#Anne 's House of Dreams

[leaves-lilies-and-esther]

Lol- I got to that point in the Anne of Green Gables series where Diana has two kids (little Anne Cordelia + mini Fred!) and she's raving about how amazing this new catalogue is to entertain them because they'll sit and look at it for hours.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Lynde: "I managed to raise x number of kids without the aid of any catalogue, thank you very much."

It reminded me so much of how people talk about phones now - "I raised such-and-such many kids without it!"

[jolieeason]

May 2023 Wrap Up

Here is what I read/posted/bought in May. As always, let me know if you have read any of these books and (if you did) what you thought of them. Books I Read: Free Kindle Purchase KU Purchase ARC from St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin ARC from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam ARC from Sourcebooks Casablanca ARC from St. Martin’s Press ARC from St. Martin’s…

[winterhalters]

K I N G S I D E, a tale of seven kings

first season 1514-1520. Claude and François finally get married, a vacant seat for Mary Tudor, Louise of Savoy's stubborness to keep her son in check. A new King arises, the New Order, François' quest for glory in Italy. Another crown, another campaign.

second season 1522-1530. The inheritance dispute that leads Bourbon to treason. The pursuit of the italian dream, Claude dies, all is lost in Pavia. Süleyman and the unthinkable alliance, captivity in Spain. The Ottoman fleet. Royal depression. The inheritance dispute that led Bourbon to treason. The ladies' peace, Henry VIII flinching, a price for two princes, a New wife for the King.

third season 1531-1537. Louise dies, tensions between François and Marguerite. The wedding of Catherine and Henri. The rise of Pisseleu, the battle at Court between Charles and Henri and their people. War between Diane and Montmorency. Placards and the anti-heterics frenzy, another war in Italy. Wedding and death of Madeleine.

fourth season 1539-1547. Mending tensions between France and Spain. A very stubborn niece. All eyes on Henri and Catherine's sterile womb. Death of Charles. The duel in Jarnac. The King is dead, long live. Diane de Poitier's absolute triumph over Anne de Pisseleu. The Guises make their move.

fifth season 1553-1559. Diane of France's not so typical royal wedding. Catherine giving birth to the twins, Chenonceau goes to Diane, the cordial hate between the two. Rohan VS Nemours. Montmorency mess and a remarriage for Diane of France. The death of Henri, everything falls down.

sixth season 1560-1564. François II barely hanging on, Catherine's almost giving up, Elisabeth married off, the Guise family's counterpower, Montemorency's political exile, the Amboise conspiracy, preparations for the grand tour.

seventh season 1565-1572. The end of the grand tour, encounter between the royal family and Elisabeth, queen of Spain. The rise of Charles IX, a new queen, Marie Touchet and her bastard boys. Catherine's plans to get a match for Marguerite. Rising tensions between Charles and Henri after Jarnac and Montcontour. Marguerite's nuptials amidst tensions and Coligny's attempted murder.

eighth season 1572-1575. Coligny and the Protestant leaders rallying the troops. The Saint Barthelemew Massacre and the promise of Marguerite to never forgive her family. Catherine finds out Anjou's possible involvement. A new king for Poland. Marguerite's toubled married life. Death of Charles IX. Henri's escape from Poland and slow return to France.

nineth season 1581-1584. Catherine's illusions shatter. New King, no heir. Marguerite returns to Paris. Louise shows some spine against the King's favorites. Quarelling with Anjou, tensions with Elizabethan England, Anjou's election and subsequent death and Catherine's anger. The Guise family veering off the road.

tenth season 1585-1589. The mounting war of the three Henris. All eyes on King Henri who has no sons, Catherine's political exile, the slow burning of the last Valois children. Hunting down Marguerite from stronghold to stronghold, ending with her house arrest in Usson. Assassination of the Guise brothers, the death of Catherine, Henri III breaks down in Diane's arms. Marguerite in exile, Diane the only "true" daughter of Catherine's, as she sets out to (successfully) pacify the kingdom on her own.

[beaft]

formative influences/things that live in my heart (inspired by @feytouched's syllabus)

movies

alice (1988) by jan svankmejer

the double (2013) by richard ayoade

nosferatu (1979) by werner herzog

withnail and i (1987) by bruce robinson

books

the haunting of hill house by shirley jackson

the lord of the rings by j. r. r. tolkien

deathless by catherynne valente

autobiography of red by anne carson

coraline by neil gaiman

grief is the thing with feathers by max porter

the little prince by antoine de saint-exupéry

a series of unfortunate events by lemony snicket

artworks

eine kleine nachtmusik by dorothea tanning

tell me the way by kay nielsen

the garden of earthly delights by hieronymous bosch

st george and the dragon by paolo uccello

poems

the love song of j. alfred prufrock by t. s. eliot

sunlight on the garden by louis macneice

i had a dream about you by richard siken

i'm not a religious person but by chen chen

songs

that unwanted animal by the amazing devil

go long by joanna newsom

spaceboy by smashing pumpkins

lord anthony by belle and sebastian

quick! by the magnetic fields

miscellaneous

sleeping beauty concept art by eyvind earle

jeremy miranda's winter paintings

the site-specific installations of rune guneriussen

colleen moore's fairy dollhouse

bird and blend's "campfires and vampires" tea

snowflakes are dancing by isao tomita (the whole album)

viktor wynd's wunderkabinet

in the realms of the unreal by henry darger

jean-paul gaultier 2007 collection

[coraniaid]

Here is a list of every Buffy character who appears in, or is mentioned by name in, at least one episode of every season.

These are the characters that, you might assume, are the most important over the course of the whole show. The ones that the writers cared about most and refused to stop caring about. The ones that did the most to shape who Buffy Anne Summers herself would become as a person. Put simply: the main characters of the show.

Each of them appears in the first season and also appears (in one case, as a post-death vision) in the last.

Just for fun I've added (in parenthesis) the number of episodes each of them actually appears in. Can you spot the odd one out?

Buffy Summers (144) Willow Rosenberg (144) Xander Harris (143) Rupert Giles (126) Joyce Summers (58) Angel (58) Amy Madison (8)

That's right, Xander Harris is the obvious odd one out.

All the others appeared in an even number of episodes, but -- because he doesn't appear in Season 7's Conversations With Dead People -- Xander only appears in 143 of the show's 144 total episodes. Thus making him, quite literally, the odd ...

... okay, okay, obviously it's Amy.

Amy Madison appears in one -- and only one -- episode of each of Seasons 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 and in three episodes of Season 6. She doesn't appear in Season 5 at all but Willow does mention her, by name, in Season 5's Triangle.

Other characters introduced in Season 1 who appear in or are mentioned by name in most of the show's remaining seasons include

Cordelia Chase (who is in 54 episodes over three seasons starting from Welcome to the Hellmouth, plus 88 more in the Angel spin-off; but is not mentioned by name in Season 6 or Season 7 [although there's a brief flashback via archive footage in Season 7's Him that I don't think should count]),

Principal Snyder (18 episodes over just three continuous seasons starting with The Puppet Show (and a posthumous appearance in Season 4's Restless), mentioned by name in every following season except Season 5)

Harmony Kendall (14 episodes over five continuous seasons, starting with Season 1's The Harvest, plus a dream appearance in Restless and 18 more episodes in Angel; mentioned by name in Season 6 of Buffy but not in Season 7 [unless you count that previously mentioned archive footage in Him but I still don't think you should).

Why and how Amy manages to make it on to this list is genuinely something of a mystery to me. The writers very obviously do not care about her as a character at all, they treat her primarily as a joke or a plot device, they never bother to give her anything resembling a coherent arc or show any sign of treating the various traumatic things that happen to her (months with her body magically stolen by her own mother; years living as a rat; retroactively a magical junkie and somehow the only straight witch in Sunnydale) with any sympathy at all.

