#or is he mister afro in this?

[dean-a-mean-tae]

"Western" Friends | Stray Kids Extra Member AU

Some of Nicholas' friends from the US

WARNINGS: (Let me be delusional) Someone being racist, Nicholas getting scolded, Nicholas' height being painful for pictures, and mention of scandal?

(@cafekitsune made the dividers) | Nicholas Ross Master List

✧*̥˚𝙉𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙞 𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙟*̥˚✧

The Mother He Never Had

Surprisingly, some of STAY and the Barbz brought him to her attention during one of her Lives. She did a little research on him and saw his talent. She read about the little snippets of his past that reached the internet. Somehow, they managed to get in touch.

Nicholas sends her his ideas, and Nicki helps him find his own style in music. She ships him snacks from America. Nicki constantly calls him to check on him. She ensures he takes his medication and eats at least 2 meals and 2 snacks daily.

Nicholas looks up to Nicki. He's seen all the hard work she put into all her work. He strives to make her proud. Nicki's view of him is important to Nicholas. She's helped him find himself and showed him the things he missed during his childhood in the US.

There's obviously a time zone difference, so sometimes, in the middle of their conversation, Nicki tells him to go to bed and continue the discussion later. "Isn't 11 at night over there? Get in the bed!"

Bonus: Though Nicholas is taller than her, Nicki loves to hold him. She'll sit on the couch, and he'll lay across her lap while she rubs his back. Sometimes, Nick will sit in front of her while she does his hair.

✧*̥˚𝙉𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙞*̥˚✧

His Safest Friend

She overheard someone mention a "black boy in a Korean band" and how he "didn't belong." She didn't know who they were talking about, but race shouldn't stop you from doing something like making music. Without knowing who Nicholas was, Normani defended him. It went viral, and Nicholas was allowed to publicly thank her.

They call each other and watch the same movie or series together. Usually, Normani picks so she can expand his movie knowledge, but on the rare occasion that Nick chooses, Normani is proud.

The "small" things make her proud of him, like writing at least two sentences for a project. The "bigger" things make her proud, too, like mastering the choreography for their latest comeback. "You have this energy. It makes people feel safe. Never lose that, okay?"

Bonus: Normani is the one who carries Nicholas around on her back. She claims he needs some "good ol' babying." It never fails to make him laugh.

✧*̥˚𝙎𝙕𝘼*̥˚✧

Sister From Another Mister

She found out about him while scrolling around on TikTok. The video was a soft edit of Nicholas, thanking him for showing that "Famous" people are people. She read the caption saying he talked about his condition and watched it. Somehow, they managed to get in touch.

They text more than they call simply because of Nicholas' schedule. SZA will call him in the middle of her filming a video and ask for his help on something. It's her way of secretly getting him to explore new things.

Different time zones usually mean a struggle with communication. Not with these two. One might fall asleep, so the other will text the rest of whatever they were gonna say, and they'll continue the conversation when whoever wakes up. "Did this- He actually sleep."

Bonus: It always tickles SZA whenever she takes a picture with Nicholas. Sometimes, he has to bend unnaturally, or she has to stand on her tiptoes. Occasionally, they'll use a chair or something. But Nicholas thinks SZA likes showing their height difference, no matter how painful taking pictures is.

✧*̥˚𝙈𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙣 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙚 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙣*̥˚✧

Tight-knit, Ride or Die, Friends For Life

The Normani Defending Nicholas incident brought him to Megan's attention. An Afro-Korean boy in a Korean boy group is being defended by an African-American singer. Normani at that? Megan had to know more.

She read more about Nicholas and his past. She reached out to Normani and found out that the girl barely knew him. Somehow, Megan got ahold of Nicholas.

She spoils Nicholas beyond content. You wanted this bag, but it's only sold in America? It's being flown over now. Did you want these chips? A box will be there in half a week.

Nicholas has a room in Megan's house. She FaceTimed him while she shopped for it and the next time he could visit her, he helped decorate the room. After they finished, she told him the room was for him. "You know this yo room, right? Boy, you are family! You gon have a room!"

Bonus: Megan and Nicholas are always doing something. Megan Thee Stallion and Nicholas Ross from Stray Kids were seen on a shopping date. Megan Thee Stallion and Nicholas Ross from Stray Kids were seen awfully close. Megan Thee Stallion and Nicholas Ross from Stray Kids were seen on a date at a Waffle House. It's always something going on, and they're consistently being blown out of proportion.

Nicholas Ross Master List

©️DEANAMEANTAE2023

Tag list: @bada-lee-ily,

#deantae nicholas ross #skz 9th member #stray kids 9th member #skz x reader #skz x male reader #stray kids x male reader #stray kids x reader #skz x 9th member #stray kids extra member #stray kids with the 9th member #9th member of stray kids #9th member of skz #skz x oc #skz x black reader

[rhodesrider]

Her First Gold -P1-

Bloodline x Wrestler!Black! Fem Reader

SFW! 18+!

Word Count: 689

~

“I need to get some gold soon…” Y/N sighed as she watched the bloodline do their promo for tonight. She was apart of bloodline but she didn’t come out this time. Roman wanted her to but she felt she would like a soar thumb. Everyone had a belt. Solo just won the United States belt from Seth Rollins humiliating him on TV. She felt left out. Seeing her guys out there without her did make her sad but even fans would ask ‘why is she there and she doesn’t even have a belt?’ Or ‘What’s her reason for being in the top crew in both brands?’ She rested her head on her knees as she brought them up to her body, she needs a miracle. It cut to commercial and she heard her men coming down the hall. She didn’t want them to see her sad so she just sat cris cross acting like she’s on her phone.

They came in the lounge she was in and were chanting excited for tonight. Roman paused it especially from Sami. “Princess you good?” Y/N nodded smiling and went back on her phone on twitter. They shrugged it off sitting down chilling mostly. Soon Y/Ns face dropped in anger. Bianca Belair was all over her timeline on twitter. “Fuck I need her belt.” She hissed low. “Baby girl you mumbling.” Jimmy mentioned and she looked up looking at them. Paul being nosy he smirked. “She’s looking at Belair.” Y/N threw a pillow at Paul but Sami got it chuckling. “Do boy…” she hissed folding her arms. “Baby why not challenge her?” Roman asked. “It’s not that easy. I just came from NXT like Solo. She’s not gonna wanna wrestle me.” She whined. “Not with you whining like that baby.” Jey added. “Oh you’re right I’m so sorry mister both brands on his arm.” She mocked. “Y/N enough.” Roman bellowed and she sat back rolling her eyes.

“I can probably set something up.”

Y/N shot a look at Roman. “I know you wanna do this yourself baby…” He got up and crouched in front of her chair. “-but can you trust your chief?” She looked at him direct eye contact. “…You know I trust you daddy…” she said defeated. He smiled and he looked up seeing Belair getting on camera. “Get daddy’s jacket on. Let’s get you a chance.” He smiled. She nodded and Jimmy tossed her his red jacket. Roman held the door for her smiling and they walked out. “You come out when she opens her big ass mouth.” He smiled and kissed her cheek, she nodded and sat back and watched.

Bianca was doing her promo being more cocky than usual. “I had this belt for too damn long.” She laughed. The crowd went nuts. Soon the bloodline music started. Roman smirked walking out. The crowd did a bigger cheer than for bianca. Belair rolled her eyes and looked dead at him. He grabbed the mic and smiled. “You are right miss Belair, you had it way too damn long. You need a break baby?” Belair’s face turned into a mean mug. “No I don’t need a break ‘chief’.” She smiled doing quotes. “I mean it sounds like you do. How bout you defend it one more time?” He challenged Belair. “God Roman, I know you’re collecting belts but you can’t get this one baby.” She mocked and danced around some. “Oh I know.” He smirked and soon the music started again. Y/Ns theme Blasted in the arena, she smirked skipping out stopping at Roman looking dead at Bianca, full eye contact. “You kidding right? Your poodle?” Y/Ns smirk turned to a big frown from that name. Her attire consisted of her natural hair, Afro puffs included. “What? You scared you might get bit?” She said in the mic and Roman smiled a bit. “Ok ok I’ll bite. Roman you are trying to dress up ya family dolls, and you need to complete the collection huh? Ok. Here’s what imma do. I’ll take that challenge, we can fight next week. But if you lose, which no doubt you will-“

“-You take yo ass back to NXT.”

Y/Ns heart dropped. But she kept her composure. Roman was about to say she’s not taking it, then she asked for the mic and smiled. “Accepted.” Roman blinked and sighed a bit. Y/N wants that belt, but if she doesn’t get it, this just proves she needs more work. Solo worked hard for his gold, this is gonna be her challenge.

In the lounge, everyone is silent. Paul paced a bit trying to find words. But Sami found em quick, “What the fuck is she doing?” Solo smiled. “She’s being dumb. Kind of like me.”

#wwe one shot #wwe imagine #wwe smackdown #wwe raw #wwe roman reigns #wwebloodline #the usos #sfw headcanons

[kawaiichibiart]

Back to the trailer:

Hello Nathalie!!! 😍😍😍😍😍

Hands down favorite Akuma design of Season 5 so far.

Look at her!! 🤩🤩🤩

....in the worst way possible, you look like Bling Bling Boy's (from Johnny Test) fursona.

You seriously look like he designed you for himself 💀💀💀

Unpopular opinion: I love Zoe with green hair, those of y'all complaining are just being babies about it 😒😒😒 no I won't say sorry.

I have nothing to be sorry about.

Just save me the time, and energy, and say you hate green on anyone BUT Adrien/Chat Noir/Mister Bug, Lady Noire, Marc, and on Marinette's dream kids. Because those seem to be the only characters where green ANYWHERE is not an issue 😒😒😒

Fucking whiny little...

"Zoe, green isn't your color..." Yeah, well, some of y'all believed other characters would be the ones who got the Couffaine hair dye treatment *cough*Chloe*cough*

"Her hair is just a copy of Chat's" and?

Where's the rule that says you can't copy someone's looks? That you have to be 100% your own thing? That you're not allowed to like what someone did so you decide to do something similar? That you're not allowed to choose to look like a prior hero because you wanted to or because they were all you could think of when transforming? That only one person can use a design because they're the ones who wanted that look?

No where? What a surprise :0

This could be another Scarabella and Pigella thing where the in show designs were fine but the concepts were so much better. Need I remind people Scarabella could have had an afro? Or that Pigella could have had less magical girl vibe and more rocker girl vibe in her hero costume?

We don't know that Zoe could have had a better design that was scrapped for what we got in the end.

I haven't seen Kitty Noire, or whatever the fuck her name is gonna be, concept sketches.

