#Henry M Stone

[elkkiel]

Okay, so on this post I'll be sharing some of the interesting tidbits of info I'm finding about the actual ARG location and history. It'll be continuously edited as to prevent spam + to keep my thoughts in one place. Also this is mostly Wikipedia since I'm not going for 100% accuracy, just an overview that might give hints to whatever is going on.

Info and potential spoilers below the cut <3

Shugborough Hall (the estate + grounds the Shepherd's Monument + inscription are on):

Owned by the Bishops of Lichfield until the dissolution of the monasteries in ~1540 (when Henry VIII disbanded a bunch of Catholic institutions like monasteries, convents, etc in England, Ireland, and Wales)

I don't know how relevant it is, but that's the origin(?) of the location/estate itself

*************************

Shepherd's Monument (still working on this)

Commissioned by Thomas Anson (member of British Parliament at the time) and constructed sometime between 1748 and 1756.

***********************

Shugborough Inscription (the actual Thing)

The Shugborough Inscription is a cipher (in this case, a sequence of letters) carved into the Shepherd's Monument. It was carved below a stone relief recreation of Nicolas Poussin's painting "Et in Arcadia ego" (by Flemish sculptor Peter Sheemakers; see below), and has remained unsolved nor satisfactorily explained since its creation.

There are many theories about the inscription and what it could mean, including a connection between the monument and the Holy Grail 👀.

The inscription is made up of 2 rows of letters:

O U O S V A V V

D M (frames the row above)

So, it seems like it's not D O U O S V A V V(?), but rather O U O S V A V V, D M

!!!!!! D. M. was commonly used on Roman tombs + stands for Dis Manibus, meaning "dedicated to the shades." !!!!!!!! and I think this is very cool c:

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Et in Arcadia ego (Nicolas Poussin, c. 1637-1638)

Also known as Shepherds of Arcadia, this painting features an idyllic, pastoral (shepherd's lifestyle) scene, in which a woman and a group of shepherds stand gathered around a tomb with the Latin inscription "Et in Arcadia ego" ("Even in Arcadia, there I am"; "I too was in Arcadia")

Arcadia

(Will add to this one a little later)

[fandomtrumpshate]

Unlisted Fandom Challenge update!

At the top of our Unlisted fandoms:

Jeff Satur (9) and Zhen Hun / Guardian (7) continue to hang on to spots 1 and 2!

Beyond that, the ties have grown!

With 5 signups each:

Alien Stage

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If you can believe it, there are now so many fandoms with two signups each – 44 – that we're bumping those below the cut with the single-signup fandoms.

And THEN! There are one. hundred. sixty. one. write-in fandoms with just a single signup. 161! Giving us a total of 228 write in fandoms all together! So far!

Full list of fandoms with one or two signups below the cut:

The 44 fandoms with 2 write-ins each:

Animorphs

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Binan Koukou Chikyuu Boueibu (Cute High Earth Defense Club)

Bridgerton (TV)

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Conclave (2024)

Dangan Ronpa

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10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

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[jandrichov]

Further - Part II

Where I Fit

It was a good day. The kind that lets you forget, for a while. Until one sentence brings it all back— and makes you wonder if there’s anything after.

Hans and Henry spend their second day at the ruined homestead—hunting, working, mending what's broken. But not everything that needs mending is made of wood or stone. This is the direct continuation of Further – Part I.

Missed Part I? It’s right here.

---

The light came in quietly— not directly, but like a warm haze slipping through a half-rotted wall where the timber had long since given in.

Hans woke before Henry. For a while he didn’t move. Just lay there, eyes open, listening to the stillness. Henry’s breath moved slowly beside him, still caught in sleep. Somewhere by the door, Mutt’s paw twitched.

Hans sat up at last—carefully, so he wouldn’t shift the weight of the cloak they shared. His shirt clung a little to his back, still damp from the night’s heat. He ran a hand over his face, then looked to the side.

Henry was still asleep. Curled slightly toward him, one arm bent. The faintest crease between his brows—the one that showed when he dreamed and didn’t trust what he saw.

Hans exhaled softly through his nose. Almost a smile.

