#He’s such a good dad to Jazzy its just so sweet.

[theflowerofthecommonwealth]

Counting Sheep

Summary: Oneshot of Jasmine struggling to fight herself to fall asleep and getting help from a new tiny fuzzy friend and Nick. This is cannon, I really wanted to write some familial fluff and comfort ahead of the main fic because I’m impatient and this filled me with joy.

TW: For intense feelings of loneliness and vague allusion to abuse of a child and deaths of family members. All of this is in the first half but it sweetens up at the end. ����🥰🥰

It had been one of Jasmines hopes that getting back into a regular sleeping schedule wouldn’t prove to be that difficult. Yet it had to be nearing midnight and she was not granted a wink of sleep despite her tiredness crying for otherwise.

Stupid fears racking up a storm again.

Ellie had long since gone to her home for the night and was not due back until the morning. Tomorrow, the older woman had planned to fill the day with reorganizing and deep cleaning the office from top to bottom, a task that will prove to be easier said than done.

Despite the tedious chore that laid ahead, Ellie utterly refused to leave or even step out for a moment until she was certain that Jazzy was freshly washed and properly ready for bed. She only left to chase her own sleep once the teen had screwed her eyes shut with the blanket over her and had promised to try to come knocking if something went astray.

Nick was out on another, “too dangerous for you kiddo,” case that would likely extend to at least a few days. Jasmine of course gave a loud fuss about being left behind when she was literally made for this sort of thing, but Nick had stood firm on his decision and left her sulking at home. Deep down she understood that Dad was only looking out for her, but she wished that he wouldn’t leave for an extended amount of time without bringing her along.

Because now she was left here alone in the darkness with only her thoughts to keep her company. Not a new thing in her world and it shouldn’t be an issue long term, but tonight it would appear that it was becoming problematic, and there wasn’t a instant solution on hand.

It’s downright scary, and that’s saying a lot coming from someone like her.

Her limp arm swatted besides her to the nightstand where her brown stuffed bear that she had dubbed Winnie resided. Jazzy seized the beloved toy and held it close to her chest, smelling that oh-so-familiar and comforting flowery perfume that she had sprayed on Winnie’s head earlier.

The bottle described the scent as delicate fresh water rose with a mixture of sharp cattleya that partnered with warm black vanilla, but to Jas it was more special than that. It was her mother’s signature scent, one that filled the girl with a strong sense of the nurturing, maternal, and unconditional love that her mother had expressed. Funny how a simple scent could trigger those feelings that she had missed.

Made her feel much warmer and complete on the inside, but it couldn’t fill that dull, lonely emptiness of a void sinking in her heart on its own. Maybe she needed an actual living companion to help out.

Her eyes went down to the foot of the bed to where Apple, her little ginger kitten, was swirled up and snoozing without a care in her kitty-cat world.

“Lucky, you make it seem so easy,” she whispered while reaching down to scratch between her tiny ears. Apple chittered in her sleep, twisting so she was belly up with her toe beans raised. She pawed the air a bit, then settled into the kind of godly level of slumber that Jas could only daydream to achieve at the moment.

At least one of them could be snoozy and tranquil, but other still had to figure something out because she was starting to feel the claws of desperation start to tug and scratch at her. Obviously laying in a soft warm bed didn’t help in any shape, way or form, so perhaps another familiar resting place would suit her better.

Moving carefully as to not disturb her slumbering feline friend, the teen gracefully rolled herself out of bed and onto the floor, taking Winnie with her. Thick fogginess stuffed her head as if cotton balls had been shoved into her ears and into her skull, a telltale sign that sleep was a necessity. She reached under her bed and tossed aside her baseball bat, granting her enough room to crawl under the bed to a greater sense of enclosed security.

By now she was supposed to go downstairs, bundle herself in her coat, open the door to the freezing winter night that would turn any poor unfortunate soul into a popsicle if they got stuck out there and make a short trek down to Ellie’s house. But no one in their right mind wants to be awoken in the middle of the night by a close-to-tears teen whining about not being able to sleep so they woke you up from your slumber to help them.

That’s just downright embarrassing.

To spare both parties from having to deal with that disaster she instead curled up into a fetal position with her back against the wall and her stuffed bear held close, trying to breathe the exercise routine that Nick had showed her. Being under the bed gave her a more enclosed atmosphere, a little shield to keep her safe. From down here, no monster can easily grab onto you and drag you away, especially when you have a baseball bat and a million pocketknives stashed nearby.

Jasmine shut her eyes with a small prayer on her lips for some relief from this, just a sliver of peace for tonight.

“One sheep, two sheep, three sheep…”

Please work.

“Four sheep, five sheep, six sheep…”

Hours that felt like several lifetimes ticked by, each one draining her more than the last until she finally reopened her eyes with a frustrated mewl.

Every damn sheep, bunny, kitten, puppy, brahmin, molerat, and deathclaw in the whole farm of La-La world had been counted, yet she was more awake then when she first went to bed!

Disgruntled and on the brink of tears, Jas gave up and crawled out from under the bed shaking all over with her teeth clenched together. She kicked her feet several times at the floor with huffs and groans of frustrated curses, her exhaustion not allowing her to turn into a tornado of fury and cause some real damage.

How cruel and unfair sleep was to her, because even when she is granted it, it’s not even a pleasant or peaceful experience as night terrors are almost guaranteed to plague her. But apparently humans ain’t solar powered so unless she wants to spend another 24hrs worrying Dad and Ellie on why she could barely function and was slurring her words, she had to think of something.

She stopped kicking up a storm and rested her head in her knees, blowing some runaway curls off her face while she pondered. Apple was somehow still perfectly asleep despite the ruckus, now stretched out to cover the majority of the bed like she owned it.

The teen twirled her fingers through her hair as she watched her pet snooze away, her own chest quickly rising and falling with her rapid breathing.

There was a singular thought that lingering in the back of her mind… An older trick she had used a long time ago. It would require movement though, if she was gonna attempt to try it.

Slowly but surely, Jasmine rose up from the floor shaking all over. Her steps wobbled like little Bambi as she made her way down from her loft and into the pitch dark with Winnie in tow. This was possibly a horribly idiotic idea, she can hardly see shit and it might make her more despondent in the end. But it was her last shot to shoot.

The only sounds that she could hear was that of her own breath and footsteps along with the sound of the howling winter wind shaking the building from outside. It almost sounded like a giant ghost was hovering just outside with the way the wind whistled through the makeshift buildings.

She grabbed one of Nicks coats from off the hanger by the main door, wrapping the well worn garment around herself and taking in the familiar scent of cigarettes, old cloth, and metal. If she can ground herself into something or someone that was recently reassuring and soothing, then maybe she can be granted the grace of sleep from that.

It had worked wonderfully on both a toddler and a 13 year old multiple times, so what’s to say that it can’t work now over 200 years into the future?

Holding the coat with one hand, she stretched out the other and felt around in the abyss until she found his desk and chair. Seating herself, Jas shooed away any leftover clutter that Nick had carelessly left into the far corners of his desk, taking care not to drop anything. She laid her head into her hands, sighing with a shiver and a chatter of her teeth.

The rest of the office was much chiller compared to her loft that was kept warm with a small space heater. It was their only one and she had insisted multiple times that it should be used downstairs for everyone’s comfort, but Nick wouldn’t hear it. So it stayed permanently in her room, leaving the rest of the office colder than the Arctic at night and unfortunately, she ain’t no polar bear.

Would’ve been a smart move on her part to bring one of the blankets downstairs when she made the journey here, but she’ll have to settle with tucking in the coat that smelled like her adopted father around herself even tighter.

“Mrrreow??”

The girl peeped opened her swollen eyes, barely making out the tiny figure that appeared from around the corner and trotted up to her. Apple leapt up onto the desk, very nearly body slamming Jas in the the face in doing so.

Apple hadn’t been here in the office all that long, but she had gotten synced with Jazzy the minute Nick had boughten the kitten home and the two had made eye contact.

Even at only six months, she could smell from a mile away when the teen was in despair, and her empathetic nature always sent her running over. The only reason that Jas could figure on why the kitten hadn’t come running sooner was because she was just as exhausted from the day as herself.

Jasmine snatched Apple the moment she landed on the desk, bringing her face close to the kitty's fuzzy neck for the warmth and the faint sound of her heartbeat. Apple purred with delight at the attention she was receiving, and on how she seemed to ease her distressed owner. Jas giggled when Apple started to knead the top of her head, as cats do when they are content.

Her giggles started to fade however, gradually turning into weak suppressed sobs. The teens biggest problem still stubbornly remained to torture her to over exhaustion, and she was this close to dumping herself on the floor with defeated wails to the merciless sleep lords.

Apple took to trying to groom the curls on Jazzy’s head, trilling quietly while doing so. The little feline couldn’t understand why Jasmine smelled like tears and sorrow, but she could understand that her actions made it disappear a tiny bit.

The front doors lock jingled and click from the outside, making the two of them turn their heads to look. It swung open and a big whoosh of frigid air rushed in after Nick as he stepped into his office with a heavy sigh.

Jazzy jolted with joy and almost melted with relief when she saw her Dad enter like a miracle given. Her lips parted to call out for him, but she couldn’t make a sound without the threat of tears overflowing her face.

Apple on the other hand appeared to be very pleased that her other food-and-cuddle-bringer had returned to comfort the smaller and cuter food-and-cuddle-bringer.

A few beats passed before the detective finally took notice of his daughter half asleep at his desk with her head nestled into her cat. Worry instantly riddled his face as he approached while undoing his shoulder holster, tossing it on the other desk. “Doll? Whatcha doing down here this early?”

“Mmph… can’t fucking sleep,” she croaked out with the dreaded frustrated tears dripping down her cheeks. She felt like such a needy baby, but she can’t stop herself from crying or yearning to be held. Although she stayed in her spot without moving to give home a hug.

Nick kneeled down and tenderly brushed some curls from her face, getting a better look at his sleep tormented kid in the dim lighting.

“How long has she been down here, Apple?” He questioned the kitten while giving her scratches with his exposed hand that provided maximum effective pets. Apple purred in approval, lifting her chin to allow her favorite spot to be reached but left his question unanswered.

Jazzy briefly raised her head to meet Nicks glowing eyes in the otherwise darkroom. To others, it was considered terrifying to be meet with those kind of eyes and form, but she can’t think of a more loving sight or smile than her dads. Besides, she’s stared at people prettier and had never felt more terrified in her life.

Her weighted eyelids snapped shut again, a long slow breath escaping her lips. “Time is it?”

“Just past 4:00 am,” he replied while taking out his handkerchief from his breast pocket, gingerly wiping her tear stained face with it.

Much later than she had anticipated, but nothing can be done about it now. “M’kay…” Jasmine sucked in a breath, opening her eyes another time to gaze at Nick, whom she just remembered got back after a long day. “Hiya Daddy, welcome home…”

He let out a soft chuckle of partial relief upon hearing her sweet little greeting, tucking away the handkerchief and opening his arms to offer a hug.

“C’mere kiddo.”

She wasted no time leaping from the chair and into the warmth of his embrace upon hearing the invitation, almost choking on a sob. He touched her icy hands, then pressed his good hand to her cheek that might as well be frosted over. “Ya trying to catch your death? You’re absolutely freezing, Jazzy.”

“Cold don’t bother me,” she replied, her voice muffled because she was pressing her face into his coat. Could one’s nose fall off from the mere cold alone? ‘Cause it sure as hell felt like it could right now at any chosen moment.

“You’re shivering too, why didn’t ya go down to Ellies?” He questioned while rocking her from side to side in his arms, not expecting a complete answer.

“I dunno,” she responded in another mumble, knowing full well he can see right through her.

“Don’t know if I believe that, but let’s focus on getting you to catch some proper z’s.” He kissed her forehead and adjusted Winnie so she wouldn’t fall off when he stood with Jazzy scooped in his arms.

Most teens her age would fuss about being too old for monsters in the closets, stuffed animals, hugs and kisses from their parents, and being carried to bed by them. But how could she reject this when she missed all of her late family members dearly, so much so that words can’t begin to explain.

Family shouldn’t be taken for granted for even a singular moment, because you never know when you have to say goodbye to those cherish people, if you get the grace to say goodbye at all. She spent years yearning for the familial affection that was so cruelly ripped from her, years crying for someone to hold and protect her again. That’s why she won’t dare shove the fatherly love that Nick had for her away, it was her most treasured thing.

Worth more than gold in her bruised and broken little heart.

If Jas could had the capability to express how much he means to her right now, she would. But she had a feeling that Nick already understood, even better than anyone. So she simply nestled her head on his shoulder, already feeling secured and relaxed as he carried her back upstairs.

He tenderly settled Jazzy backs down on her mattress and turned on the bedside lamp, tucking the poor shivering girls blanket over her quite snuggly so she could warm up. Jas rubbed her face against her impossibly soft pillow, feeling like she was laid on a marshmallow.

She heard the ruffling of Nick’s coat followed by the flick of his lighter and the click of the lamp being turned off. A warm glow remained however, and Jas soon caught the cozy scent of pumpkin cinnamon spice in the air from the candle that he had lit.

Nick brought out and aired several blankets to lay over her form, enough that she could hardly move under them all. “Need to buy heavier blankets for ya kitten, Jack Frost can get a whole-lotta more fiesty in the later months,” he commented as he bent down to adjust the heater to its highest setting.

“Can’t move no more,” she informed him while struggling to free her arms from the pile of blankets and sheets eating her, holding them out to Nick and grabbing midair for him like a little child when she finally did.

He chuckled and smiled warmly, kicking off his shoes before he set down his hat on the spot on her nightstand that Winnie once was. He took the time to make sure his daughter was snug before laying besides her and pulling the blankets over himself as well.

Jazzy immediately scooted closer and clung to him, listening to his inner working gurgle and churn and finding it to be just as comforting as any heartbeat. Nick tossed her hair over her pillow so it wouldn’t get tangled while she slept and pressed another kiss to her head. He held her tightly and took to rubbing her shoulder in the reassuring fatherly manner that came naturally for him.

“Shh, sweetheart, you’re alright. I’ve got you...”

Like pure magic the loneliness started to drip and melt away, the empty void that seemed to be all consuming at one point started to get filled. No more tears poured down Jazzy’s face as she listened to Nick hum Way Back Home, a song that he knew his kid deeply adored.

Apple chose this time to saunter into the room from downstairs, jumping up on the bed and stepping on the pair to lay behind Jasmine. She molded her body around her favorite teen girls head like a little hat, purring loudly and adding to the loving, homely atmosphere.

Finally, the exhausted girl started to slip off into a promising stretch of blessed sleep, her small hand reaching for Nicks as her breaths evened out to a rhythm.

“Mhm, love you Daddy…”

He gently squeezed his little girls hand, resting his chin on her head as she drifted off. “Sweet dreams kiddo, I love ya too.”

For the first time in a long while, Nick could say he felt like a complete man again.

(Excuse me while I go cry in the corner with happiness)

[wrctings]

Bill Guarnere x fem!reader | Happy Halloween

happy october 31st everyone! for this imagine, i’m mixing two of my favourite things, halloween and this angry (actually soft inside) italian <3 🎃 (this is based on the character portrayed by frank john hughes, all my respect goes to the real bill guarnere and his family, which i by no means mean to disrespect). I wrote this while listening to The Yodeling Ghost by Bring Crosby and The Andrews Sisters, so that could be a nice song to read this to ❣️

October 31st, 1945 

You stopped in the kitchen doorway to a sight that coated your heart with a warmth that even the thickest of blankets couldn’t have generated. You almost didn’t want to enter the room anymore, a smile instantly lightening your features as you allowed your gaze to longer linger on the scene you had just walked in on, coming to a halt as though unwilling to shatter the moment you had just caught.

