#might be able to catch the cherry blossoms too if i go later in march

[corvid-language-library]

Hmmm urge to go to Tokyo for a weekend

#i won't bc i'll want to pole while i'm there and currently my eczema is so bad i wouldn't be able to #and the weekend after i only have a one-day weekend #maybe the following weekend though? #might be able to catch the cherry blossoms too if i go later in march

[humancomedy]

Human Comedy: Tragedy - 2

Mitsuru: Mmm~! Feels so good to be out in the sun!

Location: Shopping Area

Time: A few minutes later

Mitsuru: Mmm~! Feels so good to be out in the sun!

Hajime: Fufu, yes, it's starting to get warmer little by little. I think the cherry blossoms will bloom much earlier this year, at this rate. Although, they were just very late in blooming last year.

And last year's flower-viewing live, SakuraFes⁠. That's the one Akehoshi-senpai and his unit members performed in, yes? I'm wondering if we can do one this year.

Mitsuru: Whaa~? I wanna be in the marching band again! I wanna dash around while going doot-doot on my trumpet! ☆

Hajime: Mrmm... Anyone could do that sort of job, so I'd rather give it to the new students instead.

Our seniors have been a huge help to us, so I'd love to do the same by watching over our juniors and giving them opportunities.

Ehehe... I'm sorry, maybe that was a bit arrogant of me?

Mitsuru: Nope! Hajime-chan's always right about everything! But wooow... so we're gonna get juniors too... It hasn't hit me yet!

Hajime: Fufu, it's so exciting~ I wonder what sort of first years we'll have?

If any cute students come in, let's invite them over to Ra*bits and power our unit. ♪

Mitsuru: Hmm... I'm not super sure about this so I wanna ask... Are we gonna stay as Ra*bits even after our seniors have graduated?

Hajime: Wha... I mean, that was exactly what I was planning to do...?

Mitsuru: But we didn't actually promise that, did we? Also, Nii~chan's graduating, so...?

Hajime: Um... By any chance, did you want to join a different unit? Or are you planning on making a new one?

Mitsuru: Nah, that's not why I'm asking... Ra*bits is the best, y'know~! I looove Ra*bits! ♪

But, we can't stay the way we've always been. Everyone keeps acting like that's what's gonna happen when spring comes around.

It feels like they're turning their eyes away from what's important, like, to avoid deciding on anything...

We'll just trip and hurt ourselves if we dash ahead with our eyes closed... It'll be too late to cry then, y'know...?

Hajime: ...?

Tomoya: Heeey~! You guys need to slow down...

Don't leave us behind. Well, all of us know where to go. If the worst comes to worst, we can just meet up there. But still.

Hajime: Waah—I'm so sorry! Mitsuru-kun, let's take it slow, okay? Tomoya-kun can't catch up because he's carrying Nii~chan.

Nazuna: Zzz.... Zzz...♪

Mitsuru: Oh? Nii~chan's asleep! He looked sleepy on the train ride too, actually~

Hajime: Fufu, it must've been rough to prepare for the entrance exam. I'm sure he's exhausted from all of it.

We've also been busy with jobs as Ra*bits lately, so he's been working hard there too. Nii~chan's not the type to cut corners with work, after all.

Mitsuru: Ahaha, it's 'cuz he doesn't have much stamina. But he's mentally tough!

Tomoya: No, you just have an endless amount of it, Mitsuru.

Nii~chan's our leader, so he takes on way more burdens than we do... It mentally and physically weighs him down, y'know? Sadly, it makes sense he'd get this tired.

Hajime: Fufu, then it'll be you who'll have a rough time once the new school year starts.

Tomoya: Huh? What do you mean?

Hajime: Eh? I thought you'll be the new leader once Nii~chan graduates...?

Tomoya: Whaaaat?! When did this happen?! Who said that?! Mitsuru's the one who's most talented, and you're the one who's best suited for this unit...!

Mitsuru: Huh? So you're not gonna be our next leader? But it suits you!

Tomoya: But Nii~chan never really said I'd be the next in line... Oh?

Nazuna: ...Nnh? Sorry, was I asleep?

Tomoya: Ahh... Don't worry. I'll carry you, so you're free to sleep until we get there.

Hajime: That's right! It might be too rough on Tomoya-kun to do alone, so we'll take turns carrying you.

Mitsuru: Ahem. ♪ Nii~chan's light so it's all good! But I wouldn't be able to move one bit if it were Mikechan-senpai we were talking about!

Nazuna: Nah, I'll walk by myself... Sorry, I think my body can't keep up with everything that's been happening lately.

Guess that just shows how close I am to my final days here... I'll do my best to not give you guys a lot of pressure until the end, so I hope you can let me be a little dependent for now.

It's just that I've been getting nightmares lately, so I didn't get enough sleep... Yawn...♪

Hajime: Fufu, that was a big yawn just now. Maybe your pillow's the reason why you're having bad dreams.

Ritsu-oniichan knows quite a lot about sleep-related products. Maybe I should ask him to recommend some?

Mitsuru: Hey, hey~! Nii~chan's really tired, and it's hard to carry him, right~?

We don't wanna waste our energy before we even get to do our job, so how about we take the bus there?

Look, we can get to the TV station from this bus stop! That's where our job's at, right?

Hajime: Yes. The main part of our job is a photo shoot for a TV program, but that also means we'll be performing a live, too.

I think it'll be a rough day for us, so you're right. We need to have as much energy as possible for it.

Tomoya: Alright, guess that's what we'll do. The TV station's not that far from the train station, so I thought we could just walk there

But we have been making good pay with our jobs, so there's money to spare. It wouldn't hurt to spend a little on the bus.

Nazuna: Mmm... You guys have become so reliable. I kinda feel bad though, since this is all 'cause of me.

Hajime: Oh no, it's definitely nothing like that. Tomoya-kun said it earlier, but this is how we'll pay you back for everything you've done for us.

← prev ❖ all ❖ next →

#enstars #ensemble stars #enstars translation #nazuna nito #tomoya mashiro #hajime shino #mitsuru tenma

[dansnaturepictures]

24/03/19-Spring morning at Lakeside and sunset

On my final day of looking after the dogs on my own we went once more to Lakeside Country Park on the sunnier and hotter of the three days. Yesterday, one month on from seeing my first identified butterfly of 2019, I saw a Peacock butterfly land nicely as sun poked through and as I shared across my social media with my camera not with me so I could focus on walking the dogs took a picture of it with my iPhone. I had said before going out a drab March had stopped the butterfly momentum we had going until then for me. Today I thought I might go with my DSLR and just my macro lens fixed on it for the walk as if I was able to take a picture in any way whilst holding the dogs’ leads and poo bags it would be a quick one of a close up subject. When I saw the sun out I decided to go ahead with this.

I walked in the field at the front of the site, affectionately known by me as “Kestrel corner” and it lived up to its name as I saw one flying nicely over the allotments on a sunny morning. I then reached the cherry blossom looking marvellous as shown in the 3rd picture I took this morning in this photoset. Here I was delighted to catch up with a Peacock butterfly, and take the 1st picture in this photoset of it one with a camera this time. I seem to like taking Peacock pictures in odd numbered years, with standout 2015 and 2017 (here) pictures of Peacock in those years of mine and those were early on in the season too.

Then I was happy to see another butterfly out of the corner of my eye on the blossom and it was great because I looked and saw it was one of my favourites the Small Tortoiseshell. My first butterfly year tick for just under a month since Peacock during a work lunch break on 27th February, and this original member of my list of now eleven favourite butterflies for the first time since 2016 was my first butterfly on my year list highlighted in red to denote it as a favourite butterfly of mine. It gave a great view on the blossom too. Now I am usually so positive but it helps tell the story today to say something negative. If it wasn’t for my camera and/or lens having a funny five minutes (it just didn’t focus after I took the Peacock no matter what I did and oddly only snapped out of it when I put it on live view later then was back to normal) I would have probably got some sort of shot of the Small Tortoiseshell.

I looked around the corner though and caught sight of my first Small White of the year, and then when taking the dogs over a hill area into the main country park I saw a Speckled Wood too. My joint earliest ever sighting of this species in a year, joint with my first of 2012 seven years ago today at Radipole Lake. That took my butterfly year list to five. I also saw so many of my first butterfly this year this morning the Brimstone – as photographed in the 4th in this photoset when I returned to the blossom with my camera now working – meaning I saw ever identified butterfly that I have seen in 2019 this morning. The one I saw during a working day two days prior to the first Brimstones this year was flying too high and fast to see what it was so it could possibly have been say Comma or Red Admiral which I didn’t see today.

This made today a memorable one for butterflies and whilst I already had a launch into my season of them in the February “heat wave” this felt like that awakening spring moment I often get in years where I all of a sudden see loads of butterflies which felt amazing. In the nature reserve bit of the country park I came across some beautiful purple and white flowers some purple ones shown in the 2nd picture I took today in this photoset. Any identification welcome, I only really dip into flowers so my knowledge is limited.

Wildlife Sightings Summary for Lakeside: My first Small Tortoiseshell, Small White and Speckled Wood of the year, Peacock, Brimstone, Bee, Kestrel, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Magpie, Great Tit, House Sparrow, Black-headed Gull, Greylag Goose, Mallard and I heard one of my favourite birds the Buzzard.

