. Whether he finds it to his liking or not is for someone else to figure out.  

“So what happened?” Shepard asks, apparently uninterested in further debates on the finer points of military morality. “With the eezo exposure.”  

“Classified black ops mission. Alliance wouldn’t even tell us the name of the planet we got dropped at, which means brass didn’t want anyone to know we were there. Orders were to get into the tunnels of a prothean ruin, dismantle some sensitive equipment and evac it.”

Shepard’s watching him again. Like a hawk. Jacob tries not to squirm.

“No one warned us it was leaking enough eezo to power a drive core. Three members of my team were dead within forty-eight hours, and I wasn’t far behind them. Turns out mass effect fields forming in your blood vessels is a bad thing.”

Shepard takes a slow sip of whiskey. Jacob kind of liked it better when he wasn’t the center of Shepard’s attention.

“And the Alliance couldn’t treat you.”

Jacob shrugs a shoulder. “Couldn’t. Wouldn’t. All the same in the end. The mass effect fields made my blood pressure unstable, which killed my eyesight. Alliance didn’t have an answer, but Cerberus did. You aren’t the only one on the Normandy with synthetic vision.”

The laser gaze doesn’t waver, but Shepard shifts in his seat.

“Look, Shepard. I’m not telling you the Illusive Man is some kind of hero or saint. But do you think the Alliance lifted a finger to rescue you? Hell, they didn’t even look for a body to bury. They got what they needed out of you, and when you became inconvenient? They did to you what you did to Darius. Only the collectors did the work for them, and they still got to put your face on the recruitment posters.”

[hankwritten]

Feeding False Information to the Audience

Day 6: NIGHTMARES (Flash Fire)

“It’s serious Scout.”

“I know it’s serious! What makes you think I ain’t taking this seriously?”

Pyro gestures.

“You just pointed at all of me,” Scout says.

They’ve been dating for three months now, Pyro should know that Scout can buckle down and pay attention when he wants to. It’s just most of the time he doesn’t want to. But for this he totally can! When Pyro had pulled him aside and said they had to have an important conversation before moving forward with their relationship, he’d totally wised up and vowed to treat this with all the gravity ever.

It’s just it’s kinda hard remembering to do that every second of every minute. His mind wanders sometimes, and even as Pyro leads him to their room in the barracks and makes him sit on the bed, he gets antsy and fidgets with his bandages. Not his fault Pyro has a million things in their room! He reads the posters even though he’s read them a million times, his eyes sliding off the words like familiar tracks through the snow. He gazes into the eyes of the stuffed animals like they’re gateways into the abyss.

But when Pyro pulls up a chair across from him, he focuses. “There is something I have to tell you about.”

“Cool. Is it fire related?”

“No.”

“Uh…baseball related?”

“No.”

“Beating chucklenuts in their chuckle nuts?”

“No.”

“Then I’m out of ideas for the usual topics of conversation.”

“It wasn’t an invitation for you to guess, Scout.” They fold their gloves in their lap, looking down nervously. “It’s a confession.”

“Oh.” He tries to straighten up. “I’m listening.”

“It’ll be easier if I show you. But!” They point. “Number one rule is to be cool and not freak out.”

“Okay.”

“Say it Scout!”

“Okay, okay I’ll be freaking cool and not freaking freak out.”

“Good.”

Then, they take a deep breath, reach behind their neck, and unzip their chemsuit.

What spills from within is not skin. It is not flesh. It’s not even solid, but a viscous liquid that leaks from the discarded suit and begins to fill the floor of the room with far more volume than it should have contained. Seconds after what was once Pyro is emptied, the mass balloons upward, nearly touching the ceiling, roiling with untold shapes and limbs. Maws open in the black mass, torn shapes with magma throats, and they belch out flames as the form rises to its full height.

Scout, still sitting cross-legged on the bed, observes the nightmare being before him and says, “Hot.”

“What.”

Pyro’s voice is now sung with a dozen mouths, but they all deliver the question in the exact same tone of flat bafflement.

“Thanks for like, showing your true self babe. It’s really sexy.” To illustrate, he gives a big thumbs up. “Love the confidence.”

“Usually humans scream because when they look at me they see the face of Truth and Evil.”

“Really?”

Scout tries staring at Pyro. Really staring at them, gazing into one of the openings so hard that the magma core hurts his retinas, the red light like gazing into the sun, dragging his mind further into hell with each second…

He accidentally makes eye contact with one of the stuffed animals again. Crap. He refocuses, but nope the sensation of sinking into the physical manifestation of agony is gone.

He shakes his head. “Nah, sorry pally, don’t see it.”

“That’s fine I guess, I wasn’t really asking you to.” Pyro pauses. “So. Thanks for not freaking out. I guess.”

“No problem babe,” Scout says. “Hey, did you still want to go get burritos?”

Nothing like Burrito Wednesday at Papa Guiseppe’s Mexican Food Stand. The couple usually goes after matches, except when they’re having heartfelt revelations apparently.

“…Actually it’s a bit hard to get back in the suit once I get out of it, so this was kinda my plans for the evening.”

“Nah, that’s cool, we don’t have to go every week. We can just pick up where we last left off with Bonk! Boy or something.”

Scout pulls the comics out from under his bed, leafing through until he finds the wants. It’s a bit inconvenient with Pyro reading over his shoulder this way since their infernal mouths keep accidentally almost setting the pages on fire, but hey, the things we do for love.

[gaybroons]

via @NHLbruins on Twitter

Transcript:

(To Lucic) > did you ever believe this guy would be captain?

Marchand: [laugh] no!

Lucic: [laugh] I think if you told me that, y’know, when he was a rookie, I think I speak for most guys, everyone wouldn’t believe it. But to see him grow as a player and as a person, I think he definitely deserves it and I couldn’t be happier for him. I think he’s going to lead us the right way.

Marchand: now we know that looch is a liar!

[they both laugh]

> does it feel good getting closer to opening night after three weeks of training camp, the real deal, in a couple of days?

