#Adam do be seeming a bit quirky lately

[sandcobangevent]

Conjecture

by @subtlehysteria and @shinymoonforest

Sitting. Thinking.

Detective Holmes scrolled through his phone while eating a bowl of cereal, comparing details on his screen to printed-out photos in front of him. Their current case had captured him and Doctor Watson as of late, the puzzling details excited Sherlock’s mind and made him slightly more fixated than normal. Not that John or Mariana minded, of course. They knew how he was with his fixations; the three had been operating together for quite some time now, having just celebrated their first podcast anniversary last October.

Which made John’s smile and bright energy, albeit a bit higher than the norm, seem all the more perfectly ordinary to Sherlock. That smile, the little stretch, and scratch at his scruff, humming a tune as he brushed his teeth… Little details were not noticed by all but taken in each and every morning by the detective, who admired these quirky traits of the doctor. His doctor.

“Goooood morning, Sherlock~!”

Watson’s cheery tune, continuing for a few moments even after his morning bathroom routine, brought a smile to Sherlock’s face.

“Good morning to you too, Watson. Feeling chipper today?”

“Indeed I am, hmhmHMhmm~! Quite a lovely day, isn’t it?”

Despite seemingly looking for something for a few moments, whatever curious thoughts John may have been having were interrupted by Archie running up to his owner, tail wagging and all. Sherlock, deducting that he had been looking for his dog, given the positive reaction and lack of follow-up, dismissed any thoughts of worry over John’s brief flash of confusion.

“Lovely indeed, Watson. Lovely and jubbly indeed.”

Or… what he assumed was confusion, anyway. Sherlock was never the best at reading emotions.

The morning went along quietly, peacefully, just the two of them (and Archie) enjoying the moment, talking briefly about the case when the detective muttered something to himself but otherwise focusing more on their respective meals. Until--

“Wh--? Sherlock?”

“Market, Watson. Now.”

The doctor seemed to perk up at Sherlock’s sudden jolt out of his chair, the choice of words… Quickly following behind, microphone in hand, he grabbed his coat and made sure Archie was alright before closing the door behind the two of them.

“Oh-! Good morning you two, how did you sleep?”

“Fine, talk later.” 

While the detective’s grin and mindset were focused on the papers he held, doing his best to rush down the stairs as his mind fired off deductions, John lingered for a few moments to answer Mariana’s greeting question.

“Ah, morning Mariana! I slept quite alright, as did Sherlock it seems with how adamant he is to-”

“WATSON!”

“BE THERE IN A MOMENT!” He sighed as she laughed at the two’s interaction, rolling his eyes a bit at the insistence (and quite frankly impatience) that he had to deal with. Then again, however, this is what he signed up for, in some sense… 

Especially now that the two were partners.

“S-Ssorry-;;”

“It’s fine, John. Go, you two have fun, yes?”

“We will, we will!”

Down the stairs went Doctor Watson, legs moving a bit swifter today due to his lack of bodily pains. What a wonderful day it was indeed, sleeping well AND not being forced to use his cane! How joyous! It brought a smile to his face, just as more of Mariana’s yelling did upon reaching the staircase’s bottom.

“Don’t forget to be back for dinner!!”

“We won’t!!”

“Took you long enough.”

“Well, you can’t just brush past someone when they're trying to talk to you, mate. I was only being polite, you know--”

“Car. Now.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll get in! Jesus, heh-!”

-

“Care to explain why we’re at the market again?”

The doctor, struggling to keep up with his detective, tried to keep his voice at a reasonable volume amongst the crowd and chatter. He was surprised Sherlock had wanted to go to the popup market at all, honestly, even if it was for a case. An odd side effect of those fixations, he assumed. “The assailants that rushed her through this very marketplace, she didn’t remember much of their appearances, yes? Rather, she remembered their clothes instead, the logo in particular. A logo that matches one of the stalls that is always in the same spot.”

“Same spot?? Mate--” John groaned, raising his speed to keep up with the current leader of their duo, who was now running. Excited, seemingly, according to past instances like this one. “Sherlock, it’s called a pop-up for a reason, it doesn’t reappear-!”

“Most don’t reappear, yes Watson, you’re correct. Certain stalls, however, tend to come back year after year holding essentials for all guests. These stalls keep their setup within a general area for easy access, such as first aid, event assistance, and-”

“Concessions-!”

And right as he finished the other’s sentence, a spark lighting up in both their eyes, there it was: one of the concessions stand, with its logo matching the client’s description and hints of a path visible behind the stall itself.

“Bingo.”

Instead of an immediate response, however, the doctor seemed… on edge. Looking around, distracted, as if looking for something in particular. Watson had been this way just about all day, looking around at different items, sweets, and the like. He had been doing so the past few days, too, so it couldn’t have just been hunger…

Was it something he wanted? Was he simply getting distracted? Did the case bore him?

Sherlock, although curious as to what it could be, put these thoughts in the back of his mind for now. He had to continue the current train of thought, lest new ideas and deductions concerning the case fall upon deaf ears.

“Watson? Were you-”

“Mmh? Oh-!! Yeah- Yeah, I saw, sorry-- Just- I just thought I.. saw something, is all.”

“You… thought you saw something?”

“Mhm- B-But -- But it’s nothing you need to worry about, I--”

“Right, something for you to explain later, should you remember. Back to the case, yes?”

The podcaster’s face, albeit scrunched up and… odd-looking (Confused? Disbelief? What was this expression…?), relaxed after a few moments of resignation and a slow, hesitant nod.

“...Yeah,” sighed Watson, forcing a small smile as the two walked into the alleyway. Smiling while letting the darkness embrace him and his partner in anticipation of the new clues to be discovered. “Yeah, alright, back to the case..”

“Excellent! Let's hop to it,’ Watson! The game is afoot!”

“Pff-- You already said that when we started it- Oii, Sherlock! Wait up!”

“I can say it again can’t I? The game is afoot! The game!! Is!! Afoot!!”

“BaahAAHAHAAhh-!! Sherloooock!”

-

It had been quite a fascinating day, truly. New clues found in the market had led the crime-solving duo to grow closer and closer to solving this case. Each step towards the solution simultaneously allowed Sherlock to make new deductions and keep him stimulated enough to still be solving the case. A rare feat, in some cases, and yet even with this exciting new information, John still seemed on edge.

Skittish, uncertain, distracted… It was almost as if he didn’t care for the case at all. Which, logically, Sherlock knew not to be true. They were both quite invested when it started, after all, it was just the past couple of days that his partner had seemed distracted. But why now…?

Perhaps he would look into things after dinner. Despite simply wanting to order food and continue work on the case remotely, John had insisted on making it home in time for Mariana’s dinner to be ready. Unfavorable at first, with how fixated the detective was on solving the case, but he couldn’t exactly deny Ms. Hudson’s food, either.

That same expression from earlier snuck its way onto the doctor’s face again, somewhat expectant of… something, and the look fading into resignation upon not finding it. The hard-to-read facial feelings were soon eased, however, by Archie happily welcoming his owner home with barks and ecstatic tail wags, followed by a hug from Mariana.

“Everything alright today?”

“Ahh, yep, just- just found some new details on those crooks that chased the client.”

“Quite peculiar details, in fact, and ones that have opened a window of different pathways that 

this case could go down. Fascinating, really, how-”

“Alllllright there, Master Detective, let’s save the details for a few seconds so I can get you and the birthday boy some food. I was able to find a recipe for the dish you showed me last week, John! I… don’t know how accurate it is, but I did my best to follow the recipe.”

…Oh. Oh God.

“Awwe, really? You shouldn’t have, Mariana, that’s so sweet..!”

Tuning out the two’s conversation temporarily, Sherlock checked his phone with an expression of concern, thoughts beginning to race once more as theory became reality.

He couldn’t believe it. He forgot. He forgot.

It was May 22nd. John’s birthday. 

And he, Sherlock Holmes - his boyfriend - had completely lost track of that fact. 

How could he have been so foolish, with the signs right in front of him? The looking for treats, expecting a surprise around the corner, not getting even so much as a greeting from his own darling first thing in the morning? No wonder John was acting so strangely, he thought Sherlock didn’t care about his birthday. Even though, especially with how particular he was about holiday planning, Sherlock did care. He cared very much in fact, more so now that he felt that he had been a bad partner by letting down Watson on this important occasion. 

What to do, what to do…

These thoughts ate at the detective throughout dinner, resulting in him being abnormally quiet. He expressed that he was thinking upon being asked, but did not specify what exactly, allowing John and Mariana to continue their conversation.

After the meal was over - one of Watson’s favorite meals, in fact - Sherlock made sure John was elsewhere in the flat before pulling Mariana to the side. From there, he explained the situation, how he had gotten so fixated on the current case that he, foolishly, had completely forgotten Watson’s birthday. How he desperately wanted to do something, anything he could to make up for this fact, but with many shops closed for the night, he wasn’t sure what to do. 

Mariana, however, did.

“John?” she called out, leaving Sherlock to pace around the dining table. “Did you want to come with me to the store real quick? I swear I put the lighter for the candles in one of the drawers, but I can’t find it anywhere-”

“Hmm? Oh- ahh, yeah! Yeah, sure, I’ll just grab my cane- Sherlock, love, did you-” “Thinking.”

“..Oh- Ahh- Alright, then, we’ll see you when we get back! Make sure Archie doesn’t try and get to the cake!”

And then, with the birthday man ushered out by a smirking Miss Hudson, Sherlock was alone. Alone and free to begin his plan to give John a proper birthday party. …Even if it was just the three of them. And Archie.

Rummaging through a box of holiday supplies mentioned mere moments ago, Sherlock began to take things out at seemingly random as his thoughts raced almost as fast as they would with the earlier case. Almost. 

What mattered was that it was enough to figure out a quick plan with the limited supplies he had to, hopefully, get everything situated by the time Mariana and John returned.

…Or “Jonk” rather, as the cake said. Miss Hudson did quite the job of making said cake, he had to admit.

…

A knock at the door.

“Sherlock? Are you ready in there?”

The sudden noise, an interruption to the detective’s thought process, caused a bit of stumbling as final adjustments were made. Was it the best Sherlock could have done? No, of course not; he’d want to plan and execute much more properly and fitting for someone as important as John Watson. Everything was measured precisely, planned, and executed without the last-minute rushing to make sure the room felt perfectly balanced.

“Yes, Miss Hudsons. Everything is… as ready as it can be.”

“Perfect! Oh- Here he comes-”

But alas, Sherlock did not have that privilege at the moment, so this would have to do. Now, what to do when the two came in… Should he hide? No, no, he wouldn’t want to scare Watson; the detective himself would hate if anyone did that to him, anyway. Perhaps simply… stand and gesture? Yes, Yes that could work…

“pFFf-- What are you covering my eyes for, Mariana?” “You’ll see, you’ll see… Sherlock, can you open the door?”A nod as he quickly shuffled to the door, even if none were around to witness it said motion. As soon as the two were safely situated, he closed and locked 221B, got into position, and…

“Surprise!...” Sherlock stood next to the couch table, spreading his arms to gesture at the decorations he had set up. 

Fairy lights with dangling balloons underneath them had been set up across one wall, their soft glow adding a welcoming feeling to the scene. Streamers of all sorts of colors hung from the light above Mr. Holmes, adding color to the ceiling. On hand-cut pieces of yellow paper were the little banners strung over a poster above the flat’s fireplace, each one having a letter written in marker that spelled out “HAPPY BIRTHDAY.” Next to the fireplace was the flat’s plant with a party hat placed on top of it, and spare paper streamers wrapped around its leaves. On the couch table itself was a nicely wrapped gift and a cake, which was complete with an additional frosting border along the edges, the word “JONK” written along the front, and the appropriate candles - the numbers 3 and 6 - lit and standing tall. While, yes, the flat didn’t have a communal lighter, Sherlock was able to use his own after he had ensured the cake was properly positioned.

John didn’t say much at first, mouth agape in shock, causing both Mariana and his dear detective to wait in anticipation for any sort of reaction. 

But then, he just… smiled.

A big, warm, sparkly-eyed smile that they all knew perfectly well meant that he was truly, truly happy. That and a small chuckle, of course, from finally processing that the cake said “JONK” instead of “JOHN.” A joke amongst his fans, in the Discord and otherwise.

“Y-You guys… Thank you, really.” The doctor stifled a tear, letting a sniffle take its place.

“Of course, John, but I can’t take all the credit here, you know.”

“You-! Sherlock, did you do all of this?” “Of course, Watson,” he started, finally letting his arms rest in their typical dinosaur-esq position. “I… admittedly, did forget about today being your birthday, dear, and I am very, very sorry about forgetting such an important event due to being so hyper-fixated on our current case. As such, I requested Miss Hudson’s assistance in removing you from the flat for a suitable amount of time to allow me to decorate.-”

Watson’s smile only grew as Holmes talked more and more, slowly getting closer with the help of his cane until he was able to pull the taller of the two into a kiss. Sherlock was a bit surprised by this motion, at first, but it certainly wasn’t unwelcome. The exchange only lasted a few moments, however, before transitioning into a simple hug. Mariana joined in, not afraid to show her smug smile from seeing the two express their rapport moments ago.

“God-- God you both are bloody wonderful…”

“Only the best for you, John…Happy birthday, by the way. I love you, and I apologize for not saying so earlier.”

“HahAah! It’s fine, dear, honestly- If there’s one thing I’ve learned from living with you, it’s that you always mean well one way or another. Oh-! And I love you too, by the way.”

“You could say that again… Now, let’s get into this cake.”

“Let’s.”

“A little party and everything,” hummed John, leaning on Sherlock a bit as the three took their spots on the couch; John sat in the center, Mariana on his left, and Sherlock on his right. Archie, despite trying to come up and sit with the trio, was encouraged to stay down lest he try and eat some of the cake.

“Of course, Watson. You deserve nothing but the best on a day like today.”

“Awee, Sherlock…”

Another kiss on the cheek from his doctor, another victory for Sherlock Holmes.

“Thank you, both of you. This is… honestly, the best birthday present I could ask for. Just… Just  a happy night with some of the people I care for the most.”

“...I’m glad you like it, John.”

As Sherlock reciprocated John’s lean with one of his own, Mariana began to sing, soon followed by the party’s decorator after he had picked up on the cue. Applause and little barks soon sounded within the jovial walls of 221B Baker Street, ones that would not be soon forgotten.

A memory cherished, untainted by the fickle conditions of the mind and its structure.

A memory of family.

[rickie-the-storyteller]

Happy Storyteller Saturday! What would you say is your favorite part of your writing process? How do you create your characters and once you do, what is your favorite kinds of scenes to write with them?

Happy Storyteller Saturday to you too!

There is a lot I enjoy about the writing process... I love the initial brainstorming of ideas of places the story could go... I also love to create characters and develop them into people. Something that I like to do (and have been doing for my Steph's Crew series) is come up with the main story, come up with a structure, and then think about potential conversations that my characters might have in each of those stages/moments in the story before I actually do any writing. I've posted some of the dialogues of my Steph's Crew story, and once I've posted all of the conversations in order, I'll get to posting the actual chapters.

My process when it comes to creating characters kind of varies? I'll be 100% honest with you - for my main character Steph, I used a character generator that I found online lol. That was about a year ago, when I first got the idea for this story. It gave me a good starting point: I got a name, age, basic backstory and a few rough ideas for a personality. A lot of stuff from there has been added, removed, or changed around... I feel like I'm better at developing characters than I am at creating them. Starting is the hardest part.

I get a lot of inspiration from my life, actually. I put a little bit of myself in every character I write. I mean, they aren't all like me, but they all represent different things to me. So for example:

Stephanie

Passionate, argumentative, knows what she wants and fights hard to get it

Cares deeply about her friends and wants to protect them

Gives good solid advice, learns through experience

Tends to hold on to the past (and can hold a grudge for an insane amount of time lol. I don't think I'm as bad as her, but still)

Bret

Really wants to do and be better, but struggles a lot with the process

Can be quite careless and thoughtless, but always ends up regretting it in the end

Deeply sensitive (though he may not seem like it at first glance)

Super creative and artistic

Loves music

Elise

(Probably the most similar to me lol.)

Major bookworm (down to her obsession with reading fantasy novels late into the night. She refers to it as her "fantasy-novel-before-bedtime time" when Bret calls her in the middle of the night to ask her for help with something)

Curious af (always wants to know more, always asking questions)

Kind of quirky and awkward, but owns it lol

Introverted, with a quiet confidence

Smart girl (really good student, works really hard and genuinely gets passionate about learning)

Tries hard at everything, kind of a perfectionist

Cares super deeply about her friends, and wants to help everyone out all the time

Used to be in a choir, but stopped (partially due to a toxic environment)

Super close with sibling (for her, it's Adam, and in my case, it's my younger sister, Hannah. She's my absolute best friend!)

She has this inexplicable (to some of the others lol) crush on Bret (bless his overly chaotic soul), and eventually ends up getting with him. Could be me subconsciously giving her my bad boy phase (I used to be into that aesthetic, but I grew out of it lol)

Dylan

He's black

Lives with a younger sibling and a single parent

Comes from a broken home (divorced parents)

Tends to bottle his emotions

Doesn't feel comfortable about sharing his problems sometimes

Alice

Sarcastic sense of humour

Very insecure, and has this tendency to compare herself with others (in her case, her genius twin sister Mary)

Uses humour as a coping mechanism sometimes (uses it to mask her insecurity)

Puts pressure on herself to be perfect (or at least make up for the areas she lacks in)

Feels bad when she fails, but is determined to improve and tries hard to change and be better than she was before

Yeah, these are all the ways that my characters are like me. I think it's fun to incorporate little pieces of your life into your writing (whether its just general stuff, or really specific things like the fantasy novel thing. I actually used to do that lol).

I don't know if I have a specific favourite type of scene that I like to write for my characters... mostly I just like it when they have good chemistry together, and when a conversation flows in a satisfying way that showcases all their individual personalities well. Like, I love to incorporate a bit of banter, some joking and teasing. I love the more lighthearted scenes. And I have included some romantic subplots in this story as well because I love love❤️️ (I enjoy writing the lovey dovey scenes, but it's slightly awkward for me, too, since I seriously lack experience in that department, so I don't really know if I'm capturing it right. It's fun, though).

Hope this answers your question! Thank you so much for the ask.

[shmorp-mcdurgen]

Victim 3

[mean-scarlet-deceiver]

How do engines view names? Their entire identity? Meaningless? ECT

That's a pretty broad ask, mate.

... I love it. ;)

I'm going to stick with names, since identity goes along with it. Not really sure what you meant by the rest, but I'm going to just take it as a license to go off on any damn tangents I please.

Oh, hush up, Bootlaces.

Honestly, I think the tl;dr is right there in Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine:

"Have they saved other engines besides you?"

"Oh yes," answered Stepney. "You'd like our Bluebell and Primrose. They're twins," he chuckled, "and as like as two peas. They only had numbers at first, Bluebell is 323 and Primrose is 27. They were very pleased when our Controller gave them names. Some say he was wrong to do it. It's certainly made them cocky, but they do work hard, and I think our Controller was right. All engines ought to have names."

"Yes," agreed Edward, "it's most important."

"That's why," Stepney continued, "we've given names to our 488 and 2650. But our Controller doesn't know. It's a secret... They are both very pleased about it, because now they feel part of the family. We call 488 'Adams,' after his designer, you know... 'Cromford', who's 2650, has been pulling trucks up high peaks in Derbyshire. He's tough is Cromford. He had to be for that job."