Today brought to an end a fun and unusual weekend with me in sole charge of the dogs, but I have got to say alongside nice moments just sitting and enjoying garden birds and things immediately around the house I spent such precious time at Lakeside. I saw some brilliant wildlife, the Mediterranean Gulls and butterflies starring. The time inside which perhaps I wouldn’t have as much of in a normal weekend allowed me to do a lot of reflection within my hobby among other things personally and online with my past picture tweets and posts today of some moments this year which I hope you enjoyed. My leave really does end for a few months soon though with Thursday and Friday two days I also have off the last ones used up. Its football for me next Saturday so no wildlife trip, but I can’t wait to see what happens those two days and Sunday and even before. Have a great week all. I leave you with the fifth picture in this photoset that I took this evening, a beautiful day ending so well with the sun setting. 

#spring #butterfly #butterflies #birds #birdwatching #lakeside #eastleigh #hampshire #england #uk #earth #nature #world #beautiful #peacock #kestrel #brimstone #small tortoiseshell #small white #speckled wood

[blackphoenixalchemylab]

New Perfume Blends: Fatherhood 2018

Ahead of our kid's tenth birthday, the Lab released this collection of scents inspired by memories from the past year. As is customary, Lilith's dad (and Black Phoenix Trading Post proprietor) Ted Barrial has followed up with a tribute of his own: FATHERHOOD 2018, a batch of fifteen perfume oil blends. 

You'll find those descriptions and links below!

++ FATHERHOOD 2018

This September 2nd, my heart, my joy, my baby turned double digits. It feels like yesterday that I first held her in my arms at the hospital. I have watched her grow into a wise, polite, adventurous, funny, smart, fierce little woman, and I couldn’t be prouder of her. These images capture the moments that defined fatherhood for me in the last year. Every moment that I spend with her is special; I hope she feels the same, and that she looks back on this part of her life with all the love and happiness that she brings to me.

THREE-FINGERED DAD

Sometimes I wonder how Lilith views me.

Am I the authority figure?

Her goofy playmate?

Am I the father that drives her all over Los Angeles?

It appears that I am the skinny three-fingered man.  I believe that she captured me perfectly. Don’t you?

Red and white musks, orange blossom, neroli, and sweet vanilla amber.

ZIPLINE PART II

We all love to go to Ren Faire, and they have a zip line there. If I remember correctly, it is one ride for $5, $20 for 5 rides, and $40 for unlimited rides for all day.

Lilith gave me her best, “Dad, I love you and I would like to do the $40 all day” face – big eyes and all - and how could I say no? Long story short (too late!), we rode the zip line so many times that the operators knew our names.

This photo is one of my favorite photos from the last year. She looks so confident, tough, and sure of herself here, while I look like I just survived twenty zip line rides. She makes me so proud to be her father.

Pirate’y rum cookies, hay bales, leftover bits of funnel cake, and Renaissance Faire patchouli.

FAMILY RESEMBLANCE

A quiet moment between a father and his daughter. We might be related.

A splash of Tombstone, red velvet musk, and a red licorice whip.

LILITH POUNDCAKE

Lilith loves RuPaul’s Drag Race, and she thought it would be fun to dress up for Drag Con 2018 as Lil Poundcake. I made a promise to her when she was tiny that I would carry her on my shoulders for as long as she wanted me to, and I am pretty positive that I will carry her down the aisle for her wedding. As I carried her around Drag Con, and I would hear people whisper, “oh my god, it’s Lil poundcake.” Some people would yell “Lil Poundcake!” and she would happily flip them off in character. When people would stop us and ask to take a photo, I would set Lilith down, give her the boa, and she would pose for the photo. Then she’d hop back on my shoulders and we’d continue on our way. Ah, the life of a dad. I wouldn’t give it up for anything.

Dorian smushed into a cherry lollipop.

SPORTSMANSHIP

If there is one thing that my loving daughter has learned from me, it is to always be humble in victory.

The scent of shameless gloating: sparkling honey and a hint of salty biscuit.

PUPPET KITTY

One of the hardest parts of being a father is when your child loses something important to them.

Puppet Kitty is the most treasured of all of Lilith’s plushies, and earlier this year Puppet Kitty went missing. The panic of losing her consumed Lilith, and we all searched and searched for PK. It broke my heart when we finally stopped looking and had to just hope that she would show up sometime soon.

I cried when I found Puppet Kitty, and my heart melted when I saw look on Lilith’s face when I handed it Puppet Kitty back to her.

Every night, Lilith sprays lavender mist onto Puppet Kitty before going to sleep. This is the scent of that kitty: old, well-loved cotton, wool blankets, and gentle lavender skin-warmed by a sleeping child.

TRUTH WILL PREVAIL

Back in 2016, we had made plans, a bit premature as it turned out, to travel to Washington D.C. to see the first woman sworn in as president of the United States of America. It was not to be, but we Barrials are nothing if not flexible. Along with some our best friends, we decided to travel to the Capitol to protest the vile man that is ruining our great country.

A year later, she rode my shoulders again at the first anniversary of the Womens’ March in Los Angeles.

With my beautiful daughter on my shoulders, we marched, we shouted, we made our voices heard again.

Truth will prevail.

A scent of power and courage for my daughter: sweet milk and cardamom with vanilla pod and nutmeg.

THE CLOWN PRINCESS OF CRIME

Sometimes, I see a photo of Lilith and just want to add it to the Fatherhood update. I have tried and tried to write something about this photo but I have not found the right words.

Maybe I will just say that I love Lilith and I think she is beautiful here.

Lime hard candy, bubblegum lollipops and sugar plums.

GOOGLY EYE CHRISTMAS TREE

We love googly eyes almost as much as we love Christmas morning at Casa Barrial, and last year, we were able to merge both of them together.

I love watching Lilith’s face and she races downstairs to see what Krampus and Santa might have left under our pink Christmas tree and what kind of candy La Bafana left in our shoes.

The scent of a Googly Eye Christmas Tree: pink cotton candy, silver tinsel, cinnamon cookies, and white chocolate snow.

LILITH THE EXPLORER

Lilith has been flying since she was a little over a year old. Her first plane trip was to New Orleans, and since then, she has been all over the world. She has slept on the floor at the airport in Mexico City and Minneapolis, she has eaten airport junk in New York, Frankfurt, and Chicago. It feels like she knows LAX and Heathrow almost as well as she knows her own house. Sometimes I think she’s happier about flying itself than she is about exploring a city!

This photo was taken at the airport on one of our trips. I love this outfit… Rolling Stones concert tee, stripy tights, boots with fuzzy balls on it. Lilith might not think this photo is good because her hair is a bit messy, but I love looks of happiness that a hot dog and a giant pretzel bring to her face. It took a bit of persuasion to get her to share it, but dad has his ways.

The first time I saw her wear this tee, I told her that I went to that concert and I that I think that I had the same t-shirt back in ‘76.

She looked at me and asked, “1876?”

It’s probably not the best idea to make a hot dog scent, even though Beth keeps making jokes about hot dog water, so we made a Airport Garbage Snacks scent with coffee, airplane nuts, and squished Backpack Chocolate Residue.

NO DNA TEST REQUIRED

One of the biggest joys of my life is holding hands and walking with Lilith. My lovely wife is always walking behind us taking these photos, and I love how you can see Lilith growing up over the years.

Lilith, please never stop holding my hand.

Dorian holding hands with Slime Queen, with Snake Oil happily trailing behind.

SHOOT THE DUCK

Lilith did her first roller skating trick, and I was so proud.

Wild fig, tonka bean, bergamot, and hardwood.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL QUEENS

Lilith has loved drag for many years, and when she goes to drag shows, she’s a great tipper. She knows how hard drag queens work, and knows how important it is to support the drag community both locally and worldwide.

This is the scent of everyone else’s spilled drinks at drag brunch: blood peach bellinis, strawberry daquiris, and mimosas.

MY LITTLE POP STAR

Back in the good ol’ days, I was a singer in quite a few bands. Being up on stage was an amazing feeling, but it doesn’t hold a candle to watching my baby singing and seeing the way she lights up when she’s on stage.

I love to listen to her sing and I think she has a lovely voice, but nothing makes me prouder that having someone comment about how beautiful her voice is. This photo is just before she played with her band, and I love how she is so comfortable and happy to be in front of an audience.

A rockstar scent for a tween: leather, vanilla bean, honey sticks, and sugar.

SNOWFLAKES ARE DELICIOUS

I don’t have much to say about this photo except it was Lilith’s first time in Chicago, her first time to see it snow and her first time catching snowflakes.

I love her dearly.

#fatherhood #perfume #black phoenix trading post

[writingbeautifullyblog]

“15 Things You Didn’t Know About Al Capone ” by Lesley Patterson AKA Lady Opaque

May 29, 2019

15 things you didn’t know about Al Capone – by Lesley Patterson

Today I will reveal some exciting and lesser-known facts about the infamous, much loved, and most feared Prohibition Era Gangster and Crime Boss, Al Capone.

Alphonse Gabriel Capone was born to Italian immigrants Gabriele and Teresa Capone on January 17, 1899, in Brooklyn, New York City. His father was working as a Barber at that time, and his Mother Teresa took jobs as a Seamstress. Al was the fourth child out of nine, part of a large family, and a middle child among his siblings. The family was impoverished until Al was 11 years old, that’s the age he was when his father’s business started succeeding and making some profits. His father moved the family out of the dangerous slum area and into a more beautiful apartment in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn. You might say that “you can take Capone out of the city, but you couldn’t take the city out of Capone.”

