#I got 6 A's and 4 B's. Nearly an Ardent | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

downwiththeficness · 3 years

Text

A Need So Great Chapter 20

Summary: Eva Moore is assigned to work the last year of her contract with the DEA in Colombia. She just wants to get to the end of her tenure, but she keeps getting drawn further into a string of murders in the city. It isn’t long before she’s forced to face the ghosts of her past.

Word Count:~2,000

Warnings: None

A/N: For the purposes of this story, Carrillo isn’t married--or, if you like, divorced. A/B/O dynamics are prevalent, and they come with their own warning. The overall rating for this story is Explicit, although not every chapter will contain adult themes.

Taglist: @dirtynerdy98 @1zashreena1 @heresathreebee @deliciouslyclassytrash @maybege @kid-from-new-zealand @clydesducktape @revolution-starter @autumnleaves1991-blog @jedi-mando @buckysalefty @anaeve @maouzon

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8.5, 9, 10, 10.5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21

Eva did her very best not to fidget. She’d been in this building before, though not on this particular floor. The unfamiliar location coupled with having never laying eyes on the person she was meeting with made her anxious. And, when she was anxious, she felt herself begin to fidget. She was sitting in the lobby, one high heeled foot bouncing over her crossed knee. The décor was taupe, which she heard could be very soothing. It did not soothe Eva.

A hand landed on her knee, warm and heavy, stopping her movement. She looked over at Horacio, breathing deeply. His scent—that was what would soothe her. She wondered if it would be acceptable to lean over in her chair and bury her nose in his neck. He’d probably take it in stride, but she feared the displeased looks from the others in the lobby. She’d had enough judgmental stares to last her a lifetime. There was no need to add to them.

Eventually, they were called back and led to a sterile office not far down the hall. The assistant ushered them to their seats and asked if they needed anything, an offer that was turned down. A few moments later, a man walked in hurriedly. He was dressed in a gray suit that was a little too big for him, a striped tie flapping with each step. Middle aged, hair silver enough to tell her that he’d started graying early, though he had a good hairline that was only just now beginning to recede. His belt didn’t match his shoes.

“I apologize for the delay, I was caught in a meeting that went a little long,” he said in that warm Southern drawl that Eva had completely forgotten existed. As he sat and picked up a pen, he continued, “I’m agent Richardson.”

Eva introduced herself and Horacio, smiling as congenially as she could. A firm grasp of her body kept her from bouncing her leg, but she did stutter a little. It had been a long time since she’d felt so utterly exposed.

“Agent Peña said that you’ve got evidence that could helpful in my investigation?”

Eva gave a stilted nod, scratching at the skin above her brow, “I do.”

Hands turning up in question, he prompted, “And?”

She hesitated. Everything that had been ingrained in her from an early age rebelled against talking with a federal agent, no matter how long she’d been working with them.

He noted her reluctance, “You’ve signed the immunity agreement. Anything you say here can’t be held against you, as long as you cooperate.”

Eva looked away, swallowing back the fear of going back to prison. She’d talked with Horacio about it on the flight over. He’d listened intently to her distrust of the government, had held her hand when she started to cry. And then, when her tears were dry, he assured her that, if push came to shove, he’d smuggle her out of the country. The contingency plan was already mostly formed. They’d packed lightly, and he had a set of forged passports sewn into his carry on.

“Ardent Pharmaceuticals,” she began. “I created their tax system, I initiated all their LLC licenses as of fifteen years ago. They have holdings in at least three off shore accounts, I can provide you with those account numbers and with the banks they’re associated with.”

Agent Richardson’s face was very still, Eva wasn’t sure that he was even breathing. After a moment, he said, “You’re confident you can get me that information.”

Eva licked her lips, pausing only a moment, “Yes. I can do that.”

He blinked, rolling the pen between his fingers, “Alright. Let’s get started.”

When they were walking out of the building, Eva’s heels clicking on the pavement, Horacio took her hand. Their hotel was maybe a few blocks away and the weather was pleasant for the time of year. A cool breeze rustled her hair, the smell of street food coming along with it. This was nice. Really nice.

She felt a kind of heavy relief flow out of her body, the muscles of her neck and shoulders loosening with every step. It might come back and bite her in the ass, but she’d done the right thing. She knew it, deep down.

