#water moment. tay renders water moment

[degenerateshinji]

make me feel like i am breathing, feel like i am human

[writcraft]

Writ, my darling love, I'm seeing all these Snape arts in your Tumblr and I'm getting more and more excited about your next snarry 😌. Can u give us a snip or is it an anon fest? 🥺 Also, about that wonderful snarry+draco art you shared, would you ever write a triad with them? 😍

Sending love, tai 💜

Hi Tai darling, thank you for your lovely message!!! I am SO in my Snape and Snarry feels at the moment and I'm working on several things. I have two fest pieces which are anon so I can't say anything about them really. Secret Snarry Swap I have nearly finished and that should post some time in December. I also claimed a prompt from @snarry-fest-adopt-a-prompt which starts posting in January. I definitely would write Harry/Draco/Severus and am actually working on one now! I have written them before in Forget Me Not but the one I'm working on has a different dynamic with established Drarry.

Finally, I have a fic that I'm desperate to try to finish for October although there's still quite a lot to do on it. It's not for a fest, so I can share a little! It's a vampire!Harry post-war Snarry fic, working title 'Love Song For A Vampire' - snip below the cut! I hope you enjoy it <3

“Am I conversing with a ghost?” There’s a bitter, dangerous edge to Snape’s voice. “Come now, Potter. Don’t play me for the fool. You’re as much flesh and blood as I am.”

“Not exactly.” Harry winces, wishing Snape would shut up about blood. He looks up and meets Snape’s furious gaze. “I’m not dead. More…undead.” Despite the fact there’s nothing funny about the situation, Harry lets out a strangled laugh. “I call it my pointy little problem.”

“Undead?” Snape purses his lips, his knuckles white from clutching his wand so tightly. “You’re a—?”

“Vampire, apparently.” The word is heavy on Harry’s tongue. It tastes like curses and Dark Arts. “Carrow cast a spell and it got through my shield. Kingsley reckons it’s ancient magic. I suppose Unforgivables get a bit boring when you’ve been flinging them around at everyone for years.”

“Foolish, idiotic…” Snape trails off, his fury rendering him speechless. He pinches the bridge of his nose, his voice muffled. “When did you last drink?”

“I had that damson wine about ten minutes—”

“Blood, you insufferable brat. When did you last drink blood?”

“Oh.” Harry still doesn’t like the idea of drinking blood, truth be told. His body craves it, but he tries to put it off until it’s the only thing that will satiate his thirst, like a cool glass of water on a hot summer day. “A few weeks,” he mumbles.

“A few weeks?” Snape snarls and his wand sparks as if it knows its owner is itching to cast violent spells directly at Harry. “Are you aware of the danger you’re putting yourself in? The danger you’re putting me in?”

“Relax, I’m not about to bite you.” Harry would quite like to bite Snape truth be told, but he’s not about to start gnawing at random people unless they specifically ask him to drink from them. Not that he’s found anyone mad enough for that yet. “I’ve got a flask if I need it.”

“Then drink, you foolish child. Don’t you recognise the signs of Fading?”

“Fading?” Harry stares at Snape, his skin prickling as a shiver travels the length of his spine. Whatever Fading is it sounds rubbish. “What’s that?”

“Have you done no research into your predicament at all?” Snape’s voice lowers, the same note of anger buzzing beneath the surface. Eventually he sighs, the sound almost resigned. He plucks at the buttons on his shirt to expose more of his neck and torso. “That can wait. I assume this is what you came here for?”

“No. No.” Harry clenches his hands into fists, closing his eyes against the way Snape’s increasingly exposed throat assaults his senses. “Merlin, Snape. Do your bloody shirt up. I’ve got some Niffler blood in my flask, they donate it to the Vampire Preservation Society. It doesn’t harm them it’s…delicious.”

[ptersparkers]

hi, peter parker

summary: the four nights spider-man visited your window and the one time he stayed.

a/n: this has been in my drafts since early 2018 and i am in love with peter parker. anyways im so grateful to get to hear back from you guys and i love seeing messages from you lot!!

warnings: none, just fluff 

masterlist / taglist 

i

To think you had said no to a night out.

You sighed and looked at your phone, your friend Taylor sending you a video via snapchat wishing you were at a friend’s house party. Initially you had declined because of a stressful week at school, but now you were bored out of your mind.

‘Sorry, Tay,’ you texted. ‘Maybe next time.’

Your phone’s clock read three minutes until midnight and you figured it would be best to sleep. You scoffed at the thought of resting when your body’s clock was rendered to stay up until four in the morning - what you had been doing some nights to study for upcoming AP tests. Now that that was out of the way, it’s like your body couldn’t fall asleep until well after midnight.

You groaned to yourself and switched on the small light by your bed. The light was dim enough so it wouldn’t bother the neighbors across from your apartment. Your eyes were closed for a total of, what felt like a millisecond, before you heard knocking on your window.

“What in the world?” you muttered. You stood up from your bed and immediately saw a red mask greet you.

“Hey there! I know this is weird, but you’re the only window with the light on and I really need to stop before I fall. There’s a whole bunch of houses and I need to fix my web shooters,” said the man in the mask, which you knew to be Spider-Man.

You stared at him, unable to comprehend what you were about to do. “Oh, um, sure,” you said before opening your window. You stepped aside and let him in. Spider-Man crawled through your window and landed effortlessly on the carpet, not making a sound.

“That was almost graceful,” you commented. “I’m pretty sure my mom would’ve thought I snuck out.”

“Do you sneak out?” he asked.

“Nah. I’m too lame to try. Do you want water or anything?” He shook his head.

“No, I just need someplace to fix my web shooters. I think they got jammed,” he replied.

“Okay, cool,” you said awkwardly, balancing from one foot to the other.

“Can I sit on your bed?”

“Uh, sure.”

“Do you have a small pick by any chance?”

“I have tweezers?”

“I guess that’ll do.”

You fetched tweezers from your makeup vanity and gave them to him. He instantaneously began working on his web shooters as you stood and watched. His head shot up and he faced you.

“I’m sorry, I never introduced myself. I’m Spider-Man,” he said, extending his hand for you to shake.

“Y/N,” you replied. “Welcome to my humble abode.”i

“Thanks! I really like the board above your bed with all the polaroids. It looks so neat that I fear I might mess it up from all the way over here.”

You laughed and sat beside him. “I’ve been obsessed with taking polaroids for two years now. I made it a point to capture the best memories and fix them into some sort of memory board so I can remember the good times.”

“That’s smart. I wish I was artistic and creative, but I can barely draw a straight line with a ruler,” he said. You watched as he worked and sat in silence for a moment.

“Say, do these web shooters get stuck all the time?”

“Not usually, I just think I haven’t really been able to update them or clean them out. I’ve been busy with all this ‘saving the little guy’ stuff,” he said.

“Is it fun? Being Spider-Man, I mean. You’re practically an Avenger,” you asked.

“I’m technically not an Avenger. Well, not yet. I’ve been working with Mr. Stark for a little bit, but it’s mostly keeping Queens safe for now.”

“Sounds like you’ve got a serious job on your hands.”

You could see the eyes on his mask move like he was smiling underneath. “Yeah, I do. I’m glad people can understand that.”

“So, what kind of things do you do on your day off? I’m sure you’re not always swinging around and hanging out in the homes of strangers.”

He laughs. “No, not really. I don’t know, I hang out with friends sometimes.”

You thought about asking him more, but decided against it. His life outside of being Spider-Man was his own.

“Wow, that sounds pretty mundane. I do pretty much the same, except school’s almost over and I have a month until summer break,” you replied. Spider-Man hands you back your tweezers and fixes the web shooters back on his suit.

“Any fun plans for the summer?”

“As of right now, no, but who’s to say?”

Spider-Man laughed and walked towards your window. “I’m sure you’ll find something fun to do. Thanks again, Y/N.”

“See ya!” you say as you watch him exit the window and swing away.

ii

Summer was just around the corner. It was another Friday night and you had decided against studying for finals because it seemed that that was all you did in your free time. The sky was getting dark out and you decided to stay in bed tonight and binge watch shows on Netflix, turning your phone on silent. You had enough snacks to last you the entire night and popped your headphones in, pressing play.