Al was a promising student and good with his studies, but always the rebel, his educational years ended when he was 14 because he punched a female teacher in the face over a disagreement and was immediately expelled. Capone then works at different odd jobs around Brooklyn. Destiny called though when he meets his first mentor in crime, Johnny Torrio, and he begins associating with the local well-known smaller Gangs of the Forty Thieves, Bowery Boys, and Brooklyn Rippers. His vicious lusts had really taken root in him, and he continued to make contacts in the local Crime Organizations. His own more criminal, brutal behaviors started to blossom when he joined the well-known, most notorious Five Points Gang in lower Manhattan.

He then begins a job at a bar where he met his second mentor and fellow Racketeer, Frankie Yale. It was during his time there that he received the legendary scars on the left side of his face. He’d been working at a night club when he said something to a woman who was very displeasing to her, so her brother proceeded to take a knife and cut Capone’s face with it. People begin to call him “Scarface.” After that event, Capone would often hide the left side of his face from exposure during photographs and would talk about his “War Wounds.”

All too quickly though Al was again rising up the ranks in the Mob World and continued to make more illegal contacts. At 20 years old Al moves from New York to Chicago to become an Enforcer for James “Big Jim” Colosimo. He then works as “security” for a Brothel but ends up contracting the disease Syphilis, for which no treatment was ever sought. In 1923 he made a purchase on a cozy house in the city’s South Side for himself and his young wife, Mae Josephine Coughlin. Within just 10 years Al’s name started showing up in the Sports section of the local Newspapers where he was being hailed as a Boxing Promoter. His boss, “Big Jim” was murdered on May 11, 1920, and Al himself was once again suspected of committing the crime. His aforementioned violence had really started to rage from within, and Capone was utterly consumed by it. He was known in the Mobs for his brutality and ruthlessness, often going the extra mile to destroy a rival. During his time spent bootlegging he was said actually to blow people up in their breweries. “I have built my organization upon fear,” he’d proudly proclaim.

Johnny Torrio ran the most important organized crime group in the whole area, and he took Capone under his wing. One of his jobs was to focus on working out deals and the agreements for negotiations over Gang Territory. In January of h1925 Capone suffered an attack that left him wary and daunted, but not seriously hurt, and 12 days later Torrio was also assaulted and was shot multiple times. After he got well Torrio gave all control of the Criminal Organizations to a 26-year-old Capone. He was now the Big Boss and ran everything from the breweries to networks for transportation that stretched into other countries. He did it all with apolitical protection and the support of law enforcement. The people loved him, seeing him as a “Robin Hood” character because of his generous and frequent donations to local charities. After more murders and due to ensuing political wars, the need for protection for the bootleggers had become too, and this made Capone flee Chicago.

It had gotten out that Al allegedly gave Chicago’s Republican party William Hale Thompson $250,000 and supposedly a discussion had opened up about support for the illegal bars and breweries belonging to Capone. He bribed the politician with intentions of taking down Bugs Moran, who was the leader of a rival gang. All of this ushered in the 1929 Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre in which several people were killed when Al ordered a hit out on Bugs and his associates slaughtered seven of Bugs’ men while posing as officers of the law. The victims were ambushed, lined up against a brick wall, and shot to death. It later got out that Capone was responsible for the assassination and the local public who had once so revered Capone for his kindness and charity now saw what a monster he really was, and this resulted in the decision to try to lock him up and throw away the key, beginning Capone’s downfall.

Capone did indeed spend some time in jail for other much smaller crimes but was ultimately granted release when enough convicting evidence could not be found to persecute him. Al was excellent at not leaving traces and often used money orders instead of banks for his more significant transactions. This was so no one could tie money from the Gang’s forbidden bootlegging business in with him, as that’s where most of Al’s unlawful fortune and profits came from. Bent on catching Capone a Prohibition Agent named Eliot Ness assembled a team of trustworthy, steadfast agents who happened to be known as the “Untouchables” as they would not accept bribes and would not allow themselves to be bought off of the case. Ness and his team successfully raided several of Capone’s unlawful “businesses.” During this time Al repeatedly tried in vain to put a hit out on Ness, but it was always a fruitless failure, and Ness was never assassinated. Ultimately Ness was never able to catch Capone for his illegal activities regarding organized crime, but Ness did aid the IRS in popping him for evading his taxes, and he was sent to Atlanta U.S. Penitentiary in May of 1932. Due to suspicions and gossip of his manipulating and trying to bribe or pay off the other inmates, along with stories of him receiving special treatment, Capone was eventually transferred to the notorious Alcatraz Federal Prison. During his stay there, he was the victim of a stabbing incident and was wounded, but lucky for him, the wounds were minor and not fatal in nature.

Al was then transferred from Alcatraz and placed into custody at the Federal Correctional Institution at Terminal Island in California where he served the rest of his sentence for contempt of court charge. He spent the last year of his imprisonment in the Alcatraz Prison Hospital. Finally, he was officially released on November 16, 1939. However, by then he was in serious ill-health from the severe untreated case of paresis (or late-stage Syphilis) that he was just a shadow of his former self and became severely lacking in his mental faculties. His brain had literally begun to erode, and he was very pathetic and spent most of his time in confused, bewildered states and was utterly mentally unstable and depressed. Once finally paroled he was referred to a physician at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore who’d examined him and concluded that Capone now only had the mental capacity of a 12-year-old boy. Despite this, Hopkins denied Al any treatment because of the notoriety and severity of his crimes. However, Union Memorial Hospital was willing to accept him, and Capone was so appreciative of their medical care and helped that he even donated two gorgeous Japanese Weeping Cherry Trees to the hospital in 1939.

Capone left the hospital on March 20, 1940, and traveled to Palm Island, Florida where his mansion was located where he spent the remaining days of his life with his wife and grandchildren. He suffered from a Stroke on January 21, 1947. He had started to come around and was recovering until catching pneumonia. He then deteriorated further and went into cardiac arrest on January 22, and just a few days later at 48 years of age Capone died on January 25, 1947, in his home, with his loved ones gathered around him.

We want to learn more about Al Capone because we are inspired by his success, talent, ambition, brute-force, and hardcore lifestyle. If anything, this was a stubborn man who survived for a long time in dangerous circumstances, even after the repeated attempts made to take his life. He may have done it in an entirely unlawful way, but Al Capone was an intelligent and accomplished, high-powered, successful businessman. He had a passion for power and pursued it to the fullest. He’d amassed a very impressive Net Worth of around $100 million as of 1929, which today with inflation considered would be approximately $1.3 billion. Capone once said, quote “I am just a businessman, giving the people what they want. So, it’s time now to take a look at the ultimate Italian Mafioso Archetypal Legend with the 15 things you didn’t know about Al Capone.

Number 1: He was expelled from school for punching a female teacher in her face.

Capone was a good student and did well in his studies, but he disagreed with the strict rules being enforced by his Catholic School. One day when he was just 14 years old he struck a female teacher in the face over a dispute they were having. He was immediately expelled and never returned to finish his education. Instead, he begins joining smaller gangs like the Bowery Boys, the Forty Thieves, and the Brooklyn Rippers. He also took on many odd jobs including working at a bowling alley and a candy sweets store. It was after joining the gangs that he started to become involved in criminal activities which peaked when he met his first mafia mentor a crime boss named, Johnny Torrio. Capone decided to join a more massive gang and teamed up with the notorious Five Points Gang of Manhattan, New York City. From there he became heavily involved in even more illegal and severe activities and began to earn his own renown amongst his criminal peers.

Number 2: He pioneered and opened the very first Soup Kitchen for the poor in Chicago during the Great Depression.

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that started in the United States and occurred in the 1920s and lasted throughout the late 1930s. It was the most far-reaching financially related epidemic of the entire 20th century. It began due to a nose-dive in stock prices that started at the end of October 1929 and was later appropriately coined as “Black Tuesday.” The effects were severe for both the rich and poor alike when finances from personal income, tax revenue. Profits and prices plummeted, along with International Trade coming in at deep under more than 50%. Unemployment in the U.S. alone escalated by a devastatingly, nose-bleeding high of 25%, with some countries rising up to 33%. People suffered greatly because there were not enough job sources to meet their basic needs. It was during these high-reaching, despairing times that Al Capone officially opened the first original Soup Kitchens for the poor in his city of Chicago. He was a pioneer who paid for everything to provide food to hungry and starving people who were suddenly without a source of food and rendered without any alternative income source. They literally had nothing, and Capone must have genuinely sympathized with them as he championed for his city’s people and showed an innovative, smart form of compassion and humanitarianism in a time of immense need.

Number 3: Capone grew up impoverished, but his family was law-abiding and respectable people.

Capone’s mother Teresa and his father Gabriele were Italian immigrants who came to America with hopes of making a better life for themselves and their children. They were an everyday, typical type of family and were very hard-working. His father was a barber and his mother a seamstress, and they were honest, folks who followed the law and were very devoted to their Family. Capone was not born into a life of crime, he got into it on his own and worked his way up in the world of criminal organizations. He made new contacts and with the aid of his many mentors, made it all the way to the top of the underground syndicates as a crime boss in a self-made empire that he owned and managed vivaciously.

Number 4: The Prohibition played a significant role in Capone’s amassing his fortune.