Horacio transferred her hand to the other side, his now free arm wrapping around her middle. Their stride slowed a little. Eva didn’t mind at all.

“I love this skirt, you know?” he murmured, the pads of his fingers running along the waistband.

She remembered him telling her how much he loved this skirt the first night they’d slept together. Dreams, he’d said. Eva smiled, leaning into him.

“I do know,” she replied easily, not even bothering to hide the affection in her gaze.

He kissed her temple, leading her through the doors of the hotel. The air conditioning blew at her, a sharp contrast to the soft wind outside. She shivered despite Horacio’s warmth around her. He noticed, the arm at her waist rising up to encircle her shoulders. She touched his fingers briefly while they waited for the elevator.

“I’m proud of you.”

She looked up at him, “Why?”

He shrugged, “It wasn’t easy for you to go through all of that. We were in there for three hours, Eva. You dredged up every detail of your work to hide your in laws’ criminal activity like it was… nothing.”

Lips parting, she felt her brows come together, “Because it was nothing.”

The doors to the elevator opened and he ushered her inside. Tapping the button to their floor, he shot her a look that said he expected a further explanation. Eva chuckled, leaning back against the railing.

“This year has been...fantastic,” she started, eyes on the dusty ceiling of the carriage. “I never could have thought that I’d end up here, with you.”

A ding sounded and Eva walked ahead of Horacio, pulling him willingly along by the hand, “All those things I talked about, I’ve spent years working through them. I still think about it, yeah, and I still have to work on it. But, what that was in there? That was simple math. I need them to be so tied up legally that they don’t have the capital to pay another hitman. And, I needed to get a little vengeance—more vengeance—than I already had.”

Horacio keyed into their room, tossing the key onto the table near the door. Eva followed him, sitting on the bed to remove her shoes. Though they were comfortable, a few blocks’ walk had earned her some relief. She rubbed at the arch of her foot with her thumb.

Sitting next to her, he took her hand again, gazing carefully at her expression, “Its not your job to take down their entire enterprise.”

The steadiness of his gaze, the sincerity of his expression, was amusing. He had already made her out to be a little bit of a martyr, which was pretty much the opposite of what was happening.

Eva rolled her eyes, “I have no aspirations of that. I just want to make a little trouble.”

More than a little trouble. She wanted to breakdown their ability to make moves the way they had been doing for so long. She wanted them utterly impotent for the foreseeable future.

His smile reached his eyes, the corners crinkling, “I think you’ve achieved that.”

Not yet, she hadn’t. There was still the matter of the fallout and Eva did not trust in the effectiveness of the American government. She would have to watch from the sidelines as they worked—or, didn’t work. Either way. Eva very much wanted it to work.

“I’ll admit that it would be nice to see Myra in one of those prison jumpsuits.”

Thumb rubbing at her palm, Horacio seemed to be trying to picture it, “When it happens, I’ll see if I can get someone to take a picture, for posterity’s sake.”

He sat another moment longer, and Eva could tell that he had something to say and was trying to find the words. She lifted a brow, in silent invitation.

Pulling his lips between his teeth, he was quiet another moment before his hand tightened on hers, “I put in my resignation.”

Shocked, Eva could only say, “When?”

“Before we left.”

“Why?”

He blinked, head cocking to the side, “Because you were right. Because I’ll be dead very soon if I keep on doing this.”

It took about thirty seconds for Eva to get her mind about what he’d just said. In those thirty seconds, she made a few decisions, and maybe fell in love just a little bit more. They would have to take a detour before they got to the airport.

“What are you going to do next?”

His work was his entire life, it consumed almost every waking minute. The man probably made plans to arrest dealers in his sleep.

He shrugged, “I’ve got some loose ends I need to tie up, and then I thought we could make the decision together.”

Her jaw dropped a bit. He wanted to make plans. Together. He wanted to make plans—plans for the future—with her. Plans they could enact. Plans that didn’t involve looking over their shoulder for the rest of their lives.

Eva leaned over and kissed him, sniffing back the tears that threatened. Really, she hadn’t cried this much since the first year of her marriage. Happy tears, though, were always welcome.