:)

#miraculous spoilers

[musicarenagh]

TDOTOSTUDIOS Describes Afua With Few Words tdotostudios (aka Theo Davis) is a UK based medical doctor by day and music producer by night. He spent time honing his craft as a multi-instrumentalist at church, school and university musicals. Despite enduring a busy course and job as a medical doctor, he demonstrates a notable CV in music. He scored his first UK Top 30 single as a producer with a track called Azonto by Fuse ODG, which to date has a combined total of over 70 million views on YouTube alone. His contributions to this record formed the foundation and pioneered a new sound of UK afrobeats during that time period. Having helped to sonically pave the way for UK afrobeats, tdotostudios, through his own artist project, wants to continue to spearhead a new sound called Afro-Lofi, combining the vintage and granular atmosphere of Lofi music with infectious afrobeat rhythms to create a pleasurable listening experience. In addition to Azonto, he co-produced two other songs on Fuse ODG’s debut album “This is New Africa”, which ended up at number 25 in the Official UK Album Charts and earned him a BPI Silver Award plaque. The music he has produced has been broadcasted on reputable radio stations including BBC Radio 1 and 1xtra and many popular TV shows including Match of the Day, Take Me Out and X-Factor. He has more recently teamed up with upcoming Nigerian-British singer-songwriter IsaacO, having had a hand in the production of his first four singles. This has culminated in a total of over 1,000,000 streams on Spotify alone. His work with IsaacO has resulted in noteworthy playlist features including Spotify editorial “Easy” and Starbucks’ own personalised playlists “Coffeehouse” and “Starbucks Soul R&B Hip-Hop” and a personal invite to Spotify UK HQ in London. He has just recently collaborated with Hans Zimmer’s and Pharrell Williams’ founded plug-in company ujam instruments to create the track “Adonai” and “Jireh” to promote their newly released plug-ins Virtual Pianist VOGUE and Reggaeton Beatmaker RICO. When asked about his latest single with Mister Styx of Musicarenagh, this is what the multi-talented artiste had to say: This release is called AFUA. The reason for the name is that it is a female Ghanaian name meaning “born on Friday”. Being of Ghanaian descent, there was a longing to shine a spotlight on the beauty of my own personal heritage and the African Diaspora. I also wanted to create a sound which encapsulated the beauty of women from the African Diaspora without the need for song lyrics. Follow Tdotostudiios on Soundcloud Youtube Instagram Tiktok Listen to Afua below https://open.spotify.com/track/7M1wgo49XWJluRKEhYyn8J?si=7GPOnL7aROOPp9XN-KvnJA What is your stage name tdotostudios Is there a story behind your stage name? There is a story. When I was thirteen and in secondary school at the time, because I would go by my shortened version of my name Theo. One of my classmates suggested I should change my name to T.O which pronounced without the dot says my name. That name stuck with me and I have decided to take it forward. The name has gone through various versions like T.O productions. The name tdotostudios is a continuation of this but it spells out the dot rather than using a full stop symbol. Where do you find inspiration? My faith in Jesus is really integral to why I make music. I regularly serve in my church by playing the keys (piano) as part of my church band. Other inspirations include family and friends. What was the role of music in the early years of your life? It played a significant role in my family. Music was always in the house and I grew up on an eclectic mix of music including Gospel, Soul, Motown, Folk and Singer-Songwriter music like Simon & Garfunkel. Are you from a musical or artistic family? Yes, both my immediate and extended family are musical which definitely is a real blessing. Who inspired you to be a part of the music industry? My cousin Nathan helped to pique my interest in music and music production when I was about 13.

He had rapped as part of a mixtape his cousin made called Breezy’s Mixtape. Listening to that mixtape inspired me to think about making my own music and it is amazing to see the journey I have been on so far. [caption id="attachment_51534" align="alignnone" width="1333"] My cousin Nathan helped to pique my interest in music and music production when I was about 13.[/caption] How did you learn to sing/write/to play? A mixture of self teaching, learning at various youth projects and through collaborations. What was the first concert that you ever went to and who did you see perform? I think I went to see Graham Kendrick (a Christian singer and worship music veteran) at a church event when I was really young. How could you describe your music? Afro-Lofi - which combines the granular/vintage atmosphere of lofi music and chilled afrobeats. Describe your creative process. I tend to be inspired by tracks I might have heard that day. It might be that which sets the tone for the track I decide to make next. Depending on the track I make, I may start with a nice drum loop or chord progression and build from there. What is your main inspiration? Same as what I said before - God, family, friends. What musician do you admire most and why? I really admire James Jamerson (he was a bassist in a group called the Funk Brothers). The funk brothers were the session band behind all of Motown’s music from Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell to Signed, Sealed, Delivered by Stevie Wonder. The reason why admire him was he used his bass to “talk” and create a new feel to any track he played on. His baselines could stand alone without anything else. Did your style evolve since the beginning of your career? Not particularly. Pretty much most of the music I make has some sort of Afro-Influence. Back in 2011, I was one of the producers of Azonto by Fuse ODG. This song has now gone down as an innovator in afrobeats history in setting the tone and foundation for later afrobeats tracks. It also gave me my first UK Top 40 single and to date has over 70 million streams across all streaming platforms. Who do you see as your main competitor? No-one in particular What are your interests outside of music? Cooking, socialising with friends, helping and mentoring young people, church, God If it wasn't a music career, what would you be doing? This is an interesting question as my aim to combine my day job (which is a medical doctor) and my music career so I have time for both. What is the biggest problem you have encountered in the journey of music? Trying to find serious people to work with. In such an industry, some people can be quite unreliable and flaky and you only get to know what a person is like by working with them. So, it’s a bit of trial and error. I am glad however that currently I am working with a good group of people on various projects who push me to be a better musician and producer. If you could change one thing in the music industry, what would it be? Less reliance on social media to have to build a fanbase. However, in this day and age, you cannot get away from optimising your social media accounts to increase your audience and reach. Why did you choose this as the title of this project? The new single is called AFUA. The reason for the name is that it is a female Ghanaian name meaning “born on Friday”. Being of Ghanaian descent, there was a longing to shine a spotlight on his own personal heritage and the African Diaspora. I wanted to create a lyricless sound which encapsulated the beauty of women from the African Diaspora. This will be one of the first tracks from a wider body of work called “Kofi’s Lofi”. What are your plans for the coming months? More tdotostudios releases, more collaborations Do you have any artistic collaboration plans? Yes, quite a few are in the works. What message would you like to give to your fans? Thank you for all the love and support on my music and journey.

I really appreciate you all.

#Interviews #ELECTRONIC #AFROBEAT #AFUABYTDOTOSTUDIOS #BEATS #CHILLOUT #CINEMATIC #EASYLISTENING #EXPERIMENTAL #GENERAL #GUITARMUSIC #INSTRUMENTAL #LOFI #misterstyx #mrstyx #MusicArenaGh #Musicarenagh #nwmusic #RELAXING #SOUNDTRACK #STUDYINGVIBES #styx #SUPERCATCHY #TDOTO #TDOTOINTERVIEW #TDOTOSTUDIOS #TDOTOSTUDIOSAFUA #UKBASED

[lboogie1906]

Percy Rodriguez (born Percy Rodrigues; June 13, 1918 – September 6, 2007) was a Canadian actor who appeared in many television shows and films from the 1950s to the 1980s. He was of Afro-Portuguese heritage and was born in Montreal. He was known for his extensive voiceover work as the narrator of film trailers, television spots, and documentaries. He developed an interest in boxing and acting, becoming a professional boxer while exploring acting jobs. He ended up joining Montreal’s Negro Theatre Guild and won the Canadian Drama Festival acting award. He worked as a toolmaker and machinist for 10 years. He began his acting career in the 1930s, appearing in stage plays and television series in his native country. He moved to New York City, where he made his Broadway theatre debut in Toys in the Attic. Appearing next in The Actors Studio Theatre production of Blues for Mister Charlie, he became a life member of the Studio. Known for his rich and distinctive voice, he became one of the few African American actors in the 1960s who were able to circumvent restrictive and negative stereotypes. He went on to star on American television in programs such as The Nurses, Naked City, The Wild Wild West, Route 66, and Star Trek but first gained widespread notoriety in 1968 for his role as neurosurgeon Dr. Harry Miles on Peyton Place, seen as a breakthrough white-collar role for a black actor. He appeared in the Old Man Who Cried Wolf, Ring of Passion, Angel Dusted, and the miniseries Roots: The Next Generations. He had an extensive career on the stage and worked with several prominent African-American actors. He narrated numerous film trailers, TV spots, and documentaries throughout his career, continuing to do voiceovers after retiring from acting in 1987, following his final on-camera role as a doctor in Perry Mason: The Case of the Sinister Spirit. He is famous for his eerie narration for trailers and TV spots for the film Jaws, as well as the opening narration for Captain EO for Disney theme parks. His final appearance was in The Shark is Still Working, where he spoke of his narration of the trailer for the film Jaws. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence https://www.instagram.com/p/Cevo3tGgIYC0kq0BzYitVff_J8NAxdp3rIzxjA0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[victoria-daydreams]

The Long Way Home

Chapter Five: A Summer Place

AN: Claudia is back babyyyy!!!

Trigger Warnings: none

Word Count: 1.8k

Taglist: @iloveeverything-09​, @eiferundruhe​, @greatscott--wrongdecade​

Chapter Six: Hell Hath No Fury

Claudia's POV

This was not what I was expecting today.

Today was supposed to be another ordinary day, I just returned from the airport an hour ago after dropping my parents off, it was a lovely week of fun spending time with my parents. And at that moment, nothing felt better than falling into a deep sleep, but the weather was too nice for me to nap the day away. The sun was warm enough, watery in the way it was just before the heat of the evening, but there was a slight chill on the breeze that would make you shiver for sure once you got out of the water wet, still it was perfect swimming weather.

Underneath my umbrella, I sat in my chair sipping from my glass of lemonade absently in one hand while my other hand held the latest copy of Jet magazine. This is how a summer day should always be. Refreshing. Cool. And with Andy Williams soothing voice as background noise, god, I almost wanted to dance and laugh and smile and sing all at the same time. For once, I was glad that none of the neighborhood children were begging to play in the pool.

Everything was perfect.

And then it happened.

I was enjoying the serene moment until a sudden rush of emotions gushed up to the forefront of my consciousness. Thrill, excitement, determination, annoyance, and curiosity they all flooded my senses. I could almost feel the tingling of my powers tickling me on my fingertips. But one stood out above all of them.

Guilt.

With the slightest of movement I flicked my fingers immobilizing four out of the five men in my backyard. "Now Hank," I called out, setting down my glass and magazine on a small table next to me. "When I invited you to stop by my house whenever you please, that invitation wasn't extended to a stranger, a wanted criminal, a drug abuser, and a..." I paused, loudly sniffing the air twice. "A dog," I finished, not bothering to turn around.

"I wouldn't have brought them along if this wasn't important," Hank explained. "We need your help Claudia," he added.

"You've go to be kidding me?" I breathed, as released my telekinetic hold. I swung my legs over the side of my lounge chair and slipped on the silk robe that was on back of it. "I let the maids take off one day and look what happens," I complained, rolling my eyes before lifting the needle of my recorder player.

I rose from my seat, sliding my shoes on and with a slow sauntering gait, I walked towards the group. I was thankful for the round, oversized sunglasses that I was wearing, for the dark brown frames hid how my eyes slightly widened at Charles' appearance. Charles looked...well he looked god awful, to be honest. He had always kept himself cleanly shaved, but now he had let his facial hair grow wildly on his face, even his shortly kept brown hair had grown out. And the dark bags under his eyes, it seemed like Charles hasn't a had good night's rest in years.

And Erik, for someone that's been imprisoned underneath The Pentagon he still managed to maintain his handsome, clean shaven, and chiseled face. You would think that the roles had been reversed, that Charles was the one who had been locked up and not Erik by their appearances. Numerous thoughts and feelings threatened to flood my mind, but I didn't allow it. Not yet. I just needed to focus on how to get them to leave.

"Wow, your lady friend is smokin' hot," the silver-haired boy stated, gawking at me in my v-cut one piece swimsuit which had the sides cutout.

I stopped in front of them with my hand on my hip, looking from the unknown man with sideburns to Charles and then Erik. Slowly, I used my free hand to remove my sunglasses from my face, my eyes narrowed.

"Charles," I greeted simply, as Hank shuffled slightly.

Charles stood in shock for a moment staring at me dumbly, probably just in as much shock from seeing me after all these years and how I changed. My long, black locks no longer fell down to my shoulders, but now floated above it in thick, tight curls of my afro. My chestnut brown skin was tanned from the warm summer sun, but still as radiant as ever.

"Y-You look well," Charles complimented smiling slightly, recovering from his lapse of silence, as he stared at me.

"You look like shit," I snorted, letting out a chuckle as I folded my sunglasses up and putting them into my pocket "The years haven't been kind to you have they?" I asked rhetorically, folding my arms together. "Tell me Charles, are you happier now that I'm gone?" I asked mockingly. "It sure doesn't seem like it," I added, really laying it on thick.

"Claudia, we are not here for this," 'Sideburns' grumbled.