The Prohibition and the laws being enforced regarding alcohol consumption that made it so hard to obtain are a big part of how Capone made most of his money. He was so deeply involved with the illegal alcohol industry that he was known for blowing up bars, which he wouldn’t hesitate to do if they refused to buy alcohol from him. He eventually rose to power after his boss Johnny Torrio fled the country and gave control of the bootlegging to him. Capone was quoted as saying, “I am like any other man. All I do is supply a demand.” Despite all of this Capone had also stated to a journalist Howard O’Brien he was actually against Prohibition regardless of what most people thought. “It’s a lousy racket for the retailer, “he complained. “He’s got to work twenty hours a day and spend everything he makes to keep the cops off him.”

Number 5: His Net Worth today is valued at $1.3 billion.

It’s said that Capone was managing over 600 gangsters, all of whom were under his control and who helped to protect his business from rival gangs. Due to inflation, his criminal empire would be worth about $1.3 billion today. He liked to show off his fortune and loved the more beautiful things in life. When entertaining he was known to go all out on everything. He wore the most expensive, flashy clothing and jewelry that he could find and was very obsessed with it. He really enjoyed smoking fine cigars, and he has said to treat guests with experiences worthy of the book “Arabian Nights” and indulging them with silver buckets of iced Piper-Heidsieck from 1915, then platters of food, one after another. Capone’s large mansion at 93 Palm Avenue in Miami Beach, Florida just sold for $7.43 million in August of 2016. As of this date in October 2018, his collections of expensive and valuable items are being sold in an online estate sale. The collection of items for sale include Capone’s premium Diamond jewelry, his coin collection, mink coats, various valuable household items, decorative items like Persian rugs, and even his record collection are all being sold online now for very high amounts. It seems that everything bearing his name or connected to him is worth a lot of money just by the association alone.

Number 6: Capone was stabbed in prison over a haircut.

In 1934 while serving his time at Alcatraz prison, his swagger almost got him killed. After being sent transferred to the jail for being accused of receiving special treatment from the last one he was in, Capone still acted like he owned the place. Just one week after arriving at Alcatraz Capone allegedly tried to cut in line in front of about a dozen or so other inmates during prison haircuts, but one guy just wasn’t having it. A convicted bank robber, James Lucas took Capone’s disrespect and sense of entitlement badly, and he reacted by walking right up to Capone, grabbed him by the throat and told him to knock it off. When Capone boldly asked him, “Do you know who I am?” Lucas lost it and replied, “I know who you are grease ball. And if you don’t get back to the end of that fucking line, I’m gonna know who you were.” After which Lucas proceeded to stab Capone in his back and face with a broken pair of scissors. Lucky for the Capone the wounds were just superficial, not fatal, but his attitude of entitlement nearly got him killed that day.

Number 7: Capone was responsible for the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in Chicago in 1929 where at least 15 were killed.

Capone couldn’t maintain his professional businessman appearance forever, and on Valentine’s Day in 1929 he ordered his men to dress as police officers and round up rival mob boss, Bugs Moran’s men against a brick wall after ambushing them, and Capone’s men did as he’d ordered and shot to death seven members of Moran’s gang. About 70 rounds or so of ammunition had been fired and ended their lives. The assassinations were discovered by the Chicago police from the 36th District investigated, and while it was said that Capone had ordered the murders, it could not be proven. However, when the story hit newspapers and media people worldwide were shocked by the brutality of the massacre and begin to see Capone for the violent killer that he actually was rather than the friendly, successful and wealthy businessman who’d started a soup kitchen and donated to charities. This marked his downfall as the public demanded justice and the law begins working on ways to get enough evidence of his criminal activities so that he could be imprisoned for his viciously vile crimes.

Number 8: He was dubbed “Public Enemy №1” by Newspapers, and a legal investigation was launched against him.

The story of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and Capone did not sit well with anyone, and the Newspapers continued to report on it. The scandal ran deep and was a popular topic in the city and even nationwide. People demanded justice, so the government acted and launched an investigation into Capone’s criminal activities. When he failed to show up for court after being subpoenaed in March 1929, a warrant was put out on him, and police arrested him on charges of Contempt of Court. Capone immediately posted bond and was released but was detained again in May for carrying concealed weapons. He served nine months in prison when he was released on good behavior. In February 1931 he was sentenced to six months in jail for the contempt of court charges. Frustrated investigators couldn’t find enough evidence to lock him up for his committed crimes and an investigation was opened against Capone by the U.S. Treasury Department who later on found enough evidence to have him charged with Tax Evasion and this resulted in him being charged with it and then sentenced to 11 years in prison in June 1931.

Number 9: His family brought out the soft spot hidden within Capone, and he was a bit of a mama’s boy.

In spite of the hard exterior, Capone had a soft center, and it was his deep love for his family. He loved his wife, his children, his grandchildren, and most of all his mother. He’d remarked to Journalist Howard O’Brien that he never wanted his own boys to get mixed up in the criminal racket that he was involved with. In his office were framed pictures of his family, and during an interview with O’Brien he was, he was overheard as referring to himself as a “kid” when he spoke to his wife on the phone. Later when his mother also called, Capone put her as a priority and began to speak Italian while he talked with her. In a letter that he wrote to his son from prison, he told him to stay strong and that he really wanted to see his son and his wife again. He signed the letter with, “Love and Kisses, Your Dear Dad Alphonse Capone, #85.”

Number 10: Capone was very into refined fashion and collected suits and jewelry to show off his wealth.

Capone was known for buying the most expensive, lavish things that he could find. One of his favorite indulgences was his stylized appearance, so he often bought, collected, and wore expensive suits, clothing, and jewelry. He always had a very ornamented appearance, and his suits alone were imported from Italy and cost him $500 each, which now would be valued at about $6,500. He would adorn these with white pocket squares and accessorize them with precious jewelry such as Diamond pinky rings, platinum jewelry, jewel-encrusted watches, and much more. Recently in 2017, this gangster’s diamond and platinum pocket watch was sold in an auction for an astounding $84,375.

Number 11: Capone has become the Archetypal icon of a hardcore Mobster and has lived on through print and film.

In 1932 a movie loosely based around Capone was released, it was the original first version of the well-known, very popular “Scarface” films. The movie was such a hit that Director Oliver Stone later re-made it into the version that we all know and love today which was released in December of 1983. There is news going around about another, an updated version of “Scarface” coming out, but it does not currently have a solid release date though at first Universal Studios claimed that it would hit theaters in August 2018. The movie is being done by a new director and actors and is being highly anticipated by “Scarface” lovers the world over.

Number 12: Tom Hardy to Star as Al Capone in the upcoming film “Fonzo.”

Tom Hardy is so good at playing the villain that he’s been cast as Al Capone in the upcoming new movie “Fonzo” created by writer-director Josh Trank. This was announced in August 2018, just two months ago and is being highly anticipated by fans. It truly goes to show that legends never die. “Fonzo” will be focused around the icons battles with dementia after serving nearly 10 years in prison. It does not currently have a release date, but when Fandango tweeted about it, they announced that we could expect it in 2019. (The tweet was later deleted.) Regardless, the news of its release has excited and delighted “Scarface” and Al Capone fans everywhere, and people are eager to see this new portrayal of the Mob Boss Mafioso. Pictures have been released with Tom Hardy dressed in character, and they’ve become trendy.

Number 13: Capone used to get bags upon bags of fan mail, literally up to two thousand letters each week.

Capon has always been a robust popular personality, and when he was alive and at his criminal peak he used to get movie-star good-sized bags of it, receiving about two thousand letters each week. He was quite popular, plus he never shied away from the media but instead seemed to enjoy being in the spotlight. He often did photoshoots and interviews like the one he did for Variety in 1931. This edition featured the title “Capone Kids Gang Films” and was written by Lou Greenspan. The focus of the piece was the mob boss’s reaction to all of the gangster films that were being released at that time. He has a lot of fans, and they seemed enthralled by him, and that fascination has endured for decades, making him a supremely favorite gangster mob boss and an icon that is sure to live on in our hearts, minds, and culture forever.

Number 14: Capone’s long untreated case of late-stage Syphilis is eroded his brain and was what eventually majorly contributed to his death at the early age of just 48.

Capone had the disease of Syphilis, most likely contracted at a brothel that he ran. (Although he loved his wife he was still a philanderer with a hefty addition to women and sex.) The disease could have been cured with Penicillin, but he never received or sought out any type of treatment, and the condition significantly contributed to his fast detention in prison. During his last year at Alcatraz, he was staying in the prison’s hospital because he deteriorated so quickly, both in health and in mind. The severe case of late-stage Syphilis was eroding his brain, and when he was examined by a doctor it was discovered that his brain had suffered so much damage from the paresis that he was now left with the mental faculties of a 12-year-old boy and his mental health was also failing him. He spent much of his time in a confused, disoriented state of psychosis and was severely ill. Capone had a stroke in January of 1947 and was slowly recovering and regaining consciousness when he contracted pneumonia, It was downhill from there, and he died three days later, on January 25, 1947, at his mansion in Florida surrounded by his family. The official cause of death was cardiac arrest.

Number 15: Capone made the Mafia look attractive and cool which has gotten him a loyal fan-base and some major crime organizations of today are only active because of him.