And yet, by at least one metric [admittedly a pretty silly and arbirtrary metric] ... the most important recurring characters on Buffy -- the only ones to be mentioned in every single season of the show -- are

Buffy herself;

Buffy's best friend, her college roommate, the woman she shares a house with for the last two seasons of the show, her metaphorical spirit, the girl she was prepared to die for in Season 1, the all-powerful witch who brings her magically back to life when she dies in Season 5;

Buffy's other best friend, her metaphorical heart, somebody who isn't afraid to tell her that she's his hero and inspiration in the dark, the ordinary man who she trusts to protect her last living family member in an apocalypse, the boy who brought her (non-magically) back to life when she died in Season 1;

her Watcher, her metaphorical mind, the mentor who instructs her and guides her and lies to her and ultimately abandons her, the closest thing in the whole world she has to a father, somebody who cares about her so much he is convinced she would be better off without him in her life;

her mother, the person who raised her, the parent whose good opinion she's most afraid of losing, the woman who she spends two years hiding her true nature from, somebody who loves her and fights to protect her and -- ultimately -- accepts her, but isn't quite able to ever truly understand her, the mother whose untimely death marks her own transition into adulthood;

the centuries-old vampire with a soul she falls in love with as a teenager, setting in motion a tragic series of events that will culminate in him losing said soul, forcing her to send him to hell and making it hard for her to ever admit her love for anybody else (plus to him getting his own five-season spin-off show);

and ... a girl she meets in sophmore year for cheerleading tryouts, (which they both fail) and who she will have one single direct conversation with again, five years later, a conversation that comprises a total of twelve syllables ("Hi Buffy." "Hi. How've you been?" "Rat. You?" "Dead." "Oh.")

Whenever people talk about Buffy as if it was meticulously crafted and plotted from the beginning; whenever they insist you can't possibly understand a character until you've seen a flashback episode that aired five years after their first appearance, whenever they make reference to the show's Original Plan in a way that implies any deviation from this plan is something remarkable that needs to be explained, I always think about Amy Madison.

What better evidence do you need in favour of the idea that, in fact, the writers were just making it all up as they went, right from the beginning? What Plan did the writers ever have in mind for Amy? How can all of this possibly have been on purpose?

[gogandmagog]

What do you think Gilbert’s most under-rated moment is? Of all the books. 😊

— Anne’s House of Dreams, Lucy Maud Montgomery

Man, it bursts my little bubble to think about the ‘Dawn and Dusk’ chapter of ‘House of Dreams’ too much but Gilbert’s most underrated moment has surely gotta be this one.

Gilbert’s dauntless integrity is really easy to overlook in the shadow of the ineffable sorrow of this moment. This is the single most violent blow in the world to hand a mother (or arguably anyone anywhere; the loss of a child is such a ruinous grief that not everyone survives it, and here even Marilla, a strong believer in moral code, in Providence, and honesties… openly flees the scene) and yet Gilbert delivers it so softly, and directly. The fortitude it must’ve taken to not honey the inevitability of Joy’s ‘going’, by spinning counterfeit hope, that maybe he couldn’t be totally sure of what was to come, or that there was even a very small chance of recovery. With the understanding, of course, that Gilbert would’ve been properly trained in the parsing and distributing of ugly tidings (practised as a class exercise in medical schools, even in the 1880’s — though still not necessarily a very teachable skill)… but all those fine words and bedside manner instructions count for a whole lot less when it’s your own much desired child, your own much loved wife, and your own present bracing against the crippling tragedy still at hand.

For me, this moment just speaks of true shining character. Though Anne pointedly asked, where Leslie did not, we can also still see when we compare these two harsh occasions of outing-the-truths, that Gilbert’s going to do the right thing, no matter how agonising, no matter how personal, and no matter the infliction to himself. ��� And anyway, I love him soooo much for it.

In the even bigger picture of this chapter, how ready Gilbert is to humble himself is also up for discovery. Doctor Dave was called to the house. Doctor Dave was retiring, out of date with his technique, and so old fashioned that Gilbert wasn’t in the habit of consulting with him unless things were philosophically dire. At this point, Gilbert had already righted some Doctor Dave wrongs in the community; saved lives that he would’ve lost. And when we let all that sink in, Gilbert’s desperation in ‘Dawn and Dusk’ starkly shows through.

[thedeafprophet]

Till The Fever Broke

"The sickness struck like a viper, curled around in its vice grip, teeth sinking deep into all who crossed its path. Not even the girl had been spared in its path, brutal and unyielding. What other way could nature be?" Memory's a fickle beast; So too is illness. Both will pull you under, if given the chance

Word Count: 2.3k

Rating: Teen and Up

Relationships: The Manager of the Royal Bethlehem/Original Fallen London Character(s), Past Original Character & Original Character

Tags: Illnesses, Fever, Nightmares, Flashbacks, Past Child Death, Period typical child death, Period Typical Illness, Survivor Guilt, Grief/Mourning

Also On Ao3

Illness arrives like an unwanted solicitor, tracking you down on an otherwise fine day. By the time you get the warning knock at the door, it is already far too late. For one author, this warning spell came all too often, a familiar, damning arrival that inspired unease and upset whenever it deigned to make its appearance.

Jamie knew all too well that they were doomed, that evening when they felt an all too familiar scratch at the back of their throat. They'd kept up a futile hope it'd just been a matter of one too many speeches hailing in their doom.

The morning brought a pounding headache and far too much mucus- they knew they could never be so lucky. 

When they at last forced open their eyes from where they lay in bed, Jamie could see the edge of their reflection in the mirror across the room, looking almost worse than they felt. Already their hair was starting to slick with sweat, that faint sheen of pink of flushed skin making the heat of sickness all apparent. They would be blaming the bags under their eyes on this matter too. 

Jamie groaned and hid their head under the covers, when Mary-Anne arrived to rouse them, the one person in this house who paid clear mind to schedule. Jamie had already decided on their plan, informing her that they would take no need of her assistance today, and to send word of cancellation to the next few days' endeavours. 

There was simply no way they would be seen in public like this.

It seemed their dismissal was paid no mind, when Mary-Anne returned in a matter of minutes, the housekeeper arriving with tea, and a bowl of light soup that ‘Edith had already set about and prepared, and wouldn't it be a right shame to waste it?'

Now wasn’t that just typical. Jamie pouted slightly over their cup of tea as they drank, the warmth in their chest surely either the tea itself, or the dangerous rising heat of the illness.

They still tried to work after that, of course, as much as they could manage. Ignore the dizziness and sort through an unedited draft. Trick the mind into thinking it was fine - no worse than working with a nagging hangover, headache and all. 

It lasted only so long, before weakness and exhaustion dragged them back to bed. Jamie glared at the lamp in their bedroom, feeling much themself like a light trying to burn with no fuel. They felt as if they were covered in a cold flame, the surface of their skin a raging fire even as they shivered. 

But it was not the weakness - or the heat, the cold,the cough beginning to rear its ugly head - that gave Jamie pause. Their pulse ran quick from more than just exertion. They fidgetted from more than just boredom, more than just the discomfort that hounded every toss and turn.

Illness was a familiar beast, a stalking predator that Jamie knew all too well. Apprehension shook through their very core, a fear primal and deep within them, bringing forth all their worries from oh so long ago. With nothing to distract them, their thoughts ran wild, and there is nothing more dangerous than an artist alone with their mind. 

When sleep finally arrived, in fits and moments of feverish tosses and turns, it was not without its teeth.

For when sleep comes, so too does dreams.

-

Sunlight - real, true sunlight, oh so very long ago - filtered in through a crack in the curtains. It was early, the calling bell of morning barely rung, as the little girl blinked blearily at what had woken her. 

The girl's friend giggled quietly from where she sat, nudging her awake. “C’mon, you said you’d show me what y’found in the woods! If we don’t go now we’ll miss our chance.”

Confusion. Bewilliderment. How-

“Where are we going?” Grass, brilliant and green underfoot, as the two girls ventured beneath the trees, lit by light filtered through their leaves. The dirt here would stain the orphanage clothes, and they would receive more than just an earful for it, but some ventures were worth the consequences. 

The friend giggled “I don’t know! You were the one who said you found something out here.” She swept her foot at a pebble, before jumping up onto a fallen log. 

That’s right, the girl had found something, long ago when she had ventured off on her own, hidden away from prying eyes that rarely looked towards her.  

A hidden cache of wild strawberries, a harbinger of the season to come, dotted along the forest’s clearing. What a treasure! What a find! It was not often that fruit so fresh was acquired, and none that had to be shared.