I tuned my head slightly to the man, leveling him with a venomous look,"I'm sorry, but who the hell are you?" I questioned, arching a brow.

My eyes scanned over the man's appearance, he was a little more than six feet tall, and was probably in his early or mid thirties. He had to be military or ex-military because he was built like a soldier, his muscles seemed to be harder than a tree from the way his clothes clung to him. Dark brown sideburns came down his face which reached his cheeks along with a five o'clock shadow. Anger seemed to ooze out of this man's pores. I knew he could take care of his self in a fight if such an event were to ever occur.

"My name is Logan," he answered, his blue eyes burning like two hot coals as he stared into mine.

"Are you sure it's not Dog?" I asked, a wry grin appearing on my lips as I watched this man's jaw clench. "You know with the sideburns the similarities are...uncanny," I stated, shaking my head and focusing my attention to Hank who was next to me, and was about to open his mouth. "I could call the authorities you know?" I said, cutting Hank off. "Erik's bounty would fetch a substantial payout," I noted, tapping my index finger on my cheek, thinking.

"You seem to be getting on well enough as it is," Erik replied, flicking his chin out in regards to my home.

I raised my eyebrow, "So why settle for less?" I asked cheekily.

He scoffed in disbelief, "You would actually sell me out?" Erik asked, crossing his arms.

"I'm just doing my patriotic duty Erik," I answered, raising my hands up and shrugging.

"Claudia," Hank called softly, and I looked back over to him. "I know that you have every reason to be upset right now, but please hear us out," Hank pleaded.

"We need your help Claudia," Logan stated.

"Then go hire a maid," I retorted, waving him off.

Logan growled in frustration, "Do you know how much trouble we been through just to break Erik out of the Pentagon and now to get you?" he asked, furrowing his brows.

I slid my hands into my robe pockets, "Sounds like a personal problem," I replied, shrugging again. "I didn't force you to do any of this," I pointed out with a grin.

Logan's hand clenched itself in a tight fist, "Listen lady, I've had-" He gritted out.

"No, you listen!" I interrupted, stepping closer to him. "I don't know who the hell you think are to think that you can waltz into my backyard and start making demands of me," I sassed, looking Logan up and down. I stepped in front of Hank and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hank, under any other circumstance I would be happy to see you, or even help you. But due to the fact that there are some..." I trailed, looking back at Erik and Charles. "Undesirable individuals with you," I continued, focusing my attention back to Hank. "If I were to join this little party of yours it would never work. You see Hank, I live a very comfortable life now and I'm not giving it up for the likes of them," I finished, shaking my head.

"But it's not for them Claudia, it's for humanity itself. We're trying to save the world," Hank explained, giving me a pleading look.

"Hmmm," I hummed, a sardonic smile on my lips as I shook my head again. "Funny, they said the same thing in 1962," I remembered. "Truly Hank, it was nice to see you after all these years," I smiled, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze before removing my hand and turning to face the men behind me. "But, it's time for you and your guests to leave. You have overstayed your welcome," I said, gesturing to the backyard gate. "Safe travels," I added, spinning on my heel and moving past Hank toward my backdoor.

"You're just going to let her go?" I heard Logan ask. "To hell with this," he grumbled.

"Logan don't-"

I went to take another step forward, but a calloused hand roughly grabbed my wrist, spinning me around and making our bodies bump into each other.

"We're not going anywhere until you fully hear us out!" Logan exclaimed, as I glared at him. "I'm not sure what it is about you that makes Charles and Erik so subdue, but I'm not them. I'm not afraid of you!" he announced, keeping his grip tight around my wrist.

Instinctively, my free hand bawled itself into a fist cloaked in a violet aura as a scowl made its way onto my face.

"Uhh...mister her hand is glowing," The silver-haired boy informed, as I swung a powerful blow to Logan's jaw, his body crumpling on the lawn.

"They're not scared, they just know better," I corrected, spreading my fingers out and the aura spread from my hand to encasing Logan's limbs. Forcefully, I planted my foot down onto Logan's chest, tilting my head as I looked down at him. "But you? Why in the world would you be? I'm nothing to be afraid of, as you can obviously tell. I'm far too small to be any threat to a big, strong man like you," I mocked, pressing my foot down even harder and Logan glared daggers at me.

"Claudia-" Charles began, but I just lifted one finger silencing him.

"Typically, I wouldn't be opposed to ripping your limbs off right now," I explained, stretching my fingers out slightly and Logan grunted at the modest tugs at his extremities. "But, I would hate to get this freshly mowed lawn all bloody. One of the neighborhood boys worked so hard on it," I commented. "Now, like I said before, it's time for you to go," I enunciated slowly, hoping that it would get through that thick skull of his.

I removed my foot from Logan's chest, shooting him one more glare before I walked to the backdoor. As I opened the backdoor to my home I released my hold on Logan's appendages.

"Wow Charles, you sure know how to pick them," Logan drawled sarcastically.

And with a wave of my hand I forcefully shut the door behind me.

Chapter Seven: A Woman Scorned

#x-men fanfiction #black fanfiction #x-men fanfic #charles xavier fanfiction #charles xavier x oc #black!oc #magneto x oc #charles xavier #erik lehnsherr fanfiction #erik lehnsherr x oc #erik lehnsherr x reader #charles xavier x reader #black!reader #x men fanfiction #marvel fanfiction #marvel fanfic

[tcm]

The Legacy of INTRUDER IN THE DUST (’49) By Jessica Pickens

When Juano Hernandez is on screen, your eyes are on him. The Afro-Puerto Rican actor has a commanding presence, and the characters he portrayed are memorable long after the film ends. “He also has one of the great faces ever in films,” said the late Robert Osborne, former Turner Classic Movies host and historian. “Once you see him, you never forget him.”

Hernandez’s first credited film role came in 1932, but it was in 1949 when he had his breakout role with INTRUDER IN THE DUST, his first film with a major Hollywood studio. In the 1930s, Hernandez primarily starred in “race films” produced between 1914 and the 1950s outside of major Hollywood studios and starring all-Black casts for segregated audiences. From 1932 to 1940, Hernandez starred in four race films, some of which were directed by Oscar Micheaux. INTRUDER IN THE DUST was his first film in nine years.

INTRUDER IN THE DUST is a film adaptation of William Faulkner’s 1948 novel. Hernandez plays Lucas Beauchamp, a Black man accused of shooting a white man in the back in a small southern town. Lucas looks to a white teenager, Chick Mallison, played by Claude Jarman Jr., for help. Lucas says Chick is still uncluttered of the notions older white men have. Chick, his friend Aleck and elderly Miss Eunice Habersham help discover what really happened.

Released by MGM, INTRUDER IN THE DUST is a captivating film disguised as a whodunit crime drama, and it explores racism in a small town. As the confident Lucas, Hernandez walks proudly through the town wearing a long dark coat, black hat and toothpick hanging from his mouth. Historian Donald Bogle calls Hernandez’s Lucas “one of the strongest Black male characters you will see in Hollywood movies, up to that time.”

Lucas is proud and won’t act subservient. He initially angers Chick because Lucas treats him like an equal. But Lucas also asks Chick to help him and to convince his uncle John (David Brian) to act as his lawyer. Reluctant to take the case, John says, “Has it ever occurred to you if you just said ‘mister’ to white people and said it like you meant it, you might not be sitting here now?” Lucas replies from his jail cell, “So I’m to commence now? I can start off by saying ‘mister’ to the folks that drags me out of here and builds a fire under me?”

During an interview with Robert Osborne, Bogle said, “It is a highly distinctive character. The character is proud and there is a kind of defiance he has. He has so much pride that he doesn’t care to prove anything to the whites in his community. He becomes a focal point for them, because he’s a Black man who will not play the role of one of their subservient figures.”

White characters in INTRUDER IN THE DUST view Lucas as haughty, and MGM studio heads felt similarly about the character. According to producer Dore Schary’s autobiography, Mayer felt that Hernandez’s character was “too uppity.” Mayer also complained that “He ought to take off his hat when he talks to a white man” and “he didn’t even say thank you to the lawyer.” Mayer wasn’t keen on veteran director Clarence Brown’s project , but Schary championed it. This was a departure for Brown from the ultra-glamourous, glittering films that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was known for.

INTRUDER IN THE DUST was filmed on location in segregated Oxford, Mississippi. The racism Lucas experiences onscreen was similar to what Hernandez experienced while making the film. Hernandez and the other Black actors had to live in a separate area from the rest of the cast. Hernandez stayed with a local undertaker, according to a 1949 New York Times article. While author William Faulkner coached Puerto Rican-born Hernandez with his southern accent and appreciated his performance, Faulkner did not invite Hernandez to dinner at his home, Rowan Oak, with the rest of the cast and crew. Hernandez also refused to go into any Oxford businesses that required only Black patrons to remove their hats when they entered.

Initially, the cast and crew were viewed with skepticism, because of the topic of the film. In order to be more welcome in the town, Clarence Brown had to charm the people of Oxford, cast some as extras and champion the economic development the picture would bring, according to Brown’s biographer Gwenda Young.

INTRUDER IN THE DUST was one of four movies dealing with racism released in 1949, but it was still unusual to highlight the issue in American films during this time. “Messages against racism were virtually nonexistent in 1940s Hollywood,” Claude Jarman Jr. wrote in his autobiography. “… [The film] may seem like a primitive step today, but in a time when racist attitudes were prevalent, making a movie of INTRUDER IN THE DUST was akin to taking a first step on the moon.”

To be sensitive towards the topic of racism, Schary consulted NAACP president Walter White, who praised the script but warned against the use of derogatory racial slurs used by some of the characters. The final product was an intriguing film with stunning cinematography by Robert Surtees and deft direction by Brown. Unfortunately, Mayer didn’t promote INTRUDER IN THE DUST, and Brown discovered race “problem pictures” were doing poorly in the box office, according to his biographer.

“L.B. predicted the film would be a dismal flop at the box office. I predicted it would be viewed in years to come as one of the best. We were both right,” Schary wrote in his autobiography. Critics provided mixed reviews, with southern critics largely praising the film while ignoring the racial issue.

However, Black author and critic Ralph Ellison championed it for its depiction of a Black man with courage, pride, independence and patience “that are usually attributed only to white men.” Comparing it to the other race relations films released that year, Ellison said, “It’s the only film that could be shown in Harlem without arousing unintended laughter, for it is the only one of the four in which Negroes can make complete identification with their screen image."

#Juano Hernandez #1949 #problem pictures #Hollywood Black #race in hollywood #racism #anti-racism #TCM #Turner Classic Movies #race movies #Jessica Pickens

[nelllraiser]

@walker-journal​

[pm]

Yeah I’ve helped with houses, mostly survival shelters and military emplacements...which are like houses but better at keeping alghouls out.

Turkish is Ural-Altaic while Hebrew is from Afro-Asiatic, so not really.

[pm] I mean...I don’t think a house that could keep alghouls out would be bad? You know Jared with the farm? He left White Crest but he sort of...left me the deed to the land ?? There’s still a barn and a greenhouse but I figured there should be a house there too...right?

Oh- that’s lame of them :/ Why couldn’t they be sisters from another mister. What about Latin and Hebrew?

#// i don't know why i reblogged the ask #this makes more sense LOL #o:Adam

[king-crane]

Not an RP blog [too many bad experiences with the RP community], and neither of us know each other, but for whatever reason Tumblr decided to put you in my recommended. Let me just say, as a mixed Japanese/Chinese person any sort of Asian interpretation of Scarecrow is absolutely wonderful to see and I feel like it's a fandom concept that should be used by more than 3 people [including myself]. I do hope you have a pleasant week. :) Keep on doing what you do.

IM GOING TO CRY??? AND THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!!! I feel like a lot of the Rogues could deal with having more diversity (I personally like to use Giancarlo Esposito, a mixed Afro-Italian man, as Mister Freeze) and I do think Crane’s heritage is important. But mostly? I chose Tony Thornburg because he just FITS, you know? He’s tall, lanky, and surprisingly gorgeous, not to mention the Fear State costume has long, gorgeous hair that would be perfect because TONY has long hair!