Capone impacted the world by birthing a new, more refreshing image of an Italian Gangster crime boss, and thanks to him, some new major crime organizations have him to thank for them still being around. He fed the dirty underbelly of the criminal underground, and to this date, his stomping grounds in Chicago continue to suffer and have of the most considerable crime rates in the US to this very day. His legacy lives on in the hearts, minds, and fears of others. Gangs still fight over the same territories that he had done negotiations on when he was the reigning supreme king of the underground. We’ve seen groups and that particular street culture become increasingly popular, and rather than disgust its greeted with a response of ever-increasing fans who think that Capone was a sensational, bigger than life personality and actually even envy or look up to him. His memory will forever live on, in the works that he did, the violence which he committed, and the flashy executive style that he dressed in. Our culture sees him as a pop icon of sorts and idolizes him. He did one good thing for the world by creating his Soup Kitchen, as it inspired the entire United States to start offering this service to the poor and hungry in each State from then on. Capone’s memory has not even begun to fade, and he is majorly responsible for our present-day culture seeing criminals in a much more relaxed, glorious, “larger than life” light rather than as the villains, scoundrels, and thieves who break the law for their own benefit. “Scarface” was so iconic that he will never truly die, as his actions have painted and tainted history with blood, gore, and gang violence that will stick with us to the end of time. Al Capone himself said, “Once you’re in the racket, you’re always in it.”

There you have it, some interesting lesser-known facts about the Mafioso Boss, Al Capone. Now that you’ve learned more about Capone, we’d like to know: Which one of his actions or qualities stands out most to you? Do you think that Capone really sympathized with the charities that he donated to due to his poor beginnings, or do you think he did it just to present the image that he wanted to portray to the public? Let us know in the comments.

Still here? Here’s a bonus fact just for you.

Number 16: He was called “Snorky” as a nick-name by his closest friends.

Despite being renowned for his famous nickname “Scarface,” his best friends and those close to Capone actually affectionately called him “Snorky.” The definition of the word snorky is ritzy, flashy, a sharp dresser, and a fashionable, elegant person. He certainly was a very snazzy dresser and fit that description perfectly. Capone liked the term, and he wished to be known by it instead of “Scarface” as he felt that it expressed and emphasized his image as the wealthy and successful businessman that he always had wished to be seen as.

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[amunetred]

Black and Blue

A/N: Chapter 2 of Leorai Week, Fantasy.  Be sure to read Chapter 1, Black and Blue first, because I’m writing my 7 days in the form of a consecutive short story. #blackandblue

Some days I’m sure I’ll lose to fate

Some days I cannot find my faith

But I just fight on

I just fight on

I just fight on baby

– Sia, Black & Blue

 Chapter 2

Fantasy

As he breeched the surface of the tunnel the flicker of red light, the flame, grew steadily brighter.  He climbed out, allowing more of the warm red glow toward my eyes. Then he hauled me up.  What I hadn’t expected, hadn’t had a chance to block as I climbed to my hands and knees, was his foot to my stomach sending me rolling across the cavern floor, smashing my head against a rock.  Then that flicker of firelight, extinguished….

“Are ya okay, human? Ya hit yer head on that tree branch pretty hard.”

What? Tree branch my ass, it was a damned rock.  I opened my eyes, prepared for the darkness of the cave, but the sky was bright, the sun- where the hell was the sun? Where was the rip in the universe? Where was the Dark?  

“Uh, if we’re going to catch the boat we need to keep moving.” A green, three-fingered hand thrust itself into my face.  “Here, let me help you up.”

My eyes locked on the familiar scar across his knuckles, my heart skipping beats as I lifted my gaze to meet eyes brighter than a neon sky. But something wasn’t right.  What the hell was Leonardo wearing?  A cowboy hat?  Carrying six shooters?  I scampered to my feet, quite unlike an elegant kunoichi. Dirt wafted into the air coating my- what the hell was I wearing?  The jeans were fine, but leather chaps?  Cowboy- I mean cowgirl boots?  As I dropped my gaze to a button down shirt and open tasseled leather vest, the brim of a hat slid down shielding my eyes.  Oh, what new hell is this?  

“Come on, human, we ain’t got all day.”  

Raphael?  My head snapped up, and I shoved the hat back, rebalancing it on my head.  Don’t know why I didn’t take the damn thing off, except that it did take the sharp white glow off things.  Oh gods, Raphael doesn’t look right either.  I took in the turtle wearing chain-mail and a clunky metal helmet.  Oh gods. Not just any metal helmet.  The Kuro Kabuto.  I swallowed hard.

“Get up, already.  Gees, I still don’t know why we gotta drag you along. It ain’t like yer a wizard-” Raphael pointed to Michelangelo, who wore a purple gown covered in large silver stars, wielding—Splinter’s staff.  My stomach turned.  What was this?  What was happening?  Had I gone mad?  Is this what April felt like, all crazy and confused? But Raphael pointed to her next. “Or useful like a psychic.”

The spunky redhead wore a yellow organza gown that reminded me of Belle from Beauty and The Beast, the ridiculous musical movie that was visually stunning, yet annoying at the same time.  But Michelangelo had insisted we sit through it.  

Raphael growled.  “Are ya even listenin’?  Good for nothing, human.  Not useful like turtle-genius over there.” He pointed to Donatello who looked… well exactly like Donatello.  Except for the horn-rimmed glasses.  What was that white bit between the lenses?  Had he taped them together?  

“And ya sure as shit ain’t a princess.”  Raphael half-bowed in a very I-just-entered-the-dojo sort of way, then mumbled a sad excuse for an apology.  “Sorry fer cursin’, yer Highness.”

Your highness?  

My eyes coasted over the wizard, the psychic, the genius, the warrior, and Leonardo’s outstretched hand- vaguely I wondered what role he played- then I lost a breath.

A white kimono, folded perfectly at the waist, covered in pink cherry blossoms beneath a slender neck, lead to the most beautiful oval face I’d ever seen.  My eyes filled. “M-mother?”  

“Don’t be ridiculous?  How hard ya hit yer head?”  Raph reached out to swat the back of my head and I lifted a hand to block him but found my reflexes too slow. What was wrong with me?  I wasn’t moving right.

Fortunately, Leonardo blocked Raphael’s attempt and offered me his hand again.  “As I was saying, we are all important.  Everyone serves a purpose.  Give me your hand, we’ll get you on your feet and still make our ship if we leave now.”

The entourage made their way, April first, then Donatello, Michelangelo, then Mother, Raphael, then Leonardo and I trailed behind.  What was my purpose?  I could sense I was no longer part mutant.  None of my serpent instincts present.  I had none of my kunoichi reflexes.  I glanced down at my waist.  I wasn’t even carrying guns, like Leo.  Though we were dressed the same.  

I glanced from side to side, to the square and rectangular buildings that resembled something out of a western movie.  I wouldn’t know that much about their appearance had Raphael not insisted we watch westerns to begin with.  Ugh.  Too much television.  

At the end of the dirt road was a river, a long white ship with masts spread as though there was wind in them, though no breeze blew. We were the only passengers, boarded together and spread about as we set sail on a windless sea.  

Leonardo was tying a rope to something I could not see. But he was there, fit and beautiful, younger than I knew we were.  He glanced at me beneath the brim of his hat, a semi-smile curving one corner of his mouth before he looked away.  I was set to approach him, to try to talk to him, but what would I say?  Why have you turned your back on your family?  On me?  I love you.  Come back with me.  Come home. But this wasn’t the Leonardo I was struggling with, nor was it the one I knew and loved, and yet he was at the same time.  My feet inched toward him like magnets propelled by a force I could not stop, yet I resisted because this made no sense and it was futile.

The ship landed and the crew formed their marching line again, down the ramp into another town.  This one had a corral right by the shore, with hay bales stacked near a post board fence, men trying to sell guns offering different models up for target practice.  Leonardo tipped his hat at me then bowed before the princess- my mother.  “Ma’am I have some business to attend to.  I will rejoin you later?”

She nodded graciously and he ventured toward the market.

As I followed the procession deeper into the city a strange sensation began to build.  My feet wanted to gravitate to Leonardo, yet my hands ached to connect the people ahead of me and bind them together somehow.  

This city was different, carved of white stone, sculptures of turtles where gargoyles might rest.  The statue of a rat- Splinter- my father, in the center of town square.  

“We have to find it.  It’s here somewhere.” Donatello pointed East, to a building with giant columns resembling a museum. “Should we spread out and search, Majesty? Perhaps the archives will hold a clue.”

Michelangelo pointed Splinter’s staff toward the South, the sea calm waters below.  But it was the stars glowing above in a daytime sky that he spoke of.  “We should follow the constellations.  They know the way.”

Raphael, even in a knight’s armor still wielded his sai, pointing one toward darkness in the North.  “We’ll find it beyond the battle.  They’ve taken it, I know they have.  But I can get it back.  Send me, your Highness, I can get it back.”

April let out a grunt as she squint her eyes and rubbed her brow.  “I’m sensing something there to our West.  It’s there.  I-I can-feel it.”

My mother was silent, never spoke a word as she looked to me.

Hell if I knew which way to go.  I didn’t even know what we were looking for.  I swallowed hard.  She was so beautiful, her lashes long and dark over gentle brown eyes.  I opened my mouth and a question popped out. “What is it you’re looking for?”

She didn’t answer, only smiled.

My heart was galloping.  Whatever she wanted I would help her find it.  She tipped her head toward April, who began leading us toward a white arbor, woven with bright red roses.  She stepped through but I didn’t see her come out the other side. Donatello went next, then Raphael, Michelangelo, then my Mother.  A great sense of dread enveloped me as I approached what should be a garden entry.  I realized the world had fallen silent. There was no echo over the town, not from the men target practicing, not from the people shopping, coming and going. I looked around.  All of the townsfolk stood still as if paralyzed.  Leonardo turned as I glanced toward the range, his eyes meeting mine.  He was far enough away that I shouldn’t have been able to hear him.  Yet I did.

