#also was not expecting to be posting another louis drawing so soon after my last one aaaa

[burberryhat]

— hats off 😁🧢🔥

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#louisupdates #louisgalaxy #tracksintheam #louis tomlinson #one direction #POSTED THIS ON HERE BEFORE ANYONE ELSE COULD HOPEFULLY LOL FUCK U REPOSTERSSSSS #also was not expecting to be posting another louis drawing so soon after my last one aaaa #in reality i think they were made only about like. a week apart #so im still not that active yet yall 🥲 #ainsley arts #ainsley speaks #1d #loveliest star #louis tomlinson fanart #solo louis #artists on tumblr #digital art #369 #rockstar

[revolutionary-demosthenes]

Louis de Manoël de Végobre (Pt. 1/2)

Essay 11

Louis de Manoël de Végobre. A friend (or more?) of John Laurens and Francis Kinloch, a lawyer, a scientist. I wanted to learn more about him after I reblogged that last quote, and found some interesting things so I figured I’d share them with you!

Keep in mind: I'm still doing research and finding new things about De Végobre... only it all has to be (google) translated because most of the writings on him are in French. So keep in mind the margin of translation errors while reading this. This first one will just talk about De Végobre’s life in general, and in the next one I’ll talk more about his sexuality and relationships. 

Louis de Manoël de Végobre was born on November 12, 1752, to Charles de Manoel de Vegobre and Louise de Vignolles-de-La-Valette. I assume he was probably named after his mother. He had several siblings, but sadly (as with John Laurens) some of them died very young.

I was unable to find much more about his childhood, so fast forward to 1774. 

De Végobre was a friend of the Chauvets, a family in Francis Kinloch and John Laurens’s social circle in Geneva in 1774. He taught Laurens math, and they became good friends. After Laurens left for England, De Végobre kept up a correspondence with him... one that was obviously not completely reciprocated, as this is what Végobre said in the beginning of a letter to John Laurens on February 18, 1775:

“Sir,

There is the second; shall a third be? I dont know, but you know. When I have wrote [&] sent an epistle, I am always imagining the history of it; I long to see it [illegible], arriving, read, and answered; I Keep in my memory its date, I calculate the time of its arrival, and I impatiently expect the time of receiving an answer. This longed for answer arrives at length; then I am contented, and beginning another letter I prepare myself for enjoying still such a pleasure. But—if no answer… What must I think? I am concerned, sometimes a little angry. How does my friend do? Is he sick, absent, or idle in answering? Suspense is a hard thing.

I have wrote to you on the 24th of December, you have not yet answered. If you are guilty of negligence, pray do not aggravate your fault by a longer delay. Fault, I say; indeed I think it to be a fault to let pass over a great time without answering the letter of one who deserved answer. There is the end of my chiding, and I hope my thanks will soon began: I mean, that my second stroke shall get me an answer. Indeed, I would be sorry if your continued silence would hinder me from setting pen to paper a third letter.”

“Suspense is a hard thing.” Pull those heartstrings, Louis!

“I would be sorry if your continued silence would hinder me from setting pen to paper for a third letter.” This is so hilarious and sarcastic. Like, “I would be so sorry, John, if I didn’t write you again because you DON’T EVER WRITE BACK... that would be really sad, John.” 

At the end of this same letter, De Végobre also mentions, “Kinloch will not write to you, as he says, being a little angry with you because you dont answer his letter…” So basically, it seems these three were very close in Geneva, but Laurens didn’t write to Kinloch and De Végobre nearly as much as they wanted. And they let him know this was the case. Some possible explanations for this:

Laurens was busy. Studying law.

Laurens being jealous and it being painful for him to remember Geneva and his friends there. This one is more speculative, but since Laurens didn’t want to leave Geneva, and seemed very happy there, it’s possible that the letters Kinloch and De Végobre sent made Laurens feel jealous that he wasn't in Geneva with them. 

Maybe Laurens was just “idle in answering.” This was not unusual for him.

Anyway. For age reference here, in 1776 De Végobre would’ve been around 24, and Kinloch 21.

De Végobre finished learning law around this time, and became a lawyer. 

After Laurens left for London, a young man (aged 18) came to Geneva, and his name was Gabriel Manigault. He and Végobre became friends, and according to Evolution of a Federalist, William Loughton Smith of Charlestown (1758-1812) by George C. Rogers, jr:

“De Vegobre in a letter of June 7, 1776, after thanking Laurens for ‘the pretty Swift,’ told of being charmed with Manigault, whom he taught geometry and who taught him French and English belles-lettres. They often walked together and on Saturday evenings would visit Kinloch, who lived one league in the country and there they might stay until Sunday or even Monday."

In some ways it seems here that Gabriel replaced Laurens. He was a new student of De Végobre’s, who also was teaching De Végobre English, something Laurens did as well. De Végobre wrote Laurens on Dec. 24 1774, “For (putting aside all friendship) you have been my first teacher in English tongue, at every progress I made in this language, at every delight (and many are) I always remember that I am obliged to you for that...”

Gabriel was also a friend of Kinloch’s, it appears, since he and De Végobre were apparently staying multiple days with him regularly. 

However, the trail on De Végobre runs pretty cold after 1776. He eventually came back to Geneva in 1784. According to the book La France protestante: ou, Vies des protestants français qui se sont fait un nom dans l'histoire depuis les premiers temps de la réformation jusqu'à la reconnaissance du principe de la liberté des cultes par l'Assemblée nationale; ouvrage précéde d'une notice historique sur le protestantisme en France, suivi de pièces justificatives, et rédigé sur des documents en grand partie inédits, Volumes 7-8 by Eugene and Émile Haag*, “[De Végobre] was appointed secretary of the first appellations then lord of the commands of Peney and Champagne; but political events stripped him both of his place and his fortune.”

There’s also a possible letter from him to Laurens from 1781, but I think it’s in a private archive.

De Végobre left Geneva for unclear reasons. (La France Protestante Vol. 7-8 by Eugene and Emile Haag simply says “Domestic affairs, then political circumstances kept him away from Geneva for several years, where he did not return until 1784.”) The political circumstances, however, may have been the Genevan Revolution.

“In 1814 Geneva having recovered its independence, de Végobre became a member of the Representative Council, where he sat until 1833 and where he displayed great activity. In 1815 he was appointed judge of the Supreme Court, and he held the office until in 1826, when, believing that his strength was declining, he resigned.” (from La France Protestante, Vol. 7-8 by Eugene and Émile Haag.)

De Végobre was interested in science, particularly physics. He was knowledgable enough that he even filled in for a sick science professor Marc-Auguste Pictet once!

De Végobre did not have many published works. There’s one called Discours pour servir d'introduction à un ouvrage posthume de François-André Naville, ci-devant conseiller d'Etat de la République de Genève, and another titled Sur le jury dans les procès criminels.

As for De Végobre’s personality, he seems to have been a pretty affectionate friend and generous as well. A man who knew De Végobre said that it was “by his amiable and serene character that he shone; neither sad trials, nor the age which often makes selfish and morose, did not alter in him this benevolence, this warmth of heart which made him so precious to his friends.”**

De Végobre never married. Again quoting La France Protestante, Vol 7-8 by Eugene and Émile Haag, “He [De Végobre] lived with his sister Anne Charlotte, who died Sept. 28, 1840 [...] This young lady also left fond memories. Although her fortune was small, her charity was inexhaustible. She was one of the founders of the Asile des orphelines de Genève, an establishment which until its last day was the object of her constant care.”

The “founding an orphanage” draws some Eliza Hamilton parallels. 

Louis de Manoël de Végobre died in 1840, at around 88 years old.

*all the quotes from this book were google translated from French, and because of the long title, in the rest of this post I just refer to this book as “La France Protestante, Vol. 7-8.”

**google translated from French 

#essay #Louis Manoel de vegobre #Francis Kinloch #John Laurens #quotes #books #Geneva good times #frev #geneva #Charles Manoel de vegobre #anne charlotte vegobre #eliza hamilton #Louis de Manoel de Végobre #la france protestante #was very helpful #it was the only place I actually found a real biography instead of vague mentions

[kerwritesthings]

27, 54 :)

I wasn’t going to post this today. Last story I posted yesterday I’m still trying to push on since it’s still hanging out there in the wind & wasn’t feeling too motivated after that. But I had a really bad fuck of a moment at the end of the day and then this adorable bean decided to insta story pretty much at the same time. So, et voila we’re going with it.

This took a TURN, dear anon. I know it’s soft & fluffy prompts, and we’ll get to it. There’s a bit up at the front, it’s just a little bit of a journey to get to it at the end. I also didn’t expect this to be almost 2.8k. Ooopsies?

Prompts: “You have me to protect you, always.” AND “I will protect you with my life.”

Being on tour with Shawn is one thing. Being on tour with Shawn overseas though is another. It’s always an experience, but for this run it’s especially more than it’s ever been before. You’ve yet to experience a swing outside Canada, the States and Europe. With the last album already exceeding expectations and touring blowing up across the board, the tour went wider and longer than he’s ever done before. Which means in some cities, it’s multiple dates and even more so, graduating to stadiums.

“Excuse me what?!” you yell, looking at the “tickets” he’s placed in your hand. The sentimental fluff he is, had mockup concert tickets made to give you when he told you about Tokyo.

“Me, you, Japan. Gyoza, ramen, carousel sushi, mochi, bubble tea, and yeah playing what they’re telling me should be a sold-out Tokyo Dome,” he replies with a coy smile.

“Holy shit Shawn,” you exclaim as you tackle hug him. “That’s like what 50,000 plus? Sweetie, that’s amazing. I’m so proud of you.”

It was months away, but you both take to sending each other links to places you’d want to try, or photos of what Tokyo looks like in the spring. You specifically asking for photos of the two of you wandering through the cherry blossoms. You were meeting him there this go. He’s coming into town off the Australia and southeast Asian swing, with Tokyo being the final show to wrap things up before a break. And it wasn’t one show, he sold out two. There was still Latin and South America, but that was after the holidays and nothing to worry about yet.

The energy in the Dome is intense, electric and nothing like you have experienced at any of his shows before. Everything was a glow, every single one of the fans in the seats singing along. You head side stage to where you’ve grown to watching most shows you’re on the road for. 

“Something else, eh?” Cez asks loudly to get over the crowd, throwing an arm around your shoulders and drawing you into his side.

You nod, your voice caught in your throat. You’re fighting back being this emotional, but this is unbelievable and that Rockstar up on stage? You get to call him yours.

Cez squeezes you tighter, “I know kiddo, I know. I still get that way even after being with him for this long. Come on, let’s go to the pit for the run.”

You follow, making sure your earplugs are securely in place. The roar is going to be deafening when he hits the straightaway. What you didn’t expect was for him to stop at the end, snag you around the waist, twirl you with a kiss before his usual heading back up for the rest of the finale.

“That’s so going to end up on Tumblr,” you scream at him as he sets you down, and you spy Connor laughing from behind the camera. He caught it all.

“Good, gifs abound showing how much I fucking love you,” he yells back, kissing you one more time before dashing back up to stage.

It takes forever to get through the folks who needed to say hello after the show, you saw him starting to wane after the third massive group that was being ushered into the green room. You caught Cez’s eye, nodding over towards Shawn.

He mouths on it to you and bless him, makes the group filter through quickly. As soon as they’re gone and the door is closing behind them, he collapses on the couch pulling you down next to him, head tipping into your shoulder.

“Hey Rockstar,” you whisper, kissing his temple.

“Mmmm, hi baby. Thank you for being here for here. Means everything,” he sighs, cuddling down into you.

“Always. It’s me and you versus the world, right? Hasn’t changed. Won’t change,” you reply, pressing a longer lingering kiss to his skin. “Go shower. Go change. I’ll even wait in your room for you. Then we’ll head back. Me, you, room service and that pretty piece of silk we found at the night market.”

“Yes please,” he murmurs, kissing you slowly, sweetly like it’s the only thing he wants to do.

“Off with you,” you nudge him up and push him towards the door. His hand reaches for yours immediately, lacing his fingers in tightly with yours.