Marchand: yeah. You know the time in camp starts dragging on a little bit, you know, you start looking forward to the season starting and your team starts to shape up. The first half of camp y’know the group is split— [turns to Lucic] I think we were kinda joking— it’s almost two weeks before we even skated together. So you start getting excited when-when the group comes together and they’re always down, you’re able to start building, y’know, the foundation of the season so yeah we’re looking forward to—and today was a great practice; everyone was dialed in, competed hard and, y’know, you can see the intensity rise up and the guys were excited for Wednesday so, looking forward to it.

> [inaudible question asking about the retirement of the old core, Chara, Krejci, Bergy, and now that him, Pasta, and McAvoy are the new core(??)]

Marchand: yeah, yeah for sure so, with Looch coming back, it kinda lessens that [inaudible] of some of those guys leaving. Y’know looch came up in that era—in that culture that was built early on and y’know the more guys we can have around that can salvage that and y’know, lead the way, it helps a lot. But they brought some guys in who’d been around and, y’know you can’t— you never count out that experience in the room when you go through adversity and, y’know, when you go through tough times so, y’know the younger guys have taken big steps in the past couple of years and we expect them to do that again this year. But there’ll be other guys who step up and start leading in different ways too so, I’ll be excited to see who does that.

> [inaudible] some obligation to play the role of ambassador— not just on the ice but also answering questions about different bruins throughout the years— some of which no longer living?

Marchand: uhh. I mean. I don’t feel pressured to do that by any means but we’re all happy to do that. To be part of this organization is a really— a really big honor, when you see the guys that’d come through and built the culture, built the history here, y’know you love to be part of that, you love it talk about it and y’know we don’t forget about those guys; they built the road that we walk on today so, y’know we love giving the previous players a ton of credit and— like I said the amount of pride that we have to wear this jersey and walk in this room everyday— we’ll do whatever the team needs us to do.

[reyesstrand]

wip word search wednesday

thank you @freneticfloetry @carlos-tk @whatsintheboxmh @heartstringsduet @thisbuildinghasfeelings @strandnreyes @paperstorm @carlos-tk @alrightbuckaroo @louis-ii-reyes-strand for the various tags! going to make the word search game my wip wednesday contribution <3

rules: use this generator to generate three random words (or however many you’d like to do!) and share the lines where they show up in your wips!

“way” — santa baby wip

He feels heat spread through him, as those green eyes dip quickly down the line of his body—catching on everything, from Carlos’ unbuttoned collar and the way his fingers have curled tightly around his dimpled glass—before they meet his again. He practically glimmers in the light, this man on the stage, and Carlos wonders if his siren-call is only pulling him in, or if half the room’s falling head-over-heels, to.

“oh” — santa baby wip

Think of all the fun I've missed

Think of all the fellas that I haven't kissed

Next year I could be just as good

If you'll check off my Christmas list

The man is still looking at him as he sings, his smile stretching around the words, breaking through some of the passive sultry looks he’s been effortlessly brandishing like a weapon to entrance the room. The smile breaks through to Carlos’ core, and he suddenly wonders if he’s dreaming.

“You should hang around after his set,” the woman behind the bar is suddenly telling him, wiping down the workspace with a checkered towel.

Carlos feels his skin flush, being caught in his trance. “Oh, I—,”

“Trust me,” she smiles, resting her elbows on the bar and leaning her weight into them. The nametag affixed to her shirt reads Nancy. “He’s my best friend, okay? And I’m telling you…hang around after his set.”

“red” — grief counselling au wip

“Anything standing out to you?” Tommy asks, bumping her shoulder lightly into TK’s.

He smiles at his captain, who, right now, with her hair worn loose and deep red sweatshirt, is more of a friend than anything. She always is when they’re here—in this room with these people, the Tuesday night regulars, where tangible sadness and the comfort of everlasting love co-exist as they share their stories.

“Hmm,” TK cocks his head to the side, pretending to consider his options when he always gravitates toward the same snack: one of the supermarket cookies from its plastic container, and a cup of warm coffee.

getting to this quite late today so i’ll leave an open tag!!!

[youhideastar]

WIP Wednesday: Net Impression

Poor Net Impression, one of my few WIPs that nobody ever asked about 😂 but I'm going to tell you anyway! Because I really wanted to share this scene.

Once upon a time, x_los wrote this beautiful miniature of a modern AU, and I left the following comment:

"Wow, I was not expecting to be taken back so acutely to That Time in My Life, i.e., the three years I spent as a government litigator in unrequited love with my broke legal-aid lawyer best friend and former classmate, but A+++++++ emotional verisimilitude and excuse me while I go hide under the covers with a Kleenex box for the rest of the day and possibly year!"

And then the next day, without making any conscious decision to do so, I wrote this:

Lan Zhan wakes of her own volition, when the sky is still dark; habit makes the best alarm. Core hours at the agency don’t start until 7. She rolls out her mat and breathes through her morning yoga. A quick shower; she’ll wash her hair tonight after tennis.

Breakfast is a banana—eaten standing up, in a private rebellion against one of Uncle’s rules—while she skims the Post’s website. Wei Ying has informed her that reading the paper over breakfast officially makes her an old lady.

Lan Zhan favors light colors but has bowed to practicality in the matter of slacks; today, navy, with a white shell and cardigan, and white ankle boots. “This is how I know you’re a witch, Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying had told her. “Because you wear white shoes and they’re never dirty.” The last words had been pronounced with the kind of grand j’accuse energy that would accompany the reveal of a murderer’s identity at the end of a mystery novel.

Jewelry is tricky; Lan Zhan likes how she looks with adornment, but still does battle with a voice telling her not to draw attention to her appearance. Today, simple white pearl eardrops suffice. Sometimes she pairs them with a string of pearls around her neck, but Wei Ying had commented offhand that the cardigan-and-pearls look was “very Stepford,” and it still stings, though she’s sure it wasn’t meant to. Her hair goes in a French braid, as it has every day of her life since she was twelve; the movements automatic by now.

She feels about cosmetics much the same way that she feels about jewelry, with the added risk of looking like a fool for lack of practice in its application. Wei Ying had mentioned, once, that mascara was “hard to fuck up.” Lan Zhan bought the same brand she saw in Wei Ying’s bag, and applies it most working days. A restrained rose-pink lipstick has also become habit. She likes the look of it, and the feel of applying it, silky and light. She looks in the mirror and sees nothing to criticize. Good enough.