“Daddy, when are we going to go?” A little girl, no older than ten, with bright eyes fixed upon her dad’s frame, was gently tugging at the man’s shirt. 

“Soon, Y/child’s/n, soon. I swear you’re even more impatient that I am, aren’t you?” Bill shook his head but a twinkle of fondness could also easily be discerned in the man’s gaze, which briefly landed upon his daughter’s face before his attention went back to the reason why the child’s patience was wearing out. Indeed, on the table before Bill sat an emptied pumpkin — its innards and light-coloured, almond-like seeds having been set aside in a nearby bowl —, and your husband was making an effort to craftily dig into it with a knife.

“Then we’ll go?” Y/child’s/n asked hopefully, hauling herself on tiptoe to better observe Bill’s endeavour. 

“Then we’ll go,” he promised, cutting through the hardened surface of the fruit with quite a bit of struggle to form of a serrated mouth. “I swear you’re even more impatient than me, aren’t you?” he gave her a quick smile as he continued his task. Once he was done with carving such an outline, he could then push the cut-out surface out of the way, leaving a whole in the shape of a grin. ‘There you go,” Bill put the knife down, rubbing his hands together as he took a final look at his creation, then seized the pumpkin and showed it to your daughter. “What do you think?” 

“It’s not a very scary pumpkin...,” the little girl commented with a chuckle, though her face showed a pleased expression.

“Not a very scary pumpkin? Let me tell you, I’d be really scared if I came across a pumpkin like that,” Bill retorted, giving the pumpkin a fake suspicious look that made your daughter laugh, and you couldn’t help but join in. This drew your husband’s attention, whom gave you a joyful glance as soon as he noticed your presence in the doorway. “See,” he continued, addressing the girl, “I wouldn’t trust it too much. But thanks to it, I have a feeling somebody’s gonna get some candy tonight.” 

“I have the same feeling,” you said fondly, stepping inside the room to join your daughter and husband. Bill got up, leaning on his prosthesis to regain his balance, and gave you an affectionate smile before he washed pumpkin flesh off his hands. 

“Mommy, are you going to go treat-or-treating with me and daddy?” Y/child’s/name wrapped her small hands around your leg as she shifted her head backwards to give you an inquisitive look. 

“Do you want me to?” you replied tenderly, hearing Bill’s footsteps come closer behind your back, meaning that it would soon be time to grant your daughter’s wish.

“Yes!” she answered cheerfully. “Please come with us!" 

“Then count me in,” you stroke your daughter’s back, nodding decidedly. “But before that, you need to put on your costume. Come on, I’ll help you out. I’m sure that daddy will manage not to get too scared of Mr Pumpkin even if we leave him alone with him for a bit,” you gave Bill a playful, loving smile. 

“I’ll be on the lookout for anything suspicious from Mr Pumpkin,” Bill answered gravely, and the two of you exchanged a knowing and affectionate glance as you were leaving the kitchen in your daughter’s wake. 

*

You were standing at the bottom of the staircase a quarter of an hour later, readjusting Y/child’s/n’s halloweeny cape as the little girl expectantly hopped up and down, struggling to remain immobile.

“Daddy! Look!” As soon as Bill appeared in the doorframe, she spun on her heels to face him, a proud beam shimmering upon her lips. “I’m a vampire!” 

“Wow,” holding the pumpkin he had carved earlier, your husband came closer to take a thorough look at the girl’s new disguise. “You’re a terrifying little vampire! Ain’t nobody stands a chance against you.”

“Now I can scare Mr Pumpkin if he tries to scare you,” Y/child’s/n announced confidently, eyeing the jack-o’-lantern as if she was giving it a warning. Such a bravely sweet statement made Bill’s and yours parent’s hearts melt and your husband picked her up, momentarily putting the pumpkin down so he could plant a gentle kiss on her cheek.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he told her with a smile not devoid of emotion as you rubbed his shoulder.

The three of you then put their shoes on, Bill once again getting hold of the jack-o’-lantern, and you took off for the Halloween-night trick-or-treating which your daughter had been awaiting so impatiently. The sun had already almost set, only remnants of fading warm light rippling upon the ginger and brown leaves that rustled on the trees all around, but most of the houses’ porches were alit with lanterns or lights, some of them even placed inside of carved pumpkins used as decorations. You were not the only ones to have gone out on that evening, meeting some your neighbours whom you greeted before your daughter energetically shot the decisive question: trick or treat? Even without approaching the houses, your pumpkin already filled with a few pieces of candy, which your daughter counted before urging you to go up to the first front door. Her father lifted her up so she could ring the doorbell by herself, and you waited for your neighbours to show up, Bill carrying your pumpkin-container while you were in charge of other sweets that you could give away for other trick-or-treaters. 

“Good evening,” you greeted the woman who opened the door, a sheepish smile slipping onto your lips as your daughter joyfully exclaimed: trick or treat, even forgetting to say hello first. 

“Well, look at you,” the woman laughed kindly, visibly finding the child’s enthusiasm endearing. “Good evening. I’ll see what I can do for you.” She reappeared a few moments later, carrying a piece of chocolate candy that she put into the pumpkin that Y/child’s/n insisted on taking from Bill. “There you go.” 

“Thank you very much, Ma’am,” your daughter replied, this time not giving politeness a miss, which got her another smile from the woman. 

“Thank you, we’re sorry for the trouble,” Bill apologised, though giving your daughter a fond glance as he did so.  

“It’s nothing, I’m glad I won’t be tricked by this very frightening vampire,” the woman shook her head breezily, but your daughter’s face shone with pride at the fact that your neighbour had got her costume right, and found her scary. 

After warmly wishing the woman a good evening, you set toward your next destination. To make your daughter content, you decided to try your luck at all the houses bordering your street, and thankfully got a positive response from every one of their inhabitants — to give away candy was one of Halloween night’s customs, so everybody played along in a joyous atmosphere, especially since your daughter managed to remain polite in spite of her being giddy with excitement. You and Bill couldn’t have been prouder, congratulating the girl on her behaviour and promising her that she would get to taste some of the candy you had collected when you would come home.

Your little expedition came to an end around an hour later, tiredness starting to weigh upon Y/child’s/n as you left the front yard of the last house you had visited. Her eyelids fluttering shut while you were heading back home, Bill ended up picking her up, handing you the jack-o’-lantern, and cradling her in his arms so she could rest peacefully. Although she awoke when your husband and you took her up the stairs leading to her room, then helping your daughter undress and get into bed, her misty state of mind made the drowsy little girl forget all about candy and she quickly cuddled up to her stuffed animal, letting you tuck her in and tenderly kiss her goodnight. You softly closed the door, your daughter already fast asleep, and found yourself alone with Bill.

The two of you quietly went back downstairs, careful not to make any loud noises lest you disturbed Y/child’s/n’s slumber, and in a few minutes you were inside the living room, the door shut behind you. Warmth was flooding the room, the fireplace still ablaze with remnants of fluttering flames and the wood inside crackling cosily, which made an appeased sigh part your lips. You were home.

“Y/child’s/nickname fell asleep quickly tonight,” Bill commented, taking your hand in his. “That was a really good Halloween celebration.” 

“But it’s not over yet,” you had had an idea, a smile now spreading upon your face as you let go of your husband’s hand. You came up to the radio stationed near the fireplace, turning it on, and after a few seconds of uncertain hissing and murmuring from the frequency modulation, music spilled from the machine, its jazzy notes instantly swirling in the air and engulfing you and Bill in their rhythm, smooth and ample like velvet to the ears. Matching the date, you realised that it was Halloween-themed after catching some of the lyrics.

“There,” you grinned, turning back around to meet Bill’s inquisitive gaze. Moving along to the song, you came back to him, putting your arms over the man’s shoulders. “Now, I’ve got you all for myself,” you murmured with longing playfulness, your mouth still curved. 

“I’m all yours, darling,” your husband’s dark eyes anchored in yours, he slid his arms around your back, his body drifting along the shifting of yours. He had never told you out loud, but dancing with you had always felt incredibly special to him; in spite of losing his leg, it made him feel whole, like he could do anything. Like he was still himself — and he was. He was incredibly strong, and you would forever be proud of him. 

As you danced, Bill kissed you slowly, savouring every contact that you shared, before pulling away, which allowed you to look into his face. Waltzing shadows from the fireplace were grazing his skin, skin which you had left so many breathless kisses on, and the amber of his iris appeared lighter in the dimly-lit living room, reflecting the glistening of embers in the fireplace. You had feared losing him so intensely, back when you went through the war together, and now he was standing there in front of you, so alive. And even though the memories of what happened after you had learnt about Bill’s injury still sometimes cut through you like a blade — sobbing uncontrollably in Cpt. Winters’s foxhole, Cpt. Nixon had even offered you his flask of alcohol as Richard had tried to console you best he could —, at least your pain had been alleviated by the certainty that he had made it. You had come home to him, and he had been there. 

But on that merry Halloween evening, nothing could have clouded the sheer and simple happiness of dancing with your husband to a spooky tune. You hands in his, you moved along to the music, your merry state of mind translating into the suavity with which your limbs moved in synch; Bill had even forgotten about his prosthetic, feeling like every move was effortless with you. Though being the night of horror, for the two of you that 31st of October was marked with blissfulness that would have made even the scariest of creatures meek. And perhaps, at that very moment, some ghost was watching you from the corner of the room, daydreaming about a long-lost love that it had suddenly set its mind to find again. 

[sanderssidesfanfiction]

If There’s a Place I Could Be - Chapter Ninety Seven

If There’s a Place I Could Be Tag

October 12th, 2001

Remy laughed in the guy’s face, causing him quite a bit of confusion. “Girl, of course I’m gay!” he crowed. “Emile’s my boyfriend, duh? It’d be a bit weird if I weren’t into boys and he was my boyfriend. Now listen,” he purred. His smile was as cheery as ever as he leaned into the guy’s face. “You ever try and make Emile uncomfortable again and I’ll make your life a living hell, and I won’t hesitate to ruin your reputation. Understood?”

The guy paled, nodded, and scurried off. Remy smiled to himself and spit his gum into the nearest trash can. Playing the stereotypical gay had its perks. Namely, it made it all the more scary when he tore into someone, and it was a convenient mask he could always fall back on should something go wrong. Because he always knew how to play dumb and cute as hell. He could use this to his advantage, surely...

  March 28th, 2004

Remy’s grip on the steering wheel was tight as he drove the car towards Emile’s parents’ house. Emile was sitting in the passenger seat, trying to hide the fact that he was doing deep breathing exercises. Clearly, they were both nervous about seeing Emile’s grandfather again. Emile was nervous enough that he had gone to Mass earlier that morning, presumably in case his grandfather asked about the last time he went to Confession. Personally, Remy was fairly certain Emile had nothing to confess, but he wasn’t Catholic, so he wasn’t going to pretend to know.

Emile made a concerned whine as they got off the highway, and Remy took a deep breath, pushing as many homicidal tendencies as he was willing to out of the way to grab Emile’s hand with one of his own. Emile blinked, looked down at their intertwined hands, then over at Remy.

“You whined,” Remy said. “Like a kicked puppy. I was concerned.”

Emile blew out a breath. “Your tone suggests annoyed.”

“My tone is nonexistent because I’m incensed,” Remy said simply. “Not at you, though.”

“At my family? That’s kinda worse, Rem,” Emile said.

“Well, your grandfather certainly hasn’t endeared himself to me any,” Remy growled.

Emile flinched. “Rem, please,” he said softly.

Remy’s tone softened but his eyes didn’t leave the road. “I don’t want you dragged through the wringer, mio amore.”

“I volunteered,” Emile said weakly.

“Willingly? That’s kinda worse, mio amore,” Remy shot back. “What would Sue say about you willingly putting yourself in harm’s way?”

“Actually, Sue and I talked about this and the ways it could go after my panic attack,” Emile said, straightening in his seat. “She said that as long as I wasn’t going into this with the goal of hurting myself, then it was worth talking to Grandpa. How would Fern feel about you jumping to the conclusion that I’m doing this to hurt myself?”

“She would say it’s your choice,” Remy said. “But given the facts I told her... she also called you a bit of a hopeless romantic. And a dumbass. She also gave me full permission to drag you out of the room if I heard raised voices or crying.”

Emile blinked. “That’s why you asked?!”

Remy smirked, just a bit. “Well, she said her permission meant nothing if I didn’t get yours, too.”

Emile laughed in disbelief. “No wonder you took a shine to her; she’s enabling you.”

“Oh, no! No, she takes no one’s shit. That includes me, mio amore. No, she doesn’t let anyone pull the wool over her eyes, and she tells it like she is. She took one look at her notes, plus Kim’s when she got them, and looked me dead in the eye, promptly asking, ‘So, how long would you say the abuse has been going on?’” Remy laughed. “I love her so much. As a therapist, of course. I will not run off into the sunset with her. I’d prefer to do that with you, Emile.”

Emile shook his head, swallowing. “She sounds like a good therapist.”

“Yeah. What did Sue tell you? Beyond talking about possible outcomes, of course,” Remy said.

Emile blinked back tears. “She said...” Emile’s voice grew thicker. “She said...to be realistic. To not put all my eggs in the happy basket, because based on what she heard, and her past clients’ experience, this usually doesn’t shake out well.” Tears were falling down his cheeks and Remy pulled over to the curb in a flurry. “I don’t want him to be mad at me, Rem. I don’t.”

Emile sounded like such a lost little kid in that moment, that Remy couldn’t help but hug him close. “It’s gonna be okay,” Remy said. “Even if you don’t get the outcome you wanted. It’s gonna be okay.”

“How can you...be so sure?” Emile sobbed.

“Because I’ve been there, Emi,” Remy said. When Emile looked up at Remy, Remy’s heart broke, but he continued. “I’ve been there. And yeah, it hurts like hell if your family doesn’t accept you. I’ll be honest: even if your grandfather acknowledges you’re bi and I’m his grandson-in-law, odds are he won’t be happy about it. Take little victories where you can, and if he comes to the wedding? Great. Work on him being happy for us at a later date. He can grow to love the both of us together, but it will most likely take more time than just three months.”

Emile looked at Remy like he had all the answers in the universe, and Remy was a little terrified. “Now, your parents are expecting us, and we don’t want to keep them waiting too long. But if you need a second, or a minute, even...”

“Yeah,” Emile said softly, shamefully. “Yeah, I need a minute.”

“There’s no shame in that, understand?” Remy asked.

“Yeah, yeah,” Emile said dismissively.

“I’m serious here, Emile,” Remy said sternly.

Emile sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I know,” he said. “But I can’t accept that right now.”

Remy nodded, opened the glove box, and passed Emile some tissues. Emile dabbed at his face while Remy flicked the channels on the radio. He would kill for some slow, smooth, jazzy song that he could slow-dance with Emile to, even if that was a tad impractical in the car.

When Emile had composed himself, Remy kept driving. He fiddled more with the radio, observed the same five restaurants that were staples in every city, and contemplated calling August at Sleep Easy to ask how things were going, just to stall the inevitable. But if Emile was ready, then Remy had to be ready, too. Remy was going to back Emile one hundred percent, even if he was a bit of a hopeless dumbass when he picked his battles.