But perhaps, just this once, the girl would be willing. For as rare as the fruit was, so too was a friend. 

Fruit crushed between small, gentle hands, shared without an ounce of expectation.

Red can be sweet, remember? Red can mean something gentle, something innocent.  

Not just blood, not just-

The little girl hissed in pain as a piece of cloth was pressed gently against the scrape. She pouted at her friend, a path of tears still clear.

“Y’sure are clumsy Jam,” her friend had said, and the girl had pouted more, proclaiming that it was hardly her fault the branch had gotten underfoot. 

They must venture out once more, she declared with great force, and gain vengeance against the evil branch that had made a most fierce enemy this day!

Her friend had broken into a fit of giggles at the proclamation, and the next adventure planning set far into motion.

They should have set out sooner.

She was too young, then, to know. For one to understand that time is always ticking towards an end, first, time must be lost.

The sickness struck like a viper, curled around in its vice grip, teeth sinking deep into all who crossed its path. Not even the girl had been spared in its path, brutal and unyielding.

 What other way could nature be?

The world became as if through cotton, the pain and pulsing pressure far more prominent than the symptoms of the illness by itself. 

All mattered not to the girl, as she sat her silent vigil at the bedside. She hoped everyday would be the day the tide would turn, that breathing would get stronger, and the cough would end.

Every day, she hoped, through her own aches and pains, and the growing silence that would never truly fade. 

Every day, until the waiting stopped.

A gentle tug at her sleeve, a pulling of attention, the little girl having to lean in close to hear. Her friend's voice was barely above a creaking whisper, eyes red with tears, with so much left unseen. 

One last time, one last chance. The forest laid unbidden with so many secrets left untold. The night was dark, the air warm, and the sun would break through the leaves once more. 

“Just wait, okay Molly? Please, just-”

With every effort, every muscle, every cough and sniffle suppressed, the little girl hauled both herself and her friend as far as she could manage, there among the grass and leaves.

It was there the little girl sat, clutching her friend's hand, waiting for a dawn that would never come. 

-

Waking from the dream was like being dragged to the ocean’s surface after the water had already filled your lungs, still feeling the cling of waves that threatened to pull you under, soaked to the bone by the danger lurking below you, waiting yet again to strike.  

It was not the crush of salt water that clung to them however: it was sweat, clinging to their forehead and their body and surely ruining their nightgown, beyond being a downright disgust to deal with. Sleep had given them no respite from the illness that clung to their being, mind and body alike. 

In the moments between waking and dreaming, Jamie struggled to tell which was which. The past was an undercurrent always around them, and they had never been the best swimmer. Everything felt hazy, the heat of fever and the heat of a past summer's day entirely indistinct. 

Jamie startled only slightly when they felt a hand press against their forehead, leather cool and relieving against their skin. It should have frightened them more, but all they did was lean into the touch. 

It wasn't entirely a surprise after all. 

"My, a rough night, is it? Such a loud, screaming thing the mind can be."

His hand moved down to wipe tears from their eyes, as Jamie blinked up at him through blurry vision. Even here, the red of his coat seemed to merge into the decor of their room. Typical of him, to fit in wherever they go, not even their own home exempt from his inclusion. 

"I-" They try to speak, but the gravel in their throat sounds even worse than earlier, as they find themself leaning into a coughing fit. 

They're helped manoeuvred into a sitting position, a hand moving to run soothing circles into their back through to the end of their coughing. Jamie's throat feels all the worse for wear, as if they'd gone a week of full performances without break. It happened once, when they'd scheduled poorly in the earlier days, desperate for any sort of attention they could get, even at the expense of what they hold most dear-

A glass of water being pressed toward them distracts Jamie from their rambling thoughts, the liquid cool and relieving against their throat. 

When that is deemed satisfactory, Jamie looks up at The Manager with a somewhat less sleep-addled mind, squinting at him.

"Why are you here?" Their dreams were certainly not unique tonight, hardly seemed worthwhile to the matter. Not to mention how gross their current status was, hardly a fit to be seen in. 

“How could I not be? Sorrows are terribly loud things, my dear.” His smile didn't waver.“ To ignore a wound is to leave it to fester.” 

Anguish clawed at Jamie's throat, a deep wounded sob threatening to break the surface. So many years had passed, that memory itself all but a faded page in a long discarded book. Why did it still haunt them? Why did it still hurt?

"Time does not heal what was never fully tended to.” Jamie looks up through eyes red rimmed from tears, as The Manager reaches to brush a fallen lock of hair behind their ear. “The layers of bandages make no difference."

"Is that our burden to bear?" Jamie speaks past the strain, for who are they without their words? "To push against the tides, while all those behind us are left to drown?"

They received no answer from him. For that moment, once again, The Manager was just an old man, sitting with them in the silence.  

Still, Jamie felt the need to fill the silent void, ever encroaching upon them. As if, if they didn't speak now, the curtains would close, and words would never breach the silence again. 

"It's not fair." Barely spoken above a whisper. They couldn’t help but feel like a petulant child, ever dissuading their own grief. So many people had died, but it was this one, and this one only, that captured their mind? How shameful. How selfish. 

The Manager continued to rest a gentle hand against their cheek. "Ah, but ‘fair’ is hardly the nature of things. A pity, that.” 

"I wonder, sometimes.” They felt as if they spoke from a distance, voicing thoughts that had long been unspoken. “About who that girl could have been, if she had gotten the chance to grow." Pages of adventures, of romance, of mystery, all had been penned by their hand. Who's to say, where inspiration struck. If one is captured in words, in that way, do they live on? "She would have become something better, I'm sure. Far more deserving of the chance. I should have di-"

"No."

Jamie's rambling was all at once interrupted, a gloved hand firmly gripping their chin as their gaze was moved, sharp bronze eyes meeting brown. It seems his contentment to listen to their words had shifted all at once, his smile dropped. 

He did not loosen his grip as he spoke, his words as firm as his hold. 

“Do not speak in such a manner. The disvalue of your life serves no purpose here.” 

Jamie couldn't help but feel, perhaps, that he was being hypocritical. But there were better times to press the issue. 

They nodded slowly, as much as they could with his grip. 

"Splendid!" The usual cheery smile returned. "Now, onto other matters, shall we? You are quite in need of some rest, and I am ever so inclined to help." 

He let go of them so suddenly that Jamie startled back, falling less than gracefully back into the many pillows adorning their bed, and certainly not with an embarrassing yelp. 

Fear gripped them with a sudden surge at the concept of returning the slumber, the emotion of the dream not yet faded. A futile apprehension, but it shook them nonetheless. The fevers grip had lessened but not rescinded, and they feared so too would the memories cling the same. 

His hand stroked back their sweat clung hair once more, before resting gently on their forehead, still cool and inviting. 

“Ever so fretful are we? Worry not, I can assure that no more shall your slumber be interrupted tonight.” He gives them a wink.

What happened after that was hardly more than a blur. They recall a cool, faintly herbal smelling cloth placed upon their head, the blankets adjusted and returned to them once more, and that sleep, surely, must have returned.

What they do know for certain is that when they woke once more, the fever had lifted, and though exhaustion hounded them still, their pains were nothing more than a faint ache. 

Perhaps so too was that ache of the past - abetted yet again, for another time being. 

Memory can be fickle after all. 

[akiology]

Phantom Thieves play a farming/life simulator game with S/O

Note: purely self-indulgent... my friends and i booted up stardew valley again so have this . .. i mainly have stardew in mind while writing, so the mechanics will be reflecting that ehe no sumi yet! i have no idea how to write her yet </3 but i am currently playing through p5r so i might add her later!

Akiren

Ahh... he enjoys this game very much. Being somewhere peaceful and quiet AND alone with you? Perhaps a dream come true! As soon as the game is loaded, he starts planting the first few seeds he receives, and then proceeds to forage for things he could sell. When he finds a few flowers, he will give them to you and will pout if you don't accept them.

"You need to meet the people in town!" you tell him as he tries to give you the flower again.

"Why? I already have you. I do not need anyone else."

Definitely the type to do most things with you. You are planting crops? He will water them. You are petting the chickens? He will feed them. You are fishing on the beach? He is right beside you, doing the same. You are going to the mines? He defends you from the mobs while you mine away. He genuinely enjoys being with you all the time (even if in this case, its in a video game).