No leftovers to bring for lunch; she will take her chances with the food trucks.

It’s cold outside—not New York or Chicago cold, but cold enough for a scarf and a jacket. With no lunch to pack, her briefcase is light. Her tennis racket and tennis clothes are at work. She has no competition for a seat on the Metro, at this hour, and she makes good progress on her book.

She badges into the building, and then into her floor, and then sits at her desk at 7 precisely, for another day at work, having only thought of Wei Ying four times. That, too, is good enough.

[ryn-halo26]

His North Star

Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to dear, Ryn~ Happy birthday to you!!

I hope you'll enjoy this birthday fic~

-

Summary: A white mochi. An indoor waterfall. A foldable laptop. Those were the only puzzle pieces Morgan Kyne Saw before his Magic became hazy. A powerful Psychokinetic just emerged, and it seems that his future intertwines with them.

A white mochi. An indoor waterfall. A foldable laptop. These three random items were the last things Morgan Kyne Saw before his Magic becomes hazy. And no matter how hard he tries to Look deeper, his Sight is blocked by thick, grey clouds. 

“There’s a high possibility that a Psychokinetic to which we have never seen before is currently in Singapore,” Morgan tabled to the Council on an inconspicuous Monday. Throughout all his years, the most eventful occurrences usually happen on a quiet day, so he knows to keep his guard up for whatever comes next. “I couldn’t See their face, but I caught a few clues that should be enough to track them down.” 

One of the Council members - Sophia - hums. She taps a slender finger against her chair, displeasure paints over her stern face. “A powerful Psychokinetic… most probably Latent then. If it is as you say, Mr. Kyne, we need to find them at all costs before Covert is threatened. But the idea of you leaving Dahlia…” 

“Mr. Kyne would need to be kit with a security detail,” A fellow Council member interjects. His Core thrums with powerful Energetic Magic. “Our SEA branch could oversee it, I’m certain. And this new Empowered once we find them.” 

“If we find them. Mr. Kyne's inability to gleam their identity feels… foreboding.”

“If I may, Council,” Morgan pipes up through the murmuring crowd. He smiles softly as they all turn to him. “I have a good feeling that our paths will cross one way or another. The indoor waterfall in Jewel Changgi Airport is a sight to see and one of the places the locals love to be. I’ll meet them eventually.” 

Sophia accepts his confident assurance. “Very well then. May your investigation be successful, Mr. Kyne and please, send out well wishes to your new kin too.” 

Morgan politely bows. “Of course, Councilwoman.” 

That meeting was on Monday. It’s on a Wednesday afternoon that Morgan finds himself descending from the plane and looking around the terminal with his luggage in tow. He’s worn thin from the long hours of travel, and his body is screaming for a bed. He’s no use like this. So he quickly checks in at the nearby hotel and keeps a close eye on the local news while he rests. The humid weather lulls Morgan into a sleepy stupor when he returns to the airport the day after. Now that he has a proper look around, the Seer Obscura could understand why the locals love this place - it’s not just an airport but also a high-end mall. Changgi has everything the locals need, and the tourists love. People of all ages are either shopping or waiting to pick up loved ones. 

But Morgan didn’t come here for sightseeing; he’s here to track down an unknown Latent.

“A Latent’s core tends to flare up for a few days…” Morgan murmurs, and the sounds of laughing children walking by with their families drown his voice. It’s almost lunch hour, and he has to navigate through crowds heading to various restaurants. “I should be able to spot it if they’re nearby.” So he wanders through the floors, passing by a few Stealths, Tiger Shifters and Freelancers but no Psychokinetic. 

Three hours went by, and while he loathes to admit it, the boba tea in his grip was the only thing he found. One of the images he Saw was the waterfall in the airport, but Morgan circled the immediate area with no result. He even boards the train a couple of times just for good measure. So now he’s sipping on his drink on the floor above, a beautiful view in front of him. “Perhaps I should’ve inquired for help from the local Investigator.” Despite the investigation going nowhere, it gives Morgan a new perspective on life. One that made him appreciate how helpful his Sight is, even during mundane situations like tracking down a stranger. 

But just as Morgan was about to call it a day, morosely chewing on tapioca pearls, something caught his attention from the corner of his eyes. A flare draws him in like a moth to a flame, and Morgan immediately leans precariously over the railing, eager eyes scanning the crowd below. Despite the beacon near the foot of the waterfall, Morgan struggles to see the face he’s looking for due to the overwhelming number of people. A couple is taking pictures of themselves in front of the waterfall, squeezing in between a tired janitor and a businessman talking on his phone is an artist drawing on a device, a group of teenagers are doing tricks, and a small family ushers their toddler towards the flowers. One of them has to be the Psychokinetic!

Morgan chucks his drink into a bin as he rushes back down, pushing through the crowd as politely as possible:

“Oi! Watch where you going!”

“Apasal mat salleh ni!?” 

“ - cibai ah!”

Judging by the disgruntled shouts behind him, his attempts weren’t as subtle as he had hoped for. But as soon as he arrived at the Rain Vortex, the flare was no longer visible. The Psychokinetic had left. 

Morgan scanned around. “You’re not getting away that easily.” He promises and immediately searches the area; his target can’t be far. 

…Well, that’s what he thought nine hours ago, but now it’s getting late, and Morgan felt like he’s been led into a wild goose chase. Chasing after the Psychokinetic into various random shops and dessert restaurants just shy out of reach. 

Now Morgan is beyond exhausted and hungry, trying to catch his breath on the bench. He’s back at the waterfall, but the crowd has lessened this time. The sound of rushing water and beautiful coloured lights around the greenery soothe his headache somewhat. It helps that Morgan finally had some peace and quiet after a long day. “Perhaps I underestimated myself,” Morgan sighs, rubbing his temple. “They’re more elusive than I thought. I need help after - ”

“Scoot over.” 

A voice interrupts the Seer’s musing. Morgan’s jaw nearly drops onto the floor when he turns around and is greeted by the Aura he’s been chasing after the whole day. A maelstrom of untapped Magic cocoons the stranger in a protective embrace. Morgan is utterly bewildered while the Singaporean sigh. As if they’re the ones exhausted and not Morgan. 