I don’t know I just vibe with it. Thank u and have an amazing day!!!!!!!

#ooc #on strings ( mun. )

[thegayemu]

The team at your neighborhood Oxenfurt Target hopes you had a pleasant Halloween, and everyone’s favorite Guest Service Advocate is having fun spinning tall tales for the kiddos. 🎃

As promised, more Target!Witcher content. After some hemming and hawing I decided to set the store in Oxenfurt (I considered Rivia, a la “Geralt of Rivia Target speaking” but Geralt needed a last name lol). So I will tag relevant posts as #OxenfurtTarget.

This was an ambitious project for me, and my first actual comic, so any comments or constructive feedback is welcome. I hope y’all enjoy. And as always lmk if you want more of this nonsense. :)

(P.S. if anyone is an essential worker, particularly in retail, and have any work stories they’d like to see translated into an illustration feel free to send an ask or DM. Or if anyone else has any headcanons to flesh out their personalities a little more drop an ask. I’m having fun with this.)

[ID under the cut.]

A five-panel modern AU fan comic of the Netflix series the Witcher, set at a Target store. All panels are digitally painted.

Panel 1: An exterior shot of a Target store at night. The sky is dark and cloudy and there is a full moon. The bottom half of the building is tan and the top is red, with a glowing white Target sign. There are a few benches and islands with shrubs and trees. The sidewalk slopes into the street. White text on a black rectangle reads, “legend has it the store is cursed.”

Panel 2: Looking down the freezer aisle. The floor is an off-white color and the walls are red. The freezers, which are steel on the  outside with large windows looking into a white interior, are empty. Yellow caution tape stretches over the freezers. White text on a black rectangle reads, “from the gas leak, to the power outage”.

Panel 3: An exterior shot of a Panda Express. The building is varying shades of tan and orange with a black and red sign and a red overhang. There are large black-tinted windows on either side of a glass door. The sky is blue with white clouds. In the foreground there is a bush on fire with smoke rising from the flames. White text on a black rectangle reads, “the guy I thought was dead in the parking lot, to that bush that caught fire outside the Panda Express.” 

Panel 4: A close up on Jaskier’s face, a white man with medium brown hair and blue eyes. He is wearing a gray face mask. He is cast in harsh red shadows and lit from below. The background is a red gradient that fades from dark on the top to light at the bottom. White text on a black background reads, “Some say it’s a curse. Others say it’s haunted.” Black text on a white rectangle reads, “what about you, mister? What do you think?”

Panel 5: a low shot of Jaskier squatting on the ground with his arms folded on his knees. He is wearing a red t-shirt, gray face mask, and khakis cuffed at the ankles with a brown belt and black Converse high-top sneakers. Across from him stands a child and a toddler. The child, a Black girl with dark brown hair pulled into two afro puffs, is wearing a light pink face mask, a BatGirl dress in black with yellow accents, gray three-quarter length leggings, and pink and white sneakers. She is holding the toddler’s hand, a Black boy in a green dinosaur onesie with orange spikes up the back and hood of the costume, with the hood over his head, and red, blue, and white sneakers. The floor is an off-white and the wall behind them is red, with a black baseboard. White text in a black speech bubble leading from Jaskier reads, “Me? I just think this is a store run by idiots.”

#the witcher #the witcher netflix #jaskier #geralt #geralt of rivia #the witcher fanart #the witcher comic #fanart #halloween #art #dandelion #joey batey #the witcher modern au #OxenfurtTarget #emu draws #my art

[madlittlecriminal]

Ooooo what about #46 “Will you go with me?” - “As long as you hold my hand.” With erik Lehnsherr x reader? Thanks!

Rough|  Erik Lehnsherr × GN!Reader

prompt 46: “Will you go with me?” - “As long as you hold my hand.”

here ya go anon! hope you like it!

from this prompt list

Warnings: mentions of his forearm, mentions of death

y’all, don’t come at me for the sunscreen thing, okay? i want my writing to be inclusive as possible. if you have a problem, there’s a door called the unfollow button & a slide called scroll; you can leave.

Beaches weren’t really a big thing for Erik considering what happened in Cuba. However, after his time of going back and forth from good to bad, he met you. He was definitely nervous because of the amount of people and he wasn’t really sure if he was up for little kids asking what his numbers on his forearm meant. You always assured him that it was fine and that if anything, you’d defend him. After all, you were one of the few that didn’t care about his past as you knew he was a changed man.

Of course, he late wife understood first and she didn’t care as she saw how much he changed; you were the same in a sense as you didn’t judge him for his past mistakes. So here you both were, getting your beach things out of the trunk of his vehicle and you took his sunglasses from his hand with a smile before putting them on. “How do I look?” You ask and he smiled. “Adorable.” You pout. “I was going for bad ass, but that works too.”

He laughed at your words and you took a sip of water from your water bottle. “You got the sunscreen right? I don’t want you burning up on me!” He let out a playful sigh. “Yes my love. I got the sunscreen.” You nodded. “Good! Now, let’s go before they take all the good spots.” He chuckled. “Love, it’s almost 12. I think all the good spots are taken.” You shake your head.

“Nope! We’re on time.” With that, you both made your way to the beach and found a good spot. You helped him put sunscreen on his chest and back before adding a bit on his nose and he helped you out as well. “Excuse me mister!” A cute little boy with dark skin and a tiny afro called out to you and Erik. “Yeah?” Erik asked and the little boy went up to him. “What does your tattoo mean?” Erik’s eyes widened. How was he supposed to tell a boy who looked about seven that his numbers didn’t have anything good attached to them?