It wasn’t long before you heard tapping on your window. Curiously, you stood from your bed and saw Spider-Man.

“You again,” you said playfully as you opened up the window. “What do you need this time?”

“Honestly? I think I need a little break,” he said. “I’d also love to take this suit off, but my identity is something I’d like to keep hidden for a little while.”

“That’s fine,” you replied. “I’m not really in a rush. Not that you need to tell me who you are or anything, ugh, you get what I mean.”

Spider-Man laughed and pointed at your window and you nodded, watching as he climbed his way through.

“Can you even breathe in that thing?” you asked, pointing at his mask.

“Oh, yeah! It’s a breathable material and lets oxygen pass so I’m not always suffocating myself. That’s how I’m able to keep the mask on at all times.”

“Interesting,” you said, sitting on your chair by your desk as he took a seat on your bed.

“Studying for finals?”

“More like procrastinating. Well, all I do is study and I deserve a break,” you said.

“That you do. Final season is coming up and I’m dreading having to -”

“Wait, you’re in school?” you asked, interrupting his speech.

Spider-Man looked at the ground, the walls, and anywhere but your gaze.

“I, uh, yeah?” he said with uncertainty, scratching the back of his neck.

“If you think I’m going to look all over Queens to find out which school you go to, I’m letting you know now that I won’t. That seems like too much effort and for all I know, that isn’t your actual voice,” you replied, twirling a pen in your hand.

“Phew, thank you,” said Spider-Man, pretending to wipe sweat off of his forehead. “Damn, all of this swinging made me really hungry.”

“You should try the deli down there. It’s called Delmar’s and it’s my favorite sandwich shop. Also, asked for the sandwiches to be smushed! Don’t ask me why, but it tastes better,” you said.

Spider-Man went silent for a moment and you cocked your head to the side, thinking you either said something wrong or he was just really hungry.

“What?”

Spider-Man shook his head. “Nothing, nothing. I’ll be sure to try your suggestion. Anyway, I’ll see you soon!”

And with that, you saw red and blue flying in the wind.

iii

You were half asleep with your headphones in your ears when you heard a faint ‘thwip.’ Your parents were fast asleep and you had willed yourself to watch one more episode of Law and Order: SVU before getting sleep for your final. Currently, you were on your side with one earbud in (the other having fallen out, but you didn’t care much) and the voice of Olivia Benson could be faintly heard from the volume that could put you to sleep.

You stirred slightly, but not enough to wake you up fully.

Then came a knock on your window. Once. Twice. Three times. You yawned and rolled over to see Spider-Man standing outside your window with nothing but the moon behind him to illuminate your room. You threw the covers off of you and rubbed the sleep away from your eyes, opening the window for him to come in. With it, the chilly wind did not welcome you warmly and you grabbed a sweatshirt from your closet.

“Sorry to wake you,” he said sheepishly.

You waved him off. “It’s okay, Spider-Man. I like your company and you’re probably the only person who I couldn’t bring myself to yell at.”

He put his hands of his heart. “Wow, I’m so touched.”

“You should be,” you said, climbing into the covers and resting your back against your bed frame. “What brings you to this part of Queens at this ungodly hour?”

“It’s only nine thirty,” Spider-Man deadpanned. You shrugged.

“What can I say? A girl really needs her beauty sleep before her last final.” Spider-Man’s autonomic eyes seemed to narrow as if her were in thought.  

“Oh shoot, that’s tomorrow? I’m sorry for bothering you,” he apologized. You laughed and shook your head, patting the bed for him to rest on. Spider-Man gently put his knees on the mattress and situated himself so he was laying on his side, looking at you.

“It’s okay, Spidey. You already know I love your company. Besides, it’s only nine thirty,” you mocked. Spider-Man laughed and the room fell into a comfortable silence. “What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing really,” he began, but you looked at him with a knowing expression. “Okay, a lot but that’s for another day when we have more time. I’m just thinking how lucky I am to have you in my life and I’m grateful it was you whose room I stumbled into and not some mean old lady.”

“I’m happy you came here too,” you confessed. “This is probably gonna sound weird but...your visits are something I look forward to. I don’t know, I just feel like I opened up to you much quicker than any of the friends I have at school.”

“I feel the same way,” he said, sighing. “I don’t know, it’s just hard being two people at the same time. Even though you don’t know my real name yet, you know more about me than anyone else does.”

“And that’s something I will cherish forever,” you said, stroking his cheek with your hand. “I’m really happy I met you.”

“I can say the same,” he replied. But before he could make himself more comfortable, Spider-Man pushed himself off of the bed and adjusted his web shooters before seeing that you had tucked yourself in. Spider-Man smiled and his autonomic eyes grew wider as he bent down and pressed a kiss to your forehead. You could barely feel his lips.

“Goodnight, Y/N.”

iv

You groaned, slamming your door shut and planted your face into a pillow, wanting to forget the world had ever existed. It was a hot summer night and your mother had just let you know that she and your father would be staying at a friend’s for the week, but that you couldn’t join them this time. You probably should’ve been happy to have the apartment alone, but the last thing you wanted to be was alone.

Spider-Man hadn’t come by your apartment in nearly a month and you had started to grow increasingly worried about the boy who you couldn’t get out of your mind. Every time you thought about the possibility of dating, you immediately shook that out of your head for two reasons: the first being he’s a superhero and you were a regular New York citizen, and the fact that you didn’t know his name or what he looked like. You’d never pressure him, but that didn’t mean you were dying to know.

The sun was almost set when your parents left and you hadn’t had the decency to move from where you flung yourself. There was a tapping sound from the window and you knew who it was.

“It’s open!” you mumbled from your pillow, where you had curled yourself so you could continue in your self wallowing.

“Who dragged the cat in?” Spider-Man asked with a chuckle. You looked at him as if you hadn’t seen him in years and got off of your bed, letting your arms snake its way around him. With a sigh, you closed your eyes and let yourself revel in this moment. “You okay?”

“I was worried,” you said quietly. “You usually go no more than a few days of being gone but it’s been nearly a month, and I know I don’t have any right to worry, and that you were probably really busy, but I was really worried.” Spider-Man let out a soft chuckle and held your body closer to his, letting his chin rest on top of your head.

“You have every right to be worried, Y/N. I’m touched that you care so much. I-I’ve been a little stressed with my personal life and haven’t been able to patrol as often and I didn’t have much energy to swing to your place. I’m sorry,” he said.

“It’s okay,” you replied. “I’m just relieved to find out you aren’t dead.”

Spider-Man laughed. “Say, what are your parents gonna think if they find me in your room?”

“Well, they’re gone this week so there’s no way that’s happening.”

“Oh, well lucky me, I guess,” he said nonchalantly as he let himself rest on your bed. He plopped himself in the middle, his back resting against the mattress as you chuckled. “Come lay with me.”

You didn’t say anything as you climbed next to him and willed yourself not to put your entire body on him, but Spider-Man pulled you to his side and held you tight.

“I had this nightmare that you needed me and I couldn’t save you,” said Spider-Man. “I was in a really weird place and felt like I couldn’t leave my house but last night was the last straw. You were falling and I couldn’t save you. I needed to see you again just to make sure.

His voice got weaker and you put your head on his chest, finding his hand to squeeze it to let him know you understood.

“Sometimes I think this gig is too much for me. I feel like I shouldn’t have been given these abilities but at the same time, I’m grateful for all the things it’s given me. Like you.”

“I’m here,” you whispered.

You both stared at the ceiling for a while, basking in each other’s company. You would faintly feel his heart beating through his suit and he was rubbing soothing circling on your hip with his thumb.

“You know,” you said, hesitantly while propping yourself up with your elbows. “You could stay for the night since my parents are gone.” Your eyes widened as soon as you said it. “I-I mean that in the most innocent way possible.”

Spider-Man laughed and looked at you with his autonomic eyes, letting a comfortable moment pass as he thought about your offer.

“I think I’d have to let some people know I’d be safe first, but I’d like that.”

It grew quiet between you two and you didn’t know what was to come next. Slowly, you moved your body to sit up and he followed suit, wondering what you were planning.

“Do you trust me?” you asked.