Finally, when he is done and his team has been told that things have seem to be a bit calmer outside, you start to make your way towards the sprinter van.

“I need you two to hold on to each other, and to me if you can. More importantly to stay close to us,” Jake explains seriously pointing between him and Big Eddie, who was here in Tokyo for the last few days with the team. “We have to do a straight shot to the car. Still too many folks to stop kid, I’m sorry but I can’t risk it. Not with the missus with you.”

You’re not even engaged yet, but since moment one of meeting Jake, he’s taken to calling you the missus. You both nod, Shawn taking a hold of your hand tightly. “I got you,” he whispers.

It’s a crowd like you’ve ever seen post-show before. It’s seas of people on both sides of the barricades. The roar comes once they see him. It’s a swell.

“Fuck, this is not what calm should look like,” Jake mutters. “We’re running. Go go go.”

You tighten your grip on his hand. Jake’s in front, a hold on Shawn, then you with Eddie’s one hand on your shoulder. You somehow hear the metal clatter to the ground and the plastic cracking before you see the people start spilling over and reaching for all of you.

“Shit,” you hear, not sure who it was from, but you’re being pushed forward. The jostling makes you lose your grip on Shawn’s hand first, then the next thing you know people are getting their way in between you and you don’t feel Eddie at your back any longer. You try not to panic, but it’s a sea of complete strangers. You think about calling out for Jake or Eddie. Names that would stand out in the sea of fans’ clamoring. It’s not worth it to even try calling out for Shawn, the crowd is boisterous and already chanting his name. It only takes a few moments before someone realizes who you are. You think about pulling out your phone, but you know it would be a lost cause. You just need to try to keep pushing your way forward. You start to get pulled at, pushed back and forth and it’s hard at this point to not start tearing up. You keep trying to move towards what you think is the direction you were going in in the first place.

At the same time, Shawn is losing his shit inside the van.

“Jake, I don’t fucking care about my own damn safety right now, she’s out there in this shitstorm, and out there in this shitstorm alone,” he yells. “Let me out of here, I need to find her. I told her I had her, Jake. Fuck, I need to get to her.”

“Kid I get it, but you’re not going out there. We’ve got the whole damn team and some of the arena folks weeding through the crowd to get to her,” Jake tries to state calmly. “I can’t let you out there. Hell, I can’t leave you alone in here to go find her myself. You know that’s not safe.”

“Not good enough, if she’s not back in 5, hell in 2. I don’t care Jake; I’ll pop out the damn sunroof if I have to,” he replies, pulling at his hair. “If I promise not to move, stay here, will you go out there? Jake please, I trust you. She trusts you. I just, I can’t just sit here and not do everything I can for her.”

Jake wipes his face with his hand, “You don’t move a muscle you hear me? I’m locking you in the damn car to boot, so no climbing and going through the roof like you threatened.”

“Yes, I promise,” he nods, his eyes still wild from the adrenaline. “Jake, please just find her.”

Jake quickly slides the door open to duck out, locking it behind him.

He doesn’t know how long it’s been, maybe 4 or 5 minutes since Jake left, but it’s feeling like a lifetime. He keeps checking his phone, but he knows there’s no way if you’re lost in this that it’s not worth it to pull out your phone. There are three quick heavy knocks on the van door that has him shifting back against the opposite side. He’s not sure what’s going on. The driver’s side door opens first with the driver shifting into the seat, then Eddie opens the sliding door letting Jake in with you in his arms before slamming it shut behind him.

“Ok time to get gone,” Jake says to the driver as he slides you into Shawn’s hold. “She’s ok, shaken up for sure, rattled and she probably won’t be wearing that shirt again. She said no one went after her, couple folks started tugging a bit harder than normal once they figured out who she was.  But nothing bruised, broken or cut from what I can see or what she said. Was a good thing she threw her hair up after the show. I spotted that pineapple bun of hers in the sea of people. Got to her quickly after that.”

“Baby,” he says pulling you into him tightly, burying his face into your hair at first, then your neck. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I’m here now, I’m right here.”

You’re shaking, cold from the crash of emotions, adrenaline dissipating. You can’t help but start sniffing and holding onto him snugly, wrapping around him like a vine. He was warm and comfort and love, all you really want or need at the moment.

“Call Cez and Andrew, anything that was planned or thought about for the next couple days before we go back to Toronto that has anything to do with work is off the table. That’s not up for debate,” his voice hard. “This also cannot happen again. Ever. That was utter bullshit. They had nothing under control, and that’s a risk I’m not willing to take. This is my family and I’m not having it. I’ll call Louis myself if I have to, this…”

He trails off, the crash starting to hit on his side and the tears start to slowly fall.

“I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you sweetheart, I’m not going to let something like that ever happen again,” he bites out, trying not to cry harder. “I love you so much. I’m so sorry. You’re my everything, you know that yeah? You have me to protect you, always. I will protect you with my life.”

“He tried to fight me to get to you,” Jake chimes in quietly as the van speeds its way back to the hotel. “I just couldn’t let him. But this boy, he was ready to take me if he had to. He’d lay it out and down for you. I’m sorry too, missus. This shouldn’t have been the way this went down. We’ll make sure of it. You’re as much as my responsibility as this kid is, and…”

“’S not your fault,” you croak out, still leaning heavily into Shawn. “Any of you. Crowd control means different things everywhere, especially at a venue that size, and who knew the barricades were going to snap and break. It’s not ok that they basically lied to the team though, that’s what I’m angry about. I’m ok though, shaky and in desperate need of a shower and some sleep, but not broken, not cracked. Maybe just a little worse for wear.”

Shawn wraps you up tighter, “Whatever you need tonight, baby.”

Once you’re back in the hotel, Jake safely deposits the both of you into Shawn’s room. It’s dark and quiet and you just stand in the bedroom holding each other there for a few minutes.

“Shower with me?” you ask, shifting yourself against him tightly again. “Please?”

“Let me call down for some tea first? You go get the water warm,” he whispers against the top of your head.

“Hot chocolate? With Baileys and marshmallows?” you volley back, a half smile trying to creep up your lips.

“Of course, whatever’s gonna make you feel better tonight,” he squeezes you again, before nudging you towards the bathroom. “I’ll let you steal my Leafs shirt too.”

You finally exhale fully once you’re in the bathroom. You didn’t realize you had been holding your breath that long. Or at least that’s what it was feeling like. Setting the shower a little warmer than normal, you quickly strip everything off, tossing it into the corner to deal with later. Stepping under the rainfall showerhead, you start to feel everything just sliding away, tension, the dirt, your fears. Quickly you start to wash off head to toe. You didn’t realize you had started to cry until you heard his feet splash the water against the tile behind you.

“Baby,” he half sighs half cries out, before sliding under the water to press you against him. “Let it go, let it all out. Go head, I’m here. You’re safe, pretty girl. it’s just you and me.”

You feel him start to let his emotions out as well, shaky breaths giving him away. You both stay like that, fusing together until the water starts to cool, but it’s worth it for the feeling a little semblance of getting yourself back together. Both of you.

“Let’s go get into bed with your boozy cocoa yeah?” he asks, lips against your forehead.

As he bundles you up in a towel, you realize for the first time he’s yet to kiss you kiss you since everything. You’re not sure if it’s a conscious decision, part of you thinks it is. You watch him for a moment as he towels off his hair, another balancing precariously low on his hips. He catches you, his lips trying to quirk up into a smile but it’s not quite there. He beckons you closer and you go without question.

He takes a fresh towel to blot at your hair, carefully sopping as much of the moisture away as he could.

“Can I ask you something?” you ask carefully. “You realize you haven’t really kissed me since before we walked out of the venue earlier? Not like you, baby.”

He lays the towel he was using for your hair across your shoulders, flipping the damp tresses out from underneath it. He looks intently at you for a moment before his right palm comes up to cup your cheek, thumb carefully swiping back and forth across your skin. “I couldn’t, I just…” he started before his breath caught for a minute. “I couldn’t forgive myself if something happened to you. It wouldn’t have happened in the first place if you weren’t here with me.”

“Hey, hey, none of that,” you say, pressing a finger across his lips. “Accidents happen. They suck. Yes, and this one, it was scary and all that shit, but it’s done. It’s over. Can you please kiss me now? Please Shawn?”

He kisses the pad of your finger, his other hand coming up to rest against your other cheek. He draws you in closer, tilting his forehead down to rest against yours. He starts slowly, softly. A whisper of a kiss across your lips, almost so light you don’t feel it at first. Then a stronger of a press before pulling away, nuzzling your nose with his. “I love you,” he whispers before letting go and really kissing you. It’s bruising, deep and wet; his tongue relentless. He’s letting everything he’s felt through this all out in this kiss. When he pulls away, you sling your arms around his waist to hold him. You head on his chest, feeling his heartbeat in your ears.

“This wasn’t your fault,” you remind him, pressing your lips against his chest. “Sweetheart, I’m here. I’m ok. We’ll take care of the logistical clusterfuck tomorrow. But for now, what I’d like? Since you said anything I need tonight. I want, I need you to love me Shawn. That’s all I’ll ever want from you, is your love.”

#shawn mendes #shawn mendes imagine #shawn mendes fanfic #shawn mendes fanfiction #shawn mendes fic #shawn mendes blurb #shawn mendes oneshot #shawn mendes fluff #shawn mendes angst #shawn mendes story #soft fluffy prompts

[shawnstoriesx]

Bear Pt 2

hello again! thank you for all the love on my first post ! it means the whole world to me! here’s the 2nd part but it’s a lil long so I had to divide it into two diff posts. personally i think this part is a lil messy but the 3rd part will hopefully be better. :-) any feedback would be greatly appreciated !

also...stream Two Of Us by Louis Tomlinson

Several weeks had passed since YN last sat with Shawn at the boba shop but the memory still stung. He didn’t need YN in his life anymore; he had Alexa. He made that clear. And YN knew that the more she’d see them together, the more her heart would break. Since then, she had been actively avoiding him and instead dedicated her time to her studies and working out. She came home late on the weekdays, choosing to stay at the campus library until closing, and then would leave early in the morning to squeeze in a workout before classes. On the weekends, she’d stay in her room whenever Shawn was over or would make a quick excuse to leave. And he was seemingly unbothered by it, giving YN nothing more than a quick nod whenever she left before directing his loving gaze and attention to Alexa.

“Don’t forget the midterm research project. That’ll be due in a couple weeks so get started and you must do it with one, and only one, other partner. Talk to me if you don’t find one. Have a good weekend.”

The room instantly ensued in the muffled noises of people packing their bags and discussing who they would choose as their partner. YN looked around the room helplessly. She didn’t know anybody in this class, keeping to herself and leaving right as it ended. Just as she was getting ready to head towards the front with the other group of students who didn’t have partners, YN felt a light touch on her shoulder. Turning around, her eyes fell upon a tall, broad shouldered, dark skinned boy. He looked fit but his athletic physique contrasted with the heavy circle framed glasses that rested on the bridge of his nose.

“Um hi...are you still looking for a partner?” the boy asked nervously.

YN nodded, looking him over before giving him a small smile. He didn’t look like he’d leave all the workload on her.

“Want to be partners then?” he added, fingers toying with the hem of his shirt.

“Uh yeah sure. I’m YN by the way.” she answered timidly, eyes fixated on his fingers before directing them back to his face.

“Great! I’m Brad.” He flashed her a wide smile.

They quickly exchanged phone numbers before agreeing to make plans through text. As she was walking away, YN heard a sudden thud and quickly turned around. Brad had apparently tripped on the steps leading down from the lecture hall and was pushing himself upright from the floor and rubbing his back. Scrambling back, YN offered her hand to him and he gave it a firm grasp before pushing himself up. But at the same time, YN was pulling him up and the momentum caused them both to fall backwards, crashing onto the floor with Brad on top of YN.

YN and Brad both stared at each other before simultaneously breaking into a fit of laughter. He quickly got off of her and stood to help her up and check if she was okay.