Then, his mother approached you both and apologized. “I’m sorry!” Erik smiled. “It’s fine. He’s curious which is a good thing for a kid his age.” She gave him a small smile. “I’ll explain to him when he’s the right age about your um, tattoo. I don’t want him to be exposed to it just yet.” He nodded and they both headed down to the ocean. “Wanna get in?” He looks back at you and you flashed him a small smile. “Huh?” You chuckle. “The water. Will you go with me?” He smiled at you, “As long as you hold my hand.” You give your boyfriend a grin before nodding and taking his hand. “Let’s go my little tomato.” He glared at you before shaking his head and letting out a chuckle. “You’re going to be the death of me, you know that?” You nod before intertwining your fingers with Erik’s and making your way down to the ocean.

~~~~

tag list: @dinxm @caswinchester2000 @whitecard62 @jenna-art @pree-2003-blog @bubblegumfanfics @whitetigerfox950 @meme991001

wanna be added to my tag list? click here to let me know! :D

#Erik Lehnsherr #erik lehnsherr x reader #erik lehnsherr x you #erik lehnsherr x y/n #magneto #magneto xmen #magneto x reader #marvel #xmen #marvel universe #mcu

[thelastuniverse]

GRAMMYs Awards 2021

GENERAL FIELD

Record Of The Year: ‘EVERYTHING I WANTED’ — Billie Eilish Finneas O’Connell, producer; Rob Kinelski & Finneas O’Connell, engineers/mixers; John Greenham, mastering engineer

Album Of The Year: ‘FOLKLORE’ — Taylor Swift Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, producers; Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner, Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Jonathan Low & Laura Sisk, engineers/mixers; Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, songwriters; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer

Song Of The Year: ‘I CAN’T BREATHE’ — Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)

Best New Artist: Megan Thee Stallion

POP

Best Pop Solo Performance: ‘WATERMELON SUGAR’ — Harry Styles

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: ‘RAIN ON ME’ — Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: ‘AMERICAN STANDARD’ — James Taylor

Best Pop Vocal Album: ‘FUTURE NOSTALGIA’ — Dua Lipa

DANCE/ELECTRONIC MUSIC

Best Dance Recording: ‘10%’ — Kaytranada Featuring Kali Uchis Kaytranada, producer; Neal H. Pogue, mixer

Best Dance/Electronic Album: ‘BUBBA’ — Kaytranada

CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album: ‘LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL’ — Snarky Puppy

ROCK

Best Rock Performance: ‘SHAMEIKA’ — Fiona Apple

Best Metal Performance: ‘BUM-RUSH’ — Body Count

Best Rock Song: ‘STAY HIGH’ — Brittany Howard, songwriter (Brittany Howard)

Best Rock Album: ‘THE NEW ABNORMAL’ — The Strokes

ALTERNATIVE

Best Alternative Music Album: ‘FETCH THE BOLT CUTTERS’ — Fiona Apple

R&B

Best R&B Performance: ‘BLACK PARADE’ — Beyoncé

Best Traditional R&B Performance: ‘ANYTHING FOR YOU’ — Ledisi

Best R&B Song: ‘BETTER THAN I IMAGINED’ — Robert Glasper, Meshell Ndegeocello & Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (Robert Glasper Featuring H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello)

Best Progressive R&B Album: ‘IT IS WHAT IT IS’ — Thundercat

Best R&B Album: ‘BIGGER LOVE’ — John Legend

RAP

Best Rap Performance: ‘SAVAGE ‘— Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé

Best Melodic Rap Performance: ‘LOCKDOWN’ — Anderson .Paak

Best Rap Song: ‘SAVAGE’ — Beyoncé, Shawn Carter, Brittany Hazzard, Derrick Milano, Terius Nash, Megan Pete, Bobby Session Jr., Jordan Kyle Lanier Thorpe & Anthony White, songwriters (Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé)

Best Rap Album: ‘KING’S DISEASE’ — Nas

COUNTRY

Best Country Solo Performance: ‘WHEN MY AMY PRAYS’ — Vince Gill

Best Country Duo/Group Performance: ‘10,000 HOURS’ — Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber

Best Country Song: ‘CROWDED TABLE’ — Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby & Lori McKenna, songwriters (The Highwomen)

Best Country Album: ‘WILDCARD’ — Miranda Lambert

NEW AGE

Best New Age Album: ‘MORE GUITAR STORIES’ — Jim “Kimo” West

JAZZ

Best Improvised Jazz Solo: ‘ALL BLUES’ — Chick Corea, soloist Track from: Trilogy 2 (Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade)

Best Jazz Vocal Album: ‘SECRETS ARE THE BEST STORIES’ — Kurt Elling Featuring Danilo Pérez

Best Jazz Instrumental Album: ‘TRILOGY 2’ — Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: ‘DATA LORDS’ — Maria Schneider Orchestra

Best Latin Jazz Album: ‘FOUR QUESTIONS’ — Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

GOSPEL/CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC

Best Gospel Performance/Song: ‘MOVIN’ ON’ — Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music; Darryl L. Howell, Jonathan Caleb McReynolds, Kortney Jamaal Pollard & Terrell Demetrius Wilson, songwriters

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song: ‘THERE WAS JESUS’ — Zach Williams & Dolly Parton; Casey Beathard, Jonathan Smith & Zach Williams, songwriters

Best Gospel Album: ‘GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PJ’ — PJ Morton

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album: ‘JESUS IS KING’ — Kanye West

Best Roots Gospel Album: ‘CELEBRATING FISK! (THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY ALBUM)’ — Fisk Jubilee Singers

LATIN

Best Latin Pop or Urban Album: ‘YHLQMDLG’ — Bad Bunny

Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album: ‘LA CONQUISTA DEL ESPACIO’ —Fito Paez

Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano): ‘UN CANTO POR MÉXICO, VOL. 1’ — Natalia Lafourcade

Best Tropical Latin Album: ‘40’ — Grupo Niche

AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC

Best American Roots Performance: ‘I REMEMBER EVERYTHING’ — John Prine

Best American Roots Song: ‘I REMEMBER EVERYTHING’ — Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)

Best Americana Album: ‘WORLD ON THE GROUND’ — Sarah Jarosz

Best Bluegrass Album: ‘HOME’ — Billy Strings

Best Traditional Blues Album: ‘RAWER THAN RAW’ — Bobby Rush

Best Contemporary Blues Album: ‘HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND YET?’ —Fantastic Negrito

Best Folk Album: ‘ALL THE GOOD TIMES’ — Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

Best Regional Roots Music Album: ‘ATMOSPHERE’ — New Orleans Nightcrawlers

REGGAE

Best Reggae Album: ‘GOT TO BE TOUGH’ — Toots & The Maytals

GLOBAL MUSIC

Best Global Music Album: ‘TWICE AS TALL’ — Burna Boy

CHILDREN’S

Best Children’s Music Album: ‘ALL THE LADIES’ — Joanie Leeds

SPOKEN WORD

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling): ‘BLOWOUT: CORRUPTED DEMOCRACY, ROGUE STATE RUSSIA, AND THE RICHEST, MOST DESTRUCTIVE INDUSTRY ON EARTH’ — Rachel Maddow

COMEDY

Best Comedy Album: ‘BLACK MITZVAH’ — Tiffany Haddish

MUSICAL THEATER

Best Musical Theater Album: ‘JAGGED LITTLE PILL’ — Kathryn Gallagher, Celia Rose Gooding, Lauren Patten & Elizabeth Stanley, principal soloists; Neal Avron, Pete Ganbarg, Tom Kitt, Michael Parker, Craig Rosen & Vivek J. Tiwary, producers (Glen Ballard, composer; Alanis Morissette, composer & lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)

MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media: ‘JOJO RABBIT’ — (Various Artists) Taika Waititi, compilation producer

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media: ‘JOKER’ — Hildur Guðnadóttir, composer

Best Song Written For Visual Media: ‘NO TIME TO DIE [FROM NO TIME TO DIE]’ — Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas Baird O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)

COMPOSING/ARRANGING

Best Instrumental Composition: ‘SPUTNIK’ — Maria Schneider, composer (Maria Schneider)

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella: ‘DONNA LEE’ — John Beasley, arranger (John Beasley)

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals: ‘HE WON’T HOLD YOU’ —Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier Featuring Rapsody)

PACKAGE

Best Recording Package: ‘VOLS. 11 & 12’ — Doug Cunningham & Jason Noto, art directors (Desert Sessions)

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package: ‘ODE TO JOY’ — Lawrence Azerrad & Jeff Tweedy, art directors (Wilco)

NOTES

Best Album Notes: ‘DEAD MAN’S POP’ — Bob Mehr, album notes writer (The Replacements)

HISTORICAL

Best Historical Album: ‘IT’S SUCH A GOOD FEELING: THE BEST OF MISTER ROGERS’ — Lee Lodyga & Cheryl Pawelski, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Mister Rogers)

PRODUCTION, NON-CLASSICAL

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical: ‘HYPERSPACE’ — Drew Brown, Julian Burg, Andrew Coleman, Paul Epworth, Shawn Everett, Serban Ghenea, David Greenbaum, John Hanes, Beck Hansen, Jaycen Joshua, Greg Kurstin, Mike Larson, Cole M.G.N., Alex Pasco & Matt Wiggins, engineers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer (Beck)

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical: ANDREW WATT

• Break My Heart (Dua Lipa) (T) • Me And My Guitar (A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie) (T) • Midnight Sky (Miley Cyrus) (S) • Old Me (5 Seconds Of Summer) (T) • Ordinary Man (Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Elton John) (T) • Take What You Want (Post Malone Featuring Ozzy Osbourne & Travis Scott) (T) • Under The Graveyard (Ozzy Osbourne) (T)

Best Remixed Recording: ‘ROSES (IMANBEK REMIX)’ — Imanbek Zeikenov, remixer (SAINt JHN)

PRODUCTION, IMMERSIVE AUDIO

Best Immersive Audio Album: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Best Immersive Audio Album Craft Committee was unable to meet. The judging of the entries in this category has been postponed until such time that we are able to meet in a way that is appropriate to judge the many formats and configurations of the entries and is safe for the committee members. The nominations for the 63rd GRAMMYs will be announced next year in addition to (and separately from) the 64th GRAMMY nominations in the category

PRODUCTION, CLASSICAL

Best Engineered Album, Classical: ‘SHOSTAKOVICH: SYMPHONY NO. 13, ‘BABI YAR’ — David Frost & Charlie Post, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)

Producer Of The Year, Classical: DAVID FROST

 Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 9 (Jonathan Biss) • Gershwin: Porgy And Bess (David Robertson, Frederick Ballentine, Angel Blue, Denyce Graves, Latonia Moore, Eric Owens, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus) • Gluck: Orphée & Eurydice (Harry Bicket, Dmitry Korchak, Andriana Chuchman, Lauren Snouffer, Lyric Opera Of Chicago Orchestra & Chorus) • Holst: The Planets; The Perfect Fool (Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony) • Muhly: Marnie (Robert Spano, Isabel Leonard, Christopher Maltman, Denyce Graves, Iestyn Davies, Janis Kelly, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus) • Schubert: Piano Sonatas, D. 845, D. 894, D. 958, D. 960 (Shai Wosner) • Shostakovich: Symphony №13, ‘Babi Yar’ (Riccardo Muti, Alexey Tikhomirov, Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus)

CLASSICAL

Best Orchestral Performance: ‘IVES: COMPLETE SYMPHONIES’ — Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)

Best Opera Recording: ‘GERSHWIN: PORGY AND BESS’ — David Robertson, conductor; Frederick Ballentine, Angel Blue, Denyce Graves, Latonia Moore & Eric Owens; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)

Best Choral Performance: ‘DANIELPOUR: THE PASSION OF YESHUAH’ — JoAnn Falletta, conductor; James K. Bass & Adam Luebke, chorus masters (James K. Bass, J’Nai Bridges, Timothy Fallon, Kenneth Overton, Hila Plitmann & Matthew Worth; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus & UCLA Chamber Singers)

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: ‘CONTEMPORARY VOICES’ — Pacifica Quartet

Best Classical Instrumental Solo: ‘THEOFANIDIS: CONCERTO FOR VIOLA AND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA’ — Richard O’Neill; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album: ‘SMYTH: THE PRISON’ — Sarah Brailey & Dashon Burton; James Blachly, conductor (Experiential Chorus; Experiential Orchestra)

Best Classical Compendium: ‘THOMAS, M.T.: FROM THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK & MEDITATIONS ON RILKE’— Isabel Leonard; Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Jack Vad, producer

Best Contemporary Classical Composition: ‘ROUSE: SYMPHONY NO. 5’ — Christopher Rouse, composer (Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony)

MUSIC VIDEO/FILM

Best Music Video: ‘BROWN SKIN GIRL’ — Beyoncé, Blue Ivy & WizKid , Beyoncé Knowles-Carter & Jenn Nkiru, video directors; Astrid Edwards, Aya Kaida, Jean Mougin, Nathan Scherrer & Erinn Williams, video producers

Best Music Film: ‘LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE’ — Linda Ronstadt, Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman, video directors; Michele Farinola & James Keach, video producers

#grammys #grammys awards #Awards #2021

[abhay121996-blog]

Grammy Awards 2021 Winners: टेलर स्‍व‍िफ्ट से लेकर बियोंसे तक, ग्रैमी अवॉर्ड 2021 जीतने वाले व‍िनर्स की पूरी लिस्‍ट Divya Sandesh

#Divyasandesh

Grammy Awards 2021 Winners: टेलर स्‍व‍िफ्ट से लेकर बियोंसे तक, ग्रैमी अवॉर्ड 2021 जीतने वाले व‍िनर्स की पूरी लिस्‍ट

म्यूजिक इंडस्ट्री के सबसे बड़े अवॉर्ड शो ग्रैमी अवॉर्ड्स () का आयोजिन धूमधाम से हुआ। साउथ अफ्रीकन कॉमिडियन Trevor Noah ने शो को होस्ट किया। Covid-19 की वजह से इस मौके पर कोई लाइव ऑडियंस नहीं थी, लेकिन रेड कार्पेट पर सितारों की चमक जरा भी फीकी नहीं रही।

इस अवॉर्ड सेरिमनी के आयोजन के दौरान नॉमिनिज़ सोशल डिस्टेंस को फॉलो करते हुए एक-दूसरे से दूरी बनाकर टेबल पर बैठे नजर आए। इस अवॉर्ड शो में साल के बेस्ट परफॉर्मेंस को सराहा गया और उन्हें इस अवॉर्ड से सम्मानित किया गया। बेस्ट पॉप सोलो के लिए Harry Styles से लेकर Megan Thee Stallion के ‘Savage’ जिसमें बियॉन्से नजर आई हैं ने बेस्ट रैप परफॉर्मेंस का खिताब जीता। आइए, एक नजर पूरी लिस्ट पर डालें।