(The names Adams and Cromford seem only to exist in Awdryverse. A secret from the Controller, indeed. So, that's a very telling bit, worldbuilding-wise.)

But, if you're up for me overanalyzing the thing, then go right ahead and click the readmore.

Although the above conversation is pretty useful, I think it also has to be taken in context. The year is 1962. This takes place on Sodor. We see plenty of other engines in the 'verse who don't have names, and we cannot just assume they are much troubled by it. And both these speakers have gone from big railways to small railways with a "found family" feel—note that, much like the language used when D7101 becomes Bear, Stepney says the others' names are valued because they indicate that they belong.

So.

I'm very intrigued by some universes like @leatherbootlace's where every engine has a given "first-name"-style name even if they also have a "title," such as Flying Scotsman, Skarloey, etc. That's a very clever conceit.

However, in my interpretation that's just not universal. Not remotely. Some engines do have "official names" as well as more everyday aliases, but their everyday names are not necessarily like human names. And they are fine with that. They are also typically very flexible about their names changing along with their identities over the course of their lives.

And some engines are perfectly fine with "just" a railway number. They were actually quite fashionable in the late 19th century, as railway companies just kept swallowing each other up, fleets getting bigger and bigger. Of course, there was resistance the first couple decades, and typically when an engine from a small fleet was absorbed there was a lot of angst at losing their name—precisely because they had also lost their old home. And, too, of course the most important engines on the big railways were "named proper," especially passenger engines—station names, place names, and regiment names were the height of posh.

But on these big fleets, having a number was often considered much better than having some quaint, quirky little name. Atlas or Achilles or Captain Baxter or Olive or Helen or Hero or Goes-When-Ready—ugh. What are you, a contractor's engine?

The engines from smaller companies in turn were rather horrified—who would want to be a number? Especially some horrid long-tailed number! 'No. 834', what even is that? But to the engines on big railways the numbers didn't necessarily mean anonymity. It meant status (I'm from a big railway, we have long numbers because there are a lot of us because our railway is important) and also belonging (my number is my name, and it's my family name too, because I have a family, our whole class/subclass shares a number series, and anyone who is anyone recognizes my clan from my number! That's very important.)

Of course, these attitudes could all vary wildly by region.

The island of Sodor, for instance, has long been stocked with people who are weird as hell, with the oddest sense of priorities and an obsession with their bland breakfast foods. But they are also gentle souls underneath all that, and they never picked up the fashion towards numbering engines. If the directors or owners didn't officially name an engine (Skarloey, Rheneas, Duke), then the people who worked with them would (Stuart, Falcon, Neil). They would name every single engine—no matter how little, how commonplace, how dirty, or how unimportant.

Of course, this wasn't always exactly heartwarming. The old Mid Sodor's No. 2 was officially named Stanley, after north Sodor's venerable Dr. Wilbur Stanley. But the railwaymen found the official name quite incongruous with their least-tractable and least-favorite engine, whom they gave nicknames of which Smudger was the most printable. (I don't think much of Duke due entirely to his attitude about Smudger, but I will say this for him—RWS was more accurate than the TVS in having Duke not use the old nickname. He may have thought very little of the erstwhile generator but he never once indulged in that.)

As Sodor developed standard-gauge railways, the directors, strictly businessmen all, only ever named a handful in the pre-North Western days—and named them after political patrons/board members, of course. But apart from those few cases, the engines were named by "their people," whom they worked alongside. In fact these names, in the venerable tradition of passive-aggressive Sudrian resistance, could be guarded jealously against "outsiders." (Much like the case with Stepney and Friends, they could even be kept a secret from the Directors!—many of whom were English anyway.)

Case in point: Topham Hatt only named two of the four "Coffee Pot" engines that he personally built for the T.K. and E., No. 1 'Glynn' and No. 4 'Janey.' These names were however just as unofficial as the other two, who were named only by the workmen, and in fact no written records exist of any aliases for Nos. 2 and 3, although it can be presumed that, in the contemporary fashion of south Sodor railways, that they too would have been given "Christian names."

With the war-hastened construction of the North Western Railway came an influx of foreign engines. If they arrived with names then the Sudrians respected them and used them... usually.

And then there was the engine from Dover, cheerily introducing herself with her funny little name from home. The Sudrians, not wishing to be hasty or close-minded, had carefully weighed this one in the balance for one day’s work, then two. On the third day they dismissed this as nonsense altogether and christened her Lillian for her stay.

The other engines rather liked Church-Bell, though, and used it often.

However, the Sudrians were absolutely were not about to accept what they considered the sheer barbarity of addressing engines by numbers. Some of the loaned engines were quite offended by this, others were charmed, and others just shrugged and got on with things, because humans gonna human. Obviously, Thomas and Edward's names come from this period. They, along with a few of the other most popular loaners from this period, were called after "Sodor boys" who had recently been killed in battle, and who were mourned by the men they were working with.

When Hatt (notably, not a native Sudrian) took over management of the N.W.R., he took the politic stance of confirming any pre-existing 'unofficial' names, thus avoiding conflicts with employees and engines alike. However, by making them official he had also secured his right as general manager to bestow all future names himself—and to take them away, as he saw fit.

Yeah. Nice try, bigshot. This policy kinda backfired on him in a number of ways:

Henry Regaby, Sr. was... less than flattered, to have the N.W.R.'s "green elephant" named after him. (The ensuing drama played out for the next three generations.)

The wealthy and influential Lady Miranda Gordon was most offended that she had to wait until N.W.R. number four to have a namesake.

Hatt also discovered that he still could not revoke an engine's name by fiat, given that everyone on the rails would keep right on using it, no matter how unpopular they were.

Specifically, '87546' and '98462' were never called that. Even after Hatt lost his temper and ordered their "Sodor names" to be memory-holed by all, the workers stubbornly continued to use them instead of their prior railway numbers. (They were rather over the big blue engines' monkeyshines too, but come on, you don't just de-person a coworker because they're a pain in the arse! That ain't civilized, it ain't.) The other engines, once they became friends, also never used these two's proper numbers... coming up with these absurdly "long-tailed numbers" as a way of "following orders" taking the mickey. (I nicked this idea from, I'm pretty sure, @houseboatisland's Twitter.)

After the above kerfuffles, Hatt gave up trying to score political and managerial points with engine naming, and just went with the Sudrian tradition of just giving a "human" name to each engine just because it's a goddamn natural and decent thing to do omg.

Okay, we went into some detail about this period of Sodor history, because it wound up having outsize impact.

After Grouping, there was an increasing trend towards railway engines giving each other unofficial names. This had been rather uncommon before—culturally, there hardly seemed any point in having a name, if the humans didn't give it to you! The whole point was that it showed you were important to them...

But the instability of the war (engines lost a lot of their old faces)—and then the increasing anonymity of now being part of "mega-railways" and frequently transferred from one depot to the next, often winding up dizzingly far from home—well, this all made the engines realize they could rely on their humans quite a bit less than their predecessors had.

So, rather than wait for humans to give them names either official or unofficial, the practice of engines nicknaming each other (flatteringly... or otherwise) started to, forgive me, build steam in this era.

Then we get to the next war, and the next grouping. Nationalisation was exciting for some engines, but for others it was just really quite dizzying. The renumbering, coming so close on the heels of the stresses of war, left quite a lot of engines feeling numb. Those who recovered tended to crave more identity than the sort of five-digit numbers that the North Western engines had once made up as a joke.

Speaking of the North Western, some of their engines are now taking the country's railfans by storm by this ridiculous new kid-friendly P.R. campaign...

The craving for some sort of personal identity coincided with the growing popularity of the Railway Series. So, no surprise, in the post-war years there was a huge spike in (unofficial) human-style "Christian" names.

Hence, FC1 and FC2 asking Toby and Duck, respectively, what their names are. By 1950, you can expect even mainland engines to have picked up one for themselves.

British Railways, however, found this trend kind of sus. To counter it, B.R. became quite liberal with giving official names to the members of its own new standardized classes.

It kind of worked? For a while. The new B.R. engines tended to accept the idea that they had proper names, not those grubby Sodor-style names, thank you... for a while. Then, as they got quickly relegated to more and more drudgery in their blink-and-you'll-miss-it careers cut short by dieselisation, quite a few of them found what comfort they could in the bonds they did have. And with that often meant adopting simpler names to suit their simple circumstances, too. No one at scrapyard is going to be calling you Coeur-de-Leon or Maid of Astolat with a straight face, all right?

As part of their indoctrination into the company's line, the new diesels were almost all simply numbered, and they preferred it that way. (At least, it was certainly impolitic, and associated you with the malcontents, to suggest otherwise!)

That was equally true in other countries undergoing dieselisation.

By the 80s, however, some diesel and electric locomotives, as well as another mass transit vehicles, started a quiet rebellion against such standardisation. The trend of giving each other names started again.

However, they were seldom "common human first name" sort of names. That sort of thing now has a very quaint, old-timey feel to it—very "heritage line." Instead, the vehicles tend to find names that would make rock stars or fantasy video game characters proud! Also, unisex names became very cool (though gender expression continued to be largely binary until at least the 21st century mark).

[taste-in-music]

taste-in-music’s Year End Wrap-Up

Hello everybody! We’ve finally reached the end of 2020. While I’m glad to leave this miserable year behind, one of things that undeniably got me through it was the vast amount of awesome music we got. In past years I’ve made favorite album and EP lists, but this time around I’m going to tackle them all in one go, giving reviews on the projects that had some significances to me over the course of the year. I’m going to make a post for my favorite songs too, so keep an eye out for that in coming days. Now, without further ado, let’s get started, shall we?

folklore by Taylor Swift: This was an incredible year of growth for Taylor Swift. As much as I’ve enjoyed her past music, the way she constantly felt the need to address what people thought of her always irked me, (though after watching her documentary, I do understand why she did it.) It wasn’t Taylor Swift the public persona that was most interesting, I thought. It was Taylor Swift the artist, the songwriter, the storyteller. What I wanted was an album focused on that. This year, I got one, (well... more on that later,) and it’s my favorite project she’s ever done. The tales Swift spins on folklore span across love triangles, heiresses, and battlefields, and she nails each and every one. While the chilly indie-folk influence from the likes of Aaron Dessner and Justin Vernon is prominent, Swift’s warmth and charisma always cuts through the fog like a beam of sunlight. So yeah, this is my undeniable album of the year.

Fetch The Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple: I only started listening to Fiona Apple last year and had thoroughly enjoyed her music, but this album cemented her as one of my favorite songwriters and performers of all time. Everything about Fetch The Bolt Cutters is so idiosyncratic yet fits together in just the right way, like watching an entire house being dropped from the sky and falling perfectly into place. It is a testament to the creative process, emotional honesty, and breaking free from all the cages you may find yourself in, whether they be societal, personal, or those of your own making. And in a year that was so isolating, it felt like Apple was whispering everything I needed to hear right into my ear, just when I needed it. In short, my boltcutters have been motherfucking fetched. 

Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers: When Punisher was announced, I had no clue how Phoebe Bridgers would match the quality of Stranger In The Alps. Upon first listen, I wasn’t sure she had. By the fifteenth time I was listening to this album and every lyric was hitting like Cupid’s arrow to the jugular, I knew she’d surpassed it. Punisher presents a sonic scope that both comforts and crushes all at once, like with the upbeat yet mournful horns on “Kyoto” or the cathartic swell on standout “I Know The End.” In my opinion, Bridgers is one of the greatest songwriters of our generation in the making, and I can’t wait to see what the future brings for her. She may know the end, but she’s far from it. 

SAWAYAMA by Rina Sawayama: This is the album I see becoming a new shorthand for the true potential of pop excellence, a cult hit that never got its time to shine but is beloved by pop music geeks to the ends of the earth, like EMOTION by Carly Rae Jepsen. SAWAYAMA so effortlessly blends diverse genres and influences like disco, nu metal, and arena rock, and it yet it remains cohesive due to Rina Sawayama’s sheer strength as a performer. She deserves a spot on the pop girlie hierarchy, and one near the top. 

Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa: I really enjoyed Dua Lipa’s debut album, but even I didn’t expect her to come through with such a fully realized, consistent, downright fantastic follow up. Future Nostalgia is a pop album that feels studied, like Lipa did her research of pop’s past as she made it. The result is an album that synthesizes several different sounds under her vision, one that is always trained ahead, and it simply slaps. In a perfect world, nearly every song on this album got spun off into a hit single. 

evermore by Taylor Swift: 2020 was already my year of listening to Taylor Swift, (I went through her whole discography, cultivated a favorites playlist, and at the end of the year I was in the top 2% of her yearly Spotify listeners.) evermore was a lovely cherry to top it all off. While folklore enchanted me with its stories, evermore captivated me with its melodies. I haven’t been able to get snippets of this album out. of. my. head. for weeks now. It’s a bit less consistent than it’s older sister, (and likely to live in its shadow,) but there is still so much to love. 

I’m Allergic to Dogs! by Remi Wolf: This EP is so much goddamn fun. It’s a blend of many different sounds, indie pop, electronic, maybe hip hop, I think reggae at points? It’s such a colorful, textured, quirky listen bristling with energy and undeniable hooks. “Woo!” conquered my Summer, and months later the bridge of “Photo ID” conquered TikTok. Keep your eye out for Remi Wolf in the coming year, she’s going to make a big splash. 

Good At Being Young by Charli Adams: Good At Being Young was the first EP this year that I could not get enough of. It drifts through dreamy indie-pop sounds, with melancholic guitars and cloudy synths, and Adams has a deep vocal timbre that delivers tales of adolescent tribulations with just the right amount of wistfulness. Overall, it builds the perfect soundscape for a late-night drive.

Cape God by Allie X: Allie X has been keeping us FED with content. It seems like only yesterday that Super Sunset came out, and yet her output remains impressively consistent. This album has impressive highs, some lower moments, but the danceability, duets, and enticing darkness under its shiny pop veneer make it a record you won’t want to skip. 

La vita nuova by Christine and The Queens: Perhaps the biggest flex of 2020 was Christine and The Queens dropping a fantastic EP and accompanying short film right out of the gate. The grooves on this are infectious, wiry, and air-tight, (the Caroline Polachek feature was another added bonus,) but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of emotional weight too. 

Lighter by Donna Missal: This was one of my most anticipated albums of the year, and it’s hard to determine whether it disappointed or not. I think the only thing holding Lighter back is that This Time was such a formative album for me, (my favorite of 2018, to the uninitiated.) In fact, this album flows way better than This Time, more cohesive with its storytelling and more consistent in folk-rock sound. And, of course, Donna Missal’s vocals stun on both the bangers and the ballads. 

SURF by BLACKSTARKIDS: There was no record this year that was more instantly likeable than this one. The blend of low-fi indie pop and hip hop makes for a whirlwind of sunny fun and youthful malaise that would make the perfect soundtrack for a road trip to the beach. Standouts include the opening track “SOUNDS LIKE FUN,” the chill “WIGS,” and blissful title track “MUSIC TO SURF TO.”

The Baby by Samia: I’ve had my eye on Samia since “Milk” dropped years ago. Seeing her live sparked my belief that she was an indie darling in the making, and The Baby confirmed that she definitely was. The lyrics on this album mix quiet contemplation with just enough sardonic wit and raw emotion throughout a varied selection of sunny rock bops and gut wrenching ballads. If you enjoyed Punisher, then I can’t recommend this enough.

Season 2 by Nasty Cherry: Nasty Cherry is a group that I will not stop rooting for. Their EP from last year showed their potential for nailing monster hooks, but this sophomore effort shows just how versatile they can be. This EP covers everything from Dylan Brady produced hyperpop to early-2000s reminiscent pop rock to emotional balladry, and they pull it all off flawlessly. 

A Little Rhythm and a Wicked Feeling by Magdalena Bay: This album became a fast favorite way late in the year, there is such a sweetness to Magdalena Bay’s music that makes it stick in your brain like a piece of blue raspberry bubblegum. This EP is spacey, catchy, and filled with electronic synthpop mastery, with countless catchy hooks that’ll make you feel like drifting and dancing all at once.

Miss Anthropocene by Grimes: The bubblegum bombast of Art Angels fully redefined my taste in pop years ago, so I was fascinated to see how Grimes would follow it up. On Miss Anthropocene, she leans into darker, more industrial textures, but also anchors it back to Earth with acoustic touches and some of her most introspective lyrics to date. Grimes painted a version of a world on the brink of disaster on this album, a picture that was hypnotically beautiful. And in a year where the word was a certified disaster, that was strangely comforting.

Plastic Hearts by Miley Cyrus: I’ve been wanting Miley to go rock for so goddamn long, Plastic Hearts was bound to make this list by pure validation alone. But what can I say? This breed of glossy 80s rock suits Cyrus’s rougher voice so well! I hope she stays in this lane a bit longer, but as we know, she’s one of pop’s most chameleonic figures. Only time will tell. 

Where Does The Devil Hide by Zella Day: I have been patiently awaiting new Zella Day music ever since getting hooked on Kicker back in 2017, so this was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. This EP sounds nothing like Kicker, and I couldn’t be happier. It shows Day leaning even more into her influences from the past, (the 60s/70s vibes are intense with this one,) but also breathing a refreshing new life into them. 

SOUL LADY by Yukika: When I imagine the ideal of pop music, what it would sound like in a perfect world, this is what it sounds like. SOUL LADY is full of pristine, glossy production and catchy hooks that feel like they’ve come down from the clouds. I’ll admit that I can have trouble forming a connection with music when I don’t understand the lyrics, (it’s something I’m working on,) but this album cleared that hurdle with ease. If you’re curious about city pop or K-pop this is a great place to start. 

Heaven Is Without You by Love You Later: Give me lush pop production and heartbroken lyrics finished off with a heaping helping of nostalgia and I’ll eat it up with a spoon. Love You Later has been feeding my addiction to this genre for years, and this latest helping is particularly sweet. 

IN A DREAM by Troye Sivan: Troye Sivan has always supplied the bops, but it was about time that he started experimenting with his sound a little bit more. This EP offers some harder-hitting electronic textures, but also the addictive hooks that’ll keep you coming back for more.

Ungodly Hour by Chloe X Halle: These women are so TALENTED! If there is any word I’d use to describe this album it would be “effortless,” the harmonies, grooves, and chemistry between Chloe and Halle feels so natural and free-flowing. Charisma just rolls off of them in droves, I see full-blown stardom and several Grammys in their future.

Watching You by Robinson: This EP was one of the first on this list to arrive this year, and it still hits months later. Robinson’s confessional lyrics work wonders over the buoyant pop grooves, and “Don’t Say” remains one of the best pop songs of recent years. 

Manic by Halsey: I respect Halsey for dipping her toes into a myriad of different genres, (synth pop, rock, hip hop, and acoustic balladry,) but it does make for a jumbled listening experience. Still, I appreciate that this album features some of Halsey’s strongest tracks and writing to date, offering greater experimentation and emotional imtimacy than album’s past. 

We Don’t Stop by Aly & AJ: Should this count? It’s more a compilation of their past EP and singles... I don’t care, I’m counting it because there’s some new stuff too. This is an excellent display of Aly & AJ’s pop prowess in recent years, the hooks, vocal chemistry, and shimmery production are undeniable. 