“Well that was a great first impression” Bart joked as he dusted off YN’s backpack before handing it to her.

They shared a chuckle and walked out of class together, engaged in light conversation, the sudden intimacy from the fall eradicating all of the awkwardness that was there before.

YN and Bart made plans to meet at her apartment later that day, agreeing that it was better to start now rather than later. Although they had just met, YN really liked Brad. They got along well and it was nice having another guy to talk to. But she was still cautious, texting Alexa to ask if she’d be home too. After all, Brad could be a serial killer for all she knew and she’d rather not be alone with him. Alexa quickly responded saying that she had plans but she’d reschedule to be home with YN. Alexa really was a great roommate.

The doorbell rang and YN ran to open it, expecting it to be Brad.

“Hey Br-“ YN started cheerfully before she realized it wasn’t Brad. It was Shawn.

“Oh. Hi Shawn.” The smile that was on her face before quickly left and she turned away. She wasn’t expecting him to be here today.

Shawn chuckled. “Happy to see you too Honey.”

The name that once brought her so much joy now made her heart heavy. YN gave him a sad look but he didn’t notice. He was already walking past her and towards Alexa.

“She just thought you were another boy babe” Alexa added.

Shawn stopped in his tracks. “Another boy? Who’s that?” he asked, flashing a questioning look over to YN.

“I was going to ask her too! Is that the boy I saw in your Anthro class? I walked into class and saw him on the floor on top of you and-“

“What?” Shawn interjected, his voice raised.

YN blushed, remembering that Alexa had class in the same room right after her. She remained silent and turned back towards the door to close it. She had just shut the door when she heard a “Wait up!” She cracked the door open just a bit and saw an out of breath Brad jogging up to her door and dramatically placing his hands on his knees to emphasize how breathless he was.

YN giggled. “Come on in.” She gave Brad a light squeeze and then turned around only to run straight into Shawn’s chest.

What the...when did he get here?

YN backed up from Shawn and looked up at his face to apologize but her words were caught in her throat as she processed the expression on his face. Shawn’s jaw was flexed and he intently looked over Brad, his entire body was tense.

“Hey. I’m Brad. I didn’t know YN had a boyfriend.” Brad stuck out his hand to shake Shawn’s.

Shawn’s jaw relaxed a bit at the kind gesture. “I’m Shawn, YN’s be-“ until she cut him off.

“Oh no he’s not my boyfriend,” she said, hands gesturing wildly at the notion. As if Shawn was ever going to see her in that way. “He’s just my roommate’s boyfriend.” YN added quickly before pulling Brad into her room to work on the project.

When it was time for Brad to leave, YN walked beside him on his way from her room to the door. Shawn and Alexa were cuddled up to each other on the living room couch while watching a Harry Potter marathon. Not wanting to distract the couple from the movie, Brad and YN made plans for their next meeting in quiet whispers, YN leaning into the others body to quietly whisper into Brad’s ear and vice versa.

They quickly said their goodbyes and YN went to join the Shawn and Alexa in the living room. Even though things were awkward between her and Shawn, she could never pass up on Harry Potter.

Sitting on the other end of the couch, YN recognized that the marathon had probably just started since it was only 45 minutes into the first movie. She looked over to the couple on the other end of the couch. Shawn was staring at her intently but quickly reverted his eyes to the TV screen when he saw her look over. And Alexa was beginning to nod off, looking like she was already bored out of her mind.

Before the first movie was even finished, Alexa excused herself from the rest of the marathon.

Shawn gave his girlfriend a worried look. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah I’m just not that interested in this stuff.” Alexa responded, giving him a kiss before slipping out of his arms.

“I thought you said you loved Harry Potter.”

Alexa froze. “Oh yeah I mean uh that I’ve watched it so many times it’s not exciting to me anymore. I’m still a big fan.” she stuttered as she walked away, leaving Shawn and YN alone.

They watched the first and second movie in silence but by the third movie, YN was shifting around a lot, the cold making her uncomfortable.

“Do you want to come over here? We can share this blanket.” Shawn asked, motioning towards the thin blanket on the floor below him. Alexa and Shawn were using the blanket before but when Alexa stood up to leave, she dropped it and didn’t pick it back up for him.

YN just stared blankly at him, not knowing what to say. After a couple more seconds of YN not responding, Shawn gave a deep sigh, stood up, grabbed the blanket, and walked around the couch and out of her field of vision.

Great. He finally left.

But a couple minutes later, Shawn returned with a thicker blanket. He sat down right next to her, draping the blanket around the both of them before resting his arm on her shoulders, drawing her body into his. YN tensed up but slowly relaxed as her body remembered that she and Shawn used to do this all the time. As much as she was trying to fight this feeling, Shawn’s presence still felt natural to her and him being this close was slightly comforting. He gave the top of her friend a friendly and chaste kiss. It was a common thing for Shawn to do but she still blushed at the action. Thank goodness that the lights were off.

“So, who’s Brad?” Shawn asked quietly.

“He’s in my Anthro class. We’re partners for a project.”

“Yeah I got that much. But what is he to you?”

“I don’t know. I just met him today. I like him though. He’s nice.”

Shawn just nodded in response and a comfortable silence took over. By the end of the last movie, YN and Shawn had both fallen asleep on the couch, her head head resting in the crook of his neck and his arms wrapped tightly around her.

YN was the first to wake up. It took her a while to remember where she was and who she was next to it but when she did, her heart started to race. YN sat there for a while more, basking in Shawn’s touch before she slowly got up, careful not to wake the boy who was still fast asleep.

She changed into her gym clothes and opted for her bike over her car for the journey to the nearby gym. Halfway there though, YN instantly regretted her choice. While it was sunny when she left her apartment, dark clouds were steadily making their way towards her and YN knew that it would probably start raining soon. As soon she reached the gym, YN locked up her bike and texted Alexa.

“It’s going to rain later and I took my bike to the gym. Can you pick me up?”

She didn’t get a response right away. “She’s probably still sleeping” YN thought as she walked into the building.

An hour into her workout, YN thought she heard her name being called out. She took her earbuds out, looking around to find the source of the noise when she heard her name again. This time, she recognized who it was.

Brad was walking towards her, giving her an energetic wave. YN gave a small wave back.

“Do you come here often?” he asked.

“Yeah I’m here almost everyday. How about you?”

“Dude same here. We should definitely work out sometimes. Are you here by yourself?”

“Yeah. You too?”

Brad shook his head and pointed to a small group of boys in the direction that she came from. “I’m here with my pledge bros.”

YN looked at the group of boys who were all staring in her direction. A blush fell over her cheeks from all of the attention and she was about to say goodbye, eager to escape their gaze, when Brad asked “You mind if I join you today? The boys are getting on my nerves about something.”

“Yeah sure. No problem” YN responded and they both headed towards the weight room.

They’d just finished up at the bench press and leg press and were taking a quick break.

“So what were your pbros bothering you about?” YN asked in between sips of water.

“We have a formal coming up but my girlfriend lives far away and can’t make it. I was going to go stag but apparently it’s against tradition.” Brad sighed, scratching his head.

They were about to go back to their workout when Brad’s friends came up to them, jumping on him and giving her a polite nod.

“Bear, maybe you should ask her to the formal.” one of the boys joked. The rest of the group agreed, giving their shouts of approval.

Bear? YN gave an awkward smile, not because of what the boys were saying but because of their name for Brad. It was her name for Shawn.

Brad looked down to his feet and brushed his fingers through his hair, obviously embarrassed of his friends. “Stop it guys.”

The boys continued their banter, moving from one topic to the next, until YN realized what time it was.

“Shit. I’d better head home now.” YN exclaimed. Looking out of the windows, she saw that it was pouring. She checked her phone. Still no response from Alexa. Maybe I should try Shawn. Last night felt like how it was before Alexa and it gave her hope that she and Shawn could return back to normal.

Brad noticed that YN was lost in though. “Everything all right YN?”

“Yeah,” she chuckled. “I just didn’t know it’d rain and I have to bike home.”

“No way I’m letting you do that.” Brad said firmly. I’ll take you home. You can put your bike in the back of my truck.”

“O my gosh. You’re a blessing. Thank you so much!” YN squealed, giving him a big hug before separating temporarily to collect their things from the locker rooms.

On the drive to YN’s apartment, she and Brad discussed their project and made plans to meet again after classes on Monday.

“Sorry about my pbros by the way. They can get a bit much.”

“No problem. They seem fun.” YN said quietly, gazing through the windshield.

“Would you be up for it though?” he asked nonchalantly.

“Up for what?”

“Being my date for the formal? As friends.”

YN’s head snapped towards Brad. His vision was still focused on the road and his demeanor didn’t change at all, given the weight of his question.

Brad noticed her silence and quickly said “If not that’s cool too. I know we don’t know each other well but I don’t know that many other girls. I don’t want you feel like I’m forcing you into-“

“Hey it’s no problem.” YN said, laughing quietly at how flustered Brad was.

Brad let out a deep sigh. “Thanks so much.”

“So...what’s up with the whole Bear thing?” YN said, changing the topic of the conversation.

“Oh it was my nickname of my football team in high school and it’s stuck with me since. Cuz I’m a big guy and I like to give hugs.”

“Well...that’s very fitting.”

They pulled into the street in front of YN’s apartment. Brad insisted on carrying YN’s bike in for her, which resulted in them waiting side by side in front of the door as she rustled through her gym bag looking for the keys.

“Hey thanks again for being my date. You’re a real savior.” Brad said, resting the bike against the wall.

“It’ll be fun hopefully.” YN responded absentmindedly, still pushing her things around looking for the keys. “You saved me today. It’s only right that I save you too.” Ahah. Found them.

“Bye Brad. Thanks again for th-“ YN started but was cut off by Brad wrapping her in a big hug.

A small laugh escaped her lips. “Forgot that you loved hugs.” She wrapped her arms around him too, returning the hug. “Thanks again for the ride Bear.”

When the words left her mouth, they instantly felt wrong to YN. That name was reserved for only Shawn. But she didn’t even have time to process the thought when the door swung open.

Shawn stood on the other side, one arm slipping through the hole of the shirt he was putting on.

“YN!” Shawn exclaimed as she and Brad broke from their hug. “Sorry we were busy and I just saw your text on Alexa’s phone. Was just about to come pick you up.”

“It’s no problem.” YN responded dryly, taking note of the hickies that weren’t there this morning and his messed up hair. It didn’t take a real genius to figure out what they were busy doing. “I was with Brad so he drove me home.”

#shawn mendes x reader #shawn mendes angst #shawn mendes x yn #shawn mendes au #shawn mendes fanfiction #shawn mendes #college!shawn #college!au

[juniorformulamotorsport]

Wednesday, 17th September 2019 – Illkirchen, Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg, Colmar

Wednesday morning, with even more insect bites decorating both of us, we got ready to check out and move on. I’d been for a run before breakfast and stopped off at the rather odd park near one of the tram stops. For reasons I couldn’t begin to fathom, the park contained a number of “Easter Island” heads. No. I have no idea. Apparently Place Malraux contains an Armenian Oak, which counts as a remarkable tree, but there’s no connection there that I can find. And the really weird thing was that they wouldn’t be the only Easter Island head style sculptures we would encounter, we would find more on the penultimate day of our holiday.