“I trust you,” he confirmed. You moved your hand towards his mask and you could already sense his body tense up, especially when you moved the mask up his face. You stopped for a brief moment, but he didn’t stop you. You kept lifting the mask until it rest gently above his nose and leaned in to place your lips on his.

The kiss was gentle and searing at the same time, like you both had been wanting to do something for a while but hadn’t until that very moment. It was passionate and innocent, slow and fast. It wasn’t rushed; you held his jaw with both hands, afraid that he was going to leave the second you pulled away. His lips moved in conjunction with yours and didn’t part until you both ran out of air.

“I’ve been meaning to do that for a while,” he said, not bothering to pull his mask down. You laughed and looked at him as he took off his web shooters and pulled his mask off his face.

“Hi, I’m Peter Parker.”

To say you were surprised was an understatement. Spider-Man was cute.

“Holy shit, you’re hot,” you whispered more to yourself. Peter laughed and your cheeks developed a pink tint.

“I happen to think you’re also hot,” Peter said with a chuckle before pressing another kiss to your lips.

“Hi, Peter Parker,” you said with a grin.

“Hi, Y/N Y/L/N,” he said with a grin equally as big.

“I don’t really know what I imagined under the mask, but you’re much cuter than what I had expected,” you said. “Let me go get some of my brother’s extra clothes. He lives in Los Angeles now but we still have some of his stuff!”

Peter smiled at you as you walked out of your bedroom and took the time to look around, letting himself bask in the moment that was pure bliss. How you were going to introduce him to your parents, he didn’t know. But Peter knew he didn’t want to let you go any time soon.

***

Taglist

@kath94210​ @sessi03​ @olliekookie​ @edgyhargreeves​ @simonsbluee​ @meraki--me @sleep-i-ness​

[jj-lives]

bumbleby Week - Day 2 - Meeting the Parents - Puns of fun

I know I am so late on the day two shit… oops.

____

Puns of Fun

“I’m nervous.”

 Blake stared up at the two story structure.  It loomed over her more intimidating than Beacon’s tower on her first day of school.  Her clasped hands started to wring painfully in her own anxiety.  

“There’s no need to be.”

Yang stepped forward, shouldering their shared bag.  Blake felt Yang’s hand interrupt the busy nature of her own as she trapped one in her strong protective grasp.  

“What if-”

“No, none of that.” Yang interjected. “You are not doing yourself any favours by imagining the worst possible outcome.”

“Weiss would disagree.” Blake half-joked, finally tearing her eyes from Yang’s childhood home. “‘Preparation is planning for every possibility’ is what she would say.”

Yang laughed.

“You really want to take lessons on parental relationships from Weiss?” It pulled a small chuckle from Blake and Yang’s teasing smirk turned soft at the sound.  “Just relax, alright?”

Nodding, Blake allowed herself to b pulled up the porch steps.  Yang only paused for a few, too short, seconds when they came to the front door.  She turned and Blake was reassured once more by her soft confident smile.  If Yang believed all would be okay, who was Blake to question her?

With a quick turn of her wrist and a gentle shove the door gave way, allowing them entrance.  Blake forcefully swallowed the lump forming in her throat and followed closely behind Yang as she stepped into the house.

“Dad, we’re here.” Yang called out as she dropped their bag on the bench just inside the door.  

“In the kitchen.” Tai’s voice drifted from the back of the structure.  

The couple dozen steps it took to reach the kitchen seemed to take an eternity to traverse in Blake’s mind.  She tried not to think about how this could all go horribly wrong, but try as she might she didn’t think it was going to go as smoothly as Yang was trying to convince her. She, after all, played a part in Yang’s injury from the fall of Beacon and she had run directly after.  She’d hurt Yang and what parent would so easily forgive that?  In the kitchen, a blond man was standing at the counter, his back to them.  He seemed to be busy preparing something.

“Dad, I’d like you to meet Blake.” There was a pregnant pause that only increased Blake’s concern the longer it went on.  Why wasn’t he turning around? “Dad?”

“Hold on Yang. I’m just making us a snack. Just take a seat at the table and I’ll be right with you two.”

“Okay.” Even Yang’s tone warned Blake this was not Tai’s normal behaviour, but she led them both to the table on the opposite wall and they sat side-by-side. 

“You two are so quiet.” Tai stated after a minute of silence.  Blake could feel how palpable the air surrounding them became.  Yang’s earlier surprise should have been enough of a worry, but the frown making its way across her face was very concerning.  It started with a pull at her lips and ended with a furrowed brow.  “Is something wrong you two?”  Yang opened her mouth to respond, knowing Blake wouldn’t speak until actual introductions were made, but before she could say a word Tai continued. “Or does a cat got your tongue?” 

More silence.

Blake wasn’t sure how to respond.  Sure she’d heard the phrase before, but did Tai really not know Blake was a feline faunus?  Had Yang never mentioned it to him?  This was going to be more awkward than she had even originally imagined.  Would Tai have a problem with his daughter dating a faunus?

Yang’s laughter abruptly cut through the dead air and all Blake could do was stare bewildered at her girlfriend. She didn’t even notice Tai had turned around and made his way to them until he was placing a plate of sandwiches on the table and a glass in front of each of them.  

“Eat up you two.” Tai smiled warmly at both of them whilst taking a seat himself.  

Blake reached for a sandwich only to appear polite.  She wasn’t particularly hungry after all the stress she’d put herself through imagining this meeting.  To Tai’s credit he didn’t seem phased by the ears twitching in Yang’s direction atop her head.  After taking a bite of her tuna sandwich -which was delicious- she reached for her glass.  She couldn’t help but stare at the white liquid filling it.  

Blake knew Ruby’s affinity for the liquid. She had been told enough times that “I drink milk” had become their teams excuse for just about everything, from not wanting to study to not needing to train. She hadn’t known it was the household’s go to beverage, but as she stole a glance in Yang and Tia’s direction she saw both their glasses held only water.  

Blake’s eyes widened at the realization of just why she was offered milk. 

“I’m sorry Blake,” Yang said between chuckles. “You had to know I got it from someone.”

When her eyes shifted, Blake noticed Tai was also trying to control his laughter.  He was at least doing a better job of keeping his pleasure silent.  

“I’m sorry too. The opportunity was just too purr-fect to pass up.” His comment elicited another round of uproarious laughter from the pair and all Blake could think to do was duck her head and blush.  She didn’t know how to respond. Her usual banter saying provoked in her might not be welcome with the elder Xiao Long. Their laughter lasted a lot longer than Blake was comfortable with. One would eventually start calming down but even a glance in the other’s direction set them both off again. “Yang, isn’t this just hiss-terical?”  

Blake was starting to get annoyed. She admitted their laughter, even at her expense, was preferable to Tai’s anger or disapproval she’d been expecting, but if she was up for an entire weekend of this she didn’t know if she could survive it.

“Are you okay Blake?” Yang finally asked, concerned. Blake was about to reassure her but was interrupted before she even opened her mouth. “You haven’t finished your sandwich. Are you feline unwell?”

Tai roared once more but Yang’s teasing glare watched her reaction carefully, a challenge Blake realized.

Blake pushed the glass of milk across the table so it came to rest in front of Tai. 

“I only drink milk from a bowl obviously.” 

Blake stood and exited the kitchen. Tai’s “Did I go too far?” followed her out. She actually made it out the front door and halfway down the porch steps, further than she’d anticipated, when Yang’s heavy footsteps could be heard jogging after her.  

Blake was glad because she didn’t actually have anywhere to actually go. Unless she wanted to walk to the docks and catch a ship back into Vale, and that would be a little far to take her fake storm out. 

“Blake, come back.” Yang called, skipping down the steps after her.

“No, I’m going back to Vale. Enjoy your weekend with your father.” Blake huffed and crossed her arms, not allowing herself to look at Yang lest she cave and drop her facade.

“You’re not actually going to leave.” 

Blake felt Yang rolling her eyes, actually felt it.

“You want to push me?” Blake shot back sternly.  The glance she spared showed a surprised Yang and Blake silently congratulated herself. 

“Shit,” Yang breathed. “No, of course not! Did we go too far?”

Blake caught view of Tai leaning against the frame of the porch, observing them with concern written on his brow.

“Are you kitten me? You two are paw-sitively claw-ful, and if you weren’t so purr-fectly lovely Yang I would walk out right meow. I would only put up with this shit fur you, you know?”