“Hello? Anybody home?” 

“You’re…”

“Me? Look sir, can you please scoot over? I’ve been standing in a queue for 30 minutes, and my legs are killing me.” 

Morgan blinked and turned his gaze to the stranger’s arm. They’re carrying a laptop with wacky stickers on it in one arm while the other is holding a white paper cup with a logo that’s partially hidden. When they tilt their head, their pale pink hair sway gently. So Morgan wordlessly slid to the side to vacant the left side of the bench. 

“Thanks, man.” 

The Seer couldn’t help but continue to stare as they fold the laptop open on their lap and popped a white-coloured mochi into their mouth. It must’ve tasted good because they hum in delight and begin to draw using their fingers. They also must’ve felt the weight of his stare because they stopped themselves and gestured the paper cup at him. “Want one?” 

Morgan didn’t know whether to laugh or hide his embarrassed face behind his palms. He did neither, though. Instead, he gratefully accepts the offer and slowly chews on the dessert. Hmm. Delicious, indeed. 

A comfortable silence sets between them. The tension that had been building up on Morgan’s shoulders vanishes just like that; who would’ve thought that the person he was desperately searching for came to him instead? 

“Thank you for the dessert. My name is Morgan.” 

“Huh. That’s a cool name. You can call me Ryn." 

“Believe me when I say that it’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Ryn."

[shortsnackattack]

Training

Just a fluff piece with Coach Ukai 

Characters: Ukai x reader

Synopsis: You’re a trainer at a local gym and when Ukai comes in and sparks fly. 

Keishin Ukai, who after years of playing volleyball, thinks that getting back into shape should be easy. No he doesn’t need to take classes with the trainer, thanks. But also how do you work this machine again? After breezing through each of the machines on the floor with him, you find him a little more agreeable to working with you at least once a week. Once a week quickly turned into two after he found out how effective your classes were for challenging his core strength and stamina.

“Where’d you learn how to do that?” he’d ask, gasping and shaking out his arms. You just laugh and shake your head a bit.

“I had a good education. Same time next week?”

“No, sorry,” he grabs his water bottle from the wall, “I’ve got a tournament with the guys. But hey there’s an idea,” his eyes turned to you with a new light. “I’ve been hoping to get the students into cross-training. Think you could put them through a good workout?”

Taking in the state that Ukai was presently in, hair dripping sweat and shirt clinging to his back, yeah you could probably offer the team a pretty good workout. “I can swing by on Wednesday or Thursday,” you say, eyeing the schedule the gym had you on for the following week. “Are afternoons better?”

After settling the time and date you found yourself somewhat giddy at getting the chance to see Ukai in his element. Working out with him was one thing, but to see him as a coach, actually training the students he would sometimes talk about, and to have him trust you enough to bring you in as a trainer for the team was a big deal.

Once you stepped into the school’s gym you hit a wall of sounds and smells that took you right back to your own high school days. Easily spotting Ukai on the side of the gym, you walk over and stand there with him as the team goes through their warm up drills.

“Do they know what they’re in for?” you ask, teasingly.

“Absolutely not, it’s gonna be great.” You laugh at his expression before setting your duffel bag down and grabbing a swig of water before joining the team. They quickly stop their drills and watch intently as you move to the front of the group and introduce yourself.

 Thirty minutes. Within thirty minutes you can usually tell how fit someone is. The team is fit to be sure, but there’s something underlining it that you can’t put your finger on. Their drive, maybe? Whatever it is, you recognize it from your training sessions with Ukai. You tell him as much after you’ve wrapped up the hour-long session the following week. He came back to the gym talking about how much the team enjoyed having you come train them, asking on their behalf (and if he’s being honest with himself, his as well) if you’d come back to train them every week. Knowing how many people rely on you at the gym you can’t make it a permanent commitment, but after seeing the light in Ukai’s eyes, you know you can’t say no to a few training sessions a month.

 “Whenever you’re free I’d love to have you come back to the school and train the team,” Ukai must have mentioned it at least three times during his hour-long session. Seeing how earnest he was, how could you refuse? Truthfully you’d hoped that they would invite you back. Ukai wasn’t someone you only wanted to see once or twice a week. The smile that lit up his face when you said you’d go back could have kept you warm all winter. His accompanying hug, however, flustered you to the point where you could barely string together a goodbye as he let go of you and picked up the clipboard you’d dropped in your surprise. If he noticed how red your face turned, he ignored it as surely as you ignored how red his ears turned.

If only you could exercise a little more judgement, you admonished yourself after getting off work. But that was short lived as you discovered a note waiting for you at the front desk. Your coworker passed it along with a knowing smile, enjoying your surprise at finding his phone number scribbled on a sticky note. You fished your phone out of your pocket and quickly keyed in the number. Hoping they couldn’t see just how flustered you were about something as minor as a phone number, you gave them a casual wave and once outside the doors, practically sprinted to your car.

 Two months. Two months, and you still can’t remove his smile from your heart. You shouldn’t have even tried. Training sessions to team training, casual hellos and friendly banter became tinged with lowered gazes and a bashfulness you didn’t recognize in yourself. You were starting to read him pretty well, though. By your third date you could tell when he wanted to kiss you just by the way he held the steering wheel. After two months of seeing each other, you finally introduced him to your friends who, if they were being honest, didn’t expect the guy you’d been gushing about for months to be the hot guy they’ve seen at the corner store for years. Happy that you were finally in a relationship that suited you, they gave their stamp of approval which was all Ukai needed to wholeheartedly embrace them into his little family circle too. The most telling change, however, was how much he trusted you with the team. The weekly cross-training was going really well and the team, despite still being the rowdy bunch of teens he’s come to love, look forward to their weekly dose. Not as much as he looks forward to your weekly visits, however. Training sessions aside, every Friday and Saturday night that he’s not traveling with the team he carves out for you. Coffee shops, movie theatres, little tucked-away restaurants, they’ve all been blessed by the small bubble of happiness that you two emanate. That same warm wraps around each of you during the days you don’t see each other, coaxing one to text the other and keep the steady, unhurried love you two have built up as strong and sweet as the first cup of chai on a fall morning.