Anyway, they amused me. By 10:30 we’d got the car packed and were ready to go. Our landlady turned up on time, despite us not having done so on check-in and we were soon on our way to  Robert Blanck to buy the wines we’d decided on. That was easily achieved, and the lovely lady serving us insisted on slipping a few extra goodies in (a couple of “top hat” Champagne bottle stoppers), especially after we bought a creme de peche as well (made from vineyard peaches) and we wended our way onwards to Famille Hauller, but could find no one around, despite Ludovic having suggested he would be there between 11 and 12. We decided to save Domain Sylvie Spielmann for later in the afternoon and thus headed for Chateau Haut-Koenigsbourg. We’d heard more about it on our wine tour, when Olivier asked if anyone on the tour was a “Lord of the Rings” fan, because if so we needed to visit the castle. Apparently “some guy” had used it as inspiration for some of the set design. Given our proximity to Switzerland, Lynne and I put two and two together and figured he was probably talking about John Howe, the Canadian artist who lives in Switzerland and who was one of the two artists deeply involved in the look of Peter Jackson’s films. A minimal amount of research later and I’d confirmed this was indeed the case, and that there’d even been an exhibition there last year. We had to go. There was no choice, not when the information I’d found said: “Several decades later, John Howe, the famous illustrator of Heroic Fantasy publications, fell in love with the château’s mysterious atmosphere on his first visit here during the 1980s. He used it as the inspiration for the design of the Citadel of Minas Tirith after he was appointed to the post of Conceptual Designer for Peter Jackson’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy”. Just for good measure it also appears in its real form in Jean Renoir’s 1930s masterpiece, “La Grande Illusion”, and the considerably less famous “Les aventures d’Arsène Lupin” in 1956, but to keep the masterpiece theme going, it can also been seen in the animated classic “Howl’s Moving Castle”. 3 out of 4 then!

We drove up a winding and slightly white-knuckled road and eventually found ourselves on the loop in the road that leads up to the castle and then back down again. It was very, very busy and we decided that we’d try and get a good parking space rather than having to flog up the hill on what was another hot day. As we passed the apex and started to drop back down again we found a space that was actually big enough for my car (and it’s not a big car). And then we looked up! The castle is a monster of a structure, and looks just like you think a medieval castle should, looming massively against the skyline.

Its history, however, is slightly different to what you might expect, as with so many things in this part of the world. There’s mention of the Buntsandstein rock as Stophanberch (Staufenberg) in a 774 deed issued by Charlemagne, and it crops up again in 854, by which time it belonged to the Basilica of St Denis and may have been the site of a monastery. It all goes quiet again until 1147, when there is a record of a castle built by the Duke Frederick II of Swabia, one of the Hohenstaufens and called Castrum Estuphin, something the monks were not happy about as the record is a complaint to King Louis VII of France about it. The offending builder’s younger brother Conrad was elected King of the Romans in 1138, and was succeeded by his nephew, Frederick’s son, Frederick Barbarossa in 1152 and it wasn’t long before the name of this commanding fortress changed to Koenigsburg (king’s castle) or Kinzburg.

Eventually it passed to the Dukes of Lorraine, who entrusted it to the local Rathsamhausen knightly family and the Lords of Hohenstein, but the behaviour of a gang of robber barons who used the castle as a hideout so enraged the neighbours that it was occupied by the Elector Palatine in 1454, and less than a decade later it was set ablaze by the unified forces of the cities of Colmar, Strasbourg, and Basel. The Habsburgs handed the ruins over to the Tiersteins who rebuilt and enlarged the castle, supposedly in a way that meant it would be able to withstand modern artillery fire. No one told the Swedish artillery forces who broke through and overran the castle during the Thirty Years War and it was finally burnt to the ground in 1633 and left to fall into ruin for a couple of centuries. You wouldn’t know it though.

It was classified as an historical monument in 1862, and in 1865 it was bought by the town of Sélestat. There were plans to restore the place, but there were no funds to complete the work. Alsace was in one of its phases of being part of Germany, so the ruins of the castle were offered to Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1899. Having abandoned his plan to restore Schloss Rheinfels, he must have pretty much snapped their hands off. What followed was a remarkable 8-year long building project, where money was no object, and the most modern techniques were used. The castle would be completely restored, with the emphasis on as much historical accuracy as possible. To that end, a young architect, Bodo Ebhardt was put in charge. It helped that he was also an architectural historian, a castle explorer, and the founder and longtime president of the German Castles Association (Deutsche Burgenvereinigung). He was very thorough and after he had analysed the remaining ruins and façades, he read up as much as he could in old documents and records, and looked at other castles to draw comparisons.

He even made sure that those who came after would be able to easily identify the new parts of the walls, creating a new set of ‘mason’s marks’ to be used on any replacement stones, and gave different marks to different years. You can still see the marks if you know what to look for. It’s a fabulous place with some startling detail and although much of it is not authentic, you can completely forget that as you go round.

After an 8-year build, on May 13th 1908 the château was unveiled to the public with a parade and pageant involving five hundred performers in period dress. Of course after World War I it reverted back to being French, and became a tourist attraction, though apparently the French visitors would regularly criticise the restoration work because it had been carried out by the enemy. Surviving both World Wars undamaged the building was classified as a Monument historique (listed building) in 1993 and is now owned by the Conseil Départemental du Bas-Rhin.

As we wandered around, the views were staggering. You could see just why anyone with an ounce of strategic sense would want to build a fortress on just this spot. No one is going to be able to sneak up on you, that’s for sure.

After a couple of hours poking into all the nooks and crannies, we reckoned we needed a refreshment stop. The Library restaurant offered all sorts of options including some and cake. We were booked for dinner at our hotel that night and really didn’t need any more than a light snack. As there weren’t any of those on offer (Alsacian cuisine really does lean towards German sized portions, or at least ravenous vineyard worker sized portions alongside French refinement) I had a slice of mirabelle cake, and a bottle of cold water.

We had a look around the medieval garden that had been set up outside, but it had somewhat gone over due to the extremely hot weather and a general lack of care. Afterwards, we sauntered back to the car and headed over to Sylvie Spielmann, where we made a massive dent in our wine buying budget. We also made a massive dent in the bottom of my car when we collected a piece of ironwork that was sticking up out of the sandy base level that a road under reconstruction had been reduced to. It got stuck, dragged along for several feet, and I was only able to get off it by reversing and then rocking forward a couple of time. I’ve yet to figure out what damage has been done precisely, but it is going to need looking at.

From there we reloaded the car again, shuffling everything round as best we could to keep the next night’s bags at the top of the luggage pile, and headed to Colmar and the our hotel for the next three nights, the Hostellerie Le Maréchal. We arrived in good time, and unloaded. I then had to drive the car to the nearby underground car park, because a hotel built in 1595 isn’t going to have built in car parking! It was a hot walk back and I annoyed myself by leaving my handbag in the car and having to walk back again almost immediately. Once in though, we were able to get ourselves organised and cleaned up and then investigate the possibility of an aperitif in the hotel bar prior to dinner in their restaurant a l’Echevin.

We had a lovely view from our window of the canal and some of the typical local barques which were the only vessels shallow enough to navigate from the market garden areas to the market hall back in the day, and which now carry tourists up and down.

Colmar looked lovely, the hotel was glorious, we had one of the suites with a “Little Venice” view, and we looked to be in for a lovely stay. As we had dinner at the hotel twice, I shall write about that elsewhere.

Travel 2019 – Alsace and Baden, Day 6, Illkirchen, Orschwiller, Colmar Wednesday, 17th September 2019 - Illkirchen, Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg, Colmar Wednesday morning, with even more insect bites decorating both of us, we got ready to check out and move on.

#2019 #A l’Echevin #Arts #Cafés #Castles #Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg #Colmar #Domaine Sylvie Spielmann #Drink #Europe #Famille Hauler #Films #Food #Food and Drink #France #History #Hospitality #Hostellerie Le Maréchal #Hotels #Illkirch-Graffenstaden #John Howe #Parks #Robert Blanck #Travel #Wine

[chaunceyandchumleysdad]

Dandy Warhols at Metro Chicago May 11, 2019

This is a post about the show, but also about me, the music I love and what the Dandy Warhols mean to me. This was the seventh time I’ve seen this band live, and the first time I’ve seen them at Metro Chicago since the fist two times I saw them. For the record, these are the shows:

Sept. 6, 2003 @ Metro, Dec. 6, 2005 @ Metro, Sept. 12, 2008 @ Vic Theater, Oct. 30, 2010 @ Vic Theater, June 8, 2013 @ Vic Theater, Sept. 13, 2014 @ Riot Fest, Humboldt Park, Nov. 19, 2015 @ Thalia Hall, May 11, 2019 @ Metro. (There was also a near miss in summer 2015 when my younger son Dylan texted me to let me know they were playing at a street festival in Chicago. A summer storm was rolling in, so I decided not to go. Dylan was there and I think the band played one or two songs before they had to abandon the stage due to the storm.)

I bought my ticket for the recent show a few months ago and as the date got closer, I was kind of regretting it. The Lemonheads and Tommy Stinson were playing at Thalia Hall. Smoking Popes and War On Women were playing at Bottom Lounge. And I was going to see a band I’d seen six times already. As fate would have it, Dylan borrowed my car one night and put a Dandy Warhol’s CD in the car. (Yes, my car is that old that it has not only a CD player, but a cassette player as well.) As I drove around listening to Thirteen Tales of Urban Bohemia, I began to really look forward to the show and had no regrets about going.

The Metro show in 2003 was a show that really set me on a new course for live music. Having started going to concerts in 1973, all I mostly knew for many years was the big Rock shows at stadiums and arenas. Club or theater shows were few and far between. By the time the 1990’s came along, I was raising a family, focused on my career and doing a lot of business travel. As a result, I was not going to a lot of concerts at that time. It was still pre-streaming music days, so the opportunity to discover new music was mostly limited to radio. (Although traveling to college campuses allowed me to hear some variety on campus radio stations.) In the early 1970’s, I started listening to WXRT, a progressive Rock station that turned me onto a lot of new music. By the year 2000, they had become a station that was a lot more selective and less diverse with what they played. WXRT ignored The Dandy Warhol’s first two albums, but they did play “Bohemian Like You” when the third album came out, The Dandy’s first record on a major label (Capitol). I loved the song, and I bought the CD. It instantly became one of my all-time favorite albums.

I decided I had to see them live, and that led to me attending the 2003 show at The Metro with my wife. I was immediately blown away. The band opened the show with a long shoe-gaze instrumental. They played selections from their new album, Welcome To The Monkey House as well as many of their Psychedelic and Power Pop songs from their first three albums. Courtney with cool vocals and rhythm guitar, Pete playing great licks on the lead guitar, Zia providing the bass and psychedelic sounds with the synthesizers and Brent rounding out the rhythm with a solid, steady back beat. The small theater allowed us a close-up view of the stage from the low balcony where we stood. Fans were dancing, drinking alcohol and passing joints up to the band members. I felt like I was back in a comfortable and exciting atmosphere that I had not experienced in a long time. From that point on, I became fanatical about attending live music shows, particularly at small theaters or clubs. I now rarely attend large stadium or arena shows, with The Rolling Stones and Pearl Jam being my consistent exceptions.

The show on this night (May 11, 2019) was part of their 25th anniversary tour and also served to promote their new album Why You So Crazy. It is their ninth studio album (depending how you are counting), and I think their 12th LP overall. That gives them a lot of music to draw from. Having seen them several times before, I was not bent on getting close to the stage. (In fact, last time I saw them at Thalia Hall, I was resting my arms on the stage the entire show while my son Dylan was kind enough to get me beer so that I did not lose my spot.) This time around, I was a little more chill. I arrived in time to catch the last three songs of opening band, Cosmonauts. I was not familiar with their music, but they sounded good. Not concerned about staking out a place to stand, I spent intermission leaning on a bar rail in the hallway while sipping an IPA and watching Game 1 of the St. Louis-San Jose NHL conference final on my phone. I stood in the back of the theater for the Dandy’s set. It is such a small theater that I still had a great view and easy access to the bar which added to my shoe-gaze enjoyment during the show. (During the show, Zia reminisced about the New Year’s Eve show they played at Metro years ago. I was not there, but I remember watching one of those lame New Year’s Eve shows from local television station where the newscasters stand in as emcees and try to act like they have personalities. I watched it based on the promise that they would be showing the Dandy’s show live from Metro. After waiting over an hour, they aired about 20 seconds of the show. So yes, Zia, I do remember the New Year’s Eve show!)