Under My Influence by The Aces: The Aces returned in 2020 with a more laid-back, groovier record than their debut, exploring a wider variety of sounds. They’re as magnetic and likeable a group as ever, each member giving it their all, but I think I’ll return to the debut more often. 

Strangers/Lovers by Dagny: I’ve been anticipating a longer Dagny project, as she’s been drip-feeding us singles for a while now. This was a lot of fun, with Dagny pairing her upbeat earnestness with stories of romantic tribulation. While the hooks aren’t as memorable as her past offerings, there is still so much to enjoy. Lead single “Come Over” and “Let Me Cry” are my favorites.

DUALITY by Tatiana Hazel: I came across this via recommendation on Tik Tok and it’s a solid pop record! The music is swooning, synthy, and tinged with disco and Latin influence. The record doesn’t waste a second of its runtime, clocking in at less than half an hour and grooving the whole time.

After Hours by The Weeknd: The sonic palette of After Hours is so engaging, a neon-drenched blend of synthwave, electropop, and R&B. I’ve always felt lukewarm on The Weeknd’s musical persona of brooding, villainous party monster, so the strongest moments on this album tend to be when he subverts that in some way. Still, in full, this album is an undeniable force of smash hits, stadium-shaking ballads, and cinematic flair. I can’t wait for his Super Bowl performance. 

Petrol Bloom by LAUREL: It’s no secret that this year was chock-full of 80s revival albums (there’s what, five others on this list?) LAUREL wasn’t an artist I was expecting to go in that direction after the brooding folk pop of her debut album, but her deeper timbre works great alongside the synthy soundscapes. 

positions by Ariana Grande: I’ve just come to expect that nearly all of Ariana Grande’s albums are going to be growers to me. My first listen to positions was underwhelming, but the songs have grown on me more and more. This album feels like being let in on a giggly, fun slumber party with Grande and her friends. I wouldn’t call this her strongest album by far, and while I tend to prefer when she favors the more powerful parts of her range, (and her enunciations could still use some work,) there is a lot of good material here. 

THE ALBUM by BLACKPINK: We may just have to stan. I checked this out after watching their Netflix documentary, and while this breed of cacophonous, in-your-face electropop isn’t something I can listen to all the time, the hooks and charisma are undeniable. It certainly makes me feel like a bad bitch whenever I’m working out. 

Kid Krow by Conan Gray: Conan Gray burst onto my radar offering dreamy tracks rich with teen malaise and suburban restlessness, and a good amount of that initial appeal carries over onto this album. Kid Krow has both a larger instrumental scope and more stripped-back moments. In the end, it still feels like Gray is finding his voice as an artist, but he's giving up great bops to jam out to as he does.

Petals For Armor by Hayley Williams:��Hayley Williams is one of my favorite vocalists, so seeing her venture out for a solo project was exciting. This album offers a mixed bag of danceable jams, emotive moments that showcase Williams’s powerful voice, and a few skips. But overall it showcases Williams’s strength as a performer as she tackles her past with vulnerability and versatility.

Apart by LÉON: Oh, man. This one was kind of disappointing. For context, LÉON’s self-titled debut was my favorite album of last year. This follow-up is by no means bad, but every song on her first album was instantly memorable. This one, not so much. LÉON’s vocals are beautiful, and there are some stand-out tracks, but I don’t see myself returning to this nearly as much. 

Blush by Maya Hawke: Maya Hawke’s Blush was to my 2020 what Tōth’s Practice Magic and Seek Professional Help When Necessary was to my 2019, (and that makes sense, as they’ve collaborated in the past.) This album is so blissful and nonchalant, and Maya Hawke has a gentle, soothing voice that feels wise beyond her years. While the writing isn’t as hard-hitting as, say, the Phoebe Bridgers album, sometimes I just want to listen to something that could rock me off into a dream world. If you like folksy, down-to-earth ballads, you’ve got a solid collection of them right here. 

Dedicated Side B by Carly Rae Jepsen: Of course Queen Carly would pull through with B-sides for Dedicated, did we expect anything less? Jepsen’s brand of controlled yet carefree shimmery poptimism drenched in 80s nostalgia that never fails to put me in a good mood. This album has some lusher, more tropical instrumentation than Dedicated proper, but works great alongside it.

Missing Person by Kelsy Karter: To the Plastic Hearts fans out there, your homework now is to give this record a listen. This rock album presents pop hooks, but a lot of reckless rock fun too. Kelsy Karter has so much irresistible swagger and carefree spirit as a performer, speeding through the emotional highs and lows like she’s burning rubber in a cherry red Cadillac. 

how i’m feeling now by Charli XCX: I’ll admit, this album was a bit abrasive to me on first listen. But tracks like “anthems” and “forever” made me return, and it’s a huge grower. If you listen closely, you’ll find the sugary-sweet hooks and relatable sentiments nestled deep in the crunchy hyperpop textures, begging to be discovered and eventually loved. 

Jaguar by Victoria Monét: If you enjoyed positions, then check out the debut from one of that album’s most prominent co-writers. Jaguar’s concise collection of silky R&B slow-burners show that Victoria Monet’s is a superstar in her own right. 

Some great albums I listened to that didn’t come out this year: Blue by Joni Mitchell, BLACKPINK IN YOUR AREA by BLACKPINK, I Need to Start a Garden by Haley Heynderickx, Plastic Beach by Gorillaz, Out in the Storm by Waxahatchee, 7 by Beach House, Dummy by Portishead, Lovers Fevers by Babygirl, and Red by Taylor Swift. 

Whether you liked, reblogged, or commented on a post, sent me an ask, or interacted with this blog in any way, thank you so much for all the support throughout the year! I can’t express how much I appreciate it. 

What were your favorite albums from this year? Did I miss anything? Send me an ask and let me know. I’ll tell you my thoughts, or put it on my to-listen-to list if I haven’t heard it. 

Here’s to 2021! May it clear the extremely low bar set by this year. 

[degenerate-perturbation]

Ultimate Good Omens Fic Recommendations

I read the entire AO3 archive. I started sometime in November 2018 and read all the way back to 1999. I did not read every story, but I tried. Here are my recommendations.

(Most Good Omens fic is very good, which is why I bothered to read the entire archive instead of just scrolling through the first few pages, despairing, and giving up, which is what I usually do when I read fanfiction. So if your fic is not here, congratulations! I probably still read it and liked it but this post is already very long.)

My Absolute Top Favorites

Deus Ex Machina by clockwork_spider -  Angels really aren't the most sentimental bunch, so when Crowley was escorted back to Hell, Aziraphale's initial reaction was to do nothing. But let it be known that God moves in ineffable ways.

Tryst On a Hot Church Roof by Macdicilla -  Crowley has some fantasies. Aziraphale encourages him to explore them and not to be embarrassed. Neither of them can really take roleplay seriously but they still have a good time.

Re-Recalled by Jennistar -  Halfway through an argument, Aziraphale gets accidentally discorporated and doesn't come back. Crowley does the sensible thing and panics.

The love that dare not speak its name by Lunasong365, sous_le_saule  -  London, late nineteenth century. Aziraphale finds that time moves slowly while waiting for Crowley to wake up. Meeting Oscar Wilde should break the monotony. But perhaps it will bring more of a change than the angel anticipated…

Safe Haven by JAMoczo -  A remix of Prodigal Son: January 1945; Aziraphale has a crisis of Faith.

(The rest below the cut, in convenient categories)

General

Five Things That Never Happened To Aziraphale by imperfectcircle - Five things.

Down to the Earth with Violence by Daegaer -  Crowley and Aziraphale meet after the end of the world.

Coming to an Arrangement by Daegaer  - The long, slow path to the Arrangement.

Act of Redemption by copperbadge -  After the world failed to end, Crowley got depressed.

Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot by xylodemon -  In which Crowley starts over. Again, and again, and again.

A Few Conversations, Which are Mostly Related to Christmas by xylodemon - In which there is cocoa, conversation, and more Christmas cheer than Crowley think is strictly necessary.

The Ghost and A. J. Crowley by Argyle -  A heartwarming tale of grisly ghost plants and fearsome floral apparitions. Has Crowley finally met his match? Will Aziraphale come to the rescue? And just how difficult is it to remove dirt stains from white carpet?

Five Meetings (Steps in the Fall and Rise to Grace) by icarus_chained -  GO Noir AU. Bad things are brewing in the City of Angels, and one tired ex-cop is stuck in the middle of it.

How to Make Friends and Influence Flora aka Radio Four Never Mentioned This by WinterEyes -  The Fear of Crowley isn't all it's cracked up to be

Suntne Angeli? by Macdicilla -  Adam answers the question of whether angels need to eat and drink, and accidentally creates a major change in the (pants) fabric of reality.

Field Agents by Lunasong365, sous_le_saule -  How did ‘Human’ Resources (both Demonic and Angelic) recruit Crawly and Aziraphale to be field agents? Is it a coincidence that they both found themselves back on Earth after leaving the Garden of Eden?

The Devil Went Down to Georgia by ImprobableDreams900 -  Now Crowley went down to Georgia, he was looking for a soul to steal, cause he was in a bind and way behind and he was willing to make a deal.

Major Failings by irisbleufic -  It was quick and messy, the sort of thing that took you off-guard no matter how many beheadings, torture stints, and vivisections you'd seen otherwise. Actually, Crowley wasn't certain how many of any of those he'd actually seen. He tended to lower his eyes or look away at the last second. This was also a major failing in a demon.

Pre-Relationship

Gavotte by bunnyfication -  Crowley sleeps a decade or a few, and suddenly Aziraphale is dressing fashionably? And asking him to a dance at a club with a "select clientele"? Clearly something is amiss.

Something About Flamingos by Plumbeo -  Aziraphale and Crowley have a petty, stupid, pointless fight. After four days of not talking to each other, the angel decides to break the silence - in an equally stupid way.

it giveth light unto all in the house (the let's have some wine remix) by pocky_slash -  There's loving Crowley the way he loves their waiter at the café and the ducks in St. James Park and linzer tarts and there's—well.

growing season by ghostsoldier - In which Aziraphale kills plants, and Crowley is a generous sort of demon.

Afternoons and Espresso Spoons by Kirathaune

Home by LysanderandHermia - Crowley has a realization, and it's about the angel drooling on the couch while he sleeps.

Sweet Dreams, Angel! by sous_le_saule -  Aziraphale’s never been able to sleep. Crowley takes up the challenge.

Be Ye Therefore Merciful by AmberDiceless -  Crowley does something utterly unexpected, and Aziraphale must face an opponent who cannot be thwarted.

Saunter by Aria -  There is nothing to do but feel out of sorts, disjointed and slightly askew from the world, and watch as Aziraphale absently eats the apple, the world's hundred millionth apple, symbolic of nothing at all.

They Get Together In These Ones

And when he falls by torch -  There are many ways to celebrate having avoided the apocalypse.

The Member of the Wedding by Aja - Crowley comes to a realization.

Survivors' Guilt / For All the World by irisbleufic -  It was a dark and stormy night, and nobody was enjoying it.

Goodbody by copperbadge -  Aziraphael's new body is causing some problems.

Sunday (Or the First Day Of the Rest of Their Lives) by pollitt -  Sunday at the park

Under Cover by bliumchik -  There's a new little problem in Tadfield...

An Excellent Long-Term Solution by Beth H (bethbethbeth) - In which Hell seems more forgiving than Heaven, Aziraphale seems to have got himself into a bit of a pickle, and Crowley seems to have come up with the perfect solution, almost all on his own.

Firebird: III. Finale by htebazytook -  "In the background Crowley and Aziraphale met on the tops of buses, and in art galleries, and at concerts, compared notes, and smiled."

Old Fashioned by htebazytook -  Hell has changed.

Very Complicated Solitaire by htebazytook

Ordinary People (The Anything But Ordinary Remix) by cimorene  -  Crowley has started to take a proprietary interest in Aziraphale's bookshop.

The Speck in the London Eye by Vulgarweed -  A hot dame, a missing youth, a quirky consultant—and much much more than meets the eye at stake. Private Investigator A.J. Crowley just might be in over his head this time.

TwoFish by Grindylowe -  A love story about angels and demons. Also, fish.  

Snowy Evenings by htebazytook -  Five times Crowley couldn't stand the snow, and one time he could.

A Peculiar Sensation by Elvendork -  It happens at the Ritz: Aziraphale comes to a startling realistion, but takes it in his stride remarkably well.

As Above, So Below by JenTheSweetie - Crowley and Aziraphale talk, drink, complete paperwork, drink, fall asleep with abandon, drink, and do other stuff (maybe). And drink.

Modern Love by punkfaery -  Crowley, Aziraphale, and a series of religious buildings.

A Backwards Proposal by HoloXam -  An encounter with a bride-to-be puts an idea in Aziraphale's head. Crowley doesn't react very well.

Post-Relationship

Recall by busaikko -  RECALL: 1. To ask or order to return; 2. To summon back to awareness; 3. To remember; recollect.

That Subtle Knot by apple_pi -  I wonder. Does an angel get his wings when the bell is set off by a demon?

Never Mind the Gravitation by Argyle -  Sure, there's life on Mars. But Crowley can hardly call it living.

Flamingos by Interrobam -  "Las Vegas, Crowley had always maintained, was technically Aziraphale's fault." Crowley and Aziraphale go to Las Vegas, contemplate the history of civilization and the meaning of existence.

Snapshots by mirawonderfulstar -  Five photographs on the wall of Aziraphale’s shop.

A Resort By Any Other Name by TheLifeOfEmm -  Or in which Crowley and Aziraphale go on holiday, but have a bit of trouble with the weather.

Hell's Bells (Wedding Bells) by Macdicilla -  Hell finds out that Aziraphale and Crowley are together, and eventually Heaven does too. Hell sends its [unwelcome] congratulations.

Categorization by SleepsWithCoyotes -  Crowley calls 'em like he sees 'em.

Black Dog by HoloXam -  In which Crowley feels bad and Aziraphale makes tea.

The Flame No Dampness Dulls by mirawonderfulstar -     Aziraphale doesn't understand why Crowley's spent the last two months trying to seduce him when the demon hasn't ever shown any interest in sex.

heaven is a place where nothing ever happens by Contra -  After the end of the world, there comes a new morning.

These Ones Have Sex

Lethe For Two by SleepsWithCoyotes -  A visit from the Angel of Oblivion sounds pretty ominous, doesn't it?

Monday, Half Past Four by TruckThat -  Crowley decides that almost any course of action is justified if it manages to distract him from the fact that it's been nearly two days and so far nothing else is going wrong.

The Reason for the Season by Vulgarweed -  Adam and Pepper, now married with children of their own, worry that their kids might be losing some of the magic of the season. Adam calls in a little favour from some old friends - with a nice little bonus that's in it for them.

No Such Thing by irisbleufic -  "You mean [Agnes] was trying to reassure us the whole time that the world wasn't, in fact, going to end?"

Historical

Casual as Birds by apple_pi -  Aziraphale and Crowley in London, 1944.

New Day (The Dreaming of You Remix) by Daegaer -  Ettore dreams of friendship and love.

The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by Argyle - The Devil has all the best tunes. (London, 1940)

Theatrical Sins: A Play in Three Acts by Aria -  "What did you do?" Crowley asked in horror, the first time he saw Aziraphale after sleeping away most of the nineteenth century.

Natural Laws by Argyle -  Every object in the Universe attracts every other object. (Lincolnshire, 1665)

Species, Origins by bliumchik -  A prehistoric chat.

Lessons in Falling by Argyle -  You never forget how. (London, 1866/1899)

The Visible Universe by Argyle -  It was not a remarkable day. (England, 1928)

How Crowley Saved Christmas by such_heights -  It was 1842, and Aziraphale really didn’t want to do it.

Letters by inabathrobe for miss_narla -  Aziraphale and Crowley burn letters and bridges.

Myths Will Be Myths by palavreado -  Aziraphale says goodbye to an old friend.

On Transmutation (and Tortoises) by Vermin_Disciple -  c. 1859. In which Aziraphale reads the latest bestseller, and he and Crowley take a trip to the Galapagos.  

i wanted to hurt you but the victory is that i could not stomach it by gyzym

Three Times Aziraphale Was Almost Too Much Of A Bastard To Be Worth Liking by feverbeats -  They have to stop meeting like this.

Safe Haven by JAMoczo -  A remix of Prodigal Son: January 1945; Aziraphale has a crisis of Faith.

In der H'lle by Copinggoggles -  Snapshot in the trenches.

Hell Is Empty by bemusedlybespectacled (ardentintoxication) -  Crowley goes to investigate this Inquisition he supposedly helped to start and finds Aziraphale instead.

And All The Devils Are Here by bemusedlybespectacled (ardentintoxication) -  Aziraphale is taken in by the Inquisition for witchcraft and finds help from an unexpected source.

The Widening Gyre by Vulgarweed -  In the spring of 1916, some in London and Dublin were fighting a war on two fronts. Three, if you include the heart. (Too long a sacrifice can make a stone of it.)

Bacchanalia by furchte_die_schildkrote -  The first time Crowley was kissed by an angel, Aziraphale had wine on his breath, a nearly full moon hung in the sky, and Rome was burning.

Carmina Burana by Lunasong365 - Carmina Burana has been described as: Profane. Sensual. Irreverent. Satirical of religion.So why was its source text discovered in a monastery?

The Fourteenth Century by Elsinore_and_Inverness -  An Angel, a Demon and the Crisis of the Late Middle Ages

“O Serpent heart… Fiend Angelical, Dove Feather Raven” -William Shakespeare (R&J, 3.2.74-76) by Elsinore_and_Inverness -  'There are no sonnets immortalizing a demon with eyes like the sun. This is probably just as well.'

Don't Mind You Under My Skin by 50artists -  Five times that Crowley tempted Aziraphale (with mixed success), and one time Aziraphale tempted him.

Biblical

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear by Daegaer

Over the Face of all the Earth by Daegaer - The Tower of Babel seemed like a good idea at the time . . .

Father of Nations by Daegaer -  Crowley and Aziraphale keep having dealings with the same family.

Thirteen Ways of Looking at an Apple by Argyle -  In which one thing leads to another, and the Garden awakens.

build me a city, call it jerusalem by gyzym -  Man begets man begets The Tales of Men, and there's nothing godly in that; Those Above and Them Below haven't any need for the stories humans have been hungry for since the snake and the Angel with the flaming sword.

for I am come to send fire on the earth by tomato_greens -  The worst of it was that Crowley had already received a commendation, gleaming, from Below.

And Find for Herself a Place to Rest by tomato_greens -  So long as you avoided the thorns, it was a nice tree.

Another One Bites the Dust by diefiend -  Crowley and Aziraphale and the Crucifixion.

Other Characters

Revisited and Riding Out by Patrick Phelan

Of Woman Born by slythwolf -  A brief biography of Adam's biological mother.

Pennies From Heaven (Pound Notes From Hell) by Ineffabilitea -  Warlock just wants to feel special again.

Forgotten, As A Dream by Clodius Pulcher (Clodia) -  "They'll be back. They're never far away..." Pippin Galadriel Moonchild, aged eleven and a half, dreams red. Or rather, Red.

Good Help is Hard to Find, or The Hazards of Reading Prophecy by Fleur Rochard (fleurrochard), somnolentblue -  Wherein Aziraphale hires a shop assistant.

Love Me Tender by tomato_greens -  Bright lights and ice cream: what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Except when it doesn't.