In the cab the next day, Eva prompted the driver to pull off the highway a few exits early. When Horacio asked what they were doing, she simply smiled and patted his arm. The neighborhood she directed the driver to was...an acquired taste. The building that they stopped in front of was decrepit, nearly falling apart on its foundation. The place had once been the office of the mausoleum next door, but had fallen into disrepair when another office had been built on the other side. She was surprised the roof hadn’t completely caved in.

“Is this...safe?” he asked, eyes looking over the building skeptically.

Eva smiled again, unbearably amused at his choice of words, “Safe is one way to put it.”

She walked ahead of him, moving through the first floor to the back room. It was small, and part of the floorboards were missing. She had to hop from joist to joist to get to the cold air return vent. The years had taken a toll on the bones of the place, leaving the hinges off center. It took several grunting yanks to get the cover free so that she could reach into the vent and pull the bag free.

Covered in dust, but still whole, the black fabric was thin in some places from use. She’d had the thing since middle school, her name embroidered on one side. Evangeline, written in white thread that had turned yellow over the years. With shaking fingers, she traced the letters. It was the only thing she had from before she was married, everything else given up somewhere along the way. This, she was definitely holding onto.

“What is it?” Horacio asked from the door, his eyes scanning the room, mouth thin.

Eva looked up at him, “My retirement plan.”

Hopping across the joists towards him, she made her way to one of the few stable points in the front room, dropping the bag carefully. On one knee, she opened the zipper, spreading the fabric wide. Inside was every dollar she could skim from the till, about a hundred thousand in total.

Horacio was standing next to her, looking down at the stacks with pride in his eyes, “I knew you were smart.”

Glancing at him from behind her lashes, Eva grinned, “I’m practical.”

He chuckled, “Same thing.”

Zipping the bag back up, Eva swung it over her shoulder, “Needless to say, this will be my carry on.”

He quirked a brow at her, amused, “Is that all you have hidden?”

“Here, at least.”

There was another couple of bags hidden here and there, none with nearly this much in them. She would have to make plans to touch base in those locations before they finalized their...Eva paused a moment. They had plans, or they would.

She smiled, “This is enough for now, I think.”

He held out his hand to her, “Then, we should go. The meter’s running.”

31 notes · View notes

noona-clock · 5 years

Text

Confusion & Coincidences - Part 6

Genre: Regency!AU

Pairing: Yongguk x You

By Admin B

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

You hadn’t seen the Earl again after your dance, but to be honest, you hadn’t really been looking for him. You’d been doing your best to avoid your mother, aunt, and even Alice. They were far too curious and eager to talk to you about anything having to do with him, and truthfully, you needed some time to process everything.

So, only about an hour after dancing with him, you’d feigned a terrible headache and taken the carriage back home.

Even though you were currently reading The Mysteries of Udolpho, you decided to curl up in bed with Pride & Prejudice instead. You wanted to re-read the part where Lizzy danced with Mr. Darcy to assure yourself that their dance had been nothing like your dance.

Because... you remembered what happened soon after their dance. Okay, well not really soon, but still.

After Lizzy and Mr. Darcy dance together at the Netherfield ball, Lizzy’s best friend, Charlotte, gets married to Lizzy’s cousin who just so happens to be connected to Mr. Darcy’s aunt. Lizzy goes to visit Charlotte, dines with Mr. Darcy’s aunt, and... of course, Mr. Darcy is there. And then he proposes.

Completely out of the blue! Lizzy has no earthly idea why because he has never expressed any sort of romantic feelings for her! And she has done quite the opposite!

Oh, dear, you couldn’t even imagine if the Earl proposed to you like that. Suddenly telling you how ardently he admires and loves you like Mr. Darcy did to Elizabeth.

Of course, your situations were entirely different. You’d known the Earl for less than a month, and you’d only spoken with him three times!

Three!

If the Earl proposed to you anytime soon, you would have to find out who this anonymous female author of Pride & Prejudice was, seek her out, and demand she write a new book where the hero and heroine meet normally, get to know each other, fall in love naturally, and get married like a normal couple would!

You stayed in bed reading for at least two hours, only snapping your book shut and sliding it under your pillow when you heard your mother and aunt arrive home from the ball. You quickly blew out your candle and pulled your bedcover over your head, hoping they wouldn’t disturb you since they believed you to be ill.