“You ever consider any other jobs?” he asks one night, reaching over his plate to spoon more veggies onto his plate.

“Once in a while,” you respond, chewing a bit while you think of your response, “it’s not that I’m unhappy with training, it’s actually exactly what I wanted to do. Sometimes though,” you let the thought trail off and smile at him with a small shrug. “Training just seems a little small compared to what others are doing, you know? You hear about your friends going off and doing miraculous things and they come back and see that you’re still at the same gym, and though you don’t feel shame…no that’s too strong of a word. You feel something akin to it. Maybe the grass is just greener and they secretly wish that their lives were as uncomplicated as mine looks from the outside.”

Ukai nods a bit, taking this in. “So you don’t want to leave the gym?” Something in his tone draws your gaze away from your plate.

“Should I?” you ask, a small smile teasing your lips. “You have a better offer?”

Ukai’s cheeks flush a bit before stammers out a quick no. “I wanted to know because you mentioned on our first date that you went to school for so many years but the area around here doesn’t really have your specialty so this is” he flailed a bit trying to find the word he was looking for, “temporary. I was curious if you’re looking at other opportunities.”

Maybe it was the way he looked, his headband keeping his hair in place, comfortable over-sized hoodie on over sweatpants. Maybe it was the low lighting, the hum of the tv in the background as the two of you sat at your coffee table eating dinner. Maybe it was the way he bit the inside of his cheek when he was nervous about asking any questions that pertained to the future. Whatever ‘it’ was, you suddenly had the strongest urge to assure him that everything else in life may be temporary but he, he was not. Not for you anyway. Maybe that’s why you put your food down and crawled over to a now fully blushing Ukai, why you half crawled into his lap and gently cupped his cheek as you kissed him. He hummed into the kiss, confused, but happy.

“Even if I get a new job or go back to school, you know I’m not leaving you, right?” Your eyes met his, trying to convince him. Whatever you conveyed must have struck a chord because he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling before he pulled you in for a deeper kiss.

“And who knows, maybe I’ll get a job in the future that let’s you stay at home. That apron looks good on you.” You wink at him before trying to crawl back to your spot, stopped by the impossibly strong arms circling around your thighs and dragging you back. You giggle, trying to free yourself from him but he just get’s a firmer hold on you before picking you up and throwing you over his shoulder heading for your bedroom.

“Alright smarty pants, I think it’s time you let coach teach you a few things.”

Sorry if the timing was kind of wonky, I’m still working on building up to longer pieces! Thanks for reading!

[the-blind-assassin-12]

writer wednesday #11 - 7/13/22

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I hope you’re all having a good week so far. I didn’t get to accomplish as much with my writing as I would have liked this week (bummer), but I did get the chance to read some truly great stuff by other writers (stunner), so without further ado, here are three things that I read that made me say “wow, that was great!” 

*as always these stories are listed by order of length. 

Drink to Regret by @fictitious-little-stitious​

Jack ‘Whiskey’ Daniels 

WC - 780

ITS AN ANGST. 

So I am not exaggerating when I say that this one absolutely gutted me. This look at future Jack after he’s lived for so long with this all consuming loss is just absolutely heartbreaking - but it’s done so well and so realistically that its so much more than just a sad cowboy story. It’s a look at a man who  is trying (and failing) to deal with an enormous tragedy, but it’s done very cleverly through the eyes and assumptions of outside viewers. Its a short piece but it packs a huge emotional punch. Prepare yourself for the hard hits if you read this one, but believe me when I say that it is well worth it. 

Forbidden Kiss by @prolix-yuy

Ezra (Prospect) x GN Reader 

WC - 893 

I READ THIS 4 TIMES. 

WOW. Okay. So first of all, the concept of this one having been written as a TIMED CHALLENGE just blows my mind!! (it’s part of a very cool challenge called writer’s iron chef and I can’t wait to read more from others who participate in it!) I was sucked in from the summary -  Is it more intimate to share breath than to share a kiss? (um, hello, that is that hottest fucking question, like how dare you ask such a scintillating question and then write such a beautiful answer?!) - and remained completely enraptured through the whole thing. The way that Ezra is described and depicted is so spot on and as lively and loquacious as he is in the film, and reading this (4 times) only made me fall even more in love with him than I already was. It may be dangerous and risky to spend so much time on the Green, but I would do it in a heartbeat if it meant being connected to and sharing oxygen with him. 

Life is Good Part 3 by @something-tofightfor

Frankie ‘Catfish’ Morales x Female Reader 

WC - 10.7k

THERE IS A (glorious) SMUT.

THE WORLD’S GREATEST VACATION CONTINUES... and it continues to heat up, too. This story has so far been a major delight to read. I legit feel like I have just stepped off the beach every time I read more of it, and Beach Frankie has been my favorite summertime daydream lately. This is one of those stories that is all encompassing and so immersive that you can truly get lost in it - and who on Earth wouldn’t want to get lost with Frankie for a while? And the way that he’s written is just perfect, because all of his core characteristics are not only intact but expanded upon - like how the way that he’s quieter compared to the rest of the guys points to him being less sure of himself than they are, or how the fact that being a father is important to him leads to him being very intentional about how he talks about his son and what Reader’s seeming acceptance of Elijah’s place in Frankie’s life means to him. (one of my favorite moments in this one was when he asked Reader to hold onto the gift shop bag containing a shirt for his kiddo, because to her it was like yeah of course no problem my purse is huge but to him it was a Big Deal.) And look - the smut in this story? It is off the damn charts like I needed a big ass glass of water after reading this and I am still trying to cool off. Frankie and Reader may have a lot to figure out regarding where they go from here once they hand their rental keys back in, but they have got things down WELL in the bedroom, THAT is for sure. With only a couple days left before they’re separated by literally thousands of miles, there’s still a lot that can happen and a lot that they need to discuss, and I cannot wait to see how it all plays out for them. 