He stood, walked over to their bags, and pulled out the cloth roll they’d used the day before. Clean linen, a flask of water.

When he came back, Henry was blinking up at him.

“Morning,” Hans said, crouching beside him.

Henry groaned. “Already?”

“Seems like it.”

Henry stretched, winced, and reached for the shirt that had slipped down his shoulder during the night. Hans stopped him—gently pushed the fabric aside to check the wound along his ribs. It wasn’t deep anymore, but it still looked raw.

“Let me.”

Henry let his hand fall. “You just want an excuse to touch me.”

Hans dipped the cloth in water and gave him a look. “As if I needed one.”

That earned a sleepy smile. “Right answer.”

Hans was about to start cleaning the wound when Henry reached toward one of the bags. “Wait. Side pocket—there’s a small jar. Healing salve.”

Hans found it, pulled it out, sniffed it. “Smells like herbs. This from the healer?”

Henry nodded. “From Den. He said it helps… with healing. Wounds.”

Hans shrugged. “If you trust him.”

“I trust you to put it on right.”

Hans breathed out—something between a chuckle and a sigh.

He scooped out a bit of the salve and worked it gently into the skin. Then wrapped Henry’s ribs with fresh cloth.

They didn’t speak for a while. Just the sound of linen, quiet breath.

Then—without looking up—Hans said, “It’s healing well.”

Henry nodded. “Feels better than yesterday.”

Hans tied the last knot and glanced at him. “All done?”

Henry shook his head. Just once, sleepy. “M-mm.”

Hans frowned slightly. “No? What’d I miss? I cleaned it. Put the salve on. Bandage looks good—”

“You forgot to kiss your squire better.”

Hans blinked. Then his mouth twitched, eyes softening. “That in the healer’s instructions too?”

“Obviously,” Henry muttered, grinning. “Don’t ask him, though.”

Hans just looked at him for a moment. At the tousled hair, the glint in his eyes, the lips just barely parted.

Why is this brat always so damn irresistible? he thought.

He leaned in and kissed him. Not quickly. Not just a brush.

It was slow. Warm. The kind of kiss that gathered heat as soon as the other leaned in.

When he finally pulled back, he stayed close for a moment longer. Then he murmured, thoughtful, “We should head out to hunt.”

Henry nodded and drew breath to reply, but Hans cut in first: “After we eat, though. Properly. Otherwise—God help us—your stomach is going to scare off even the wild boars.”

Henry laughed. “No beasts would dare come near us.”

A few minutes later, they sat outside on the old stone threshold, backs to the wall, sharing what was left of yesterday’s bread and cheese. They ate slowly, half in silence, half in small smiles.

Henry had just started fastening his belt when Hans suddenly stood up. “Wait here,” he said—and disappeared toward the old orchard before Henry could ask anything.

He came back a moment later with a bundle of apples in his arms. They were small, early, a little bruised, but sweet with summer scent. He tossed one to Henry in a smooth arc.

Henry caught it without blinking. Like he’d done it a hundred times before. He smiled.

They sat back down, the apples beside them in the grass. Mutt lay by the door, head on his paws, eyes half-shut.

Henry reached out, pulled Hans a little closer, and kissed him. Not long. Just quiet.

Here and now. And here and now, everything was all right.

---

The sun was already rising higher, but the forest still held its quiet chill. Cool air drifted between the trees, birdsong carried from high above, and dry leaves and needles crackled faintly beneath their boots.

Hans wore his dark green gambeson—faded in places—with his bow slung across his back and a quiver of arrows beside it. He moved lightly, almost soundlessly, as if the ground knew him. Henry walked at his side, wearing a leather vest over his tunic, crossbow on his back, sword at his hip. Not armored, but not unready.

Mutt ran ahead, nose twitching, ears up, tail sweeping behind him. He darted to the edge of the woods now and then, sniffing at scents only he could read, then loped back to their side. They weren’t in a hurry. The morning was still young.

“What are we hunting?” Hans asked—half curious, half just to break the quiet.

Henry smiled faintly. “I’d stick to hares.”

Hans gave him a look. “How very noble of you.”