You should have known better.

Your mother gently knocked on your door, slipping inside and perching on the edge of your bed.

You expected her to bring up the Earl, of course - because why would you expect anything else?

But she simply asked, “How are you feeling, my dear?” as she rubbed your back soothingly.

“A little better,” you murmured, keeping hidden under the blanket. “I just need to sleep.”

“Yes, that always helps your father when he has one of his headaches,” she murmured.

You almost giggled because your father had let you in on a secret a few years ago: he didn’t really suffer from chronic headaches. He faked them most of the time so he had an excuse to leave a dreadful ball or a painful dinner. So you had used his own tactic tonight, and your mother was none the wiser.

“I guess I get them from him,” you sighed.

Your mother leaned over and placed a kiss on your head, patting your back before you felt her weight lift off the mattress.

“Get lots of rest,” she said before she left your room. “We’re paying a call to the Earl tomorrow, and I won’t have you showing up with purple shadows under your eyes.”

She closed your door before you could cry out in protest, though you probably shouldn’t have, anyway. Someone with a headache wouldn’t be bolting upright and yelling out ‘What?!’

But a visit to see the Earl?! Tomorrow?!

Why?!

Why why why why why did you have such a persistent, social mother who would stop at practically nothing to marry you off?!

You were the first to arise the next morning, which was not a surprise in the least. You very frequently woke before anyone else in your family, sometimes even your father.

You liked to take your time eating breakfast, enjoying the peace and quiet before the hubbub of the day began.

On mornings like today, after a ball, you got to enjoy even more peace and quiet since your mother always slept in later than normal. And today was no exception. You savored your breakfast, stayed in your nightgown a bit longer before dressing for the day, read some of The Mysteries of Udolpho, and by the time your mother appeared, you were in a particularly good mood from all the alone time you’d just had.

“Ah, good,” she murmured as she plopped onto the couch in the drawing room. “You are already ready.”

“Ready for what?” you murmured as you flipped a page.

“Ready to call on the Earl, of course. I just need a strong cup of tea, and then we shall depart.”

You froze, though you did let your book drop slightly. “Mama, you can’t be serious.”

“Oh, I very well am, I can assure you.”

“Why would we call on him?!” you asked with a bit of a whine.

“Because you danced together last night! It is perfectly acceptable to meet with him!”

“But, Mama --”

You were interrupted by your aunt’s butler appearing in the doorway with a very stone-faced expression.

“The Earl of Blackman is here to see you, ma’am,” he drawled.

A very loud gasp came from your mother, and your own jaw dropped - though no sound emitted from your throat.

...The Earl.

Was here?

So, apparently, it was perfectly acceptable to meet with him after dancing together last night.

“Yes, yes, show him in,” your mother replied hastily, practically jumping up from the couch and scurrying over to you. She smoothed down your hair and pinched your cheeks, muttering something about this being your chance.

“Mama, stop!” you muttered, trying to bat her away.

“Do remember your manners,” she whispered before darting out of the room.

--Wait, what?!

She had just left?!

You stood, preparing to run after her and pull her back into the room, but the Earl stepped into the doorway before you could.

“Ah,” you breathed, trying to gather your senses and act like nothing was wrong. Like nothing had happened. Like your mother hadn’t just abandoned you. “Good morning, my Lord. Please do come in.”

He tipped his head in a bow before stepping inside and... closing the door behind him.

“I am sorry to intrude on you,” he murmured. His hands were clasped behind his back now, and he started to pace slowly.

“Oh, no intrusion at all, my Lord. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

You watched as he paced, your brow furrowing with each passing second.

“I --” he began. “I would like to speak with you about something. Something... important.”

“Oh, dear,” you said softly, his words worrying you some. “What is it?”

The Earl took a deep breath, finally coming to a stop and facing you, though he could barely meet your gaze straight on.

“I know we have only just recently become acquainted, and our times actually meeting and conversing are quite few, but it has become extremely apparent to me that you are the type of person I would very much like to spend my life with. I believe - maybe wrongly so, but I still believe all the same - that you might feel the same way, and so I humbly request you please do me the honor of accepting my hand.”

...

Um...

Wha...

What...