Enjoys playing househusband as well, should you advance that far in the game, and will be the type to seriously think about the names of your children (in the game). Once the house is upgraded, and there is a kitchen, he now has another purpose. The type to collect recipes and cook, going around town giving dishes to the townspeople. The type to send you off with your 'lunch' and a "Take care! The kids and I will be waiting for you."

Ryuji

Probably giddy the first time you suggest playing the game. He will gladly agree, of course! The only thing though, he does not find the farm work to be entertaining, so you will have to do that. He does not mind taking care of the livestock though! As soon as the game starts, he'd probably hand you the seeds and go foraging instead. Probably the kind to always make sure to have something to sell at the end of the day.

He enjoys going to the mines, and so he is mainly in-charge of the upgrades. Will tend to give you a few pretty stones and/or artifacts he finds. Also the kind to 'unlock' things, such as new areas or new mechanics. He would probably go for achievements, but he's not really a completionist. More so does certain things for its benefits.

"Ryuji, I need a few earth crystals for the mayonnaise makers," you tell him as you were rearranging a few things in your farm.

"Alright babe! I also got you a diamond, by the way!"

He also tries to make your life easier while playing the game, such as letting you upgrade your backpack first, exchanges tools with you when he upgrades so that you have the better quality, and puts torches every where so you do not get lost. Will probably be blushing the whole time while you guys get married, and when you decide to have kids (in-game).

Ann

The game is so cute! Yes, she will gladly play with you! When you first boot up the game, she is a little bit overwhelmed because there are so many things to do, but she will most likely look at the journal/tasks as a guide for things to do. She does not mind doing a little bit of everything, but she mainly enjoys taking care of the livestock. She also likes designing the layout for both the farmland and the inside of the house.

"Oh my gosh! Can I buy the chickens for our coop? Our first children!" Ann gushes, having just finished up the fencing for the said coop.

"Sure, just do not forget to buy food for them as well!"

Once you guys have reached the stage where you are living comfortably, she will try to befriend everyone! Extra resources she have will be given to the townspeople, curious for the lore and a few character backstories. As for the romanceables, she asks for your permission to befriend them beforehand. It's honestly adorable.

When you guys get married, she will dress up accordingly. She is giggling the whole time, and will whisper an 'I love you' to you at the end. When you decide to have kids, she's a bit disappointed that they do not grow up. She finds it fun to put different hats on them, though!

Yusuke

He is a bit clueless at first, and will need you to guide him through most of the things. Once he gets the hang of it though, he will enjoy it. He really likes the background music and the art of the game so those are plus points for him. He tends to forget the farm chores though, as he will usually go to town to interact with different characters and see their stories.

If you let him be in-charge of the farm layout, it will be a beautiful farm guaranteed; even with just the use of flowers, crops, and some tall grasses. He asks that you do not touch it though, so you have two farms. One for profit, and one for whatever Yusuke decides it to be. He rarely goes to the mine, and almost never goes unless you invite him so you are in-charge of upgrading your tools. You, however, task him with buying things needed for the farm such as hay, seeds, etc. He accidentally bought 99 pieces of the wrong thing once though, and he apologized profusely afterwards.

"You bought 99 heaters?!"

"It was beside the hay, my love, I realized too late." Yusuke genuinely sounded apologetic, and you assured him that it was fine.

When you get married, he will give you a bunch of flowers he grew on the farm. He also tends to have a surprise for you every once in a while, like maybe an item he got while exploring, or rearranging your furniture. If you decide to have children, he diligently checks on them and does not want to leave them alone on the farm. You try to tell him it does not make a difference, but he refuses to leave them all by themselves.

Makoto

Another one who is a bit clueless. After watching a bit from you, she starts to learn though. You divide up the chores between yourselves, so that you get equal experiences. Also the one to fulfill all the side quests, even in-game she likes helping people. She finds the game as a good stress relief, given as it has a calming background music and cute art. Also enjoys exploring every new thing together.

"Makoto, will you be my partner for the festival?"

"Y-you don't need to ask. My answer is always yes."

She also likes the combat system, and will visit the mines sometimes. A casual player, she allows you to play even without her. Given that she is a very busy person, she's fine even with just updates on what is going on in the farm currently. Despite this, she somehow remembers which crops/products are the most profitable and encourages you to sell those instead.

If you decide to get married in-game, she is red in the face while the sequence is happening. She might also come back more frequently now, can't let her spouse do all the work on the farm by themselves now, eh?

Futaba

She is probably the one to initiate asking. She has played the game before, and wants to try playing with you as well. Will also probably play the game with a few mods, just to spice it up a little bit. As soon as the game loads, she plants the given seeds and goes to town to greet the people. An absolute completionist for achievements. Might play the game even if you are not online. The kind of player to advance ahead, just so she can help you later on. Despite this, she asks for your input in most things as she really likes including you in the decision-making.

"Should I put the coop near our crops so it's easier for you to navigate?" Futaba asks while she layouts the farm.

"Yes please!"

She keeps a mental list of the things she needs to do, and knows exactly what exact conditions are needed to unlock a certain thing, or the requirements to a certain event. So if you ever find yourself stuck, feel free to ask her! She also does a little bit of everything, therefore her stats are really balanced.

Married or not, she gives you an item every day. She says its a 'power-up', so you will have an easier time doing your tasks. Also, your cat's name is Morgana. She says you guys are one big family over here.

Haru

Yes! It did not take much convincing, honestly. She does not mind being completely in-charge of the crops. She tends to do a few tasks from-time-to-time, though. Especially tasks related to crops, such as bringing a cabbage to a certain person in town. She very much likes the combat system, sure it's a little simple, but she loves it. Sometimes goes to the mines just for it. Not to get an ore, but just to battle.

She gives you flowers, sometimes from foraging, and some she grew on the farm. She studies which crops are the best to grow to ensure profit and also which ones you can eat for HP and fatigue, both for when you or she goes to the mines. She might drop a few fun facts about some of the plants, too.

She is a very casual player, playing for the vibes and also as a bonding quality time with you. Thus, she likes when you ask her to do stuff with you, such as visiting another island together, or going to the mines together. When you get married, she finds it cute that the whole town attended. And to be honest... this game is giving her ideas.

"What if we start a farm that could supply our café?" Haru asks you one night.

"H-Haru! Let us focus on graduating first... "

Goro

A little hesitant to play, but he ends up playing nonetheless. He is a little bit unsure on what to do, so he ends up mimicking whatever it is you do. While he ends up enjoying the game, he will only play when you are online. If he has prior commitments, he lets you play but does not want you to play special events without him.

"Goro~ the festival tomorrow requires me having a partner. Can I ask one of the townspeople instead?"

"No. Do not even think about it. Wait for me," he leaves no room for discussion.

He also likes dividing the chores between you two, so you both get equal benefits. He likes exploring with you, but when he is not with you he is mining purely for the combat. If you ever need monster drops, he probably has a lot in his inventory. Will also redecorate your house a bit, and admittedly he likes the idea of living with you a little too much. Even if it is in-game. He is most definitely not remembering how you designed the house for later references.

He also really enjoyed watching the wedding sequence with you. Maybe one day, you can run away with him and live a peaceful life tending a farm instead? Would you say yes? Maybe it is not too late to start anew somewhere.

[the-ghost-bird]

Instinct; I'm sick of the chase but I'm hungry for blood.

