#who meets photographer cas and they have a falling out and meet up again 10 years later. dean has moved away

[dean-you-assbutt-cas-loves-you]

jan 2019 fic recs

I'll just do it this way instead of reblogging the individual posts

[20 fics] 

1. Forehead Kisses by LokiNeedsHugs1031

Rating: Teen | Words :1140

Summary:

Dean loves on Cas with forehead kisses <3 that is all

https://archiveofourown.org/works/8252843

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pg-13, 1k, spn verse - s11, 2016

(fluff, hurt/comfort, bunker fic)

@+@+@+@+@

2. The Only Exception by VampireInATrenchCoat

Rating :Explicit | Words :46781

Summary:

Dean swallowed drily again, feeling his tongue heavy and weird inside his mouth, but he still managed to say, “Seriously, Cas, I… I need this. I really do. And you’re the only one who can do it. You’re the only one I trust to do this.” The hunter’s voice sounded far too hoarse, still lacking the confidence he wished to convey, and he licked his lips, looking down, focusing his gaze on a particular spot on the sheets. He fiddled with a loose thread he found there, feeling that difficulty to sit still for too long making itself known once more. He cleared his throat, and tried again, “And this is the easiest way, too. It just solves everything. You can check the damage Michael did. You can try to dig up some memories, to see if I can remember how I got this scar. And you can make sure that… that he’s really gone.” His voice did fail this time, throat feeling dry and tight, and he swallowed again to try and fix that, but it did very little to help.

The slightest hint of a feeble, empty smile tugged the corner of Dean’s mouth upward, words coming out far too low and weak when he added, “Three birds, one stone, right?”

As if this really were that simple.

Set during 14x03, “The Scar

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16874949

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nc-17, 46k, spn verse - s14, 2018

(possessed!dean, bottom!dean, top!cas, pining!dean, fluff, angst, bunker fic)

warning: homophobia (implied), suicide (implied)

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3. Versus Series by Shrinkynatural

Rating: Teen (overall, maybe light Mature) | Words: 9396 (wip)

Summary (of part 1):

Immediately post 5x06. Small fic part where Jesse the anti-Christ’s mojo doesn’t wear off completely. Cas isn’t plastic anymore, but he’s still action figure-sized.

https://archiveofourown.org/series/52252

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m, 9k, spn verse - s5, 2013

(pre-slash, tiny!cas, fluff, humor, curses/spells)

warning: somnophilia, dub con (part 3)

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4. Dean Winchester is Not Afraid of Ghosts by Desirae

Rating : Explicit | Words: 48100

Summary:

When photographer Dean Winchester is not capturing momentous occasions like weddings and graduations with his Nikon, he is moonlighting as the cameraman for the South Shore Paranormal; a ghost hunting series on YouTube, headed by his brother Sam, and Sam’s best friend Gabriel.

Despite his brother’s adamance, Dean Winchester does not believe in ghosts. And no one is going to change his mind. Certainly not a scam artist like Castiel Novak. Castiel is a self-proclaimed medium… and Gabriel’s brother. When a member of the SSP team has to leave the crew, Castiel is the replacement, much to Dean’s dismay. But the more they work together, the more Dean is drawn to Castiel, the man stirring up protective instincts usually only reserved for family.

What happens when Dean realizes that Castiel is not the fake he always thought he was, but instead, a generous soul that Dean is rapidly falling in love with?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13738557

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nc-17, 48k, au - paranormal, 2018

(photographer!dean, medium!cas, top!dean, bottom!cas, bottom!dean, top!cas, switching, possessed!cas, hurt!cas, fluff, humor, angst, hurt/comfort, enemies to friends to lovers)

warning: drug use (recreational)

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5. Fancy becoming a Winchester? by Seraph_Novak

Rating: Teen | Words: 2859

Summary:

They’ve only been together for a couple of months, but really it’s been years. Dean is finally ready to open up and take the next step, only he’s ridiculously nervous… Will he ever have the courage to ask Cas the ultimate question? Post-season 11 one shot. Minor spoilers for season 11 thus far.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/5831473

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pg-13, 2k, spn verse - s11, 2016

(established, fluff, angst, bunker fic)

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6. For A Dream’s Sake by EllenOfOz

Rating: Explicit | Words: 28511

Summary:

Just four ingredients is all they need to reopen the rift. Archangel grace, the Seal of Solomon, blood of a most holy man, and a fruit from the tree of life.

Castiel returns from Syria with the fruit, saying that he killed some djinn and bargained with the rest. But just what bargain did Cas make with the djinni queen? What did he experience at her hands?

Heaven’s great leader of armies prides himself on his self-control, his steadfast courage under pressure. But when the djinni’s dream is everything he’s ever hoped for…

“Life, and the world, and mine own self, are changed For a dream’s sake.” -Christina Rossetti

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16545992

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nc-17, 25k, spn verse - s13, 2018

(hurt!cas, pining!cas, top!dean, bottom!cas, bottom!dean, top!cas, switching, fluff, angst, djinn dream, wing fic, bunker fic)

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7. Call It What You Want by allantwitty

Rating:Teen | Words: 6147

Summary:

Dean meets Cas on Black Friday, the only person he sees in a crowd of thousands. But Cas works in a chick store. Dean minds a little, until he doesn’t mind at all.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12676953

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pg-13, 6k, au - retail, 2017

(waiter!dean, sales associate!cas, pining!dean, pining!cas, fluff)

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8. Shopping With The Divine by Wallothet

Rating: Not Rated | Words: 1776

Summary:

Remember when Cas went shopping for Dean? So does the shop assistant.

Dean marched along the sidewalk towards the entrance, “Okay, coffee, beer, pie, Sam’s rabbit food, beer, anything you want Cas?” Dean glanced up from the list on his phone, did a double take and spun round, “Cas?“

Cas had stopped in his tracks just a few feet from the Impala, realizing where Dean was headed. His face was gravely serious as he stared at the familiar building they were about to enter. Dean followed his gaze before looking back at Cas.

“Could we perhaps go somewhere else?”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/914604

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not rated, 1k, spn verse - s8, 2013

(established, fluff, humor, bunker fic)

@+@+@+@+@

9. Birthday Blues by siennna

Rating: General | Words: 3231

Summary:

“This was it. This was truly the pinnacle of Dean’s depressing life; here he was, staring at his squishy stomach, stripped of both his clothes and pride, while Cas attempted to placate him like an insecure girlfriend.

‘Cas, we aren’t partners, that doesn’t apply to us.’

'But we are partners, Dean,’ Cas insisted. 'We work together.’

'Right—but the magazine was referring to a different kind of partner. I’m not your, uh, significant other.’

'I think you are significant, Dean.’

Dean’s face grew hot and he suddenly found himself wishing he had a shirt on. Or pants. Preferably both.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/2446268

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g, 3k, spn verse, 2014

(fluff, humor)

@+@+@+@+@

10. we gave love a chance by loversantiquities

Rating: Teen | Words: 5210

SUMMARY:

Storms feel different in Florida than they do in Kansas. At least, that’s what Castiel thinks, sitting in the porch swing of some stranger’s home. A day after reluctantly slaying a dying kelpie, Castiel, Dean and Sam hide out along the Florida coast until Castiel is well enough to return home, inadvertently giving Dean the beach trip he’s always wanted. And, in the process, something Castiel has dreamed about for a long, long while.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11612553

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pg-13, 5k, spn verse - s13, 2017

(fallen!cas, hurt!cas, fluff, hurt/comfort)

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11. Tattoo by NewToTheWaywardParty

Rating: Teen | Words: 3482

Summary:

Dean takes his prize and moves to retreat to his bedroom, shuffling towards the kitchen door. He jerks back, however, his robe’s belt caught on the kitchen drawer handle below the coffee maker. Dean yanks it back, irritated, and his robe falls open, draping off one shoulder.

That’s when Cas sees it.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14351970

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pg-13, 3k, spn verse - s13, 2018

(angst, bunker fic)

@+@+@+@+@

12. Hot, Cross Buns by lemonsorbae

Rating: General | Words: 3978

Summary:

Dean is a baker, Cas is cop. Cas wants Dean’s hot cross buns… or does he?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/3179123

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g, 3k, au - bakery, 2015

(baker!dean, cop!cas, fluff)

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13. a place only you can go by iamthemagicks

Rating: Mature | Words: 25609

Summary:

Castiel Singer has been living with cardiomyopathy since he was fourteen. He lives with his adoptive parent and sister. While gearing up for graduation ( his sister and lifelong friend Sam), his heart starts to decline. He tries to work through the pain the best he can until his boyfriend, Dean ( a fledgling musician) returns home for a tour. But after an'episode’ that lands him in the hospital, Castiel and his family discover that he is in need of a transplant. Castiel has to step back and consider his relationship with Dean ( who sleeps with others man and women on tour and Castiel is aware) and the guilt of causing financial crisis to his family.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/539573

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m, 25k, au, 2012

(established, musician!dean, sick!cas, angst, friends to lovers)

@+@+@+@+@

14. A Light for My Path by domesticadventures

Rating: Mature |Words: 25518

Summary:

She’s always had a make and a model, but it’s only after Castiel parks her in the bunker garage, Dean coming to lean irreverently against her side, that she has a name.

“When you were Castiel,” Dean says, “you were untouchable. Unknowable. A stranger. But now you’re Cas. You’re our friend. Our family. Not quite sure when one became the other, but the person who this car belongs to is definitely Cas. So maybe…we’ve been calling her the Continental, right? But that’s so formal. You know her now, so she needs a nickname. What if we called her Connie?”

“Connie,” Cas repeats, testing the feel of it. He hums to himself, sounding as pleased as she feels. “I like it.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/8524075

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m, 25k, spn verse, 2016

(fallen!cas, hurt!cas, angst, fluff, hurt/comfort, road trip, smut, bunker fic)

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15. Clipped by Dancingdog

Rating: Mature | Words: 25638

Summary:

Officer Dean Winchester is enjoying a pleasant, relaxing night shift when he stumbles across a battered and bloodied body in a damp alleyway. Thinking the man dead, Dean stalks over to investigate but is taken off-guard when the man cries out. Upon closer inspection, the man has been drugged to the point of near-unconsciousness. Dean decides a trip to the doctor’s is in order; luckily, his brother is exactly that.

When Sam checks Castiel over though, both Winchesters are shocked by what they find. Not only that, but Castiel is apparently homeless and has no family or friends he can stay with. He’s confused by the most basic of every day tasks (are toothbrushes so difficult to understand?) and he says the strangest things that has Sam and Dean scratching their heads. Sam decides Castiel should stay with him for a while and whilst Dean is initially against his brother rooming with a complete stranger, he’s intrigued by the mysterious Castiel Novak. What is the man hiding?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13258956

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m, 25k, au, 2018

(cop!dean, hurt!cas, fluff, smut, hurt/comfort)

@+@+@+@+@

16. The Case of the Curious Convention by Jdragon122

Rating: Mature | Words: 26189

Summary:

The apocalypse(s) has been long over and the Winchesters have reverted back to their normal hunting habits with their best friend and angel, Castiel. One particular case they find leads them straight to California and specifically, San Diego. Doing a small hunt while out by the sandy beaches doesn’t sound like a bad deal and so Team Free Will sets out to hunt, vacation, and have fun while doing it. Little do they know that they just happened to drive into town the weekend of Comic Con - and that their case might have something to do with it.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10816860

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m, 26k, spn verse - s11/s12, 2017

(fluff, road trip, case fic)

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17. Sweet Masquerade by vipjuly

Rating: Explicit | Words: 9793

Summary:

Castiel deviates from his normal daily caffeine intake when his brother gets him a gift card to a new stand in town.

He’s used to the mom and pop shop down the road.

He is not used to his coffee being served with a side of nipple pasties

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16484393

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nc-17, 9k, au - coffee shop, 2018

(barista!dean, librarian!cas, bottom!dean, top!cas, fluff)

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18. Lay It On The Line by SeashellDestihell (Renegade verse)

Rating: Explicit (overall) | Words: 6876 (wip series)

Summary (for this part):

Dean and Castiel have been secretly married for months without getting the press involved, but one drunken night in a hotel leads to coming out in the most awkward way possible.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10533153

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nc-17, 6k, au - celebrity, 2017

(established, musician!dean, librarian!cas, top!dean, bottom!cas, secret relationship, marriage, fluff)

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19. Imagine Dragons Might be on to Something by Trista_zevkia

Rating: General | Words 4777

Summary:

The small town decides to sacrifice a virgin to the dragon, as you do. Dean’s out of running for the job, but Sam’s not.

Dean does not approve. Nor does the Dragon.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/3174718

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g, 4k, spn verse/au, 2015

(hunter!dean, dragon!cas, creature!cas, fluff, humor, mates)

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20. Growing Pains by DarkHeartInTheSky

Rating: Teen | Words: 25509

Summary:

After a botched witch hunt, Cas ends up an infant; it’s strange to see their once all-powerful, indestructible friend so small, so helpless.

It’s even stranger to see Dean look at Cas like that–like he’s cradling the whole world in his arms.