Record of the Year: Billie Eilish, “Everything I Wanted” Album of the Year: Taylor Swift, Folklore Best R&B Performance: Beyoncé, “Black Parade” Best Pop Vocal Album: Dua Lipa, Future Nostalgia Best Rap Song: Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé, “Savage” Song of the Year: H.E.R., “I Can’t Breathe” Best Latin Pop or Urban Album: Bad Bunny, YHLQMDLG Best Melodic Rap Performance: Anderson .Paak, “Lockdown” Best Pop Solo Performance: Harry Styles, “Watermelon Sugar” Best Country Album: Miranda Lambert, Wildcard Best New Artist: Megan Thee Stallion Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Andrew Watt Best Country Song: The Highwomen, “Crowded Table” Best Country Duo/Group Performance: Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber, “10,000 Hours” Best Country Solo Performance: Vince Gill, When My Amy Prays Best Rock Album: The Strokes, The New Abnormal Best Rock Song: Brittany Howard, “Stay High” Best Metal Performance: Body Count, “Bum-Rush” Best Rock Performance: Fiona Apple, “Shameika” Best Rap Album: Nas, King’s Disease Best Rap Performance: Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé, “Savage” Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: James Taylor, American Standard Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande, “Rain on Me” Best R&B Album: John Legend, Bigger Love Best Progressive R&B Album: Thundercat, It Is What It Is Best R&B Song: Robert Glasper featuring H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello, “Better Than I Imagined” Best Traditional R&B Performance: Ledisi, “Anything for You” Best Latin Jazz Album: Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Four Questions Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: Maria Schneider Orchestra, Data Lords Best Jazz Instrumental Album: Chick Corea, Christian McBride and Brian Blade, Trilogy 2 Best Jazz Vocal Album: Kurt Elling Featuring Danilo Pérez, Secrets Are the Best Stories Best improvised Jazz Solo: Chick Corea’s “All Blues” Best Alternative Music Album: Fiona Apple, Fetch the Bolt Cutters Best Musical Theatre Album: Original Broadway Cast, Jagged Little Pill Best Comedy Album Winner: Tiffany Haddish, Black Mitzvah Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books and Storytelling): Rachel Maddow, Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, And The Richest, Most Destructive Industry On Earth Best Children’s Music Album: Joanie Leeds, All the Ladies Best Global Music Album: Burna Boy, Twice as Tall Best Reggae Album: Toots and the Maytals, Got to Be Tough Best Regional Roots Music Album: New Orleans Nightcrawlers, Atmosphere Best Folk Album: Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, All the Good Times Best Contemporary Blues Album: Fantastic Negrito, Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? Best Traditional Blues Album: Bobby Rush, Rawer Than Raw Best Bluegrass Album: Billy Strings, Home Best Americana Album: Sarah Jarosz, World on the Ground Best American Roots Song: John Prine, “I Remember Everything” Best American Roots Performance: John Prine, I Remember Everything Best Song Written for Visual Media: Billie Eilish, “No Time to Die” (From No Time to Die) Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media: Hildur Guðnadóttir, Joker Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: Various Artists, Jojo Rabbit Best Contemporary Classical Composition: Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony, Rouse: Symphony No. 5 Best Classical Compendium: Michael Tilson Thomas, Thomas, M.T.: From The Diary Of Anne Frank & Meditations On Rilke Best Classical Solo Vocal Album: Sarah Brailey & Dashon Burton, Smyth: The Prison Best Classical Instrumental Solo: Richard O’Neill, Theofanidis: Concerto For Viola And Chamber Orchestra Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: Pacifica Quartet, Contemporary Voices Best Choral Performance: JoAnn Falletta, James K. Bass & Adam Luebke, Danielpour: The Passion Of Yeshua Best Opera Recording: David Robertson, Eric Owens & Angel Blue, Gershwin: Porgy And Bess Best Orchestral Performance: Gustavo Dudamel, Ives: Complete Symphonies Best Tropical Latin Album: Grupo Niche, 40 Best Regional Mexican Album (Including Tejano): Natalia Lafourcade, Un Canto Por México, Vol. 1 Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album: Fito Paez, La Conquista Del Espacio Producer of the Year, Classical: David Frost Best Engineered Album, Classical: Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13, ‘Babi Yar’ Best Remixed Recording: SAINt JHN, “Roses” (Imanbek Remix) Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical: Beck, Hyperspace Best Historical Album: Mister Rogers, It’s Such A Good Feeling: The Best Of Mister Rogers Best Album Notes: The Replacements, Dead Man’s Pop Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: Wilco, Ode to Joy Best Recording Package: Vols. 11 & 12 Desert Sessions Best Roots Gospel Album: Fisk Jubilee Singers, Celebrating Fisk! (The 150th Anniversary) Best Gospel Album: PJ Morton, Gospel According To PJ Best Contemporary Christian Music Album: Kanye West, Jesus Is King Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song: Zach Williams & Dolly Parton, “There Was Jesus” Best Gospel Performance/Song: Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music, “Movin’ On” Best New Age Album: Jim “Kimo” West, More Guitar Stories Best Music Film: Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice Best Music Video: Beyoncé with Blue Ivy, and WizKiD, “Brown Skin Girl” Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals: Jacob Collier with Rapsody, “He Won’t Hold You” Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella: John Beasley, “Donna Lee” Best Instrumental Composition: Maria Schneider, Sputnik Best Contemporary Instrumental Album: Snarky Puppy, Live at the Royal Albert Hall Best Dance/Electronic Album: Kaytranada, Bubba Best Dance Recording: Kaytranada, “10%”

[sincerelyreidburke]

A fic for day 2!

The 25 days of Kiersey continue! This is Thanksgiving-focused, but I wanted to get this one early in the countdown before Thanksgiving was too distant of an event. I’m counting this as a winter holiday.

For context, if you want or need it, here is a ficlet that will function as a faraway prequel to the events of the following fic.

In the summer between his sophomore and junior year, Quinn tours with a fictional production of a real Broadway show, Deaf West's Spring Awakening. I recently watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and decided that Quinn Cooper needed to be in on that action. Here's what happened as a result.

Heaven forgive me, for it is LONG under that cut! I saw the opportunity for Quindo fluff in New York City, and I ran with it, my friends. Featuring Quinn’s tour friend Kyra (in person, finally!), some stereotypical NYC tourism shit, and, of course, the actual Thanksgiving festivities.

///

Playbill.com

November 1st

Summer Cast of Deaf West’s Spring Awakening To Perform At Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

*

Tuesday

Kiersey, NH

 Technically, the official start of Quinn’s Thanksgiving break occurs at 1:15 on Tuesday, when his last class lets out. Walking across campus after he leaves the sciences building is, to be sure, a very freeing experience. But it’s not until he’s by the door at the house on Beech Street, with a packed bag over his shoulder and a train ticket in his pocket, that it truly feels like his break is beginning.

“I can’t believe you two are ditching out on Shaley Thanksgiving,” Ben tells him, shaking his head and mock-scowling, as he takes the keys to his Prius off a hook by the door. “After all I’ve done for you?”

Quinn smiles brightly, and offers Ben nothing but a shrug. “I’m sorry, Ben,” he hums, “but I’ll be thinking of you in spirit.”

“Wow, that’s so nice of you, Mini.” Ben puts a hand to his heart, with all the snark in the world still in his eyes. “It’s almost for a moment like you’re not ditching to go to the big city.”

Quinn hums contemplatively, then glances at the time on his phone. “Sebastián,” he calls, and hopes his voice travels up the stairs. “We’ve got to go! The train’s in twenty minutes!”

“Twenty-four,” corrects Remy, as he walks to the door to join them with his own bag in tow. “You’ve got time, Q.”

Quinn knows he does have time, but as they say in the theater, on time is ten minutes early. He smiles at Remy anyway, and sighs. “I suppose we do, don’t we?”

Remy shrugs. “The train station is, like, two seconds away.”

This is also true.

“You’ll have to forgive me, Ben,” he adds, while they’re waiting. “Goodness knows I’m grateful for your mother’s hospitality.”

“It’s okay.” Ben smirks. “On the bright side, this year you won’t have to deal with her being weird.”

Mrs. Shaley does say odd things, most of them thinly veiled discomfort about his existence as an openly gay man (Quinn, you are just so stylish! It must just be natural for you people), but Quinn is still grateful that she had him to her house last year all the same.

Remy, who is going home with Ben again this year for the brief break, looks to him now, and asks, “Will we see you on TV?”

Quinn smiles— he can’t help it— and dusts off his knit scarf where it’s wound around his neck. “I certainly hope you will,” he replies. “So long as the parade is on, I don’t see why you wouldn’t.”

“That’s awesome,” Remy says, with a smile of his own, and Ben adds, “I can’t wait to live-Tweet it and say I know you.”

He sighs into his hand. “Oh, Benjamin.” He’s about to call for Sebastián again— he did have the class that released the latest of all of them, so it makes sense he’s the last to be ready, but then again, he should have just packed last night— but before he can call him, the floor shakes with the unmistakable rhythm of him bounding down the stairs, and in another second, he’s joined them by the door.

“Sorry, baby.” With his backpack over his shoulder, Sebastián looks handsome enough that Quinn is willing to forget his previous punctuality stress. “I’m ready now.” He’s in his nice winter jacket, with the red scarf and matching hat, and he looks every bit prepared for the November streets of New York.

“Good,” Quinn says, simply, and fixes the way his scarf tucks into his jacket before he turns to nod at Ben. “We’re ready when you are, mister taxi service.”

“You’re an asshole,” Ben replies, “and let’s get outta here.”

The train station is only a three-minute drive from campus, and Ben and Remy drop them off there, with their own long drive to Providence awaiting them as they pull out of sight. Quinn feels as if he’s buzzing with adrenaline, with the excitement of the five days that lie ahead of them. Thanksgiving break may not be long, and in past years, it hasn’t been very eventful for him— freshman year, he stayed on campus, and last year at Ben’s house was nice but not particularly crazy— but this year is a whole new story.

This year, he gets a Thanksgiving break straight out of his wildest, most wonderful daydreams.

“Are you excited, cariño?” Sebastián asks him, as they’re waiting on the platform for the train, bundled up with their bags in the cold. Quinn feels like they’re at the start of a wonderful holiday movie.

“Of course I am.” He winds his arm up in his and remarks, “In fact, I can’t remember the last time I was quite this excited.”

Sebastián smiles. Under his knit cap, his curls are just a little windblown. Quinn has never seen a more handsome sight. “I’m excited for you,” he says, and kisses his forehead, and this is going to be the greatest school break ever.

*

Wednesday

New York, NY

 On their first full day in New York, Quinn has rehearsals. This makes sense, because the whole reason they’re in New York in the first place is so that Quinn can perform. Nando doesn’t even have enough words for how proud he is of him, and the performance hasn’t even happened yet.

Quinn is up bright and early Wednesday morning. He’s headed to the hotel convention center downstairs, where he’s meeting up with his castmates from over the summer for the first time since he left tour in August. Nando rolls over in bed— it’s still dark out— and smiles when he feels him a kiss to his cheek on his way out. He reaches out of the covers and feels around until he can grab Quinn’s hand in the dark.

He squeezes it, three times— their wordless way to say I love you. Quinn returns the three squeezes, kisses the back of his hand, and then turns to go, a silhouette in rehearsal clothes as he leaves.

The bed feels empty without him afterwards, but it’s still dark outside the windows of the room, so Nando falls asleep for another little while and dreams of 

When he wakes again, he has an interesting situation on his hands: time to himself, in the middle of New York City. He’s never been here before, but he’s fully prepared to become a huge tourist so he can visit some of the food spots he follows on Instagram.

At a respectable hour, he gets up, gets dressed, and does just that in Quinn’s absence. A few very successful dessert-for-breakfast experiences later, he heads back to the hotel to FaceTime Mama and his sisters.

“Can we watch him on TV?” Gabi asks.

“Is he gonna be on one of the floats?” adds Rosa.

“Well, not exactly on a float,” Nando tells them, “but yeah, you can watch him on TV! I don’t know when he’s on, but he’ll know, so I’ll text you guys later.”

“Wish him luck for us,” Mama says, with a warm smile, and Nando smiles, too. It’s not that often you spend Thanksgiving in New York, when your family is thousands of miles away and your friends hundreds, but it’s also not often that your boyfriend, the love of your life, your favorite person in the entire world, is performing at the Thanksgiving Day Parade, so. Y’know.

Nando didn’t know it was possible to be this cheeky with pride.

At noon, he goes downstairs to pick Quinn up from rehearsal. He’ll have a busy Thursday, what with the parade and everything, but for the rest of the day, their time is entirely theirs.

It’s kind of easy to tell where the cast people are coming from, because one of Nando’s various acquired skills from the course the two years so far of this relationship is being able to spot Deaf people in public. It’s really not hard. Just watch for flying hands!

That’s how he spots Quinn— leaving the convention area, among his fellow Deaf West people, or— Kyra, actually, to be more specific. Nando hasn’t seen Kyra in months, since July, actually, when he met her on their Phoenix Spring Awakening tour stop. Her hair is different— in space buns instead of her afro— and she’s wearing a bright orange sweater, which, if her Instagram is accurate, is right in line with her sunshine aesthetic. She was amazing on tour; she’s such a talented person.

She walks side by side with Quinn, and they’re moving kind of slowly because they’re turned halfway toward each other to talk. Their hands move a mile a minute, and Nando knows a good amount of sign, but can’t keep up with this rapid conversation.

Lucky for him, he doesn’t have to. Quinn and Kyra seem to see him at the same time— and Kyra signs something he does understand, with this huge, bright smile. Literally, her sign means cactus and S, but Nando knows that’s just his sign name.

He waves across the lobby, then signs back to her— sunshine and K, for Kyra, and she lights up even more. She runs the rest of the way over, and Quinn goes after her.