Adam Raised A Cain by Bruce Springsteen | Excerpt from letter to Bill Bufford by Martha Gellhorn | In The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado | Starvation by Maya Angelou | Plainwater by Anne Carson | Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente I Belovéd; Slaughterhouse by Yves Olade | The Stream Of Life by Clarice Lispector | I Used To Be A Hole In The Ground by Katie Maria | A Dowry Of Blood by S. T. Gibson | Dennis Lehane from Shutter Island | Judas Goat by Gabrielle Bates | Stratis The Sailor Among The Agapathi by George Seferis | The Third Hour Of The Night by Frank Bidart | White Oleander by Janet Fish | Not A Girl by Ashe Vernon | Blasphemies At The 5th Street Station by S. Osborn | The Civil War By Anne Sexton | Girl As Burning by Kanika Lawton | Wishbone by Richard Silken | via @itsmeyirah

[dustedandsocial]

71 Records from 2024 That I Won't Back Down From or Throw Dirt On, I Respect These Albums and Their Makers, I Bless Them, The First 27 May or May Not Reflect An Accurate Ranking, Certainly 1-14 Do, But You Can Consider The Bottom 44 Scrambled Or Even Tied For 28th, Merry Christmas: Albums of the Year, December 2023-Novemebr 2024

Dame Area - Toda la Verdad Sobre Dame Area

Die Verlierer - Notausgang

Norms - 100% hazaárulás

Christians - S / Z

Chief Keef - Almighty So 2

Clarissa Connelly - World of Work

Maria Bertel & Nina Garcia - KNÆKKET SMIL

Porta D'Oro - Così Dentro Come Fuori

Alison Cotton - Engelchen

Obijuan - FLDSZN

CEO Trayle - Happy Halloween 6

Heron Fischer - FLEAS [Deleted from Bandcamp, sorry! try SLSK]

Milan W. - Leave Another Day

Fievel Is Glauque - Rong Weicknes

Papo2oo4 & Subjxct 5 - We Don't Miss

Opéra Mort - Le Présent

eL-Hortobāgyi Hortator - Thessalien Stoa Paradosi

Nexcyia - Endless Path of Memory

Tristwch Y Fenywod - Tristwch Y Fenywod

Wilted Woman - What's Her Secret?

Cuneiform Tabs - Cuneiform Tabs

Pollution Opera - Pollution Opera

Various Artists - Paz Na Terra

Shafrah - بنات المدينه Bnat El Medinah

Fera - Psiche Liberata

Peter Brötzmann & Paal Nilssen-Love - Chicken Shit Bingo

454 - Casts Of A Dreamer

Container - YACKER

Able Noise - High Tide

Wacław Zimpel - Japanese Journal Vol​.​1

POLO PERKS, AyooLii, FearDorian - A Dog's Chance

Annelies Monseré - I Sigh, I Resign

Babyface Ray - The Kid That Did

I-I (Uchihashi Kazuhisa, Tatsuhisa Yamamoto, Sakaguchi Mitsuhisa) - I-I

Akai Solo - DREAMDROPDRAGON

Klara Lewis & Yuki Tsujii - Salt Water

G.O.O.N. - God's Only Option Now

Manuel Gonzales - DAYS GONE BY

Chief Keef & Mike WiLL Made-It - DIRTY NACHOS

Red Brut - On Bare Ground

Nag - Fear

Sparkheem - One Of Them Nights

Isabell Gustafsson-Ny - Rosenhagtorn

Violence Gratuite - Baleine à boss

Juicester Dummy - Juice vs Juicester

Miss Mårble - Frog Rock

HavinMotion - MOTION

Snakeskin - They Kept Our Photographs

Julius Gabriel - Tales from the Subterranean

VICTIME - En conversation avec

YUNGMORPHEUS - Waking Up & Choosing Violence

Jim Marlowe - Mirror Green Rotor in Profile

Donny Ying - Get my Bag Right

Abdullah Ibrahim - 3

Tearing - All Sides Find Insides

evilgiane - #HEAVENSGATE, VOL. 1

Glass & Maoupa Mazzocchetti - Y Head

Lazer Dim 700 - Injoy

Senyawa - Vajranala

Mattias De Craene - A House Where I Dream

David Wallraf - The Commune Of Nightmares

Solpara - Melancholy Sabotage

Cavalier - Different Type Time

Winged Wheel - Big Hotel

Regler & Anla Courtis - Regel #13 [Noise Rock]

klwn cat & Sunmundi - Lived and Born

Sanctuary Of Praise - Solace

Grimório de Abril - Castelo d'Água

Drive with a Dead Girl - How it begins

Koridor - Kroz pukotine

Thomas Bush - The Next 60 Years

[twst-rose-prisms]

Mary Merveilles' profile

❤️ Bio ❤️

- Dorm: Ramshackle (the Prefect)

- Japanese: メアリー・メルヴェイユ (Meari Merubeiyu)

- Birthday: Aries 11th (Aries)

- Age: 16

- Height: 155cm

- Dominant hand: Right

- Homeland: ?

- Family: Unnamed Mother & Father Unnamed older brother Unnamed older sister

- Voiced by: Ayaka Ohashi

- Other Name(s): Herbivore (Leona) Lil' shrimp (Floyd) Trickster (Rook) Child of Man (Malleus)

❤️ School ❤️

- Grade: Freshman

- Class: Class A (no 9)

- Club: Pop Music Club

- Best subject: Musicology

❤️ Preferences ❤️

- Hobby: Singing, Dancing

- Pet peeves: Dirty rooms

- Favorite food: Apple pie

- Least favorite food: Chili peppers

- Talent: Musical Memory

The prefect of Ramshackle Dorm and Grim's best friend who can "understand him every time" (according to him). A curious, calm and observant girl, she always tries her best to adapt to Twisted Wonderland every day coming from a world where no magic exists. Once she goes past her initially nervous, meek manner, she's actually a really kind, friendly and supportive girl who would do anything for her friends.

❤️ Trivia ❤️

Mary's last name means "Wonder" in French. This could be a pun for the word "Wonderland" and also connected to Twisted Wonderland.

Mary's first name is a reference to Mary-Ann - a character in the Slave Labor Graphics Wonderland series who helps the White Rabbit escape from the Queen of Hearts's execution. She is known for being White Rabbit's maid and is obsessed with cleanliness, in the comic, she said that "all she really wants is to be [herself]".

She loves all genres of music and can easily like a song if it catches her attention. She also loves classical music, it's one of the reasons why she occasionally drops by Mostro Lounge.

She always carries the Ghost Camera with her in case she needs to use it, because of this she grows to like taking photos of other people or scenery.

Her favorite color is red, and her favorite shape is 4-petal flower. She considers the shape as her lucky charm and is shown to have accessories in the said shape.

She likes to spoil Grim a lot despite his attitude, as she always dreamed of owning a cat pet back when she was in her homeland as her family didn't allow her house to have pets. However, if Grim goes too far with his actions then she'll be there to quickly stop him.

She might appear like that but once she gets very serious or angry then she can look decently scary enough to other people (especially Grim).

Before Book 5, she kept her appearance very simple and did not dress up much as she often appeared meek or a bit brooding due to the pressure of being in another world with no hesitation (as seen in the reference sheet). Turns out, she loves cute and girly things a lot and would like to make herself look cuter, but due to confidence issues she had in the past to the present it gives her a hard time until after Book 4's timeline when she decides to change her appearance completely, making her appears more girly and truer to herself more.

She has a talent for music, specifically musical memory as she can remember a song or a melody quickly and retain that for a long time in her head. She also likes singing or dancing in her free time and would often dance with Grim and the ghosts in her dorm.

According to Mary, her family consists of her parents and 2 older siblings and she lives with them, although her brother and father go out to work often and don't stay at home much and her sister is focusing on her schoolwork at the current moment, it's mostly just her and her mom at home half the time.

She doesn't have great stamina, as she often got left behind during her PE class back in her homeland's school, it's also one of the reasons why she got insecure about herself overall and chose to not be overly bright in anything she did.

She cherishes her friends a lot despite their weird antics at times, she thinks that's what them special and unique from other people. (Namely, Grim, Ace and Deuce)

Because she went to beaches with her family a lot back then, she has a good surfing skill and can also be good at playing beach volleyball, though she often gets tired easily and has to sit back to watch her siblings play the rest of the match.

She specifically dislikes dirty rooms or things that are dusty and often cleans her stuff and makes sure they stay tidy; this is mostly a reference to the Mary-Ann character; however Mary is not obsessed with cleanliness too much and can still have patience and calmness when facing dusty stuff.

She also likes cleaning and doing chores as she often helps out her parents with it back at home despite her short stamina. All the dorm's chores are done by her with the help of Grim (sometimes he does help too) and the ghosts.