Just...

Happened...?

Had he just said... what you thought he said?

“I’m sorry?” you managed to ask, your voice nearly getting caught in your throat.

The Earl gulped, his voice a bit shaky when he responded. “Please... do me the honor of accepting my hand.”

“Your... hand,” you repeated, completely in a daze. “As in... your hand... in marriage?”

Surely... surely not!

“Yes,” he answered.

Oh, well, never mind.

“I --” you began, though you had no idea what you were going to say.

You were not the type to speak willy nilly. Most of the time, you thought out your responses carefully or you simply said nothing. But when you said nothing, it didn’t mean you had nothing to say. You always had something to say. Your brain was always full of thoughts and ideas and witty comebacks that were three hours too late.

But right now you could safely say you were speechless.

“I seem to have taken you quite by surprise,” the Earl mumbled.

“Yes, very much so,” you told him with a tiny nod. “I apologize, I just -- really? You... want to marry me?”

“I do.”

“But --” you took a breath, trying to calm down your racing heart. “But we hardly -- we hardly know each other!”

“You are not incorrect, but I believe we have learned enough about the other’s character to know we would be compatible.”

Okay, he wasn’t exactly wrong. You knew he hated balls and dancing as much as you did. And he liked to read the same kind of books.

But did that really constitute a solid foundation for a marriage?!

“I had no idea you -- I mean, you’ve never expressed any sort of feelings --”

The Earl closed his eyes, letting out a sort of frustrated sigh. But you could tell he wasn’t frustrated with you.

“I am not one to openly show my emotions,” he began. “As you learned from my cousin, I am rather shy. I do not have the open personality most people do nowadays, but I had hoped I was being -- “

He paused and then shook his head as if to say ‘never mind.’

And then he looked at you with hopeful but mournful eyes. “You are rejecting me, then?”

If your mother were in here, you would already be dead. You hadn’t immediately accepted, which was sufficient grounds to kill you.

“I just don’t -- I -- I mean, I would rather marry for love, and we don’t --”

“I understand,” he interrupted. “Please forgive me for taking up your time this morning.”

And before you could say anything else, he had bowed politely, turned on his heel... and left.

You stood in the drawing room, frozen on the spot.

Because what had just happened?!

Somehow, you had managed to persuade your mother the Earl’s visit had been nothing but a social call. He had simply inquired after your health after hearing you’d departed the ball early because of a headache.

This seemed to satiate her curiosity well enough, so you stole away to your bedroom to dissect everything the Earl had said.

But, really, any way you thought about it - he had just proposed to you.

The Earl of Blackman had just proposed. To you.

Had you not just been thinking last night about this very same situation?! You had been very sure that, just because Mr. Darcy had proposed to Lizzy, it did not mean the Earl would propose to you!

But he had.

So... things really were starting to play out like the plot of Pride & Prejudice.

What would happen next, then?! Would your sister create a scandal by running off with a soldier and forcing your father to pay him off to marry her?!

...Oh, wait. You didn’t have a sister.

But you did have a best friend. And Lizzy’s best friend ended up marrying someone far, far less than she deserved.

It might sound ridiculous, but you had to stop that from happening.

Just in case.

You grabbed your shawl and called out to your mother and aunt that you would be going out to visit Alice, not to worry, you’ll be back soon!

If your mother only knew the truth, she surely would be worried. Worried about your sanity, that is.

When you arrived at Alice’s grandfather’s house, you were escorted into his rather grand drawing room where your best friend was already taking tea and working on her embroidery.

“I daresay your headache is gone,” she smirked without even looking up from her needle.

“The Earl just asked me to marry him.”

“Ouch!”

Your sudden declaration had caused Alice to poke herself, and she quickly set down her embroidery hoop.

“What did you say?!” she cried, standing and rushing over to you.

“The Earl. Of Blackman. Asked me. To marry him,” you repeated with a deeply furrowed brow.

Alice’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. “What?!” she laughed. “Oh, darling, this is wonderful --”

“You’re not getting married to my repulsive cousin, are you?!” you asked, clearly distressed.

Alice paused, her expression of delight turning to one of confusion. “I’m not... what?”