Sam’s trying to track down the witch, or find a cure, to get Cas back. But it’s kind of difficult with all these intruding thoughts that never go away; the kind that make him step back and question everything he thought he knew of Dean and Cas’s relationship.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16437998

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pg-13, 25k, spn verse - s11/s12, 2018

(fallen!cas, cursed!cas, de-aged!cas, fluff, angst, hurt/comfort, bunker fic, case fic, kid fic, curses/spells)

[deancasbigbang]

Title: The Briefcase Author: PieDarling Artist: Diminuel Rating: Mature Pairings: Dean/Cas, Sam/Gabriel, minor Dean/Lisa Wordcount: 34000 Warnings/Tags: Boss/Assistant relationship, Unconcious flirting while dating someone else, Dean is dense, This is a RomCom, First Person POV, Drunk Flirting, Slow Burn Posting: 10/19/2018

Summary:

- Very loosely based on the movie “Beauty & The Briefcase” - Dean Winchester lives in New York, reaping the rewards of his 8 years of college together with his lovely wife! Or he should be, instead he is single, hates his job, can't stand his boss, and lives with his little brother who keeps letting his “best friend” destroy Dean’s apartment. Things are headed for a change however, when after getting fed up with his unreasonable work conditions he quits his job in a fit of rage. Sadly, slamming the door on his boss' face didn’t leave him with the best reputation.

Without a new job Dean’s current lifestyle is on the line, and no he is not letting Sam pay for the apartment with his shitty intern salary. Dean is a big boy, so he does what big boys do when no one will hire them in their industry: change industries. With Gabriel’s help Dean becomes the assistant to Fashion Photographer Castiel Novak. His new boss is eccentric, weird, and a complete mess - but what Dean does he does right, damn it! He will be the best assistant any photographer could ask for or fall in love trying!! Wait... what?

I sigh softly before I speak, meeting Castiel’s blue eyes once I look up. “I get all the managing the schedule and stuff, but uh... yeah, what’s that about the creative process and what would I have to do during the shoots?”

Castiel doesn’t seem to be bothered by my question. How much did that sweet-obsessed maniac say about me before all this? ‘Cause he barely told me anything, yet blue eyes over here seems to expect my questions. “Don’t worry too much about the shoots, mostly it would be helping the models out if they need anything, handing me camera lenses or things like that. If we ever do an outdoor shoot then maybe you’d have to carry some equipment.” He makes a small pause and shrugs “I’m sure you can handle it.”

“What about the creative process stuff, what’s that about?”

“I uh...” He pauses to swallow and take a breath. “I have a bit of trouble ironing out the concepts for my shoots alone, I prefer to have someone to bounce ideas with.”

That alarms me a bit, I run my hand over the back of my neck, I feel the tension of my muscles under my fingers. Finally, I decide I should tell him what bothers me about that. “Listen, I don’t really know that much about fashion...”

Castiel interrupts me before I figure out how to say that maybe the job is not for me. “No, I know, it’s fine. Gabriel told me you studied Marketing, right?”

“Uh... well, yeah, but...”

“So you can just study the market.” He looks at me, expectant as if that would convince me. “I could buy you books about it.”

I chuckle, is he serious? “I don’t know, man. Even if I do that will I really be of help?”

“Yes!” He stops to compose himself, apparently, clearing his throat. “Look I know about color and clothes, I know what looks good together. But I need some help... keeping up with the trends.” He signals to a corner of the bookshelf that has a mountain of nothing but thin magazines in it.

Oh, I think I get what he means... But can I really do that? Even if I study the market my opinions will come from statistics, not personal preference or even experience.

But before I can voice my concerns he speaks again, “Listen, I have been looking for a while and I know it’s not ideal, but I’m willing to try if you are.” He looks pointedly at me and extends his hand over the desk. “So what do you say?”

I think this guy is just as desperate as I am and that means that if he is willing to risk it, then to hell with all this, so am I. Give me your worst, fashion world. “Deal.” I shake his hand strongly and look him in the eye with a smile.

My new boss smiles back.

[invisibleanonymousmonsters]

My Eyes - Part 1

Pairing: Bucky; Steve x Fem/Reader

Word Count: 4,083

Story Description: Steve is a good man, America’s golden boy, a hero. He’s Captain America for christ’s sake! So it’s normal to want what he has... right? Bucky knows he doesn’t deserve her. He doesn’t even deserve the second chance at life he’s been given. But Bucky can never let him know. Steve can never find out that his friend is in love with his best girl. 

Story takes place post “CA: CW” and all tension has been resolved. 

Bucky pushed his hat lower before getting up from his seat on the bus. It had been a 5-hour ride. Steve had asked him if could come pick him up from the airport, but Bucky lied and said T’Challa had already put together all of his travel plans.

Bucky already felt guilty for all the trouble T’Challa and Steve had gone through to help him. So Bucky made his own way, taking 3 connecting flights, landing in New York City, and then taking a greyhound bus to the new Avenger’s facility in Upstate New York.

Steve would be furious if he ever found out. But Bucky knew he never would as long as he didn’t say anything.

It was nice to stretch his legs as he hopped off the bus with just a duffel bag in hand. He looked around at the small town he’d been dropped off in. It was the closest stop to the compound. He still had to take a walk that was a few miles. But he was happy to do it. Not depending on the few friends he had was an odd relief that Bucky didn’t realize he needed right now.

There was a little farmer’s market in the downtown he was walking through. The crowds of people made him slightly uncomfortable. He carried on, but his body was tense now. He decided to walk behind the tents to avoid the people. But it gave him an easy view of all the pedestrians. That’s when he saw her.

She was in a summer dress that was so light that it flowed with even the slightest breeze. Bucky’s steps faltered when he caught sight of her. She had a little purse swinging off her shoulder. But she was also carrying a paper bag with baked goods and fruit she’d just bought from various vendors. The bouquet of sunflowers that peaked out had her entire aesthetic begging to be photographed.

Then Bucky spotted a dog running up to her. He quickly realized it must belong to the girl. It was a giant German Shepherd that was so tall on its four legs that it went halfway up her body. If it stood on its hind legs, it might even be taller than Bucky. He could tell it was trained to protect her as its eyes shifted around, observing potential threats. It had no leash, just following alongside the girl without any commands.

Bucky’s path was parallel to hers, just hidden behind the cover of the vendor tents. Once again, he pulled his hat down. It had become a nervous tick of his. He was constantly scared that people would recognize him. Even though his name had been cleared, some of the public still viewed him as a criminal and a terrorist. That was also the reason for him wearing overly long shirts on a summery day.

The girl was wearing cat eye sunglasses that slid down her nose as she dipped down to taste some sample foods. It was then that she decided her hair was annoying her and she pushed the sunglasses on the top of her head. Now Bucky was able to see her beautiful y/e/c eyes.

The vendor was an old Italian man that must have said something charming or witty, because the girl laughed and tossed her head back slightly. The sound made Bucky stop walking. The vendor said something to the dog that remained glued to her side. But the dog was having none of it, growling at the man. Y/N scolded him verbally and apologized to the man. He was selling wine and she handed over a few bills and grabbed a bottle of white. She slipped it into her paper bag that was clearly getting heavier, for Bucky saw the muscles of her arm become more apparent as she continued walking.

He stopped following.

She seemed like something he had dreamed about. It was like he had gone back in time. It was women like her that Bucky dreamed of finding when he returned from the war. Maybe he even would’ve met her at a market like this. He would’ve said something charming, made her laugh. Then he’d let her know that he thought she was beautiful. He wouldn’t shy away from it because he always believed men didn’t tell women that enough, at least not in the right way. He’d ask her out on a date. They’d fall in love, get married, and start a family. Then slowly but surely, her love would get rid of all the darkness that entered him when he saw all the things he did during the war.

But that wasn’t an option anymore.

Bucky had missed his chance at that life. Anything close to normal and domesticated was ripped away from him the moment the serum was injected into his bloodstream. Bucky wasn’t that charming ladies’ man anymore. He was just a broken version of himself, in a time he was never meant to live in.

Bucky watched as the woman approached a waiting car. There was a driver in a valet uniform and everything. He took the heavy bag from the woman and she smiled, thanking him. It gave a weird relief to Bucky. His old-fashioned gentleman in him wanted to rush forward and offer to carry it the moment he’d seen her. The driver opened the door for her. She whistled at her dog and it jumped in first without hesitation. Then she placed her hand on the door, but she paused for a moment. She glanced over her shoulder and looked around Bucky’s area. Like she felt someone had been watching her. Bucky made sure to disappear. When he looked over again, the car was driving away.

‘She’s probably going home to her rich husband, you chump’ his mind rumbled at him.

Bucky continued down an isolated road to the compound. The entire walk, he couldn’t get that girl out of his mind.

---

Steve was in the kitchen making another pot of coffee when FRIDAY announced that their guest had arrived. He was now beaming with a smile and practically sprinted to the elevators to greet them.

The door slid open to reveal a nervous and meek looking Bucky. He was wearing black jeans, combat boots, and a large canvas jacket over what Steve could only guess was a long sleeved shirt. Bucky smiled at the sight of his best friend. It was only seconds later that said friend had wrapped him into a hug.

“How you doing, Buck?” Steve asked softly.

“Fine.” Bucky brushed off. “Nice place you got here.” His eyes wandered around the high ceilings and modern layout. He didn’t know Stark that well, but somehow it still felt like it had his personality all over it.

“You hungry?” Steve quickly ushered him further onto the floor. “Stark keeps the place stocked with basically any food we could ever want. What do you have a taste for?” Steve was now opening the fridge, ready to name every single item that Bucky could choose from.

Bucky smiled at him. Then he caught sight of something on the kitchen counter. It was a vase of sunflowers. They were just like the ones the girl from the market had been carrying.

“Hey Steve?” A female voice called from down the hallway. “Can you help me with this zipper, I can’t reach – oh!” She turned the corner and came to an abrupt halt at the sight of Bucky standing awkwardly in the middle of the kitchen, duffel bag still stiffly hanging off his shoulder. She glanced between Steve and him. Her face must have registered who he was because she practically bounced in celebration and smiled brightly. “You must be Bucky! I didn’t expect you to get here so early!”

Bucky could tell that she wanted to rush over and give him a hug or even shake his hand. He guessed Steve must have told her to be careful around him because she somehow managed to hold back.

“Y/N this is Bucky. Bucky this is Y/N.” There was a pleasant expression on Steve’s face, seeing the two of them meeting one another.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you.” Y/N said breathlessly. “Steve has told me so much about you.”

Bucky looked at Steve for help. He didn’t know how to respond, especially since he had no idea who she was.

“What did you need help with?” Steve changed the subject. His voice was so soft when talking with her.

She blushed at his question and then her gaze flickered to Bucky. “Oh…um…I can’t reach this damn zipper. I was trying to change out of this dress.” She wouldn’t have been yelling out had she known he wasn’t alone.

Steve cleared his throat and nodded in the direction of the hallway. The two of them disappeared.

Bucky wiped his now sweaty palms on the thighs of his jeans. His gaze went back to the vase of sunflowers. He was going over and over the way Steve had been looking at her.

It just had to be her, huh? Steve just had to be in love with the girl from the market.

Steve was back in the kitchen a minute later. He continued badgering Bucky about what he wanted to eat.

“Steve?” Bucky said quietly. But he ignored him and continued calling out food. “Steve!” He said louder, finally catching his friend’s attention.

“What, Buck?” He was genuinely confused.

“Who the hell was that?”

“Oh.” Steve sighed. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “Look… I didn’t want to overwhelm you with all the team introductions to start with. That’s why no one’s here right now. And I wasn’t expecting you two to meet so suddenly. It’s just a lot on its own, adding my girlfriend to mix is just –“

“Girlfriend?” Bucky muttered.

Steve smiled like a lovesick puppy and glanced at the hallway she had disappeared down like he could see her from there. “Yeah… Y/N’s my girlfriend, Buck.”

Bucky’s brow furrowed. “What happened to Sharon?”

Steve took in a deep breath. Clearly he had never intended on discussing all of this in the first 10 minutes of Bucky’s arrival. “It just didn’t work out. We both decided it was best to end it. Life got in the way and whatever was there kind of… faded.” He ended the fast version with a shrug.

Bucky gave him a mischievous grin.

“What?” Steve asked.

“Nothing. I wake up from a lifetime of brainwashing and suddenly my best friend is getting girlfriends left and right.”

“Oh, quit it.” Steve shooed him away and returned to the refrigerator. Knowing he was never going to get any preference from Bucky, he started whipping up some food. In the middle of his culinary chaos, he paused and really looked at his best friend. “It’s really good to have you back, Buck.”

Y/N never came back to the kitchen.

And Bucky hated himself for wanting to see her again. She’d shocked him into silence when she came dashing into the kitchen. She was even more beautiful in person than the distance he had at that market.

Bucky had slyly got the details from Steve. They had met in town. Steve had seen her at the town’s library. That’s where she worked, apparently. And just like Bucky, he was instantly mesmerized. He was surprised to find that she wasn’t an Avenger. There was an air about her, a confidence that made Bucky think she belonged here. But Steve said, with observable relief, that she couldn’t hurt a fly if she wanted to.

“Did I already scare her away?” Bucky asked after he’d finished eating.

Steve smirked. “No. She doesn’t live here. She headed home right after you met… wanted to give us some time to ourselves.” Then he stared off for a moment, got caught up in his head about something.

“What is it?” Bucky probed.

Steve shook his head. “I’ve…I’ve just been real careful about bringing her around. Only the team knows that we’re together. I even tried to keep it a secret from them. And that well…was a lost cause. The staff that works here doesn’t even know who she is. I get worried…worried that her being with me could be…”

“Dangerous?” Bucky offered.

Steve nodded.

---

The months came and went. Over a year had gone by, Bucky got used to being part of a team and doing good instead of fighting his own demons. The challenge of it all was a suitable distraction… a distraction from Y/N. The more she was around, the more Bucky couldn’t get her out of his head when she wasn’t.

He avoided her at all costs. Tried his hardest never to give her an opportunity to talk with him. He didn’t know what else to do. Every time he listened to her talk or Steve told him something about her, he found himself falling for her.