“And mostly,” Henry added, “so neither of us ends up on the gallows again.”

Hans narrowed his eyes. “It was a few deer. And it was a misunderstanding.”

“Sure,” Henry smirked. “And I turned the whole of Trosky Castle upside down to clear up that misunderstanding.”

Hans snorted. “And you got me out of it. So I owe you. Pick whatever hare you want today.”

Henry shook his head. But the light in his eyes stayed.

The forest began to open. Ahead of them, near the edge of a clearing, a small group of hares nibbled at the roots—three, maybe four—ears twitching in the sunlight.

Hans raised a hand. Stopped. No words. Just a gesture.

He drew his bow—slow, fluid. Held his breath.

Henry stood close behind him. Just as Hans was about to release, Henry leaned in and kissed him behind the ear. Lightly. But enough.

The bowstring snapped. The arrow went wide—clacked off a stump.

The hares scattered like drops of water.

“Henry!” Hans turned sharply. This time, the irritation wasn’t just for show. “At this rate we’ll hunt nothing—and I swear, I’m not spending the rest of the day listening to you say ‘I feel quite hungry!’”

Henry gave him a sheepish grin. “That does sound like me.”

Hans sighed—no anger left. Just exasperated fondness. “You’re impossible. I honestly don’t know how I love you.”

Henry gave him a sly look, then shrugged. “Talent.” A pause. “Or desperation.”

Hans shot him a look that clearly said: say one more word and I will shoot you next. But he was already smiling.

They walked on in silence for a while. Not heavy silence. Just easy. The kind that walks with you when everything’s still fine.

They paused again not long after. At the edge of a small rise, a single hare crouched near the base of a tree—alone, distracted by some low-hanging weed.

Hans didn’t hesitate. He raised the bow, aimed with care—then loosed the arrow.

The animal jolted once and dropped.

Henry didn’t move. “Good shot.”

“Of course,” Hans muttered. “Nobody breathing down my neck this time.”

Then he gave a short whistle and gestured. Mutt took off—quick, focused, sure. A moment later he came trotting back, the hare held carefully in his jaws.

“Good boy,” Henry said, taking the catch.

“Sometimes better than people.”

---

The sun had climbed higher by then. They settled under the wide shade of an old oak—backs against the trunk, the three hunted hares between them. Mutt sprawled nearby, tongue out, fully content.

Hans stretched his legs, arms folded behind his head. He stayed quiet for a while. Then, without moving, he said softly:

“One day I’ll teach him everything.”

A pause. “How to read tracks. Where the wind turns. How to find water even when there’s no well.”

Henry turned toward him. “Who?”

Hans smiled, still watching the canopy overhead. “Heinrich. My son. Someday.”

Silence followed. Not heavy—just still. The birds sang above. A leaf drifted down.

Henry nodded. But said nothing. And when he finally spoke, his voice was steady. Maybe too steady.

“We should head back. Process the meat before it’s too late— and not spend the whole day just lying under a tree.”

Hans looked at him. Differently now. But he didn’t ask.

They stood, grabbed the hares. Mutt rose without command and fell in beside them.

The path home was the same. But it didn’t feel the same.

They didn’t speak.

Maybe there was nothing to say. Or maybe there was too much.

---

It was quiet when they returned. The place felt still. Only Mutt darted about the yard with cheerful energy, as if their return was a victory in itself.

They laid their things out by the old bench in the grass. The three hares lay in a neat row. Henry unrolled one of the knives they’d packed—its blade was clean, freshly whetted.

“I’ll start from the belly,” he said calmly. Hans nodded. “Good. I’ll take the second.”

They worked without hurry, but with care. The meat wasn’t plentiful, but it was soft and clean.

Hans was quieter than usual. He watched Henry’s hands—steady, precise. But something in his eyes stayed drawn tight.

After a moment, Hans stood, walked a few paces around the yard. Then something caught his eye in the corner of the ruined outbuilding.

He pushed aside a few fallen boards and called over with a grin: “We’ve got a smokehouse! Looks like it’s still usable.”

Henry glanced up for a second. “That’ll come in handy.”