Remy drove up to Emile’s parents house, but when he turned to Emile, he realized he may have wanted to make the drive longer. Emile was ash-white and shaking, staring at the house like it was on fire, and he was just told to run in without any protective gear to save two kids on opposite sides of the second floor. Remy unbuckled his seat belt, and put a reassuring hand on Emile’s arm. “You’ve got this,” he said softly. “I’ll go in first, you come in when you’re ready.”

Emile swallowed, nodded.

Remy mirrored the nod, looking far more confident than he felt as he stepped out of the car, onto the curb, and closed the car door. He leaned against the car a minute, observing the house. He never really had before, but then again, he never had reason to stall either. Remy popped a piece of gum in his mouth and kicked off the car, putting on that “flamboyant, unflappable gay” persona he used when he needed to pretend he couldn’t care less about what was going on.

His shoes sunk into the grass, but the front yard wasn’t a swamp. Remy dimly remembered Mom mentioning something about it raining yesterday, before they had gotten to the heart of their conversation about Emile and his grandfather...

“Look, Mom, I’m worried about him. Emile cares about him a great deal, and either his grandfather takes that for granted, or worse, he just doesn’t care. I don’t want Emile’s heart to be crushed come tomorrow.”

Mom had tutted and reassured Remy the best she could, but Remy could hear the doubt in her own voice.

Mom and Dad had come to the door to greet him, and he grinned, all big and flashy and fake, but he did pick his head up a little more as he saw them, and he noticed Dad’s smile relax a little bit as Remy straightened. Dad knew what he was doing, and Emile had no doubt warned Dad and Mom both about Remy acting off in defense of this well and truly anxiety-inducing situation.

He hugged them both with a laugh, sharing the usual pleasantries. Remy straightened and saw Emile’s grandfather standing behind them, and he pulled down his sunglasses, peering over them to glare at Emile’s grandfather. “You hurt Emile, my guy, and I’ll make you wish you had never been born, m’kay?”

As Emile’s grandfather twitched, Remy smirked inwardly, continuing to chew his gum. “Surely, you’re not the same... boyfriend Emile had at that Christmas?” Emile’s grandfather asked.

Remy laughed and took off his sunglasses, walking inside. “Oh, that’s me, sweets. I just don’t act nice around people who hurt my fiancé.”

Emile’s grandfather flinched at the word fiancé, and Remy grinned, all teeth. Good. Let him be uncomfortable.

“Remy,” Dad warned, and Remy turned to him, prepared to continue being snarky and sarcastic until he saw the warning look he was getting. The fight drained from him and he sighed. Dad put a hand on his shoulder. “I know you’ve had similar hurts in the past, but there’s no need to go full feral right out the gate.”

Remy felt like he might pass out. “I guess you’re right. Forcing Emile out of the car before he’s ready because I instigated a fight would not leave a good impression.”

“No,” Dad agreed softly.

“Similar...hurts?” Emile’s grandfather asked.

“Well, yeah,” Remy said, swallowing his gum and sighing. “Not that it’s any of your business, but my mother came to my and Emile’s house, berating me and calling me slurs, exclaiming that I was going to Hell for being gay. So when you pull the same shit that manipulative, abusive witch pulled...well. Forgive me if I get a little twitchy.”

Emile’s grandfather looked mildly horrified, and wanted to say something, but Emile ran across the yard. “Remy! Remy!” he exclaimed. “I just realized you took that gum out of your pocket, please tell me Grandpa is still alive!”

“He is,” Remy said. The implied For now might as well have been verbalised.

“Okay,” Emile breathed, grabbing Remy’s hand. “Thank you. For, uh, not killing him on sight.”

“You didn’t do it to my parents, I figured you’re owed that same courtesy,” he said, glancing at Emile.

Emile’s grandfather flinched again. “Do you...truly see me as so abhorrent that I deserve to be killed?” he asked.

“I believe that those who hurt others shouldn’t be allowed around those they hurt,” Remy said, stepping closer to Emile. “And while we can argue about the morals behind murder all day, it is still illegal in the eyes of the law, and I’d like to be married to my fiancé outside of prison.”

“That doesn’t...answer my question,” Emile’s grandfather said.

Remy laughed hollowly. “All due respect, but Dad told me to pull the reins back on the hostility. If I told you what I truly think, I’m pretty sure we would fall right back into hostile territory.” Which was more or less a fancy way of saying yes, and everyone in the room knew it, as the temperature seemed to drop several degrees.

Emile’s grandfather gave Remy an unreadable stare. “Very well,” he said stiffly. “Given what you’ve said to me, I think it’s safe to presume that you would rather not deal with me. As such, I’d like to cut straight to the chase and speak to Emile. Alone,” he added, when Remy opened his mouth to speak.

Remy flushed red, but Emile squeezed Remy’s hand. Remy turned to Emile and silently asked, Surely, you don’t expect me to take this sitting down?

I’ll be fine, Emile said with a downward tilt of his chin.

Oh, like hell you will, Remy scoffed.

“Remy, that’s rude,” Emile said. “I can handle my own. I’ll be fine. Besides, you have permission from me and Fern, remember?”

That did make Remy feel marginally better, but not better enough to fully accept the situation. Mom walked up and gently pulled Remy away from Emile. “Let the boys have their discussion, Remy. Can you show me how to make one of your famous cups of coffee, provided we have the stuff that you use to make it?”

“You two, don’t touch my stove!” Dad squawked, following Mom as she dragged Remy to the kitchen. Remy watched as Emile’s grandfather awkwardly put a hand between Emile’s shoulder blades and together they walked to the living room.

[jojosbabe]

Random jotaro self ship headcanons

There is a difference between jotaro in public,joot around trusted friends and family,and jotaro around his s/o. Jotaro in private is like a totally different person. He's a dorky sweetheart deep down. In private he is gonna be a dork and sweet. Lots of dad jokes and just really good fluff. Also he tends to use star more in public or when he can't be verbal.

Jotaro doesn't always talk much but he always listens. However when he is in a chatty mood especially about a topic that peeks his intrest. He is actually quite the chatterbox. He is always there for you. No matter what. Idgaf what others say. He is a good man.

He awkward. But he means well.

No his life doesn't completely revolve around marine biology. He does love the ocean very much but don't like talking about it all the time because sometimes it reminds him of work and he wants to relax once in a while.

He actually loves sharks,orcas and sea bunnies and slugs more than dolphins.

He makes sea puns around you

Jotaro can and will punch anyone who disrespects you.

His favorite colors are all shades of blue,sea green, and violet.

Jotaro actually wants someone who loves him for him and not just because he is hot or a "tough guy". He wants an engaging conversation,it can be about anything as long as you have passion about it. He doesn't want anyone to hover *cough* like those fangirls *cough* . Jotaro deep down wants someone to just understand how he feels and can just be there for him. Deep down I think he wants a woman like his momma.

Jotaro canonlly loves jazz. But i like to think he also likes 80s hits in general as well as some jazzy type rock.

Jotaro just has a resting bitch face. He looks serious but He actually is probably thinking about what to have for breakfast. XD

Jotaro if he likes you and trusts you. He will be more open to you and truly he is a sweetheart guys. Please don't pin him as the unfeeling type just because he is awkward at talking.

Jotaro canonlly loves his moms cooking. If you make or try to make a recipe his mom makes even if its not as good he will praise you for trying because he loves his momma and you that much.

Jotaro has a private beach home. Away from idiots. Do not take this away from me. Give the man some peace!

In my own personal self ship with jotaro. We do not have kids(i already have au's with other characters that i do have kids and i wanted to explore one without for once) And i prolonged us getting married. Because i do not see jotaro rushing into shit like that at all. Srry i love jolyne to death but i need to see more self ships without children or even just waiting for kids instead of rushing into having kids.

Jotaro's bedroom has a screen door to open,so during the summer it can be opened to let the cool sea breeze in. Its quite nice.

Yeah beach house. Can literally just walk outside to his own private beach and hammock and grab a drink and chill. Joot has it made.

Remembering the joestars are kinda loaded so he can actually afford this shit.

Jotaro has several hats. Where he gets them. The world will never know.

Hope you enjoy this.

[beetlegoose01]

stolen whispers-chapter 2

AN: Chapter 2 is here!!  I decided to post it on here as normal, I hope you guys enjoy!

Summary: Albus discovers Scorpius is missing and must rely on the help of his family.

Time: Spring 2028

Extra info: James Sirius is married to my OC, Iris. They have two children.

~~~~

It had been a few hours since Scorpius had left. Now at nearly 2pm, Albus was starting to grow concerned. Scorpius had a tendency to dawdle and get distracted by all the wonderful things at the market, but this was a bit ridiculous. Even for Scorpius. Panicking would do him no good, so he decided to try calling him. One ring...two...three...straight to voice-mail. Well, shit. He sighed, running his hand through his dark curls. He wasn't paranoid, but he decided to send him a text too, just for good measure.

Still nothing. But it hadn't been that long. Surely Scorpius would call shortly. Everything would be fine. But there was a pit in his stomach still, a strong feeling that something was wrong.

'Paranoia be damned.' Albus thought. 'I have to make sure he's okay.'

The farmer's market had cleared out mostly, several vendors were starting to pack up. Heart pumping in his chest, he approached the nearest one.

"Ms. Beaker!" He called.

"Al, dear." The old woman smiled kindly. "What can I do for you? I'm afraid I'm packing up my fruit for today."

"Have you seen Scorpius?" He asked impatiently. "My husband."

"Oh yes." Ms. Beaker said. "He bought my strawberries, such a nice young man. But I haven't seen him since. He seemed to have vanished."

"Vanished?" Albus repeated. "Thank- thank you. I've got to go now."

He walked briskly towards the end of the market, trying not to think of worse case scenarios. Just as he was hovering his finger over his phone, about to call him again, something made him stop in his tracks.

A discarded basket lay clumsily on the ground. Several strawberries were scattered clumsily across the floor. Its handles were bent, clearly messed around with, but at the same time recognizable to him. Scorpius brought it with him on market trips. He often joked that it made him look like Red Riding Hood, a muggle fairytale. Albus had even tied a silver ribbon to the handle as a gift.

"Scorpius..." He murmured, collecting the basket. Okay, maybe panicking was a good idea.

'Draco. I have to find Draco. He'll know what to do.'

Finding a secluded area to collect his thoughts, he apparated to the infamous Malfoy Manor. He didn't waste any time admiring the gilded gates or the fountains or even the proud peacocks grazing nearby. No, he had to find his father in law. Luck was on his side, because he found the older wizard outside, admiring a flowered hedge.

"Draco!" He gasped, rushing forward. He didn't care about being sweaty or rude for intruding. "Please- I need your...sir I need your help."

Draco raised his brow, now puzzled as to why his son in law had apparted to the Manor at such an odd time. "With what? Come here, son.”

"I can't- I don’t." Albus shook his head.

"Where's Scorpius?"

"That's just it. I don't know. He's..." He looked grim. "He's missing."

"What do you mean 'missing'?" Draco said, though he looked deeply worried. As if he already knew the worst was coming.

Albus made a frustrated noise. "I mean, he's gone! He was at the farmer's market earlier today and he's been gone for hours. I’ve called him using my mobile, but still nothing at all. No response, not even a text."

"And he didn't have any work or ...?"

"No."

"We can't assume anything. Perhaps you should wait here while I think of something."

"Draco, what else can we do? We can't sit here when he could be hurt or lost or-"

"Why weren't you with him?" Draco demanded, his temper rising. The two men were face to face, both more scared than angry. “How could my son be missing again?”

"In case you didn't realize Draco, he's a grown adult and can go wherever he likes." Albus retorted, not the least bit intimidated by his father in law. He may be shorter than him, but he was stubborn as sin, and nothing mattered more than Scorpius. "That isn't the point, I didn't think this would happen. Please, can we not argue and figure out what to do?"

"You're right." He sighed. He looked so much older, exhausted. "I'm sorry, us arguing isn't going to help. I know it wasn’t your fault."

For a brief moment, their eyes met. Two men that loved Scorpius in different ways.

"I don't want to think it's a kidnap, but if it is?"

Draco hummed. "The Malfoys have many enemies. It wouldn't surprise me." He fiddled with his wedding ring. "We can't assume though, surely we can..."

A letter dropped in front of them with a thud. It seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, no owl in sight.

Draco snatched it before Al could, scanning it over. He looked faint, dazed. Pale and sickly, he read it over once. Then again. His hands were trembling.

"Draco....Draco!" He waved his arm desperately. "What does it say?"

"It's Scorpius. You’re right. He...has been taken."

No. No this can't be happening. Not Scorpius. Anybody but Scorpius.

"By who?" Albus urged, growing more frantic by the second. "We can't waste time standing around or..." His eyes filled with desperate, terrified tears. "Is he alive?" He whispered. "I need to know."

"Yes, he's alive." Draco nodded gravely. "I don't know who they are, but they're Death Eater sympathizers. Read it- they want gold."

Malfoy,

If you want to see your son alive again, listen carefully.

Empty all the gold you have and bring it to us.

And, join our side to repent your sins of betraying the Dark Lord.

We will bring your son back safe and sound.

Send the money to ____ and come alone.

~~~~

L, M, S

Albus sighed in relief. "They just want money, that's easy, isn't it? We can pool in however much they want."

"That's not the issue. Think, Albus!" Draco snapped. "I would give them all the gold in the Malfoy vaults if it meant Scorpius was safe. But who's to say they won't comply once they have it?"

Albus frowned, thinking for a moment. "We have to try at least. L...M...S, who could they be?"

"And that's not all they want. They want me to join their side. To make up for my betrayal of Voldemort."

"You wouldn't." He said. "Nor would Scorpius. Let's bring the note to Jamie and Iris, see if they can decipher it. Maybe my dad can-"

"I have to."

"What?" Albus looked alarmed. His heart was pounding as he waited for Draco to explain himself.

"They don't just want money. Look at it closer," He pointed at the note. "If I refuse..."

"They won't tell us where he is?"

Draco's grey eyes were wide with fear. "Worse. They'll kill him."

~•~

Albus refused to rest until he found some sort of clue of Scorpius' whereabouts. Draco had reluctantly opted to stay at the manor, in case more ransom notes arrived.

His first instinct was to visit James and Iris. Iris was an accomplished Auror, and James...well he was good for moral support. Lily was off in Romania, so she wouldn't be much help.Then contact his parents who would help as well. His Aunt Hermione too. He'd want the entire Ministry of Magic to help rescue Scorpius.

"I'll send you a patronus if something happens." Draco vowed. He reached a hand to Albus' shoulder. "Please bring him back safely."

Albus nodded firmly. "I will."

He used Draco's fireplace, holding his breath as he traveled through the floo network. His mind flashed of Scorpius' sweet blue eyes and dimpled cheeks. Youthful but wise beyond his years. His first best friend.

Please be alright. Please.

He tumbled out of the fireplace in a heap of soot. He grunted, standing up, too determined to focus on the state of himself. Probably a mess, hair askew and clothes covered in dirt.

"Bloody hell, Al!" His sister in law; Iris exclaimed. "What are you-"

"Iris." He gasped. "I need your help."

"You better sit down then. You look a right state." She said, looking the antithesis of Albus. Neat, pristine and elegant with her dark hair down her shoulders. A book she had been reading was on the floor, no doubt thrown to the side after being startled by Al's unexpected entrance. Little Henry, still a toddler even dropped his blocks.

"Alligator!" Henry piped, pointing at Albus.

"Yes, sweetheart it's Uncle Alligator." Iris said softly. Henry seemed satisfied with that, and went back to his blocks.