As usual, Zia closed out the show with some droning synthesizer sounds while chatting with the audience. She always DJ’s an after party, and she mentioned that she would be DJ’ing “next door.” By “next door,” I thought she meant the Smart Bar. Though actually in the basement of Metro Chicago, it is technically “next door” as you must walk out of Metro and enter another door to the south. It turned out she was at GMan Tavern to the north of Metro. I didn’t stay long at Smart Bar, but it was good to see it as I had not been there in decades. There was a stylish young lady in front of me as I was walking down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, we chatted for a minute. I told her I had not been in the Smart Bar since the 80’s. She wanted to know what I wore back then. Never having been a fashion maven, I had to be honest. I said, “I dunno. Probably jeans and a flannel shirt.” I didn’t stay long, and not having eaten since lunch, I decided to leave in search for food.

Over the years, I have exchanged a couple of brief emails with Zia. Last year I met Pete at his merchandise table when his band Pete International Airport opened for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in Milwaukee. Before this show at the Metro, as I was approaching the theater, I see Brent coming out toward me. He stops to light up a cigarette and we exchanged “hellos.” Following the show, when I left Smart Bar, I decided to head across the street to Wrigleyville Dogs for some food. When I walked in, Brent was sitting in there with a friend. I chatted with him for a few minutes as I waited for my food order. I told him that is was the seventh time I’ve seen the Dandy’s. I also told him how much I love the album Anyway by his other band Immigrant Union. He seemed very pleased and proud of that and told me their third album will be out soon. Being an Australian band, I’m not sure Immigrant Union has gotten a lot of attention in the U.S. Brent’s friend commented on what a good restaurant Wrigleyville Dogs is and said he and Brent were going to get some beers and come back later for burgers. When they left, Brent waved to me and said, “I’ll see you in a bit.” I’m not sure if he thought I was going to the after show, or if he expected me to still be sitting in Wrigleyville Dogs when they came back for burgers. But probably it was just a way of saying, “I’ll see you again sometime.” It was an enjoyable meeting and Brent upheld the image I’ve always had of him; a personable and easy-going dude. All-in-all, it was a great evening with the Dandy Warhols and I look forward to seeing them many more times.

Set List:

1.       Forever (Why You So Crazy, 2019)

2.       Holding Me Up (Odditorium, 2005)

3.       STYGGO (Distortland, 2016)

4.       We Used to Be Friends (Welcome To The Monkey House, 2003)

5.       Crack Cocaine Ranger (The Black Album, 2004)

6.       Small Town Girls (Why You So Crazy, 2019)

7.       Get Off (Thirteen Tales Form Urban Bohemia, 2000)

8.       Highlife (Why You So Crazy, 2019)

9.       Plan A (Welcome To The Monkey House, 2003)

10.   You Were the Last High (Welcome To The Monkey House, 2003)

11.   Well They're Gone (This Machine, 2012)

12.   I Love You (…The Dandy Warhols Come Down, 1997)

13.   Be Alright  (Why You So Crazy, 2019)

14.   Mohammed (Thirteen Tales Form Urban Bohemia, 2000)

15.   Godless (Thirteen Tales Form Urban Bohemia, 2000)

16.   Bohemian Like You (Thirteen Tales Form Urban Bohemia, 2000)

17.   Every Day Should Be a Holiday (…The Dandy Warhols Come Down, 1997)

18.   Pete International Airport (…The Dandy Warhols Come Down, 1997)

19.   Boys Better (…The Dandy Warhols Come Down, 1997)

20.   Zia Outro

#dandy warhols #Metro Chicago #chicago #wrigleyville #courtney taylor-taylor #zia mccabe #brent deboer #immigrant union #pete holmstrom #pete international airport #live music #may 11 2019 #setlist.fm

[sungggyu]

“신흥무관학교” / “iron mask” / “barnum” fan accounts

just a little over a week ago, i returned home from yet another korea trip in this year alone - this time to watch not only sunggyu but also dongwoo and woohyun’s musicals! so now that i’m back, i’ll be sharing a fan account of their musicals as i’ve done before with other performances i’ve attended ´･ᴗ･`

for those who are interested, i’ll put up a plot summary for sunggyu and dongwoo’s musicals in the next few days in a separate post!

sunggyu: shinheung military academy

16th september 2018 1430

18th september 2018 1500

18th september 2018 2000

19th september 2018 2000

sunggyu’s musical was the very first musical i watched, not just in the course of this trip but also the very first in my entire life. in other words, i have never ever been to a musical before this!! being able to experience a musical for the very first time through watching one of sunggyu’s therefore felt like somewhat of an honor, in a way?

before talking about the musical though, i just want to add that i saw sunggyu’s family…….. on the very day of my first show……………. like, what are the odds!!!!!!!!!! i had only just taken a photo of my ticket with sunggyu’s character banner at the side and turned around to walk to the seats at the back when a really familiar lady walked past me. i was still trying to recall where i’d seen that face before when not even a moment later, a squirming yoonhoo (sunggyu’s nephew) came into view and that’s when it clicked in my head.. she was sunggyu’s sister (இ﹏இ`。) i was so shocked that according to my friend, i froze on the spot LOL. after a few moments though, i finally got myself together and we went to the seats at the side as we originally intended. we caught a few more glimpses of his family a bit later and honestly they were just like any other ordinary family with a baby haha. yoonhoo kept throwing an empty bottle on the ground when he played with his dad but when he played with his grandpa, he kept tugging at grandpa’s clothes! eventually, when we went into the theatre, sunggyu’s parents stayed outside watching the baby while his sister and brother-in-law entered the theatre. after the musical, when we were leaving and making our way to woohyun’s musical venue, we walked past sunggyu’s mother carrying yoonhoo again near the theatre’s lobby. it seemed like baby-sitting duty was over for her so she’ll be watching the evening show with her husband while sunggyu’s sister and brother-in-law took over the baby-sitting role ahaha. it was such an unexpected but pleasant encounter! （´·｀ ）♡

what was really funny though (sorry sunggyu), was that yoonhoo looked so happy the entire day yet as soon as he saw his uncle....

moving on to sunggyu’s musical “shinheung military academy”, it’s a state-produced musical to commerate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the korean army. with this in mind, i was a little wary that the musical may be full of state propaganda and therefore, potentially lacking/subpar compared to those produced by privately owned production companies. as it turns out, however, the musical went above and beyond my expectations. it was most definitely not subpar and it was not just average either! it was so good that it exceeded all of my expectations ;-; imo the plot of the musical was brought out even better due to the A-list actors they recruited (ji changwook, kang haneul)..? seeing those two actors live in action had been a really incredible experience as well. both ji changwook and kang haneul really surprised me with how well they sang and it was not until days later that i found out they both actually made their debut in the musical theater.. which explains…

sunggyu plays ji cheongcheon, a korean general who was trained in the japanese imperial military academy before defecting to guide and lead the guerilla forces behind the korean independence movement under japanese colonial rule. to be really honest, sunggyu doesn’t have a very huge role and doesn’t appear much in the musical. he may be listed as one of the “main” casts alongside ji changwook and kang haneul but personally, i feel that this is very much just an honorary title? what’s interesting to note is that sunggyu’s character is one of the few, if not the only, character that is based on a real life war hero. i think sunggyu mentioned that he felt really honoured and awed to be playing an actual war hero, and he was so intrigued he spent lots of time reading up on the man’s biography.

in the first part of the musical, sunggyu only appears very briefly to sing one verse in the first song and in one of the next few songs. probably due to the character he is playing, he runs a lot, which was honestly a pretty refreshing sight lol. every time he makes an appearance, he’s basically running onto stage before running off stage again after singing his lines. he has one solo song in the first part of the musical, complete with a long sword dance and i have to say it was so!! hot!!! especially in that military uniform of his? wow. at the end of the song, he runs off stage with a torchlight, down the left aisle in the audience seats before turning and making his exit from the right side of the theatre’s door. he appears more in the second part of the musical, complete with lots of fighting moves due to the thickening of the plot. he does roundhouse kicks and punches here and there, taking down all the enemies with ease depsite being surrounded and outnumbered by them. (i know this is just a fictional plot but just picture that.. super hot)

there are times when many of the cast members sing together for an ensemble piece and in times like this, i would say you can hear pretty distinctively that sunggyu takes the notes that are an octave higher than most other cast members ;-; i checked with a few of my friends who watched the musical as well and most of them thought that the high note sounded like him too! other giveaways include the extra quivering of his lip, the subtle movement of him opening his mouth wider the very same time the high note comes on.. and many more haha. but honestly i do think it sounds a lot like sunggyu too. my boy :’)

personally, as much as i enjoyed the musicals, the part i always looked forward to the most was the curtain call at the end of the musicals because that’s when actor!gyu goes away and natural!gyu comes back :-( when he makes his appearance, he climbs up this huge stage prop and stands at the top, beaming for a short moment before making his way down to stage center to take a bow, do a salute and greet the audiences. he does so in a very sunggyu-like manner (aka in all the glory of his natural cuteness), fists half hidden in his big coat, waving frantically and excitedly in every direction all with a really precious and genuine smile on his face ;-; after all the cast members have greeted the audiences and taken a final bow together, they returned to the center of the stage as the curtain draws. it was always during these short-lived moments that sunggyu does the most adorable actions!! on the first show and the last show i went to, he shot cute little fingerhearts to audiences in every direction (ಥ﹏ಥ) on the evening show on the 16th of september which i missed due to woohyun’s musical, he even did a little dance according to my friend who watched it (T⌓T)

i must add that it was also really heartwarming to witness sunggyu’s interactions with his new friends! in one song where kang haneul’s character dusts off sunggyu’s shoulders as part of the performance, i personally witnessed sunggyu wiggling his brows at kang haneul hahaha. during the curtain call in the final show i watched, sunggyu was doing thumbs up to all the actors around him and subsequently, ji changwook turned around and patted him on his cheeks.. he is just so loved wherever he goes ´·ᴗ·`♡

my friends who have watched sunggyu’s musicals have always told me how one could see that he genuinely enjoys doing musicals and now that i’ve finally seen it for myself, i can’t help but to agree, it seems like the stage is truly where he belongs ♡_♡

dongwoo: iron mask

19th september 2018 1600

dongwoo’s musical “iron mask” was set in paris, france in the 1600s and it was really interesting to say the least! i must admit that i spoiled myself beforehand by looking up the plot but then again if i hadn’t, i doubt i would’ve understood much of the musical considering how weak my korean language skills are :/

after watching dongwoo’s musical, i personally felt that his singing in there wasn’t his best ever yet, but i think this has more to do with how musicals demand much more than just simply singing a song. it requires (emotional) acting, which dongwoo portrayed REALLY well, and i would say his acting makes up for it a lot. that said, his singing was still pretty damn good even though it didn’t seem to be the best i’ve heard from him. it was a bit shakier in the first half of the musical but once intermission was over and we moved to the second half, it stabilised a lot more ♡ when curtain call rolled around, i realised dongwoo must’ve been really nervous earlier because many of the older cast members were all patting him on his head, his back, ruffling his hair and just babying him. from an outsider’s perspective, those seemed to be acts of encouragement, praise and comfort.. which was why i think dongwoo must’ve been nervous before.. not to mention the fact that it was his first ever show for this musical.

expanding on dongwoo’s performance in the musical, i must say that he was an amazing actor. he’s such a wasted talent (πーπ) dongwoo played double characters in this musical - his role was both the elder and younger twin born to the parisian royal family in the 1600s. basically, the elder twin, louis, was the king whereas the younger twin, philip, who had been kept away from the public eye ever since he was young, was as good as a prisoner to the extent he’s unfamiliar with all the royal ettiquete that his elder brother has long been acquainted with. simply put, louis was a huge ass of a person and a king and philip, his complete opposite, was kind and gentle, albeit clumsy. the musical showcased dongwoo’s ability as an actor due to the huge contrast in the characters of both brothers he was portraying. dongwoo could leave the stage laughing his head off as a deranged (and somewhat psychopathic) louis after he had some man killed just so he could have their lover all to himself as his queen but within a minute, when the scene changes, he’ll be back on stage as weak and clumsy philip, who apologises to everyone for the slightest things he couldn’t have had control over anyway. dongwoo did such a great job in portraying each twin so cleanly without any overlap or confusion which is why i say he acted so well ;-; with enlistment coming round the corner for dongwoo, i doubt that he’ll have time to be doing anymore musicals, especially if we consider how there had been mentions of his solo as well. but if there’s a chance in the post-enlistment future, however, i’ll definitely be looking forward to his potential projects!