Hi hi~ If you're reading this then first of all, thank you so much for reading until the very end! I decided to design my MC/Yuusona - Mary! I have a fun time designing her ngl, she looks really cute~ I'll post even more OC content in the future too so please look forward to it! 🌹❤️

[bittersweetresilience]

sunny's favorite asukiess creations

hearth (18,589 words)

Because how do you describe a dream once you wake up, when it’s fleeting and slipping through the cracks in your mind like it’s a sieve? You can barely wrap your lips around the concepts and words before you realize it has slipped through like water, and what lay in your hands is just a pang in your chest? When every moment away from it clouds your mind just a little more, until the memories are threadbare? or: Adrien understands what it means to have a home.

Back when I first met Autumn I was on a reading spree and I saved this fic for last and it just completely stunned me. I remember whipping out a textbox page to annotate for my comment, and that's what kicked off insanely long commenter™ Sunny. No matter what Autumn says! This! Is! My! Favorite! Autumn! Fic! At least until I see the secret one she won't let me see... but no, it will always be special to me.

the secrets we keep (14,661 words)

In the wake of a summer that Adrien never wanted to end, all that he wishes to push away comes back to haunt him when the school years starts again: self-doubt from identities that feel no more real than anything else; ghosts of parents who still talk to him; and most all, a fear that the people he loves will leave him in time, too. however, maybe the person who can relate most to him is the one he's never far from.

The best memories of reading this fic as Autumn wrote it and chatting about it and being teased with every Félix mention and being in love with her mind forever and always... if you've ever liked an asukiess meta post or idea post you'll love this. Combination of all of those beautiful things.

wip i saw as of yesterday

Perhaps premature to put it on this list but I have to include it because it was a taste of AUTUMN ORIGINAL WRITING!!!!!!!! AUTUMN ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!!!!!!!! And theater kid Autumn, too. Autumn could be published... Autumn could do anything... if those fools don't get it I'll start my own Autumn publishing company...

switching shenanigans (1,337 words)

Félix.............. first Autumn Félix.............................

felinette fics

FERAL EXPLODE BOOM DECEASED GRAVE HEADSTONE FIRE HOUSE EMOJIS

The art piece whose WIP inspired a fic out of me which was Autumn and my friendship's origin story... FUCKING NATHALIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I accept this. Such a drop dead gorgeous piece.

The most insane fic ever with the most insane fic art ever... WITNESS!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EEEEEEEEEMOOOOOOOOOOTIOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love how much Autumn loves this piece, every time she reblogs it it makes me happy. Get some horror in this Felinette tonight.

POLAROIDS I LOVE THEM. LOVEYBUG AU WEEK I LOVE YOU

Can you even function after looking at this. They. Shrimping.

HE'S EVERYTHING TO MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

This is criminally underrated... Look At Him. HIS FUCKING BUNNY

I ran out of link blocks but I also wanted to share Unrequited. HAMBDS.

AND AUTUMN'S SUPER SECRET LOVEYBUG ZINE WIP

AUTUMN AND HER CLASSICS!!!!!!!!!! AUTUMN AND HER HUMONGOUS BRAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I worship this. It's all Autumn, I just helped with images.

Okay, I was slightly more involved with this one, but Autumn's contributions literally made it 1 billion times better and I will forever cherish the memory.

Hnwhnfhwnfjgnhsnghsnhsfshwhgwnhgwghgh... Emilie...

autumn's felinette and adrifelinette thoughts

Just in general. I am so lucky.

autumn's friendship

I scrolled through our pinned messages and almost cried laughing...

[omegaremix]

Favorite Sampling / Crate-Digging / Classic Finds For The 2010’s.

Walt Barr “Free Spirit”

Azymuth “Jazz Carnival”

Reg Tilsley “Hold The Road”

Willie Bobo “Kojak Theme”

Bobby Lyle “Inner Space”

Marcio Montarroyos “Pedra Bonilla”

Rubba “Way Star”

Eddie Henderson “Involuntary Bliss”

Jaye P. Morgan “It’s Been So Long“

Eric Gale “Morning Glory”

Tribe “Koke Pt. I & II”

Urbie Green The Fox

Hysear Don Walker “Poo Jo”

Weldon Irvine “Morning Sunrise”

Unit Nine “Night Light”

Larry Bright “Solar Visions”

Sun Ra Nuits De La Fondation Maeght Vol. 1

Gary Davis & His Professor “Stay With Me”

L.A. Boppers “Saturday”

Pop Eye “Lazy Haze”

Phil Upchurch “Black Gold”

Ronnie Laws “Always There”

Sauver Mallia “Future Vision”

Sweet Mixture “House Of Fun And Love”

Tantor “Niederwohren”

Catalyst “New-Found Truths”

Brian Bennett & Alan Hawkshaw “Mermaid”

Clive Hicks “Deserted Factory”

Alan Parker & Alan Hawkshaw “The Difference”

Jack Wilkins “Red Clay”

James Clarke “In Suspension”

Negril self-titled

Blackbyrds, The “Mysterious Vibes”

Bill Loose “Almost Sixteen”

Robert Ashley “Purposeful Lady Slow Afternoon”

Steve Khan “The Blue Man”

Puccio Roelens “A Silness Song”

Robert Viger “Limpidite”

Ramsey Lewis “Skippin’”

Alan Hawkshaw “Cruising”

Keith Mansfield “Love De Luxe”

General Lee & The Space Army Band “We Did It Baby Pt. 1 & 2”

Tony Hymas “Final Inspecton”

Antonio Andolfo Feito Em Casa

James Clarke “Waiting Game”

Alan Hawkshaw “Blue Note”

Bob James “Angela”

Tom Scott “Appolonia (Foxtrata)”

Alan Parker & Mike Moran “Your Smile”

Ethel Beatty “Your Love”

Keith Droste “When You Come Around”

Ojeda Penn “Happiness Is Having You Here”

Walt Barr “Creepin’”

Brass Construction “Don’t Try To Change Me”

Sylvano Santorio “Waves”

William Onyeabor “Better Change Your Mind”

Puccio Roelens “Northern Lights”

Ramsey Lewis “Tambura”

Blackbyrds, The “Mysterious Vibes”

Champaign “I’m On Fire”

Starfire “Make The Most of It”

Dick Walter “The Fat Man”

Don Patterson “The Good Life”

Maynard Ferguson “Mister Mellow”

Death “David’s Dream”

Vic Juris “Leah”

Ramsey Lewis “Sun Goddess”

Stuff “Sun Song”

Nancy Wilson ”I’m In Love”

Undisputed Truth, The “Smiling Faces Sometimes”

Heatwave “Leaving For A Dream”

Eddie Henderson “Beyond Forever”

Keith Mansfield “Routine Procedure”

Players’ Association, The “Moon In Pisces”

Jaye P. Morgan “Can’t Hide Love”

Bill Loose “Slight Misgivings”

Bernice Chardiet / Martha Hayes “All By Myself“

Steve Khan “Darling Darling Baby (Sweet Tender Love)”

Gordon’s War “Got To Fan The Flame”

McNeal & Miles “Ja Ja”

Annette Peacock & Paul Bley “A Loss Of Consciousness”

Alan Hawkshaw “Mystique Voyage”

Big Barney “The Whole Damn Thing”

General Lee & The Space Army Band “Magic”

Gene Harris “Losalamitoslatinfunklovesong”

Tomorrow’s People “Open Soul”

Blackbyrds, The “Love Is Love”

Chick Carlton & Mesmeriah “One More Time With Feeling”

Cortex “Huit Octobre”

Flora Purim “Angels”

Francis Monkman “Getting Ready”

Frank Ricotti “Vibes”

Herbie Hancock “Butterfly”

James Mason “I Want Your Love”

Franco Micalizzi “Jessica’s Theme”

Manzel “Midnight Theme”

Sass “I Only Wanted To Love You”

Stars & Bars “Stars And Bars”

Sunburst “Mysterious Vibes”

Mass Production “Slow Bump”

Peter Brown “For Your Love”

Bobby Lyle “Night Breeze”

Brian Bennett “Morning”

Vic Juris “Horizon Drive”

Hailu Mergia & The Walias (ft. Mulatu Astatke) “Yemiasleks Fikir”

Bereket Mengistaab “Lebay”

LaMont Johnson Aces

Alan Hawkshaw “Warm Hearts”

Heatwave “Star Of The Story”

Pasteur Lappe “Mbale (Face To Face With The Truth)”

Joe Beck & David Sanborn “Texas Ann”

Jon Lucien “Sunny Day”

Players’ Association, The “Turn The Music Up!”

