#smoke without fire

[by-nina]

it's been a month since Royai Week. I set out to write an entirely new one-shot based on a song and somehow ended up back on my murder mystery shenanigans

[arrowdigitalmarketing]

Amnesia can strike at any time

Mother always said. Butter wouldn’t melt, there’s no smoke without fire and give someone enough leeway and they will show you who they are. I can hear the next statement already. “I didn’t realise my actions were inappropriate.” Anyone can make a mistake, however, if the mistake is repeated over and over again, it can’t be described as a mistake.

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[sweet-harmony]

[sweet-harmony]

There is no smoke without fire ... @sweet-harmony

[diamonddeposits]

VC PINES- SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE (CHILLED EDIT)

A spine-tingly new version of VC PINES superb and sexy Smoke Without Fire. This chilled version amps up the emotion in the vocals (that burn brighter than a million votives) and pares the melodies back to add emphasis---we are shook and cannot get enough of this version. Have a listen above!

[by-nina]

art by justhanselart twitter | instagram commissioned; do not repost

my partner was crazy for this. 😭💖

jay commissioned our good friend and comics collaborator hans to make art for smoke without fire, as a valentine’s day gift. he actually spoiled the surprise by showing me the mockups and actually discussing details of the story for accuracy but i’m still really blown away by how gorgeous riza is. and by how thoughtful it was. i’ve been really shy to have commissions made for my fics.

so if y’all are in the mood for murder, thrillers, and traumatized!riza for valentine’s day, once again, smoke without fire everybody. updates soon!

[scottishmusicnetwork]

NEW SINGLE : VC Pines returns with the smooth and soulful new single 'Smoke Without Fire', out now

NEW SINGLE : VC Pines returns with the smooth and soulful new single ‘Smoke Without Fire’, out now

Following on from the release of his highly-acclaimed EP ‘Skully’ last year which attracted enormous praise from BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders and Huw Stephens, along with support from BBC Introducing, The Line of Best Fit, DIY and more, London-based artist Jack Mercer aka VC Pines is back to his smooth and soulful ways on the intoxicating new single ‘Smoke Without Fire’ produced by Jonathan…

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[by-nina]

(video stills from I-Witness: Kinakalingang Habi, 2019)

gather ‘round the fire, comrades, it’s time for some smoke without fire worldbuilding notes that nobody asked for.

someone made a special mention of the town of mebdo and the alcott house in their comment on smoke without fire. while just one person so far has talked about it specifically, it made me happy because i do consider the inspiration for those two things dear to me. that is why i feel the need to talk about this at length. (WhiteDoveSails, if you get to read this, thank you!)

details under the cut:

mebdo and the alcott house were both inspired by the town of Lubuagan, Kalinga in the philippines. two of its primary industries are agriculture and weaving, and in fact, the Mabilong Weavers’ Village is known as the weaving capital of Kalinga province. it was once a bustling provincial capital, and most of its written history has to do with the establishment of an american local government, as the country was under american rule at the time (the early 1900s).

it was also interestingly once the seat of government, when then-president Emilio Aguinaldo (who, to say the least, remains quite the controversial figure) led an insurgency against our american colonizers and was forced to flee into the neighboring province of Isabela. before his capture there, he remained in Lubuagan for over 70 days.

i had the joy and honor of visting Lubuagan in june 2019, when my team filmed a documentary about the town’s weaving tradition. everyone was absolutely charmed by its quietness tucked away in lush mountains, the spectacular views, the delectable food with freshly picked vegetables from backyards and untamed fields, the coffee, and most of all the people. every detail about the landscapes and views of mebdo, and the warmth and hospitality of its locals, i took from my near-week-long stay in Lubuagan. even the alcott house was modeled after one of the houses we visited then. you can watch the documentary here, though i’m afraid a version with english subtitles isn’t available yet. perhaps the views will be worth a peek, at least.

i look back on that time so fondly. it was one of the best experiences i ever had filming a documentary in my former TV job, and Lubuagan is one of the towns i wished i could stay in for much longer. the somewhat wistful irony of this is that we visited the town soon after i had decided i would be leaving that job once my contract expired. during that stay, the documentary host helped cook our breakfast every single day. we had coffee at every house we visited, not because we asked, but because the townsfolk insisted that we should (and we were grateful for it each time). we walked from the hostel to the rather quiet town proper, to home-based souvenir shops selling traditionally woven goods, to a historic school. and when we left to go back home, there was genuine fondness and genuine longing for this town that we had been so fortunate to know. not many Filipinos can say they have been warmly welcomed to Lubuagan. (side note: i also wrote half of my royai week 2019 pieces during our stay.)

if you’ve made it this far, thank you for indulging me. i just have so, so much love for Lubuagan and it is perhaps at the core of the gentleness that i hold on to these days whenever things get too rough, whenever i least believe in myself, whenever the world gets too much to bear. goodness, i’m sorry for waxing poetic here. but this isn’t the first time i have since written with Lubuagan in mind, and it certainly won’t be the last. each time i mention in any of my stories a mountain town, rich and delicious coffee, or the kindest strangers you can imagine, know that you are reading a love letter to this beautiful town.