“Go on.  You’re more powerful than you think.”

I don’t know why I believed him, maybe my brain didn’t, but my heart knew.  My blood burned, my heart pumping hard as I approached the arbor, peering into the blinding white beyond.  I stepped through, blindly, knowing I was only human and had no power, but believed the fool turtleboy who’d promised me otherwise.

I tumbled downhill, noticing everything was varied shades of white and hard, the path beneath me marble that sparkled like diamonds. I landed on my butt in the center of a white circle, scanning the four white columned buildings but not seeing my friends- my family.  But I heard them screaming.  

“Help! Help us!”

Above me they were rising into the sky their bodies spread eagle, like skydivers in reverse.  They clawed at the air as clouds swirled above them at their center a black hole opening, surely to swallow them up.  

“Help!”

Only my mother never opened her mouth, while the rest screamed.  

My feet dragged across the marble but while my torso stretched toward the sky, I refused the pull.  Simply denied it.  My palm lifted to the sky, great energy building inside me, searching for a way out as my feet bound to the ground.  Warm white light appeared to outline my palm, it stayed there as I willed my family to me, slowly curling my fingers in as they drew nearer with every breath.  

Come back.  I’ve got you.  Stay with me. Please.

My mother was first, she reached for April, who reached for Donnie, who reached for Mikey, who reached for Raph.  But it was Mother’s fingers, her silken hand that interwove with mine.  

I had them.

Then my feet began to drag, the marble peeling away like soil beneath my boots, leaving grooves.  No.  I searched, looking behind me for something to grab onto.

There he was.

Leonardo’s hand grasped mine and I was complete.  “I’ve got you.  Hold on, you’re more powerful than you know.”

My eyes were wet, my breath fleeting as I gasped.  “You keep saying that. H-how do you know?”

He smiled and I wished it were real.  Wished it true.  That he was there with me and I could touch him, feel the strength of him as he literally grounded me.  “Because, you are their anchor, and I am yours.”

Then he and everything around me, my mother, our family, were gone.

“Wake up, sleepyhead,” came a broken version of his voice.  One vacant of all that I loved in him.

There was something wet in my eyes as I opened them to the dim light of a torch.  A soft ember glow surrounding the vessel of our leader.  My love.  He was in there somewhere.  And if that dream led me to this nightmare it showed me one thing for certain along the way. The message was all backwards, all wrong.  Well partly. Because, I wasn’t our family’s anchor.

He was.  

Hopefully, I was his.

#leoraiweek #leorai #blackandblue #chapter 2 #fantasy #tmntfanfiction

[pocket-anon]

Operation: First Noel (3/7)

Whoo-hoo! I made it! Chapter 3 delivered on time, as promised. Your week of holiday domestic Captain Swan continues! @xhookswenchx, you mentioned wanting to see our babies arguing over stuff. You got it. ;) I hope you enjoy. Thanks to everyone for reading. I look forward to your comments as always.

Find it on AO3.  Missed a chapter?  Get caught up here.

Summary:  When the residents of Storybrooke enjoy a rare period of peace over the holiday season, Henry asks his family for something he’s never had - a real Christmas. A series of holiday vignettes. (Captain Swan/Captain Cobra/Captain Charming.  Canon Divergent.  Domestic Fluff, Humor, & Smut.   Rated E purely for Chapter 4.)

Requested tags: @optomisticgirl, @deathbycaptainswan.  Want to be tagged on updates?  Let me know!

Chapter 3: The Total Agony of Being in Love

Emma stands on the sidewalk, the air biting at her skin and wearing at her patience while she listens to her husband and her son coming up with a game plan to hang the dozens of feet of icicle lights they’ve purchased to adorn their house.  She’s been here almost ten minutes, having initially ventured outside to bring them a thermos of hot chocolate, but delaying her return to the house after realizing that they intend to dress, not only on the roof overlying the porch, but every section of roof up to the third floor turret.  It’s a far more ambitious undertaking, and it strikes her as requiring the aid of a cherry picker.  Or a friendly fairy.  And judging by their talk, they plan on employing neither.

She hovers behind them as they confer and gesture and nod enthusiastically about the best places on the roof to stand and whether it’s better to climb up with a ladder or duck out through some of the upper windows.  Emma folds her arms across her chest, as much out of skepticism as a desire to stay warm, and narrows her eyes when Henry starts suggesting they build a rig with a two-by-four and a coat hanger to be able to reach the second floor eaves that wrap around the east side of the house. “Okay.  No,” she finally interjects.  “No.”

Both men crane their heads around to look at her, expressions not unlike the ones they wore that time she caught them eating the pie she was planning to bring to Sunday family dinner.

“What?”  Henry asks cautiously.

“No, you are not going to try to climb on top of the roof like that, much less with some MacGuyvered contraption,” she says, waving one mittened hand abstractly.

“I don’t know what that last bit means, Swan, but you needn’t worry.  The lad’s not going up on the roof,” Killian replies in a perfectly sensible tone.  “I am.”

Emma blinks owlishly at him. “Because that’s a much better idea?” she challenges with an incredulous little laugh.

He gives a minute shake of his head and waves off her concerns.  “I’ll be fine, love.”

“Yes, you will, because you’re not doing it.”

He arcs an eyebrow at her, annoyance finally starting to appear in his blue eyes.  “I’m no stranger to climbing, you know,” he points out.

“Rigging, yes.  Beanstalks, yes.  Steep, Victorian-style rooflines, no,” she retorts, her lips pressed into a line.

He throws another glance up at the dark gray asphalt shingles and shrugs.  “It won’t be that bad.”

She snorts.  “Famous last words,” she says flatly.  “You know, just because Zeus resurrected you once doesn’t mean he’ll do it again.”

“It’s not that steep,” he argues.

“It’s a 45-degree incline!”

He smirks, his stupidly handsome face now a means to irritate her. “You’ll catch me if I fall.”

“Or I could just magic the lights up there in five seconds and save you the embarrassment,” she answers, her voice on the edge of a snap.

Killian grumbles.  “I’m not going to embarrass myself.”

“You’re going to end up on the front page of the Mirror. ‘Legendary 300 Year-Old Pirate Breaks Back Hanging Christmas Lights.’  Regina would never let you hear the end of it.”

Henry snickers.

Killian shoots his co-conspirator an indignant look at his betrayal.

Emma huffs.  “This is ridiculous.  It’s freezing out here.”  She spins on her heel and heads inside, waving her hand without a look back. The lights vanish from the boxes sitting at Henry’s feet and appear along the roofline, neatly hanging from the eaves on all three floors and swaying gently in the wind.

 *                             *                             *

 Killian hangs his head as Emma marches across the porch and goes into the house, shutting the front door a little louder than necessary behind her.

“So much for that,” Henry says resignedly.  He pulls out his phone and sends a quick text before bending down to gather the empty light boxes.

“Your mother is a bloody stubborn woman,” Killian grouses, reaching down to help load the rest of the boxes into Henry’s arms and then snagging the handle of the thermos with his hook.

The boy laughs.  “And that’s news?”

A wry smile curls at the corner of Killian’s mouth.  “Hardly.” He sighs.  “This is what happens when you marry a bloody force of nature.”

“You get pretty Christmas lights?” Henry asks, grinning.  He straightens and admires Emma’s work.  “They do look really good.”

“Aye.”

They head around the side of the house in order to stow the boxes in the garage.  

“She might have been right, you know,” Henry hazards, setting the stack on the workbench.

Killian gives him a rueful side-eye, waiting for him to come back outside before swinging the doors shut. “I know.”

Henry’s phone chimes as they climb the steps to the side entrance, and he checks it, tapping a return message. “Well, since we’re done early, I’m gonna go hang with Violet.”  He pauses, tucking the phone back into his coat pocket.  “Um, wait here a minute.”  Killian regards him curiously as he hustles inside and reappears with his backpack a minute later.  He tugs the zipper open and retrieves the mistletoe, pulling one of the stems free and handing it over.  “You might need this.”

Killian chuckles and pockets the tiny sprig.  “You’re a good man, Henry.”

“Yeah, yeah.”  Henry raises his eyebrows in earnest.  “Don’t abuse it,” he says gruffly.

Killian nods with a grin.

He finds Emma splayed out across the sofa watching a movie he doesn’t recognize.  He hangs his coat up and approaches cautiously, scratching behind his ear.  As he draws close, he notes a generous plateful of peppermint bark balanced on her baby bump and a half-eaten piece between her fingers, some of it wedged adorably in her cheek.  

They’ve had a number of rows since he moved in over a year ago – arguments over which way to hang the toilet paper on the roll, how long to let dirty dishes sit in the sink, what Henry’s curfew should be and whether he should be allowed to have Violet up to his room – but Killian is grateful that their dust-ups are never very big.  To be fair, after fighting about her extreme secrecy while a Dark One and her decision to turn him into a Dark One to save his life and whether he should return from the Underworld, everything else rather pales in comparison.  In a strange way, they’re fortunate in that respect – they have the advantage of perspective, the memories of having lost and found one another again, of having faced and suffered death, of having to forgive and be forgiven for much more serious hurts, and after all their adventures, the ability to just live day-to-day with one another is something they both cherish too much to let little annoyances drive a rift between them.