Yang’s jaw dropped as she stared at Blake in bewilderment.  Tai got over his surprise quickly, not knowing her character as well as his daughter and he doubled over laughing.  Blake had rarely been able to render Yang completely speechless but this was one of those rare moments she was going to treasure.  

“Whatever you do Yang, keep this one around would you?” Tai said, coming up beside them and swinging an arm around each to guide them back into the house.  As Tai released Blake to enter first she heard Yang’s whispered voice rise up behind her. 

“Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure I’m going to marry this one.”

Suddenly, coming to visit Yang’s dad didn’t seem like such a bad idea. For all that could have gone wrong, getting closer to her father could only mean getting closer to Yang. That was after all the whole point of this trip, because she did want to spend the rest of her life with Yang. She already knew that. Hearing Yang admit the same to her own father was something Blake wasn’t expecting, but was pleasantly surprised by it.

Blake would put up with all the horrid puns in the world if it meant spending the rest of her life with Yang. There wasn’t much she wouldn’t put up with for her actually.

[timeagainreviews]

The formation of planets and characters

Hey friends! First of all, I would like to say thank you for the positive response over my female Doctor article! I’ve been thinking I want to do more articles that aren’t reviews. I have a few in mind, but of course, in due time. And speaking of due time, this is well overdue! I think in some ways, I was staving off having to do “Marco Polo,” as it’s the first reconstruction. Ugh. I’ve also been kinda busy lately. I got a new sewing machine! Now to learn to sew…

Carole Ann Ford is an interesting actor. When I first watched the original Doctor Who, I found Susan to be rather grating. Her constant screaming and melting down was a source of frustration for me. But through this second watch through, I’ve come to see Susan as a sort of entry point. In a lot of ways, she’s a cypher through which the audience experiences the world of Doctor Who. But in many ways, she too is an enigma. Even her last name, Foreman, is a lie. Being both accessible, and aloof makes her as interesting (if not more) as the Doctor.

When I first watched "The Edge of Destruction," I was fresh off the rather over-long Dalek serial preceding it. The idea of a short two-parter was a welcome change in pace. What I was surprised to find, however, was something far more interesting than a 'short trip.' The Edge of Destruction was very possibly my first true favourite story from classic Doctor Who, and it was all because of Susan.

There’s not much plot to be had in the story. At the end of "The Daleks," the TARDIS console sparks, and everyone goes out like a light. The music is ominous and mechanical as we pan across the scene. Down on the cold floor of the TARDIS lies our friends, still unconscious from last week’s cliffhanger. Barbara wakes Ian and Susan, but the Doctor lies unconscious with a gash on his head. They all seem to have amnesia and are acting strangely.

This episode has two examples of some of my favourite early Who tech. The bandage Susan retrieves for the Doctor is infused with medicinal ointments. When the ointment has faded from the bandage, the would has healed. There’s something kind of wonderful about that. We also get a brief appearance from my beloved food machine. Susan uses it to get the Doctor a glass of water, one of two liquids the food machine is capable of producing. The other being milk. What kind of milk do they drink on Gallifrey? Is it Time Cow milk? Do their burgers regenerate?

This episode gives us a lot of the TARDIS, really. Part of what made early Who so great was that it yearned to establish things like a mythology and character development. They didn’t just want to put any crap on the screen to fill a time slot. There’s a real workmanlike storytelling happening here, and it shows. Something I’ve always felt was rather unfortunate is how little of a part the TARDIS actually plays in most Doctor Who stories. Most of the time, it’s simply a way to get the Doctor and his friends from place to place. In some ways, I understand this. You’d want to avoid any deus ex machina moments. However, the TARDIS could also be utilised in other ways, such as a setting, or like in "The Ghost Monument," where it becomes a sort of relic. There are many aspects of the TARDIS to explore, and this story does that. Part of the TARDIS that we’re shown is one we seldom ever see in Doctor Who- the sleeping quarters, where Susan is brought after being shocked by the TARDIS console.

It’s not just the crew that is acting strange, the TARDIS seems to be on the fritz as well. The doors keep trying to open and shut. The console is shocking anyone who gets near it. Barbara is tending to the now awake Doctor, while Ian takes Susan to rest. As I said, Susan really seems to carry this episode, and for me, it’s because she’s genuinely frightening at moments. Our lovable friend is growing paranoid. She seems to think some sort of alien threat is onboard. Brandishing the rather large pair scissors she used to cut the Doctor’s bandage, she stabs at Ian, narrowly missing him.

There’s a terrible nature to Susan’s demeanour. It’s hard to tell if this is how Susan would react to a real threat, or if her responses are equally as heightened. She stabs at the bed in a fit of rage and confusion. As a visual, it’s genuinely creepy. Ian stumbles his way into the console room to help the Doctor solve their dilemma. Susan has collapsed in a fit on her bed, dropping the scissors.

The three adults discuss various theories. Barbara wonders if it’s not some sort of person, or thing sabotaging the TARDIS. The Doctor calls this theory "ridiculous." The Doctor suspects it’s a mechanical issue. Since he can’t check the TARDIS console, he checks the fault locator, which may be one of the most on the nose contraptions in sci-fi history. It’s probably located right next to the plot device, you know, for navigation purposes. Barbara suggests she go check on Susan. Ian warns her not to alarm Susan about the idea of something being onboard. Susan overhears this. Already paranoid about the idea of an external influence, she squirrels away the scissors in her robe and returns to bed. Ian goes to help the Doctor with the fault locator, but its readings are normal. No fault can be found.

If I’ve not said how much I love Barbara already, let me do so now. She’s such a kind and caring person. She’s aware Susan is wary of her, yet she tends to her rather selflessly. She applies a damp cloth to her forehead hoping to soothe her. In many ways, Barbara has a very motherly strength that I find very endearing. Susan, however, is not buying it. She thinks Barbara and Ian are both lying to her. Everything about her demeanour is indicative of paranoia. She’s wrapped up in her robe like a cocoon, arms and legs crossed. She speaks directly in clipped sentences. In a lot of ways, I believe this may be some of Carole Ann Ford’s best acting in the role.

Barbara notices that the scissors are missing and asks Susan to give them to her, causing her to wield them once again. Susan demands answers, she knows they lied to her about the supposed alien onboard. Barbara manages to get the scissors from her. The TARDIS has become something foreign to Susan. It no longer feels like home. The shadows seem more mysterious and dangerous without the sounds of the TARDIS to accompany them. She suspects that perhaps the alien onboard has found a way into one of the people onboard. She runs out of the room toward the Doctor.

The Doctor and Susan discuss how the console only seemed to attack the two of them, adding to their paranoia toward Ian and Barbara. The Doctor is able to use the console to turn on the scanner. Oddly, it doesn’t shock him or render him unconscious. Hopefully, the scanner can show them their location, and maybe shed a little light on their current predicament. The image on-screen shows a peaceful meadow, but the Doctor claims it’s impossible. The doors begin to open and close again. A strange groaning, like a large beast, is heard as bright white light pours into the TARDIS.

Another location flashes onto the screen, "Quinnis of the Fourth Universe," an alien terrain rather unlike any meadow. The Doctor reminds them that this was a location they had visited several adventures ago. This is pre-Totter’s Lane. The TARDIS records their journeys into its memory banks. Another image appears onscreen, a planet in a galaxy which appears to explode in a flash of light. The Doctor believes Ian and Barbara have sabotaged the ship as a means to make him return them to 1963 London. He even goes as far as to accuse them of knocking Susan and him unconscious, which causes Barbara to go off on him. She’s had it with this old man’s attitude. As far as she’s concerned, he should be kissing their feet for all of the times they saved his skin. She storms away but is stopped suddenly as she screams in fright.

What happens next is genuinely confusing. As I watched this scene with my partner, we had no clue what was actually happening. Something about the ormolu clock onboard the TARDIS has changed, but it’s not exactly evident as to what it is. I actually had to look it up online. Due to the ornate design of the clock, and the quality of the picture, it’s really hard to tell, but something has melted the clock face. Whatever the force is, has also melted their watches, because… time? I guess? Barbara chucks her watch across the TARDIS in a fit. Poor Barbara, someone get this woman a Mai Tai.