“In Pride & Prejudice, Mr. Darcy proposes to Lizzy out of the blue, exactly like how the Earl did to me just this morning. There was a ball and he was acting like a snob and then he went to London and Jane went after him - Mr. Bingley, not Mr. Darcy - and then I went after the Earl and there was another ball and the dance -- I have to make sure you don’t marry someone like Mr. Collins!”

Alice took your hands, leading you over to sit down on a very pleasant window seat.

“My dear, I believe your headache has turned into a delirious fever.”

“I know I sound ridiculous, but just assure me you are not getting married to someone who doesn’t deserve you, the angel that you are.”

Alice let out a soft chuckle, clasping your hands and gazing into your eyes. “I will not be marrying your repulsive cousin or someone named Mr. Collins or anyone less worthy. I promise.”

You let out a very heavy sigh of relief, letting your shoulders droop now that this weight had been lifted.

“But...” Alice continued. “I do believe your brother will be proposing any day now.”

For the second time this morning, you were taken by complete surprise. You were utterly shocked. You were speechless.

“M--my brother?” you stammered.

Alice pressed her lips together to keep from smiling and nodded.

“You -- you and... my brother? How -- when -- why --”

“I am so sorry I did not tell you sooner, but it has all happened somewhat quickly, and -- wait! What did you say to the Earl?!”

Oh, that’s right. You’d never actually told her you’d rejected him.

“I said ‘no,’ of course!”

“Why ‘of course’?!”

“Because we barely know each other!”

“That has no consequence! You have plenty of time to get to know each other after you’re married! Or while you’re engaged, even! Y/N, you must go to him and take it back!”

You mustn’t do any such thing! You’d just been dealt quite a serious blow upon hearing that your best friend... and your brother...

You had to get out of here. You loved Alice dearly, of course, but you couldn’t be near her at the moment.

So you simply nodded. “Yes,” you mumbled to appease her. And then you forced a smile onto your lips. “I am happy for you.”

“And I, you,” she replied, her eyes filling with tears of joy (you presumed). “Come and visit me later?”

You hummed positively before standing up and making your way to the door.

If you had known the events of today would turn your world practically upside-down... you probably would’ve stayed in bed.

Part 7

143 notes · View notes

boatsofgoats · 7 years

Text

The Meadows 2017

The Meadows Music and Arts Festival took place September 15-17, 2017 at Citi Field in Queens, New York. VIC Radio was insanely blessed with receiving two media passes to attend the entire festival, and attend we did! The Meadows has only been around for two years now. In 2016 it hosted the likes of Kanye West, Chance the Rapper, and J. Cole, and 2017 saw just as impressive of a lineup. Only one New York City subway line serviced the venue, the 7 train, and the energy all the way to the second to last stop of Mets-Willets Point was positively infectious. The Meadows is put on by Founders Entertainment, the same company that also organizes the Governors Ball Music Festival on Randall’s Island every June. Myself (Haley Goetz, VIC’s Program Director) and Ariella Ranz, VIC’s Promotions Director, had an absolutely stellar experience at The Meadows and here is our in-depth recounting of it.

We started out on Friday, September 15 by catching the tail end of 21 Savage. 21 Savage emerged into the modern rap scene in 2013. Since then he has released two EPs and most recently his first album. His set took place from 3-4 on the Shea Stage. It was quite crowded and filled with a raucous energy. A lot of people had been really looking forward to his set, so it was unfortunate to hear that he arrived nearly a half-hour late to it due to traffic. People started funneling out soon after he started performing in order to get good spots for Migos, who were due to perform at 4 on The Meadows Stage.

Next up to see was Joey Bada$$, playing a set from 5-6 at the American Eagle Stage. Hailing from Brooklyn, Joey has been making music since 2010. He’s released an EP and two studio albums (the most recent one, All-Amerikkkan Bada$$, having been released in April). Joey has an inspiring story to success, having begun writing poems and songs as early as eleven years old. It’s wild to see how far he has come, as he is only twenty-two years old. His set was electric, getting everyone to move around as dusk approached. We also almost got run over by him when he was being transported to his set on a golf cart in the media area backstage!