She looked more beautiful with every new visit to the compound. Not being an agent or spy or having any enhancements meant that she was somewhat of a matriarch to the team. Steve made sure she never overstepped. After all, he wanted to keep their relationship a secret, keep her safe. But she would bring cookies or movies for them to watch. A habit that Bucky couldn’t find any more endearing was her weekly delivery of flowers. Just like that day he met her; she’d bring a bouquet from the farmers market. The type varied, but Bucky noticed that she clearly preferred sunflowers.

More months went by and Bucky had successfully never had a conversation alone with Y/N. Little did he know, this really upset Y/N.

---

Steve was spending the night at Y/N’s home. She had a little house in the forest. Steve liked to joke that it looked like a witch’s cottage in a fairytale. But in reality, he loved how it felt like an escape. When he was here, he wasn’t an Avenger or Captain America. He was just Steve Rogers.

Y/N was resting her head on his chest while his arms were wrapped protectively around her body. They were both sitting on her back porch, looking out into the forest. Music was softly playing in the background. It was a chilly fall night, but Steve’s body warmth made it no problem for either of them.

“Steve?” Y/N asked carefully.

“Hmm?”

“Why doesn’t Bucky like me?”

Steve immediately sat up straighter and adjusted their bodies so he could look her in the eye. “Y/N, Bucky likes you.”

She scoffed at that. “Steve, please don’t start.”

“Start what?” Then he saw that Y/N looked genuinely upset about the subject. “What’s wrong, Y/N?”

Now she was fully sitting up, freeing herself from his grasp despite both their bodies not wanting the separation. “Bucky’s been here for over a year and he’s never even spoken to me.”

“He doesn’t really speak to anyone, doll.” He raised an eyebrow.

“That’s not true. He talks to Sam all the time!”

This made Steve laugh. “I guess if you count their childish arguments and bickering… then yes, that’s true.”

“I’ve seen him talking with everyone. I mean… at the beginning… I knew that he was struggling. So I didn’t want to push it or anything. But he barely even looks at me. I feel like he bolts from the room anytime I walk in. If he doesn’t do that, he doesn’t even acknowledge my presence.” Then she looked down, trying not to get emotional. “Sometimes I think he doesn’t approve of me being with you…like he thinks I’m not good enough for you.”

Now Steve was upset. He put his thumb under her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “Hey, don’t you ever think that! If anything, you’re too good for me. There’s no chance in hell that Bucky believes that. He’s my best friend. All he cares about is if I’m happy. And you, Y/N, you make me so happy.”

She gave him a shy smile with his little declaration. “That’s just it, Steve. He’s your best friend. There’s nobody in this world that knows you better than him. Not even me. He’s like your brother. When you told me he was coming to live here, I was so excited to get to know him… and to get to know you through his eyes. But he doesn’t seem to want anything to do with me. I just wish him and I could be friends.”

“I’m gonna talk to Bucky.” Steve said.

“No, Steve, don’t do that. The last thing I want is for me to be causing problems between you two. It’s fine, really. Everything’s fine.” She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest again. “Just forget I said anything about it.”

Steve sighed and rubbed her back gently. As they both stared into the distance, he became lost in thought. He would never admit it to Y/N, but he had also noticed Bucky’s coldness towards her. He just didn’t want Y/N to further believe she was right. Maybe it was just weird seeing Steve with a girlfriend. Bucky never really got to observe his relationship with Sharon, being on ice and all. But Bucky was never like this with Peggy. In fact, he tried flirting with her.

---

Bucky ripped the sheets off and started pacing the room: another nightmare, another evening without sleep. He went to the bathroom and plashed ice cold water over his face and the back of his neck. He stared at himself in the mirror. The shadows underneath his eyes seemed to have taken permanent residence. He rubbed his scruff that was becoming more like a light beard.

He couldn’t get the images out of his head. There was no point trying to go back to sleep, so he decided to head to the kitchen. Wanda had showed him a special recipe for tea that was both calming and tiring. Maybe he would try that again.

Bucky was nearing Steve’s room. He told him over and over again to wake him up when the nightmares got bad. Sometimes Bucky took him up on it and sometimes he decided not to thrust his issues on anyone else. Tonight, he just didn’t think he could be alone.

Bucky paused at the door. His hand was about to knock when he heard it. Steve was most definitely not alone. Bucky’s stomach dropped when he quickly recognized the sounds of two people having sex. He pinched the bridge of his nose as his mind quickly imagined the state Y/N was in. He practically sprinted away with an assassin’s silence. But what bothered him most were the feelings of jealousy deep within his gut.

Why couldn’t he just be happy for his best friend?

It felt like a higher being was punishing him.

Steve deserved good in his life. He deserved happiness and someone to love him like Y/N clearly did. He was a hero. He was Captain America.

Bucky had done so many terrible things. He didn’t even deserve the good life he had now.

Bucky was sitting at the kitchen island with a cup of Wanda’s secret tea. His mind was lost and his eyes showed it, glazing over. In a twisted way, Y/N had taken his mind off his nightmares… Because now he was trying to conceive a plan to put an end to the madness. What kind of man falls in love with his best friend’s girl?

And as if she could sense someone thinking about her, Y/N came tiptoeing into the dimly lit kitchen. FRIDAY always had the lights on, but lowered them in the late hours. Y/N hadn’t realized someone else was in the kitchen. This allowed Bucky to observe her for a few extra seconds. She was clearly wearing one of Steve’s t-shirts, seeing as it fit her more like a short dress. As she reached into the fridge, it fell off one of her shoulders. She had post-coital hair. It was messy and voluptuous, but still ridiculously sexy. Her skin was just slightly dewy, adding another hint of what she’d just been doing moments ago.

When Y/N turned around from the fridge, she let out the most innocent yelp and jumped. The two water bottles she had grabbed bounced to the floor. “Jesus Christ, Bucky. You scared me. I didn’t realize anyone else was here.”

“Sorry.” He mumbled, shifting in his stool awkwardly.

Without meaning to, Y/N’s gaze went to his chest. Bucky hadn’t thought about throwing on a t-shirt. His skin had been covered in sweat and he usually didn’t run into anyone else on these late night endeavors.

But as Y/N subtly observed him, she realized she’d never seen him shirtless. But most of all, she’d never seen the scars that his old metal arm had caused. T’Challa’s newer installment wasn’t handled with such manslaughter.  

“Sorry.” Bucky muttered again, this time getting up from his seat. “I should’ve put a shirt on.” He crossed his arms and turned his body uneasily, anything to hide his scarring from her.

“Bucky, you don’t have to be embarrassed.” Y/N whispered. Now she was upset at herself for accidentally staring.

He ran a hand through his shaggy hair, trying to think of a way to get out of this conversation without making it worse.

“Buck, is everything okay?” She asked softly.

The fact that she said his shortened name that only Steve used made Bucky’s gaze jump to her. Why did she have to be so sweet toward him? Especially after he had been nothing but cold to her.

Bucky managed to nod his head.

Y/N looked unconvinced. But she nodded in return, realizing that if Bucky were to open up to anyone, it would never be with her. “Umm… Goodnight Bucky.” She mumbled and disappeared out of the kitchen with her two bottles of water.

Bucky counted to ten before he headed back toward his bedroom. He didn’t think he could handle another interaction tonight.

But his super soldier hearing wasn’t letting him go so easily. To his surprise, Steve’s bedroom door was left open. Before he saw it though, he heard Steve say something sweet to Y/N as she entered… something about her getting back to bed. It made Bucky’s stomach flip. When he passed the doorway, he saw Y/N leaning over Steve, who was still shirtless. Bucky could only guess he was fully naked, but the bed covers were hiding any proof. Steve was rubbing Y/N’s back lovingly and in return she brushed a piece of hair off his face as she whispered something.

Bucky quickened his pace and slammed his bedroom door closed behind him.

---

“I just ran into Bucky in the kitchen.” Y/N told him.

Steve saw the concern on her face and rubbed her back. “Did something happen?”

“No… no… He tried to leave the room like usual. But he looked a little shaken, Steve.”

He smiled. “Are you sure it wasn’t the state of your attire that had him shaken? It’s one thing for Bucky to wrap his mind around me having a girlfriend, it’s another to see proof that I’m sleeping with her too.”

He was clearly trying to make a joke, but he could see that Y/N was hardly even listening to him.

Then she seemed to come back to the present. “Steve?” She asked, but kissed him passionately on the lips before continuing. “You should go check on Bucky. I think he might have had another nightmare.”

All joking disappeared. Steve nodded his head, taking her suggestion seriously.

“Maybe put some clothes on before you do it…” Y/N giggled. “We don’t need to traumatize poor Bucky with our lack of clothes twice in one night.”

Suddenly it hit Steve how concerned his girlfriend was about Bucky, even when his friend hadn’t returned the kindness. Before leaving the bedroom he leaned over Y/N who had already tucked herself back under the covers.

“I love you… you know.” Steve stated softly.

She smiled tiredly at him. “Yes, I know. And I love you too.”

With that, Steve left his bedroom. He was only wearing grey sweatpants, not seeing the point in wearing a t-shirt to go talk to Bucky.

He knocked on the door and Bucky answered almost instantly.

“Hey… you doing okay?” He asked gently. Bucky shrugged. “Another nightmare?”

It took a moment for Bucky to finally admit it with just a nod of his head.

---

Part Two 

I love, love, love hearing from people. Like literally write a book report and i will love you for the rest of time

[hoseokmylovesworld]

Picture of Love | 05

Pairing: Photographer!Hoseok x OC x Producer!Yoongi

Genre/Warnings: Hoseok AU/Yoongi AU/Includes strong language.

Words: 5,080

Summary: Charlotte Galloway is the leader of the up and coming girl band, “She-Bang”, with a side hustle as a photographer for anyone who will hire her.  She meets a fellow professional photographer named Jung Hoseok who helps “She-Bang” realize their dreams and Charlotte to make a love connection along the way.

"Leyah...Leyah wake up." I say into my best friend's ear. She stirs slightly, but does not respond and makes no efforts to listen further. As I suspected. These girls only respond to one thing.

"LEYAH WAKE UP!" I yell still near her ear. She shrinks back at the noise immediately and rolls to the other side of her bed, covering her ears. "Goddammit Char!"

"Come on. You gotta get up so we can go." I shoo the covers away from her only to see her matching tweety bird shorts and tank top pajamas. I snicker.

"It's Friday. We don't have a gig today ass-hat! What the fuck time is it anyway?" She grabs her covers back.

"You know, I love when you call me that." I look off into the distance for dramatic effect, for no one in particular. "But if you must know, night owl, it is 10:09 AM. The girls are getting ready. You're all that's left. Please join us." I say moving closer to her face with my head in the palm of my hands, elbows resting on her bed. She takes one look at me and breaks. She never was able to resist me.

"Ffffffine. Where are we even going?" She rubs the sleep out of her eyes. YES.

"I just made a benji on Patreon and I wanna share it with my girls and congratulate them on their hard work...by taking them out to brunch thank you very much." I smile brightly. J-Hope encouraged me to start sharing my photos on Patreon recently and apparently people really like my work and want to see more.

 "Also I made plans for us all later. Just wear something punk and look cute."  

"Why didn't you just start with that?" She sits up and smiles groggily. I smile back. "I just like to fuck with you." I laugh and boop her nose and back away quickly in case she retaliated. She just rolls her eyes and falls back onto the bed waiting for Carrie to get out of the shower.

Seeing as I am fully dressed and ready to go, I wait on my girls and pass the time by tinkering with my phone.

Though I said I would try not to talk to J-Hope until Saturday, he's continued to text me  everyday of the week since we last spoke...And so I maybe text him back. He's been away in Maine all week for work, but he promised he would be back for our date on Saturday.

I hear a ping and get a notification on my phone. J-Hope texted me.

J-Hope: Hey! Just landed in San Fran. Told you I'd be back in time.*smiley face emoji*

I roll my eyes and smirk playfully. I send him a quick reply and continue to get ready for brunch with the girls. Me: Well thank you for keeping your word.

I text Kyle where were going, because I still haven't made up with Darren, and we're off.

The train ride to the Hollywood Cafe is short and filled with us making fun of people we see on public transportation. We're seated and soon we each are sipping on different flavored mimosas. "So." I say resting my hands on the table in front of me, getting their attention.

"I have brought you guys here and offered to buy you all brunch with my hard earned money, your welcome, to let you guys know how proud I am of you." I watch their amused expressions from my self-praise turn to looks of sincere gratitude. Leyah still wears her near expressionless mask, but her mouth turns up at the corner slightly and I can tell she's feeling my speech as much as the other girls. I raise my mimosa into the air and the girls follow suit.

"I know how hard you girls have worked and after two years I know that you deserve every good thing that comes your way-"

"Oh my gawd! Why are you doing this?! You told me to get cute and now your making me cry?! What the fuck Char?" Carrie gripes across form me. Vicky chuckles and rubbed her arm in comfort. "Don't touch me, I'm emotional!" She shoos her hand away causing all of us to burst out in laughter at her expense and draw attention to ourselves with our volume.

"I'm sorry Carrie, but my speech has already been prepared, I must finish it." She nods. "If you must." She sniffles, grabbing a napkin. Poor baby, she always was the most emotional one of the group.

"We have been through some shit separately and together, but we were there for each other...you guys were there for me..." I hear my voice crack a bit and I stop. I am taken back to when I met my best friends at a club in L. A. when I was at my lowest. Damn, I didn't expect myself to get this sentimental too.