“We could smoke a few of these—might last us longer,” Hans added, like he needed the thought confirmed. “Maybe get some more. Even fish.”

“Fine. Good idea.” Henry was already looking back at the meat.

Hans stood for a while, one hand resting on the frame. Then gave a silent nod.

They worked on. Now and then they passed a knife, swapped a cloth, wiped blood from the stone.

Spoke a few words—but only the ones needed.

Hans felt it. That silence between the words. Not peace.

He paused, knife in hand. Something sat in his throat. Maybe a question. Maybe just a word that wasn’t worth it.

He let it go. Cleaned the blade. Took another piece of meat.

---

When they were done, they strung two of the hares in the smokehouse and let the fire do its work. The third one they hung in the cellar, where the air was cooler. Mutt, full from feasting on the innards, lay on his side in the shade, occasionally twitching in his sleep.

The fire crackled softly beneath the smokehouse roof. Stillness had settled over the ruins—thick and quiet.

Hans looked around the space that, for now, called itself theirs. A blanket laid out on the floor, gear stacked along the wall, a barrel of water. And still—across from them—the open breach in the front wall, where boards were missing and the world looked in.

He rubbed the back of his neck and muttered, “Starting to look almost like home. If only it didn’t breathe through that damn hole.”

Henry looked up but said nothing. Just gave a nod, as if he understood—and maybe regretted it too.

Hans stood and crossed to the gap, laying a hand on the edge. “We don’t need it perfect. Just enough to keep out the wind. Help the fire a bit. And nights are getting colder.”

Henry was already pushing up. “I saw some tarp back there. Loose boards too.”

Hans nodded once.

No more words. But both moved—like men who needed something for their hands.

The hole shrank quickly. They nailed up a board, draped a piece of old cloth, and pressed it flush with the frame. Hans brought another timber, brushed it off, and held it to the side.

“This could fit right here.”

Together they pressed it into place. The wood creaked and settled. Henry gave a small nod, without looking up.

Then he straightened and said, “I’ll head to the treeline. There’s fir out there. We can wedge it in the gaps.”

Hans just nodded.

Henry returned carrying a full armload of fir branches. The sharp, fresh scent hit the air the moment he stepped inside. For a while, it smelled like the woods again. Like someplace calm.

He began packing the boughs into the spaces between boards. Slowly, with his fingers, pressing the needles into the seams. Hans didn’t speak. Just watched him as he worked, sealing off the quiet in the wall.

Before they started the meal, Hans changed Henry’s bandage again. He unwrapped the old linen, checked the skin. It was no longer raw—but not healed yet, either.

He smeared a little of the healing balm across the cut, then wrapped it clean. Henry didn’t speak. Only gave a faint nod when it was done.

---

Outside, the light had faded into dusk. The air was still, warm with evening. A few leaves dropped from the branches overhead, soft and aimless.

The hare filled the space with its scent—roasted over a fresh hazel spit, slightly blackened, crisp around the edges. At some point during their walk, Henry had picked a sprig of rosemary and a few juniper berries. He cooked the meat simply, but it turned out better than well.

They ate in silence. Mutt sprawled by the fire, paws in the air, belly up like a king after a feast.

Hans leaned back against the wall, legs stretched out, wine in hand. He looked peaceful. At ease.

Then he said, lightly—almost offhand: “If I could… I’d stay here with you. For good.”

For a moment, there was no reply. The fire popped softly, like it had drawn breath.

Henry didn’t move. Then said—quietly, but with certainty: “But you can’t.”

The words didn’t hang. They landed.

Hans looked at him. Said nothing. Then slowly got up, walked over, and knelt.

He reached for Henry’s hands. Held them. Lightly. Gently. And met his eyes.

“This’s what’s been weighing on you all day, hasn’t it… love?”

Henry blinked. Just once. Small. But Hans saw it.

“Today it was just the two of us,” Henry said quietly. “Like we were living for each other — just each other. Nothing else.”

Hans glanced at him — a quiet, searching look — then back at the fire.

“And when you spoke about teaching your son one day…” Henry’s fingers curled slightly, almost absently, against Hans’s palm. “I suddenly felt how much I’d want a life like that to be ours too.”