Tegan and Sara were playing at the same time as Joey Bada$$ over on the Shea Stage. Canadian twin sisters who have been making music for more than twenty years (they became active in 1995), Tegan and Sara brought a very feminist-forward set to Queens. The hit duo have released eight studio albums and they have a plethora of awards and nominations. It was really exciting to see a prominent VIC group perform at a music festival of this scale, and I know that Ariella (a long-time Tegan and Sara fan) was energized by their set.

I caught a (very) brief glimpse of Two Door Cinema Club’s set at the Queens Boulevard Stage from 6-7:15. Coming all the way from Northern Ireland, Two Door Cinema Club have brought forth three studio albums to the world since their debut in 2010. I was a huge fan of their music all throughout high school so it was very cool to finally catch them live. Even more wild was the fact that they had just played the State Theatre of Ithaca the previous night! From what I could see, Two Door Cinema Club have some amazing visuals to accompany their live performances. I’d love to actually catch a full set of theirs one day.

Run The Jewels played The Meadows Stage from 6-7:15. Formed by El-P and Killer Mike in 2013, the hip-hop duo has attained great commercial success from their three studio albums and multitude of guest appearances. They interjected some political comments into their set while also being quite feminist-focused, and the vibe for them was lovely and safe. Killer Mike himself said that he would beat up anyone who non-consensually touched another person. Someone threw a pair of their Jordans onto the stage, to which Killer Mike put them on and said that he would give his pair of shoes to whoever threw theirs in the first place. So overall Run The Jewels was great.

After this it was time for the performance of the night. Jay-Z was set to play The Meadows Stage at 8:15. Ariella and I jostled into position and got funnelled right to the front of the crowd. We met a group of four adults who have been big fans of Jay-Z since his 1986 beginnings. They were from right down the street so it was really exciting for them to see someone as big as him perform in their area. This group referred to themselves as “The Circle,” as they all linked hands and stayed in a circular formation before Jay arrived so as not to get separated. They never broke the circle once while waiting for him to come on stage. They helped us promote VIC Radio by handing out station stickers for us. Around 8, a giant balloon dog made by the artist Jeff Koons took shape on the stage. It was almost time.

Jay-Z, otherwise known as Shawn Carter, is a Brooklyn legend. The rapper has released thirteen studio albums and been involved in many collaborations. He opened his Meadows set with “Run This Town,” getting everyone jazzed up and moving. Then he launched into a lot of throwbacks before playing some tracks off his latest album, 4:44, which was released this past June. Damian Marley joined him on stage for a few songs, and towards the end of his set Jay-Z threw out a tribute to the late Chester Bennington before launching into “Numb/Encore.” The people up front kept screaming for Beyoncé to come out, to which Jay even responded that that was “coming later.” That moment never came, however, as Jay-Z ended his set fifteen minutes early with “Young Forever.” Riding the 7 train back to Manhattan, Ariella and I encountered a Meadows security guard who said that Beyoncé was in fact backstage.

Saturday, September 16 arrived and with that another day of The Meadows was to be had. Ariella and I began our day by seeing Flatbush Zombies play The Meadows Stage. A hip-hop trio from Flatbush, Brooklyn, the vibe at this set which lasted from 2:15-3 was aggressive but happy. Flatbush Zombies performed a few of their classics along with a few new tracks which was very fun. After this we caught the end of BADBADNOTGOOD’s set at the Queens Boulevard Stage. They were playing at the same time as Flatbush Zombies and their jazzy performance got the small but upbeat crowd dancing. Hailing from Toronto, BADBADNOTGOOD have been involved in many collaborations with prominent hip-hop artists along with releasing music of their own.

Erykah Badu took to The Meadows Stage from 4-5. At 46 years old she is positively killing the game with her activist-inspired soul, hip-hop, and R&B. For her set she brought out a full band to accompany her which was very cool. I traversed over to the Queens Boulevard Stage after a bit to go see LL Cool J performing alongside DJ Z-Trip. Watching both of these legends perform was pretty awesome. LL Cool J, on top of acting in the NCIS television series, has released thirteen studio albums. For his performance he brought out such prominent names as A Tribe Called Quest, DMC, and Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five before announcing that he had to get going in order to work on the next season of his show.