Leyah reaches over and squeezes my thigh encouragingly, eyebrows furrowed. I clear my throat and continue. "And I just want to say...I love you guys so much...Thank you." We finally clink our glasses, the girls and I say "Cheers." in unison.

The food comes and we enjoy some small talk and breakfast food before I share my other news with them. "So guys, that photographer you all met contacted me early this morning-"

"Is that why you were up so early?" Leyah dragged out. "Yes, now hush. He agreed to meet with us today and seeing as he's only in town for a limited time, he wants to take some test shots in the Trans-america Redwood Park." I say with a hopeful smile.

"Nice one Char. I'm guessing that's why you told us to 'look cute'." Vicky says using air quotes.

"Why, yes it is." I sing, getting more excited by the second.

"Yeah, well my cute is heels. That trip is no walk in the park if you know what I mean and you're wearing flats."  Vicky points out. It's true there is a bit of a walk before and after the train ride, but I figured my girls could do this for us.

"Oh come on. It's nothing we can't handle. Look we have like two hours before we have to be there we'll jus-"

"How about we just call Darren and Kyle and tell them to bring the ca-"

"No!" I get shocked and confused glances from each of the girls at my outbursts, I sigh once and spit out an excuse. "It's just that...well they're probably sleeping and we wouldn't want to disturb them." I say almost in the form of a question.

"Char it's twelve o'clock and Kyle is an early bird anyway, we can-"

"We can do this ourselves. We don't need them for everything." I spit the last part out aggressively. The girls eyes are still wide and full of curiosity.

"...Are you in ex-boyfriend mode again?...Do you need a hug?" Carrie whispers the last part, quite seriously, causing me to smirk. "No Carrie, I am fine, thank you for asking." Carrie just nods still keeping a watchful eye on me, while Leyah's eyes become more suspicious than anything.

"Or better yet...Did you two have a fight? You and Darren I mean." Her face finally showing some interest for her best guy friend. I shrug nonchalantly, trying to play it cool. "I wouldn't call it a fight. We had...a disagreement."

"Otherwise known as a fight." Leyah adds flatly.

"Okay we had a spat. It was no big deal. I will talk to him and get everything straightened out soon. That good with you?" I announce with wide, defensively eyes.

"You don't have to prove anything to me Char. You know that." Leyah loses interest and stares back at her pancakes. I wish Darren saw it that way.

"Yes...I do." I look down guiltily. I pay for our food and convince the girls to take this train to the park. "Come on girls, it'll be fun. Like our own little road trip!"

"You don't wear heels on road trips."

"Vicky I swear to God-"

"I'm sorry! My feet hurt. I swear the next time you say 'I have a surprise' I'm staying the fuck in bed." Everyone starts to laugh at Vicky's pain. "I don't know what the fucks so funny." she grumbles from the back of our group.

We arrive at the park. I lead the girls to the meeting spot Mr. Bernard told me about, the main fountain in the center of the park. As we approach we can see a middle aged man with dark brown, graying hair standing near the fountain. "That's him." Leyah says next to me. He's wearing a baby blue button up shirt, a gray V-neck sweater and gray slacks and of course a high tech camera hanging from his neck. Basically he looks like a hot dad out of a Home Goods magazine. Nice.

"Mr. Bernard." I say as I approach, putting on my best communications voice.

"Ms. Galloway?" He looks up and goes to shake my hand. "Yes. Just call me Char though. You've met the girls." I shake his hand and gesture to my crew. They wave.

"Yes, hello again." He smiles. Nice so far.

"So let's talk about how we're going to do this. Yeah?" We sit on two benches that are conveniently next to each other and curved inward. "So what is your brand?" What?

"Our brand?" I ask him and then turn to the girls for help. They are no help. "Yes. What are you about?" He elaborates. OH! Why didn't he just say that?

"Oh! Well we're a punk rock girl band. We sometime make pop rock music as well." I give a sweet close mouthed smile. Mr. Bernard makes a face that suggests he's been caught off guard. "Oh...I didn't see that at the blues hall two days ago." he sneers as if he's been mislead.

Well then.

"We're sorry if you got the wrong idea, we had to change our style a little but we are a punk band." I smile trying to give this man the benefit of the doubt for our bands sake.

"Well alright." He looks down in thought. "Um...what is your collective aesthetic?"

"You're lookin' at it." I say proudly. He studies each of us, eyebrows and unimpressed. "I see."

Who the fuck does this dude think he is?

I send my members an 'are you kidding me?' expression when Mr. Bernard's head is turned and they return the gesture. "Oh well..."

Oh well?!

"Uhhh...The fan-base! How broad is your fan-base?" Is he asking us how successful we are?

"I don't see what that has to do with these photos..." My friendly smile falling.

"Oh well it'll let me know what kind of audience I'm dealing with and how to go about the aesthetics if we were to continue and come to an agreement."

This old head is so full of shit I can smell it on his breath.

"We have at least three hundred people come to our sets, we have over one million Twitter followers and over two million subscribers on Youtube." Why am I entertaining this? Because we need these professional photos. Oh yeah.

Mr. Bernard's face drops considerably once more. "I see..."

If he says 'I see'. One. More. Time.

"Do you even have the money to pay me for my services?" He asks doubtingly.

He. Did. Not. Just-

"You never talked about a price? How much are you asking for?" Leyah thankfully jumped while I simmered down on my own.

"Well I'm a professional so...." Yeah, a professional asshole. "I was expecting a pay of $900 in advance and then we could go from there." He says calmly. My eyes widen and my eyebrows rocket sky high.

"You were actually expecting $900 and then some from a rock band that's just getting their start and lives in a hotel?" I exaggerated.

"Well, yes." He shrugged.

"Well, We're sorry sir, but we don't have that kind of money." Leyah shares indifferently.

Mr. Bernard looks down and sighs while adjusting his sweater. "Well, I'm sorry ladies, but it looks like we won't be doing business together." He gets up and goes to shake my hand. I just look at his hand and then up at him not saying a word.

"Uh-thanks for the opportunity sir." Vicky picks up my slack and even shakes his hand, sending him on his way. I just shake my head back and forth in disbelief. "I'm sorry for dragging you guys here." I say looking down.

"No it was my fault. I set this up." Leyah tries to comfort me. "He approached you Leyah, you were trying to-" "No, I still made this p-"

"It's nobody's fault! You both tried to better the group and that's all that matters." Carrie jumps in. "Yeah guys. We're better off anyway. Let's just go home." Vicky offers.

"You're right. Someone call the guys." I say causing the girls to look at me curiously. "I thought you didn't want us-"

"I know what I said, I just...Just do it please? I'm too bummed out to argue." I rub my forehead out of stress. "Okay then. Just hang tight." Leyah steps away, I assume, to call the boys. Soon enough she is gathering the girls to find Darren and Kyle at a corner of the park. I continue ignore Darren as I  enter the van, but it's not as if I said hi to Kyle either. On the way back to the hotel and trying not to think about how depressed I feel, I get an idea.

"Guys we should go out tonight." Multiple pairs of eyes whip in my direction. "Out where?" Vicky asks already on board with my suggestion it seems. "I don't know, like a club or a bar or something. I just wanna forget about this and have some fun." I explain.

"Are we invited?" I hear Darren from the driver's seat, peering at me through the rear view mirror patronizingly. "Yes." I answer simply, not in the mood for Darren's shit after that performance from Asshole Bernard. "I'm down." Kyle offers.

"Yeah me too. We haven't been out clubbing unless it was for a gig." Vicky adds getting a little excited.  My plan is workiiinnngggg, I sang in my head.

"Yeah, why the hell not?" Leyah shrugs along with Carrie.

"Awesome! Now let's go back to the hotel and get dolled up!" The group laughs at my enthusiasm.

We pull up to the hotel and I fly out of the car, filled with a newfound energy. My mood is no longer ruined because I'm about to go have fun with my girls and I'm inviting a new friend. The girls were so discouraged by that nitwit photographer that I really want to give them some new confidence and I hope J-Hope can help with that. I mean there's hope in his name, he's gotta be good for something right?

While looking for an outfit I text J-Hope. Me: Hey! Do you wanna meet somewhere or are you feeling jet lagged?  

He replies after two minutes or so. J-Hope: No I feel just fine *smiley face* Where do you wanna meet?

Me: The Mezzanine? On Jessie st? My friends and I are having a get together there later tonight around 11.

Me: I know you've probably been to better clubs, but it'll be fun I promise. I write last minute, trying to persuade him further.

J-Hope: Haha, no worries the Mezzanine is great. I'll be there.

My excitement immediately goes through the roof. Me: Oh okay see you there then.

J-Hope: Can't wait  *winky face*  I roll my eyes and continue getting dressed.

      After putting my look together I give one last twirl in the mirror and head out to the family room to pregame with the guys. The group was already taking shots to the head and listening to music, already dressed to go out. I look around to make sure someone is sober enough to drive and all I find is Darren. Not drinking or laughing with the others, but keeping to himself. I slowly approach him.

"So...uh..." I start getting his attention. He looks up at me with interest and then each of us simultaneously looks down when we realize how awkward this encounter is. "So your good to drive...right?" I look up briefly and start to play with my nails. I see him nod from the corner of my eye. "Yeah-uh...yeah I got it. Don't worry." He rubs the back of his neck. "Kaybye." I nod walking over to the girls and take a shot.

Thirty minutes later it's a little before 11 and we're heading out to the club. There's an area for a live band to play and another for the DJ, who's playing now, along with a huge dance floor of people surrounded by tables and booths on the sidelines and a lighted bar that takes up the entire back wall. The place is packed wall to wall with bodies and we struggle to cut through.

Who do I talk to, to get a gig here? There are so many people.

We grab a small, round, tall table with no chairs. Leyah goes to the bar to get our usual drink orders. Soon we're all singing along and dancing to the music. I'm even dancing and talking to Darren like nothing ever happened between us. We retire back to the table and the girls tell Darren and Kyle about why we're even here.

"Wait! So he just said 'fuck ya'll and left?'" Darren iterates, in disbelief making me laugh. "Uhh, not in so many words." I say. "That's still fucked up." Darren shakes his head and sips his drink. "Yeah that wasn't right." Kyle throws his two cents in. "You're telling us." Carrie drones as I get a text.

J-Hope: I'm here. Meet me outside? I smile at the screen and turn my attention to my friends. "Guys! I'm gonna step out, I'll be right back!" I yell over the music and head out to find J-Hope. I find him just outside the transparent door of the club turned away from me and I begin to panic.

Oh god. I haven't seen this guy in a week, how the fuck do I approach him? Do I fucking wave like a jackass? Do I hug him? Do I shake his goddamn hand?  Get it together Char, you're an adult!

I continue to walk while I freak out, not knowing how this is going to go. I exit the club and walk towards him. "J-Hope!" I shout as I approach and to my surprise (and delight), J-Hope goes right in for the hug with no hesitation. Leaving me with no room to be awkward. Thank you sweet baby Jesus. "Charlotte!" He shouts back pulling me into his embrace. I'm not mad about it either. I wrap my arms around his shoulders in response and briefly rest my chin on his shoulder while he gives me a quick squeeze. Oop...okay.

"It's good to see you again. I'm glad you could make it." I say with a genuine smile on my face. "Me too. I mean, I didn't expect you to invite me out before our date tomorrow, but I'm glad you did." He smiles that smile that rivals the sun and I have to tear my eyes away from him in order to lead him to the entrance. "Uh-okay, let's go inside yeah?" He nods and pays the bouncer the club fee and I lead him to my friends who are still talking about the whole photographer thing.

"I'm just sayin', ya'll shoulda called me. I woulda handled 'em!" Darren boasts as we approach the table. The rest of the crew laughs at his words even though we all know he's not joking. His face falls as he notices the stranger walking next to me, the rest of the crew does the same as we get closer. "Guys. This is my friend J-Hope." I say lightheartedly hoping no one chops off my head for bringing an outsider here to our crew's night out.

"Hi everyone." J-Hope waves in my crew's general direction. He fucking waved. How cute is that?

The crew gives blank faces with raised eyebrows and I'm debating whether I should just play this off as a joke and throw J-Hope into the crowd of people behind us, but Carrie speaks up. "Hi, I'm Carrie." She smiles. Thank fuck. The rest of the group starts to introduce themselves except for, of course, Darren who is just sipping away on his pussy ass fruity drink and glaring at J-Hope. This guy.

"So what are you guys talkin' about?" J-Hope asks after getting comfortable and receiving his drink. "This photographer ripped us off and said he would take pictures for our website and get some concept photos done then he straight up insulted us and split!" Vicky shouts communicating with her hands raised high. Vicky might be a little drunk.

"Wait seriously? That sucks." J-Hope offers. "Yeah, no shit." Darren pouts from across the table. J-Hope's head instantly cocks back at the remark and his concerned face turns to a face that reads 'well shit...', but thankfully he doesn't seem that bothered by it. There's no other way to describe it. Leyah promptly slaps Darren on the back of the head. Hard. I give her a look of thanks from across the table.

I lean to speak in J-Hope's ear. "Just ignore him, I do." He looks at me understandingly and nods. "So, uh..." J-Hope starts to group. "Do you guys still need those pictures done? 'Cause I could help with that...I'm a photographer." Oh shit, it's that easy? I mean my plan tonight was to just straight up ask like the good for nothing little shit that I am. But shit, he's offering right off the bat? What did I do to deserve this?