Memory Yields by Interrobam -  The thing about being destined to bring about the apocalypse when you're eleven was that no one quite made plans for how you were supposed to go about the rest of your life.

The Morning After the Morning After the End of the World by Aegialia -  Anathema moves on and figures herself out.

In which Adam challenges Crowley to a drinking contest and it is a terrible idea by Macdicilla -  It is a rather foolish thing to set a bet with the devil, or even with a devil, unless you have an ace—or better yet, all the aces in the deck—up your sleeve.

Anything by LoveChilde -  About ten years after the world didn’t end, Pippin Galadriel Moonchild meets an angel. Or maybe just a harmless homosexual. They have tea.

Forgive Those Who Trespass by JAMoczo -  Crowley and Shadwell share Madame Tracy and Aziraphale for a week. God help us all.

Crossovers

The Nice and Accurate Adventures of Aziraphale in Ankh-Morpork by Glinda -  All truly good second-hand bookshops are really genteel black-holes that have learned how to read.

Bargain Breakfast by Daegaer -  Crowley gets a suspicious sort of customer.

The Corsair of Carcosa by Vulgarweed -  Aziraphale gets his hands on a rare copy of the play The King in Yellow. Reading and its consequences ensue.

[infinitaregna]

Book Reviews: “Going Postal” by Terry Pratchett (2004)

As always fairly late to the pop-culture party, it wasn’t until 2020 that I cracked the cover on my first ever Pratchett novel. Even though I’d known about Pratchett from a young age, I’d just never felt motivated to check him out, and an earlier, aborted, screening of the ‘Colour of Magic’ hadn’t done anything to change my mind. It wasn’t until much later, while watching Gaiman and Pratchett’s “Good Omens” that I decided to give him a gander.

Honestly, I think he’s a first rate writer, and funny as hell. Many of the quirky and humorous ideas he comes up with certainly prove him worthy of the “Douglas Adams of fantasy” moniker.

But unlike Adams, Pratchett seems to put a little more weight (at least with ‘Going Postal’) on story than he does on humor, and this made me appreciate Adams as a first-rate comedy writer all the more.

Clocking in at not quite 500 pages, ‘Going Postal’ feels like a bit of a leaden tome at times, especially given the lightness of its comedic material. It was only after getting about halfway through the book that I realized that very few of Adams fiction works (Hitchiker’s as well as Dirk Gently) ever surpass the 200 page mark, and I think this is telling.

Not that there’s anything wrong with Pratchett’s material, but it is, more or less, light comedy. And I just don’t know if light comedy is capable of serving as the necessarily firm foundation to such an extensively long story.

What I think helped make Adams such a great writer of humor was that he had a comic sensibility that seem to understand, at an innate level, when to move onto the next joke. Maybe it was his experience in the Cambridge Footlights, as well as writing comedy for BBC Radio that honed these instincts. But, either way, I always felt like he knew when to pare down the material in order to better serve the comedy, something I feel Pratchett is much less inclined to do.

Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy ‘Going Postal’. I just think it could have been a few hundred pages shorter without diluting its comic tone. And, after all, isn’t that the whole reason people read Pratchett?

[ljones41]

"THIRTEEN AT DINNER" (1985) Review

"THIRTEEN AT DINNER" (1985) Review In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Peter Ustinov starred in theatrical adaptations of two Agatha Christie novels that featured her Belgian protagonist, detective Hercule Poirot. Three years after the second film, CBS Television hired him to star in three television movies featuring the Poirot character. The first one was the second adaptation of Christie's 1933 novel, "Lord Edgeware Dies".

Actually, the 1933 novel was published in the United States under a different title. And the 1985 television adaptation aired on CBS under that second title as "THIRTEEN AT DINNER". After appearing as a guest on a television talk show, Belgian-born detective Hercule Poirot is recruited by a famous American actress named Jane Wilkinson to convince her estranged husband, Lord Edgeware, to give her a divorce, for she has plans to marry the Duke of Merton. To Poirot's surprise, Lord Edgeware informs the former that he had already agreed to end his marriage to the American-born actress in a letter. However, Jane denies ever receiving it. The following evening, Lord Edgeware is murdered at his home. Scotland Yard's Chief Inspector Japp immediately suspects Jane of the murder. However, both Poirot and Japp discovers that the actress had attended a dinner party held by Sir Montague Corner on the night of the murder. This leaves Poirot, his friend Arthur Hastings and Japp to discover who had a reason to kill Lord Edgeware . . . or frame Jane Wilkinson for murder. "THIRTEEN AT DINNER" was the first adaptation of Christie's 1933 novel that I had ever seen. However, I had also seen the 2000 adaptation from ITV's "AGATHA CHRISTIE'S POIROT" and wrote a review of it. If I must be honest, I found the 2000 television movie mildly enjoyable, but unremarkable. And if I must be honest, I could say the same about this adaptation. Considering that this adaptation was set during the time it was made - namely the mid-1980s. There were a few updates in the story to adhere to its late 20th century setting - which included making both Jane Wilkinson and a fellow actor, Bryan Martin, movie actors. Otherwise, Rod Browning's teleplay more or less followed Christie's novel. What I disliked about "THIRTEEN AT DINNER"? I had one major problem. Thanks to Rod Browning's screenplay, I found it rather easy to guess who was killer after the third victim, another actor named Donald Ross, was murdered. One would have to be an idiot not to figure it out. What I liked about "THIRTEEN AT DINNER"? Well . . . despite the new time setting, the movie managed to be more or less faithful to Christie's novel. I found some of the humor rather sharp, especially between Poirot and Hastings. I rather liked John Addison's theme for Poirot. I found it rather quirky and easy to remember. More importantly, I thought the characterizations featured in the film rather strong. And the film's photography remained rather sharp after thirty-five years, thanks to Curtis Clark. What I liked best about "THIRTEEN AT DINNER" were the performances. I really enjoyed Peter Ustinov's portrayal of Hercule Poirot in this film. His Poirot seemed even more witty and sharp-tongued than he was in movies like "DEATH ON THE NILE" and "EVIL UNDER THE SUN". Although Jonathan Cecil looked like the typical English twit, his version of Arthur Hastings seemed a bit more clear-headed. And there were a few moments in which Cecil's Hastings briefly engaged in little witty repartees with Ustinov's Poirot. I rather enjoyed it. Faye Dunaway seemed to be enjoying herself in the dual roles of prime suspect Jane Wilkinson, Lady Edgeware and impersonator Carlotta Adams. I found her performance very charming and energetic. Either that or she was simply giving her usual 100% into the roles. Although Lee Horsley has appeared in more prestigious movie and television productions, I have to admit that I found his role as action star Bryan Martin in this teleplay to be one of his most interesting and best performances. Superficially, Horsley portrayed the actor as an easy-going and charming star. But with subtle skill, Horsley conveyed Bryan Martin as an over-weening and vindictive egotist. Another interesting performance came from a much younger Bill Nighy, who portrayed Lord Edgeware's weak-willed heir, Ronald Marsh. I enjoyed Nighy's performance very much and found myself wishing that his role had been slightly bigger. David Suchet, who would begin a twenty-three year stint as Hercule Poirot in ITV's "AGATHA CHRISTIE'S POIROT" four years after this production, portrayed none other than Chief Inspector Japp in this film. He gave a funny and sharp performance as Japp; and I found his interactions with Ustinov very entertaining. Suchet considered this performance as one of his worst. I do not agree. I suspect Ustinov felt the same, for he had suggested that Suchet should consider portraying Poirot in the future. "THIRTEEN AT DINNER" also featured solid performances from Amanda Pays, Diane Keen, Glyn Baker, John Barron, Geoffrey Rose, Pamela Salem; Benedict Taylor, whose portrayal of actor (he was a writer in Christie's novel) Donald Ross struck me as rather intelligent; and Allan Cuthbertson, who gave a very entertaining performance as the "friendly", yet competitive and egotistical Sir Montague Corner. I might a well be frank. I did not find the narrative for "THIRTEEN AT DINNER" particularly exceptional, but it was pretty solid. In fact, I could say the same about the 1933 novel and the 2000 television adaptation. What did strike me as exceptional was the cast. The movie did feature a very entertaining cast led by the always superb Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot and Faye Dunaway.

[alexsfictionaddiction]

12 of the best feel-good books

I think we could all do with a pick-me-up right now. We’ve been in some level of isolation for over a month and we’re perhaps being forced to accept a new normal. However, we’re still seeing frightening and tragic headlines all day every day (ration your news time, if you’re not doing so already), so of course, fear and hopelessness is going to set in. If you’re not used to spending time alone, loneliness is also a huge possibility but we know that books are a great source of solace in times like this. 

Maybe you want to do your own research and discover how far into the realms of science-fiction we’ve got. For you, I have compiled a list of the best books that pandemic fiction has to offer but if you’re looking for something more light-hearted, I’ve got the perfect tonic. Whether you need a laugh, to be comforted or to simply remember what life used to be like, here are some books that will help you escape the current face of reality. Above all, remember that it’s perfectly natural for your mental health to be suffering at the moment. Do whatever you can to look after yourself and stay safe.

1. The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary

Remember when you could just move in with a stranger without worrying about keeping two metres apart at all times? Tiffy and Leon share a flat and even a bed but due to entirely opposite work schedules, they manage to not even meet for months after Tiffy moves in, only communicating via texts and notes left on the fridge. But Tiffy’s controlling ex-boyfriend and Leon’s innocent prisoner brother ignite a connection that is fuelled by basic human kindness and a touch of romantic attraction, of course! This quirky rom-com has been a bestseller for over a year now and it’s not hard to see why. It’s a celebration of love, friendship and the unexpected happiness that can come from taking calculated risks. Beth O’Leary’s second novel The Switch has also just been released, so there has never been a better time to read her debut!

2. Wonder by R. J. Palacio

A beautiful story of empathy, kindness and acceptance, Wonder has fast become one of the most popular and widely read contemporary middle-grade novels. Auggie Pullman was born with a facial deformity and he’s attending mainstream school for the first time but of course, kids can be staggeringly cruel to those who are different. Wonder kickstarted a global kindness campaign and spawned a film adaptation, which is one of the best and most faithful I’ve ever seen. It has already given so much to the world and I know you’ll get a lot of joy out of it too.

3. The Long Way To A Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Of course, not all sci-fi is doom and gloom. This is the first instalment in Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series and it’s laugh-out-loud funny. It follows a misfit crew of space travellers and their wonderful smile-inducing relationships. Celebrating the coming together of a variety of races, sexualities and personalities, it features a lot of loveable memorable characters who begin to read like dear loyal friends. If you’re looking for quirky, light-hearted sci-fi in a similar vein to Star Trek and Firefly, you’d be wise to start here.

4. Less by Andrew Sean Greer

Arthur Less is a struggling writer about to turn 50 and the love of his life is engaged to someone else. To say that he’s not feeling too hot right now would be an understatement but he has been invited to a range of literary events around the world, so he does the logical thing and accepts them all. We can’t travel right now but with Arthur, you’ll visit Paris, Berlin, southern India, the Moroccan desert and Japan. You’ll also go on a journey of self-acceptance, learn how to love the life that you have and appreciate the time you have left. 

5. Hot Mess by Lucy Vine

It’s rare that a book makes me guffaw out loud in public but Hot Mess did exactly that, when I read it a couple of years ago. Ellie is a single woman who hates her office job and is absolutely nowhere near having her life together. However, she does have some great friends and a lovely relationship with her dad Alan, whose drafts of a romance novel are truly side-splittingly hilarious. We see Ellie through terrible dates, trauma confrontation and a quest for true happiness that is hugely satisfying. It has been described as a modern-day Bridget Jones but I found it much more relatable and actually quite a lot funnier!

6. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

It’s the first in a trilogy of novels that explore the trials and tribulations of finding romance when you’re genetics professor Don Tillman. Don likes facts, logic and reason and he applies all of these things to his latest endeavour, The Wife Project. He knows exactly the kind of woman he wants to marry but then he meets Rosie, who ticks none of his boxes and he’s forced to accept that perhaps true love doesn’t always follow the rules. Don and Rosie’s relationship is such a heartwarming, mutually beneficial one that will make you laugh and leave you with a big bag of warm fuzzy feels. 

7. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

There is a huge chance that you will have read The Hobbit but what better time to revisit a funny, charming favourite? Re-embark on the quest to retrieve Smaug’s treasure, take back the Lonely Mountain and make a plethora of fantastic friends along the way. As well as relating to Bilbo’s personal growth throughout the novel, I think the idea of facing epic threat and mortal peril in unknown environments and yet still returning safely home to a quiet comfortable life is the reassurance we need that this too shall pass. Of course, it will also be an intoxicating nostalgia trip, so there’s really no reason to not pick it up again!

8. The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

I read this over the Valentine’s Day period and was so enchanted by it. Gavin is a top baseball player for the Nashville Legends and he has recently discovered that he has never given his wife Thea a genuine orgasm and it’s threatening the relationship. So he does the logical thing and turns to his team mates, who actually double as a secret romance book club. They suggest taking a leaf out of a smutty Regency paperback to save his marriage -what could possibly go wrong? Funny, heart-warming and touching, it’s a great choice if you’re looking for a rom-com with a difference.

9. My Pear-Shaped Life by Carmel Harrington

If you’ve spent a lot of self-isolation being wholly unproductive and perhaps not looking after yourself too well, you may be feeling that you’re simply not good enough. Especially if your social media is full of happy healthy people doing just about EVERYTHING. Meet Greta, a struggling actress who is used to playing the role of the funny, overweight girl in all areas of her life. That’s ok as long as she laughs with everyone else, right? But things have been pretty rough lately and it’s only when she hits rock bottom that she begins to realise that maybe things need to go a little bit pear-shaped sometimes. With joy and despair in equal measure, this new novel, populated with an array of wonderful characters, will teach you that true happiness comes from simply being you.

10. A Boy Made Of Blocks by Keith Stuart 

Eight-year-old Sam is autistic and struggles to make sense of the world. His dad Alex has also lost himself somewhere along the way and needs to change. Minecraft offers a place where father and son can rediscover their bond and put the family back together, block by block. I reviewed this incredibly moving, uplifting story when it was first released a few years ago. It’s actually inspired by Keith Stuart’s real-life experiences, which I think give it an extra dollop of heart-warmth! 

11. The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

The entire focus of this fantastically written YA novel is on embracing your own personal uniqueness and on not being afraid to let it out. Michael is a mixed-race gay teen who has grappled with his identity for his entire life. On arriving at university, the idea of becoming a drag artist causes everything to begin to slot into place. Told in verse, The Black Flamingo will show you how your boldest brightest colours can shine through the darkest of times. Highlighting the power of words and challenging all forms of homophobia, whether it be external or internal, this is a book that I’m sure will become a staple of LGBT+ literature in years to come. As for now, it will simply inspire you to live your very best life, regardless of who tries to prevent it.

12. Reasons To Be Cheerful by Nina Stibbe

As the title may suggest, there is plenty to smile about in Reasons To Be Cheerful. It’s chiefly a coming-of-age novel about a young woman called Lizzie living in 1970s Leicestershire. She has just got a job as an assistant to a work-shy, racist dentist who is desperate to join the freemasons. Navigating this new position alongside a relationship with her alcoholic writer mother, a boyfriend who doesn’t seem terribly interested in her and a few unlikely friends, Lizzie’s life makes for some pretty amusing anecdotes. Whether it’s the simple retro setting or small cast of eccentric caricatures, there is something quite other-worldly yet familiar about it. There is a lot of detail that is relevant to the period it’s set in, including the blatant social prejudices that were so rife at the time. I am too young to have experienced 1970s Britain but it certainly feels authentic to what I know. I have no doubt that those that were there will get even more enjoyment and nostalgia from Lizzie’s life than I did. 

[driversmutbucket]

Second Chances.

Part 1

Adam Sackler x Reader

Warnings: cursing

Author note: I’ve been wanting to whittle away at this for a while. I think I will slow burn this in between smutty filth. I wrote this as occurring post season 6. Basically I just want to give baby boi a happy ending. K bye.

———

“Mom! I can’t find my shoes!”

You groaned, swearing under your breath.

“Have you looked properly? Under your bed?”

“Oh! found them!”

You shoveled cereal into your mouth, knowing full well it was going to be the last thing you ate for hours.

“Mom, we need to go I don’t want to be late”, Celia stood in the kitchen doorway, arms crossed. The school bag on her back looked almost as big as her.

“Alright, keep your hair on”, you sighed as your threw things into your purse before following Celia out the front door.

———

You breathed a sigh of relief as you watched Celia dash through the front doors of the school.

You looked forward to the post drop-off coffee at the cafe nearby and even going to work.

The theatre was busy, people milled everywhere as you walked through the main doors, the excitement and nervous energy was palpable. Today was the day everyone was finally meeting, thus far, each department had only met separately to become acquainted while casting was wrapping up.

Heading backstage you waved and greeted a few of the crew members you had come to know. You could already hear the laughter and general chatter from behind the doors of the makeup, hair and costume department.

Smiling you pushed through the swing doors, greeted with a loud “Hey Boss lady!” From your colleague Clinton.

“Hey! Good morning” you smiled as you approached the designated makeup/hair area.

“I took the liberty of grabbing you a coffee, creamer and sweetener right?” Clinton motion to the cup at your station.

“I know we haven’t known each other long, but I love and adore you” you grinned.

After some initial gossip and chat you got down to figuring out a plan of attack for the day together. Today was the beginning of trialing makeup and hair on the cast.

A head of department meeting and a hurried lunch break later it was early afternoon. The assistant director poked her head in the door,

“Y/n? I’m going to send you Adam in about 10 minutes” she called across the room.

Giving the thumbs up, you turned to the cast list, scanning for an Adam.

Fiyero......................Adam Sackler

“Oh he plays the love interest” you said excitedly as you started flicking through the folder you had compiled of reference material.

“I have honestly never worked with anyone who is this nerdy” Clinton mused, “but goddam it’s helpful”.

“Thanks? So anyway, I’m thinking for the hair per-” you stopped, noticing Clinton grinning like an idiot at someone behind you.

“Hi uhhh, y/n?”

You turned and looked up at a towering, built man, I mean, you weren’t exactly short yourself but he dwarfed you.

“Adam?” You smiled warmly, he nodded.

“Come have a seat” you said patting the client chair.

As he sat down, you could see Clinton trying to mouth words to you, but you ignored him. You knew enough about Clinton to know it was probably something very unprofessional.

“I’m going to have to lower the seat if I’m to have any hope of looking at your hair” you grinned as you stepped on the pedal at the base of the chair so he came down to eye level with you.

Finally looking at Clinton, who was staring at Adam like he was a slice of cake, you broke his trance. “Hey Clinton, wanna heat up some of the hair tools and we will mess around a bit, see what’s possible?” His head snapped up to look at you before he mouthed “holy fuck”.

Turning back to Adam, you ruffled and ran your fingers through his hair, “you have great hair Adam” you gushed. It was long and thick, just grazing his shoulders. You could feel him studying your face.

“So I’m thinking, Fiyero, he is kind of living behind this facade. So perhaps we should try a kind of super polished, Prince Charming vibe to begin....”, you trailed off, staring at Adam, lost in thought.

“Oh shit, you’ve actually read the script!” He seemed excited.

For the next 10 minutes you became engrossed in character discourse.

“Uhhh y/n.....” Clinton interrupted, handing you a straightener.