Killian catches her eye and gives her a soft expression.  “May I?”

Emma’s face remains neutral, but she accepts his outstretched hand and allows him to pull her upright enough that he can wedge himself between her and the arm of the sofa, her weight falling softly and comfortingly against his side as he drapes his elbow over the seatback.

He studies the scene on the television, watching a little boy describe being in love to his father as “total agony.”  Killian’s mouth forms a little smile at the sentiment.  “What are we watching?”

“Love Actually,” Emma replies, biting off another small piece of bark.  “It’s a Christmas movie.”

“A movie about Christmas?”

She hums.  “It’s more about love,” she says, “and how sometimes it’s complicated,” she sighs, “and sometimes it isn’t.”

He chuckles.  “Indeed.”  He reaches up and tentatively combs his fingertips through her hair, relaxing when some of the tension disappears from her shoulders.  

They watch as a charming brown-haired man and woman engage in a sweet but flirtatious conversation.  The woman exits, and the man’s face falls, conflicted and despondent over how much he fancies her.  

Killian leans his head nearer to Emma’s.  “The lights look very nice,” he murmurs.

She glances at him out of the corner of her eye before her gaze returns to the television.  She licks her lips.  “Thank you.”

“You did it much better than I could have.”

She chuffs.  “You could have fallen.”

He makes a show of nodding his head, his face sincere.  “Aye.” Emma looks at him, and he smiles apologetically.  “Sometimes I still love a challenge.”

Her eyes pinch minutely, warming with fondness and understanding as she remembers the first time he said such a thing to her.

He drapes his arm over her shoulders and pulls her close, inhaling the scent of her shampoo and dropping a kiss on her crown.  “I also enjoy spending time with Henry.”

Emma tenses for a moment. “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to take that away from you.”

He chuckles.  “It’s alright, Swan.  I’m sure we’ll come up with some other ill-conceived caper soon enough.”  He smiles, aware, even without looking, that she’s rolling her eyes.

“You’re impossible,” she mutters, snuggling closer.

His chest vibrates with a low, happy sound.  “And you love me for it.”

She nods against him.

“Speaking of which.”  

Emma raises her head to watch as Killian pulls his arm away and reaches into the chest pocket of his waistcoat to pull out the little bit of mistletoe.  He grins and holds it above their heads, giving it a little shake and enjoying the way her eyes widen and a rosy flush blossoms on her cheeks.

She sets her plate aside, and Killian’s smile widens slowly and his eyes falls closed when she scoots up a little to press her mouth sweetly to his.  

Her dimples are on full display as she pulls back a fraction.  “Where did you find mistletoe?” she asks, amused.

“In the woods,” he answers, bumping her nose with his, “That extra stop we made on our way back with the trees.  Quite the fascinating Christmas tradition.”  

He leans forward and kisses her again, and she giggles, acquiescing to part her lips and let him sweep her mouth with his tongue.  Her fingers wind into the short tendrils at the back of his neck as the sound of their increasingly labored breathing obscures whatever is happening on the television.  She gives a needy whine, and he growls, pulling her over so she lies half in his lap, pressed to his chest with her back to the movie.

Emma breaks away suddenly, panting.  “Where’s Henry?”

“He went to see Violet.” Killian lowers his head to chase her mouth, but she withdraws a little further.

“Wait.  Does he have mistletoe, too?”  Her brow wrinkles with panic.

Killian flops his head back onto the cushion.  “It’s not as though he’s never kissed the girl, Swan.”

“But…”

He lifts an eyebrow and looks down at her archly.  “Does mistletoe dictate more than kissing?  Because if it does, I have been sorely misinformed.”

“No!”  She chortles in spite of herself.  “No.”

“Then he’ll behave. Or Sir Morgan will run him through with his sword.”  Killian grins at the laughter in his wife’s eyes and shifts his arms to pull her closer. “Now, since we’re alone, is there a chance that I could see more than kissing?”

“Hmph.”  Emma teases her lips against his.  “Maybe.”

Thanks for reading!  Ready for more?  Click here for the next chapter!

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[poppedmusic]

Neighbourhood 2017

Various venues, Manchester, 7th October 2017

Words: Gary Lambert Photos: Trust A Fox

“In rain we graft” might be a t-shirt slogan, but it sums up the Manchester music scene’s collective ability for hard work, togetherness and fighting through the strife that often comes from the life of being working class in the north west of England. In the constant drizzle, it was an apt description of the life of a music fan at Neighbourhood 2017. Marching from venue to venue, squeezing through packed rooms, and going wild in front of some great performances could be hard work if we got paid for it. Instead it’s just wonderfully draining.

  These sort of adventures in music are not just done on the spur of the moment, but they are planned well in advance deciding who we need to cover and how it will fit with Popped Music’s New Music ethos. With the opening party starring 40% of Blossoms, and an orchestra, it was the perfect intro to the review too. Well it would have been if I had read the timetable, as Blossoms didn’t come on until half past one – and there was no way we were going to wait that long to watch some music despite rushing across Manchester City Centre to get to the Union for midday when I thought it was starting. So it was back up Oxford Road to catch one of our previewed bands, Judas.

  Now Judas are not going to provide you with a Radiohead style epiphany of how strange sounds can be gathered together to make a tune that blows your mind. Instead, their plan is a lot less subtle. They make tunes that make you want to move your hips, arms, and other body parts into an approximate reference to rhythm and coordination, with occasional air punches. And it is so liberating. And popular given the fact that The Refuge had easily over 100 people inside for the very first act of the day. Frontman, John Clancy, commented that Manchester was a city they had yet to conquer, well they must be doing something right in their attempts. In what was to be a recurring theme for the day, the audience was definitely younger than I was expecting too. As they piled down the stairs to get in position to watch Judas, hardly anybody went towards the bar because I don’t think the world’s greatest fake IDs would have got them served. It was just after midday and there were fifteen year olds filling a venue to watch a guitar band that most people won’t have heard of. If that does not give you hope then you deserve a world of Buble and Britpop Reunions.

  After stomping, it was time to take a moment to chill out and go to one of my favourite places in Manchester, The Thirsty Scholar. To be honest, this pub usually gets a visit when I’m in town because they do a decent pint, but for Neighbourhood there is a day of music inside the pub as well as the most obvious meeting point in their concrete beer garden out front (but under the railway bridge so as to not be rain affected). The acts on The Thirsty Scholar tend to range from acoustic singers from Bolton to acoustic singers from Bredbury, but that results in an audience who have heard the singer before, or have grown up with them. In a small pub with an even smaller stage at a Metropolitan festival, that is a bonus to be fair. It creates an atmosphere of support and for the pressure of performance to be eased. The act I managed to catch was Ryan Jarvis who managed to surprise me as I walked in to the room by not holding an acoustic guitar as he sang, ably supported by his backing band. He looked very comfortable on stage, and sang well, taking on the band leader role with aplomb. He had his acoustic guitar back in his hand for the next track, so I was able to leave relieved that things at The Thirsty Scholar had not got too wild.

  Then it was time for the opening party, advertised as Blossoms featuring Joe Duddell and RNCM Ensemble. Actually it was only Tom Ogden and Charlie Salt from Blossoms. I am of the opinion that Tom Ogden is amongst the best frontmen around, not just because of his voice and stage presence, but how he manages to guide the band and audience through their gigs. Yet it is the presence of Myles Kellock on keys which propels Blossoms through the canals of the indie circuit into the seas of the general public. It is hard to imagine without hearing it the likes of Charlemagne without that energy and bounce. But that was what we were facing. From the opening though of Getaway though Myles had been replaced by a subtle, rousing, orchestral beauty which allowed people to sing with Tom if they wished, or get their head around how good a songwriter he is, and how great the band’s collective ability with a tune is. I love Blossoms, but I was shocked at how their festival-friendly tracks were infused with such subtlety. I was fortunate to bump into Charlie  later at Sound Control, and enthused over the performance to him. He admitted that performing The Beatles’ Ticket to Ride as a cover to finish was quite an emotional moment for Tom and he as they had grown up listening to The Beatles and it was a real signifier of how far Blossoms have come.

  One of the biggest disappointments last year was the crowds at The Zoo. Two of my favourite bands played there in front of a rather meagre crowd for one reason and another. I won’t name the acts, but they’re sick, if you ignore what marketing people tell you. For 2017 this was not the case. Under the new guise of The Bread Shed it was absolutely jam packed to the point of making people queue outside for one in, one out. The reason for the crowds was No Hot Ashes were due to take to the stage. If someone was to look at the band in their jeans and great Adidas tracksuits, you would instantly expect a northern four piece with elongated vowels and forgettable choruses. You would be wrong. No Hot Ashes are a lot smarter than the image would suggest. Whilst ostensibly they are an indie band, you would not think that if you closed your eyes and took out the vocals. Instead we have tunes sculpted from the marble left by acts like Hall and Oates with the way they take the funk and joy from rhythm and blues, and use it as the foundation for enough indie music to fill a 400+ capacity club with teenagers.

Oh and The Bread Shed also had a glitter desk where crowd members could get cool glitter designs on their face. I didn’t tell my editor this on the day as I would have had to give my press pass up as soon as she drove to Manchester!