"You would do that?" I ask in disbelief, subconsciously gripping his forearm that rested on the table. He looks at it and then looks at me as if his body is lagging and struggling to keep up with his brain. "Uhhh..." He goes to clear his throat. "Uh--of course--yeah." He looks down at the table as he speaks. We still got it I guess. *Internal hair flip*

"Dude that would be great-" Vicky starts, but is cut off by Darren. "Wait, who even are you?" He all but accuses. "Darren!?" I try to reel him back, already tired of his shit. Both he and J-Hope ignore me, the rest the crew the just watches helplessly.

"I'm, uh, J-Hope. We kind of did this already...Twice." J-Hope states, getting a little fed up himself, but keeping it together well.

"No. I mean who are you? Aren't you like some amateur or something? And what kind of name is J-Hope anyway?" Darren literally points fingers at J-Hope as he speaks. "It's a nickname, my real name is Jung Ho-seok and no, actually I'm a professional." J-Hope's Korean accent shows as he stands his ground and wears a straight face. Hot.

"Where did you even go to school?" Darren continues, refusing to accept J-Hope for some insane reason. "Uh, ha ha..." J-Hope laughs, most-likely out of irritation. "I went to the New York School of Visual Arts." He answers calmly. Well shit.

"Are you happy?" I ask Darren brazenly, hoping for this conversation to be over.

Darren pauses. "What degree did you get?" He asks J-Hope. Jesus bloody Christ!

"Oh my god, does it matter!?" I shout at Darren. "No Charlotte, it's okay." He rests his hand over mine. At his words the entire crews eyes widen and I wish I knew why, but before I could ask J-Hope was answering another one of Darren's idiotic questions and my eyes are glued to J-Hope's hand on mine.

"I have my Masters in photography and my Master of the Arts degree, working on my Photographic Craftsmen degree." He says confidently. Someone just got cuter. Darren just stays silent and Vicky takes that as a chance to speak again. "Master of the Arts sounds so fancy. Like you're royalty." She seems sincerely amazed. J-Hope laughs, letting down his defensive demeanor. "Uh, not royalty, but it wasn't easy to get."

"So you'll really do this for us?" Leyah cuts in with her solemn disposition. "Well yeah, you guys seem like you could use a break and I'm a professional-"

"A break? How much are you gonna charge us?" Leyah expression perks up in anticipation, as do the rest of the girls. "Well, I wouldn't, essentially." What?

"Wait, no. We can't let you do that." I interject. He turns to me and looks me in the eyes, our hands still connected. "Of course you can. Like I said you all need a break and this step could bring you closer to getting the recognition you deserve." He broke eye contact to look at the rest of the girls. "I'm a professional, I promise they won't be bad." He laughs at his minor joke and Darren obnoxiously laughs as well.

"It's up to you, leader." Leyah directs at me. Okay then. "You got yourself a deal." I smiled at him and he smiled back, the whites of his eyes disappearing with the crinkles in the corners. "I look forward to doing business with you guys." He gives the girls a genuine smile. "I'll work out a photo shoot soon, just let me know what time is good for you ladies." he says getting into his professional mode. "We will." I speak for the girls. "Good, hey Charlotte?" J-Hope leans down to my ear giving me chills down my spine. What a pussy. "Yeah?" He leans down once more, this time closer than before. "Do you wanna dance, maybe?" he says as he gently squeezes my hand on the table.

My eyes immediately widen and I swear to God I forgot to breathe. My heart gave one hard thud and brought me back to reality. "Fuck..." I voice in reaction to my tiny episode. "Is that a no?" J-Hope laughs in my ear. That motherfucker.

"Yes, you idiot. That was a yes." I get in his face in a playful manor. He smirks and says "Lead the way." I turn to my friends. "Guys. We're gonna go dance. Be right back." I shout to them. Carrie and Kyle nod once in acknowledgement. Leyah and Vicky both squint their eyes and give me knowing grins. I grin back and then my eyes land on Darren. His expression is frozen in a scowl with glaring eyes directed at the table. I shrug and lead J-Hope to the crowded dance floor by his hand.

Once there, I continue to hold onto J-Hope's hand and partake in a little two-step. J-Hope does the same. We watch each other, eyes meeting occasionally, resulting in laughter. Soon enough J-Hope is pulling me towards him, spinning me so that my back was to his chest and we proceeded to sway in this position. He runs his finger tips down my arm causing goosebumps to sprout along that area and rests his big hand on my hip. That's how you wanna play?

I make a show of swaying my hips, angling them in his direction and reach up to wrap my hand around J-Hope's neck behind me, forcing his face to come down to my level more. In the midst of my teasing I could swear I heard a moan come from J-Hope. Mission Accomplished. I turn my head to his to see him already looking at me with lust filled eyes. I'm certain I'm returning  a similar look. J-Hope takes this as a signal to lean in and try to kiss me, slightly closing his eyes and I panic a little. 

I let him get close enough for our lips to almost brush before I put my index finger in between. He opens his eyes in shock, surveying my reaction. "You didn't think it was gonna be that easy did you?" I offer teasingly. His shocked expression relaxes into one of understanding. "Of course not." J-Hope laughs. We dance like this for another ten minutes before I decide to head back to table and hear that the band is ready to go. This doesn't surprise me, but I am a little disappointed at the news.

The band plus Darren and Kyle are walking to the van, J-Hope and I following a little behind the group. "Thank you for inviting me out tonight. I wasn't expecting it because of our date, but I had fun." J-Hope shared. "No problem. I'm glad you could come out since you just got back and all." I reply, genuinely happy he could make it. "Oh, well, that was no problem at all...I like spending time with you." I immediately stop focusing on the ground to meet J-Hope's eyes. 

"Thanks...ditto." J-Hope laughs at my reply while I laugh self consciously not knowing what else to do. The crew reached the van in front of us. Leyah, Carrie, Vicky and Kyle yell varying forms of "goodbye" to J-Hope from where they were standing while Darren just hopped into the drivers seat and waited. J-Hope just waves. They start piling in and J-Hope and I stop to say goodbye to each other.

"So I'll pick you up tomorrow at eight?" J-Hope confirms. "Yup. And you'd better not be late." I say waving my finger accusingly in the air at him. He laughs and says "I wouldn't dare. As a matter of fact I'll show up at 7:59. How about that?" He smirks, taking a step closer to me.

"Yeah, okay. We'll see."

"We will." J-Hope doesn't hesitate this time to kiss me on the cheek and I am not complaining.

"Goodnight Charlotte."

"Goodnight J-Hope." I walk to the van as J-Hope watches and as soon as I get in we take off instantly.

"So who the fuck was he and when did you meet?" I hear Vicky chide next to me. Oh sweet baby Jesus.

[howdoyoudothedew]

Long post of SPN story ideas, anyone can use these

Sabriel plus Jess. Sam wasn't one for polyamourus relationships. He was fine with others who were in one, it just wasn't his thing. Then Jess and him meet Gabriel. - He already know Jess is okay with that kinda thing, she's been in two before - She's the one that approaches him, because she knows that he likes him and frankly, she's kinda falling for the short trickster too. 1- Gabriel comes back, and Sam is pissed. He's all fire and fury, ready to haul back and punch the archangel right in the face. He walks with a purpose. A purpose he doesn't fully know, but his body seems to. The rage flowing hot through his blood seems to know what to do. Then he's standing in front of Gabriel. And Gabriel is simply stating up at him, prepared to take anything. Willing to take every hit. And Sam can feel all that anger at Gabriel sacrificing himself for him bleed out of his body. Suddenly he's clutching at Gabriel's shirt and crying into his shoulder, all puffy eyes and snotty nose. "Again. Why? I'm not worth it." "You're worth a thousand deaths." Gabriel just wraps his arms around his shoulders, holds him close, and let's him cry for as long as he needs. 2- Rumpleskultsen sabriel au 3- Sam and Gabriel do meet in Tall Tales and get to know each other... Biblically. Gabriel has a kid before Mystery Spot, where he tries to teach Sam a lesson because he can't loose the idiot. And somehow, during the confrontation, it comes out. 5- Gabe and Balt doing the trombone drive by 6- Gabe and Luce doing the Fuck You Baltimore thing 7- Leaked footage of Gabriel in the Empty: The clip of Mushu trying to wake all the ancestors 8- Jack Winchester secretly adopts a kitten 9- Jess is a hunter, assigned by angels to keep Sam and Dean, vessels of the apocalypse, safe. Her little sister has been tasked with keeping Dean safe while she has Sam. One night her sister breaks into their apartment to tell her that Dean has gone missing. Maybe also include the demon thing I wanted to do with Velvet for Jess? And that's the true reason the demon went with Brady? 10- Loki and Gabriel switch places. 11- "I was your favourite older brother in heaven." "I don't remember that." "What do you mean you don't??" "What I remember is having to ask Lucifer(or Raphael) to --- "So you do remember!" "Not at all." "You petty little fledgling." "I am not a fledgling anymore, Gabriel." "You're acting like one." "That's rich coming from you." 12- What if they unbound Death from Lucifer? Wouldn't he of killed the archangel? 13- Hunter!Jess, Jess/Charlie 14- Castiel runs from the chapel in an arranged marriage, and Dean packs a duffle bag and follows him. 15- Team Free Will walking in on Ro and Gabe Sam, internally: Am I jealous?? Gabe, internally: Is he jealous?? 16- Sabriel where they meet at comicon where Gabe is dressed as pool and Sam as Spidey. People ask for shippy pictures of them together. 17- Established relationship Destiel gangster AU, Cas goes missing 18- A girl hits on Sam and Gabe gets jealous, established relationship, definitely contains angst 19- Sabriel based on the song Photograph, possibly even as a coda for Exodus episode 20- "Sorry I'm late, I was doing stuff." Gabriel sauntered in a few seconds after that, hair ruffled to a mess that looked like he just ran a hand through it to -barely- get it back under control. The top two buttons on his shirt were buttoned into the holes right under the top two holes, the rest of the buttons following suit. His cheeks were flushed, lips red and puffy, and a few dark purple spots graced the bottom of his neck. "I'm stuff," he breathed the words, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. Sam reddened, his skin now the colour of his flannel, and stumbled over words that wouldn't come out. Though a squeak did manage to escape when Gabe smacked him lightly on the ass. 21- It's called 'Promise Me' The summary says: Gabriel really wished Sam wouldn't make him promise something he wouldn't be able to keep. Gabe comes back, Sam does his thing. "Don't ever die on me again." "I promise." Gabriel faces down death. "I'm sorry." "No!" And Sam dies instead. 22- Fic called either 'I need more dreams and less reality' or Give me more dreams, less reality' for angsty Sabriel with dead Gabriel and may or may not contain happy ending where he comes back I just don't know Happy Sabriel with hints of it not being true only for it to be a dream in the end because I'm an ass 24- I have found the one whom my soul loves. SoS 1:4- Destiel 25- Sam flirting + being embarrassed by Dean Season one, Sarah Blake Season one, Tall Talls 26- Dean is born without a soulmark, but when he comes back from the dead the handprint makes a fairly compelling one. 27- All I want is a fanfiction about when Cas is possessed by Lucifer, and for some reason Luci kisses Dean. And it's their (Destiel's) first kiss. The whole time Cas is inside pleading and begging him not to. Dean kisses back. 28- The after math of Litra's Sacrifice. Written solely because I was curious about how it could affect the rest of the story. As the day went on, Sam felt some of the soreness return. It was a pretty minuscule amount, but it made him smile. It helped cement in his brain the fact that last night, all of it, had been completely and utterly real. He wasn't sure why that made him happy. ---- Later when Cas comes back, he has to pause. Something is different about Sam and it doesn't take him long to figure out what. He has a claim on him, one different from the claim of Lucifer's vessel, something stronger and pagan, yet not quite fully pagan. Somehow Sam is lucky enough for Cas to show the tact to not ask abut it in front of Dean. -Changing Channels- Sam felt Loki's presence as soon as they left the car. It made him pause, though it wasn't fully of worry for what would come next. He felt a wave of calm pass over him. (Which confused him, but he didn't tell Dean.) Something in him told him not to tell Dean. He's not sure why he listened to it. -Hotel- "Little brother, laying claim to my vessel? How ambitious of you," Lucifer sneered. "And how very, very stupid." "Oh." Lucifer turned on Dean, "And you've been claimed by Castiel." He returned his gaze to Gabriel, though it was only from the corner of his eye. The confusion radiating from the elder Winchester was much too fun a thing to watch for him to remove his full attention from him. "You and Cas sure had fun while me and Mickey've been gone." 29- Gabe keeps calling Sam more and more ridiculous nicknames, so Sam calls Gabe shortcake (or short stack) - This should be a fanfiction. Called 'Nicknames'. 30- Sabriel and Destiel hanahaki disease- it takes angels a longer time to truly develop it, as their body is constantly healing itself. But when Cas first becomes human, it truly manifests. 31- Soulmate AU colours where Sam knows that Gabe is still alive because he never loses his colours. They fade slightly, but they never go away. Something in him tells him not to tell Dean, not to tell anybody, for the safety of all those involved. - The first time, when the Trickster dies, and Sam still sees colour, he dismisses it. Maybe it's a fluke or something. 32- Don't you go quietly into that good night, Castiel. You fly and you fight that good night, Castiel. Because us on earth need you from that good night, Castiel. 33- Impala, hand on Dean's chest: you rebuilt me. I just about fell apart multiple times, and each time you remade me. (Possible Dean as a parallel to Cas with the Impala being a parallel to Dean) Later: Does that sound familiar? 34- Chuck creates a flower: Amara, Amara! Look, I made this for you! *Chuck hands it to her, and when Amara touches it the flower turns to ash in her hands* Chuck creates ----: Amara, Amara! Look, I made this for you! *It turns to ash in Amara's hands* Chuck creates ----: Amara, look! I made this for you! *It turns to ash in Amara's hands* Chuck creates life: Amara, look. I made this for you. *It turns to ash in Amara's hands* Chuck creates Amara's prison: Amara, I made this for you. -im sorry 35- Sam: Why do you keep stealing my flannel? Gabe: Why'd you steal my jacket? (They keep on asking these questions until one of them says: Well why'd you steal my heart? Pre-slash, getting together, mutual pining?, crack) 36- Sam's Many Hookups Gabe meets up with Sam as different women

[kungfubreakfast]

April Showers

Hello again dear Kung Fu Breakfast readers! Once again I’ve fallen behind on posting but that just means you reap the benefits today with twelve new sets. Before we get in to it on the front of “what’s new”. I got a new car which is amazing and really helps with my various adventures. For those wondering, I got a 2016 Nissan Altima and it’s bomb. My friend is coming up in a few weeks so hopefully May will give way to a few crazy adventures. I’m really excited for all of these sets as this group really represents some of my favorite muses. As I was writing this post I kept referring to each of these women so fondly and I think you will particularly enjoy this month’s new sets. I’m also really happy to debut the Kung Fu Breakfast “Ice Cream Series” logo variations by Tom Maher for springtime! Tom has once again done some amazing work with these colorful new additions to the family that you can see in this rad “Hall of Logo” set.