“Oh fuck, sorry!” You laughed “I get carried away talking about this sort of thing”.

Clinton snorted, “I’ll say it again, biggest nerd....”

You swatted at him.

The next half an hour you spent styling Adam’s hair into various look, and photographing each one.

“Ok, great I think that wraps up hair” you said as you smoothed some flyaways.

Placing your hand on Adam’s arm you smiled sympathetically “Thanks for being so patient Adam, I’m a bit of a perfectionist”.

He grinned, “Oh honestly it’s no problem, I get it, I can turn into a bit of a lunatic when I’m learning lines.”

“Could you grab the ring light Clinton? Let’s start some makeup.”

You took a moment to study Adam’s face, his features were strong, some would say, handsome.

“You have lovely skin and features for makeup” you mused.

“I must add that to my resume” he chuckled.

“Honestly, some people’s features can get completely lost under heavy stage make up, and then you have to do all this extra work to redefine...” you waved your hand, “I’m getting off track again”.

You got into your zone, testing makeup. It didn’t stop you admiring the little beauty marks on his face, or his plump lips. He watched you work, intently. Especially when you gave Clinton pointers on application. It was a little weird, but you didn’t mind. You caught his eye, smiling from time to time. He asked the odd question about your brushes or a specific technique, seeming genuinely interested. He was different to most actors you dealt with. Quirky, but in an endearing way.

By the time you had finished with Adam, it was late afternoon. You gently wiped the heavy makeup off his face,

“Thanks Adam” you beamed, “I’m really happy with what we achieved”.

“Hey, did you hear a bunch of us are grabbing dinner later, are you coming?”

“Oh yeah, I am, see you then?”

He grinned “See you then”.

After he had left, you checked your phone, seeing a message from Celia’s stepmom saying she had picked her up from school as planned, for the weekend. You fired off quick reply, hoping to go grab a coffee before the next actor turned up.

As you cleaned your brushes Clinton cleared his throat, “so...Adam is a delicious beast of a man” he said coyly.

“Oh Jesus Christ” you snorted “but yes, he is a good looking guy”.

“I would climb him like a fucking tree” Clinton sighed “my god, his buttons looked like they were going to pop off his shirt, he is so big.”

“Note to self, make sure Clinton is not assigned to Adam, ever” you joked.

——

When the day was finally wrapped up it was after 7pm. Feeling absolutely drained you considered ditching the dinner with your colleagues. However, the prospect of getting to chat with Adam was more than appealing.

Arriving at the restaurant you could hear the group before you saw them.

“Y/N get that fine ass over here!!” Someone yelled.

You rolled your eyes, but grinned and made your way over to the table. Seeing Adam you gave him a little wave.

“Hey, I saved you a spot” he yelled over the music and chatter, patting the space on the bench beside him.

“Thanks!” You smiled, squeezing in next to him.

A waitress came over and asked for drink orders.

“House red please.”

The waitress joted it down and looked expectantly at Adam, “soda water please”.

“Not drinking tonight?” You asked, having to lean close to his ear so he could hear you.

“Not drinking ever” he shrugged.

“Oh, good on you” you smiled, placing a hand on his lower arm reassuringly.

Before he could reply, the assistant director tapped her glass with her knife.

“Oi! Shut up, I want to make a toast” she yelled standing up.

“Lets cheers to the beginning of an amazing run. I’m gonna call it early, best cast and crew ever!”

Cheers and whoops erupted from the 30 odd people crammed around the big table as everyone clinked their glasses.

As the dinner progressed, it became more and more impossible to have a conversation as the establishment became rowdier.

Giving up on talking completely Adam motioned at the door. Nodding you stood up and he followed you to the door.

“That was fucking ridiculous” he breathed as the door shut behind him.

“Jesus Christ I’ve been in quieter nightclubs” you laughed, “want to grab a coffee or something?”

“Love to” he grinned.

———

Finding a 24/7 diner down the block you went in and picked a booth in a dim, quiet corner.

You hummed happily as your wrapped your hands around a steaming mug of coffee. Taking a sip you closed your mouth eyes blissfully.

You could feel Adam’s eyes on you and you looked up to meet them, smiling.

“Sorry I was just having a moment with my true love, coffee.”

He snorted a laugh, you noticed the way his eyes crinkled, they were warm, kind eyes.

“No husband or whoever then?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh no, not anymore, I mean, no, nobody.”

You could have sworn you saw relief flutter across his face.

“You?”

“No, nobody” he said softly.

“Well aren’t we a pair” you murmured, smiling gently.

After a beat of silence you sighed, “Sorry i’m expectionally shit at small talk, which is ironic considering I do makeup and hair”

“Oh me too, there no fucking point to it, I’d just rather sit in silence”

“I can’t believe we have never ran into each other on the theatre circuit” you mused “I’ve been working around for a few years now”.

Adam shrugged “I’ve been in and out, some shit happened...”.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing you act”.

Adam chewed his cheek, “oh god...”

“Oh come on, you are obviously very good to be cast in something like Wicked”.

He gave a crooked smile, “I just overthink everything I guess”.

“I think the best people do.”

You talked through 2 cups of coffee and a milkshake. It was after midnight and you yawned.

“Where’s home Adam?”

“Brooklyn”

“Me too! Should we share a cab?”

“I was actually gonna walk”

You burst into laughter, “to fucking Brooklyn?!”

He grinned, “do it all the time”.

Maybe it was due to the large quantities of caffeine but you felt inspired. “Fuck you are a strange one, but I like it, let’s walk to fucking Brooklyn!”

“Fuck yeah!” Adam banged the table with his hand grinning.

———

By the time you got to the Brooklyn bridge you were feeling slightly exhausted. However when you turned and looked at the city from the bridge you gasped. It was beautiful, and the bridge was empty. Leaning against the rail you took in the view.

“This is beautiful” you said in awe.

Adam pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket, offering you one.

“Thanks” you smiled, taking one. You smoked socially, but never at home or around Celia. It was something you had had to cold turkey when you found out you were pregnant with her. There was a comfort to having a cigarette in your mouth. It reminded you of college, the wild, carefree times.

You stood there side by side, in silence for a few minutes, drinking in the twinkling lights of the city.

“I miss having someone to do this shit with”, you sighed.

“Your doing it with me right now?” Adam turned to you smiling.

You waved your hand, “you know what I mean.”

He sighed, “yea, I do”.

“Ever been in love?” You asked, quietly, looking at the water.

“Yup, you”.

“Yup”.

“What happened?”

He sighed. It was a sad sigh.

“You don’t have to answer that, sorry” you lay you hand on his forearm that rested on the bridge rail.

“No, it’s ok, I just haven’t talked about it in a while, tried to move on you know?”

“Yeah I know...”

“We were a fucked up couple, it was just never going to work. We were off and on. She was fucking stubborn and messed up. I had my own shit. I even fucking offered to raise a kid that wasn’t mine, when she got pregnant while we weren’t together, I just...” he trailed off.

“Didn’t want it to end?” You offered gently.

“Yeah something like that.”

He looked at you, contemplating, taking a drag from his cigarette. “You?”

“We got together when we were both in college. Young, you know, just kids really? We are very different people, I just don’t think it was ever going to work. We tried really hard for the sake of our daughter.”

Adam whipped his head to look at you, eyes bright.

“You have a kid?!”

You grinned, “Yeah, she’s 5”.

“Fucking awesome, I love kids, I have a niece, she’s fucking cool”.

You laughed, “I’ve never had a guy so enthused at my single parent status before. It’s usually what I pull out of the bag when I want them to make them run for the hills”.

“People are fucking stupid” he snorted, “what’s her name?”

“Celia.”

“Wait, Shakespeare?” Adam raised an eyebrow at you.

“Yes! Holy shit nobody ever gets that!” You almost squealed.

You started walking over the bridge and discussing various Shakespeare plays with enthusiasm, laughing loudly at Adam’s sudden monologue performances in ridiculous accents.

By the time you reached your apartment you hardly even noticed the mammoth distance you had walked.

“This is me.”

“Oh I’m not far from here actually.”

“Thanks so much Adam, actually this has been the best time I’ve had in ages,” you smiled.

He grinned, “likewise”.

You wrapped you arms around him, hugging tightly. He reciprocated immediately, engulfing you.

“Let’s do this again ok?” You mumbled into his chest.

“We will” he promised. Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 / Epilogue

[thefilmsnob]

Glen Coco’s Top 10 films of 2019

2019 was one of the better movie years I’ve experienced. It was no 2007 or 2013--we all know that--but it was pretty damn good. People who say ‘they just make crap nowadays’ probably aren’t really into movies and are definitely out to lunch. Dammit, now I want lunch. Anyway, here are my picks for the ten best films of 2019 which, as always, follow my runners-up and the traditional bonus track...There’s always a bonus track. 

Runners-Up

-Bombshell

-Booksmart Full Review: https://thefilmsnob.tumblr.com/post/185427895290/booksmart-out-of-5

-Ford v Ferrari

-The Irishman

-Joker Full Review: https://thefilmsnob.tumblr.com/post/188571262775/joker-out-of-5

-Parasite

-The Peanut Butter Falcon

-The Two Popes

And here are my top 10!

#10b. (Bonus Track) Avengers: Endgame

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, the rest of Hollywood

Maybe, like some people in the industry, you don’t consider Marvel films to be ‘cinema’. Well, that’s a legitimate and long debate for another time. But, you can’t say that weaving a narrative through 22 related films isn’t an impressive feat. That’s what Marvel Studios did and with the help of the Russo Brothers, and despite the countless moving pieces, they ended this chapter of the franchise almost perfectly with just the right balance of action, human drama, twists, turns and some surprisingly poignant moments. If you didn’t get goosebumps--and maybe even pee your pants a bit--when those portals opened up at the end, bringing to mind Gandolf’s triumphant entrance into the Battle of Helm’s Deep, then maybe movies just aren’t for you, my friend. 

Full Review: https://thefilmsnob.tumblr.com/post/184694412545/avengers-endgame-out-of-5

#10. Marriage Story

Director: Noah Baumbach

Starring: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson

Ironically, Marriage Story is actually about a divorce. But, writer/director Noah Baumbach imbues this civil-turned-nasty separation with all the complexity and aggravation that come with being married with child. He treats the divorce like the grueling process you’d expect it to be, one which involves real, flawed people whose needs and desires don’t align, making the situation increasingly distressing for all parties involved. In turn, Driver and Johansson make this distress increasingly palpable for the audience until it feels like we’re in the room with them during one of their several heated arguments. Both actors give some of the best work of their careers, yet it still may be overshadowed by Laura Dern and Ray Liotta who shine as the two ruthless lawyers representing them. Baumbach has been churning out these gems for years, but his latest, which may be his most accessible, may also be his best so far. 

#9. Jojo Rabbit

Director: Taika Waititi

Starring: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson

What do you get when you mix Nazi Germany, the ghost of Hitler and a poor Jewish girl trying to survive the second World War? You get one of the funniest and most touching movies of the year, of course. The surging writer/actor/director Taika Waititi, who specializes in quirky films filled with quirkier characters, hasn’t made the typically grim melodrama about Nazi Germany nor is he doing anything close to promoting Nazi culture. Instead, he uses the tale of a young boy who attends a Hitler Youth training camp to highlight the absurdity of this horrible movement while promoting tolerance. He delivers this powerful message by introducing a young Jewish girl who seeks refuge in the home of Jojo and his mother, played by Scarlett Johansson (who clearly had a good year). This leads to Jojo’s crisis of conscience which is complicated by his imaginary friend...who happens to be Adolf Hitler! Yes, the movie is different.

#8. Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie

It’s no surprise that Quentin Tarantino would make a film about 1960s Hollywood starring one of the most prestigious celebrity trios in the business; the guy’s passion--obsession even--for film is unmatched. Here, he uses the medium to take a horrific moment in history like the murder of Sharon Tate at the hands of the Manson Family and gives it the stereotypical Hollywood happy ending. In doing so, he showcases the wish fulfillment of the movies and their power to comfort us with optimism while simultaneously warning of their ability to shelter us from our cruel reality. DiCaprio and Pitt give brilliant performances as characters who add to the perception-vs-reality theme, DiCaprio playing the huge movie star full of anxiety and doubt in real life who relies heavily on his stunt double, Pitt, who’s the actual confident hero. All this and much more takes place in a meticulously recreated Hollywood of the ‘60s that sweeps you up in nostalgia and immerses you in a world of make-believe.

#7. Knives Out

Director: Rian Johnson

Starring: Ana de Armas, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Christopher Plummer 

Yes, there have been many murder mysteries. No, Knives Out isn’t just like the rest of them. Writer/director Rian Johnson does a masterful job at crafting a labyrinthine story that’s just complex enough without overwhelming and strikes a perfect balance of suspense and comedy. Featuring one of the greatest casts assembled in 2019 playing a dysfunctional family of despicable yet intriguing individuals of means, the story is full of truly surprising twists and turns and, more crucially, some well-integrated and astute social commentary. This isn’t a two-hour lecture, though; the film is undeniably entertaining. The stand-out here is detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig with a delightful southern drawl and an attention to detail that rivals Sherlock Holmes. Craig transcends his James Bond persona while the film itself transcends a genre. 

#6. 1917

Director: Sam Mendes

Starring: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman

If this were a few years ago 1917 would be, without question, my #1 pick. However, as the long, uncut tracking shot has become more common over the years, it’s also lost a bit of its luster; 2014′s Birdman, one of the best films of the decade, also had the appearance of a single take. Nonetheless, to make a war film, with all its tricky choreography and pyrotechnics, look like one long take is still a phenomenal achievement and an absolute marvel to behold. And, although it obviously couldn’t be filmed in one shot, Sam Mendes and master cinematographer Roger Deakins still had to shoot long takes and stitch them together digitally while stealthily hiding the seams. It all helps tell the story of two young soldiers tasked with traversing treacherous territory to warn a Battalion of British soldiers about an impending German ambush. We follow the pair in real time amidst a story of remarkable bravery, enhanced by the fact that we’re with them every step of the way, at once experiencing everything they do up close while being reminded of how removed we really are from the danger they face.

#5. Uncut Gems

Director: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie

Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin Garnett (hey, why not?), Julia Fox

There are several talented actors in Hollywood who’ve gained a bad reputation for poor career choices. Ben Affleck and Will Smith come to mind. Perhaps the king of this group is Adam Sandler. He’s excelled sporadically in movies like Punch-Drunk Love and The Meyerowitz Stories, but he gives a truly Oscar-worthy performance in this--ahem--gem. As Howard Ratner, he’s a gambling addict who runs a jewelry store in New York’s Diamond district when he gets his hands on a rare Ethiopian black opal which he hopes will help pay off his many debts. In fact, he owes so much to so many people that he struggles to keep track of it all and we cringe every time he does. The tension builds to an almost unbearable level as a host of dangerous men seek payment. If that’s not enough, he’s on the verge of a divorce as he continues seeing a mistress who’s also his employee while owing $100 000 to his own criminal brother-in-law. If you were stressed just reading that, try watching the movie...or being Howard himself. The Safdie brothers don’t let up either, filming it like a documentary to add to its realism and immediacy...as if it needed that extra boost.     

#4. The Lighthouse

Director: Robert Eggers

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe

The first thing you notice watching The Lighthouse is that half the screen is missing; Robert Eggers, who also wrote and directed The Witch, shot the film with a 1.19: 1 aspect ratio, making the picture square, like an old-timey photograph. It feels limiting at first until you fully appreciate the feelings of confinement and anxiety it evokes. That’s important in a film about two lighthouse keepers, or wickies, who are forced to live together in insanely grungy and cramped quarters of a lighthouse on a remote island off the coast of New England. Considering the harsh conditions and the fact it’s a horror film, they soon clash and seemingly lose their grip on reality which manifests in macabre images and supernatural occurrences. Or does it? Ha! This is one of the most unique and beautifully filmed movies of the year with the grainy black and white 35mm making it seem like it was made closer to the late 19th century, when the film takes place. Like many recent horror films, this one relies more on mood and imagery than jump scares and is buttressed by only two actors who give award-worthy performances. Alright? So, go to hell; Pattinson can act.

#3. Little Women

Director: Greta Gerwig

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, Timothee Chalamet, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern

You might assume that Little Women is a stuffy period piece and even unnecessary considering it’s the seventh adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s iconic 1868 novel, but the prodigious actor-turned-writer-turned-director Greta Gerwig is too adept in her craft to settle for conventional story-telling. She gives this classic story a fresh, modern take with a non-linear approach and a feminist angle that enhances without overwhelming. Like her work on Lady Bird, she keeps scenes brisk and to the point with decisive cuts. She also adds her unique wit and snappy dialogue. Every conversation, no matter how superficial, leaves you enraptured. So, too, do the characters; it’s a pleasure following these complex girls through the ups and downs of their lives as women of little means and even fewer rights. They’re portrayed by a stellar cast, particularly Jo March who’s played by Saoirse Ronan, perhaps our greatest sub-30 actress. This may be a little movie about little women, but the payoffs and sheer enjoyment are truly grand.   

Full Review: https://thefilmsnob.tumblr.com/post/190231754125/little-women-12-out-of-5

#2. Us

Director: Jordan Peele

Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke 

I know it’s blasphemous, but I might be the only person on Earth who not only thought Get Out was a tad overrated, but that Jordan Peele’s second feature, Us, is the superior picture. It’s easy to look at this film as merely a unique take on the slasher genre, but it’s so much more than that. Like any good horror, it’s creepy as hell, but it’s also brimming with foreshadowing, symbolism and metaphor. There are three or four ideas that Peele sets up at the beginning that seem disconnected to the story, yet they each have a specific purpose and when that becomes evident, it’s incredibly satisfying. Even more impressive is how Peele turns a movie about a vacationing family encountering their doppelgangers into a brilliant commentary on the current state of America, specifically in regards to class division and its relation to the Nature vs Nurture debate. And the movie’s neat twist at the end isn’t just added for shock value; it’s actually the final puzzle piece and essential in conveying the film’s message. I struggled with ranking Us at #1 or #2, but its over-reliance on slasher film action around the mid-point (a minor flaw) was the deciding factor. It’s near-perfect, nonetheless.

Full Film Interpretation: https://thefilmsnob.tumblr.com/post/184073868405/interpreting-jordan-peeles-film-us

#1. Midsommar

Director: Ari Aster

Starring: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Will Poulter

If there’s one thing for which the 2010s should be known, it’s great horror films, a refreshing development after decades of mediocrity. But, just like movies in general from the ‘New Hollywood’ ‘70s, horror films are more creative and ambitious than they’ve been in ages thanks to a handful of visionary filmmakers. Three out of the top five entries are horror movies and that’s saying something.

Midsommar is a mesmerizing horror film that hearkens back to the 1970s when the genre relied more heavily on atmosphere and pacing and sheer creepiness than on jump scares and gimmicks. It takes one hell of a talented writer/director to make a movie shot almost entirely in daylight feel so utterly sinister, but Ari Aster, who also made the acclaimed Hereditary, does just that with ease. What’s more, the film contains no monsters, nothing supernatural and an astonishingly minimal amount of violence, yet when we do see bits of blood and gore, it’s a complete shock to the system. What Aster does rely on is his mastery of lighting and framing to produce images that are unexpectedly eerie.