"Thanks," Albus murmured, taking a seat as she gestured to him. She flicked her wand casually, and a charmed teapot started to whistle. "Where's-"

"Jim's with Jazzy, off practicing Quidditch." She explained, levitating the mug towards his shaky hands. Albus would have chuckled at the nickname, but felt too numb. "Right then, what's happened?"

He explained the entire situation, but it came out so weakly, it felt like he was vomiting. His stomach was queasy with anxiety.

"It's all my fault. I should have been with him, then it wouldn't have happened." He put his head in his hands.

"Stop it, Al. Listen to me very carefully, okay?" Iris said, after examining the letter. "It's in no way your fault. So stop moping, chin up, I'll help you out. We all will. James, Teddy, Harry, Hermione, my mum...everyone will help find Scorpius."

Albus stared at his tea, eyes watering. "I don't know." He whispered. "I don't..."

"Take a deep breath," She placed a gentle, comforting hand to his shoulder. "We will. I swear on it."

"I'm scared."

"I know. It'll be okay."

"You don't know that."

"You're right. I don't. But still I'm going to send an owl to everyone. We'll need as many people as possible to decipher this note."

"Are you sure you want to help out I mean with..." Albus gestured at her barely visible bump.

Iris narrowed her eyes sharply, summoning parchment. "Yes. I've made up the guest room by the way. You're staying here."

"I don't need to..."

"You are. I insist. You don't need to be alone tonight. And don't argue. You're no good if you're exhausted." She lifted Henry in her arms, bouncing him. "Now shoo, I've got to finish this one letter."

"Who else are you contacting?" Albus tilted his head.

"The second best Auror I know, the one who can help us find him and decipher any codes from these people."

"Don't leave me in suspense, Iris."

"You won't love it...but..."

"Iris." He pressed.

"It's Rose."

~•~

Rose. Rose Granger-Weasley was an enigma. They had gotten along as kids, played gobstones and quidditch for hours but as they grew older, things were awkward and distant. After school, they remained cordial. Still, if she was supposedly their only hope, he would (begrudgingly) comply.

"Hey there baby brother." James opened the guest room door. "Dinner's ready!"

"I'm not hungry." Albus said flatly. How could he possibly eat or rest or do anything when Scorpius was alone somewhere.

"Listen, I know you're worried about Scorpius..." James said. "But Rose is here, and she read the note. She has an idea."

"And? What is it?" He snapped.

"Hi Al." Rose poked her head from behind James.

"What do you want?"

"Nice to see you too, Albus." She said coolly. "My idea is...well, it really requires us both to work together."

Albus scowled.

"We have to give them the gold.” She said. “It’s the only way, for sure that they’ll bring Scorpius back.” 

“There’s no promise they’ll just hand him over!” Albus said. “Draco said, he said they might just be using it as a trick- to bait us.” 

“If they do turn on us, we’ll have a team of Aurors to fight against them. Iris, meanwhile since she’s-” 

Albus gestured vaguely to his midsection. “Pregnant.”

“We don’t want her going into a possible battle. I’m not putting her, or our baby at risk.” James said, his voice hoarse. 

“She’ll be doing research on these kidnappers. Find out as much information as she can.” Rose explained. “We could find out why exactly they want Scorpius. Why are they still hung up over a war that ended three decades ago.” 

“Because they’re insane?” Albus frowned. “Who cares why? They have him, and we have to get him back!”

“Think for once, Albus!” Rose said, and Albus felt his temper rising again. “Finding out the why gives us clues as to how to find him! I know you want to gallantly rescue him, but you have to think logically. We have to plan this out.” 

“While you’re planning this, he could be hurt or…” Albus gulped, refusing to say it. He knew they were all thinking it. “I’m not wasting time.” 

“While you’re both arguing,” James interrupted. “You’re wasting precious time. I think Rose is right. Draco brings the gold to them, they bring Scorpius. If they don’t, we’ve got our team to kick their arses until they cry.”  

“I wasn’t going to put it that way but…”

“Draco already wrote his response. Now all we need to do is find them.” 

Albus wasn’t too confident in this plan. It sounded deeply flawed. But, if this was the one way to get Scorpius back, he refused to argue anymore.

[kittae]

...By Its Cover

Pairing: Yoongi x Female reader

Genre: Fluff, foster kitten dad!Yoongi, Drabble

Warnings: beware of cavity-inducing sweetness!

Words: 2k

.

Susie’s a cute diner just outside the city centre, open from 7 AM to 10 PM every day and your workplace for the past two years. It’s a cozy little thing, with uplifting pop music in the morning and jazzy, relaxing background music in the evening. You got some nice coworkers and the pay isn’t bad at all. You never mind going to work despite having the morning shift more often than not and the ugly salmon pink uniform you were obligated to wear. When you enter through the employee entrance at the back of the building, Jungkook is the first face to greet you every morning. He’s always the first one there, making sure his kitchen and stoves are spick and span before the first customers arrive.

“Morning,___” He smiles, waving a yellow dishrag and almost slapping himself in the face doing so.

Chuckling, you shake your head and place your bag behind the counter. “Morning, Kook.”

Jungkook turns up the volume of the radio a bit and you recognize the song, having you hum along to it as you take off your jacket and tie your hair up.

“You’re in a good mood,” He remarks, mimicking your actions as he brushes his hair back to put on his hairnet.

You shrug as you face him, “Wouldn’t see why not?”

The light jingle of the door rings in your ears and you watch the cook’s expression morph into an awkward grimace. “I think the reason just walked in.”

You don’t need to turn around to know why he said that. In fact, you can already feel the cold chill of his presence before you had to see him with your own two eyes.

“Can I get a double-size with six extra espresso shots?” The familiar voice sounds from behind you, your mind simultaneously droning off the order on automatic pilot before he was even finished speaking.

You silently take a deep breath and release an even deeper sigh before you turn around with a bright albeit forced smile on your fresh face.

“Coming right up. Anything to eat with that?” Your voice strains when it shoots up two octaves too high, to sound friendly, but the look on your customer’s face confirms you just sound like a chipmunk on steroids.

“No, just the usual is fine.” He says slowly as if you won’t understand him if he doesn’t and you don’t like his attitude one bit.

Your smile painfully widens again, but your eyes roll in their sockets when you turn on your heel to prepare the coffee machine. You wait for the beans to grind so the noise can cover you quietly grumbling when you don’t even bother to use your inside voice, wondering out loud who in the world drinks a concoction like that on an empty stomach. He looks like he could desperately use some food in his system, though. Every day he looks more worn out and tired, dark circles under his eyes and drained of energy. It’s like he lives on caffeine alone.

Usually, you’d have no qualms playfully scolding customers for their unhealthy habits, talk to them or just ask them questions in general but it’s different with this one. After you’d asked him for his name because you like to have a bit of a connection with your regulars, he looked at you as if you’d grown two heads and dryly asked you if this was a Starbucks or something before going back to scrolling through whatever app he’s always on on his phone. He never stays longer than thirty minutes, though.

“Here you are,” you put the big mug of pure, unsweetened black coffee down on the counter in front of him, “Let me know if there’s anything else I can get you.”

He grunts out an unintelligible sound in response. It could be ‘thank you’, ‘whatever’ or ‘I will’, you’re not sure.

You’re about to let it drop and ignore him in favour of hanging out with Jungkook a bit to talk about your weekend when he suddenly clears his throat.

Caught a bit off guard because he never initiates conversation in any way, you come closer to hear what he wants.

“Yes?”

“Can you… It’s a weird thing to ask but can you fill this with hot water?” He slightly blushes as he holds up a rubber bag with a stopper. “Please.”

“Uh, sure…” You smile friendly enough but the shallow crease between your eyebrows can’t hide your confusion. What does he need this for? Does his back ache or something? And have you ever seen him blush like that before? You’re completely thrown off but head to the kitchen to fill in his request anyway.

When you come back, you see him crouched over to the side with a lopsided but fond smile on his face. Your ears register tiny squeaks for the first time, barely audible but unmistakably that of baby animals. Unable to suppress your curiosity, you make your way to the other side of the counter to find out what’s happening.

You gasp when you see the large nursing bag made of soft and padded fabric, counting five squirming and peeping baby kittens inside with blankets and stuffed animals to accompany them. The usually grumpy boy’s face lightens up like the sun coming out from between rain clouds, one more newborn kitten in the palm of his hand as he holds it to his chest and a small bottle of milk in the other. The kitten greedily suckles on the little pacifier, milk spilling all over its tiny snout and into its barely grown fur. They look like they’ve just recently opened their eyes, too. Not that you’re an expert, but your heart is positively melting at the sight.

“They’re so cute!” You can’t help but squeal as you marvel over the babies (and the guy nursing them but you’re not admitting that right now).

He nods, shooting a genuinely adorable and gummy smile your way and straight through your chest like heavy artillery bullets. “They’re only around two weeks old but they’re doing so well! It’s been hard feeding them every two hours every day but it’s so rewarding to see them grow up healthy. I’m so relieved.”

Here you are. An idiot. A fool. A god damn buffoon for thinking he was a cold frog with a bad attitude all this time when he was just exhausted from keeping these babies alive and taking care of them. You wanted to smack yourself in the face.

“Oh– here, I filled it with hot water.” You remember you’re still holding the hot water bag and carefully lay it down in the nursing bag, covering it with the fleece blanket so it wouldn’t be too hot for the babies’ fragile skin. Of course it was for them.

“Thank you,” he smiles again, eyes all soft albeit bloodshot from lack of sleep as he delicately puts the tiny kitten back when it’s full. You felt bad for him, a desperate need for him to get some rest washing over you out of nowhere.

“When’s the last time you ate?” You inquire carefully, lips folding in a slightly worried smile.

You watch him scratch his head trying to remember and you know enough.

“I’ll be right back.”

Before he can protest, you’re already telling Jungkook to cook up a full breakfast on the house. You ignore him when he raises his brows and gives you a surprised look.

“You really didn’t have to,” the guy blushes again when you put the plate of fresh, hot and steamy food down on the counter. You had Jungkook throw in some extra sausages, too.

“I really did. You can thank me by finishing it all.” You grin unapologetically, ignoring the heat spreading over your cheeks.

He starts eating a bit hesitantly, but quickly stuffs his face when he realizes how hungry he actually is.

“You know, you can take better care of others when you take care of yourself as well, right?” You feel comfortable enough to scold him a bit now.

He flashes you a tight-lipped, guilty smile and shrugs. “I think it’s the lack of sleep… I thought i wasn’t hungry but,” he points at his empty plate. He finished that in record time.

“Want some more?” You offer but he laughs and shakes his head, politely declining.

“It was just what I needed. Thanks for that, really.” He murmurs, shyly looking away and busying himself by softly petting the kittens. “Ah… I kind of feel like a freeloader now.”

“Don’t worry about it, seriously.” You assure him. “Can I?”

Your hand awkwardly hovers over the little kittens and he understands you’d like to pet them as well. A giggle escapes him before he knows it, making a new blush flare up and turn his ears bright red. You almost choke on your spit.

“S-sure! Do you… Do you want to try feeding one?” He asks.

“Oh! wow, I- I’d love to! Can I really?” Your eyes grow in size and excitement bubbles in your chest. You’ve always loved animals but you were never allowed to have pets when you were younger. Now you’re living alone, your apartment has a strict no-pet policy as well. “I don’t have any experience with this though, are you sure it’s okay?”

“Yeah, no problem. Here, I’ll show you.” He carefully takes a kitten from the bag and wraps it in a blanket, then places them in your lap. “First you’ll wrap the kitten in the blanket so it stays warm. Make sure he’s not laying on his back but down on his belly. Then you’ll take the bottle– hold it like this, yeah– and let him drink at his own pace. Hold his neck like this… Yeah, keep him steady. You’re doing great.”

The little guy is latching onto the bottle nipple just fine, tiny ears quivering in contentment and eyes big and focused as he drinks. It makes a warm feeling spread through your chest.

“Do you do this often?” You ask, glancing back at their caretaker, “Taking care of kittens, I mean.”

He nods, “Yeah, I’m kind of trying to set up a foster home for abandoned and found kittens. Adult cats, too. I’m just… having a little trouble financially.”  He looks embarrassed but you don’t see why he would have to be.

“I think it’s really cool and noble of you to help these babies. You can always come here for free breakfast if you want.” You wink before directing your undivided attention back on the kitten.

He chuckles, his eyes scanning your face without realizing how long they stay lingering.

“I know you said we’re not Starbucks, but do you want to tell me your name now?” You ask when you put the kitten back after it drank the whole bottle. It instantly nestles itself against the hot water bag to take a nap with its brothers and sisters.

“Oh… fuck, did I really say that?” The blush on his cheeks deepens furiously. “I’m sorry… Uh, it’s Yoongi.”

“Nice to finally meet you, Yoongi,” you laugh lightheartedly, “I’m–”

“___.” He blurts out before he can stop himself, taking you both by surprise. “Y-your name tag…”

“Ah, I see,” you chuckle and the air feels thick as you both avoid each other’s eyes.

“Do you want to-”

“Do you want to-”

“Y-you first?” He asks, nervously brushing his hair back to give himself some posture.

“I- I just wanted to… You know, uh, ask if you w-want another cup of coffee?” You inwardly cringe and scream but you can’t take it back now, damn it.

Yoongi smiles that gummy smile again and you decide you’re screwed. “Yeah, that’d be great. Thanks.”

“Okay...What did you want to ask me?”

His eyes widen. “I...I’ll tell you later.”

“Oh, o-okay. I’ll go make your coffee.”

“Okay.”

Your hands are shaking as you try to click the filter into the machine, your head heavy and light at the same time when you hear a whistle next to you. It’s Jungkook, leaning over the wall with a big, stupid grin on his face.

“Woah, that was painful to watch.” He laughs, giving you a meaningful look.

“Shut up. Don’t you have burgers to flip?”

“It’s 9am…”

“Flip your burgers, Jungkook!”

[sleepymouses]

tagged by @littlepetbee, thank uuuu <3 i spent way too long thinking about htis lol,

Rules: pick 5 shows, then answer the following questions, tag a bunch o ppls to do it too (if y’all want to, supes no pressure or anything!)