Up first is a brand new set with everybody’s favorite joker Bangs The Clown aka Nova. Bangs and I had a fun little evening shoot out in Atwater Village where we played around with some beautiful structures. During this time it was raining a lot in LA but we lucked out and found some time in between the drips. Nova is a classically trained dancer in ballet and modern dance from CalArts and I think we did a good job of showing off those skills. Also love the purple variation of her Bangs makeup in this set.

After all the rain LA has been getting we were blessed with a beautiful superbloom of poppies. Two years ago I shot in the superbloom in Antelope Valley with Mandee Leslie but this year’s superbloom first popped up in Lake Elsinore. I knew this would be the perfect place for the return of The Spritely One! Sprite and I really lucked out and were able to avoid all the crowds of people, especially before it reached the record numbers and the city stopped letting people park without taking the $10 shuttle. It was so inspiring to see all of these beautiful wildflowers everywhere and Sprite of course did her magic all over. This was a really next level shoot.

Once again Miss Chaos is back with not one but two new sets. The first one found us traveling to Santa Monica where I honestly haven’t shot in ages. I’m not always the biggest fan of the more travelled spots in LA but sometimes it just feels right and this was one of those nights. Our most fun find was probably shooting in the arcade at the Santa Monica Pier. Definitely a fun night of hanging out and art making.

The next set is very special as it features today’s birthday girl Alondra Excene Shields. I can’t share enough love for shooting with this dynamo. Every time Alondra and I shoot together she really brings the creativity. For this set I thought we would shoot in Alondra’s bedroom. We’ve shot in Alondra’s apartment a few times but never her bedroom and I think it added a real intimacy, especially since we were shooting implied nudes and talking about some heavy subjects. I think we went deep and raw with this set so HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALONDRA!

And of course if you didn’t think I would get in at least one more poppy shoot, you’re crazy. I was very happy to share that second experience with another talented lady, the beautiful and boisterous Nielah. Nielah had the thought to shoot some nudes out in the poppies and I was happy to oblige. Instead of Elsinore though we headed up north to Antelope Valley. This was a very fun shoot (though a bit chilly). Nielah brought this cool vintage typewriter as well as some dope vibes. At one point a police helicopter kept circling us, luckily it was once she had put back on some clothes. Not sure if he was checking out Nielah but it had gotten late in the day and we decided to peace out from our cool adventure.

As promised here is our second of two Miss Chaos sets. This time we visited somewhere I was surprised we had never been together, namely the Old LA Zoo. This was a fun little afternoon jaunt and we got some cute photos for sure. I was very glad that the back ways in to the cages were open. And of course Miss Chaos showed me something I had never seen there before: the birdcages! I don’t know why but I had never gone past the initial cages to see these beautiful structures. Always cool to see something new at a place you’ve been many times.

Up next is my only new muse in all eleven sets and damn is it a good one as I introduce Fox Chalker! Fox and I have been talking about wanting to shoot together for at least a year now so when she came down to visit from Seattle, we jumped on the opportunity. Fox is a really exceptional muse so I wanted to take her to an exceptional place: Switzer Falls. This was easily one of my favorite shoots as we both commented it felt like we already knew each other despite just meeting. Hope to see Fox again soon!

From a fox to a wolf, our next set up is with my homegirl Cindy Clark aka Girlwolf. Cindy’s band Mediocore recently came out with their EP “Scars Make Stars”, which she played for me as we headed out in to one of my favorite places on earth: The Salton Sea. Cindy and I hit up some of my favorite Salton Sea spots including Bombay Beach, East Jesus, and Salvation Mountain. Honestly there’s not much crazy to say about this set that you can’t see in the photos. Some days are just perfect.

After a crazy desert journey I was happy for a night at home and who better to chill with then my homegirl Lina Savanna. I rarely photograph anyone in my home so it was a real treat to get to photograph such a close friend of mine. I think set has a really nice and intimate quality that I’m really happy with and think you will enjoy.

I honestly can’t remember the last time I was as excited for a return as that of Sina Flowi Powi. If you remember, Sina and I last shot back in 2017 when she was visiting from her home of Hanover, Germany. Sina spent years in Lake Elsinore, CA as an exchange student and was back visiting when we first met. I was one of the first photographers Sina shot with and now she’s been doing all of this amazing modeling. For our shoot we headed out to the mountains outside of Lake Elsinore on just such a breathtaking day. Sina is one of my favorite human beings and is back visiting for a few months so definitely expect a few new sets together. We actually one more new one but since this was one was so special I wanted to hold off posting the second set until my next post.

One good return deserves another. For our last set I want to welcome back Stephanie Monty. Stephanie moved to Dallas, Texas not too long ago and was back supporting an art project of hers. Stephanie is a really good friend of mine and I was so happy not only to host her for a few nights while she was here but to share in an adventure day of shooting. To get a little heavy for a moment, the project Stephanie was supporting had to do with a sexual assault situation she went through and I really glad to help support her in any way that I could. Please check out Stephanie’s project, continue to support her, and remember that consent is everything. We need to treat each life with compassion, dignity, and respect.

[nofomoartworld]

Hyperallergic: Your Concise New York Art Guide for Fall 2017

Soda_Jerk, still from “Astro Black: We are the Robots” (2010), two-channel video installation with four episodes, 25:24 min (image courtesy apexart)

Overwhelmed by all the art to see this fall? Us too. To make it all slightly more manageable, we’ve compiled a list of fun, insightful, and very New York art exhibitions and events in our yearly fall guide. In addition to perusing this online version, you can look out for print copies of our guide in bookstores, coffee shops, galleries, museums, and nonprofit art spaces around the city.

*   *  *

September

Sanford Biggers: Selah

When: September 7–October 21 Where: Boesky East (507 W 24th Street, Chelsea, Manhattan)

Whether working in textile, video, sculpture, or performance, Sanford Biggers unflinchingly tackles issues of race and representation in American culture. The centerpiece of this show, “Seated Warrior,” continues his series of bronze sculptures based on traditional African statues, which he collects and then dips in wax or pierces with gunshots. It will be framed by textile works assembled from fragments of antique quilts.

Fellow Travelers

When: September 7–October 21 Where: apexart (291 Church Street, Tribeca, Manhattan)

Space is the place — where we stage allegories of earthly drama. This exhibition, curated by Katherine Rochester, gathers works by seven artists and collectives that project humans onto sci-fi frontiers in order to imagine solutions for seemingly unsolvable problems. Some of the astronauts are interstellar refugees in search of new home bases; others are defiant occupiers who refuse to leave their beloved planets.

Vaginal Davis & Louise Nevelson: Chimera

When: September 8–October 22 Where: Invisible-Exports (89 Eldridge Street, Lower East Side, Manhattan)

Vaginal Davis met Louise Nevelson at a party in the 1980s; the theme was “come as your favorite dead artist.” “I came as Frida Kahlo with mono brow mustache and instead of a monkey in my hair I used a Cabbage Patch doll,” Davis recalls. “No one, including Andy Warhol, knew who I was except the divine Ms. Nevelson—who raved over me.” This exhibition pairs Davis’s paintings executed with makeup and beauty products with two all-black assemblages by Nevelson.

“Jeweled Cover of the Lindau Gospels” (ca. 875), France, manuscript on vellum, gold repoussé, crucifixion and 10 mourning figures, including personifications of the sun and moon; workshop of Charles the Bald, grandson of Charlemagne; on the Lindau Gospels, in Latin; Switzerland, Abbey of St. Gall, between 880 and 899 (purchased by J. Pierpont Morgan, 1901; MS M.1, front cover, © the Morgan Library & Museum, photo by Graham S. Haber)

Magnificent Gems: Medieval Treasure Bindings

When: September 8, 2017–January 7, 2018 Where: Morgan Library & Museum (225 Madison Avenue, Midtown East, Manhattan)

Today, books are a luxury because reading them feels like a rare activity; in the Middle Ages, luxury meant diamonds and sapphires encrusted in your book covers. Some of the glorious few that survive are owned by the Morgan Library, which will display them alongside illuminated manuscripts. The exhibition will connect the treasure bindings to their wealthy patrons and religious contexts, and highlight one of the world’s most impressive examples, the 9th-century Lindau Gospels.

Azikiwe Mohammed: Jimmy’s Thrift of New Davonhaime

When: September 9–October 29 Where: Knockdown Center (52-19 Flushing Avenue, Maspeth, Queens)

Thrift stores offer a glimpse of strangers’ lifestyles, tastes, and pasts. Azikiwe Mohammed portrays the thrift store as a kind of memory bank in Jimmy’s Thrift, which is set in a made-up location, New Davonhaime—a mash-up of the names of the most densely populated black cities in the US. Filled with objects both found and made by the artist, this installation honoring African American lives will grow as visitors contribute to photo albums and record their memories.

McDermott & McGough: The Oscar Wilde Temple

When: September 11–December 2 Where: The Church of the Village (201 W 13th Street, West Village, Manhattan)

Artists Davis McDermott and Peter McGough are building a temple to Oscar Wilde in an unlikely but somehow perfect setting: the Church of the Village. The installation, which includes an altar constructed around a four-foot-tall sculpture of Wilde, will celebrate the writer’s courage in refusing to conceal his homosexuality — and going to prison for it. Two decades in the making, the work will focus on Wilde’s visit to the US in 1882–83, using Catholic iconography as an inspiration.

Alighiero Boetti, “Mappa” (Map, 1988), embroidery on linen on stretcher, 121 x 221 x 3 cm / 47 5/8 x 87 x 1 1/8 in (© 2017 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SIAE, Rome; courtesy Kunstmuseum Basel and Sammlung Goetz, München; photo by Wilfried Petzi, Munich)

Arte Povera

When: September 12–October 28 Where: Hauser & Wirth (548 W 22nd Street, Chelsea, Manhattan)

Arte Povera is having a moment. First came Magazzino, a private museum that opened with a show devoted to a champion of the movement; now Hauser & Wirth is giving over its Chelsea space to Ingvild Goetz, a longtime Arte Povera collector. Maybe it’s because the movement, which was anti-commercial and advocated the use of everyday materials in art, emerged during a time of radical political upheaval in Italy — conditions not so unlike our own in the US today.

Ruth Asawa in her studio in 1957 (photo by Imogen Cunningham, © 2017 Imogen Cunningham Trust, courtesy David Zwirner, New York/London)

Ruth Asawa

When: September 13–October 21 Where: David Zwirner (537 W 20th Street, Chelsea, Manhattan)

Ruth Asawa was one of the 120,000 Japanese Americans interned following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Living in a camp with her family between 1942–43, she turned to art, which she continued to pursue for the rest of her life, including enrolling in Black Mountain College. This exhibition gathers her net-like sculptures, paintings, and drawings, as well as photos of her and her work taken by Imogen Cunningham.

Adrian Piper

When: September 14–October 21 Where: Lévy Gorvy (909 Madison Avenue, Upper East Side, Manhattan)

In this exhibition, the rigorously inquisitive artist Adrian Piper will show “Here,” first conceived in 2008 but executed for the first time, well, here. It consists of three phrases engraved in three languages as a reminder that words aren’t neutral. Alongside it will be The Mythic Being (1973–75), for which Piper took on the persona of a macho man from a blaxploitation film, and “It’s Just Art” (1980), which questions our anesthetization to human suffering.

Sonic Arcade: Shaping Space with Sound

When: September 14, 2017–February 25, 2018 Where: Museum of Arts and Design (2 Columbus Circle, Columbus Circle, Manhattan)

Sound may be invisible and ephemeral, but it’s also palpable and physical. This exhibition explores sound’s “material” qualities: how it travels via waves, is conducted through wires, and bounces off other objects. Visual artists, performers, and designers, including Studio PSK, Make Noise, and others, have created interactive environments to induce visitors to reflect on how their bodies respond to sound.

Rodin at The Met

When: September 16, 2017–January 15, 2018 Where: Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, Manhattan)

Auguste Rodin, “Orpheus and Eurydice” (modeled probably before 1887, carved 1893), overall 48 3/4 × 31 1/8 × 25 3/8 in. (image courtesy the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Thomas F. Ryan, 1910)

So you think you know Auguste Rodin? The French artist was much more versatile than “The Thinker” or his imposing portrait of Balzac. This exhibition of almost 50 works in bronze, marble, terracotta, and plaster — all drawn from the Met’s holdings — brings together some of his greatest hits and some obscure chef d’oeuvres. A selection of paintings by Rodin’s contemporaries, including Pierre Puvis de Chavannes and Claude Monet, complements the array.