How are you? he asks, and Kyra looks so excited that she almost jumps up and down.

They get to hold a small conversation in sign, and Nando loves catching up with Kyra but sort of loves even more how Quinn smiles as he watches them talk, like he’s glad they’re interacting, and it’s just— it’s wholesome. It’s great. Kyra is great, and he’s just so happy for Quinn that he gets to see her and all his tour friends again. He was sad to part with them at the end of the summer.

Kyra’s mom is in the city with her, so they part ways when she arrives; Quinn has another brief and very fast sign conversation with her as she’s leaving. Nando figures it’s probably just ‘see you tomorrow,’ but you never know.

“Baby,” he whispers, leaning down to him as they start side-by-side toward the elevator, “you have to hear about the churro I found this morning.”

Quinn laughs, and looks up to him, winding his arm in his elbow. Nando thinks they were meant to fit together this way. It’s so natural, and so easy. “I would love to hear about that.”

“I took pictures and everything,” he says, then pauses to press the button and hail the elevator. He looks to him again to add, “But also, how was rehearsal? Can I take you out to lunch?”

“Out to lunch?” Quinn swoons. “You must be trying to get in my good graces.”

He pretends to pout. “Am I not already in your good graces?”

Quinn swats at his chest. “Oh, don’t be a drama queen.”

He kind of wants to point out that Quinn, rather than he, is the one who just got out of several hours of pro theatre rehearsal— but he guesses that would be telling him what he already knows. Instead, he grins and shrugs, then kisses his forehead. The elevator dings upon arrival. “I’ll take that as a yes,” he says, and they have a very good afternoon.

*

Thursday

 It’s absolutely frigid outside, and it’s six in the morning, and Quinn is having the time of his life.

He’s huddled on a couch with his castmates, in a trailer, waiting for the day to begin— though he supposes it’s already started, given his five o’clock wake-up call. He thought the tour was exciting, and truly, it was, but this is a whole other excitement entirely— being in New York, with so many performers all in one small place, knowing what lies in store for his day.

Life, he thinks, is maybe a dream come true right now. From coming here with Sebastián to getting to perform, there are so many things he’s grateful for, so many experiences he feels so lucky to have. This is no exception, as he sits in the trailer, with space heaters warming his feet and cast friends on either side. It’s like being back on tour, except this time, it’s one time only. He has to make it count.

And… yes. Quinn is decided. He is going to be completely obnoxious on Instagram today. To start it out, he nudges Kyra, who sits directly next to him, and opens the front camera on his phone.

Kyra lights up for the camera— she truly is the human embodiment of the sun, and Quinn is honestly a little jealous of how good and put-together she already looks at six in the morning. She’s wearing yellow earmuffs that sort of match the gold rims on her glasses, and she hooks an arm around his neck to lean into the picture. Her cheek is warm against his, and he laughs. On his other side, their friend Minji pushes into the camera, too, and flashes a heart at the camera with her thumb and pointer picture together.

Are you posting that? Minji asks, once he’s snapped the selfie.

He puts his phone down and grins. Obviously, I’m posting it.

He’s hunting for stickers to put it on his story when it becomes something of a ‘thing’— the various other friends and castmates around him realize he’s taking pictures, and then, right as he gets the selfie up on his story with a little turkey sticker, everyone is clustering for another.

Group shot!

Let us be on your Instagram!

Yeah, we need a reunion picture.

Hang on, he tells them, and laughs, then climbs up onto the edge of the couch. He faces them to add, I’m not tall enough for that, and while they laugh at his height’s expense, he rolls his eyes and opens his camera again.

Smile! he signs into the camera, and then clicks the button a few times so he’ll have options to choose from. This one should be a post, not a story, he decides. He thinks there are enough cast members in it to maybe send it to production staff. Not to pat himself on the back or anything. Really, he just wants to document these moments with his friends, while they’re all still in one place again.

Oh, you know what we should do? he says to Kyra, as he’s sitting down on the arm of the couch. A before and after picture, with costumes.

Kyra grins, and she nods. They did posts like that several times, over tour— a picture before you get costumed, and then the same picture but after you’re ready to go onstage. We should make a TikTok, Kyra says.

He laughs. Oh, goodness, he says, but he knows he’ll probably wind up doing just that. He has a feeling his social media will be quite alive and well by the end of the day today.

He wants to hold every part of this day in his memory, so he’ll never forget what this feels like.

*

It’s been three months since Quinn got to be Moritz Stiefel.

Though it took a lot out of him this summer, it’s a role he’s missed sorely, and he doesn’t usually get to go back to playing characters whose shows have come to a close for him. He supposes today is a bit of an exception, and, to be sure, he’s been excited for today since the very moment he learned this performance would be happening— but it’s not real, exactly, until he sees himself in a mirror, in costume.

He knows this version of himself, though he hasn’t seen it in awhile. His hair is mussed up, and the school uniform costume fits just as it’s supposed to, with a crooked tie and a tall pair of socks. He isn’t mic’d yet— that’s a step they’ll reach later this morning, with the sound technicians at the parade, and his hearing aids have been out for several hours; they’re tucked into his jacket pocket right now.

The mirror in the trailer is small, and he smiles at himself in it. He always likes this part, performing— when he gets to see himself as the character he’s going to be. Today, it’ll only be for five minutes— but five minutes of glory, on television, with his friends from the summer, and so they’re bound to be some of the most exhilarating five minutes of his life.

He doesn’t want to get a big head, but the fact that so many people will be watching… that’s a lot to take in. On the street, in person, Sebastián will be watching, too, and that’s something he’s very mindful of.

Kyra is putting flowers into her hair, at the small mirror next to him. He grabs his phone to wave it at her, and she grins, then signs for him to wait one second, so he does.

Just like old times, she says, when she’s done, and then lets him take their picture in the mirror. He sends it off to Sebastián first, then puts it on his steadily growing Instagram story.

It is just like old times. Quinn doesn’t want the day to be over, and it’s barely begun.

*

Of all the places he’s performed, Quinn has to say that the streets of New York City rank high.

The morning is a blur— move from place to place, let people tell you where to be, get briefed by tech people who know a lot more about what’s going on than he does. Comply, because that’s what you do. Warm up your voice. Take so many pictures that your phone starts to yell at you that it’s running out of storage.

From a distance, spot someone who looks an awful lot like your boyfriend on the side of the street. You can tell it’s him, because you knit that red scarf for him two Christmases ago. It’s his color, undoubtedly. Kyra signs his name at him from afar, but he doesn’t see either of you. Until you go on.

You get a little nervous, but you don’t have time to be nervous, because you’re on the move and you’re waiting to perform, and then— you blink, a rush of adrenaline, and it’s over.

And you just did what actors all over the country dream of doing.

There aren’t words for that in English or in sign.

*

Friday

 On Friday morning, when Quinn wakes up, it’s snowing.

He doesn’t realize it at first. He’s tucked beneath Sebastián in their hotel bed, waking from a sleep so deep and welcome it felt truly heavenly, buried between covers and warm weight. He opens his eyes to gentle, natural light in the room, a sure sign they slept in, and he blinks a few times before he realizes what he’s seeing in the nearby window.

Snow. So much snow, and falling fast. Goodness, it’s beautiful. The view isn’t bad, either; Manhattan is a sea of buildings, and this snapshot of glass is only a glance. The snow is so peaceful, coupled with the thought that they have nowhere to go, nowhere to be. After the dream come true that was yesterday— the parade, the performance, getting dinner with Sebastián and Kyra at some diner with no other patrons in the middle of the Thanksgiving afternoon— he could use to rest and reflect.

Quinn knows it’s cliché, but he truly does love this city.

He threads his fingers into Sebastián’s curls, and pulls his head close to his chest, and rests in bed while he watches the snow come down.

Some time later, when Sebastián has woken, he gets to spend a lazy, snowy morning in bed, and between gentle kisses, he tells him there’s nowhere else he would rather be.

*

Saturday

 “Can you keep up, baby?”

Nando knows a retort is coming before it even does, but he still grins when Quinn pipes up, from a few feet behind him, “Oh, you just mind your business, Sebastián; I am fine.”

As if to prove it, he closes the small space between them and skates up by his side. Nando knows that getting out on the ice and immediately taunting him was not practical, but it was entertaining, and he likes that Quinn’s cheeks are flushing now. He holds out his elbow, like a peace offering, and Quinn wraps his gloved hand up in it.

“You wanna take a winter stroll?” Nando asks him, with a wink down in his direction.

“This is hardly a stroll,” Quinn replies, in that know-it-all voice that drives Nando crazy in the best way possible. “It’s more of a glide,” he adds, and with that, they start skating along.

“That’s fair,” Nando replies, and tips his head up to take in the view.

He couldn’t spend any weekend even slightly related to the holiday season in New York City without going ice skating under the huge tree. Because first of all, it’s in every New York Christmas movie ever, and second, one of his and Quinn’s first dates was skating, and third, he fricking loves to skate, and fourth, this is his life, so there.

“This is breathtaking,” Quinn remarks, and that’s an understatement. There are enough lights on the tree to probably show up from space, and Nando has learned over the past few days how huge this city actually is, but being right here in the middle of everything just reinforces that truth. They skate along in the throngs of other people, which is part of the tourist experience, and honestly just makes it even better. Nando has seen this on TV so many times. He can’t believe he’s actually here. Pretty much everything about this weekend has been like some kind of dream situation where crazy things you imagine actually come true.

And speaking of dreams. He looks down to Quinn, and it’s, like, okay— cheesy, but the lights are all reflecting in his eyes, and he’s bundled in his scarf and peacoat, and he’s the prettiest thing Nando has ever seen. Including the giant tree. Including everything.

Quinn catches him looking. Of course he does. He smiles, rosy-cheeked and windblown, and hums, “What?”

“I love you,” Nando replies, and kisses him right in the middle of everything.

Quinn laughs out of the kiss. He stays tight on his arm, and somehow, they keep skating without falling. Nando thanks his hockey side for that.

“I love you, too,” Quinn replies, and his voice could block out all the noise of the whole city.

They’re the center of the world.

*

Sunday

Kiersey, NH

 The whole way home to Kiersey, Quinn sleeps on Sebastián’s shoulder.

It’s unintentional, but peaceful all the same, dreams full of memories of the weekend. He gets into his seat at Grand Central Station, slumps against him, and wakes to his gentle nudging hours later, so they can change trains in Boston. The next ride is shorter, but he rests again anyways, and the gray November day is dimming outside the train windows when he opens his eyes at the Kiersey station.

They walk back to campus— it isn’t far. Sebastián is holding both of their bags, and Quinn is holding nothing but his arm. It’s chilly, but bundled up, it isn’t so bad. With this boy, Quinn is so very warm. By the time they round the corner onto Beech Street, lines of student houses with warm windows stretching down either side of the familiar road, the sun has gone down.

On the front steps, Quinn pulls his hands out and looks up to him. He hasn’t had his hearing aids on in over twenty-four hours, and it’s been the most liberating and lovely experience. Before they re-enter the chaos of the hockey house and he’ll have to put them in again, he wants to sign him one last thing.

Thank you for joining me, he says, once he has his gaze. I love you so much.

Sebastián smiles. He puts the bags down by the door, rests both hands on his shoulders, and kisses him gently. No wintry breeze could stop the warmth in Quinn’s chest.

When he’s pulled back, Sebastián replies, I’d join you anywhere. I love you, too.

Quinn beams at him, and with one more shared, quiet moment, Sebastián picks up the bags, and Quinn leans into the front door and pushes it open. Hey, people! he reads on Sebastián’s lips, no doubt a loud exclamation, as they cross the threshold together. We’re home!

Home, indeed. Quinn closes the door behind them, and the warm, familiar, slightly chaotic embrace of Beech Street welcomes them back.

#25 days of kiersey #quinn theatre hours #mini quinny #nandoooooooo #quindo #quinn and dwsa #that should be a tag on this blog #my writing #ficlet #nah this is a straight up fic #whatever #uhhh #what else #kiersey college #crickets #mel writes

[lboogie1906]