Natsume yuujinchou  (a teenage orphan who sees spirits/monsters sets out to free the spirits who were bound in magical contract by his grandmother after he inherits a powerful book, aided primarily by a spirit who appears as an exasperated fat cat (who is just as fun as he sounds). Titular character is like my Fave boy in the whole world, he’s so kind and soft despite all the hardships he’s faced, the series has very gentle pacing/character development, and each episode is a carefully crafted lil story that have often moved me to tears, chuckles, or outright chinhands of fondness as u watch natsume slowly find a home in the world and amongst the humans &spirits around him. big focus on friendships, there’s like no romance with any of the main characters, lots of cool different creatures (most of whom arent all that scary once u get to know them), its just literally everything i could ever dream for in a show and it exists! <3)

Leverage (team of modern day robin hoods ruin rich peoples’ lives via  delightfully crafted spy cons to give back to the regular folks the rich people hurt. Extremely good, strong found family vibes, and v cathartic)

Brooklyn 99 (follows diverse cast of character who make up a NY precinct. Hilarious, immensely wholesome & groundbreaking, & probs the most lighthearted crime show besides like psych tbh)

Blackspot/Zone Blanche (spoopy french/belgium crime series set in a small village way out in the mountains surrounded by misty, mysterious and murdery woods. eerie and atmospheric, but also like one of my fave characters (everyone calls him teddy bear) keeps a pet guinea pig at work, so it’s not entirely grim and bleak)

Longmire (a modern western crime drama centering around the titular sheriff and others in their small town wyoming county, well written and lot of chracter development revealed alongside some really good case mysteries bc i love trying to figure out whodunits apparently based on a book series well adored by dads btw)

who is your favorite character in 2? (leverage) ahhh,,, this is hard... Eliot maybe? like Hardison is baby ofc, but i relate to elliot a ton (i think if i was on a team i would want to be the hitter tbh?) and love the subversion of so many action hero tropes that he is, also endlessly amused by how very put upon he is despite all his rad/random skills

who is your least favorite character in 1? (natsume yuujinchou) oh seiji matoba for sure, he can go eat a mouldy tree stump. absolutely evil nasty dude

what is your favorite episode of 4? (blackspot) the end of the road. great opening, didnt end up too devastating unlike a lot of the cases, Hermann was gr8, cool twist i hadnt super expected in the plot which was neat.

what is your favorite season of 5? (longmire) probs 1, walter reeally started to piss me off being Such A Man in later seasons, also me being extremely anxious about Henry and his life choices later, that creepy stalker storyline starting up with Someone and when Someone else in the main cast got died really suddenly and upsettingly later on as well, also when a weird relationship started between some of the characters that i really aint feeling so. before all that happened was nice (also sorry if this is super vague, im trying to avoid spoilers)

who is your favorite couple in 3? (B99) Besides Jake/Amy and Holt/Kevin (bc oviously theyre gr8) uh.. i know it was a long time ago and didnt last very long, but i thought rosa and marcus were really sweet? it brought another layer out to her character, even when they broke up that helped rosa starting to show emotional vulnerability and all, even tho it ended it was still just, idk, i liked them.

who is your favorite couple in 2? (leverage) Does trio count, cos Parker/Eliot/Harding 4 life yo

what is your favorite episode of 1? (natsume yujinchou) i have sooo many faves ahhh!!! i dont think i could pick just one on pain of death, every episode is acrefully cosntructed gem all on its own and i have too many that i love and adore to pick jsut one :((

what is your favorite episode of 5? (longmire) Dog soldier!! ive rewatched that one a ton, so so many good bits, really satisfying resolution of the case despite the shitty system that was revealed, and i rmr getting chills by the end the first time i saw it.

what is your favorite season of 2? (leverage) i guess season 1? just, idk, everything being set up and watching all these grumpies/less grumpies who have no plans to stay together start working together as a baby team, and just the joy of seeing their first heist together with the first plot twist, just.. such a delight, but all seasons that ive seen so far were all excellent, it’s a stellar show

how long have you watched 1? (natsume yujinchou) oh idk exactly, like years and years man... defs the longest out of all on this list

how did you become interested in 3? (b99) i think it was just on netflix way back in season 1 and i started watching it, loved it and never stopped? i think that might have even been before it got rlly popular lol

who is your favorite actor in 4? (blackspot) i dont rlly know any of these french peeps? but teddybear’s one of my fave characters, so hopefully the person who plays him is also cool, in which case hubert delattre (if not, Suliane Brahim does a v good job as the lead)

which do you prefer, 1, 2, or 5? (natsume yujinchou, leverage or longmire) um... real torn between natsume and leverage here, they’re both such lovely gems that do found family so, so well.. leverage is a team of modern robin hood-esque spies with brilliant writing and exciting heists and multiple delightful plot twists every episode and great character building and so much catharticism in ruining evil rich peoples lives.

but natsume’s title character is one of my very favorite characters ever, hes been through so much but he becomes the most kindest and thoughtful boy ever, and its so, so soft and gentle in its development of characters and their slow build of getting to know each other and becoming friends, and the interactions with the paranormal world are very rarely entirely malicious/scary, and there’s pretty well no romance, at least like no romance for plot/with the main characters anyways, and there’s lots of female characters who have important roles but arent sexualized/killed off for man feels/exist for romo (which sadly cannot be said about a lot of media, especially manga/anime tbh, even leverage does not win entirely on that front).. its defintiely my favorite anime ever (i dont watch loads, but literally no other one can ever come close to topping its perfection),

i guess tho, leverage is over, and natsume is still technically ongoing, so i guess for that then i have to go with natsume?

which show have you seen more episodes of, 1 or 3? (natsume yuujinchou or b99) Natsume for sure, they’re so short its easy to power thru like half a season in an afternoon

if you could be anyone from 4, who would you be? (blackspot) i would probably want to be someone who didnt live in villefranche actually haha uh, it’s a pretty spoopity place.. even some of the characters i do like make some Bad decisions that are v bothersome. Dr. Leila barami seems to have a good head on her shoulders tho, so if i Must be a character here then let’s go with her

would a crossover between 3 and 4 work? (b99 or blackspot) oh god... the cheery upbeat department at the 99 meet up with a grim, misty tiny mountain forest village with bleak day to day life, solving crimes amidst small town paranoia and weird maybe cult-related conspiracies and honestbhly something/s paranormal and menacing going on in the woods?? i just... cant see any of the characters even interacting lol, im just picturing jake’s confused befuddled face when he hears something weird but like x 10000

pair two characters in 1 who would make an unlikely but strangely okay couple? (natsume yujinchou) hm... i mean, one of the things i love about Natsume is that there arent really any romo relationships tbh? at least not with any of the main characters in the main storyline (so far), just like the odd one-off of minor characters (and takashi’s adopted parents ofc, but that’s different). so, yeah, i cant really think of one (although i think the big fandom fave ship of takashi and his worst enemy is rlly.. nope, and i dont know what’s going on there? takashi and tanama however, that would make sense, tho it is not unlikely so i cant answer this question with them)

overall, which show has the better storyline, 3 or 5? (b99 or longmire) b99! cos ya know my annoyances with some of the stuff happening later on in longmire lol, b99 just got better n better as it went along, and it’s still going :’)

which has the better theme music, 2 or 4? (leverage or blackspot) blackspot has a real good eerie atmospheric theme which is gr8 and i love it <3 (leverage’s tune is like, elevator music/cheesy jazzy spy tune, which does suit it tho lol)

and idk, anyone bored and stuck at home who wants to do this? no pressure if ur like nah but if u wanna go ahead.... @creepy-friend-of-darkness @anna-wa @rhinky-thingz @rexbasileus @aeolian-harp @warrenkoles @softbrobarnes @damnitttana @cluelesswolf @moondoggiestyle @blloodorangeisthenewblack @my-nail-beds-suck @frankiecolours @savvylikeyeahhh @lake-effectkidx @justhugharry @casualmisandry @j4ya @galaxygalpals @thesecondwarm @dealwright @knipperdollin @curlycombover @kaspbrakeddie (and if i didnt tag u and u still wanna do this, consider yeself tagged)

[st4rm41d]

top 10 musics - commentary

ok i wanted to keep the other post relatively clutter-free but also i kinda just wanna type rn so im gunna talk abt why i love each of those songs

besitos - this is my favorite song. ever. its hard and fast. but theres such a deep pain expressed in the song like, that can only be expressed when screaming this shit out. its also like, fun, through the whole thing! snippets of a life thats exciting and full of picturesque moments, and a romance thats beautiful but flawed. Anyway. I like it. come hang out in san diego. we have backyard parties youre not invited to, nasty falls off your skateboard.

even flow - this is the oldest song on this list, and i heard it when i was really young, maybe like 6th grade? part of my dads music collection, it is just such a nice, beautiful song that resolves some beautiful chords from the metal verses to the just smooth and sweet choruses. the solo is wonderful classic rock. You should listen to the entire album, its literally just like. each song is about a different neurodivergent person and theyre all really emotional. ill still cry if i listen to Jeremy or Black. even flow just slaps the hardest

a match into water - hey. welcome back to ptv. your so is gunna kill themself. go write a song about it

professional griefers - i wanted to give some EDM a shoutout on this playlist, and nothing gets me hype like this one. fuckin. mecha battles. drone racing. hacking. any intense, technicolor animatic can be made to this. i first heard this in the viddy game asphalt 8 when i was a kid, and it made me get into deadmau5. plus gerard way is singing, so like, whats better than that? 

dang!!!!! - lets calm down a second. two birds with one stone, bc both anderson paak and mac miller are featured here. the funky rhythms of paak combined with macs lyrics are just unstoppable. this song is being in love in the summer. plus “i just eat pussy, other people need food” is a great line. mac lived on that respect women juice. fuckin. rip

disco yes - another song thats great for a summer night party. infinite good vibes from our jazzy boy tom. the funkiest bass line that carries the whole song while the guitar adds a knowing smirk from you to ur crush. theres like no way to feel bad while listening to this!

angels - chance smiles so hard while opening this song you can hear it!! what the fuck!! the whole song is just about being happy and loving the people around you like idk its just really sweet and i love it <3

for sale? - yeah ok ok i know it opens really weird, if you arent listening to ‘to pimp a butterfly’ straight through. kendrick is in the depths of his drug abuse here, and just finished singing the hit song ‘alright’. hes being confronted by the devil, being tempted by evil...and yet it sounds like a love song!! lucy is just chillin, hes right behind kendrick, and has been his whole life. but thats the thing - its so easy to fall victim to evil, and it doesnt feel bad, it feels like love. (plus, thundercat is playing bass. thats important for later)

telegraph ave - lets go back to SF. i lived there over the summer and it was unforgettable. i felt like i was dreaming, but everything was so real the same time. and this song feels the same way. its late at night and youre driving to see someone. youre in love. but its kinda falling apart. do you really matter to that person? youre in your twenties but not sure abt anything? youre surounded by this city, but youre alone.

a fans mail - lets end this playlist with a beautiful song from the fucking bass prodigy that is thundercat. catgirl anthem bitch. just. chill out. everything is ok. theres nothing to worry about, and this song feels like laying in a patch of sunlight on a soft carpet on a summer day without any cares.

anyway if you got this far, uh,, thanks? just some ramblings on these songs. theyre important to me.

[ssfoc]

(1/2) // Year-end questions about HS1 // A. When you first heard the full album back in May, what were your favorite and least favorite tracks? B. Now what are they? C. What are your favorite and least favorite that Harry has performed in concert? D. What do you think the second album will have in common with the first? E. And what do you think the biggest sonic difference will be? F. You could make a request for HS2 what would it be? (I'm asking a handful of blogs, hope you don't mind that.)

A. In May, fav ESNY, least fav Only Angel

B. Now, fav ESNY/ FTDT tied, least fav Only Angel

C. Fav in concert, the Manchester Girl Crush cover. As a live performance, the emotional nuance was perfect, the singing was flawless, and the band and audience were wonderful. Second fav performance was Two Ghosts on the first LLS (acoustic with Harry on guitar, in the pirate shirt). H was not technically perfect, and his guitar playing was rudimentary, but the performance has that special quality that pierces the audience’s emotional mantle, the reason we watch live performances at all. It’s Harry giving a part of himself to the audience, offering a glimpse into his psyche. Fav on tour? Every performance of SOTT.

Least fav: Only Angel is the least interesting song to me, the Stones-wannabe song that doesn’t push its sonic or lyrical possibilities. Harry does a funny little dad-dance that makes it fun, and picks up the rainbow flag quite a bit, but the song is still bland. Heresy here, but I don’t like live Sweet Creature (even though the staging is beautiful). The live performances show its limitations — the repetitiveness of the music and lyrics that don’t live up to the metaphoric richness of its inspiration, The Beatles’ Blackbird. Make it better.

D. HS2 will stick to rock, and I suspect not just rock but blues. Harry hints at listening to old R&B groups/ ballads like the Temptations, Harry Nilsson, Townes van Zandt, Yes, Crosby Stills and Nash, Joni Mitchell. He loves blues harmonies, those unexpected seventh chords and modulations. Harry writes really beautiful lines of melody, and HS1 (in songs like Carolina) noodles and pokes at adventurous harmonies that are almost jazzy. Bands like Jack White and The Black Keys are so good at transforming blues-rock for the modern ear, and I think Harry wouldn’t mind doing that.

E. The biggest difference, I hope, is that Harry will explore musical weirdness. I don’t mean for him to make an inaccessible art album. He has an idea of what worked and what didn’t work on HS1, what worked on tour, etc. I would love more declarative lyrics, an original and focused point of view, less homage, more originality.

I really wouldn’t mind H working with the same team again, because Jeff Bhasker produced such a brilliant sounding album, the best engineered/ mixed pop or rock album I’ve heard in a long time.

F. A request for HS2? Don’t play it safe. Don’t make an album for critics. Don’t love HS1 too much and try to recreate it. As lovely as it was, H can do more. He can do better. The standout song on HS1 was SOTT. When I first heard it, I was shocked by his level of ambition and the high level of performance. This is no-holds-barred, going-down-in-history level of pop. HS2 should always aim for this level. He can sing anything: Kanye, Rihanna, Fleetwood Mac, Little Big Town, Natalie Imbruglia, McCartney. He shouldn’t be afraid to be out there, writing rock opera ballads, electric guitar blues, slow country songs if he wants to. I would love a longer album to show off his versatility and his Byzantine, charming intellect.

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 26/12/2020 (LadBaby, Boris Johnson, Ed Sheeran)

It’s Boxing Day in the UK as I write this and I’m pretty tired but we still have to review those charts regardless, especially this chart as this is the Christmas chart – at least it’s being paraded around as such – and hence we have a Christmas #1. For the third year in a row, family vlogger, pseudo-comedian and amateur musician, not to be confused with DaBaby, Mark Ian Hoyle – more commonly known as “LadBaby”, has bagged the #1 for the holiday season. Every time I’ve covered the Christmas #1 it has been this guy and, yeah, I’m tired of it. At least this year he felt some stiff competition, and hey, the songs’ proceeds do go to charity. Oh, yeah, and this guy is the third act to have three Christmas #1s in a row, putting this nobody from Nottingham with a barebones Wikipedia page and a couple million YouTube subscribers on the level of the Beatles and Spice Girls. God, the UK Singles Chart never fails to amaze me. Anyway, that’s arguably not even the biggest story here so let’s start REVIEWING THE CHARTS.