Never Built New York

When: September 17, 2017–February 18, 2018 Where: Queens Museum (New York City Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Corona, Queens)

We take most of New York’s landmarks for granted, but they weren’t fated to look the way they do; things could have been different. Greg Goldin and Sam Lubell explore the city’s unrealized histories in Never Built New York, which began as a book and continues as an exhibition. Models, prints, drawings, and other objects offer a glimpse of these forgotten visions, like a National American Indian Memorial in New York Harbor or a Buckminster Fuller dome over Manhattan.

Generation Wealth by Lauren Greenfield

When: September 20, 2017–January 7, 2018 Where: ICP Museum (250 Bowery, Lower East Side, Manhattan)

Versace bags, golf clubs, flutes of champagne, and $100 bills — these are some of the accessories you’ll spot in Lauren Greenfield’s photographs of the ultra-rich. Since the late 1990s, Greenfield has documented wealthy (and highly unsustainable) lifestyles, interviewing the people she meets along the way. Nearly 200 of these photographs will be on display at ICP, along with film footage and quotes from her subjects, whose backgrounds range from banking to fashion.

Printed Matter’s NY Art Book Fair

When: September 22–24 Where: MoMA PS1 (22-25 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, Queens)

Events devoted to independent publishing are a dime a dozen these days, but Printed Matter’s NY Art Book Fair was one of the first of this new wave. Going strong in its 12th year, the fair will once again pack MoMA PS1 with established indie presses, artists selling stapled zines, galleries hawking limited editions, and much more. The beauty of the fair is that it truly has something for everyone, whether a rare 1950s mag, a monograph on your favorite artist, or a surprise.

Bushwick Open Studios

When: September 22–24 Where: Various locations (Bushwick, Brooklyn)

Last year, New York City’s biggest open studios event shifted from early summer to early fall and felt a lot less like an industrial chic bar hop. This year, it’s happening slightly earlier, which will hopefully mean studio-goers can catch some lingering summer warmth as they traipse from East Williamsburg to north Bed-Stuy, south Ridgewood, and many points in between points. Be sure to pack snacks and plan strategic caffeine stops as you choose between hundreds of studios.

Louise Bourgeois: An Unfolding Portrait

When: September 24, 2017–January 28, 2018 Where: Museum of Modern Art (11 W 53rd Street, Midtown West, Manhattan)

Beloved for her spider sculptures and enigmatic cell installations, Louise Bourgeois also produced a vast body of works on paper. Her prints and books, many of which are in MoMA’s collection, often revolve around the same symbols and images as her sculptural works, from mother figures to the body. With a focus on printed material, this show comprises roughly 220 works, some of which will be displayed in a special installation in the museum’s atrium.

Christina Quarles, “Butt Hidden in Lacy Groves (Hell Must Be a Pretty Place, Fire n’ Brimestone Allright…)” (2017), acrylic on canvas, 50 × 40 in (image courtesy the artist and David Castillo Gallery, Miami)

Trigger: Gender as a Tool and a Weapon

When: September 27, 2017–January 21, 2018 Where: New Museum (235 Bowery, Lower East Side, Manhattan)

This group show aims to complicate the terms we use to discuss gender, via the work of more than 40 artists who examine at it in concert with issues of sexuality, race, class, and ability. Their tactics take many forms, from artists who rework archival materials, like Mickalene Thomas, to others who embrace media formerly dismissed as craft, like Diamond Stingily—whose commissioned braided sculpture will snake from the lobby all the way up to the fourth floor.

José Leonilson: Empty Man

When: September 27, 2017–February 3, 2018 Where: Americas Society (680 Park Avenue, Upper East Side, Manhattan)

This is the first US solo exhibition for José Leonilson Bezerra Dias, a Brazilian artist who returned to painting in the 1980s, during the last years of the dictatorship. The show will display around 50 of his bright, figurative paintings and drawings, as well as the embroideries he made toward the end of his life, when he was diagnosed with AIDS. Those works in particular are deeply personal, exploring his gay sexuality, Catholic upbringing, and illness.

October

Art and China after 1989: Theater of the World

When: October 6, 2017–January 7, 2018 Where: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (1071 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, Manhattan)

This major exhibition focuses on two decades — 1989 to 2008 — that the Guggenheim calls “arguably the most transformative period of modern Chinese and recent world history.” That may sound lofty, but the show aims high, seeking to reposition Chinese art as essential to what we consider contemporary (an inevitably Eurocentric premise). Taking over most of the museum, it features some 150 works, including Huang Yong Ping’s cage full of reptiles and insects that will eat each other.

Alberto Savinio

When: October 6, 2017–June 23, 2018 Where: Center for Italian Modern Art (421 Broome Street, Soho, Manhattan)

Alberto Savinio, “L’annunciazione (The Annunciation)” (1932) (Private Collection, © 2017 Artists Rights Society (ARS) / SIAE, Rome)

Alberto Savinio is not a familiar name outside of Italy, but at home he enjoys the reputation of a Renaissance man and painter of surrealist scenes. The younger brother of Giorgio de Chirico, Savinio was greatly influenced by the Parisian avant-garde art scene of the late 1920s, which is the period this exhibition focuses on. Twenty-five of his paintings will be complemented by sculptures by Louise Bourgeois, who similarly probed childhood and familial memories.

Barbara Hammer: Evidentiary Bodies

When: October 7, 2017–January 28, 2018 Where: Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art (26 Wooster Street, Soho, Manhattan)

Barbara Hammer, an artist who’s been portraying lesbian life and sexuality since the 1970s, has directed more than 80 films. This exhibition will cull both known and previously unseen ones, as well as her works in other media and objects from her archive. From performance art to documentaries on queer women, including Elizabeth Bishop and Hannah Höch, Hammer has a gift for intimate, nuanced, and visually striking storytelling.

Self Storage

When: October 7– 28 Where: Various storage facilities (Long Island City, Queens)

In New York City, having access to storage seems relegated to subway ads rather than lived experience. Flux Factory is drawing attention to this conundrum by accepting the “first month free” promotional offers of various storage facilities in Long Island City and offering them as temporary gallery spaces to artists and organizations. The resulting mini-shows will aptly revolve around “gentrification, consumption, community, resilience, displacement — and storage.”

Modernism on the Ganges: Raghubir Singh Photographs

When: October 11, 2017–January 2, 2018 Where: Met Breuer (945 Madison Avenue, Upper East Side, Manhattan)

From his beginnings as a photojournalist in the 1960s, Raghubir Singh’s eye was always focused on the streets of India. His photos have the fragmented energy of collages, enhanced by the color slide film he used. This survey will illustrate the artist’s assertion that his work was “on the Ganges side of modernism” and pair his photos with the miniature paintings of the Mughal period that inspired him.

Jane Schneiderman holds a sign reading “Are Politics Dirty? Then Call in the Cleaning Woman” at a parade on Fifth Avenue, November 1, 1915 (image courtesy the Museum of the City of New York)

Beyond Suffrage: 100 Years of Women & Politics in New York

When: October 11, 2017–Summer 2018 Where: Museum of the City of New York (1220 Fifth Avenue, East Harlem, Manhattan)

In 1917, women in New York state gained the right to vote—three years before the passage of the 19th Amendment. This exhibition marks the centennial of that victory by spotlighting the women who’ve shaped New York City’s politics. Beginning with the battle for suffrage and moving through 20th- and 21st-century struggles, the show will use artifacts, documents, clothing, and multimedia materials to tell the ongoing story of women’s political activism.

Ai Weiwei: Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

When: October 12, 2017–February 11, 2018 Where: Various locations (New York City)

Using a fence as a symbol for division and the migration crisis isn’t the most imaginative choice, but what Ai Weiwei sometimes lacks in creative thinking he makes up for in aesthetic execution and scale. For this project, the artist will install fences in roughly 300 spots around New York City. All will be site-specific variations on the standard metal wire security fence, making them both attuned to their locations and purposefully out of place.

Judith Bernstein, “Seal of Disbelief” (2017), mixed media on paper, 96 x 96 inches (image courtesy the artist)

Judith Bernstein: Cabinet of Horrors

When: October 13, 2017–February 4, 2018 Where: Drawing Center (35 Wooster Street, Soho, Manhattan)

If there’s any artist whose tone and aesthetic are perfectly suited to the cycles of political outrage and shame in which we’re currently trapped, it’s Judith Bernstein, the sketcher of suggestive screws and exploding anatomies. This show marries a body of work made in response to the Trump presidency — including four large murals and free campaign pins — with a group of apt allegorical drawings from 1995.

Open House New York

When: October 14–15 Where: Various locations (New York City)

Is there a fascinating but off-limits New York City site you’ve been dying to visit for years? This is your weekend to make it happen, although you should make reservations the second they’re available, as popular destinations reach capacity quickly. From glitzy locales like the abandoned City Hall subway station to grimier facilities like the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant and the East Harlem Trash Museum, there’s something for every taste in every borough.

Hiroshi Sugimoto: Gates of Paradise

When: October 20, 2017–January 7, 2018 Where: Japan Society (333 E 47th Street, Midtown East, Manhattan)

In the late 16th century, four Japanese boys were sent to Europe for eight years to learn about Western Christianity. Considered one of the earliest exchanges between Japan and the West, this story is the inspiration for Hiroshi Sugimoto’s new black-and-white photographs, which document sites the boys visited, from the Tower of Pisa to papal courts. The images will be paired with traditional Japanese artworks to illustrate the convergence of two worlds.

Roots of “The Dinner Party”: History in the Making

When: October 20, 2017–March 4, 2018 Where: Brooklyn Museum (200 Eastern Parkway, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn)

If you’ve ever visited the Brooklyn Museum, chances are you’ve stopped by the Sackler Center for Feminist Art, where a dark gallery houses a triangular table elaborately set for 39 guests: Judy Chicago’s “The Dinner Party” (1974–79), an iconic work of feminist art. This exhibition will delve into the making of it, tracking Chicago’s research and creation process through notebooks, preparatory drawings, test plates, and more. One for the art history nerds.

Gowanus Open Studios

When: October 21–22 Where: Various locations (Gowanus, Brooklyn)

Every fall, Gowanus Open Studios brings droves of adventurous art-lovers to the typically desolate blocks adjacent to the toxic canal to explore hundreds of studios. And whereas Bushwick can feel more like a social scene built around art rather than an area where working artists make a living, the professionalism and eclecticism of the Gowanus community are consistently impressive.

Carolee Schneemann, “Eye Body: 36 Transformative Actions for Camera” (1963), 18 gelatin silver prints, 24 x 20 inches each (the Museum of Modern Art, New York, gift of the artist, © 2017 Carolee Schneemann)

Carolee Schneemann: Kinetic Painting

When: October 22, 2017–March 11, 2018 Where: MoMA PS1 (22-25 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, Queens)

If you were seeking a sign that sexism is alive and well, look no further than the fact that Carolee Schneemann is only now having her first comprehensive retrospective. At 77, Schneemann is still known largely for her landmark performance “Interior Scroll” (1975), but has been making unabashedly feminist work for decades. This show will ground her oeuvre in painting, even as it traces her development in assemblage, performance, and film.

The Sculpture of Gonzalo Fonseca

When: October 25, 2017–February 12, 2018 Where: Noguchi Museum (9-01 33rd Road, Astoria, Queens)

The stone works of Uruguayan sculptor Gonzalo Fonseca look like mini-buildings, archaeological remnants, or toys. Fonseca, who trained under modernist Joaquin Torres-Garcia in the 1940s, saw abstraction as a universal language and was fascinated by Pre-Columbian ruins. This exhibition celebrates his friendship with Noguchi later in life, and includes around 40 objects, from Fonseca’s geometric fountains to his sketchbooks.

November

Françoise Grossen

When: November 2–December 23 Where: Blum & Poe (19 E 66th Street, Upper East Side, Manhattan)

Two years after giving the Swiss-born, New York–based artist her first US survey, Blum & Poe is unspooling more of Françoise Grossen’s startling rope sculptures from the 1960s onward, some of which she recently modified. The abstract but evocative works — formed from thick Manila, cotton, linen, and polyester rope — either hang from the walls or lie on the floor, suggesting human forms at rest or strange animals preparing to pounce.

Jimmie Durham: At the Center of the World

When: November 3, 2017–January 28, 2018 Where: Whitney Museum of American Art (99 Gansevoort Street, Meatpacking District, Manhattan)

As it arrives in New York, this retrospective carries with it major controversy over Jimmie Durham’s identity: the artist claims to be Cherokee but is not recognized by any of the Cherokee nations. The questions at the heart of the debate are essential ones: When does appropriation go too far? What are the responsibilities of art institutions? Whose voices are valued? New Yorkers will have the chance to see the show and grapple it in person this fall.

Gordon Matta-Clark and Gerry Hovagimyan working on Conical Intersect (1975) (photo by Harry Gruyaert, © 2017 Estate of Gordon Matta-Clark / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York and David Zwirner, New York)

Gordon Matta-Clark: Anarchitect

When: November 8, 2017–April 8, 2018 Where: Bronx Museum (1040 Grand Concourse, Concourse, the Bronx)

In the 1970s, Gordon Matta-Clark ventured into abandoned tenements in the Bronx and made cuts in the floors, creating disorienting spaces. These acts, which were documented in photographs, led him to carve up other deteriorating buildings in the city. It’s only appropriate, then, that this exhibition take place in the borough that greatly informed his political art. Highlights include his hand-painted photos of graffiti and rare materials from his archive.