  Things then turned a bit hectic, to say the least, as instead of sitting around in The Bread Shed, getting a beer, and getting glittered, it was back up Oxford Road to check out October Drift on the advice of Mr Foxy Fox, my photographer and all round man of Manchester. Seriously, he’s a boss guy, but do not expect to get through the venue zones of Manchester quickly with him as he pretty much knows everybody and they all want to talk to him. I lost track of the artists, band managers, venue managers, and general Manchester music heads we bumped into on our travels. It sure was fun.

  October Drift proved him right as they put on a broody set that was full of intensity, angst and energy. How would I describe them? Editors on amphetamines would be the best indicator of what their time on stage was like. It was tiring watching them hurtling around, bumping into each other, and generally having a good time. But they did not replace quality music with energy as some bands choose to in order to grab attention. Instead they find the point between Joy Division and dancing that removes the irony without adding unrequired cheer. If you don’t believe me, go to Spotify and listen to Cherry Red or Losing My Touch and you might see why. Or you might think I’m crazy. At least you’ll have listened to two great new songs.

  Another high energy band on our list was The Blinders back at The Bread Shed. The audience had fallen from No Hot Ashes’ crowd which you would expect with the Stopfordians who had previously taken to the stage being a local act. Instead it was at about 95% capacity instead of 100% (about 20 people less for non-maths geeks). If you like the stomp of glam rock and you like the heavy blues of Led Zeppelin, then The Blinders might just be for you – at the time I tweeted that watching The Blinders is like seeing The Doors cover QOTSA or the other way round, and I stand by that positively unnerving description. The Blinders put on a show that makes you stand in silence for the slow bits, but coiling yourself waiting for the fast bits.

  Usually I would have taken this point to be the time to eat, chill out, and prepare for the next assault of music, but instead we got to sit down with the frankly awesome Queen Zee and The Sasstones to hold an interview which you will see soon enough. I mean haven’t you got enough to read already? We’re only halfway through! But you will get to read about a Queen Zee live set by the time you get to the end of this review. Teaser trailer: “incendiary” is used – and yet they have no pyrotechnics or fire hazards.

  The second half of reviewing started with a Popped Music favourite, The Amazons. These boys seem to be getting better by the second, and are quickly following behind Reading’s other proud sons Sundara Karma. The Ritz, over the road from Gorilla and round the corner from Sound Control and Underdog, is a real jewel in Manchester’s live music venues. It is the kind of venue that if you are not from Manchester you will walk in there and say “I wish we had somewhere like this at home”. Even if you do have somewhere like that back home, you’ll still wish that you had The Ritz.

Anyway, I digress. Back to talking about bands not venues. The Amazons are a force of nature. Usually a band with such a live following has either very simple choruses that encourage people to sing along with, a frantic sound or live act which demands that you join in, or some kind of Daily Mail baiting edge. Yet The Amazons have none of this. Their songs are not going to make you whistle whilst stuck in traffic; they are massive not frantic on stage; and they’re a band you would let your daughter date. Instead, to pilfer a quote I overheard outside afterwards, “THAT is a proper band”. And I understood completely. They have a synergy together which makes their style of rock, the quality of their songs, and their stage presence push you in the audience so that actually you sing, mosh, and cheer their every word between songs. It’s brilliant. And it is exemplified by In My Mind and Stay With Me which encapsulate why The Amazons are one of the most thrilling rock bands around.

  In Manchester there is plenty of places to pay musical homage to heroes of the past. From Salford Lads’ Club (yes I know it’s technically not in Manchester), to The Free Trade Hall, to the countless pieces of art and graffiti which celebrate heroes of the past and give ambitions for the heroes of tomorrow. It was time for me to fit in a bit of tourism / hero worship as well as watching one of my favourite young bands. RedFaces at FAC251, now known as the slightly more obvious Factory. FAC251 was the offices of Factory Records, and the legacy is not forgotten from the venue’s name to the framed portrait of Tony Wilson (or Anthony H Wilson during the grown up years) as you walk through the doors. There was even a smell of stale beer and cider near the stage which all venues should have. I’m sure that would have appealed to, and equally appalled, the man known as Mr. Manchester.

  RedFaces still annoy Gary The Writer by the grammatical punk rock of an unrequited space and unnecessary upper case in their name, but Gary The Music Fan gets enthralled by the way these young lads are able to whip out a tune as simply as asking them the time. For me, not since the days of Supergrass, have I found a band who are able to take pop styles of the sixties and make them feel modern rather than pastiche. There is no sense of threat or darkness with RedFaces. Their set was one of pure enjoyment which I will acknowledge does not work for everybody. If you like a bit of dirt, sleaze, or fury in your music they are not the band for you. But if you prefer The Beatles’ Red Album and The Beach Boys, to The Beatles’ Blue or White Album and The Rolling Stones, then get on board! It is blissful to listen to them play, and it all seems so natural and effortless. And if you say otherwise you’re going to be left with red faces.

  Another young act playing at Neighbourhood was the equally talented Ten Tonnes. Similarly the attention is placed on the songs which are fantastically written and were showcased in the set with both the band, and with a solo interlude where Ten Tonnes played a few acoustic numbers. Unfortunately, Ten Tonnes felt a bit like the band, and during the acoustic section it was just Ethan Barnett on stage. Given he has not yet had his 21st birthday, I do not want this to sound as a harsh criticism, but he is not yet dominant enough on stage in my opinion to hold the momentum of the show through the “interlude”. Personally I would like to see it cut a bit shorter, or maybe not in the middle of the set. The songs of Ten Tonnes deserve to grab the audience’s attention from start to finish. Talking of attention grabbing, the heavy guitar chord that repeats through new release Cracks Between was so deep and disgusting (oh yes!!) in the basement of Sound Control that it made me think of the first time we see the T-Rex in Jurassic Park. You can understand completely why Warner Bros have snapped him up.

  Another young gun who has been a big favourite of mine over the last twelve months is Rory Wynne. The first time I saw him he was witty and inspired by early Arctic Monkeys. Disappointingly though, Rory has gone more towards Liam Gallagher nowadays. His session in Underdog was a real let down for me. Don’t get me wrong this is a matter of personal taste and there were a fair few in the room who lapped up the performance, but I don’t want to see a tribute act based around Liam Gallagher post-Millenium. I could accept an act inspired by Liam Gallagher when he was filled with anger and vitriol, but it would have to be inspired by rather than a clear aping.

  Anger and vitriol was definitely on the menu back in The Refuge were Derry band, Touts, were shaking the windows with punk music. As I’ve said before this is a band who are no strangers to The Clash’s debut album, but they have a personality and energy that makes you smile with it. In contrast to the earlier gig in The Refuge, the audience was disappointingly a bit older, but that did not set back Touts who asked to see some movement from their fans, “it’s not a fucking funeral”. I would not say they are a subtle band for sure, but they made people smile and probably made the day for Rachel in the crowd who was celebrating her birthday. If Touts fulfil their potential that could be a story Rachel brings up every birthday for the rest of her life.

  There is something so liberating about punk music. It might make you jump around, but that is only as a result of the energy it zaps straight into your heart and soul. A prime example of that energy came from Queen Zee and The Sasstones. There is a lot that is to be said about this act beyond their music, but you can read the interview soon enough to find that out. This review of Neighbourhood Festival is all about the music, and it was not the social politics of the band that made me leap up and down at the barriers. Queen Zee is a Tasmanian Devil of a performer, and songs like Sissy Fists fizz and then explode in righteous anger. There is such enjoyment and showmanship coming from the stage that even the photographers in the pit did not want to move whilst they searched for the perfect snap of Queen Zee jumping, spinning, punching, screaming, or just being eye catching.

  Slightly less punk, but just as energetic was the set from Strange Bones. This was the set which made me wish I was not on the press list making notes on my iPad, but was stood in the middle of the mosh pit slamming into strangers. Can we be honest with each other? I think we can because we’ve been together for almost three thousand words now…. I made zero notes during this set. Instead I stood at the back, transfixed to the goings on ahead of me. It was magnificent.

  One of my favourite aspects of Neighbourhood Festival was the atmosphere at the event. It felt like an outdoor festival should with the comfort the audience felt with each other. Like at Glastonbury, Leeds, Kendal Calling etc. it was perfectly normal to start conversations with random strangers over bands you had seen and they missed out on, so that they knew whether or not to try to catch them at a later date.

  Anyway, from these conversations I believe I missed cracking sets from BABYTEETH, High Tyde, YONAKA, Flyte, HMLTD, Bloxx, and Inheaven; and the festival is so packed with options we missed out seeing favourites like Estrons, Declan McKenna, JAWS, Get Inuit, The Vryll Society, The Big Moon, Black Honey, and Rat Boy. All for about thirty quid, the price of a tee and a haircut.

  Neighbourhood Festival, to use the local dialect, was mint; and it’ll be mint next year so make sure you are there.

  Check out the Popped Music Photo Gallery from Neighbourhood 2017 here:

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Festival Review: Neighbourhood 2017 – Manchester Neighbourhood 2017 Various venues, Manchester, 7th October 2017 Words: Gary Lambert Photos: Trust A Fox “In rain we graft” might be a t-shirt slogan, but it sums up the Manchester music scene’s collective ability for hard work, togetherness and fighting through the strife that often comes from the life of being working class in the north west of England.

#blossoms #festival #Festival Review #Judas #manchester #neighbourhood #october drift #queen zee and the sasstones #redfaces #strange bones #ten tonnes #the amazons #the bliders #touts