During all of this strangeness, the Doctor comes back with some nightcaps for everyone. It’s not exactly a Mai Tai, but it’s a welcome respite from wall to wall paranoia. Barbara and Susan take their nightcaps and retire to bed. Ian staggers behind to admonish the Doctor for his treatment of Barbara, but the Doctor isn’t hearing it. What comes next is one of my favourite First Doctor lines. Ian tells the Doctor that he struggles to keep pace with him, to which the Doctor replies- "You mean to keep one jump ahead. That you will never be!" Basically, this is the Doctor’s essence rendered into a single sentence. Sadly, he’s chosen the wrong enemies in Ian and Barbara. It seems that as more of the medicine from the bandage on his head fades, the more of his cognition returns. But the Doctor says he needs sleep more than he needs to feel sorry.

Overhearing the Doctor and Ian’s conversation, Susan begins to feel guilty about her behaviour. She apologises to Barbara for the Doctor’s harsh words. Barbara seems to be okay with Susan at this point, but it’s evident she’s still angry with the Doctor. Soon everyone but the Doctor is asleep. It’s made pretty evident that the Doctor has drugged the Time Cow milk. With everyone asleep, he wrings his hands in a mercurial manner and goes off to fiddle with the TARDIS console, only to be choked by a pair of hands.

This is of course where the first episode ends. We’re led to believe that the hands are this supposed external antagonist, but they turn out to be Ian. The struggle is short lived as Ian faints and falls to the ground. Evidently, sleep is just not a thing that is not possible on the ship, as everyone slowly turns up. The Doctor is now sure it’s sabotage on Ian and Barbara’s behalf, but Barbara defends Ian. Susan, as if she hadn’t just apologised to Barbara is suddenly back on Team Doctor, but it’s just as short-lived when the Doctor claims he plans on treating the two as enemies. Susan begins playing the impartial detective. At this point, her logic is more reliable than the Doctor’s paranoia. Despite the fact that they couldn’t have done all of the things that have happened, the Doctor decides he must throw them off the ship.

Before he can do this, the fault indicator lets off a terrible alarm. It appears the entire TARDIS is out of order. While this is going on, Ian tries to strangle Barbara this time, which causes the Doctor to realise that he’s not acting within his right mind. If Ian and Barbara were working together, then why would he attack her? The combination of the sleeping drugs, and whatever is going on has made Ian delirious. He wasn’t trying to strangle anyone, he was trying to keep the Doctor and Barbara both from touching the console. This, mixed with the fact that the TARDIS is on the verge of disintegration has brought the Doctor back to his senses.

No longer believing there is an evil entity onboard, and that they haven’t crash landed, the Doctor must discover what kind of powerful force could push the TARDIS to the point of destruction. The force manages to push the column on the console up momentarily. The force could destroy the TARDIS if the column were to dislodge. What comes next is a rather confusing trail of logic. Basically, Barbara deduces that all of the strange occurrences have actually been the TARDIS’ way of alarming the crew that the fault is not within the machine itself, but in their own thinking. It’s one of the earliest indications that the TARDIS has a sort of mind of its own, something which even the Doctor has a hard time believing, but it turns out to be true. I particularly like this moment because it’s Barbara who figures it out, not the Doctor. It gives her indignation toward him even more gravity.

A faulty spring on the fast return switch has caused the button to stick, pushing the TARDIS further and further back through time, to the formation of a solar system. Since the fault locator wouldn’t see the pressing of a button as a fault, it didn’t show up on its readings. The TARDIS, however, is a thinking machine, and therefore was trying to speak to them in the only way it knew how. By showing them the sequence of the meadow, to a primitive planet, to an unformed planet, to a forming solar system, to a blinding flash was the TARDIS relaying the idea that they are fast heading toward a Big Bang level event. The TARDIS’s defence systems have been keeping it in a sort of time loop to protect them from the bang.

William Hartnell gets one of the best monologues of his tenure during this scene. The lights go dark as if the Doctor were the only person onstage. The camera pulls in on his face slowly as he waxes romantic about the formation of stars and planets. He delights at this celestial dance occurring as if the very cosmos flow through his blood. With a distant look in his eye, he’s almost eerie, but there’s an undertone of veneration that intimates a kind of natural endowment. The Doctor is more than a curmudgeon. There exists within him, a calling toward the vastness of the universe. This is an important moment for his character development because he’s not just irascible, he’s more than clever- he’s something special.

Conversely, Barbara is less than pleased with the Doctor. With the threat now out of the way, we’re given a moment for some character development on both her and the Doctor’s parts. Realising he’s been wrong, the Doctor apologises to Ian and Barbara, but Barbara isn’t as open to forgiveness. This causes the Doctor to have to swallow his pride and admit his wrongdoing. He gives her some warm clothes for their next adventure, adding that they need to take care of her as she’s very important. She appears to accept his apology as the two of them walk arm and arm out of the TARDIS into a snowy climate. Susan marvels at the enormity of a footprint left in the snow, which the camera holds on as the credits begin to roll. It’s all very ominous, as per usual.

Final Thoughts: My initial reaction to this story was enjoyment, and that hasn’t swayed much. It’s easy to get the feeling that most of the narrative choices were made because it was cheaper to film on a set they didn’t have to build anew, with no extra actors to pay. It’s the essential bottle episode, but I would say it’s an effective one. Two episodes are really as far as you can stretch this story, and it wisely doesn’t overstay its welcome.  There were a few unintended confusing moments, due to either bad effects or vague writing, but in the end, you come away understanding what’s happened. A lot of the serial hinges on the performances of the actors. Everyone, especially Jacqueline Hill and Carole Ann Ford elevated the script. I can’t imagine it’s very easy to maintain a performance that requires constant shifts in emotion, but they sell it. On a production level, they do a surprising amount with very little. In many ways, it’s early Doctor Who condensed. The basic fundamentals of filmmaking are on display- mood lighting, sound ambience, and performance. While the events of the story don’t affect much, the character development makes this serial a must watch. And at only two episodes, it’s not much of a sacrifice!

[caeltranslates]

新世界 （New world）华晨宇 （Hua Chen Yu) ENG translation and lyrics

华晨宇 – 新世界 Hua Chen Yu – New World

凛冬过后人事剩几何 迎来送往台下宾客 谁在 After the freezing cold, how many people and things are left? Welcome the guest below the stage, who’s there?

春意也曾执着于秋 用尽仅有换所求 认真只是我 Spring also previously perseveres against Autumn. Using only the things I am chasing after, the only one who know the truth is me.

看太行 历风霜 我孤勇前进 万古腔 任我唱 Looking at the Tai Hang mountains*, undergoing hardships, I bravely venture forth alone, singing ten thousand insincere words

梦一样的自由 悲也从容 歌也从容 Freedom like a dream, let's be sad calmly, and let's sing calmly**

转身矗立山峰的时候 When I turn back to the towering mountain peak,

Say it's a new world

Oh it's a new world

杯也从容 歌也从容 转身矗立山峰的时候 Let's calmly drink and let's calmly sing, when I turn back to the towering mountain peak,

Say it's a new world

凛冬过后人事剩几何 迎来送往台下宾客 谁在 After the freezing cold, how many people and things are left? Welcome the guest below the stage, who’s there?

春意也曾执着于秋 用尽仅有换所求 认真只是我 Spring also previously perseveres against Autumn. Using only the things I am chasing after, the only one who know the truth is me.