Rundown

As I said before, this is the “Christmas week” so throughout the UK Top 75 there are a lot of holiday songs re-peaking or reaching new peaks, before dropping off entirely the next week. Let’s start as we always do by listing the drop-outs from the chart, of which there are quite a few notable ones. Most of our top 40 debuts from last week are gone, like Taylor Swift’s “champagne problems” and “no body, no crime” featuring HAIM, as well as “Show Out” by Kid Cudi, the late Pop Smoke and Skepta. We can also say goodbye to “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)” by Post Malone and Swae Lee, finally after 54 weeks and a surprise return earlier this month, in addition to other top 10 hits like “you broke me first” by Tate McRae, “See Nobody” by Wes Nelson and Hardy Caprio and “What You Know Bout Love” also by Pop Smoke, as well as some more minor hits like “Wonder” by Shawn Mendes, “Lonely” by Justin Bieber and benny blanco, “Train Wreck” by James Arthur, “Golden” by Harry Styles and “Plugged in Freestyle” by A92 and Fumez the Engineer, but I can see almost all of these rebounding hard next week so I don’t think there’s much to worry about here. For fallers, since Christmas has really consumed everything about this chart this week, we have some big ones that’ll find themselves back in the top 10 or at least top 20 next week like “positions” by Ariana Grande at #19 (the first non-Christmas non-debut song to appear on the chart, by the way), “Sweet Melody” by Little Mix at #20, “Whoopty” by CJ at #22, “34+35” by Ariana Grande at #28, “WITHOUT YOU” by The Kid LAROI at #31, “Prisoner” by Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa at #35 alongside “Midnight Sky” also by Miley at #36, “willow” by Taylor Swift off the debut to #37, “Get Out My Head” by Shane Codd at #38 and “Paradise” by MEDUZA and Dermot Kennedy. We also have “Therefore I Am” by Billie Eilish at #43, “Really Love” by KSI featuring Craig David and Digital Farm Animals at #45, even “HOLIDAY” by Lil Nas X at #49, “Mood” by 24kGoldn featuring iann dior at #54, “Loading” by Central Cee at #59, “Head & Heart” by Joel Corry and MNEK at #60, “Monster” by Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber at #64, “Blinding Lights” by the Weeknd at #66, “Dynamite” by BTS at #67, “Lemonade” by Internet Money and Gunna featuring Don Toliver and NAV at #72, “Levitating” by Dua Lipa with the biggest fall down to #73 and finally “No Time for Tears” by Nathan Dawe and Little Mix at #74. To put the dominance of holiday music on the charts in perspective, if we take the songs that are not either explicitly Christmas-related or a clear Christmas #1 campaign (i.e. LadBaby), the song at #38 would be at #10 and our #1 would be “positions” by Ariana Grande at #19. “Whoopty” by CJ, that entered the top 10 last week and dropped to #22 this week, would be at #3. There are 11 songs in the top 40 that never made an effort to take advantage of the holiday season. When we get into some of our debuts, it’ll be even clearer how big Christmas is in British pop music. Anyway, let’s skim through our gains and returning entries, most of which are Christmas or Christmas-related. For returning entries, we have the comically awful “Lonely this Christmas” by Mud at #71, last year’s scam attempt at a Christmas #1, “River” by Ellie Goulding at #69, “The Christmas Song (A Merry Christmas to You)” by Nat King Cole at #63 (which I’d appreciate more in the top 20 like it is in the US every year – this is a classic), “2000 Miles” by the Pretenders at #62 (again, incredible song that deserves a higher holiday peak each year), “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” by Darlene Love at #58, “Santa’s Coming for Us” by Sia at #55, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Sam Smith at #53 and for whatever reason, “Holy” by Justin Bieber featuring Chance the Rapper at #41. In terms of notable gains – and I stress notable, since a lot of higher-up Christmas songs had small gains but still good performance - we have “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” by the Jackson 5 at #57, “Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!” by Frank Sinatra at #56, “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby at #52, “Baby it’s Cold Outside” by Brett Eldredge and Meghan Trainor at #51, “Forever Young” by Becky Hill at #50 (both off of the debut), “Baby it’s Cold Outside” AGAIN by Michael Bublé and Idina Menzel at #47, “Love is a Compass” by Griff at #46, “Feliz Navidad” by Jose Feliciano at #44, “Cozy Little Christmas” by Katy Perry at #42, “Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!” AGAIN by Dean Martin at #39, “Sleigh Ride” by the Ronettes at #34, “Christmas Lights” by Coldplay at #33, “Santa Baby” by Kylie Minogue at #32, “Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber at #29, “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms at #27, “Wonderful Christmastime” by Paul McCartney at #26, “Holly Jolly Christmas” by Michael Bublé at #25, “All You’re Dreaming Of” by Liam Gallagher at #24 (thanks to a Christmas #1 campaign that crashed and failed), “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams at #23, “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” by John Lennon and Yoko Ono with the Plastic Ono Band featuring the Harlem Community Choir at #21, “One More Sleep” by Leona Lewis at #18, “Merry Xmas Everybody” by Slade at #17, “Underneath the Tree” by Kelly Clarkson at #15, and finally, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Justin Bieber illegitimately notching a spot in the top 10 at #8. Finally, we can get onto the new arrivals, although something about this next one tells me that we won’t be in line for anything all that good.

NEW ARRIVALS

#70 – “I’ll be Home” – Meghan Trainor

Produced by Meghan Trainor

...for Christmas. She’ll be home for Christmas. I guess she just can’t finish sentences, even though her cover art has the full title. Anyway, this is a 2014 original Christmas song that went nowhere except Sweden. It’s not anything like the Bing Crosby and wasn’t nearly as successful, mostly because it’s a jingly, inoffensive ballad tacked onto a silly Christmas EP that also features Fifth Harmony and Fiona Apple of all people – who probably should have charted her track instead – as well as the deluxe edition of that debut record Title that nobody liked. At least in this, she’s not going for a faux-retro style, or at least one that I can find the inspiration for, and is just singing over this oddly jaunty piano melody – which sounds pretty albeit bland – as well as some swells of strings and acoustic guitar that do work sonically. The content implies that Meghan Trainor is in contact with Santa Claus personally, and that he gave her the advice to be home with her lover this Christmas and... that’s why this charted, isn’t it? Well, it’s not her fault – it’s not a “stuck with u” moment, but it is dodgy that she decided to put this on her own Christmas record that was released in October of this year, which can’t seem unintentional. I’d be lying to say this isn’t a pretty little tune from Trainor and her voice does fit this instrumental, but a jazzy rendition from someone with a deeper, smoother voice, would work wonders with the content. Oh, and that Christmas record features guest appearances from both Earth, Wind & Fire and Seth MacFarlane, as well as her dad, because, you know, sure, 2020.

#65 – “Gnat” – Eminem

Produced by d.a. got that dope

I can’t tell if I’m underestimating Christmas or overestimating Eminem when I say I expected an album bomb – or whatever that equivalent would be in the UK and our land of silly chart rules – from the deluxe edition of his pretty damn terrible album, Music to be Murdered By. This 3/10 trainwreck consists of two hours I’ll never get back of either great beats wasted by Eminem’s corny, stiff flows and painfully unlikeable delivery or obnoxious, unlistenable beats that are dated enough for Eminem to start going on his Relapse “killing women in funny accents” shtick, which was awful then and even worse now when he tries to replicate it. Marshall, you’re 48, and I know that you’re just “messing around” but if you’re going to treat the album as a cinematic masterpiece within the album and its thematic Alfred Hitchcock interludes, you have to understand that the audience will see it as that way as well, so you having fun and being painfully unfunny in the process over cutting-room-floor trap instrumentals cannot slide. At least Kamikaze had some genuine anger and dare I say some actual balls in how it tackled controversy and dissed everyone he could think of off the top of his head. The last record was angry and bitter, this one’s just tired and lazy, and that’s before we get into some of the ugliest bars, instrumentals and cadences Slim Shady’s ever put on record, which is especially present on “Gnat”, a lightweight trap banger with some acoustic guitars not dissimilar to those that would appear on a Lil Baby mixtape, complete with questionable bass mixing and really bad hooks. On the verses, he sends a death threat to Mike Pence, but on the chorus, his bars are “like COVID” because “you get them right off the bat”. I don’t know about you, but in 2020, I don’t want to hear Eminem harmonising with producer tags, making topical and insensitive pandemic references, or spitting sex bars with coughing ad-libs. Before the beat switch, his flows are some of the sloppiest and drawn-out he’s ever used, and yes, I’ll admit, that second beat is a lot better and Em kills it over that instrumental – but only for a brief moment before we have a third beat, which Eminem is pretty great over, especially with that sax and sweet piano keys overlaid with hard 808s and Eminem’s rapid-pace, quick fire flow... and then he raps the chorus again and I want the song to end as quickly as it started – thankfully, it does end rather abruptly. Just wasted potential all throughout – if that beat switch and flow was a guest verse on damn near anyone else’s record (Em has made tracks with Don Toliver of all people, and he could work), this could be great. For now, Em, you know Kris Kristofferson? I think you should Piss Pissofferson. Forever. Look that up, by the way, that’s a lyric on the record because of course it is.

#61 – “In the Bleak Midwinter” – Jamie Cullum

Produced by ???

I had only briefly heard the name “Jamie Cullum” before this, but he is an English jazz-pop singer and pianist who’s basically useless and uninteresting but, hey, at least he has a radio show on BBC Radio 2. Sure, I mean that might have been the reason that Amazon Music picked him up for an exclusive project for which this is the biggest single. It’s not on Spotify, it’s not even on Genius, and it’s barely on YouTube but since it is, I should tell you that this is his first charting single since 2009 and it’s a remarkably uninteresting rendition of a Christmas carol done a lot better by Jacob Collier – and that one’s on Spotify – so yeah, your sleepy piano arrangement and tone that makes you sound like Robbie Williams half the time and Beck the other, doesn’t interest me. Goodbye.

#30 – “Afterglow” – Ed Sheeran

Produced by PARISI, Fred Again and Ed Sheeran

If we inexplicably remove everything Christmas-related on the chart, Eminem’s “Gnat” would have debuted at #20, and this new track from Ed Sheeran, already stunted from being released on an unconventional day, would have hit #5. Regardless of chart position, Ed Sheeran’s back with his first solo single since Divide. Yes, I’m purposefully ignoring that collaborative project he put out in 2019 because as far as I know, it doesn’t exist. At the end of the year, when things are looking as if he could start touring again, Sheeran predictably releases his lead-off single. This song in particular is a heartfelt ballad from Ed to his wife, who he wishes to be there forever and even if they aren’t together at any moment, whether he’s touring or they separate for whatever reason, he’ll “hold on to the afterglow”. I won’t lie, it’s a really sweet and convincingly sold love song from Ed, even if it’s not anything new, it does feel like a different approach since he’s a newly-wed man now. Although I’m not a fan of this somewhat muddy mixing that somehow messes up just a guy and his acoustic guitar, making what should be a really pretty, ethereal and mellow track sound almost ugly, which doesn’t flatter Ed and his limited delivery at all, especially when he starts getting multi-tracked in the second verse and whooshing sound effects of strings pop up in the mix, and, yeah, it just sounds cheap and gross at this point, which is really a waste of incredible content and a great performance from Ed, who sells everything as well as he can. I understand how this is supposed to be down to Earth, so a perfect mix wouldn’t make sense, but if you’re going to make him harmonise with his own background vocals and even show signs of belting, give him some more grandiosity and go full out instead of restraining him so that it just sounds jarring. With a different mix this could be one of Ed’s best tracks since the melodies are on point, the song feels really heart-warming and sincere, especially coming from Ed to his wife, but we won’t get a remaster anytime soon, I imagine, so for now this is just pretty damn good. I love the cover art as well, painted by Ed himself, and released alongside the single as a bit of a Christmas gift to fans, as well as the start of what I’m pretty sure will be a promo cycle. If this is a good peek into what that album will sound like, it’s safe to say I’m more than excited than ever to hear from Ed Sheeran.

#5 – “Boris Johnson is a Fricking Jerk” – Kool & the Gang

Produced by ???

Okay, so the song’s calling Boris Johnson something stronger than a “fricking jerk”, and the song is decidedly not by soul legends Kool & the Gang, although I’d love for that to happen sometime. This is a family show, of course, so we have to take some liberties. This track originates from a comedian from Basildon, Essex of all places, and whilst we don’t know his name, the songwriting credit on Spotify is given to contemporary British poet Wayne Clements so maybe he’s behind this, who knows? Whether he is or not, I can tell you the history behind this comedian’s music, as he has been making crude short singles about controversial topics in British society and politics for a while, including some about Nick Clegg that charted, although never higher than #63. He retired in 2016 but after writing an autobiography, the guy’s back and he released a compilation of punk rock tracks, all of which are small and profane, with a “band” of puppets that I also can’t name. State-controlled Russian television networks – because, sure, again, it’s 2020 – say that he will start touring in 2021, mostly because he’s finally reached that mainstream audience with this family-friendly tune about Boris Johnson. Here’s how Vick Hope and Katie Thistleton introduced it live on air during the mid-week chart reveal.

Now at #19, we've got a track about Boris Johnson that has so many bad words in it, we can't play it on daytime Radio 1.

Ah, you cowards. Wait... Anyway, I’m pretty happy that the British public can stick it to Boris and the heartless Tories that follow him and currently rule the country, even if it is all a bloody stupid joke from an anonymous punk rocker. We can dig into Boris for his failures on Brexit, mishandling of the pandemic, disgraceful reality-star-esque personal life, that he wasn’t even born in the UK yet is basically a nationalist, his history of Islamophobic commentary, his crap excuses for journalism back in the 2000s or even his clown-nose, blonde bowl-cut “hair style” he adopts whilst addressing us on live television feeding us lies and misleading statements that turn into retcons the next time he has to address the nation, whether it be on Brexit or COVID-19 tiers and regulations, both of which are a confusing mess to both sides of Europe that exist to drift us away from where we should be going as a nation, and further into the realm of political party tribalism that we know absolutely does not work in the States and that we mock the Yanks for. We’re more than the sick man of Europe, we are the America of Europe. I guess you could say Ireland is our Canada, but we don’t even have a Mexico to make us look better, we just have other western, central and northern European countries that may be flawed but are far ahead of whatever the hell this shell of a union is in 2020, less than 80 years after the creation of our National Health Service. People will look to pundits and newsreaders like Piers Morgan, entertainers like Phillip Schofield, war veterans and charity-givers like Captain Tom Moore, and even politicians like Boris Johnson, as the “heroes” of Britain’s 2020 but it’s increasingly clear that absolutely no-one is a hero, and it’s the people’s right to be upset. Hence, nearly exactly a year after Boris Johnson cheated his way into power by smear campaigns and elitism, we have this song debuting at #5. Unfortunately, the song doesn’t go into any of that. It just repeats the title in an anthemic – and considerably agreeable – refrain that is an undeniable punk hook. The riffs and guitar work here isn’t of any interest, but the guy’s delivery is powerful and furious, so I’ll give the song credit: it’s not just correct but it’s really good, especially for a one minute runtime. He also released some satirical MIDI-level synth-pop remix with gross Christmas sleigh bells and hi-hat skitters, because, say it with me, it’s 2020. I wouldn’t recommend the album though, it overstays its welcome by the time you get to “Jesus Died of a Stranglewank”.

#1 – “Don’t Stop Me Eatin’” – LadBaby

Produced by who cares?

I can’t get mad at this lazy “parody” of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” about sausage rolls, or even its Ronan Keating remix, which is LadBaby doing a favour to Ronan Keating, if anything. Sure, my blood boils with the idea that this incompetent Internet personality from the East Midlands – which I think I’m sadly also able to describe myself as – got the #1 over Mariah Carey, or even that Boris Johnson diss track, but it’s going to the Trussell Trust and it’s ultimately an inoffensive, vaguely happy track that even gets the vegans involved. I, for one, prefer “Boris Johnson is a Sausage Roll”, a version of our #5 you can – and should – play on the radio even after Christmas. I don’t have anything more to say about this guy so piss off, LadBaby, you can’t even get the album cover right to the song you’re parodying, thrice in a row.

Conclusion

Best of the Week is definitely going to the Somethings for “Boris Johnson is a Something Something”, with an Honourable Mention to Ed Sheeran’s “Afterglow”. I can’t bring myself to give a charity single Worst of the Week so I’ll spare LadBaby the honour and grant it to Jamie Cullum for his greedy Amazon exclusive trite, with a Dishonourable Mention for “Gnat” by Eminem, for just being wasted potential all across the board. Next week, everything Christmas-related will be gone and we’ll get a bunch of returns and hopefully some new, interesting returning entries. We might even get the impact of Playboi Carti’s long-anticipated album – and I hope so because it’s fantastic – but that’s wishful thinking. Anyways, I hope everyone had a happy holiday season. Here’s our top 10:

Thank you for reading. You can follow me @cactusinthebank for more rambling about pop music and occasionally politics, and I’ll see you next year.