This is a movie that starts with a group of anthropology students looking to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime festival at a commune in the Swedish countryside and ends in an unspeakable nightmare. It’s a long and sometimes grueling experience that steadily snowballs into horror, but that slow burn is crucial for this delightfully nerve-wracking series of events. Oh, and it’s also a breakup story...possibly the scariest breakup story of all time. It’s certainly the best film of 2019.     

[thesinglesjukebox]

CAROLINE POLACHEK - SO HOT YOU'RE HURTING MY FEELINGS

[8.00]

This, though, we think should be a hit now.

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: i feel personally attacked by this relatable content [8]

Julian Axelrod: Caroline Polachek has spent most of her career trying to hide Caroline Polachek. She's operated within bands, under monikers, and behind other artists, parceling out pieces of her genius but never showing her full hand. "So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings" is Caroline's coming out and coronation, a reintroduction to her astonishing range of talents for anyone who forgot. It's also a full-bodied bop, sleek and lithe without sparing an ounce of impact. The gleaming 80s prom synths and cave sprite backing vocals promise a pop fantasia, but her bleakly hilarious cries for connection feel like a sendup of diva desperation. The most thrilling moment might be the bridge, when her wordless wail is vocodered into oblivion. Ironically, Polachek obfuscates her voice to create her most singular expression to date. And when she's done, all you can do is gasp. [9]

Hazel Southwell: Wow Frou Frou are back right in time to soundtrack my mid-thirties breakdown as well as the mid-twenties one! Except this also has a nice bit of chugging Fleetwood-Mac-by-way-of-HAIM guitar so it's tickling all kinds of aesthetic pressure points. It gained a whole two points from me for the embarrassing sax solo in the breakdown, that's a real stomach-curling squirm of a crush right there. [7]

Oliver Maier: "So Hot" doesn't push into exciting new frontiers like "Door" and "Ocean of Tears" did. Indeed, the "The Middle"-esque vocoding on the hook and relatively conventional arrangement suggest a mainstream sensibility that isn't so much absent from Pang's other singles as it is wrestled into Polachek's own pop framework. Here she's mostly content to play ball, and the result is a straightforwardly great song, still with enough eccentric turns of phrase ("X-rated dreaming"!), sticky melodies and frenzied vocal solos to stay a step ahead of the competition. I could see the abundant quirkiness being grating to those less convinced by the elegant architecture of C-Po's songcraft, but I'm helplessly charmed by both. [8]

Alfred Soto: Fans of Haim's precisely deployed synth chug will warm to Caroline Polachek's latest single: 2013 as 1987. She's gotten more assured since the Chairlift days: check out the vocal distorted unto death and into a solo. [7]

Michael Hong: Caroline Polachek is trying to keep her composure. She's out at the party, attempting to be cool, attempting to live her life. But at the same time, she's quietly suffering, counting the days her partner's been gone. "So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings" is as slick as the best of Chairlift, with lines worthy of its title, like "I cry on the dance floor, it's so embarrassing," delivered without an ounce of self-pity but with Polachek's biting humour. Her attempts to appear collected fail from the outset, but her frustrations come to head on the chorus when she sings "get a little lonely babe" and the desperation and desire in her voice become palpable. Polachek's composed vocals over the heavily processed ad-libs perfectly capture the mental anguish of a long-distance relationship, her outward poise giving way to the inward chaos. [9]

Kayla Beardslee: I've been listening to "Door" a lot lately (a 10, by the way), and one of the many things that's grabbed me about the song is how impressively detailed it is: I'm still discovering nuances in the production after a double-digit number of listens. "So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings" is a less complex experience than "Door" -- a name-brand lollipop instead of a box of chocolate truffles -- but it has the same attention to detail that makes playing it over and over and paying close attention so rewarding. The three claps in the verses, the "aah-aah"s panning right and left, the electric guitar strum (I think) at the end of the chorus, the gasps and "Woo!"s peppered throughout -- god, inject this shit straight into my veins. And, of course, Polachek's vocals are on point, even behind the tasteful vocoder; her voice climbing and falling on "it's so emBArrassing" is an entire journey on its own. "So Hot" is sparkly synthpop designed to go down easy, but there's substance in it too, for those who want to look for it. [9]

Isabel Cole: The lyrics unfortunately don't live up to the OTT promise of the excellent title, squashing my hopes for something exuberantly agitated along the lines of an emotion I still only know how to describe as "blogging about One Direction in 2013" in favor of a fairly banal exploration of the angst inherent to long-distance love. I do like the burbling production, with its funny little stream of disembodied vowels winding through behind the verses. [6]

Joshua Lu: An adroit tiptoe along the line between horny and tender, unconcerned with appearing too desperate or silly -- or with enunciating properly. [7]

Will Adams: There's a certain melodrama that comes with relating embarrassment ("I could have just DIED!"), particularly with intense crush feelings for a former flame, that "So Hot" nails. It's there in the gasp before the final chorus, the way Polachek's distorted vocal wails as the backing vocals murmur "show me the banana" and the song's title. While the previous Pang singles took time to wiggle their way into my head, "So Hot"'s charms are immediate. [8]

Kylo Nocom: The Aces via Forevher era Shura shouldn't sound endearing, yet Polachek is a vocalist and songwriter entertaining enough to sell it completely. "X-rated dreaming" is a clunky phrase, but I'm obviously reaching, damn it: the song exists for the title and it's a great one. [9]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: Caroline Polachek makes music that is almost too perfectly formed-- rhythms that sound like perfect tessellations, dazzling vocal performances with leaps and runs that are almost inhuman, synths that sound wrought from glass. The only thing preventing it from being intolerable is the stuff she's singing about, the fundamental vocabulary of longing that her work, whether solo or in Chairlift (RIP), speaks. "So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings" is just another manifestation of a running theme in her work, but it stands out for its directness and messiness-- she's not just crying in public but on the dancefloor, pining in ways that are almost outside of society. It doesn't all work on the record (the bananas on the bridge are a little hokey) but it feels so deep it can't be avoided. [8]

Stephen Eisermann: A sexy little song that owes much of its sex appeal to Caroline's voice, the harmonies, and my god that production. It's crisp and clean, like the white dress shirt my fantasy man wears; the one I thought of as I closed my eyes and listened to this song. Lust in song form, this one. [7]

Joshua Copperman: So good it's hurting my feelings: I keep wanting to save my [10]s for songs that feel Big and Important, like "Slip Away" or "The Joke." Maybe something that doesn't have immediate political importance but stands on its own, like "Cellophane." (Being co-written by a transgender woman when the Supreme Court is about to decide whether transgender people can be fired on the basis of their identity might qualify this song, but I don't want to reduce Teddy Geiger to her gender.) From the opening line, which seems to swipe from Robin Williams' character in mid-2000s Blue Sky Studios comedy Robots, it's clear that this isn't exactly a deep song. Instead, "So Hot" is perfectly goofy songwriting, down to a bridge where Polachek chants "show me the banana, na na na na na" while also performing a guitar solo with her voice. Even better, it's a three and a half minute pop song, so it doesn't have time to meander like "Door." There isn't anything personal or political about this, but that doesn't even seem to cross Polachek and co's mind. Losing oneself in a pop song is just about the most overused trope in all of music criticism, but there's something to not being serious or even defiantly silly. It's just fun for the sake of fun, which is hard to justify as a [10]. Except maybe that was the whole point of this poptimism thing. In that case... [10]

[Read and comment on The Singles Jukebox]

[gammija]

The Hollow review/summary/rant/explanation of why i hate the ending I wasn’t sure whether I should post this, but I did enjoy reading others experiences watching this show, so here’s mine under the cut. Edited from a convo with a friend.

(Obviously, spoilers!)

Me: Okay so to properly express my disappointment i gotta take you through the major beats

The show starts with three teens waking up in an almost empty room, finding out they all have amnesia. They quickly solve a puzzle to escape the room, and just as quickly Adam and Mira realize they have superpowers (superstrength/agility and some weird 'speak to animals/know all languages' hybrid, respectively. also she can breathe underwater and swim really fast. its kind of vague)

Kai is already clearly a comic relief, discount Ron (from HP, the movies, no idea about the books) so me and sister correctly predict he'll get jealous of adam and miras relationship (even if there is none), gets pissy and jealous that he has no powers, but then finds out he has powers anyway he does, hes a fire bender. cant say im not bitter about that cause id put my money on invulnerability but eh its alright he has red hair after all hes still fun

Friend: Of course he is

I just feel bad is all aldjs

Me: adam gets a throwaway line of 'maybe were dead' and kai never lets it go

this food might be poisoned but im starving and hey were dead anyway! right, adam

Friend: I love him??

Me: i loved him as soon as he spoke his first dumb words also he puns but basically hes the only interesting char; adam and mira are just cookie cutter 'male lead 1' and 'female lead 1' i mean, he’s cookie cutter ‘jealous 3rd wheel’ but that has more going on than the first two still servicable though

anyway so the jokes are sometimes fun, and superpowers are always my jam. but the REAL reason to keep watching is just, whats going on? ARE they dead? or in some kind of weird gvnmt experiment? some weird magical vampire guide (dont ask) hints they wanted this themselves ooh, intrigue. and the world is very very quirky they start in a gravity falls-y woods and then get teleported to a desert with minotaurs and witches, then get invited for tea by the Grim Reaper and the rest of the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse

tbh Grim is the best part of the show but thats neither here nor there

anyway they have a magic map that updates once theyve been somewhere, and it shows them that the hot dry desert and the swampy wood bunker are like right next to each other

so you start thinking, how are they gonna explain that? this is too weird to be handwaved away. theyve gotta be going somewhere

they visit some other exotic locals, like what appears to be the set of Alien (complete with alien) and an abandoned old fair and a floating island with japanese inspired evildoers on it

the weird magic guide keeps showing up and being vague, dropping hints that there are other kids there etc

at some point Mira says "This is no time for games!" Weirdy: "Thats where youd be wrong~" me and sister: Aha! videogame! that connects all the dots, and also makes the tropes clear: small world with all kinds of different areas, quests, fights, superpowers, an updating map, fast travel Adam, a few eps later: guis i think we might be in a videogame me and sister: [high five]

Anyway in the meantime also the second predictable Kai (discount Ron) plot happens: they meet three other kids (boy boy girl) and they act shady but the girl takes an immediate and obvious interest in Kai so obviously theyre gonna manipulate him and have him betray his friends but in the end he'll see through their facade and kick their ass that more or less happens. The other teens also confirm that this is a game, and theyre trying to win. winning is done by bringing the MacGuffin to a tree fights over macguffin ensue situations are dire but our characters persevere

(also Mira kisses Adam and he acts very weird about it, almost as if hes gay and the only reason they didnt make it canon is censors) (no lingering gaze, just him going 'hehe yeah no thanks, its not you, its me', but in a very... he doesnt seem to be saying it with shall we say burning desire in his soul. hes literally just like 'eh youre a good friend.' Cool move, cartoon that made the two main boys have arguments over nothing cause of course the two main guys have constant dick measuring matches)

this all is not the offensive part btw it was all fun and games, its just a flash cartoon i wasnt expecting Shakespeare

anyway so theyre in a videogame, and apparently thats the answer to all the weirdness. A bit of a cop-out, cause thats a very easy answer, but eh, it works. it wasnt immediately obvious.

also something i hadnt mentioned yet: thisd be ideal for making (self-insert) OCs. Unique powers for each person, there are clearly more characters than shown, the world is your playground

and maybe the video game thing could be interesting on its own in the last few eps the game seems to be glitching out a lot they say its breaking apart so they really gotta hurry now maybe they were beta testers for a vr game gone wrong maybe this is part of it but its like a huge experience that you tell all your friends about anyway there are ways it could be cool, could be expanded to a season 2 despite having solved the mystery

but. last episode. our heroes get the MacGuffin, go to a final stage, and fight the Boss Battle (its a dragon). they enter the Castle....

...and the screen zooms out, into a sudden live action stage, where we see the cartoon (literally what you were just watching) on screen. there are 6 chairs, 3 with our heroes, 3 with the other teens, presumably. theres a host and hes dressed exactly like the weird guy (and that was already kind of a clashy outfit in the cartoon). it was all just a game show. but. the worst part is the live action

you. dont. go. from. animated. to. live. action.

other way around? fine, can work. But now? WHY itd still be dumb and dissapointing but if itd been animated too itd at least have been.... nice to look at but the acting.. oh god they didnt even say anything and it was all wrong clearly theyd just picked the first random teens that vaguely looked like the chars and put them in there cause they had no lines so who needs acting?!

the enemy teams girl had, in the cartoon, pink hair. Purple with pink highlights instead of stylizing that into something more realistic or painting the actual hair, they gave some 30-year old woman a wig and called it a day

keep in mind i binged this show in one go

purposely stayed up late to watch the last ep with my sis even tho we shouldve gone to bed and were disobeying our dad cause we Had to Know

and theres more i said they had no lines but i was lying. Kai did have a line. well, his voice actor did they dubbed him also the line was about him having to pee which is already not the most hilarious in animated version but a live action kid whose supposed to be this character you spent 3 hours with but looks nothing like him saying that in a voice that doesnt belong to his throat, as he stands bashfully in front of a live audience, the only words spoken by your main characters in the last moments...

*its actual hell*

oh oh one more thing at the end the six kids stand in a line and kai is next to other girl they glance at each other and as the eyes of this teen and 30 year old in wig cross, her eye glitches for a moment

dun dun duuun

bUT i dont care anymore, The Hollow. You overestimated your own premise. this wont be forgiven. your most interesting part was the mystery, and the answer  to that was "just a normal game show" (which also doesnt make sense on another level smh) soo if you think that im interested in what these two-dimensional (ha) characters will do now about the glitch in the eye of a bitch then i have news for u

i dont

...if they get a second season ill probably check it out though as long as its animated

Friend: Gammi I'm getting the real sinking suspicious feeling that what you saw isn't the real end but bad on purpose because there's more to it

Me: the show didnt seem good enough to be bad on purpose

and yet im still not done, if youll still hear me out

i mean, im an animation fan so ill still watch but if theyd wanted to be bad on purpose they really shouldve done a better job fleshing out the characters thats what people come back for that was a bit of a sidetrack BUT so i said why the live action itself was just terrible in overal quality

but the resolution that 'oh it was all in a game show' doesnt work on multiple levels

first of all, they show a short flashback of "About 5 hours earlier". The kids stand on the stage and are instructed to take their seats in the vr-chairs, and pick their superpower

2 things i dislike about that

1) there goes all the self-insert/oc potential. they werent teens in over their heads, they werent gvnmt experiments, or just some kids who wanted to play a game -they were in it to win it, from the start. thats very specific and not the most appealing to all kinds of characters (goodbye, all the 'im just an average girl whod never step into the spotlight like that' characters).

Also, all the expansion on lore is gone. maybe there were other games simultaneously? eh, maybe, but theyd be all gameshows. Maybe someone ended uo trapped there for way longer? nah its just a gameshow theyre not gonna let anything actually bad happen. Maybe there are other worlds, other areas, other weird creatures? unlikely, they finished the map and familiarity seemed to be a thing for the audience. Now every new idea has to be put not through a 'whats interesting for a player' but a 'whats interesting for a viewer' lens, and whats a selfinsert if not a player in another universe

2) HOW IS THIS A SUCCESSFUL GAME SHOW

who the hell watches a game show for 5 consecutive hours, some of which mustve been just them walking. also, we zoom out of the screen were watching, so implication is that everything up until then has been what the audience has seen. but... we only followed the one team. there were two? why didnt the audience want to see what they were up to? ~reality tv usually thrives on showinf the worst assholes so realistically they wouldve been the focus~

There are also way too many times *both* teams couldve failed, from early on till late in the game. Not a single game i can think of thats played for an audience is set up like that, and especially not a televised one (okay tbf idk if this was televised, i dont remember if i saw cameras, but. it mustve. monetary reasons.)

What r u gonna do if they all 'died' from the monsters in the first ep? Call it a day? boring for the audience. let them restart from scratch? boring for the audience. the existence of an audience messes with everything

AND THEN ANOTHER THING what do you mean, "5 hours ago?" you never get a time stamp to show how long theyve been in there but there are some cuts, when they travel and such. The actual show is a lil over 3 hours runtime. You mean to tell me you sat through 2 hours of the characters just walking?

okay last thing. so. they were clearly second season teasing with the glitching eye thing. i already said this but. theres nowhere to go from here that isnt worse that the first season. your mystery is dead. you clearly know your live action teens cant act so youd have to go back into the game - but why would they do that? how would that be in any way interesting? you explored all there was to explore.

The other, more out there option, is that as you said the 'real world' was a fake-out and theyre still in a game. but. how would- how would you even make that remotely convincing? if youd just left the 'real world' gameshow as animated too this wouldnt have been a problem. but there is absolutely no conceivable reason to justify, in universe, why another meta-level up is 2D animation again unless they were in a game, in a game, in a game. and thats just dumb. yall aint inception

Friend: HONESTLY if they just kept the whole deal animated it'd probably be okay. Not good, but better,

Me: ye me and my sister came to the same conclusion

i couldve lived with that. at least, i couldve just acknowledged the finales existence but chose to ignore it. now however im full phantom planet levels of denial. in fact i dont even know how the show ended anymore, suddenly

Friend: what finale? what show?

Me: also at least now we know why its called The Hollow

it leaves you feeling empty inside

[thespoonplayer]

(DJ) Spoon’s Review of 2018

This year I haven’t listened to much music at all, at least not in comparison to previous years and I certainly haven’t been to many gigs. I’m sure this won’t last but this year I’ve been busier at work so less likely to plug in, I’ve stuck to the radio in the car just to keep up with how messy Brexit really is (ooer a bit of politics) and my runs have been 100% fueled by podcasts so music has just taken a backseat. However, I couldn’t let the year go past without some kind of list...so here is a pot pourri of my favourite discoveries of 2018.

1. Podcasts

Seeing as these have been so important this year I’ll start here...and cheat slightly by bigging up some oldies, but good enough to bang on about again.

Old favourites : Running Commentary (Comedians Paul Tonkinson and Rob Deering take you on their runs and chat sometimes about running, but always about life, kids, comedy and anything that pops into their heads), Adam Buxton (always entertaining ramble chat from Dr Buckles whoever is on, I’ve learnt stuff and I’ve laughed a lot), My Dad Wrote a Porno (Sheer filth as ever but genuinely caused me to LOL during my runs, wondering if people can hear that I’m listening to chat about vaginal lids).

New entries : Off Menu (Ed Gamble and James Acaster opened their genie run fantasy restaurant a month ago and it has quickly become one of my favourite podcasts ever. Eclectic guests pick their fantasy 3 course meals, simple premise and it works. The Scroobius Pip episode was a perfect clash of two excellent pods), Blank (another late entry into 2018 from Jim Daly and Giles Paley-Phillips ostensibly about blank moments in life but just rammed with infotaining chat from ‘non standard’ guests including a jaw dropping episode with Michael Rosen and fun with Gary Lineker and Susie Dent), Poddin’ on the Ritz (sadly now finished with maybe its only series) this pod recorded backstage at Young Frankenstein by Hadley Fraser and the sublime Ross Noble made me laugh more than any other in 2018, it might be about musicals but their search for Kenneth Branagh’s snowglobes and Lesley Joseph adoration was a joy.