Richie Cole “New York Afternoon”

Rufus & Chaka Khan “Your Smile”

Shuggie Otis “Pling!”

Alice Coltraine “Galaxy In Turiya”

Stuff “And Here You Are”

Pharoah Sanders “Greeting to Saud (Brother McCoy Tyner)”

Edgar Vercy “La Mer”

Fa-5 self-titled

Iodi “Sonrie”

Joe Moks Boys And Girls

Blackbyrds, The “Lady”

Teddy Lasry “Riverhead”

Brothers Johnson “Tomorrow”

Håkon Graf & Sveinung Hovensjø & Jon Eberson & Jon Christensen “Alive Again”

Favorite Sampling / Crate-Digging / Classic Finds For The Oughts.

Donny Hathaway “Singing This Song To You”

Esther Phillips “That’s All Right With Me”

Gil Scott-Heron “We Almost Lost Detroit”

Isaac Hayes “Hung Up On My Baby”

Marvin Gaye “I Want You” (inst.)

David Axelrod “Warning Pts. 1 & 2”

Pharoah Sanders “Creator Has A Master Plan, The”

Lonnie Liston Smith “Expansions”

Kool & The Gang “Summer Madness”

Roy Ayers Virgin Ubiquity I & II

Rotary Connection “Memory Band”

Cal Tjader “Morning Mist”

Dave Grusin “Either Way”

RAMP “Daylight”

Gil Scott-Heron “A Very Precious Time”

Sun Ra “Yucatan” (Saturn ver.)

Edwin Birdsong “Cola Bottle Baby”

Kool & The Gang “Summer Madness” (live)

Neil Richardson “The Riviera Affair”

Roy Ayers Ubiquity “Show Us A Feeling”

Persuaders, The “We’re Just Trying To Make It”

Sun Ra “Enlightenment”

Les McCann River High River Low

Minnie Riperton“Lovin’ You”

Floaters, The “Float On”

Roy Ayers Ubiquity “Miles (Love’s Silent Dawn)”

Les McCann Layers

John Tropea A Short Trip To Space

Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes Astral Traveling

Chick Corea“Crystal Silence”

Richard “Groove” Holmes “Onsaya Joy”

Gil Scott-Heron & Brian JacksonWinter In America

Delegation“Oh, Honey”

Heatwave “Always And Forever”

Olympic Runners “Don’t Let Up”

Kool & The Gang “Winter Sadness”

Ronnie Laws “Tidal Wave”

Parliament Funkadelic “One Of Those Funky Things”

Roy Ayers A Tear To A Smile

Galt McDermott Ripped Open By Metal Explosion

Idris Muhammad “Crab Apple”

Alan Parker & John CameronAfro Rock

Beginning Of The EndFunky Nassau

Otto Cesana “Hi”

Syd Dale “Cuban Presto”

Chambers Brothers, The “New Generation”

Chick Corea Friends

Edwin Birdsong “Rapper Dapper Snapper”

Jerry Butler “Got To See If I Can’t Get Momma (To Come Back Home)”

Karla Bonoff Restless Nights

Phil Upchurch self-titled

Roy Ayers (Ubiquity) “This Side Of Sunshine”

Billy Cobham “Heather”

Bill Conti “Reflections”

Andre Previn “Executive Party Dance”

Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes Vision Of A New World

London West End Theatre Orchestra“Apollo 15 (Race Leader)”

[the-moral-of-the-rose]

Another crossover...?

"Mr. Judson Parker is going to rent all the road fence of his farm to a patent medicine company to paint advertisements on.”[...] Anne was so worried that she didn’t sleep until nearly morning, and then she dreamed that the trustees had put a fence around the school and painted “Try Purple Pills” all over it."

Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery

Could it be... the beginning of Doctor Redfern's business, maybe?

"patent medicine is a proprietary medicine made and marketed under a patent and available without prescription." (Google definition). In The Blue Castle we are told that was the kind of medicine Dr. Redfern sold: "A girl friend of hers was asking her how she could stomach Doc. Redfern’s son and the patent-medicine background."

The "medicine advertisement" accident took place when Anne was seventeen, so around 1882. According to my own, very individual (although perhaps faulted) calculation, Barney Redfern (later: Barney Snaith) was born in 1877. (I explained why I think so in this post:

https://www.tumblr.com/the-moral-of-the-rose/745943769703202816/if-anybody-wanted-to-write-a-crossover-between?source=share

So, he'd be about five at this time.

And as far as we know: "I don’t remember Mother. Haven’t even a picture of her. She died when I was two years old. She was fifteen years younger than Father—a little school teacher. When she died Dad moved into Montreal and formed a company to sell his hair tonic. He’d dreamed the prescription one night, it seems. Well, it caught on. Money began to flow in. Dad invented—or dreamed—the other things, too—Pills, Bitters, Liniment and so on. He was a millionaire by the time I was ten, with a house so big a small chap like myself always felt lost in it."

The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery

So, Dr. Redfern's company existed during the time Anne of Avonlea took place! He was on his way to earn his first million! So, perhaps it was Barney's dad's advertisement that A. V. I. S. was so upset about!

[coraniaid]

Just thinking about this post some more.  

Really, there are so many instances in Season 3 alone of Buffy either having experiences that directly parallel things Faith must also have gone through or explicitly telling her friends that she can personally relate to Faith or just generally advocating for Faith as a person. 

Off the top of my head, we’ve got:

Buffy’s dismal one bedroom apartment in LA (in Anne) mirroring Faith’s motel room in Sunnydale

Buffy packing as if she’s planning to run away again in Dead Man’s Party, just one episode before Faith does the same thing when she hears about Kakistos being back in town

Buffy approvingly telling Giles at the end of Faith, Hope & Trick that Faith “had a lot to deal with, but she did it” and being inspired by her example to finally admit the truth of what happened to Angel last season

Buffy telling Cordelia in Homecoming how much she resents the fact that Slaying is “all I do; this is what my life is” and how she wishes she could one day pick up a yearbook and say she went to high school and had friends (compare this with Faith’s admission a couple of episodes ago that she dropped out of high school in part because she really didn’t have any friends)

Buffy telling Willow and Xander in The Wish that she’s been trying to reach out to Faith and that she realizes that “Slaying’s a rough gig; too much alone time isn’t healthy”

Buffy being betrayed in consecutive episodes by her mother (in Gingerbread; compare with Faith’s “my dead mother hits harder than that” or "mom was so busy drinking and enjoying the passing out parts of life") and by her Watcher (in Helpless; compare with Faith being betrayed by Gwendolyn Post)

Buffy’s “ode to Faith” during the chemistry test in Bad Girls (“it was intense … I don’t think [anyone else] can [understand it].  It’s kind of a Slayer thing”)

Buffy insisting to both Angel and Giles in Consequences that, whatever she says, Faith wants to be helped (“she just doesn’t know how to say it”)

Buffy telling Willow in Doppelgangland that Faith “had it rough” and that in “different circumstances, that could be me” (something the audience knows is true from The Wish)

Buffy wondering if Angel and Faith might be getting a little too intimate, and when Willow tells her not to worry about being cheated on saying “you’re right, Faith would never do that”.

And that’s not even mentioning how Buffy must have felt about seeing her own first Watcher die, or how she reacted to coming back to Sunnydale and finding out that the Master might still be alive (in When She Was Bad) or her experiences with Ted in Ted, or of being kicked out of her house in Becoming.  It’s not mentioning any of what Buffy later goes through in Season 6 (dragging herself from the grave the way Faith does in her coma dreams; suddenly having to struggle for money and make sense of a world in which she finds herself without control or purpose; being convinced that she’s killed an innocent person and wanting to die).

But the thing all these examples have in common is that Faith is not present to see or hear any of them, and (presumably) never finds out about them after the fact either.  I mean, she probably wouldn’t believe that these things had happened even if somebody had told her (and who would tell her?). 