woohyun: barnum - the greatest showman

16th september 2018 1830

truthfully, i remembered the least from woohyun’s musical because i was feeling a little under the weather on the day i went to see his musical :-( that and the fact that it’s one of the earlier shows i watched compared to the other dongwoo and sunggyu shows.. but from the bit i do remember, he sang (really well, obviously) in a lot of lower range notes which was kinda refreshing considering how he’s usually in charge of a lot of high notes in infinite songs! if my ears didn’t fail me, the usual reminder to audiences to turn off their phones and that recordings of any form were prohibited was announced through a voice recording made by woohyun? hahaha. as soon as that ended, he appeared on stage right away and started the first song.

i would like to make a note that there was so much bromance going on between woohyun’s character (amos scudder) and the lead actor who played p.t. barnum and it was so adorable. the lead actor was easily taller than woohyun since woohyun is not the biggest man so during the many scenes where barnum grabs and hugs amos in joy, the lead actor literally lifted tiny woohyun off his feet in a tight hug and it was soooooo cute (ಥ﹏ಥ) there was another scene where the lead actor (i’ll just call him barnum from now) and woohyun ventured into the audience seats on the ground floor as part of the scene where they were pooling funds. at one point, after collecting enough “funds” (which were really just fan letters in envelopes), barnum said “i’ll give you amos” and then pushed woohyun into the crowd. the screams!! were so loud!!! woohyun was man-handled easily and i don’t know how else to say it but it was just so cute ugh. woohyun is smol, we get it, no need for the constant reminder (⋟﹏⋞) these aside, there were also the scenes of barnum and woohyun almost kissing (on the lips lol) and barnum slapping woohyun’s butt so yeah that’s about it for their bromance.

miscellanous notes from the musical:

there was this part at the start where barnum said amos was good-looking so woohyun made a flower pose

woohyun did a cartwheel

woohyun’s character got angry a lot and shouted so much it was lowkey 🔥

woohyun danced to ‘tell me’

after the show, we went to catch woohyun at his post-show greeting with fans at the lobby of the venue. it took some time before he appeared but when he finally showed up, he talked for quite some time and it was so sweet even though i understood close to nothing. other than the fact that inspirits are 너만이’s mom(s) from now on ;-) when he left the venue, fans lined the pedestrian walkway to send him off in the driveway and at one point he was so close to me i was so !!!#$%%#^@!$@! HE WAS SO BEAUTIFUL.. that perfect face barely 2 metres away from me.. i had an internal breakdown seeing this beautiful man that up-close..

there was some talk going on later that night on twitter about a fan who allegedly grabbed his hand from the open car window and kissed it but personally i doubt it happened. after looking at the photos i realised said fan was actually the one right next to me and in the fancam i managed to film, there was no kissing going on. it was probably the photo angle in the initial photo that spread. if there was anything awful about that send-off, however, it was all those fans who ran after his car when it drove out of the driveway just because it stopped at a traffic light outside. that was really something.. which i hope will never happen again in the future :-/

all in all, this had been a really great trip! even though i got to see sunggyu’s solo concerts in the previous trip (featuring these two as well), this trip just felt so much better overall in that i was able to see each of my faves performing on a different kind of stage. oh, and did i mention our chance encounter with hoya at his brother’s restaurant too? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) as i’ve said, this trip was truly 10/10.

#personal #sunggyu #dongwoo #woohyun #*fan account

[bigyack-com]

Sex Trafficking via Facebook Sets Off a Lawyer’s Novel Crusade

HOUSTON — Tech has led to a lot of trouble lately: hate speech, financial scams, undermined elections. Yet tech companies have largely avoided legal consequences, thanks to a landmark 1996 law that protects them from lawsuits.Now that federal law, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, has a new threat: Annie McAdams, a personal-injury lawyer in Houston.Ms. McAdams is waging a legal assault against Facebook and other tech companies, accusing them of facilitating the sex trafficking of minors. In a series of lawsuits in California, Georgia, Missouri and Texas, she is using a novel argument to challenge the 1996 law, and finding some early success. This year, a Texas judge has repeatedly denied Facebook’s motions to dismiss her lawsuits.Section 230 states that internet companies are not liable for what their users post. Ms. McAdams argues that, in the case of pimps using Facebook and Instagram to lure children into prostitution, separate laws require Facebook to warn users of that risk and do more to prevent it.“If you sell a lawn mower and the blade flies off and chops someone in the leg, you have the responsibility to fix it and warn people,” she said. “Nowhere else has an industry been afforded this luxury of protection from being held accountable for anything that they’ve caused.”Ms. McAdams’s lawsuits are part of a broader, yearslong effort to use the courts to upend how the 23-year-old law governs the internet. While Section 230 is increasingly debated in Washington and on the presidential campaign trail, legislation is not expected to significantly weaken the law anytime soon. Instead, lawyers are pushing ahead with federal and state lawsuits to challenge its protection of internet companies. After years of court rulings that strengthened the law, cracks have recently begun to show.In 2016, a federal appeals court ruled that Section 230 didn’t protect a modeling website that two men used to lure women they drugged and sexually assaulted, because the site’s owners knew of the threat and failed to warn the women. In March, a federal appeals court affirmed a ruling that Airbnb could be held liable if its users violated home-rental bans in Santa Monica, Calif. And in July, another federal appeals court rejected Amazon’s Section 230 arguments and said it could be held liable for selling defective products after a woman sued over a broken dog leash that partly blinded her. The court is rehearing the case at Amazon’s request.“Plaintiffs keep taking cracks at it, and every time they don’t instantly lose, they pour more resources into that crack to see if they can split it open,” said Eric Goldman, a Santa Clara University law professor who supports the law.Ms. McAdams’s case is one of the widest cracks today. Facebook asked Steven Kirkland, a state judge in Houston, to dismiss two of Ms. McAdams’s lawsuits because of its immunity under Section 230. The judge denied the company’s motions, though his rulings offered little insight into his thinking. He declined to elaborate in an interview.“It’s always noteworthy when a 230 dismissal isn’t granted in a case involving someone like Facebook, because we just presume Facebook won’t be liable for what its users are doing,” Mr. Goldman said.Facebook responded to the judge’s decision in Houston with a nearly 50-page petition to a Texas appeals court, arguing that Judge Kirkland had erred. “The claims here asserted against Facebook have no basis in law,” Facebook’s lawyers wrote in the petition.A Facebook spokeswoman added that the company “has zero tolerance for any behavior or content that exploits children on our platform” and that it used sophisticated technology and a partnership with a children’s advocacy group “to aggressively combat this behavior and protect children.”Ms. McAdams’s approach could prove significant. If the Texas rulings hold up on appeal, they could persuade judges in other states and potentially even draw the Supreme Court to weigh in, said Jeff Kosseff, a United States Naval Academy law professor who wrote a book on Section 230. If judges began allowing such product-liability claims to get around Section 230, it would probably mean many more companies would be held legally responsible for harms that occurred on their sites, particularly if plaintiffs could show the companies’ decisions or policies had led to those harms, according to Mr. Kosseff and two other law professors who spoke to The New York Times. Judge Kirkland said he expected Facebook’s appeals would continue to the Texas Supreme Court, meaning a trial would most likely wait until 2021.“My clients know it’s going to be a 10-year fight,” Ms. McAdams said. “I’m not looking for a settlement. I’m looking for a day in court.”Ms. McAdams, 43, poses an unusual challenge for the tech companies. She is not an Ivy League lawyer with a history of Supreme Court cases; she is a personal-injury attorney who has taken on drunken drivers, real estate developers, insurance companies and a church after a coffin floated away in a flood. Over fajitas at her favorite Tex-Mex joint in Houston, she said she had acquired the restaurant’s secret margarita recipe in legal discovery when she sued the place for serving a man too much alcohol.She dismisses academics critical of her approach, and she delivers bold pronouncements — particularly to a reporter with a voice recorder — in a disarming Texas drawl.In the Facebook case, she predicted a jury would award her clients billions of dollars. “They have to do everything to keep me from that jury,” she said, “because once facts are known, it’s over.” She said she was “building the blueprint” for lawyers in other states to sue social-media companies on similar grounds. Ms. McAdams first pursued lawsuits against the hotels where pimps set up shop. Then, when interviewing potential clients, she noticed a common thread: Almost all the girls had met their pimps on Facebook or Instagram.She still wasn’t exactly sure how to build a case, until she watched Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive, testify to Congress last year. “I couldn’t believe he went on the record saying I’m responsible for the content,” she said. “I have 17 references under oath.”After she sued, Facebook enlisted about a dozen outside lawyers, including in Houston, Dallas and Austin, and flooded her with court filings. “Every time they file, we’ll punch back,” she said.Her lawsuits accuse Facebook of violating Texas sex-trafficking and product-liability laws. Section 230 basically protects tech companies from being sued for what people do on their platforms; Ms. McAdams argues that her case is about what Facebook didn’t do to protect its users. “We’re not trying to hold Facebook accountable for something some random person posted,” she said. “We’re trying to hold Facebook accountable for their independent actions and omissions in the facilitation of trafficking.”She said laws required Facebook to do more to stop predators who use its products to find victims and to warn people of that risk. For instance, she said, Facebook could require users to verify their identities and better restrict adults from connecting with minors. While Congress amended Section 230 last year to allow federal lawsuits against tech companies that facilitate sex trafficking, Ms. McAdams is suing Facebook in state court.The product-liability argument has not always succeeded. While her argument appeared to persuade one judge, a second Texas judge overseeing another of her lawsuits against Facebook rejected it. He is letting her continue the suit under different claims.Carrie Goldberg, a New York lawyer, tried a similar legal argument when suing the dating app Grindr for enabling her client’s ex-boyfriend to send more than 1,000 men to her client’s door looking for sex. Two federal courts cited Section 230 and dismissed the suit, and the Supreme Court declined to hear the case in October. Ms. Goldberg said that if a product-liability argument succeeded against tech companies, it could force companies to make their sites safer. Such product-liability law are “how we have seatbelts and windshield wipers; it’s because of court cases where companies have been held liable for dangerous conditions,” she said.Ms. McAdams is hedging her bets. In addition to her three suits against Facebook in Texas and one in Tennessee, she has sued Salesforce in Texas, California and St. Louis, accusing the business-software company of helping the prostitution site Backpage do business. Those suits have had mixed results so far. Salesforce declined to comment. Last week, she sued the email company MailChimp in Georgia for also helping a Backpage imitator. A MailChimp spokeswoman declined to comment specifically on the suit but said the company doesn’t allow illegal activity on its platform.Next up, Ms. McAdams and her co-counsel, David Harris, are talking about suing other large tech and financial firms for their roles in sex trafficking. “The bigger they are, the harder they fall,” she said. Source link Read the full article

[maggieisalarrie]

Titles: L

Learning to Breathe by youcomecrash (111k)

He’s playing football at one of the top universities in England and he should love everything about his life right now, but instead he’s moving backwards. How does your past fit into your present? Louis is still figuring it out.

led by your beating heart by missandrogyny (29k)

Nick leans over. "Oh," he says, his voice smug. "Who is that?"

Harry just blinks at his phone. "Um," he manages to stammer out.

"Who's that, Harry?" Nick asks again, but this time he raises his eyebrows and smirks. Harry knows Nick is just teasing, and that he's not really looking for new Harry Styles gossip, but, um. He might have found something. Accidentally.

Harry opens his mouth to speak, but all that comes out is another 'um'. He really needs to work on translating his thoughts into words. But then it probably wouldn't be any helpful right now, would it? His mind is as blank as a newly erased etch-a-sketch.

"Oh," Nick says again, this time gleefully, seemingly having picked up on Harry's distress. "Looks like we've got a story here! Are you going to call or delete her number?"