Hans’s fingers tensed just slightly in response. But he said nothing.

“A life we’d share.” “One where I’d be beside you — raising him with you.”

Silence stretched a moment. The fire cracked softly.

Henry started to speak — then faltered. “And I just…” His voice caught for a second. “…don’t see where I fit in this picture of your future."

He didn’t say it with bitterness. Or pain. Only a quiet kind of knowing.

His eyes stayed fixed somewhere near the fire.

“And I know it’s complicated. It’s not your fault. Or mine. It’s just… today, it felt sharper than before.”

Hans didn’t answer right away. He didn’t nod. Didn’t move.

Then he let go of Henry’s hands, sat down beside him.

He stayed still for a moment. Then leaned in and reached across— not as a gesture, but an offering— and drew Henry gently against his side.

No pressure. Just enough to say: you don’t have to carry it alone.

Henry didn’t lean in immediately. But he didn’t pull away. And after a few seconds, his body softened, let go, and settled into Hans. His head found his shoulder.

They sat like that for a while. Hans breathing into Henry’s hair.

And then, after the quiet had settled, Hans spoke. Low and steady. Like someone who’d held these thoughts for a long time.

“It’s complicated… but I can’t remember a time we ever let complicated stop us.”

A pause. A breath.

“And in my picture of the future, you’re not absent, Hal.”

Hans’s voice stayed low. But now there was something steadier in it. Like he wasn’t just speaking from thought— but from something already decided.

“When I get Rattay back…” He paused. “I’ll need someone to keep it together. To run the estate. Speak for me when I can’t. Stand in for me.”

Another pause—softer now.

“Someone who knows the world. Who people respect. Someone I trust. Completely.”

His gaze drifted to the fire for a moment. He hadn’t noticed how his hand had found Henry’s again.

“I can’t think of anyone better to be the bailiff of Rattay… than you.”

Quiet, then. And in that quiet:

“…If you’d take it.”

Henry looked up. Slowly. Like something weighty had just landed where he hadn’t expected.

“Bailiff?” he echoed.

“I don’t know, Hans… I’m not born to that. No title. No training. Running an estate’s not something I ever learned.”

His voice wasn’t doubtful. Just honest.

Hans didn’t flinch. His face stayed calm—certain, but gentle.

“And still you’re the first… no—you're the only one I’d ever want in that place.” His tone stayed quiet, but it held a kind of force.

“Because you know what matters. You listen. You act. You carry what comes.”

He paused just long enough to let it settle.

“I trust you completely, Hal. And whatever you didn’t study— just look at what you’ve done.”

Another breath, softer now.

“That’s not something books give you. That’s just you.”

Henry held his gaze for a long moment.

He slipped an arm around Hans’s waist. Held him close.

And said, with a half-smile:

“I can’t tell if your faith in me is more comforting… or terrifying.”

Hans let out a breath—not quite a laugh. He dropped his chin lightly to Henry’s hair.

“Hopefully both. That’s about the right balance for a bailiff.”

They sat like that for a while.

Then Henry spoke—quietly.

“I won’t let you down.”

Hans gave a faint smile.

But then his face grew still again.

“I know you won’t,” he said softly.

A short pause.

“But… Henry— there’s one more thing I wanted to ask you.”

He paused again.

Not because he didn’t know what to say— but because he needed to say it right.

“One day—if it ever happens. Whether it’s Heinrich… or a daughter.”

He looked at him.

“I would like you to be their godfather. Officially. Before the world. Someone who’ll stand by them. And someone who’ll stand by me.”

For a long moment, there was only silence.

Henry didn’t move. Didn’t look away.

But Hans could see the weight of it in his eyes. This had landed deeper than anything else that day.

There was no fear in him. No hesitation. Just… something that took time to settle.

He didn’t answer right away. Maybe he didn’t know how.

He just breathed in quietly. And kept holding him.

Hans didn’t rush him.

Then, almost in a whisper, he added: “I know it doesn’t change everything. It’s not a way for us to be open.”

A short pause.

His voice was calm—but every word carried its full weight.