[gonesquid]

Blood Blossom Tea

Hey all, I got @bloodblossomtea for my exchange! He’s a fic based on this picture. Honestly all their art is beautiful it was so hard to choose and you should follow them.

“Good morning sweetheart!” Maddie smiled at her drowsy son as he stumbled down the stairs. “You’re up early…” she glanced outside at the sun, already almost to its peak in the sky, “well, early for you, at least.”

“Mornin’ Mom.” Danny yawned as he made his way over to the kitchen table, plopping down into the hard plastic chair. “Mornin’ Dad.”

“Hey, Danny-boy! Got any big Sunday plans?” His dad asked, shoving a forkful of sausage into his mouth.

Danny blinked for a few seconds, before turning to answer, “Well, Sam, Tucker and I are going to--...”

“Great! So you’ll have no trouble helping me out with my new invention in the lab all day!” Jack interrupted, slathering a piece of toast with jam.

Danny just sighed, grabbing a pancake off the stack his mother had sat in front of him.

“Jack, sweetie, I think Danny was saying he has plans with his friends today,” Maddie walked over from next to the stove, setting three mugs down onto the table, one in front of each of them, “so he can’t help us, at least not today.”

Jack frowned. “And with Jazzy staying at college over to summer for extra classes, it’s been so hard to get help in the lab. Are you sure you don’t want to spend a nice summer Sunday helping out your old man?”

Danny just stared at his dad. “Uh, no Dad. It’s summer. Sam, Tucker, and I are going to head out to the water park. It’s supposed to be the hottest day of the year today.” Danny looked down at the steaming mug Maddie had placed down in front of him, confused expression coloring his face. “And uh, speaking of hot, what’s up with the tea, mom? Isn’t that more of a winter drink? And since when do you drink anything other than coffee?”

Maddie lifted her own mug in response. “A colleague recommended it to me! She makes all of her own teas, so I special-ordered this from her. It’s supposed to be very good for you.” She blew on it, cooling it off, before taking a small sip.

“Smells delicious, Maddie!” Jack raised his mug, gulping his tea down. “Kind of tastes like the outdoors.”

Danny leaned over the top of his mug, letting the steam drift over his face. The heat of it tingled his skin when it brushed over his face, almost as if he were getting a minuscule amount of shocks. The tea itself smelled almost sickly sweet and flowery. Danny was reminded of the gum Jazz had received from their Aunt Alicia, homemade lavender and rose. She had pretty much chewed it for a week straight, and Danny had gotten so sick and tired of the stuff he ended up sneaking into her room one night and phasing it into her floor.

But there was something else, Danny realized, lurking just under the smell of flowers and herbs, a kind of tangy, like copper or a thunderstorm. He leaned back and eyed it from a distance. “I don’t know, mom. Smells kind of weird.”

“Oh, come on Danny, at least try it? What’s the harm?” Maddie reached across the table and pushed it a little closer to him.

Danny looked up at his mom as she gave him an encouraging smile while sipping her own tea. “Fine.” Danny grumbled. “I’ll try your weird tea.” He picked up the mug, hesitating again once he brought it to his lips. There was something, like a tugging in his gut, this bad feeling as he placed his mouth to the rim, something telling him to back off, and back off now.

“That’s the spirit, son!” Jack exclaimed, clapping Danny on the back, and forcing the teen to take a gulp. Danny swallowed in shock, the steaming tea burning as it raced down the back of his throat.

“Agh, hot!” He cried, sticking his tongue out and slamming the cup down on the table, some of the liquid splashing out, recoiling as some of the tea hit his hand.

Maddie glared at her husband. “Jack.” She said pointedly.

Jack glanced at his wife. “Oh, sorry Dan-o! Little too hard there, eh?”

Danny glared at his dad as heat pooled into his cheeks, flushing his face in response to the burn. “Yeah. Just a little.” He glared at the offending beverage, but something was wrong. That little feeling, down in the pit of Danny’s stomach started to grow stronger.

Something was wrong, Danny knew it immediately. He slowly looked down in horror at his hand, as his fingers spasmed and twitched. A patch of red skin blossomed on his skin, spreading out from where the liquid drops had spilt, splashing from the hastily dropped cup. Electric shocks traveled like needles down his fingers, moving them uncontrollably as red-mottled sickly green skin began to appear in raised welts.

Panicked, Danny looked up at his parents. “Uh… Mom? Dad?” Was all he managed to say before he felt his entire body tense, that same electric pain shooting through each nerve ending, and he collapsed, falling off the chair and onto the floor.

Danny knew what electricity did to a body, he had felt it before, inside of the portal. He still had the scars to prove it, or at least he did in ghost form. But this was something completely different that what the ghost portal had did. It was as if Danny’s insides suddenly wanted to be on the outside, and decided the quickest way to do that was directly through his skin. He coughed, and could taste the distinctive acid of ectoplasm, forcing itself from his lungs and stomach.

Whispers blurred past stuffed ears, and Danny was sure that his ghostly blood was leaking from there too, at this point. “Danny!” He could hear the panicked yells of his parents, chairs scraping and leaping to feet. “Some… allergic reaction!” “Good God… what… done this?” he could sense the very human fear of his parents at his side, and his ghostly core reached out for anything to grasp onto, any flicker of energy he could reach.

His mother grabbed his arm, and Danny let out a garbled screech as she came into contact with his dissolving skin, and she recoiled. “Jack, quick.” Her words clanged and echoed, a bell ringing in the fog of Danny’s head. “Salt water, we need salt water.”

Each intake of each breath quickly became more and more difficult, and Danny could feel the spasming working its way into his chest, restricting each rise so that he gasped, no longer of his own volition but seemingly in time to the electricity that plagued the rest of his body. The green spots in his eyes, his own ectoplasm, Danny assumed, were quickly overtaken by black as he felt the lack air threaten his consciousness.

Two fingers grabbed either side of his jaw, forcing it down and open, and Danny screamed. Something hot was forced down his already raw throat, and he quickly swallowed, only forced down by the pressure in his chest. It burned, salt grating into the raw wounds in his throat as the blood blossom tea ate away at his esophagus, but it did the trick. It made it’s way down and into Danny’s stomach, expelling the poisonous substance as he retched, cradled in his mother's arms.

“Oh god, Danny? Danny!” Danny could feel the light pressure as his mom gently rocked his head back and forth, pulling on his eyes to keep them open. “Danny, you stay with me! Jack, get the--...” but her words trailed off as Danny sank into unconsciousness, world and pain fading to a blissful black.

[npnews-thegrapevine]

Prom Dates on Parade

Our eyes and ears on the street have been reporting in, folks, and here’s the latest scoop on whose going to the prom with who. Just going to head down the list of students alphabetically.

Aiden Dunwall and Amity Rath - Oh man this one is a scandal and a half, have you seen her dad glaring at him in class? The boy is an ornery little shit alright. But they’re always smiling in each other’s company and he seems to actually respect her as opposed to what, 90% of our classmates? So maybe these two are more than just dates.

Aiko Koizumi and Bhalfyr Khyrrados - No I am not shitting you right now. We here at the Grapevine have it on good authority she asked him this week and he’s rolling with it. Why sugary sweet Aiko wants anything to do with our resident edgelord has yet to be seen, but one thing is sure; nobody saw this coming.

Athena Clark and Wiley Whisper - Hot new couple on campus coming through, rumor has it they started officially dating this week. They make a cute couple but without much of a scandal to pick at with the two of them there isn’t much left to say about that.

Belfamroas Daniels and Sharlaren Daniels - Okay I’m just gonna come out and say it, why do they have the same last name? Are they like, married already? Some weird brothers thing? Same foster family? They’ve surfaced in a few classes, on a few missions, but like, what is up with these guys?

Byron Masters and Zihna Farling - I mean, they’re both running for prom royalty and on that weird line of are they a couple or aren’t they. The official word on that is no and yet everybody keeps saying yes, but we’ll have to see about that.

Chadwick Airikkala and Iliana Vasiliev - Another dark horse couple with a lot of scandal surrounding them. First of all, she’s a three star and doesn’t do a whole lot around the school anymore but since Chadwick is still a student and a fixture around here we’ll put them in this category. The big question is, will his ex-fiance try anything?

Corina Lupei and Quote Calhoun - The Owl and the Wolf. The gaping age difference between them makes it pretty clear these two are going as friends, but who knows, stranger things have happened.

Creed Hemlocke and Rhys Miles - I mean, they’ve been a couple for years now, this isn’t a big surprise.

Jun Matsuoko and Linda Kennedy - Another hot new couple on campus. Kind of weird because rumor has it Ashlynn wanted to climb him like a tree at one point and Idol hearthtrob Jun went for the younger model. Ouch.

Lenz Petersen and Nelly Cruz - Garçon de jardin Lenz asked Nelly to the prom shortly after she got out of containment and every time they’ve been seen together it’s been nothing but smiles. Seems like these two really needed to find one another. Cheers guys.

Lily Killian and Sinead Tiernan - Lily’s a grad but Sinead’s education is still in full swing and even still it’s nice to see two tough as nails girls coming together for some cute.

Murdock Snow and Vale Keighley - Are they besties? Are they just screwing around? Are they involved in some weird illicit thing with Damian Wolf? Only time will tell.

Pele Kapuni’ai and Max Vellachi - What else is there to say? They’re our “Most Likely To Get Married” for this year and who can be surprised about that? This is harmony at its finest.

Princess Bryant and Rococo LeFevre - Everything about this match up screams “Power Couple”. Like wow. Whatever battlefield they choose, with swords or in the board room, the world had better look out. This time, it’s the dance floor.

Shiyu Koh and Sigfried MacLir - Is anyone surprised? Nope.

Singles - Here are the people that, as far as we know, have yet to find dates and we’re not sure if they’re looking but if you are and want the list here it is.

Damian Wolf

Darwin Riley 

Deco LeFevre

Dee Williams

Delvin Restrali

Domingo Flores

Grimsley Lixandriou

Ian Dalton

Jahaira Bwakali

Jazzy Vargas-Teldi

Mason Riley

Melody Han

Renee Doe

Rin Mitsuhige

Rose Bryant

Ruby Killian

Tea Larsen

Tishawna Jones

Yvette Lanson

??? - The following people might be going to the prom or not? Like, okay, what is up with the upper classmen? Some of them are moved out and onto other things but still hang around the school and others are still attending classes but like, second degree deathscythe and higher, but we don’t know if they’re going to be at the prom or not.

--Artemis Knight

--Ashlynn Kennedy and Martin Logan - They’re a long time couple and I’ve heard rumors they’re going to attend but both are post deathscythe and past what you’d call traditional student status so we’ll see.

--Carver Hackers and Katarina Knight - Well known couple, both graduates, might still make an appearance? Hard to say.

--Eddy Ducari and Tawni Kaleja - Is he a student? Is this a thing they’re going to do this year? Inquiring minds want to know.

--Timber Jones and Esperanza Acosta - Both are still around but living in town right now and both are post deathscythe so this makes for another weird one.

--Fallon Driscoll and Sagan Elsegood - Post deathscythe, living in town, but Sagan is still taking classes and he’s been spotted defacing some of the prom posters in this guerilla artist kind of way--it’s art because he’s not got a specific target. So they may well show up.

--Isaac Mason - Okay so he’s not a grad but it’s up in the air if he’ll show up or not because of the situation with his girlfriend which we are going to take 100% seriously. Really, this is off limits for mocking or speculation give the boy nothing but support if he does show up or somebody will punch your face.

--Kay Alkaev - Actual polar bear. Kind of hoping she does show up because that would be pretty awesome.

--Lien Xun and Jian Shi - Okay so Lien is a student no question but the real mystery here is whether or not her mystery man will make an appearance for her. Has anybody ever actually seen this guy? Like outside of old tournament videos?

--Magatha Terrence

--Navika Hiranandani and Owen Danvers - They’re in India. I mean. They might show up, they might not? My money is on no, personally, but it would be pretty cool if they did, certainly turn a lot of heads.

--Ram Wolfe

--Ren Fairchild

--Xerxes Padan

[daisyneptune]

100 Days of Writing, Day 1

Today’s questions:

What got me started writing? I guess it was because both of my parents were into writing in their own ways. Dad was into poetry, and Mom was into theater and writing short stories. I come from a family of artistic geeks, and that’s just how it is. What keeps me writing is that I still have ideas that want to come out. It’s hard to let them out sometimes, because I’m worried that either no one will care, or that it’ll be laughed at.

The whole “no one will care” thing is really bothering me with my current project. It’s a fanfiction set in the universe of Dear Brother/Oniisama e, which is a tiny fandom (seriously, less than 30 fics on ao3 and a good chunk of them are in Russian or French). As far as I can tell, none of them involve original characters. Will people care about reading my story when it doesn’t involve any of the characters from the series? I feel like the world is big enough, with a long enough history, that there are a lot of stories that can be told in it. I hope someone else ends up feeling that way.

About my current project:

I started posting the fic I’m working on a while back under the title Satin Dolls. However, after a long break, I reread it and found myself wanting to change almost everything. So I’m re-tooling it and hopefully doing right by it this time.

Like Dear Brother, this fic will involve a lot of letter writing. But instead of Nanako writing to her older brother, it will have a pair of twins writing to their grandmother.

So far, all we know is that their grandmother went to the private school that they’re attending, and she was a member of the school’s elite Sorority. She offered to pay her granddaughters’ tuition when they expressed interest in going to that same school. Now that they’ve been accepted, they have decided to write her a letter every week as a way to thank her.

The twins, who have done everything together since the day they were born, will see their paths in life start to diverge as one gets accepted into the Sorority and one does not. They will also start to come across clues that the perfect and elite school life that their grandmother claimed to have led is as much of a fiction as the novels they read.

Today’s snippet (written before the challenge began):

Four hands, pale and delicate with long, graceful fingers, danced across the piano keys to a cheerful, jazzy tune. Saori kept time with rhythmic chords and a bass line, while Nami played the main melody and improvising occasional fills.

Two petite bodies, side by side on the bench, wore the same pinstriped shirtdresses. Saori’s was a royal shade of purple, and Nami’s a delicate peach.

Two pairs of slender legs moved under the piano. Saori’s feet tapped along to the music. Nami’s worked the pedals.

Two cheerful heads bobbed along, wearing headbands that matched their dresses in long, silky black hair.

It was a scene like a painting, perfect and lovely.

The girls’ father watched them play from his easy chair on the other side of the room, nodding along as they gave their performance. He didn’t mind that they played this song all the time. It was one of his favorites.

From the kitchen, the girls’ mother hummed softly as she arranged a tray. Three generous pieces of pineapple-orange cake with whipped vanilla icing. Her daughter’s favorite. Four cups of Darjeeling tea. Her husband didn’t care for sweets, so no cake for him.

A soft evening breeze rustled the piano room curtains. It was an applause, in its own way, that punctuated the end of the song. The girls’ father applauded, too. Nami and Saori grinned at each other, then stood up and took a bow hand in hand, as if they’d been on stage.

“Our little show-offs are at it again!”

Mrs. Shimano laughed as she walked in, carefully holding the tray in both hands. Nami was the first to perk up and notice its contents.

“Mama - no way, is that - ?!”

Saori perked up with the exact same mannerism. She had just found a chair to settle into, but she looked ready to launch out of it at a moment’s notice.

“Pineapple cake?!”

The twins suddenly looked like a couple of meerkats on alert, and their mother couldn’t help but laugh.

“Of course! To celebrate your first day at Seiran tomorrow.”

Mrs. Shimano placed the green glass plates and teacups on the table in between the girls’ chairs.