时空长 星夜凉 我不畏高飞 天尽头 问苍茫 Spacetime is long, the starry sky cool, I’m not scared of flying high, to the edges of the sky, to ask the vastness:

风一样的自由 醉也从容 我也从容 Freedom like the wind, let's get drunk calmly; I am also calm

转身矗立山峰的时候 When I turn back to the towering mountain peak,

Say it's a new world

Oh it's a new world

醉也从容 我也从容 转身矗立山峰的时候 Let's be drunk calmly; I am also calm, when I turn back to the towering mountain peak,

Say it's a new world

Oh Hei ya

Oh Hei ya

Oh Hei ya

New world

Oh Hei ya

Oh Hei ya

Oh Hei ya

New world

Oh Hei ya

Oh Hei ya

Oh Hei ya

New world

Oh Hei ya

Oh Hei ya

Oh Hei ya

New world

沉醉这风光讲究 明暗是假象 Intoxicated in this beautiful scene; light and darkness are facades

告别这星光黯淡 来��是假象 Bid farewell to this dim starlight; to return and to go are facades

坐拥这掌声散去 起落是假象 Easily achieve this fading applause; rising and falling are facades

笑对这冷眼观望 天地是假象 Smile at this cold-eyed watch; Heaven and Earth are facades

别弯腰 接受时间 躲不开的那一刀 Don’t bow, accept time, the knife you cannot dodge

人生渺渺 一种脚步入一山 Life is insignificant, using one type of step to enter a mountain

结局没人敢赌穿 嬉笑谢幕勉为难 Nobody dares to gamble on the ending, smiling as you take your bows, reluctantly feeling awkward

反复上演 难怪片刻新鲜是假象 Repeatedly staged, it’s no wonder momentarily interesting things are facades

笔墨再多渲染 明暗是假象 No matter how much the brush and ink are rendered***; light and darkness are facades

原谅娱乐看官 来去是假象 Forgive the entertainment’s audience; to return and to go are facades

开场有多喧闹 起落是假象 However boisterous the (performance) opening is; rising and falling are facades

结尾有多寂寥 天地是假象 However lonely the ending is; Heaven and Earth are facades

论英雄 只有故事 从来没有后来 There are only stories on heros, but never any afterwards

半晌贪欢几次 缅怀都是谈资 I have enjoyed long-term happiness a few times, but remembrance is just some small talk

旁观都是一时 幸免才叫历史 (people) look on for only a moment, but only when narrowly escaping it’s called history

不如下山 笑看万物是假象 Why don’t I descend the mountain, smiling as I see that thousands of things are facades

醉也从容 我也从容 转身矗立山峰的时候 Let's be drunk calmly; I am also calm, when I turn back to the towering mountain peak,

Say it's a new world

Oh it's a new world

醉也从容 我也从容 转身矗立山峰的时候 Let's be drunk calmly; I am also calm, when I turn back to the towering mountain peak,

Say it's a new world

please like/reblog if using. tag @caeltranslates if using on external websites, and link back to original post.

Translator's notes:

*Looking at the Tai Hang mountains -- (just for context) also known as the "backbone of the world", and the "five elements mountains" the Tai Hang mountains have been mentioned in many ancient texts and is though to represent the 5 elements: gold, wood, water, fire and earth.

**悲也从容 歌也从容 (let's be sad calmly, and let's sing calmly) -- 从容 means slowly and not anxiously, so I used calmly. Also, just for some fun facts, the line "let's calmly drink and let's calmly sing" is from a poem called: 一剪梅·中秋无月. All lines which involve the word "calm" are adaptations of this poem which just, ugh, blows my mind.

***笔墨再多渲染 (No matter how much the brush and ink are rendered) -- this is for choice of word, rendered. I don't exactly know the english word for 渲染 because it is a painting technique, so I used rendered. This is what it means: Painting technique in Chinese painting, by using ink or light colours to colour the art, to make the painting more realistic.

My thoughts:

I had to research a lot while translating this, because there are lots of allusions to ancient texts (which I don't read), like Tai Hong mountains, and even just the allusion to the poem (2nd translator's note). I also read articles on how people understand this song. I think New World is actually my favourite song in this album.

Personally I think this song is about how after going through hardships (first 2 verses), we realise how minuscule us as humans are, we as humans are alive for such a short while in the grand scale of things, and much of the things in the world are facades (rap). And this is the "new world" that we see through our eyes. Knowing this new world, we can calmly, freely live our life.

I read this comment where someone said that the song gives off the feeling of standing at the top of a mountain, realising how humans are too part of nature. Especially this line: 完全逍遥，完全自由，与世界和解，之后自在来去．(Being totally not tied down, totally free, understanding the world, and afterwards, being unbothered by others and living comfortably).

Comment is by 永晴 on https://www.zhihu.com/question/302748649

hope you liked the translation and I would like to hear your thoughts on this song in your reblogs/comments as well :)

[popularmolds]

Best rap, 2017

In 2007, I thought I was very fast. That fall, I was one of the top sophomores at the Minnesota high school cross country state championships, which, believe it or not, are very competitive as far as high school cross country state championships go. Then it was winter. There’s no indoor track season in Minnesota; I played hockey, like I had for my entire life to that point, but I also ran 60 miles a week in toques and gloves and terrible things called “wind briefs.” I got ambitious and decided that in the spring, I wanted to be the fastest 15-year-old in the state, the Midwest, maybe the country. 

But in the first week of outdoor track, in the middle of a mile repeat workout we were running on the sidewalk (there was snow on the track), I felt bones splinter. There were stress fractures up and down my left tibia. 

Every afternoon for the next twelve weeks, I had to find a ride from my high school down to a suburban YMCA, chosen because it had a reliably deserted pool. I needed to get in some sort of cardio with zero impact on my bones. If you’ve never seen someone water run, it looks like a recurring nightmare playing out under fluorescent lights: a skeletally thin person in the water, upright, making all the movements he or she would make on the track, but moving impossibly slow, back and forth, end to end. It’s like quicksand. I would sweat and strain and grit my teeth, but I was barely moving. 

A couple weeks into my muggy purgatory, my friend Collin burned me a CD of an obscure album he’d found on a Wordpress blog. It was called Brokelore and was by someone named Grip Grand––clearly from the Bay, but we couldn’t find anything else about him. 

It blew me away. I listened to it every day, to and from the Y, in headphones or out of those primitive aux hookups that plugged into the cassette decks in my friends’ cars. He sounded gruff and grizzled, but we had no idea what he looked like. (Eventually, Collin found a short interview Grip had done with a blog, but we assumed the press photo was of the blogger, not the rapper. Sorry, Grip.) 

The record’s mostly self-produced; the beats have a little grit and a lot of warmth. Grip’s voice is tough, but elastic enough to bounce and bend and let the humor through. Grip is quick and witty, but threads the record with these incredibly earnest love letters to rap: "96 Tears” is an extended lyrical exercise, “Hip-Hop Classic” is the sound of someone pounding his fist on a computer desk, searching. There’s a song with Percee P (”Paper Cup”) and a song where Grip thanks Percee P for dropping that verse (”Showtime (That’s Entertainment)”). There’s “Handle That,” which was probably conceived as a parody of popular rap styles at the time but got mutated along the way and sounds like a good-faith alien transmission; there’s distortion and vocal modulation and lines like “While you pretend to be sick like Ferris Bueller / Grip Grand drop gems like a careless jeweler.” 

But it’s called Brokelore. This was a few months before the financial collapse; this was Oakland and San Francisco and the shadow of the early tech boom. Sometimes Grip and his Rec League comrades broach this with a light touch, cashing bad checks and skirting tax forms. (One of the album’s highlights is the remix of “Poppin’ Pockets,” where Grip and A.G. (!) rap joyously about having absolutely zero money.) Then there are the graver moments: “Out of Service” is a half-dreamed conversation with a factory worker who’s in limbo at a bus stop; it’s tearjerking but never treacly. “Tomorrow” is sorrowful. 

And then there’s “Love/Drama” which––this is not an exaggeration––is one of the most deeply felt rap songs I’ve ever heard. It’s structured as a letter back to a writer who ripped his last record, Welcome to Broakland. An artist responding to criticism looks defensive––and that’s the point. In the space of a few bars, the song unspools into a catalog of Grip’s deepest fears as an artist.

���My whole albums’s a jack: “Impeach the President?”  Yo, how done is that?  Tribute to early rap? DIY ethic?  No, a piss-poor producer—take my name off the credits.”

The song wraps up with a venomous couplet:“You’re so astute brah, every minute flaw, you heard it / Can’t wait to hear your album, it must be perfect.” But he’s not brushing off the critic. “Love/Drama” isn’t about brushing off a detractor, it’s about scratching and clawing and stretching $10 in groceries for a whole week, pouring yourself into a record only for it to be...fine. The kicker, then, is that Grip Grand internalized all of that and made a masterpiece. 