A-Trak was on the Shea Stage from 5-6. I first heard of him through his great remix of Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Heads Will Roll,” and he’s certainly been on a roll since then. Ariella and I speed-walked past him as he played Shea, and I noticed that he had a lot of neat visuals to go with his set, including a video that notified those in the crowd as to when to put their hands up. Our first course for the night of the 16th was to see Future perform on The Meadows Stage from 6-7:15. The 33 year old Atlanta-bred rapper has released six albums, two of which (FUTURE and HNDRXX) were released in 2017. The vibe was intense right before he was set to perform. Ariella and I met a wonderful man by the name of Jungle who has been an ardent Future supporter since his early days. Soon it was time for his set to begin.

The energy for Future was absolutely incredible. All-in-all it was definitely one of my favorite sets from The Meadows. Everyone was dancing and moshing around. Future performed “New Level,” the A$AP Ferg song he has a cameo in, along with bringing out prominent musical guests such as Young Thug, Yo Gotti, and even Nicki Minaj. The crowd went wild when he played “Mask Off,” his hit song from over the summer. I witnessed about three different mosh pits break out around me for that. Following Future’s set, Ariella and I went our separate ways. She stayed at The Meadows Stage to see Gorillaz perform whereas I went off to the Queens Boulevard Stage to see M.I.A.

Based on what Ariella told me after the fact, Gorillaz’s set was great. They had a lot of great accompanying visuals along with bringing out a plethora of big-name guests such as Pusha T, Peven Everett, D.R.A.M., and De La Soul. Consisting of four main members, Gorillaz is a truly innovative alt-pop group with fictitious personas attached to their real-live selves. They have released five studio albums, with Humanz coming out this year. At The Meadows they played such hits like “On Melancholy Hill,” “Rhinestone Eyes,” “Feel Good Inc.,” and “Stylo.”

Meanwhile, M.I.A. slayed on the Queens Boulevard Stage. I was right up front for her entire set and I completely felt the love there. M.I.A. has been a prominent female rapper since her 2007 hit single “Paper Planes” was released off her second studio album Kala. She’s brought forth five studio albums since her 2004 debut, with the most recent being 2016’s AIM. M.I.A. prides herself on her lyrics which inspire social change as she takes about issues such as immigration, refugees, and women’s rights. Her set involved a lot of visuals regarding the topics she raps about. It was a very lively performance with great lights and a celebratory vibe. At one point M.I.A. brought out someone from the crowd to dance on stage with her. She opened with “Borders” and “Go Off,” the two title tracks from her latest album, before moving into a good amount of throwbacks.

Sunday, September 17 saw the final day of the 2017 edition of The Meadows. Ariella and I had a late start getting to Citi Field but we eventually made it to Nas, who was performing at The Meadows Stage from 6-7:15. A New York City native, Nas has released ten albums and is quite a prolific rapper. He played a lot of his hits during his set, such as N.Y. State of Mind, and the crowd was certainly very happy to watch him perform. Nas doesn’t perform a lot, so a lot of his most ardent fans were present. It was very cool to see their reactions to seeing him perform along with seeing all of the accompanying visuals during his set.

The final two performances at The Meadows were the Red Hot Chili Peppers on The Meadows Stage and Bassnectar on the Queens Boulevard Stage. Ariella and I found ourselves near the front of the crowd for the Chili Peppers after Nas ended. We encountered a lot of people sporting CamelBaks and eating Clif bars. I felt like I was at some sort of event for backpackers. A girl standing near us was telling us all about how much she loves Bassnectar. She wanted to leave her friends to see his set but they eventually persuaded her to stay. At 8:28 (the Chili Peppers were set to come on at 8:30) she announced with finality that she was going to Bassnectar, but a few moments later she started wildly screaming as soon as the Chili Peppers began.

Their set was amazing. Opening with an instrumental jam session, they soon launched into such classics as “Can’t Stop,” “Scar Tissue,” “Californication,” and “Dani California.” The best part for me was seeing Flea, the band’s bassist, really rocking out onstage. My father introduced me to the Red Hot Chili Peppers when I was in kindergarten and he always raved about how Flea was quite possibly the best electric bassist of all time. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have released eleven studio albums, the most recent one being 2016’s The Getaway. Seeing them in their element onstage was so beyond cool, and quite easily the best way to end VIC’s experience at The Meadows Music and Arts Festival in 2017.

0 notes