Nina Chanel Abney

When: November 9–December 20 Where: Jack Shainman Gallery (513 W 20th Street, Chelsea, Manhattan)

Nina Chanel Abney’s paintings are sort of like puzzles: jam-packed with figures, shapes, and symbols and difficult to decipher. Her themes are clear — racism, the frenetic pace of 21st-century life — but Abney’s approach is never didactic. Instead, she organizes her canvases to appear chaotic and often comedic, yet they’re always controlled. Her first solo show at Jack Shainman Gallery will feature new works in her trademark style.

Transformer: Native Art in Light and Sound

When: November 10, 2017–January 6, 2019 Where: National Museum of the American Indian (1 Bowling Green, Financial District, Manhattan)

While contemporary Native art practices are often characterized in terms of their traditional antecedents, the 10 artists featured here explore indigenous issues via new media. Through video projections, sound art, digital installations, and more, the artists — including Raven Chacon (Diné), Marcella Ernest (Ojibwe), Nicholas Galanin (Tlingit), and Keli Mashburn (Osage) — offer a view of the plurality of Native American experiences in the 21st century.

Doreen Garner and Kenya (Robinson): White Man On a Pedestal (WMOAP)

When: November 10–December 17 Where: Pioneer Works (159 Pioneer Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn)

Doreen Garner and Kenya (Robinson), “Dr. James Marion Sims,” White Man On a Pedestal, Pioneer Works (2017) (image © Allyson Lupovich)

In this show, Doreen Garner and Kenya (Robinson) will dissect the dominant figure for much of Western history: the straight, white male. Through her research on Dr. J. Marion Sims, the “father of modern gynecology,” Garner gives form to the exploitation of black women’s bodies in the name of science. (Robinson) will turn a sculpture of a white-collar white dude she’s been carrying in her pocket since 2013 into an army of 10,000 figures she plans to bury at the show’s end.

Michelangelo: Divine Draftsman and Designer

When: November 13, 2017–February 12, 2018 Where: Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, Manhattan)

Of the four Renaissance masters who went on to become Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, none wields quite as much ass-kicking art-historical might as Michelangelo. Yet at the core of his delicate “David,” complex Sistine Chapel frescoes, and exquisite “Piéta” are the same refined draughtsmanship and sharp design. This exhibition’s 150 drawings, three marble sculptures, wooden architectural model, and very first painting by Michelangelo aim to give a fuller sense of his foundations.

Erwin Redl: Whiteout

When: November 13, 2017–April 15, 2018 Where: Madison Square Park (between Fifth & Madison Avenues, E 23rd & 26th Streets, Flatiron District, Manhattan)

One of the joys of winter in New York is when the parks are blanketed in luminous snow, which often melts away too quickly. Erwin Redl’s installation in Madison Square Park might seemingly prolong this experience. The artist, who generally works on the façades of buildings, will install hundreds of spheres filled with white LED lights over the park’s Oval Lawn so that they float and sway in the wind.

Obdurate Space: Architecture of Donald Judd

When: November 14, 2017–March 5, 2018 Where: Center for Architecture (536 LaGuardia Place, Greenwich Village, Manhattan)

For those who have visited Donald Judd’s home, it’s clear the man had opinions about architecture and space. In addition to designing monumental minimalist sculpture, he also developed architectural projects and proposals, some of which were never published. This exhibition will share five of the designs he created between 1984 and 1994, including his proposal for a downtown lakefront in Cleveland and his concrete structures at Marfa, Texas.

Edvard Munch: Between the Clock and the Bed

When: November 15, 2017–February 4, 2018 Where: Met Breuer (945 Madison Avenue, Upper East Side, Manhattan)

This ambitious exhibition attempts to reassess Edvard Munch’s oeuvre through the lens of one of his haunting late paintings, “Self-Portrait: Between the Clock and the Bed” (1940–43). The show includes 16 works that haven’t been seen in the US before, alongside dozens of others, all arranged thematically. The goal is to demonstrate that Munch was as essential to art in the 20th century as he was in the 19th, when he first painted “The Scream” (which, notably, is not in the show).

The Estate of General Idea

When: November 30, 2017–January 13, 2018 Where: Mitchell-Innes & Nash (534 W 26th Street, Chelsea, Manhattan)

We’re pretty excited about this one, as it’s General Idea’s first solo show in New York City since an exhibition at MoMA in 1996. Founded by AA Bronson, Felix Partz, and Jorge Zontal in Toronto in 1969, the collective has consistently tackled taboo subjects, especially pertaining to sexuality. This exhibition will focus on the group’s tamer but still visually grabbing Ziggurat Paintings, which were made between 1968–86 and play with the ancient Mesopotamian form.

December

Shinji Murakami, “Sunset” (in collaboration with Rachel Monosov and CTG Collective) (2017), LED, two-way mirror, computer, digital animated image, aluminium, metal frame and electric (© Catinca Tabacaru Gallery)

Shinji Murakami

When: December 8, 2017–January 14, 2018 Where: Catinca Tabacaru Gallery (250 Broome Street, Lower East Side, Manhattan)

Chances are you know about the Nintendo Game Boy but not its inventor, Gunpei Yokoi. The artist Shinji Murakami uses Yokoi’s video game designs as inspiration, particularly the latter’s belief that playfulness and fun are more important than sophisticated technology. Be prepared to be enveloped by Murakami’s pixelated, LED world, which has its roots in 1990s game culture.

Endless Editions

When: December 15, 2017–January 28, 2018 Where: Cuchifritos Gallery + Project Space (120 Essex Street, Lower East Side, Manhattan)

In his short story “The Library of Babel,” Jorge Luis Borges imagines a universe made entirely of books. Inspired by this image of endless tomes, writer and programmer Jonathan Basile will host a printmaking workshop in the gallery; visitors will be able to create their own books, which will join a library there. Authors will also have the chance to take a computer programming seminar and participate in public readings.

With contributions by Jillian Steinhauer, Benjamin Sutton, and Elisa Wouk Almino.

The post Your Concise New York Art Guide for Fall 2017 appeared first on Hyperallergic.

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[kungfubreakfast]

Days of Future Past

Hello again friends!  I have been a busy bee the past few weeks so guess what.  Lots of new sets!  Up first is a few little adventure set with the returning Kim Herrera Cruz.  Kim and I met up to check out Vhils new show in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles so this set is heavy on the art with some fun Kim shots mixed in.  I also happened to photograph an unrelated bus on the side of the way on my way home that said, "Kool Bus" so decided to include that and even named the set after it!

Up next is another return with a brand new set featuring Sofia Weinberg.  Sofia was a real champ as we braved the waning cold days out at Vasquez Rocks.  Nothing too crazy from this shoot other than I was a little paranoid about shooting anything risque here after a woman on Instagram who claimed to work for the park said she would call the cops and report me from my Satan's Children shoot where the girls were nude.  I knew Sofia and I wouldn't be shooting any nudity but it was a lot of booty shorts and body suits.  I also probably wouldn't have cared but as we were climbing a rock we saw a cop pull in the park.  We avoided anyone and everyone and had a fun shoot followed by Korean BBQ which led to a few shots at the end of the set with some nearby graffiti.

Speaking of cold, every year I try to get out to the snow in the mountains for the limited time we have it but I always sort of just let it pass by.  Well not this year!  My most prolific muse Grey Garbo made the adventure out with me in to the depths of Angeles National Forest to seek out snow.  We had to go pretty deep to find it but it was totally worth it.  It probably looks freezing but it honestly wasn't nearly as cold as the Vasquez shoot with Sofia.  We had an excellent shoot through the mountains including climbing on top of a tunnel with an amazing view.  I made the mistake of forgetting to get gas before we headed in to the woods so instead of double back we had to go all the way through the mountain pass to the nearest town.  We were both really glad we did as we found the cutest little mountain town where we got dinner.  This place was so anti-LA.  It wound up being busy there so our food took a while, which in LA would be very typical, however at this place the waitress was so ashamed that she gave us each a free slice of pie!

And surprise surprise it's a double dose of Grey Garbo!  A few days later Grey hit me up to do an impromptu shoot in DTLA.  Anytime Grey does a gig that involves her getting painted or done up in any way she always hits me up and this time was basically transformed in to a swamp monster.  We met up at the new Arqade 2.0 on St. Vincent's Court in Downtown Los Angeles and got in to some shenanigans around there.

A few days later I met up with a brand new muse named Virah Payam who was visiting from The Pacific Northwest. Virah is originally from LA and comes in to town every now and then. The last time she was in town she wanted to shoot but we couldn't link up our schedules, so this time we made it happen. I didn't tell Virah where we'd be going because I wasn't fully sure until she told me she wanted to do some fire stuff. I decided to take her to Angel's Gate Bunkers. What I didn't know until we headed out was that Virah was actually familiar with the area and had always wanted to go to this spot!. It was kismet. We had a great time and did some fun work with a lot of great conversation.

The following Monday I made plans to go out to Ventura to shoot with The Spritely One.  I didn't reallllly want to make the trek alone so I hit up my friend Liza to see what she was up to.  She just happened to be friend and took me to an abandoned place I had never been: The Scary Dairy in Camarillo (on the way to Ventura).  I never visited the Scairy Dairy before because the pictures I had seen previously didn't make it seem that interesting, however I was wrong and we got some killer shots.  From there I took Liza to the abandoned school in Ventura that she had never been to but I previously shot at with Sprite.

After the Scary Dairy and abandoned school Liza and I met up with The Spritely One for a short but sweet shoot at this park Sprite picked out.  We got some really beautiful photos in the twilight of the evening.  We had planned to continue in to some night shooting but it was just too cold so we went back to Sprite's place and played Cthulhu Fixx.  

Fast forward to last Monday where painter Stephanie Monty and I ventured to one of my favorite places in LA: Murphy Ranch.  Murphy Ranch of course is the abandoned former Nazi Sympathized camp turned artist colony turned abandoned hike.  It was a lot of fun and I even got to see a building there that I hadn't seen before where Stephanie did some painting.  This was more of a hang out day/hike but we got some really fun photos so a set was definitely in order.

Hiking adventures continued the next day with the return of Nova.  Nova and I headed to her hometown of Lake Hughes, CA to investigate and abandoned camp that she had visited 10 years earlier.  This adventure required a little exploration but we eventually found the location.  It was mostly burned down from the multiple fires they've experienced out there but well worth the journey for what was left over.  I'm very thankful for Nova who has been experiencing some health issues as of late but pushed through to make some beautiful art.  On our way home we shot at a couple pull offs and found this weird boat clock pictured below.  I told Nova she should take it home, but she didn't, later regretting it.  At least we have the photos!

The next two sets are a little out of chronological order but I wanted to give a little love and attention to this new solo set with Chelsea Hanes.  Chelsea and I had a little bit of a break from one another after after having a bit of a personal issue that arose from getting involved with one another during our first go around.  We reconciled earlier this year, but this was my first time seeing her since then as she made a trip to LA from Portland.  We visited this spot under a bridge in Chinatown that I love so dearly and things got naughty in one of my more risque shoots from the site.  It was great to see her, catch up, make some art and she even gave me a friendship bracelet so I'm happy we are reconnected.

Before our solo set in Chinatown I actually did a muse group set with Chelsea and The Spritely One.  As you can see Sprite and I have been collabing a lot and so when she hit me up asking what I was up to that day I told her to come play with me and Chelsea.  I took the two of them to Switzer Falls where I had my very first shoot with Sprite.  I thought the location was such an interesting place to return though because I had never taken Chelsea there even though I had intended to many times, I had shot Sprite there previously, BUT I never had photographed two muses there together.  I mostly chose the spot out of convenience for the short window of time we had, and I'm glad we did because of the beautiful photos, but it did wind up being a pain in the ass when the realization hit that it was packed there due to the ongoing spring break.  Either way we made some beautiful images with two of my most powerful muses.

Jay-Stephanie mess arounds continued that same evening when Stephanie Monty invited me to a kink event at El Cid in Silver Lake where Stephanie would be live painting.  Much like our Murphy Ranch set this was mostly us messing around but between Stephanie's live paint, fun little portrait spots in El Cid, and running in to a surprise muse well we got a killed set out of the journey..

For this set I wish I had had the time to get it edited and up last week but fuck it.  I made some plans with KFB regular Alondra Excene Shields.  Alondra always has great concepts and wanted to do some Easter looks including a weird giant bunny head.  We got really weird with everything and shot inside her apartment.  The set came out way better than I thought it would and we had a bunch of it done in time for social media but here I present to you our full Easter set (along with some other goodies).

Late last week I got a group message from my friend and muse Phoenix Askani introducing me to comedian/porn star Sovereign Syre.  The message informed both of us that we lived on the same small street in Highland Park and that we should be friends and shoot together.  We made quick plans to meet up this past Monday where I walked over to her house (five buildings away from me) and we shot in our neighborhood while she walked her dog and then did some stuff in her apartment.  It was all super low-key and rad.  We got some really fun shots so look for more Sovereign Syre in the future.

And finally to catch us up with this epicness was a rad shoot with my friend Kooki Munsta.  Kooki had been hitting me up wanting to shoot some new photos so I took her to the forest.  Kooki and I have never shot daytime nature shots so I was really excited to see what kind of vibe she would bring and was not disappointed.  Everything was really on point, the light was beautiful, we killed it.  Not much else to say about it.  I will try not to wait so long the next time for a post but I hope you take the time to check out all of these sets and enjoy!