[xtruss]

Sandro Botticelli — The Devout Jews at Pentecost, ca 1505. Photograph: Wolfgang Fuhrmannek/Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt

‘Perfect Linearity’: Why Botticelli’s Drawing Abilities Remain One-of-a-Kind

An Expansive Exhibition in San Francisco Brings Together the Artist’s Influential Work, Including Five Newly Attributed Pieces

— Veronica Esposito | Wednesday 29 November 2023

Throughout the Renaissance, drawings became an integral part of the massive paintings and frescoes that have long been associated with that period. Among other things, they were a way for artists to get a feel for how to arrange the space of a composition, and they also helped artists hone the incredibly lifelike poses that have become synonymous with masterworks from the likes of Leonardo da Vinci, Tiziano Vecellio (better known as Titian) and Tintoretto. Drawings were even used in legally binding contracts to provide a reference point for the work that was being agreed to.

When it came to drawings, Sandro Botticelli was in a class of his own, with one expert even touting him as “the greatest artist of linear design that Europe has ever had”. Botticelli’s line became the basis for the dance-like aesthetic that permeates his output and that can be seen in masterworks like Birth of Venus and La Primavera. According to Italian Renaissance expert Furio Rinaldi, “Botticelli’s use of drawing goes to the core meaning of the word ‘choreography’ … With his drawings, Botticelli is writing the composition, drawing the dance.”

For San Francisco’s Legion of Honor museum, Rinaldi has curated an exciting new exhibition centering around Botticelli’s drawings. Featuring 27 of the artist’s drawings – including five newly attributed – and more than 60 works overall from dozens of lenders, it offers Bay Area audiences a rare opportunity to see one of the largest shows of the Italian master’s work ever attempted.

“It was an incredible effort that took more than three years to organize,” said Rinaldi during an interview in his office at the Legion of Honor. “In my mind there is something really incredible about Botticelli being in San Francisco, so far away from where he worked. For many it will probably be the only opportunity to see so many works by this great artist.”

Botticelli Drawings Black Tie Dinner San Francisco, CA — November 17 — Atmosphere at Botticelli Drawings Black Tie Dinner on November 17th 2023 at Legion of Honor in San Francisco, CA (Photo - Drew Altizer) Photograph: Drew Altizer/Drew Altizer Photography

As with many painters of the era, Botticelli relied on drawings throughout his creative process to help hone and shape forms that would eventually come together as a painting. What Botticelli Drawings attempts to show is how integral these sketches were to the unique qualities that made Botticelli stand out from his contemporaries, and that have made his artworks resonate for more than 500 years and be referenced in everything from The Simpsons to the cover of Lady Gaga’s 2013 album Artpop. “We’re really leaning into his mind and into his graphic articulations of his ideas,” said Rinaldi. “They’re so essential to the aesthetic that makes Botticelli so appealing, because the linearity of these sketches are really a reflection of his painting technique.”

The works on display at the Legion of Honor are quite masterful. Here audiences will see renderings of the human form that appear so lifelike that they could very well walk up off of the page. As this exhibition demonstrates, these forms often seem as though in motion – whether jumping back in fear amid a fight, running to announce the incarnation of Jesus Christ or hefting high a decapitated head, the subjects of Botticelli’s drawing seem to be dancing, moving with a fluidity and lithe presence that makes these figures quite different from others. “I tried to really go beyond to the core of this attraction and magnetism,” said Rinaldi. “A lot of contemporary artists and dancers are inspired by Botticelli. And I felt that the common thread was the line, the perfect linearity of Botticelli’s composition.”

With Botticelli’s drawings centered in this exhibition, each of the show’s galleries also includes one finished painting to offer a point of synthesis for audiences. Works shown here include such major pieces as The Virgin and Child With the Young Saint John the Baptist and The Adoration of the Magi, including paintings that rarely if ever have traveled to the US. These paintings help audiences to get a sense of how Botticelli’s drawings were a part of the creative process that ultimately ended in a work on canvas. “Every room has a seminal painting,” said Rinaldi, “a significant work to help the audience anchor and recompose the ideas and the figures that they see scattered in the drawings.”

Madonna and Child With the Young Saint John the Baptist. Photograph: RMN-Grand Palais/Art Resource/Tony Querrec

Staging a show of Botticelli’s drawings was a significant challenge that took over three years to complete. This was partly due to the fact that, although Botticelli is recognized as an innovator and master of the drawing, only a scant two dozen of his have survived until modern times. “There are very, very few drawings that have survived that can be attributed to Botticelli,” said Rinaldi. “If you think of Leonardo da Vinci, we have almost thousands of his drawings. For other artists, there may be hundreds. For Botticelli we have by my count no more than 30 sheets.” Because Botticelli died in poverty, his drawing workshop was not preserved and sustained as were those of many of his contemporaries, instead being sold off after his death. “If you think of Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo, there’s a slightly different situation where they all have their pupils continuing their workshop and preserving and using the drawings as a sort of visual patrimony of the artist’s ideas.”

One thing that stands out about Botticelli Drawings is the very sleek, minimalist presentation of the works. The Legion of Honor’s galleries have been pared back in a way that gives the show a very polished, contemporary feeling, almost as though it’s borrowing from the very clean, bright aesthetic of the Apple Store. “I wanted to put the audience in the best possible position to appreciate this work, so you will see a very sparse hang,” said Rinaldi. “Everything is just very clean and very modern. Even if the exhibition is firmly grounded in art historical research, I am trying to remove Botticelli from the art historical mythologies.” The result of Rinaldi’s aesthetic makes for an interesting, and certainly original, feeling.

Ultimately, Botticelli Drawings succeeds in presenting the artist in a different way, one that resonates and allows us to look at his work as though for the first time. It is a major show – a welcome chance to see pieces that rarely travel anywhere, let alone to the United States, and to have a deep look into the intimacy of the creative process of an artist who comes from a very different world than the one in which we live. “Renaissance Florence is so far away in time and place that people don’t even know what it means anymore,” said Rinaldi. “I think it’s time to turn the leaf and look at these artists with today’s eyes.”

— Botticelli Drawings is showing at the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco until 11 February 2024

[atlanticcanada]

Prime Minister Trudeau is shuffling his cabinet in a big way today

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be shuffling his cabinet in a big way today, removing seven ministers, promoting several rookies to his front bench and reassigning the majority of roles.