James Milton Kelly (May 5, 1946 – June 29, 2013) was an athlete, martial artist, and actor. After winning several karate championships, he rose to fame appearing in various action films within the martial arts and blaxploitation genres. He played opposite Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon and had lead roles in Black Belt Jones as the title character and Three the Hard Way as Mister Keyes. He began his athletic career at Bourbon County High School in Paris, Kentucky, competing in basketball, football, and track and field. He attended the University of Louisville on a football scholarship but left during his freshman year after a coach referred to a black teammate with a racial slur. Instead, he began to study Shorin-ryu karate. He began his martial arts career in Lexington. He trained in Okinawan. He became one of the most decorated world karate champions in the sport. He won four prestigious championships that same year, most notably, the World Middleweight Karate title at the Long Beach International Karate Championships. He opened his dojo, which was frequented by numerous Hollywood celebrities and which ultimately landed him in the movies. In addition to his martial arts and film careers, he became a professional tennis player. He played amateur tennis. He joined the USTA Senior Men's Circuit. He reached the No. 2 ranking in senior men's doubles in the state of California and the top ten in the state in senior men's singles. He became the owner and director of a tennis club in the San Diego area. He was the first black martial arts film star. His first film role was as a martial arts instructor in Melinda. His other two Warner Brothers films were Golden Needles and Hot Potato. He made other films, Take a Hard Ride and One Down, Two to Go. He starred in Black Samurai, Death Dimension, and Tattoo Connection. After his appearance in One Down, Two to Go, he rarely appeared in movies. He did appear in two episodes of Highway to Heaven. In his last film, he made a cameo appearance as Cleavon Washington in Afro Ninja. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence https://www.instagram.com/p/CdLT-KWLsJn__1MMFunnd9y2w3ZoJU7jFGc99o0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[finnofamerica]

Awful Heart - Dwalin x Reader || Part Two ||

Summary: Being a live engineer for Poor Impulse Control, you usually don’t get a lot of attention. However, playing at seedy bars and the growing popularity of the band has caught the attention of some man - a stalker. With no idea who he is and his notes coming more frequently your production manager thought it’d be safer to hire a bodyguard.

Word count: 2222

Date Posted: 04.29.2020

|| Masterlist || Part One || 

“Another one?” Dwalin groaned as his brother placed a contract in front of him. 

“You’re quite intimidating,” Balin reasoned, “It makes sense why you are the most popular.” 

“Fili and Kili would do just as well.” He ran a hand over his bald head. 

“No matter, he wants you. He was explicitly clear.” 

“He?” Dwalin quirked a brow. Men were often intimidated by his stature, so they more often hired Gloin or Bifur. They were less intimidating but still excellent at their jobs. 

“Yes, Aaron Jones. He wasn’t making a whole lot of sense, only that he was hiring you to protect someone close to him. He wanted you to meet him at, oh what was it?  Lucky Barrel, that’s it.” 

“When?” 

“Tomorrow at noon. I added in an extra line into that contract for whomever you’ll be protecting.” Balin stood, brushing off his shirt even though there wasn’t a speck of dirt on it. He stepped a few paces away and paused, suddenly remembering an important detail. “I would pack some clothes if I were you. They are a touring band.” 

Dwalin arrived at The Lucky Barrel exactly at noon, as requested of him. Folded up in the pocket of his leather jacket was the contracts, requiring the final signature. He just wanted to get this over with. You were just another frail little girl that he’d have to protect because they didn’t know how to handle themself. The sooner he got this job done the soon he got to go home to his cats. He thanked Mahal quietly that Balin had agreed to watch them for him when he was out on a job. 

“Remember to go around the back, the front entrance won’t be open.” Balin had told him just a few hours ago.

“Now or never,” Dwalin grumbled, walking around the side of the building to the alleyway. 

“Ev! You bastard, get the rack!” A voice shouted, obviously frustrated. 

Parked in the alleyway was a van and trailer. A small team of men was pushing rolling crates into the back entrance of the bar. 

“That goes downstage, Dix.” A tall gangly man was directing traffic. 

“Yeah, I got it, Jones.” Dix shot back, shaking his head. Jones rolled his eyes at Dix, smiling once he took notice of Dwalin, who had been watching with abject curiosity, yet aloof at the same time. 

“You must be Mister Dwalin.” Jones reached out a hand to shake, “I’m Aaron.” 

“Just Dwalin is fine.” Dwalin shook Aaron’s hand. 

“Well, welcome aboard. I’ll introduce you to the crew. Come along.” The gangly man turned on his heels, walking briskly inside, making brief introductions along the way. Most of the crew gave him a quick greeting, then hurried back to work. 

On stage, the band was setting up their instruments and tuning. The one Dwalin assumed to be the leader was tuning a guitar, her hair braided down to her waist. Her black hair contrasting her pale skin. Two others were also tuning guitars, one a regular guitar and the other a bass. The one with the guitar switched from tuning to testing a few chords, her dark afro curls held back by a yellow headband, poofing out like a halo, dark skin complimented by the headband. The woman with the bass had longer hair, though it was just as curly. Tan and short, she seemed almost too small for the bass she carried. Finally, the woman sitting at the drumset. An Indian woman with pin-straight brown hair, though she seemed small, Dwalin knew enough about drummers to know that she could probably run laps around everyone in this place. 

“Dwalin, I’d like you to meet the band.” 

The four women approached each one of them looking at him curiously. Yep, exactly what he was expecting, small women who couldn’t fend for themselves. 

“So you’re the bodyguard my brother’s hired?” The leader glowered at him. 

“Oh Ryker, stop being such a grump! I’m Juniper, nice to meet you.” The young woman stuck her hand out for him to shake. Dwalin recognized her as the drummer. He shook her hand, though he was growing tired of formalities. 

“Don’t tell me what to do. If he’s going to be the one protecting my best friend then I want to make sure that -” Ryker argued. 

“That what?” The woman with the afro shook her head. “This is literally his job.” 

“Speaking of, have you ever killed anybody?” The bassist asked. 

Dwalin frowned at her. “No.” 

“A shame. I’d murder that sick el cabron if I could.” 

“You’re just bloodthirsty, Ava.” Juniper rolled her eyes. 

“That’s enough.” Aaron interrupted. “Magdalyn, keep them under control please.” 

The afroed woman nodded, ordering the rest of them back to their jobs. 

“If I’m not protecting them, who is it then?” Dwalin asked, tired of introductions. 

“Our little trouble maker.” Aaron pointed at a woman surrounded by the men who’d been unloading the trailer. So much for an easy job, he thought as he watched her work. She heaved a speaker over her head, carrying it to the other side of the stage with ease. Arms over her head exposed the curve of her waist, the tucked-in Poor Impulse Control shirt only accentuating the shape, jeans tight to her thick thighs. He could almost see the muscle underneath. After making sure it was plugged in properly, she returned to her spot at the back by the bar behind a large desk. Only upon closer inspection, he realized that it was actually a soundboard. 

Dwalin had always had a weakness for strong women, especially those who could carry their own weight without complaint. Those were the women who didn’t need protection, or if they did it was for a good reason. 

“That’s Y/n.” He continued, “About two months ago she started getting disturbing notes from some man. Nobody can figure out who he is since he’s never been seen, and he only signs his love notes with the letter N. Now, Y/n will insist that she can handle her own. She’s had to fight for herself before. Lately, though, the letters have gotten a little more detailed. Which has raised the concerns of yours truly. The police have done jack shit to find the guy, so we’ve had to resort to the next best thing. If that pervert tries something, you’ll be there to protect her.” 

Dwalin grunted. A stalker. That, at least, made for an interesting case. 

“Y/n!” Aaron called her over. 

You looked up at him, then over to Dwalin. The smile fell off your face as you swallowed nervously. You could tell from where you were that Dwalin was a large man. 

“Good luck Y/n/n.” Josh winked at you. 

“Shut up.” You huffed, muting the board before meeting Aaron and Dwalin at the stage. “Yes, Aaron?” 

“I want you to meet, Dwalin. He’s gonna be your bodyguard.” Your lovely production manager introduced. You tucked some hair behind your ear, a little embarrassed that your first meeting was while you were sweaty and disgusting. 

Dwalin reached out his hand to shake yours, being as that’s what had happened so far, why would you be any different. 

“Ahhh no thanks,” You blushed, “I don’t like being touched.” 

Dwalin almost smiled. Finally, someone who understood. He tucked his hand into his jacket pocket, retrieving the contract. 

“You’ll need to sign this,” He said plainly, though you were taken with his accent. 

“Sure.” You slipped it into your back pocket. “You’re a Scotsman then?” 

He just grunted. 

“I didn’t mean any offense, I was just guessing by your accent.”

“The sooner you sign the contract the sooner we can get the rest of this in order.” He replied. 

“Pen, Jonsie?” You reached out a hand. Aaron handed over the desired item reluctantly. 

“I’ll let you two get acquainted. If I don’t get that pen back, I’m coming for you Y/n/n.” 

“Yeah, whatever.” You waved him off. A few quick motions and you were handing Dwalin back the signed contract, which he tucked away for safekeeping. 

“I need you to listen to me carefully, lass,” Dwalin began, “Don’t go anywhere without letting me know first. If you can’t find me, text me, though I’ll be around most of the time. If you’re feeling unsafe in any way, you let me know.” 

“Got it.” You nodded. He made sure his number was in your phone, and then followed you back to your board. 

With the bar empty while the band set up allowed Dwalin enough leeway to sit back and observe. Mentally he was making a map, locating all the exits. If the stalker tried something at the show tonight, Dwalin was certain that he’d find him, but your safety was his top priority. 

The crowd began to pour in at about six o’clock that night. The band was in some backroom inside, doing their usual preshow routine. The rest of the crew stood outside in the alley, enjoying the evening breeze before the show, knowing all too well how hot and stuffy it’d be by the time the show started. The guys talked amongst themselves for the majority of their time spent outside. 

You knew Dwalin wouldn’t come between you and your friends, you didn’t feel much like talking while this mountain was behind you. However, you knew the only way you were going to get used to him is if you talked to him. In the low light of the evening, and now that hardest part had been done, you finally had the time to look at Dwalin. Really take in his rugged appearance. 

He was older than you, you guessed by at least five years. The weight of his work had shown on his face and you were curious to find out where the scar that crossed his nose and eyebrow had come from. His head was bald, revealing tattoos that covered his scalp. The lack of hair up top was compensated by his beard, just as thick and rough as the rest of him.

“You’re staring.” He grumbled. 

“I like your head tattoos.” You shrugged. He looked at you for a second, then turned away. 

“You do this every day?” He finally asked. 

“Well, not every day, but most days.” You turned around to lean against the wall, catching a little glimpse of the stars between the buildings. 

“When you’re not doing this?” 

“Well, I’m the only engineer they will work with so if I’m not in the studio with the girls then I’m probably doing normal people things. Trust me, my job is not as exciting as yours.” 

Dwalin almost smiled at that, as serious as he was. 

“I mean you protect people,” You continued, “You’re basically a superhero.” 

“I’m not a hero. I’m a man doing his job.” He frowned. 

“It’s showtime.” Aaron interrupted, waving his clipboard. “You all know what to do, and I trust you to do it and do it well. Get out there.” 

You were moving faster than anyone else. The second Aaron was done you were off the wall and heading inside. 

Dwalin almost lost you in the crowd. Swarms of not-quite-drunk people were crowding the stage. Luckily, in the dark, he was able to catch just enough of a glimpse of your hair to keep track of you. He knew where you were going, of course, but he wasn’t about to slack on the job and risk losing you on the first night. 

He stood next to you all night long. If he wasn’t working the band would’ve had his full attention, it wasn’t every day that all-female rock bands played bars. His attention was divided. Half was on you, protecting you, and the other half was scanning the bar. Dwalin wanted to identify the stalker if he could, or at least identify someone as suspicious and keep an eye on them. 

Nobody stuck out to him, normally a person of interest would at least act suspicious. Everyone here seemed normal. There were people in Poor Impulse Control shirts similar to the ones that the crew wore, and there were just normal people here on a night out. 

The only real good thing that came out of the night was that he had two hours of you. You were working, sure, but he’d never admit that he enjoyed watching you work - nor could he say that he knew what you did or how you did it. Before he knew it, the crowd was being cleared out and it was time to pack up. 

You reminded him of a bee, the way you buzzed around, helping the guys pack up as fast as possible. 

“Dix! Get the rack!” You called out, holding the last of the lights in your hands, bring it over to the case it belonged in. 

“You got it, boss!” Dix saluted jokingly and set to work on packing up the light rack. 

It was chaos. An organized chaos, but chaos all the same. Dwalin could almost say he was fascinated as he watched you push a crate three times your size out the door and into the gear trailer. 

Dwalin found himself wondering again what could have scared this crew so bad that they needed a bodyguard. Why the hell did you need protection?

Tags: Open || Part 3 || 

#dwalin x reader #the hobbit x reader #finn writes #full length #04/29/2020 #Awful Heart #mini series