Her number. So Nick thinks it's a girl. Well, Harry can't blame him: 'Lou' is kind of an androgynous nickname. His stylist's name is Lou.

But this Lou, well, Louis, he's kind of, really, really not a girl. He's really pretty though, which, is something.

(Or: AU where Harry's in One Direction, Louis isn't, and they reconnect over a game of 'Call or Delete'.)

Lego House by danceinstylinson (144k)

Louis Tomlinson was just about at the end of his rope, caught up in the mess he’d created for himself, stranded at the center of a maze. Harry Styles was doing just fine the way thing were. He worked at night and slept through the day. He made enough money to just get by. Everything was fine. But one night seemed to change everything. Coming from very opposite sides of town, the two boys meet. One saves the other in more ways than one, and though neither expect a future extended past sunrise, fate seems to have other plans….

lightning before the thunder by delsicle (29k)

Harry came from one of the most powerful lines of fire mages in the country. He was supposed to be a natural at magic, a prodigy, even.

But instead he was in the X-Factor contestant house kitchen at two in the morning, wearing only his pants, and he had just set the stove on fire while making snacks for his bandmates and the boy he was in love with.

like an animal (i wanna feel you from the inside) by bottomlinsons (grimgrace) (4k)

Louis leans a little closer. It’s not difficult – not with the way he’s already pressed so close, straddling Harry’s hard hips with Harry’s equally hard dick nestled tightly between his cheeks.

The paramedic clears his throat and looks away.

(Harry and Louis get a little stuck. Literally.)

Like an Endless Summer by objectlesson (87k)

“You just wanna go fawn over Styles as soon as possible,” Zayn grumbles.

“I do not. Plus, he probably got ugly this year. Eighteen is an awkward time…I bet he’s got acne and one of those terrible fuckboy haircuts all the hipsters are getting these days, with the shaved sides? Just watch, the first year we’re gonna get any time together is gonna be the first year I don’t have a stupid crush on him.”

—

Or, Louis is a riding instructor at a summer camp, and Harry is a fellow counselor who he’s been successfully managing his crush on for the last two summers. That is, until Harry shows up this year leveled up and lethal, and all Louis’s formerly perfected veneer of nonchalance melts like a popsicle in the sun.

Like Candy In My Veins by littlelouishiccups (32k)

“Um…” Harry said slowly after a moment. “Okay. That’s… this is… Let me get this straight.” He lifted up a hand and swallowed. “You told your family that you have a boyfriend… and my name was the first one you thought of?”

“Harry Potter was on TV, alright? It wasn’t that much of a stretch.” Louis pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn’t believe he was explaining himself to Harry fucking Styles. He couldn’t believe he was stooping this low. “Forget it. I’m sorry I even thought about bringing you into this.”

Harry snorted. “What? Did you want me to pretend to be your boyfriend or something?” (Basically the A/B/O, enemies to lovers, fake relationship, Christmas AU that nobody asked for.)

like how your hands feel me up and down by ballsdeepinjesus (8k)

“How do I look?” Harry asks lowly. He turns around and gestures towards the unzipped back of his skirt for him to help. Louis stumbles forward and places a cold hand on the exposed side of Harry’s stomach, steadying him while he pulls the zipper up the rest of the way. He pushes Harry back into the dressing room and stands behind him in front of the mirror. “It’s -- you’re tight,” Louis chokes. “It’s tight, I mean. It’s. Yes.” His hand is curved around his hip now, squeezing lightly.

“Tight’s good, right?” Harry murmurs, batting his eyelashes. He almost can’t believe himself.

“Very good,” Louis grunts.

[louis works in a halloween shop and harry needs a costume]

Like to Keep You Laughing by kikikryslee (13k)

Louis gasped. “Are you straight? Oh, I'm sorry, man. You should’ve just told me; I would’ve left you alone.” “No, no, that’s not it," Harry said. "I like guys. I definitely like guys.” “OK…” “Louis, I’m ace.” Louis snorted. “Kind of full of yourself, aren’t you?” --- Or, the one where Louis is a frat boy who likes to hook up and Harry is someone who doesn't hook up ever.

Little White Lies by xxSterre (13k)

"I lied when I got my job.

I told them I had a kid so I could leave early 'to pick him up from day care', to take him to doctors appointments and occasionally miss a day 'when he's sick'. Long story short – I'm in too deep. I didn't think this through.

Looking to rent a kid for bring your child to work day. Must be a boy aged 4 to 6 with curly hair who plays soccer, essentially he has to look like the stock photo in the frame on my desk. Also must be artistic as the macaroni noodle drawings I made seem a little advanced for someone his age. He also needs to respond to 'my Little Picasso' as that's what my spouse and I call him. Also I will pay extra for someone willing to play the role of my spouse when dropping him off. His name is James, he's named after his grandpa and he's a defense attorney who often brings his work home.

You know what, just message me for the details, serious inquiries only. H."

Or, the AU based off of that one Craigslist post - how a little white lie takes on an enormous snowball effect, that might accidentally include a Tomlinson too.

Part 1 of Little White Lies

little wings on my shoes by juliusschmidt (39k)

You have C Lunch?” Louis asks, peering over at Harry's work. The problem Harry’s just finished is printed neatly, the correct answer circled. Harry’s finger marks the next problem in his book as he copies it onto the page. It doesn’t look like he’s stealing the answers out of the back. Nice.

He’s dimpled and smart.

And probably gay.

[The American High School AU in which no one is cool (except Niall) and Harry wears a rainbow bracelet.]

Lonely King by Lustforfrosting (40k)

When Louis' parents pass away in a car accident, he inherits a cottage in the woods of Scotland. He ends up spending the summer there; unraveling secrets, mending bonds and creating memories with his best friends.

Lost in You by loviedovielou (16k)

Harry is nineteen and thinks kissing is weird. This is his first problem, but certainly not his last.

love is a word (you gave it a name) by hattalove (21k)

“It’s worth it anyway,” says Harry, looking into Louis’s eyes. He’s untucked his hair from behind his ear, and it falls down in silky strands to obscure his face. He looks so painfully young, even after everything. Louis’s strong, strong boy. “Just for the two of us. We get to be selfish for a little while.”

it's christmas. in between snowman building, tree shopping, and ill-advised skating on a frozen lake, louis and harry get ready to take the most important step of their lives.

love with every stranger, the stranger the better by leighbot (9k)

He looks over the books in front of him and then- past them- to his laptop charging on his desk, taunting him about the two essays he’s got to start on in order to finish them both on time.

He definitely doesn’t have time for a party.

Or, the one where Niall drags Louis to a campus fancy dress party and Louis channels his inner Green Lantern to approach the lad he's been crushing on all year.

Love’s Truest Language by summerwine (48k)

The first part was meant as a joke. He didn’t really expect Harry to buy anything. It was just Louis’ way of softening the ‘get the fuck out’ blow.

“Where’s your order forms, then?”

“I don’t want your flowers.” Louis chided before directing all of his attention to the arrangement in front of him.

Harry laughed under his breath as he stood to his full height, “Who said anything about them being for you, love?”

Loving You Is Free by littlelouishiccups (68k)

Louis is a workaholic record label CEO who hasn't been on a date in nearly a year. Niall and Liam make an account for him on a sugar dating website as a joke. And then Louis meets Harry.

Part 1 of Loving You Is Free

Last edited: September 6, 2017

Done here? Go back to my Recommended Fics → 

#recommended by maggie #fics by title

[isaiahrippinus]

Why Pais Is the Most Crushable Summer Red You’ve Never Heard Of

In North America, it’s known as the Mission grape; in the Canary Islands, it’s Lístan Prieto. But in Chile the grape long dismissed or blended away is known as Pais, and it’s finally having its moment. The wine is light and crushable, similar in body to Gamay and Pinot Noir. The grape is much loved by somms as much for its drinkability as its history — Pais may just be the oldest varietal in the New World.

In Chile, Pais vines date back 200 to 300 years. At Bouchon Family Wines in Chile’s Maule Valley, some have gone wild, leaving their fine rows and entangling in a thicket of woods, twining into trees so that, to harvest this wild Pais, workers must climb a ladder into the overhead canopy.

“Pais came with the first Spaniards, with the conquistadores,” says Patricio Tapia, author of “Descorchados,” Chile’s renowned wine guide. “What we know now, genetically speaking, is that Pais is Lístan Prieto, a grape which is planted in the Canary Islands, which makes sense because, you know, the Spaniards stopped in Canary Islands to get food and stuff, and from the Canary Islands they came to the New World.”

Bringing Lístan Prieto with them, of course. “It was the first vine planted in the New World, in the Americas,” says Tapia. “It wasn’t Cabernet Sauvignon — it wasn’t Chardonnay for sure. We think that the Mission grape was the first planted in the U.S., and the Mission grape is the same as Pais, and Pais is Lístan Prieto.”

For centuries, Pais was Chile’s wine. Until it wasn’t.

From sometime in the 1500s until the second half of the 19th century, Pais was the main source of red wine in Chile. Then, in the second half of the 19th century, producers began importing French vines from Europe, like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and soon Pais was considered lesser, a second-class citizen, so to speak. Chilean winemakers added it to their blends, but never called attention to it. Pais became the wine of the people. It was called pipeño, meaning an everyday wine, one that’s stored in the family cellar and drunk at lunch with a tortilla, or at a rodeo.

Julio Bouchon, executive director of Bouchon Family Wines, had been steeped in Pais in his childhood. He’d just forgotten about it. “I remember my father making Pais in this old cement tank, and this is the wine we used to have,” Bouchon says. “I used to drink with my father and my grandfather at the table. It’s the taste I remember when I was a little kid.”

And yet, that wine of his childhood had been replaced by the drive for Bordeaux-style wines, for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which Chileans planted en masse in the 19th and 20th centuries. For 30 years, the taste of Pais was gone for Bouchon.

Rediscovering Pais

Yet one of Bouchon Family Wines’ estates, in the coastal dryland of Maule, was full of untended bush vines and dry-farmed Pais. In 2008, Julio was cleaning the wild parcels at the edge of the vineyard and the old bush vine Pais came out. And so, he began learning to make it.

In wine terms, if Bordeaux is big and extracted, Pais is light and Burgundian. First, he tried to make it in the cellar — to develop a rich extracted wine — then he tried rosé and even whites. Only when he began making it in the old way, with less intervention — harvested by hand, fermented with natural yeasts, and stored in cement vats, not oak barrels — did he learn to make a top-notch Pais.

Julio and his brother Juan began thinking they should do something with Pais. After all, it’s part of Chile’s history; it’s the beginning of Chilean viticulture. Plus, Pais does exceptionally well under the driest of conditions, like those of Chile’s Secano Interior and the Maule Valley and Itata. And so, they began making Pais again under the Bouchon label, releasing their first vintage in 2014.

“Do you think you can sell even one bottle of it?” Julio’s father asked him when they began. Today, under the J. Bouchon label, they make six wines from Pais, including a Pais Salvaje in red and white. To harvest that salvaje, or wild, workers literally have to climb into the trees, which is quite unusual in the wine world. They also make a sparkling Pais blend, and Pais Viejo, which is the best-selling among them in the U.S.

Searching for Pipeño, the Everyday Pais Wine

Meanwhile, back in the early 2000s, Louis-Antoine Luyt, a French sommelier turned winemaker in Chile, and the person credited with the revival of Pais, had begun chasing Pais across the country. From Santiago, he took the road to the south until he got to Maule where he began visiting small towns and vineyards. He went farther south, and to the west and to the east, and deeper and deeper in the countryside, clocking what he expects is 40,000 kilometers — about 25,000 miles — a year. He wanted to know the place, the regions, the small areas, and the people growing Pais and making pipeño, the rustic, classic style of Pais wines.

“It was an obsession, because each person has a different kind of vocabulary, the same approach but a different execution,” says Luyt. So, the wine in one place — the same small area where two or three or five people are using the same grapes — doesn’t show the same every time. “It is the perfect definition of terroir,” he says.