Defence Minister Anita Anand is one of the ministers CTV News has confirmed will be getting a new gig, moving into an economic-focused portfolio at Treasury Board, a domestic-centric job and her third cabinet assignment.

Replacing her will be Bill Blair, taking on the high-profile international cabinet post amid the ongoing war in Ukraine and continued defence spending pressures. This will open up the emergency preparedness position, in one of what's set to be a cascade of reassignments made on Wednesday.

Canadians can expect that nearly the entirety Trudeau's cabinet will be new, or find themselves in new roles after this morning's swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall.

WATCH LIVE @ 9:30 a.m. EDT: Special coverage of cabinet shuffle

The seven ministers CTV News has confirmed will be dropped from cabinet include four that have announced they won't be running again: Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, Fisheries and Oceans Minister Joyce Murray, Public Services and Procurement Minister Helena Jaczek, and Mental Health and Addictions Minister Carolyn Bennett.

The three others are Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, Justice Minister David Lametti, and Treasury Board President Mona Fortier.

These departures, from key battleground ridings and regions, have opened up room around Trudeau's cabinet table for a roster of fresh faces, likely experienced and high-profile Liberal backbenchers. Speculation has swirled on the Hill for weeks about the shuffle, and so too have the names of rookies who may be on the precipice of a promotion.

There are currently 38 members in the gender-balanced cabinet, not counting the prime minister. Regional representation is always a core consideration in building a front bench as well, and these newly announced departures mean Trudeau will be looking to fill slots in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia.

Four ministers are set to hold on to their current jobs: Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Francois-Philippe Champagne, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, and Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault.

Capital Dispatch: Sign up for in-depth political coverage of Parliament Hill

Trudeau's entire top tier has been invited to attend the ceremony at the governor general's residence, regardless of if they're on the move or not.

The shuffle is likely to also trigger machinery of government changes such as changes to certain ministers’ titles or portfolio responsibilities, as well as a considerable staffing shakeup.

A senior government source told CTV News that Trudeau and his inner circle have looked at this shuffle as "fortifying" the prime minister's economic team around issues such as housing affordability and the clean energy transition, to present a clear contrast to their main Conservative opponents when it comes to how they view and communicate on these issues.

It's also been widely discussed that elevating high-performers into key posts today may help the Liberals, after eight years in power, present a refreshed face to make the case to the Canadian public that they're re-electable.

Set to be one of, if not the most consequential reconfigurations to Trudeau's cabinet since 2015—and the first major change since the Liberals' 2021 election win—today's shuffle could lock in the team the prime minister will lead into the next election, currently slated for 2025.

The prime minister is expected to speak to media following the shuffle, and lead a cabinet meeting Wednesday afternoon with the new roster, in West Block.

Then, it'll be on the new and reassigned ministers to get down to work on the refocused promises Trudeau mandates them to prioritize, and prepare for the September return of Parliament.

With files from CTV News' Chief Political Correspondent Vassy Kapelos

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/6tHeua5

[captainmdhridoyhossain-blog]

[ad_1] Eight months ago, the future of China’s largest internet companies looked grim. Covid-era lockdowns crushed sales, and Beijing’s harsh tech regulations had spooked even audacious China investors. Shares of Alibaba, Baidu and Tencent dropped to some of their lowest levels in several years.With China’s economy now reopen, the tech giants this week released earnings reports that showed initial signs of recovery. But the financial results, the first issued since the end of “zero Covid” restrictions, also reflected the uneven pace of China’s economic rebound and signaled that the companies’ makeovers, while underway, are likely to be rocky.Baidu, China’s leading internet search business, and Tencent, owner of the ubiquitous messaging app WeChat, both recorded double-digit revenue growth in the first three months of the year over the same period in 2022, marking the first time in over a year that they had reached that level.Revenue rose 10 percent at Baidu, which said on Tuesday that strong digital advertising sales had continued into the current quarter. Tencent on Wednesday attributed its 11 percent revenue climb in part to a rebound in digital payments as Chinese consumers began to spend money again after a long dry spell. Tencent, China’s dominant video game company, also benefited from an easing of restrictions on gaming licenses last year after a nine-month freeze.On Thursday, Alibaba reported that revenue rose 2 percent from a year earlier, below analyst estimates. Its core online e-commerce division and cloud computing unit reported sales declines in the single digits, though online shopping began to rebound in March, the company said.The reports followed a turbulent two years for tech companies under Beijing’s tight regulatory grip. After Alibaba’s founder, Jack Ma, criticized financial regulators in 2020 for stifling innovation, officials halted the public offering of Ant Group, a financial technology company built by Mr. Ma.In January, a month after China abruptly reversed its “zero Covid” restrictions under public pressure, a top official at China’s central bank said the campaign against tech companies was “basically complete.” China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, is now hoping the country’s tech industry can provide a lifeline for growth. And spurred by an escalating tech competition with the United States, China is eager to nurture its beleaguered titans back to life.“The worst time policy-wise for them is over,” said Tian Hou, the founder of TH Data Capital, a data analytics company in Beijing. “The government now wants to use these internet companies to create more jobs, innovate, and catch up with the United States.”The initial investor reaction to the companies’ first-quarter results was muted. Shares of Baidu and Tencent were roughly flat this week in Hong Kong, though both have rallied since October. Alibaba’s stock fell roughly 6 percent on Friday, but was down about 2 percent for the week.The companies’ fortunes will remain tied to China’s economy. Local governments are saddled with debt. The property sector, long a stimulant of growth, is sputtering. Data released by China’s National Bureau of Statistics for April underwhelmed analysts: Chinese were spending more on food, but appeared to avoid items like cosmetics and cars. Youth unemployment reached a record of 20.4 percent.“People are going out on holiday, but they’re not spending compared to prepandemic levels,” said Bruce Pang, chief economist for Greater China at Jones Lang LaSalle, the global real estate and investment advisory firm. “They’re cautious because they have low confidence in job prospects and future sources of income.”Alibaba is in the midst of an overhaul. It announced a reorganization in March that split the company into six units. And this week it announced a spinoff of its prized cloud division, which the company said would be completed within 12 months to prepare for a public listing.The e-commerce giant also said it was exploring