I say all that to say this: I don’t know if I would have found Brokelore today. Ten years after the fact, it’s ostensibly my job to find and write criticism of rap music, including obscure releases like this. But the economics of the media industry are strange: while it seems clear that people still want to discover new music, it’s difficult to get anybody to click on articles that present it. Music discovery has moved mostly to the curated playlists at streaming sites (so, radio) and there are fewer and fewer places willing to publish full-scale album reviews for artists who are untested or unsigned. I don’t spend enough time in pools. 

Of course, there are still massive communities of rap fans who dig for new material. But as it becomes more difficult to make a living covering it––and with the collapse of the blog world, which was invaluable for fans and artists in the mid- and late-2000s––there’s less time and attention given to smaller artists. Especially the kinds of time and attention that can be turned into money. (On that count, I physically recoil imagining how much bleaker the Bay Grip rendered on Brokelore has gotten.) 

The good news is that rap is in an exceptional place right now. There are vibrant underground scenes in cities across the country. In 2018, I’m resolving to take time, stay still, and appreciate rappers who would otherwise go uncovered. 

Notes/methodology: This list, obviously, includes both songs and albums. In most of the cases where either an album or a song from it could have made my top sixty, I chose whichever entry would rank higher, i.e.- I think “The Story of O.J.” is one of the ten best rap things from this year, while 4:44 as an album would rank a couple dozen spots lower. There are exceptions. “We Ball” would probably be among my top ten entries, but I wanted to give a nod to Meek Mill’s album because it hasn’t left rotation since it came out. Similar case with Boosie: “Webbie I Remember” could easily be in my top five, but BooPac should be on everyone’s radar, even if it’s ninety minutes. Slow down.

60. YG, “Pop It, Shake It” 59. Smooky MarGielaa, “Stay 100” 58. YBN Nahmir, “Rubbin Off The Paint” 57. Freddie Gibbs –– You Only Live 2wice 56. Muja Messiah & Roc Marciano –– Saran Wrap 55. Frosty Da Snowmann, “Oh My Gawd” 54. Wiki –– No Mountains in Manhattan 53. Greg Grease –– Down So Long 52. Chris $pencer, “Shark Wrestling” 51. Chief Keef, “Can You Be My Friend” 50. P.O.S –– chill, dummy 49. 2 Chainz –– Pretty Girls Like Trap Music 48. Young Dolph, “100 Shots” 47. Roc Marciano –– Rosebudd’s Revenge 46. Bbymutha, “Roses” 45. Sahbabii, “Pull Up wit ah Stick” 44. Nef the Pharaoh, “Bling Blaow” 43. J Hus –– Common Sense 42. 21 Savage –– Issa Album 41. Cardi B, “Bodak Yellow” 40. Deniro Farrar, “Can’t Touch Me” 39. Lor Jugg & Bandhunta Izzy, “Back At It” 38. G Herbo –– Humble Beast 37. billy woods, “Police Came To My Show” 36. French Montana, “Unforgettable” f/ Swae Lee 35. Rich Homie Quan –– Back to the Basics 34. Lil B –– Black Ken 33. Nipsey Hussle, “Rap Niggas” 32. A$AP Ferg, “Plain Jane” 31. Young Thug –– Beautiful Thugger Girls 30. Migos –– CULTURE 29. Playboi Carti, “Magnolia” 28. Why Khaliq –– The Mustard Seed 27. Snoop Dogg –– Neva Left 26. C Struggs, “Go to Jesus” 25. Lor Choc, “Fast Life” 24. RJ, “Blammer” 23. Tee Grizzley, “First Day Out” 22. OMB Peezy, “Lay Down” 21. Boosie –– BooPac 20. Meek Mill –– Wins & Losses 19. Kodak Black, “Patty Cake” 18. Drakeo –– Cold Devil 17. Don Trip & Starlito –– Step Brothers THREE 16. milo –– who told you to think??!!?!?!?! 15. 03 Greedo –– Money Changes Everything; Purple Summer 03; First Night Out 14. DJ Quik & Problem –– Rosecrans 13. Nocando, “1998″ 12. Goldlink, “Crew” f/ Shy Glizzy & Brent Faiyaz 11. Mach-Hommy –– Haitian Body Odor 10. Lil Uzi Vert, “XO Tour Llif3″ 9. Jay-Z, “The Story of O.J.” 8. G Perico –– All Blue & 2 Tha Left 7. Kendrick Lamar –– DAMN. 6. Tay-K, “The Race” 5. NBA Youngboy, “No Smoke” 4. Future –– HNDRXX 3. Armand Hammer –– ROME 2. Creek Boyz, “With My Team” 1. Open Mike Eagle –– Brick Body Kids Still Daydream

[foofightersfanfiction]

Chapter 102

Jasmin's POV

The house hadn't really changed since she and Rachel left it a week ago. There were a few key differences—the small pile of mail on the counter, food in the cupboards and fridge, and a huge vase of lilies on the coffee table. Jasmin had made Ashley a spare key to bring in the mail; clearly, Ashley had done more than that.

Rachel was already off in her bedroom telling Janey about her engagement. As happy as Jasmin was for Rachel, she was a little disappointed that Dave hadn't asked her the same thing. She never quite knew where she stood with Dave when it came to marriage. She was too scared to ask him about it; the last thing she wanted was for him to think she was pressuring him into proposing or scare him away.

Disappointment wasn't the only thing she was feeling. There was a wide range of emotions swirling through her and they all involved Rachel in some way: excitement over planning her wedding, pride that she had been chosen to be her maid of honour, but most of all immense sadness that she and Rachel wouldn't be living together anymore. They'd been living together for nearly three years now; them living apart was something Jasmin had been less prepared for than she thought.

Although she did like the idea of moving in with Dave. He had at least offered that much. In Cabo, after Rachel and Taylor had told everyone they were getting married, Dave and Jasmin had retreated back to their bedroom.

'Are you going to get a new roommate when Rachel moves out?' he asked as he pulled his shirt off.

'Probably not,' Jasmin replied. 'Rachel was such a perfect roommate; the place we have will always be ours. I can't imagine anyone else taking her place.'

'So how will you afford rent?'

'Therein lies the problem,' she grimaced. 'I can't. I don't exactly earn enough at the magazine and Candlewax isn't really bringing enough money for us.'

'So why not move in with me, then?'

That had rendered Jasmin speechless. Funnily enough, moving in with Dave hadn't really registered to her on her list of options; she had thought about moving to a smaller, cheaper place, or move in with Jesse or Ashley.

'Are you only asking me because it'd be more convenient for me,' she said, 'or because you actually want me to?'

Trust her to ruin a great moment with words.

Luckily for her, Dave chuckled.

'A little from column A,' he smiled, 'but mostly column B.' He lay flat on his back and pulled her directly on top of him. He pushed her hair back from her face and traced his thumb on her lips. 'I love having you over, the girls adore you whenever they see you, and, to be honest, I'm getting really fucking sick of not seeing you when I wake up every morning.'

'I'm feeling you on that last part you said,' she smiled back. 'Every time I wake up, I reach over for you, like I expect to have you there. It's like wanting to see you when I wake up is the first thing on my mind. And that's something that happens every single morning, babe.'

***** 

Slowly coming back to reality, Jasmin poured herself a glass of water and drank it down in one go. There really was no tiptoeing around it—she was jealous. It had struck her deeper than she'd realized, but she was. Rachel had taken this giant step with Taylor and she was still in the same place with Dave.

'Hey!' Rachel danced her way into the kitchen and hoisted herself up onto the bench. 'Janey and Jared are fucking thrilled for Taylor and I. I'm sure she's going to love bragging that she has a Foo Fighter for a brother in law.'

As much as Jasmin wanted to laugh, all she could manage was a half-assed smile.

'That's great,' she said. 'You're really lucky.'

Rachel's smile faltered slightly. 'What's wrong?'

Jasmin didn't want to say or do anything to steal Rachel's thunder, but Rachel wasn't going anywhere until she knew what the matter was.

'It–it's n-nothing,' she stammered. 'Just that…'

'You're upset that I'm engaged and you aren't?'

She wished she could say she was surprised, but after living with Rachel for this long, she really wasn't anymore. They were now at the point where they were able to read each other's minds.

'I was kind of hoping Ashley would have been right about that part,' she very nearly whispered.

'Oh, come here.' Rachel wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly. Jasmin always loved her hugs; they always seemed to help, no matter what the situation was.