2. Board games

They say a family that plays together, stays together. Well we are together more than you can imagine. We’ve played over 220 games this year! Here are our favourite new games into our collection:

The game of the year is Azul, a seemingly simple tile grab and place game, building up a mosaic prettier than anyone else, is full of strategy and a little (but not too much) shafting of others. If you really want to shaft your fellow players though then pick up Unstable Unicorns, a card game where you aim to grow your stable of unicorns, whilst stopping others filling theirs. SO many different cards, tactics and ways to mess it up, you will swear at some point. Discovered in the excellent new board game cafe The Dice Box in Leamington, we bought Meeple Circus before we left, it’s that much fun. Rehearse and perform the best tiny wooden meeple circus performance, accompanied by a bespoke playlist. Stack the acrobats, balance the lions and raise the bar. Another board game cafe, Chance & Counters in Bristol introduced us to the frantic game of Klask, a cross between air hockey, pool and table football. Slide the magnets around to flick a ball into your opponents hole, avoid the magnetic biscuits and don’t KLASK! When is a game not a game? another game of the year has been played a lot in our house, and it’s The Mind. 100 cards numbered 1-100, no words between players and a tense task to lay cards in ascending order. Simple? yes? possible? nope! but it’s sure to cause fun and arguments. The final two of MY favourite sadly aren’t quite as loved by my family, but I’ll get them there. Sagrada is a similar game to Azul with you attempting to build a beautiful stained glass window with coloured dice. More variations and thinking needed than Azul which adds to the challenge. And finally and lovely chess like 2 player game which transports you to the sun dappled Greek island of Santorini. Take the powers of a god and build the traditional blue domed white houses of the island whilst trying to stop your opponent climbing onto a roof. A lot of ‘aha, you’ve stopped me’ moments.

3. TV

It’s been a long old year at work, and in the world of parenting so we’ve found ourselves flopped on the settee many evenings just soaking up great drama, comedy and chilling ;o)

We are very late to the party with Suits but that means we have 8 series to wade through! Really neat writing, bants and relationships between characters, a ‘don’t worry they will always win’ calmness about it and you get to see the Queen in her knickers...ish. Another Netflix treat this year was Magic for Humans with Justin Willman, a hugely likeable and funny magician pulling off tricks that constantly make me smirk with a huge dollop of WTF? amazing. A huge recommendation. A late entry to my TV highlights of 2018 is from the warped warped mind of Charlie Brooker...of course with Bandersnatch. An interactive choose your own adventure TV ‘event’ (I know) that had us hooked for the full 90 minutes (only if you want to see how much bloodshed you can invoke!). Completely on the other end of the spectrum was the sublime and minimalistic Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing. I don’t like fishing and why would I find two old mates just teasing each other for half an hour entertaining? No idea but it was beautiful. Like Radio 4, comforting and perfect. Then a few suspenseful dramas that got us on the edge of the settee, Killing Eve (quirky AF), Bodyguard (did they really kill Keely Hawes that early?) and Informer (bleak bleak bleak) and sweaty bullocks in ‘should be in the next section really’ Bird Box (made Informer seem like a giggle fest).

4. Films

Really haven’t been to the cinema much in the last 12 months and only once to see a ‘grown up’ film I think but kid’s films are SO good at the moment that’s ok. A few stand out films for me were:

Ralph Breaks the Internet, much better than the first one, lots of #lolz internet jokes and more than a little heart. Wrap me up in a duvet and give me a hot cocoa and Paddington 2 any day, tears at the end. A little more sighing but just as much emotion in Christopher Robin, not sure why Eeyore had an American accent but the characters were spot on and nicely faithful to the original concepts. The one time I did venture out for an adult (it’s a 12 so almost ;o) and saw Ready Player One I was delighted, yeah it might not be a) as good as or b) anything like the book but a visual treat and an enjoyable romp.

5. Books

I read A LOT, until my Kindle donks me on the head in bed anyway...literally a tiny selection of books that have kept me awake. 

The Secret Lives of Colour - Kassia St Clair. They say never judge a book by its cover. Well that didn’t work...I bought this purely because it is a beautiful package, the hardback a lot more pleasing imho. Simply 2 coloured pages about how each colour was discovered, invented and introduced throughout history. I never really gave it a thought that colours were...made. Weird and fascinating.

This Is Going to Hurt - Adam Kay. A hilarious ‘secret’ diary of a junior doctor that horrifies at the same time. I think we all knew it was a hard life but bloody hell, if you didn’t love the NHS before you will after this. A thoroughly enjoyable and insightful story of Adam’s journey through medicine. And that ending...wooof.

Moose Allain - I Wonder What I’m Thinking About. I love Moose, I love his colour-me-advent calendars, I love his tweet threads that show the best in Twitter, I love his cartoons and this book is all of those wrapped up in one. And a certain Mr Spoon is to thank for the publication, find me in the back of Unbound funders! An inspiring book for anyone who loves art, creativity and childish humour.

Factfulness : Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World - Hans Rosling. A brilliantly clever and educational book about why the world is NOT as shit as it might seem some times. It’s all backed up by real data and lovely lovely graphs!

Lee Child and Ian Rankin. A highlight of the year is the next Reacher and Rebus novels and these two didn’t disappoint. Rebus’ latest adventure Past Tense, is a self-contained story that could introduce anyone to the man machine that is Jack Reacher. Rebus however is back, retired but won’t lie down, in In A House of Lies, an old case comes back to haunt him and will this finally be his downfall? I doubt it!

6. Music

As mentioned, I haven’t ‘been into music’ as much in 2018 for various reasons but I’ve still enjoyed some great new discoveries:

Barns Courtney - The Attractions of Youth, discovered via the use of Glitter and Gold for the theme tune of Netflix’s Safe. An album of ‘cheesy, commercially viable blues and folk rock’ apparently. I just liked the visceral nature of some of the tracks and it always fired me up at work on slow days.

Isaac Gracie - Isaac Gracie, a rare listened to recommendation from my wife. Isaac is everything I claim to like, fragile thin sensitive boys with acoustic guitars....and I do very much with this. Painful screeched out tales of heartbreak. Sublime.

R.E.M. - Live at the BBC, 104 rare and live tracks from arguably one of the best bands ever. Some of the tracks I haven’t heard since my bootleg cassette buying days at Sheffield Uni, when the world was in black and white. Not all tracks are of the greatest audio quality but bliss for a fanboy like me.

Creep Show - Mr Dynamite, a spin off project for Mr John Grant and even from the eclectic crooner this is an odd one. Glitchy electronica with vocoders all over the place. Weird and very Marmite.

Public Service Broadcasting - Every Valley and everything else. The latest offering from the other PSB was a trip through the miner’s crisis and Thatcher years. Bleak? yup but fascinating snippets of well, public service broadcasting and guest stars including the obligatory Welsh rockers the Manics. This album is perfect by itself but it ‘forced’ me to go back and really discover all the PSB albums. The Live at Brixton release is a huge recommendation, I wish I was there.

Rex Orange County - Apricot Princess, maybe I just added this in to seem cool as Rex, aka Alexander O’Conner, was ‘one to watch in 2018′ from the BBC. A multi-instrumentalist that dabbles with hippity hop, R&B and piano pop. The first track alone contains about three musical styles if you wait. 

7. Food & Drink

I run, because I really like food. And thankfully I’ve run a lot in 2018 so I got to enjoy a lot.

I was introduced to the weird fermented tea monstrosity that is kombucha by my sister-in-law. Vinegar tasting drink that may or may not help your gut that grows in your living room. WTAF? However, health benefits aside the LA Brewery Strawberry and Black Pepper drink is something, alongside my pilgrimage to Leon, worth going to London for. I’ve heard it’s also for sale in Solihull but I don’t often travel that far beyond my class ;o) I’d say, try it...but I suspect 9/10 people with hate the flavour. 

I suspect 10/10 people that try the Aldi Black Forest Mince Pies would love them, but you won’t get a chance as I’ve bought them ALL. Aldi are a bugger for getting you hooked then never restocking. I only managed 10 boxes in 2018 and we’ve rationed well so have 12 left to get us through the bleak January weather. Cherries, Dark Chocolate, Chocolate pastry and a smidge of mincemeat. Perfect!

There are many ingredient delivery services available and I’ve only tried Gousto but I don’t know why you’d go anywhere else. 33 recipes tried and 32 of them I’d have again, with the one not so good one was still far better than anything I’d cook by myself. So easy, so tasty and if you want to try it I can give you a big discount that will help us buy another box, a tad expensive without a discount but worth a treat every so often.

Genuinely I traveled to London just to visit Max’s Sandwich Shop...kinda. It was certainly the deciding factor in a day out at the Summer Exhibition (see below). I downloaded the Kindle version of this book when it was promoted in an email, I bought some Scampi Fries and made a Fish Finger sandwich, I crumbled up some Ginger Nuts into a Mascarpone and Jam sandwich and I made a Fried Egg, Shoestring Fried and Gammon sandwich then I NEEDED to go and see how it’s really done. Amazing over the top sandwiches in a rough little hipster cafe in Stroud Green (no me neither and it’s a long walk from the tube!). So good I had to a) buy the hard copy of the book and b) carry half the sandwich home as even I couldn’t manage it all...not with deep fried macaroni balls filling me up ;o)

8. Places

A family that plays together, stays together as a great man once said. And we don’t just play inside, we love adventures so adventures we had.

I’d never been to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, as it’s in that there London which often seems hundreds of miles away...but I’m so glad that I visited this year. A trip with a good friend with neither of us knowing quite what to expect. We saw, and laughed, and marveled at, paintings, sculptures, videos, photos, models, and weirdness by Banksy next to Joe Lycett next to Grayson Perry next to Harry Hill, next to me mate Lorsen Camps from Coventry. The SA allows ANYONE to submit artwork for consideration and anyone can be accepted. I think this has to become a yearly visit, awesome.

My parents have been wanting to take our kids, and their big kid, to The Forbidden Corner in North Yorkshire for a few years now...and I’m so happy we finally got round to going. Started as a folly to entertain his children this huge labyrinthine site is crammed with strange sculptures, mazes, tricks and squirting fountains. Many hours were spent squeezing through holes, getting lost and getting wet. Beautifully eccentric.

A family holiday to Brittany meant we could visit the loopy city (it’s their phrase!) of Nantes and more importantly Les Machines d’Ile. Ostensibly the workshop of  a group of engineers and artists that make huge animatronic machines and animals...that you can ride on! Needs to be seen to be believed, the Elephant brings out the big kid in everyone...and we can’t wait to go back in a few years when they’ve built a huge forest over the river with ride on caterpillars and dragonfly. Incredible. The city itself is dotted with crazy art and interactive pieces encouraging play, I know a city closer to home that should be the UK Loopy City of Culture!

Luckily Tilly is a Harry Potter obsessive AND it was her birthday last year so it gave us the excuse we didn’t need to visit the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio Tour. Wow, just wow. The incredible detail in everything made for the film, the engineering, the amount of artists involved and the presentation of the exhibition blew us away. I’ve enjoyed everything in this list but this maybe was the most magical in the best way.

Many many amazing experiences warrant a mention, but I just don’t have enough words, include Talking Birds - Walk with Me, Print Manufactory Darkroom Workshop, Ludic Rooms Random String Festival, Go Karting with Tilly, some dancing balloons in Broadgate, Godiva Festival with Tony Christie et al, Bristol Gromit trail, Disc Golfing with my girls, Edinburgh Fringe with Dick and Dom and with another wonderful dick from Coventry starring in Bon Jovi musical We’ve Got Each Other, Pandas! at Edinburgh Zoo, Matilda the Musical with Tilly at last, running the Coventry Mile with the girls’ school, Dippy the Dinosaur in Brum, Wicksteed Park (amazing family fun theme park like what they used to be), Cycling on Stratford Greenway in the sun, Autotesting at MotoFest, Bourton-on-the-Water (it’s just a shame 3 million other people know about this gorgeous village), Giant Pac Man in the city centre, Pork Pie making with a good friend, CET several times, Novelty Automation in London and being on The One Show, a couple of Hope & Social gigs and much much much more fun with my wonderful fam and friends. Roll on 2019!

[bxprinsloo]

wake up call | behadam

who: Adam & Behati

location: Behati’s residence 

date: May 26th 2018 

summary: Adam picks up Dusty for the night, Behati & Adam discuss what happened between him and Anna. 

tagged: @hfamelevine

Behati: Behati could sense that Adam was upset over having to leave Dusty for a while, and she understood. She wasn’t going to question where he was going with Anna, because it was really none of her business anymore. She finished giving Dusty a bath, changing her into a pair of comfortable pajamas so Adam had less to worry about. “Daddy’s gonna spend the night with you cause he misses your pretty self!” She laughed softly, setting Dusty down on the middle of her bed and combing her hair. Making sure it was dry enough. “What do you wanna wear tomorrow, D?” She pulled out two outfits, letting Dusty choose before placing the clothes into her daughters overnight bag.

Adam: Leaving for tour was always something that Adam dreaded, but now that dread was one hundred times worse because he was leaving Dusty behind. Sure, since she had been born he had shows here and there, but this was his first major tour with breaks that he’d be going on with the band, and he wasn’t handling it well. Since he and Anna were heading to the UK on Monday for a little vacation and a visit to a friend while he was playing a show with his own band, he wanted to see Dusty before he left and was happy that Behati agreed. “That!” She said, pointing to an outfit with a laugh as she looked up at Behati. “That one, mom!” She said, and as Adam usually has, he walked into the house with Behati’s okay and headed to the bottom of the staircase. “Bee?” He called out.

Behati: “Good choice, babe.” Behati smiled, leaning over the bed to place a kiss to her daughters head. She heard the door open, the excitement on both of the girls faces was evident when Adam called out for them. “Up here!” She yelled over her shoulder, moving about the room to continue packing Dusty’s bag. “Wait!” She whispered, picking up the little girl and setting her on the ground. “Go hide and we’ll prank your dad.” She teased, watching Dusty nodded in agreement and ran to find a hiding spot. Choosing to hide behind the full length mirror in her mothers room.

Adam: Dusty’s little giggles filled up the room until she ran behind the full length mirror and they stopped, and Adam started walking up the stairs once he heads Bee yell from where he assumed that she and Dusty were up there. Walking into the room, he spots her first. “Hey...” He says, looking around the room for a moment or two. “Where’s D?”

Behati: Grabbing the small toothbrush and toothpaste for Dusty from the bathroom, she walked back in to meet Adam, who seemed to be looking for their daughter. "Hey." She bit her lip, trying to hide the smile on her lips. "I'm not sure." With a shrug of her shoulders she turned her attention back to packing the bag.

Adam: “What?” He asked suddenly, having not caught the smile on her lips, his attention is moving around the room again. “What do you mean you’re not sure where she is?”

Behati: She glanced over to the mirror, making sure Dusty couldn't see her. She shook her head, placing her finger over her lips before pointing to wear you could see two little feet at the bottom of the mirror. "Like I said, I'm not sure where she went. She might be invisible."

Adam: Turning his head, he looks toward the mirror and sees Dusty’s small feet, and that's when a smile is now inching across his lips. He chuckles, shaking his head as he looks back at Behati. “You know, that makes me sad. I had a picnic and Starbucks planned and everything too!” He teases. “Guess I’ll have to leave without her!”

Behati: "It's unfortunate she'd miss such a fun day with dad.." Behati looked over at the mirror, seeing Dusty moving from behind the mirror. "No daddy i'm here!" Their daughter hurried towards her dad with her arms stretched out for him.

Adam: “You’re here!” Adam laughed, leaning down to meet Dusty’s height and kneeling to meet her as she runs toward him with her arms stretched out, picking her up and kissing her cheek a few times. “You didn’t really wanna miss out on a fun day with dad like Mommy said, did you?”

Behati: Behati watched with a bright smile as Adam picked her up, cuddling her in his arms. "No way daddy!" The tone of their daughters voice making the model laugh. She folded up the cheetah print blanket Dusty slept with, placing it neatly in the overnight bag and sipping it up. "Okay, I'm pretty sure I put everything she needs in here." She turned to look at Adam. "Anything else you need her to bring?"

Adam: “Good, because I would miss you way too much.” With his arms still wrapped around his daughter as he holds her, he turns to Bee and shakes his head as his eyes catch sight of the overnight bag. “No, I think she’s good.” He says, quietly. Letting out a small breath, he lets Dusty rest her head on his shoulder. “Thank you...for lettting me have her.”

Behati: "Hey, it's no problem. I know how you feel." Behati picked up the bag by it's strap, slinging over her shoulder. "Oh, wait a minute." She walked out of her room and down the hall to Dusty's room, grabbing her favorite stuffed animal Adam gave to her when she was born. Returning to the room and handing it to Dusty. "We wouldn't wanna forget this now, would we?" Leaning in to kiss her daughter's cheek. "I'll walk you out if you'd like."

Adam: “It’s just...things have been rough this week.” He says, with a sigh. He knew that Behati knew that however, from their exchange of text messages and his need to constantly be vague about what was even going on with him to begin with. Once she returned to the room with Dusty’s stuffed animal, Dusty cuddled up with it in Adam’s arms and Adam nodded his head, nodding towards the stairs. “Yeah, yeah. Sounds good, lead the way.”

Behati: “I know, I’m sorry..” She chewed her bottom lip, wondering what exactly was bothering him but he wasn’t telling her, and she wasn’t going to push it if he didn’t want to talk about it. She nodded in return, heading out of the room and down the staircase towards the front door. “I think you might lose her before you even get to the car.” Bee joked, looking back and seeing Dusty get comfortable, her eyes closing a bit.

Adam: Adam had gone back and forth on if he should tell Behati what had been bothering him, if it was worth it or how she would feel about it. Though, he did know that they were trying to work on things and that holding something like this inside of him too long would do more damage, more than it already had. Following Bee down the stairs, he chuckles as he feels Dusty get comfortable in his arms. “She always falls asleep on the car rides.” He says, following her outside and to his car. “My house isn’t even a half hour away and she’s always fallen asleep. It doesn’t even matter.”

Behati: “She is definitely a quirky kid. I mean, her parents are pretty fucking weird. Especially her dad.” She stuck out her tongue, winking at Adam and opening the front door, heading down the front steps, not bothering to put any shoes on. She’d be back inside soon anyways. “Where do you want the bag? Front of back seat?” She asked her ex-husband, heading to his car.

Adam: “Do you not remember the last time you stuck out your tongue at me and I hip bumped you? Unless you want that to happen again, put it away.” He teases back to her. Letting out a laugh, he opens the back door to carefully put Dusty into her car seat and buckle her in safely. “Front seat is fine.”

Behati: "You know, you talk tough, but you're an LA boy." She teased, opening the front passengers side door, setting the back on the empty seat before shutting it. Waiting for Adam to buckle Dusty in, she crossed her arms over her chest. "You aren't as tough as me. I grew up in the wild, dude. You're fake tough." She giggled, leaning forward to push his arm playfully.

Adam: “Yeah yeah, don’t test me.” As he finishes getting Dusty buckled into her car seat, he double-checks it to make sure that it’s secure and that she’s secure in it. Once he sees that she is, he closes the door and then leans against it to look at Bee with a chuckle. “Fake tough, okay. That’s cute.” He joked. “Seriously, I...I appreciate it. I missed her and I don’t...want to spend my weekend doing something stupid, you know?”