a public offering for its grocery chain and logistics arm, after a series of regulatory probes held up many promising tech firms from going public.The breakup of Alibaba, one of China’s most iconic corporate empires, showcases the level of reassessment happening in the tech sector. For years, China’s internet firms swelled as millions of Chinese went online. Recently, that migration has reached a ceiling, and companies are competing intensely for the same customers.All three of China’s big internet companies are hoping to tell investors a new story, one pegged to artificial intelligence, the new technology underlying services, like ChatGPT, that are promising to unseat old ways of doing business.Daniel Zhang, the Alibaba chairman, who will also serve as chief executive of Alibaba’s soon-to-be independent cloud unit, described A.I. as a technology that would “reshape every aspect of our society.”The companies hope investments in artificial intelligence will pay off for their cloud computing units, a technology that underpins A.I. services. Baidu said its A.I. cloud division reported its first profit last quarter.This year, Baidu and Alibaba unveiled artificial intelligence systems similar to ChatGPT, which was developed by the Silicon Valley research lab OpenAI. Baidu said it had requested approval for the go-ahead after China’s cyberspace watchdog released guidelines for the A.I. systems in April.Tencent has made “good progress” on its own A.I. model, the company said on Wednesday, with teams planning new A.I. offerings, though it did not elaborate. The companies are focusing their A.I. services on enterprises or businesses — in part because chatbots with mass appeal could disrupt China’s firm hold on information. Alibaba and Baidu each said more than 100,000 enterprises had lined up to try their artificial intelligence products.Alibaba, Baidu and Tencent are engaged in makeovers at a difficult time. Beijing’s grip on the economy is tighter than ever. Intensified rivalries with the United States have deprived Chinese companies of the access to some cutting-edge microchips necessary to develop the most advanced artificial intelligence systems. And analysts say a lucrative pool of domestic customers — China’s state-owned enterprises — are spurning private cloud-computing providers in favor of government-backed alternatives.Recently, U.S. officials have called for a review of Chinese cloud providers such as Alibaba on national security grounds. Alibaba said Thursday that its cloud business declined last quarter in part because a major customer had backed out of its international service for “non-product reasons.”Those difficulties, both in China and abroad, are keeping some investors away, knowing that the internet companies are not likely to return to the growth rates they had a decade prior. Others think they deserve a second look.“I would suggest to forget the past,” said Kenny Wen, head of investment strategy at the asset management company KGI Asia in Hong Kong. “Now they are coming back, and we’re seeing gradual improvement. We need to give them a new evaluation standard.” [ad_2] #Alibaba #Baidu #Tencent #Signal #Steps #Bumpy #Recovery

[independentartistbuzz]

Slow Teeth Debut “Still You Speak”; On Tour with Easter Island Now!

For the uninitiated, “Still You Speak” is a great introduction to Slow Teeth’s sound - cinematic and dynamic music made by three sets of hands and feet transfigured into a symphony of sound, with deeply introspective lyrics about familial relationships, disillusionment with our crumbling institutions, and the relentless passage of time in a world seemingly upside down.

Listen in here:

https://open.spotify.com/track/6CGpPCY0sTKTDE0tTtBQXI?si=e978e4311fb5407f

It’s not all bleak - other songs lean heavily into the band’s extensive and varied musical influences and favorite sci-fi novels and films, searching for a spark to light the way forward. Slow Teeth is at its core three people making music they wish existed, using the catharsis of live performance as the engine for creating songs and soundscapes whose reach exceeds their grasp. Recommended for those who like Radiohead/The Smile, Sigur Ros, Pink Floyd, Volcano Choir, Midlake, The Verve, and so much more.

Justin Ellis (vocals/ bass/ keys) shares of the release:

"Still You Speak" was one of the very first songs we put together when we started jamming in June 2021.  In those days we just recorded everything we improvised, then would listen back a few days later and keep any bits that spoke to us to turn into songs. The arpeggiated bass line and the mournful bowed guitar line that mimics the verse vocal melody quickly gave us something to latch on to.  Lyrically, it's about setting and maintaining boundaries with someone who is giving unsolicited advice, or perhaps talking down to you despite having NO idea what they're talking about. Though "Still You Speak" is about a specific heated conversation I had with a close relative one Christmas, I think the song is relatable to anyone who's had a difficult conversation with a parent or sibling or uncle or friend or boss or whatever.  It's about having to start an argument where the disagreement doesn't trump the fundamental love or respect you have for each other - which makes the conversation even harder because you're laying things out in a way that you maybe can't backtrack from. This song is about taking that leap."

Slow Teeth, composed of Robert Chamberlain, Justin Ellis, and Jeremy Haire, originates from the NC Triangle. They create original cinematic music that draws inspiration from renowned artists like Radiohead/The Smile, Pink Floyd, Sigur Rós, and others. The band made their debut in the live music scene in March 2022 and has since embarked on extensive tours throughout the East Coast. Slow Teeth has had the privilege of sharing stages with esteemed acts such as Xiu Xiu, Holy Fawn, Camp St. Helene, and Merci. They have performed at notable venues and events including Berlin in NYC, Pie Shop in Washington DC, The Cat's Cradle in Carrboro NC, The Pinhook in Durham NC, Asbury Park Yacht Club in Asbury Park NJ, as well as the North Carolina State Fair and the Carrboro Music Festival. In 2023, Slow Teeth has plans to release music produced by Sumner James Phillips (of Bombadil and David Wax Museum) and will continue touring.

TOUR DATES with EASTER ISLAND:

Friday May 19th – Carrboro NC – Cat’s Cradle Back Room

Saturday May 20th – Atlanta GA – The Drunken Unicorn

Sunday May 21st – Athens GA – The World Famous

Monday May 22nd – Raleigh NC – Longleaf Hotel

Tuesday May 23rd – Baltimore MD – The Crown

Wednesday May 24th – New York City – Berlin Under A

Thursday May 25th – Washington DC – The Pocket

Friday May 26th – Asheville NC – Fleetwood’s

Slow Teeth Continues the Tour with the Following Dates:

Saturday May 27th – Greensboro NC – The Flatiron

Sunday May 28th – Durham NC – Rubies on Five Points

Saturday June 10 – Richmond VA – Hardywood Park Craft Brewery