The image of Buffy that Faith spends all season building up in her head – the perfect Slayer she’s always being unfairly compared to, the girl who gets the Watcher and the Mom and the friends; the impossible standard she’s never going to reach no matter how hard she might try – doesn’t have these flaws.  The Buffy Faith has nightmares about in Season 4’s This Year’s Girl, and whose life she tries to take over in the same season’s Who Are You? doesn’t have these flaws.  The Buffy Faith sees is a perfect Slayer who’s convinced she’s better than Faith ("admit it, you think you're better than me!"); and Faith can’t see past this image because it's something that deep down she herself agrees with.

In Enemies, Faith bemoans the fact that “everyone always asks: why can’t you be more like Buffy?  But did anyone ever ask if [Buffy] could be more like me?”.  And the answer is … yes, actually.  Buffy herself did.  Just not when Faith was around to hear it. 

[imabeautifulbutterfly]

Once Upon A Time on the Razor Crest

Summary: You (Ann) are looking to escape a bad situation with the help of Marshall Vance and Fennec, only to find yourself as a farm hand on the Razor Crest Ranch.

A/N: Hello Lovelies,

I may have mentioned a while back that I had a surprise for all of you, well here it is. A new Djarin fic, a modern/sci-fi AU, with Western Din.

Who can't love Din Djarin as a cowboy? I mean? hello!

The story will be a set of series all combined to tell the story of the Razor Crest Ranch.

Due to the past history of the OC there will be discussions alluding to past domestic abuse, please note that as it could be a trigger for some.

Warnings: Hints of past trauma, discussions of death, pseudonym, I think that's it, if I miss any warnings please let me know.

AO3 Link |   Words: 1,414 |   Next

Main Master List   |  Once Upon a Time on the Razor Crest

THE RAZOR CREST SEVEN

CHAPTER ONE

Yet, the land … sorry the ranch we were coming up to was breath taking, it backed on to two mountain ranges, in the distance. It looked like a happy place, almost idyllic in setting. If someone had told me, six years ago, my life would have changed so drastically from the fast, bustling, tall skyscrapers of Coruscant to this backwater, country ranch, I would’ve told them they were dreaming and full of crap. 

The road Marshall Vanth was driving on wasn't what I expected at all. The road was dusty and bumpy, and there were some glaringly obvious pot holes that he felt the need to go over. 

“You’ll like him” Cobb broke the silence that had filled his truck, “he may seem rough around the edges, but he’s a good man, just doesn’t like talking much. Or laughing. Or … well anyways, he’s a good man. Lost his wife a few years back, during childbirth, it was a really rough time, but her aunt Peli really stepped up and helped him out. His kid’s name is Grogu, good kid. Sweet kid. But definitely takes after him, in the silent department, but he’s been coming more and more out of his shell since he started attending school.”

“I see” I nodded as I listened to the information he had to provide. At least he had a very nice and soothing voice, however it didn’t seem to help the nervousness that was slowly etching it’s way into my system, as it grew with each passing minute. I clenched my hands against my knee, no one had mentioned anything about a kid, they told me this was just a ranch hand type of job, “How old?”

“Umm … let’s see” Cobb rested his elbow on his door as his forefinger trailed against his bottom lip, “Well she died … it’s … yeah … five or six, yeah around six years old.”

A huge tension released itself at hearing that, thank goodness it wasn’t a baby or a two year-old, I didn’t need any more reminders of the hell that had been my previous life, “Oh, so a young guy, kindergarten or Grade 1?”

“Yeah, somewhere around there, but like I said sweet kid” Cobb turned to look at his passenger, “listen if you don’t feel comfortable in anyway shape or form, give me a call and I’ll pick you up, Fennec and I can figure out some other plan. But you should know this guy … well he’s the kind of guy you want on your side.”

“Meaning?”

“If he considers you a friend or family, or if he respects you, he’ll fight tooth and nail for you. You can ask the next rancher down the way, Boba Fett, he’s had Din help him out a number of times.”

I simply nodded, trying to take in everything I could about the ranch that was drawing closer, the house was nice, a simple two-storey ranch home with a wrap around porch. There was a porch swing by the main door, a lovely blanket and several pillows draped across it. It strangely looked warm and inviting and yet gave the feeling that you were not welcomed.  

Behind the ranch, a water tower loomed from behind the roof, it looked well maintained despite adding to the menacing feel of the ranch. “Hmmm”

“What?”

“Oh nothing, I just really thought water towers were a thing of the past.”

“He’s a man who likes to be well prepared.”

Somehow knowing that little bit extra, made the ranch seem more welcoming, not a lot but a little. Like maybe five percent more welcoming. Okay, one. 

My eyes shifted from the ranch to the barn standing at the end of the road, the shingles looked newly replaced, however it definitely needed a paint job but looked functioning and not at all creepy like in some of those horror vids people were so fond of.

“You can’t see it from the road, but behind the house, there’s a lovely garden that Camilla planted and cultivated. She loved plants, flowers, herbs, in fact she planted lots of fresh herbs that she used for medicinal purposes. Something her grandmother taught her. I think. Maybe a great aunt. Either way, he's made an effort to keep it going strong. People from all around used to come to see her for medicinal help, since there’s only doctor in town, and he lives on the other end of the way. There's still a few who come and collect what they need but it's… yeah it's not the same. 

Anyway, there's also a lemon tree, various fruits and vegetables in general. When there’s an abundance, usually he’ll take a portion give to the elderly ones and the orphanage, and the rest whatever he doesn’t use he’ll sell, that’s what that stand was back at the entrance of the driveway” Vance motioned over his shoulder. “Well at least it's supposed to be for that, more often than not he just gives them away.” 

Cobb kept talking, sometimes having another person fill the silence helped ease the uneasiness I was feeling “He has two horses, a mare and a stallion, the hope is to have a foul by next spring, but who knows. Their names are Taika and Misty, he also has a nerf named Bessie. A nuna coop, with about 10 to 15 nunas, if none of the wolves got them.”

I turned my head to look at Cobb, shock written all over my face, “Wolves? I’m sorry did you say wolves?”

“Well yeah, we’re in Aq Vetina, and you’re pretty far out in the backcountry here, there are wolves.” Cobb let out a laugh, “Don’t worry, he’s a really good shot, use to be some sort of sniper or marine or something before he got married and settled down here. I think he was born here and then moved away or maybe not. I believe his brother is still in the military, but he doesn’t really talk about him. He’s not a ‘sharer’ per se.”

“That’s fine, I’m not exactly a sharer either” I smirked, and frankly I didn’t exactly want to be having a discussion with regards to the hell that had been my life on Coruscant. 

As we neared the ranch grew larger, I still couldn’t believe this was real. Not to mention, I couldn’t believe how long this driveway was, felt like I’d been on driving up to this ranch for half my life.

“How do you want me to introduce you?” Vance always made sure to give this option to anyone he was helping, it wasn’t his place to tell anyone their story that was their choice. 

It was the rule he and Fennec came up with, when they started this particular avenue of help. Not to mention it was a protection for those who needed the help; often times those that came to him and Fenn were ones that had no other recourse.

“Annie”

“Annie?”

“Yeah” 

“Last name?”

“Jones. Annie Jones”

“Generic enough, I like it. Remember, if you don’t feel comfortable…” Cobb stated as they pulled up to the front door, the truck’s brakes squeaking as he pressed down gently, followed by a slight shudder as the motor turned off.

“I comm you or Fennec at the number you gave me” I finished.

“Exactly, but give it a chance first, he really is a good guy. Silent, grumpy, opinionated, but good guy. I wouldn’t just let anyone interview with him. I value his friendship, and there’s always a chance he may not hire you.”

“What if he doesn’t?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, he’s not the only one who needs an extra hand, but I have a good feeling about this. Either way, I’ll wait around the property, till I hear the go ahead from him or you, and if you change your mind later on, no harm. Alright?”

I nodded, as I wiped the tears there were beginning to well up, I cried enough in the past few years, I didn’t need to cry anymore. Truthfully, I didn’t even know why I was crying, I cleared my throat overwhelmed by the kindness from not only Cobb but Fenn too, “I don’t know how to thank you guys”

“No need” he offered as he took the key out of the ignition, “we’ll make sure to ‘find’ your documentation with the correct information.”

“Thanks”

“Now are you ready to do this?”

“I think so”

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