'I'm sure Dave will propose at some point,' she said. 'Don't let the fact that he didn't do it in Cabo get to you. I'm sure that he had some kind of reason why he didn't. And even if he never does, isn't it better to be with him and not be married instead of not being with him at all?'

Jasmin couldn't find fault in that logic.

'I just don't want him to think I'm fishing for a ring and a white dress,' she said.

'I get that.' Rachel released her from the hug and smiled. 'However, I do think you deserve to know where he's at when it comes to the two of you. And the only way you can know that is by talking to him.'

Jasmin gave Rachel a more authentic smile. 'You always know what to say. I am so going to miss living with you.'

'Me too.' Fiddling with her ring, Rachel looked around the house. 'This has been our home for so long; it's going to be so weird to not have you under the same roof as me anymore.'

'Yeah, like Tay's going to be so disappointing,' said Jasmin sarcastically. 'He's able to do things to you that we're both too straight to do to each other, even when ass-over-tits drunk.'

Rachel snorted with laughter. 'Yeah, he definitely does have that testicle-penis advantage. Oh, man, I still can't believe I'm actually going to marry him. What's that going to be like?'

[its-lifestyle]

At 2.30pm on a sunny Friday afternoon, most eateries are likely to be experiencing a lull – that sweet moment when only a few diners remain after a frenetic lunch service.

At this point, servers might be languidly clearing the scattered detritus of meals left on tables, as the kitchen team takes a well-deserved break.

But at Nourish by Kenny Hills Bakers, no such thing is apparent. Instead, the eatery swells with a teeming mass of people, and new entrants to the restaurant frantically scan the space, hoping they can bag a table.

It’s a strange dichotomy – a packed-to-the-gills restaurant on a late weekday afternoon, but the eatery has clearly cast a spell on the neighbourhood.

Nourish is the brainchild of the same people behind the hugely popular Kenny Hills Bakers, the only difference being that in this outlet, owner Au Tai Hon has roped in his enterprising daughter Tzi Hua Au, who serves as the restaurant manager.

“I was in advertising for two years but as my dad’s business expanded, I thought it was about time that I step into the family business to help out. So now I’m full-time here at Nourish,” she says.

Tzi (second from left) decided to become more involved in the family business and now serves as the manager of Nourish.

Nourish came about because both Tzi and Au noticed that many customers at Kenny Hills Bakers (which makes delicious pastries and cakes) were hankering after gluten-free cakes and pastries.

Initially Tzi (who has some experience making gluten-free fare) started baking from home and supplying to Kenny Hills Bakers, but when the family discovered the already-designed restaurant space in Damansara Heights, they knew the time was ripe to embark on something new.

“It reminded us of the cafes in London where the sun shines through and you can see all the plates of food, so that’s how the concept came about and that’s why we have plates of salads on display in front.

“So we thought what better way to complement this than with gluten-free and refined-sugar free bakes, which a lot of people don’t really offer. And we think that the demand is getting higher for that,” says Tzi, who is also responsible for teaching the staff the intricacies of gluten-free baked treats.

The eatery is bright and cheerful and exudes an instant charm.

Most of the meals at Nourish are made using primarily organic produce (about 60% organic) under the watchful eye of Tzi, who shares her father’s fastidiousness and philosophy about the benefits of making things well.

“Here, all the gluten-free cakes are made in-house because we can’t cross-contaminate. And we try and make everything from scratch – everything that we can make, we will make,” she says.

To fully enjoy a meal at Nourish, pace yourself and experience it in chapters, because trust me, you’ll want to make repeat visits.

If you’re here in the morning for example, you might want a sample of the breakfast menu, served from 8am to 12pm daily. You could opt for the gluten-free toast with house stone-ground peanut butter and berry compote (RM16).

Nourish’s homemade peanut butter is a thick, chunky affair pockmarked with nuts that is enough to make you say (out loud, in my case) – “OMG, what witchery is this?” as you submit yourself to the pleasures of this simple treat.

The roasted pumpkin with goat’s cheese, spinach and tomatoes quiche is so good that you won’t want to share it with anyone.

From the pies and tarts on offer (all made using gluten-free crusts), opt for the quiche of the day, which if you’re lucky, might just be the roasted pumpkin with goat’s cheese, spinach and tomatoes (RM22) served with a salad.

This beguiling temptress is a fantastic example of multiple ingredients coalescing together to form a mouth-watering partnership – from the sweetness of the pumpkins to the salty overtures of the goat’s cheese, everything meshes harmoniously.

The thread that binds everything together is the gluten-free crust – which has a firm bite but gives way easily once prodded.

The salad on the side – the harissa roasted aubergine with pomegranate, sesame seeds and dukkah is a surprisingly filling affair that features tenderly yielding slices of aubergine and a quietly lingering spice element.

The roasted chicken with percik sauce is really, really good as is the tropical salad served on the side.

For an afternoon meal, served from 11am to 5pm daily, there is a litany of things to try. The eatery’s salads are an option for those after light meals, but you can also opt to have your cake and eat it too, as all the main meals are served with a salad.

The classic roast chicken (RM34) with percik sauce features tender chicken blanketed by a rich percik sauce that is spectacularly good – creamy, fiery, piquant and incredibly well-balanced.

The salad on the side is composed of young mango, apple, walnuts, torch ginger buds and a homemade coconut mayonnaise and is an addictively good, tropical mixture evocative of kerabu.

The hearty corn bread and chilli.

The hearty corn bread and chilli (RM35) is made up of house-made corn bread, spiced mixed bean chilli, smashed avocado, sour cream and a poached egg. Although it sounds promising in theory, the corn bread is quite dry and this has a domino effect that effectively renders all the other components less appealing.

Perhaps the absolute best thing on the lunch menu is the crab cakes (RM34). Here, a crispy exterior gives way to an interior that is just brimming with plump tufts of crab meat, its natural sweetness lending a lovely aquatic quality to the meal.

The crab cakes are plump little balls packed full of crab meat.

The salad on the side – in this case, the baby spinach, pumpkin and beetroot with balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs makes for a perfect complement, with fresh, earthy qualities shining through.

The eatery also has daily specials, like the stuffed boneless quail with spinach and cream cheese (RM30). Here, the quail retains a juicy quality that is supplemented by the creaminess of the cheese and spinach stuffed into its hollow.

As a result, each mouthful glides down the throat effortlessly, almost like a child whooshing down a water chute.

Nourish also does a great job of nourishing parched throats, with a selection of homemade beverages like turmeric latte (RM13), sweet potato latte (RM15) and matcha latte (RM13).

The first of the trio and the most trendy of the lot – the turmeric latte – boasts a potent hit of turmeric that becomes quite endearing the more you drink it.

The sweet potato latte on the other hand is an instant charmer, with sweet, root vegetable notes undulating throughout; while the house-made matcha latte has a charcoal-esque undertone that is strangely pleasant.

Of course, you can’t possibly leave a place with such a wide selection of gluten-free cakes without actually trying any of them. Which is why you ought to sample the orange polenta cake (RM15).

Here, orange flavours form the building blocks of this dessert, perfuming the entire dish with freshness and zest. The cake itself is tender although some mouthfuls might yield tiny, gritty polenta granules.

The pecan pie (RM16) meanwhile is one of those hedonistic delights that you’ll find yourself easily falling in love with. Here, pecans are studded in a kaleidoscopic pattern across the surface of this pie, which is lightly sweet without being overbearing.

Ultimately, Tzi says she hopes that Nourish will become a place that people with gluten intolerances (and those looking for gluten-free options) can come to, knowing that there will be a wide array of things for them to eat.

“It’s been very nice to give back to people who don’t have many eating options. Like a customer came in and said she hadn’t had a pie in two years!

“And the sad thing is a lot of people with celiac disease or gluten intolerances don’t get pastries in general unless they make it themselves. And a lot of them don’t have the time or the skill to make it themselves, so this is a very good place for them to get all these products,” she says.

Nourish by Kenny Hills Bakers No 35, Jalan Medan Setia 1 Damansara Heights 50490 Kuala Lumpur Tel: 03-2011 6990 Open daily: 8am to 6pm

from Food – Star2.com http://bit.ly/30Mlaq8