“You have a lot of studying and hard work ahead. So I should provide you with plenty of encouragement.”

[localfoodandwine]

by Paige Donner

This episode of Paris GOODfood+wine, April 2019 is dedicated to my father, Eugene Martin Donner. He passed away on April 11th.

It was his love and passion for life, and his appreciation for fine wines and good food that started me on this path discovering exceptional terroirs of the world. Thank you, Dad. Your wisdom and guidance enriched my life immeasurably in countless ways since the day I was born. And will continue to do so, even though you have now departed this world and evolved into the next.

My dad, Eugene Martin Donner. b. February 27, 1932 – d. April 11, 2019. Pictured here May, 2015. 

  The French have an expression. It’s C’est la vie.

“Ç la vie,” sums up so much about life. Perhaps only ‘I love you’ are three words more potent and full of meaning.

C’est la vie is both acceptance and resignation. It’s that recognition of changing the things we can and accepting the things we cannot change.

This past month of April in Paris has been most certainly a C’est la vie point in time.

As the world stood and watched Notre Dame Cathedral burn, in people’s shocked and stricken faces, there was a sense of powerlessness in the destruction of this great monolith of love.

Whether one is Catholic or not Catholic, Christian or perhaps not even practicing any kind of religion, the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris is so symbolic of French culture, of Paris, of the uniting of the world’s peoples in prayer and love, that watching it consumed in flames, was a devastating and heartbreaking moment.

As I stood on Pont de la Tournelle, at 8pm on Monday April 15th, watching my beloved neighborhood church burn in bright red and orange flames, I couldn’t contain my sorrow.

But my overwhelming sorrow was not just for the church. My father had passed away only days before, and watching the spire of Notre Dame burn felt like watching my father’ funeral pyre.

The great church came within about 30 minutes of being completely destroyed. But in the end, France’s firefighters were able to save it.

Photo taken April 16, 2019 7am Paris time; photo by Paige Donner copyright 2019

It has been just over a week now since the fire. It has been roughly about the same amount of time since my father’s soul and spirit have been set free from his human body. For if anything, that is the message I’m getting from my meditations this week. It’s that God’s love and the human spirit are eternal. And whether they are housed in a church or in a human body, or liberated from these outward structures, they live on. They exist. In eternity.

They live now in an invisible realm. But in God’s love, they exist eternally.

The Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris survived on this earth for 850 years without destruction or significant damage. That historical fact changed on April 15th , 2019

My father, Eugene Martin Donner, survived on this Earth for 87 years, without significant damage or destruction. That historical fact changed on April 11th, or 12th if you consider Paris time, 2019.

A very strange, and even somewhat spooky coincidence, is that the architect of the spire that burned along with Notre Dame’s roof, was named Eugène Viollet Le Duc. Of course it is just a coincidence that my father and he both shared the same first name. But it feels significant, in a sort of God’s winking kind of way, nonetheless.

Both the spire of Notre Dame and my father, who had a terrific sense of wit, comedy and irony – his favorite writer was Mark Twain – and who resembled to a great degree Jean Paul Belmondo, and who had a heart and soul full of love for humanity, in all its forms, colors and expressions, will be sorely and sadly missed.

I thank him for so many things, including his unwavering love for me, but also for instilling in me such a great appreciation for good food and wine. It’s thanks to him that I was set forth on this fascinating discovery of God’s and Earth’s fruits and elixirs. As Benjamin Franklin once said,

Wine is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

My father always seconded that. Cheers to you Pops. May God’s love keep you eternally forevermore.

  Our April show of Paris GOODfood+wine is one focused on wines.

  First we speak to Samuel Montgermont of Domaine and Clos St. Patrice in the Côte du Rhône.

Pictured here: Samuel Montgermont of Domaine St. Patrice, Côte du Rhône. photos by Paige Donner copyright 2019.

With his wines, we are firmly in Chateaneuf-du-Pape territory. In fact, we’re right in the village of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. He has a lot to say about his unique wines. Interestingly, he is a musician as well as a wine master blender.If you haven’t heard the term master blender coupled with wine before, don’t worry. He’ll explain all that to you during the interview.

  Following that segment, we then go to Burgundy. In fact you are being whisked off to the Cuverie des Ursulines which is an ancient convent that was once inhabited by Ursulines nuns.

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  The family Boisset, of Jean Charles Boisset fame, has just renovated and built an impressive and absolutely stunning Cuverie, or chai, a wine estate, around this historical property in Nuits St. Georges. Nuits St. Georges is, of course, one of the most prestige areas just outside of Beaune in Burgundy wine country.

Along with opening up this Cuverie in 2018, they have also now instigated daily wine estate tours. It is open to the public, you just have to call and reserve in advance. The tour includes a visit to the tank room, also outside into the ancient convent’s gardens dating all the way back to 1717, and then concludes with a barrel tasting and then a tasting of a total of 6 of their wines in the historical Ursuline cellars down below.

It is one of the most comprehensive, friendly, and educational wine tours you will get in all of France, and certainly in Burgundy, that is open to the public. It lasts about an hour and a half and costs only €32. Though if you want to organize a special group and throw in a lunch after the 10am tour start time, just communicate that to the Boisset team and they’re happy to make your wishes come true in a bespoke way.

  So, ç la vie. Life goes on. The cathedral of Notre Dame will be rebuilt. And Dad, I’ll see you in heaven one day when I get there.

Hemingway: As people bring so much courage to this world, the world has to kill them to break them. So of course it kills them. The world breaks everyone and afterwards many are strong in the broken places. But those it will not break it kills… It kills the very good, and the very gentle, and the very brave impartially. – Ernest Hemingway

Another big new development this season is the release from Domaine Clarence Dillon of their new range of Clarendelle wines.

Clarendelle inspired by Haut-Brion. New release from Domaine Clarence Dillon Photo by Paige Donner copyright 2019

Launch Soirée, Clarendelle, Paris, photo by Paige Donner

  There’s Clarendelle Rouge, Blanc, Rosé and Clarendelle Amberwine.

All are inspired by Haut-Brion the estate’s famous and historic 1855 Grand Cru Classé chateau in Bordeaux. The rouge comes in several expressions, including Médoc and St. Émilion.

All are accessible and are perfect for when you have a taste for fine quality, but perhaps don’t feel like opening up your First Growth wine that very moment.

I particularly enjoyed the Amberwine. Especially so because it isn’t always easy to find a sweet wine that expresses that balance between the honey-like sweetness brought on by the natural botyritis and a fresh acidity that keeps it fresh with every sip. The Clarendelle Amberwine achieves this by using both methods: grapes are allowed to develop botyritis as in the grand tradition of Sauternes, and then others are late harvest which allow the grapes to sweeten on the vine with their ripe maturity. The wine takes its name, Amber, from the beautiful color achieved by this assemblage. The varietals in this fine wine are the traditional Graves Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc with a bit of Muscadelle.

The wines are available widely now. Though I encourage every listener who gets to Paris to pay a visit to the Cave du Château located near the Champs-Elysées on Avenue Franklin Roosevelt. It is hands down one of the very finest wine shops not just in Paris but the world over. Here you will find famous and rare wines as well as handpicked affordable coup de coeurs that you can put all your faith in that they, guaranteed, won’t disappoint.

Check our show notes for the wine shop’s address. Or just do an online search for La Cave du Château, Paris.

31 Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt, Paris 75008 lacaveduchateau.com

Thank you for joining us on this episode of Paris GOODfood+wine.

A big thank you to all who helped make this show possible.

Music:

Jazzy Piano from Bensoundmusic.com

Terry Jacks, Seasons in The Sun

Ilya Truhanov, Miracle from

FreeSoundTrackmusic.com

  Show Notes: LocalFoodAndWine.wordpress.com &ChérieduVin.wordpress.com

Contact Host-Producer, Paige Donner @http://PaigeDonner.info

© Paige Donner 2019

TO CONTACT PAIGE DONNER FOR SPEAKING/HOSTING/PRODUCING PAIGEDONNER.INFO FOR MORE INFO ABOUT PARIS GOODFOOD+WINE AND A COMPLETE SHOW LINEUP GO TO LOCALFOODANDWINE.WORDPRESS.COM AND OUR WEBSITE PARISFOODANDWINE.NET  & ParisFoodAndWines.com

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Episode 46: Eulogy to Dad, Notre Dame, Clos St. Patrice, Cuverie des Ursulines by Paige Donner This episode of Paris GOODfood+wine, April 2019 is dedicated to my father, Eugene Martin Donner.

[mbergen]

Last year when we came down in late September, we seen the city workers climbing the trees in the Riverwalk area and hanging lights….I was hoping I would be able to see them lite before we went home that week end.  lol….Well It turns out, they start over 2 months early.  Its all for Chrismas.  It is quite a process.   At that time I wished I could see them some day all lite up.    Well my chance came, and its only a year later.

A little history on Riverwalk. The San Antonio River Walk (also known as Paseo del Río) is a network of walkways along the banks of the San Antonio River, one story beneath the streets of Downtown San Antonio, Texas, USA. Lined by bars, shops and restaurants, the River Walk is an important part of the city’s urban fabric and a tourist attraction in its own right. The Riverwalk is a pedestrian walkway, one level down from the automobile street.   The River Walk winds and loops under bridges as two parallel sidewalks lined with restaurants and shops, connecting the major tourist draws from the Alamo to Rivercenter Mall, to the Arneson River Theatre, to Marriage Island, to La Villita, to HemisFair Park, to the Tower Life Building, to the San Antonio Museum of Art, and the Pearl Brewery.  In 1939 the WPA  was in charge of the initial construction of a network of some 17,000 feet (5,200 m) of walkways, about twenty bridges, and extensive plantings including some of the bald cypress (others are several hundred years old) whose branches stretch up to ten stories and are visible from street level. In 1968 San Antonio hosted the Worlds Fair.  It was called Hemisfair 68 and the construction of the Convention Center and Tower of Americas was completed as well as many other buildings and sites.   The expansion extended the Riverwalk beyond its natural banks at the horseshoe bend to the new convention center and theater by excavating much of the block bordered by Commerce, Bowie, Market and Alamo Streets.  Today the Riverwalk consists of over 15 miles….It is really a place of Magic….below the streets of bustling traffic and city busses.

So we decided to leave Saturday morning.  We went up for breakfast with the other neighbors, Duanne and Cheryl.  After we came home we packed for an overniter and took off.  Now of course we decided someone should come in and check on Kitty.  Here we are abandoning him again, now in the Camper.   Who else better than my neighbor Roberta.  She has such a gift with animals.  She is the momma of the birds Maui and Lovelove, from one of my other blogs.  She was very gracious and said of course she would come over.  Roberta came over the nite before and fell in love with Kitty.  We felt safe that Kitty would be looked after with love and care.  So we took off for our 5 hour drive to San Antonio.  We got their around 3 and got a room at Econolodge.  Then we Looked up the nearest Longhorn Steakhouse….So away we went to feast on a Steak….

  Thank You Advantage Log.  Darden Resturants #1 gift card……lol….We feasted on a $41  Porterhouse for 2….It was a 24 oz. steak…..mmmmm mmm good….Bill came to $51 plus tip.  Not bad at all.  Left with a doggie bag.   One for me…..baked potato and steak for breakfast and another one with the left over bone for our neighbor dog, Jill.  Jills mom and dad are Cici and Larry.  lol.  After that we headed for down town…..OMG….the crowd.

Now we were their last year and had it all figured out, but this year we lost our bearings.   Traffic was backed up every corner….wait….wait wait….stop…stop…go …stop…lol…Finally we found a $5 parking lot.  We waited for people to leave and then raced to see who could get it first.   Took us about an hour to park.  Finally made it down to Riverwalk.   OMG.  The people, but it was so beautiful.  The trees were all lite up and so were all the bars resturants , etc.  Now the trees lites all start in the top of a tree in a clump and then fall down in single strands….So much time and care to lite all the trees.  Their were over 6,000 luminaries lining the sidewalk by the river.  It was just DAZZLING.  We decided to buy tickets for the boat ride.  We took it last year and enjoyed it.  So we went to by tickets and then searched for the end of the line…..Wow….finally almost over a half a block later, we found the end.  While we were waiting, some of the boats were loaded with carolers singing Christmas carols as they floated by.  All laughing and having fun.

It moved much faster than we thought, and finally got our seat.  It is the best way to see all of the touristy area of the river.  It is magnificent.  The tour guide gives the tour and tells you all the facts, down to the building of the new parts of the river for the Worlds Fair.  Meanwhile you are just sitting their meandering down the river with the gorgeous lights overhead in the trees and the sounds of the people and the restaurants on the sidewalks.  Many of the restaurants have entertainment, like Mexican music or something jazzy.  It is a little bit of heaven.  A fairy tale.   Finally we got back to the boarding area, and the line was still long….Our guide told us their is over 42 boats for the river, and at least 40 were out.  So we finally made our way back to the truck and made our way out of the mad rush and back to our motel.  In the morning, I looked at fb and Roberta, who was watching Kitty posted a Wonderful post.  I have to repost it….So Beautiful…

Roberta Faye Trimmer

They all worry about us when we don’t come home…there was a warm spot on the couch but Kitty must have heard me coming for he jumped off the dash when I opened the motor home door (he’s allowed) looked behind me for Mom and Dad but I was alone. The catnip mouse was nowhere in sight – I’m sure he knows where it is. He’s eaten, drank each time I’ve been there but the only solid matter left behind was from the first time. I tried to reassure him as best I could, verbally, he allowed me to pick him up and snuggle with him on the couch – even accepted a kiss on his head – for a few minutes he was a sweet little kitten again – then caught himself and jumped down to do figure 8’s around my legs and have ear scratches. But a couple of times he thought he heard something and ran to sit by the door and a couple of times he checked the bedroom as though to tell me they were supposed to be there… bless his heart! Now he’s fine, temperature inside comfortable, has a nightlight and filtered light from outside, and he’s somewhat of an independent fella. He would not have enjoyed himself had they taken him along. I asked that they leave the bed unmade so he could snuggle in the covers and be comforted by their smells – done. But it’s not the same of course. They did the best thing by letting him stay in his own environment. Wish there was more I could do – he’s such a sweet Spirit! He’ll sure be happy to see them walk through the door tomorrow. Wonder if they’ll be in trouble after he figures out they’re OK? Stay tuned….

Isn’t that just Beautiful……She is so Special.   She can read any animal and she loves them all.  So homeward bound…..Stopped at our favorite Restaurant on the way home….Choke Canyon Barbeque.  We got 4 sandwich’s of barbeque brisket….2 for us for supper and 2 for Roberta and Ken.  Finally returned home before dark.   Seen Roberta and gave her her sandwiches.  She so enjoyed Kitty.  He had the best of care, probably better than we give.  lol.   And then I went and gave Jill her bone….Of course she loved it.   Visited with Cici a bit and Now……….relaxing….

  Christmas is almost here and we have downloaded Skype with the kids.  Here is a Pic of Austin, and Carly talking to Grandma and Grandpa….They were so cute.  They were so excited to see us and talk to us.  Carly kept looking under it and saying…..”Grandma, come out of their.”…so so cute…..So we will be Skyping with the kids for Christmas, and we have a Dinner planned here.   Rich is cooking for Christmas dinner for the Campground….I guess you can say we are the organizers……lol….That’s a whole nother Blog…….lol….

  Our Trip to San Antonio to see the Riverwalk Decorated for Christmas…Amazing…. Last year when we came down in late September, we seen the city workers climbing the trees in the Riverwalk area and hanging lights....I was hoping I would be able to see them lite before we went home that week end.