By 2007, Luyt had produced his first Pais and launched a Pais movement in Chile, landing it in restaurants across the world. His six Pais bottlings are among the most widely available and offer remarkable value, selling for around $20 apiece. The common refrain among somms has been: Where else in the world can you find a wine made from 200-year-old vines for around $20?

Heeding the Call of Pais

Another renowned Chilean winemaker, Roberto Henriquez, has also become known globally for his Pais. Henriquez felt a strong draw to the wines early in his career. “The vines, the terroir were talking to me,” he says. They were saying, “I am 200 years old. I am planted in basaltic, in granitic, in sedimentary, and in alluvial soil. I’m pre-phylloxeric. Why don’t you make wine with me?”

Working with Pais wasn’t just important to Chile, Henriquez believes, but also to the world, which has pretty much lost its Pais plants — to phylloxera in Europe — or otherwise forgotten it. “I think it’s really important for the world because the world can record old genetic materials that Europe lost in a moment,” he says of Pais.

For some of those reasons, Henriquez chooses to work with old ungrafted vines, without irrigation. It is, he explains, the classic viticulture. Plus, there was the fact that he believes Pais is exceptional at expressing its place. “With Pais, it’s really easy to express the terroir, or difference between the wines,” Henriquez says. Put a Pais from Maule, from Itata, and from Bío Bío in a glass and you don’t have to be a great taster to distinguish the differences, he says. “The first one is animal, the second one more red-fruited, the last one more herbal things.”

And so, Henriquez’s challenge has also been to change the perception of Pais, of old grapes, and old winemaking techniques. Which is what he and his cohorts like Luyt and Bouchon have begun to successfully do. Today, Pais can be found (often labeled Pipeño) everywhere from geeky wine bars, like Terroir in New York City, to gastronomic markets like Dopolavoro in downtown Los Angeles, to wine shops in northern Michigan like Burritt’s Market.

Pais, Off the Old Vines and in the Glass

If these winemakers share a common mission to return Pais to its proper place in the world of wine, they also share similar passions for Pais in the glass. Pais shows its identity best when it is treated with a light touch, Henriquez says. It may have its own identity, he argues, but it can easily compete with Pinot Noir, Trousseau, and Gamay — and win the palates of those who love such finessed wines.

Pais’s tension between simplicity and complexity is what Bouchon and Luyt admire about Pais. It’s light in color and body. “It looks like a pool party, like a glou glou wine,” Bouchon says. But it also has an intriguing textural element. “The combination of the rustic tannins of the Pais, together with the granitic soil, get you something super interesting,” he says.

The article Why Pais Is the Most Crushable Summer Red You’ve Never Heard Of appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/pais-summer-red/ source https://vinology1.tumblr.com/post/620275947630968832

[junker-town]

Predicting where the top 12 uncommitted 2017 college football recruits will sign

Welcome to The Crootletter (sign up to get this in your inbox every morning!), SB Nation's daily college football recruiting newsletter.

National Signing Day is less than a week away. Some college football prospects have already enrolled at their new schools for the spring semester, and the 2017 players who haven’t can put pen to paper for next fall on Feb. 1.

We’ve reached the point where the vast majority of the country’s top 2017 prospects are already verbally committed to some school or another. Most of those commitments will stick, though not all will. This post is a rundown of the 12 highest-rated prospects who don’t have a current verbal commitment to any school. It’s an update of a post from earlier in January, before a few committed.

The players featured here are ordered by their ratings on the 247Sports Composite, which aggregates industry player evaluations. SB Nation Recruiting’s Bud Elliott (@SBNRecruiting) weighs in, as well.

Marvin Wilson, five-star DT, Episcopal (Texas)

Wilson is the consensus best uncommitted player available. It’s not hard to see why. At a listed 6’4 and 329 pounds, he’s already got the size to play immediately in whatever scheme his coaches require. Wilson recently told SB Nation that Florida State and LSU were at the top of his list. He could wind up as a gap-plugging nose guard for the Tigers in their 3-4 defense, or as a three-technique tackle for the Seminoles in FSU’s 4-3. Oklahoma and Ohio State are also still chasing.

Bud’s intel: LSU folks are feeling good about Wilson since the Tigers were tied at the top with FSU, yet Wilson still had his LSU visit remaining, and had already taken his trip to Tallahassee. But, Florida State’s recruits have been the most vocal recruiters and have the Seminoles squarely in the mix. Neither the Tigers nor the Seminoles would surprise me here. I definitely think FSU has a greater shot than many.

Aubrey Solomon, five-star DT, Lee (Ga.) County

Solomon is a former Michigan commitment, but he decommitted in August, leading to this headline: “A four-star tackle says he decommitted from Michigan because they sent a thank-you card for an event he didn't attend and also spelled his name wrong.” He’s been a late riser in recruiting rankings, going from highly rated to really highly rated. Alabama, Georgia, USC, and former home Michigan are highly involved.

Bud’s take: I have no idea where he will go. Solomon told me during the Army All-American Bowl week that Alabama leads, but he has changed his visit plans around several times. Michigan and Georgia do not think they are out of this race, despite his unflattering comments about the Wolverines. Solomon might be truly torn, or he may be trying to create some drama for his final call. I am going to go with Michigan, but my confidence is low.

LaBryan Ray, five-star DE, James Clemens (Ala.)

Ray is a listed 6’4 and 260 pounds, and his mix of oomph and quickness makes him a moldable and attractive prospect for everybody. He could project as a three- or five-technique. Ray’s been dealing with a torn labrum but expects to have that fixed up soon enough. He’s taken or expects to take visits to Florida, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Alabama.

Bud’s intel: Ray has two teammates committed to the Tide in corner Kyriq McDonald and tackle Kendall Randolph. Alabama has far more stability than any of his other contenders, and pumps out top picks at his position. I don’t believe he will say no to Alabama.

Joseph Lewis, five-star WR, Hawkins (Calif.)

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5-star WR Joseph Lewis is a nightmare in space

Blink and you might five-star USC Trojans target Joseph Lewis.

Posted by SB Nation College Football on Friday, July 15, 2016

Lewis is a complete receiver. He was one of the better receivers at last summer’s Nike Opening showcase in Oregon, and he’s gotten interest from just about every major program in the country. He’s fast enough to dangerous from anywhere, and at 6’2, he’s not limited to playing in the slot. The industry consensus is that Lewis will land at USC, but Nebraska has also pushed hard.

Bud’s take: USC makes the most sense. The Trojans get Lewis’ last visit. But watch out for Nebraska if the Cornhuskers are able to get Lewis, and four-star teammate Greg Johnson back to Lincoln before National Signing Day.

Austin Jackson, four-star OT, North Canyon (Ariz.)

Jackson is a listed 6’6 and 280 pounds, and he draws great reviews. It’ll probably help him to fill out his frame a little bit, but he’s good already. The 247Sports Crystal Ball overwhelmingly projects he’ll land at USC.

Bud’s intel: Nothing I gathered during the Army All-American Week, or since leads me to believe he’s going somewhere other than USC.

K’Lavon Chaisson, four-star DE, North Shore (Texas)

Chaisson’s been a late riser in recruiting rankings, and he nearly reached five-star status at the end of the cycle. He’s a bit lanky, but he’s a terrific athlete who can shoot quickly through gaps and be a real pass-rushing force. If Chaisson fills out enough to knock down powerful running backs in the open field, he’ll be a pretty complete edge defender.

Bud’s take: While Texas seems to be banking some of its scholarships in the first year under Tom Herman, Chaisson is a player the Horns badly want. I think the Longhorns will keep the Houston product in the state, with LSU finishing second. My confidence level here is low.

Jeff Thomas, four-star WR, East St. Louis (Ill.)

At The Opening, the Nike recruiting showcase last July, Thomas was named the camp’s fastest player. There are a lot of fast recruits, but Thomas might be the fastest one right now. He’s a playmaker, and someone’s going to get a receiver who can burn people out of the slot or on fly routes from the outside. Miami is the crystal ball favorite. Thomas is so fun to watch, so we really hope he qualifies and does not have to go the junior college route.

Bud’s intel: I previously picked Louisville over Miami, but after bad weather prevented Thomas from visiting the Cards, and the uncertainty of rescheduling that trip, I will go with Miami.

Jay Tufele, four-star DT, South Jordan (Utah)

Student Sports

Tufele is solidly built but not massive, and he’s athletic. He seems like he’ll fit well as a three-technique tackle somewhere if he’s not lining up at the nose, and most of the smoke around his recruiting has come from out West.

Bud’s take: I do not have great Utah connections, but the people I trust at Michigan and Ohio State are not confident. There is some smoke about USC here, and some about BYU. In the end, I think he joins up with the USC Trojans.

Devonta Smith, four-star WR, Amite (La.)

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Devonta Smith shows why he's a 5-star receiver

Five-star WR Devonta Smith is a monster. Major target for Alabama Football, Miami Hurricanes, and LSU Football

Posted by SB Nation College Football on Sunday, July 10, 2016

Smith is another speedster, but he’s more than that. Watch him work at The Opening, where we thought he performed excellently. He catches the ball with his hands, and his routes are so smooth.

He’s got great leaping ability, great hands, and great speed. There’s no reason he can’t be a star at the next level. Alabama, Miami, FSU and LSU seem well-positioned.

Bud’s take: It is hard to discount his camp’s connection to Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt. The feeling from Alabama people is similar to the one they had with Shyheim Carter’s camp last year, who lived just 20 minutes away from Smith. (Alabama signed Carter, who followed Pruitt from Georgia to Alabama). As of now, I am picking Alabama. But the Tide are going to be fighting competition from the Hurricanes and Seminoles down the stretch, both of which have better situations for early playing time. If Alabama has room, I think it will land Smith. He loves Alabama. In fact, when I asked him for his top two NFL comparisons, he named Julio Jones and Amari Cooper, both former Crimson Tide stars.

Deommodore Lenoir, four-star CB, Salesian (Calif.)

Pretty sure #Oregon CB commit @Deommo_Lenoir makes house calls http://pic.twitter.com/q0rxScK5Vk

— SB Nation Recruiting (@SBNRecruiting) July 18, 2016

Lenoir is a former Oregon commit, but he decommitted at the end of the Ducks’ disastrous season, right before they fired Mark Helfrich. He’s a terrific athlete with speed and leaping ability, and he can shut down deep routes on one side of the field without any safety help. If the team that gets him wants to use him on offense and special teams, he’s good enough to help on either, too.

Bud’s take: I am picking Oregon to regain Lenoir’s commitment. While Nebraska made a great impression on him during his January 20th visit, I believe the Ducks have been around the longest, and have some momentum on the recruiting trail.

Tedarrell Slaton, four-star OL/DL, Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.)

6’4, 360 pounds, and with moves like someone who weighs 50 pounds less. Slaton loves basketball, and wants to play defensive tackle in college. He’ll probably be a good one. If he would focus full-time on playing guard, however, he might be the best guard in the country. Slaton’s balance and body control for his size are excellent. He’s also good at finding linebackers and defensive backs in space and not getting overextended.

Bud’s take: Florida and Kentucky are recruiting him at defensive tackle. I like Florida’s chances to keep Slaton in the Sunshine State.

Willie Gay, four-star LB, Starkville (Miss.)

Gay’s tape shows a player who’s already completely dominant against the run, and who’s got the physical tools to eventually be an elite collegiate pass-rusher, too. He’s the second star recruit in two years from Starkville, the hometown of Mississippi State. Last year’s, four-star receiver A.J. Brown, picked Ole Miss and then talked down the Bulldogs’ recruiting prowess. We’ll see if the hometown school does better this time.

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4-star LB Willie Gay's best asset is his speed

He's from Starkville. Can Mississippi State Football keep him home?

Posted by For Whom The Cowbell Tolls on Thursday, January 26, 2017

Bud’s take: While Mississippi State and Michigan have been working hard, and fellow Mississippi five-star RB Cam Akers, of Florida State has been recruiting him, LSU is my pick. The Tigers have a major need at linebacker, and Starkville is less than five hours from Baton Rouge.