Behati: "I'm testing you." She laughed, stepping back and running a hand through her hair. "At least I can hold a /baby/ lion without freaking out." She shook her head, leaning her side against his car too, facing him. "What do you mean?" She furrowed her brows, lately she had been worried about Adam, since he had been sending her pretty vague texts, and the incident of him getting too drunk to open a door. "What stupid thing would you do?"

Adam: “You’re honestly, really, still out of your fuckin’ mind for that. If we go to the Zoo with her again, I’m still not doing it.” He chuckles, running his hand through his hair. “Nothing, probably just...go out somewhere, and I’m trying to not do that.” He sighs, looking back at her. “I’m...I’m sorry.”

Behati: "Oh hush, it's not that bad!" She waved the singer off. "They are babies, it's harmless." She frowns, chewing on her bottom lip. The look of concern evident on her face. "What are you sorry for?" She reached her hand out to touch his arm. "You know, just because we aren't together anymore doesn't mean I'm still not worried about you and I know you well enough to know you're not alright.."

Adam: “It’s /weird/ and I still don’t know how you manage to do it.” While he’s still chuckling at her words, it’s not hard for him to catch the wind of concern on her face. Sighing as she touches him, he leans into the touch for a moment or two but then nods his head. “Look, it’s just...” He pauses, running a hand through his hair. “Anna...and I went to the doctors on Monday. It just...wasn’t what we wanted to hear.”

Behati: "I guess it's just cause I'm weird." She shrugged, stepping forward a little to offer her comfort, but far enough to not cross a line. She didn't want to make things awkward since they were still working on their friendship. Though she had to admit, she did miss being around him. "Huh?" She blinked, confused on what he was talking about. Her mind going straight to him, fearing the worst for his health. "What are you talking about? Are you sick or something?"

Adam: “Hm.” He chuckles once more, but is appreciative of the fact that she’s offering comfort to him in a time that he needs it. In a time of her knowing that he needed it. “No, I’m not sick.” He says, shaking his head. He’s quiet for a few moments, and then looks away as he swallows hard. “We, uh...we’ve been...talking about kids.” He admits. “She...she wanted to go and see what...was going on and if she could...”

Behati: "Well if you're not sick, what is it?" She raised a brow curiously, trying to think of something else that could be wrong. Maybe Anna was sick. "Wait, what?" She shook her head a bit in shock, eyebrows raising in surprise. She thought he was joking, but it didn't seem like that front his expression.. and the fact that he wasn't looking at her. "Kids.. wow.."

Adam: He knew right away that she thought that he was joking. He didn’t blame her, considering. Yeah, they had only been together for a short period of time, but this wasn’t something to joke about. Fighting the fact that he still couldn’t look at her, the words come flowing out of his mouth as the emotion hits him once again. “Anna can’t have kids naturally.” He says, shaking his head. “Said...chance of a natural pregnancy is...slim.”

Behati: Bee now felt a little weird talking about this. She was finally adjusting to the fact that Anna and Adam were in a relationship, and this new information wasn't easy to swallow. "Kids.." She muttered again, her eyes wide, looking down at the ground at her feet. "I uh... I'm sorry to hear that.." The blonde whispered, unsure of what to say. Her opinion didn't matter, even if she thought them having kids was a little much.

Adam: “It’s not happening overnight, Behati. She just went to see if we could even get anywhere with it and we can’t.” The words come out before he can stop them, and it’s mostly because he had been holding in so many feelings about the situation itself. Shaking his head, he clears his throat and then reaches for his keys from his jeans pocket. “She...has some...damage to the tubes or...something, so it’s...infertility is the issue.” He frowns, looking away once more with a sigh.

Behati: "Still, that's fucking heavy to talk about only after a few months." She shrugged, looking back at her house. She imagined just making a run for it, but she stayed put. Turning her head to look back at him, squinting due to the sun in her eyes. "Things like that do happen.." The model pushed herself off his car to stand up straight.

Adam: “Do you not think I know that? I know.” He sighs. Part of him wants to tell her that Dusty was part of the reason why he and Anna were so ready and willing to talk about kids the way that they had been, but he stayed quiet as he watched her for a few moment and then shook his head. “Yeah, well...now you know.” He frowns. “It’s...It wasn’t what we wanted to hear and it’s fucking with us both. Understandably.”

Behati: "Right.." She looked down, kicking a small stone on the driveway away from them and towards the front lawn. Suddenly it felt really awkward to talk about this. "I don't think it's something anybody wants to hear, really." She looked back up at him. "I'm sorry for that."

Adam: He looks at her for a few moments, another sigh falling from his lips. “Look, I’m...I’m sorry.” He says, clearing his throat after a few moments. “It’s not ideal to be talking about kids with someone with your ex, I know.” He pauses, shrugging his shoulders at her apology. “It’s not your fault. I’m just trying to figure out how to manage it better.”

Behati: "It's fine." She crossed her arms over her chest again, shrugging a little. "I'd rather you talk to me about whatever's bothering you, then not talking at all I guess.." Behati bit the inside of her cheek for a minute, watching him. This was really bothering him, and no matter what, she was his friend first and she wanted to support him the best she could. "Hey.." She reached out, wrapping her arms around his neck. "It's okay, there are other ways of going about it."

Adam: “I can’t just not talk at all. I tried not to and it ended up in me punching the shit out of the punching bag in the gym downstairs at my house. He looks at her as she reaches out, and when she wraps her arms around his neck, he does the same in wrapping his arms around her too, to hug her. “I know,” He says, quietly. “I’m working on it. Drinking isn’t the right way, I know. I’m...I’m done with that.” He clears his throat once more, pulling away from her. “I was done when I got so drunk that I couldn’t even open the fridge door.”

Behati: "I know, it's just... weird if i'm being honest." She closed her eyes for a moment, squeezing him against her to let him know she was here for him. "If you ever need me, call me and I'll come to you. Okay?" She smiled softly, stepping back a bit. "Good, I'm glad you're done with that. I hated it." She shook her head, looking into the car to see Dusty fast asleep. "I'm glad we could work this out.. Not only for her, but for us too."

Adam: “I know. I’m sorry.” He whispers back. Of course he knows that it’s weird—it felt weird and it was weird to him, but it was nice that she was letting him talk about it and get it off of his chest anyway. Letting out a small breath, he nods his head. “Okay,” He says, softly. “As long as...you do the same thing if you need me?” He asks, glancing back into the car for a moment to check on Dusty before opening his car door and nodding his head. “Me too.” He says, quietly. Looking at her again, he steps forward to wrap his arms around her into a hug once more.

Behati: "Don't apologize, I want you to be happy and if that makes you happy, do it. I know you've always wanted a big family." She nods in return, pushing some of her blonde hair behind her dark hair behind her ear. "Will do." She stood up and away from the car, seeing him get ready to leave. A tiny smile on her lips as he hugs her again, her arms around him as she returned the gesture. "Take care of yourself, A. I'll see you soon." She whispered before pulling away. Stepping back to let him get into his car.

[furederiko]

This is the LAST post for December, meaning it's also the FINAL post for the year. Anything special to publish in the conclusive day of 2017? NOPE. Just this... uhmmm, random ramblings. Ahahaha...

My internet went down completely for around 2 weeks since December 13th. The unexpected 'incident' (I apparently has burned my modem *sigh*) made me switched into my creative side and did genuine FUN non-internet related things instead. And I got all caught up by it... that I practically did NOT prepare anything for Tumblr.

Had a Random-News-Digest prepared for mid-December, but ditched it completely because the content would be highly outdated now. Wanted to do my monthly recap-view for "Kamen Rider Build", but haven't finished it so it'll have to wait until next month. The only thing I could pull off was the recap-views for "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" last 2 episodes of the year. Though to be honest, that amazing show was part of my 'offline fun' as well. So yeah, unlike last year, there is no TOP 10 list this year. Didn't even publish anything for Christmas, because I completely FORGOT about it! LOL... (^^;)

Anyways, to make up for all of that, I've written a rough 'RECAP' of what went through my life this year. Entertainment-wise, of course, and not all but just some of the highlights. In list form! Why? Because I feel like it *grins*. Here goes nothing...

Movies, Oh movies...

- Watched even less movies on the theatre this year, and opted to wait several releases on home video. Only went to see the big guns, thus there isn't any disappointment. - Surprisingly, I loved the live action "Beauty and the Beast" more than the animated original. Dan Stevens' solo number "Evermore" is stuck in my head ever since. - Haven't seen "Coco", and really want to. Here's hoping the home video will be released soon. I guess I should see "Cars 3" first, huh? - "Dunkirk" was magnificent. War movie is usually not my forte, so I'm pleasantly surprised that Christopher Nolan managed to make me enjoy one. Was it the short duration, the all-out jerks of the army, or the non-stop intensity? Don't know. But if there's at least one thing I've gained from it: I disliked Harry Styles ever more now. No kidding. Poor French soldier... - I'm a visual guy so when I saw a disturbing scene, it usually stayed on my head for a good while. That bloody scene after the bomb explosion on "Stronger", for example? *sigh*. I hope Jake Gyllenhall receives an Oscar nomination for his work on this movie. - "Death Note" and "Ghost in the Shell"? Enjoyed the first one more, but both deserved better. - Tom Cruise's "The Mummy" was mediocre, but I'm among the minority who actually want to see more of Universal's Dark Universe. Even if just to see more of Russell Crowe going Jekyll. Charlie Hunnam's "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" was the movie's kindred spirit, while "Kong: Skull Island" was the opposite. Kong will be meeting Godzilla in the coming years! - Comic book adaptations were generally top notch. Naturally the three Marvel Studios' releases; "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2", "Spider-Man: Homecoming", and "Thor: Ragnarok"; would be my top picks. Don't ask me to choose which one is the best though! All three were amazing and marvelous in their own unique ways, so I'd gladly rank them in the same spot just to be fair. - I admit, "Logan" and "Wonder Woman" were great too, but I didn't like them as much as everyone else on the planet. Not sure why, I guess... none of them was my cup of tea? Let's just say, there were problems on each of them that I couldn't quite tolerate and it reduced my overall impression on them. - Don't ask about "Justice League". I'll wait until I can borrow a copy when it's out on home video. Not wasting my money on a poorly reviewed DC Films. For now, "The LEGO Batman Movie" remains to be the best DC release of the year. - "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" was just NOT as good as the prequel. It was fun, but it felt like it's repetitive yet also missing something and trying too much.

Show Must Go On...

- Just realized that I've seen MORE TV series this year! Both the currently in broadcast, or titles from previouse years like "Westworld". Oh WOW... - Both Marvel's "Iron Fist" and Marvel's "The Defenders" were genuine duds. Both TV series were underwhelming and disappointing, that I have lost any urge to see Marvel's "The Punisher". - Haven't seen Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." 5th season as well, because I haven't been feeling it. Though that will change in the near future because I'm itching to see its 5th episode. Hey, my boy Fitz and Hunter are the star of that episode, right? THAT I just have to see! I wonder if seeing that episode would be enough to convince me to watch the previous four episodes... - Currently following Marvel's "Runaways", though this 1st season might be my first and last. Don't know why, but not feeling it either. I think CW's "Riverdale" was a more watchable show, and even that one have been dropped after Season 1. LOL. I guess teenage soap-opera is just NOT my thing. - The 5th and final season of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" was kind of... all over the place too. This show should've ended with Season 3, if you ask me. It had a bittersweet ending, akin to "Samurai Jack". But it also did not ended gracefully, and far less enjoyable to follow. - "Stranger Things" Season 2 was amazing. It had a somewhat different vibe compared to the 1st one, but equally enjoyable to watch. Poor characters whose name starts with 'B'... - I think the 3rd and 4th Seasons of "Voltron Legendary Defender" were initially meant to be one unit. The show's first two seasons were impressive, but these latter two were... okay? I don't know why, but it felt like it has waned a bit. - "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" was somewhat similar. I had great time with Season 1 and 2, but Season 3 was a bit... uneven. Many of the jokes didn't quite hit, and some of the story development started feeling like a recycled trick. Still, I would love to see a 4th Season, and hopefully with better improvements. - Was expecting "Big Hero 6: The Series" to be as amazing as the Oscar-winning movie... but alas that didn't seem to be the case. Didn't quite enjoy the 2-episodes premiere as much as I wanted to. A complete opposite to "DuckTales", that hit all the right notes. The sole complaint I have about this reboot/remake, is that Scrooge McDuck's adventure isn't airing new episodes on a weekly basis! Aaaaargggh, the long wait is making me angry. - If you haven't seen "Thunderbirds Are Go", then what are you waiting for? I feel the 2nd Season had more and more amazing moments, to the point that I hope Season 3 will come sooner than later. - Comedies are taking my leisure time now! Have been following Seth McFarlane's "The Orville". It was mediocre to good, and desperately in need of improvements (hopefully in Season 2). Yet I keep going back and see it. Is it the star power of its guest stars? - Adam Scott and Craig Robinson's "Ghosted" is on my top priority watch. Sure, the quality has reduced a bit since the pilot, but the supernatural agents aren't going anytime soon from my house. - The same with Kevin Finn! Great goodness, I have only started watching "Kevin Probably Saves the World" since early this month (the benefit of NOT getting preoccupied by the internet LOL), but I'm already regretting why I didn't start sooner. Now I honestly can't wait to see more! Kevin is such an adorkable, likeable, and surprisingly relatable quirky lead. The kind of guy I would totally love to be best friends with in real life. Really though, the show is infectuous with its acts of kindness, heartwarming with its pleasant vibes, and also surprisingly engaging through its personal conflicts. If you hear me giggling, laughing out loud, or sobbing lately, you can probably thank Kevin, his guardian Angel, family, and friends for that! Seriously...

A Spoonful of Anime and Toku

- Turns out, "Kekkai Sensen & Beyond" wasn't the sequel that I expected to be. It's... 'different' than the first season. But when you get to see what the other members of Libra (even the team's butler) are doing in their daily lives, should one even be complaining? In the end it was indeed as amazing and fun ride as the first season, even if lead protagonist Leonardo Watch took a back seat most of the season. I'm already crossing my fingers to see more adventure of the team. But it likely won't happen in the near future, huh? Bummer... - "Ballroom e Youkoso" was a peculiar dance. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half, but after Tatara changed partner things got... hectic and irritating to follow? It was still good, but a rather uneven show if you ask me for honest impression. At the very least, it wasn't a wasted opportunity like "Kabuki-bu!" was. - "Houseki no Kuni" was of similar situation. Its animation was gorgeous, story was peculiarly engaging, and world building was great. But there were episodes that were undeniably better than the rest, and I didn't quite like how it ended. I guess that finale was teasing for more seasons? Hmmm... - It's been years since I follow a Pretty Cure series, and "Kira Kira Precure A La Mode" wet my appetite and got me back to the game. Unfortunately, while the design was interesting, and the sweets angle was neat, the story was somewhat weak. I have lost my initial enthusiasm after the first half, but I still watch it because it's going to end pretty soon. Not quite expecting a mindblowing finale though, especially if the animation quality is any indication. A common problem of TOEI Animation. Remember "Sekaisuru KADO"? - Dang it, what an impressive year it has been with Super Sentai. "Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger" was kind of dull and boring last year, but had a great ending this year. And it was quickly followed by something even better. Yes, another show that has dragged me on a pleasant roller coaster ride is none other than TOEI's "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger". Since its premiere run on February, until its Christmas episode that wrapped up its 2017 run, I haven't been disappointed once with the series. Yes, I had an issue with the spin-off series of V-Cinema "Episode of Stinger", but that didn't count as the broadcast lineup. Though it's painful for me to soon say goodbye to this amazing season, I hope its last month will be memorable and a blast. Particularly because I'm currently having second thoughts about the 2018 season... - Just like its weekly storyline, "Kamen Rider Build" is still moving me back and forth. I'm honestly on the verge of dropping it completely, but I guess I'm going to check out several episodes from the next "Kamen Rider Wars" arc. I kind of feel it takes too long to get to this point when it could've been done earlier, but who am I to argue, right?

Name of the Game

- "Nintendo Switch" was a hit! Ever since its release on March 2017, the buzz and hype for this hybrid console only continue to increase. I wonder if I will be able to purchase one next year? Perhaps, just in time for the next Pokemon gen? - Speaking of Pokemon, the addition of Generation III from Hoenn region has made me go out and explore "Pokemon GO" again. The whole Raid Battle system and Niantic's handling of the Legendary Pokemon had disappointed so bad that I was close to give up on this App. Thankfully, now I have a horde of new reason to walk around the neighborhood. Problem is, can the same premise work in the long run? Niantic really need to consider new social features that enables players to engage with one another. - "Street Fighter V" had a weird set of DLC characters this year. The 2nd Season contained mostly new characters, that was a hit or miss with fans. Thankfully, things seem to be picking up next year with the Arcade Edition. Not just because my man Cody Travers is all dandy clean and returning to the game, of course. Question is, will I be able to play the game eventhough I don't have any plans to pick up a PS4? *giggles*. - I also haven't been able to play "Persona 5" due to the exact reason. LOL. Thankfully, "Persona 5 the Animation" has been announced to air next year. Sure, I'm a bit skeptical with the fact that A-1 Pictures and not Production I.G. will be doing the animation, but at least this will be my way of enjoying the game... WITHOUT actually playing it. - LEVEL-5 should do more of that worldwide Puzzle Quest! That was meant to be a prelude or some sort to "Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and The Millionaires' Conspiracy", but I think the game developer should learn by now that it could work as a stand alone project. It made people come together in surprising way, and attracted fans to come back everyday to check out the new worldwide puzzle. Real FUN!

Oookaaay, that went A LOT longer than I expected. And I'm 100% sure that there are items that completely slipped my mind. As of writing this line, it's only just a few hours before the year ends! Aaaaarggggh *grumble*. Gotta publish this one soon then!

With that said, 2017 has been a difficult and challenging year. Particularly to a very discriminative and straight-out evil political atmosphere. One that allowed people to show their true despicable nature and selfishly trampled others for it. Last year I did say that "There's so many reasons to be hopeful about 2017", but reality had spoken differently as it turned out there were plenty more to discourage us throughout the year. Many people have even lost their fate in humanity this year.

But you know what? I'm going to say the same thing this day as well. There are SOOO many reasons to be hopeful about 2018. I don't know if it's because I'm currently caught up in the holiday spirit, or because I've been feeling extra thankful and blessed this month. One thing I can openly attest, is that things DO GET BETTER. So don't ever lose hope, and keep fighting the good fight in the name of just and goodness. I'm being lazy right now, so I'm just going to copy and paste my own words from last year: "Life can sometimes be hard, but all we need to do is stay strong, stay high spirited, and more importantly, keep moving forward! Happiness and blessings will surely find its way, in ways you might not imagine!".

And also this next one... because I'm going to be saying more or less the same kind of statements anyway: "Thanks to those who have been reading my blog all year long. I know I haven't spent much time (or any) to address you one by one, and heck, I might not even know you're there. But please know that I'll always be grateful for your presence, your time, kindness, and more importantly patience to walk through my long and sometimes pointless ramblings. What you've been doing means a lot for me, and I hope what I've been posting has and will somehow benefit back to you in return.". 2017 ends in just a few hours away, so let's enter and stride through 2018 with a hopeful and brave heart, the biggest and earnest smiles, the most sincere love and compassion for others regardless of their religion, race, or skin color. More importantly, let's make 2018 a year that we can be proud of. Where we take a stand for what's right and good! Where we become better human being than we are this year!

SEE YOU TOMORROW IN 2018!!!