“But it would make you family. To me. To him. Or to her. A part of the life that stays behind after I’m gone. And someone to protect them, if I ever can’t.”

Henry lowered his head for a moment.

Then straightened gently, and leaned against Hans’s shoulder again.

His fingers found his wrist and rested there.

“Don’t say things like that,” he murmured. Not as a warning. Not as denial. Just a steady voice—one that stayed grounded.

“You’ll be here. And I’ll be with you. Whatever madness comes.”

His hand stayed on Hans’s—firm and quiet.

Then he said softly, “Do you know what it means to me— that you’d ask me this?”

He looked at him.

“I can’t imagine ever saying no.”

Hans smiled—soft and slow.

He leaned in and kissed him. Just once. Just gently.

Then rested his forehead to Henry’s.

He didn’t speak for a moment. Just breathed with him.

And then, with a grin curling back into his voice— “But don’t go spoiling the child too much… That’s my job.”

Henry gave a soft laugh. Just a breath—but it stayed. In his eyes. In his breath.

Then the quiet returned.

Not the empty kind. The kind that settles when everything’s been said— but something still lingers.

Henry broke it gently. “How come you’ve already thought all this through?”

Hans gave a small smile— but didn’t answer right away.

He let the moment stretch.

Then said: “I think a lot, Hal. About you. About us. About what’s ahead.”

A short pause.

“Not just a few days or weeks. Further.”

The word hung in the air.

Hans sat up slightly.

His voice steady. Eyes calm.

“I know Rattay will need a bailiff. And Heinrich… will need a godfather.”

He hesitated.

“And I… will need my Henry.”

---

If you want to continue with Part III you can find it here.

[thepathwechooseif]

DEMO

In the English countryside in 1914, you live with your two children on your late husband’s grand estate. Two years have passed since the tragic sinking of the Titanic, from which you became a single parent.

Though surrounded by wealth and community, you remain lost in a fog of grief. But with the arrival of summer, the neighbouring family prepares to host their annual month-long house party. Your curious children persuade you to attend, hoping the festivities will lift your sorrow.

Lucas/Lucia Bertham, the family's charming heir, bonds with your children and seems to understand you in a way others cannot. But will secrets regarding their family's future prevent love?

Azra Hays arrives, a traveling storyteller with a gift for magic in their words that soothes your soul. Gardner Isaac Hill has loved you in silence, finding joy through your children's smiles.

More suitors await too - brilliant sculptor Zephyr Langston, whose art mirrors your heart, and Doctor Henry Bellman, who ministers to the people with patience and good humor.

As festivities crescendo with masques, fireworks and more, you start to believe in love and laughter again. But which person holds your whole heart? And will dark forces from the past destroy this new paradise you’ve begun to build?

The summer promises intrigue, blessings, and maybe a sweet romance if you can let go of history and embrace the gifts of tomorrow.

Customise your character as well as your children’s

Choose where you live and how you dress

Your choices have an impact on how society reacts to you!

Uncover secrets from your past!

Pursuing different ROs with varying levels of affection leads to unique story endings that resolve the mystery

Lucas/Lucia Bertham (m/f/nb)

The Heir, 26, Lucas/Lucia Bertham is the only child and heir to the prestigious title and lands of Bertham. They are a successful businessperson, but relish returning to their ancestral home each summer. While other young people prefer to travel abroad, they prefer the simple pleasures of country life. They take their duty as head of the manor seriously, helping tenants with an approachable demeanor. Though destined to marry well for station one day, they remain single and enjoy lively flirtations. While others dance at balls, they are the happiest hosting gatherings under the stars or riding alongside farm laborers by day. Lucas/Lucia lights up any room with their charm, wit and easy smiles. But is there a lonely heart searching for more beneath this carefree facade? As always, only time will tell what develops between Lucas/Lucia and you over the magical summer months at Bertham.

Isaac Hill(m)

The Gardner, 35, Isaac Hill has lived and worked on your estate for years. His strong, weather-worn hands coax beauty from the soil. Gardenings comes naturally to gentle-souled Isaac, as does his way with any creature in need of care. The expansive gardens are his pride and joy, a wonderland open for all to enjoy. Despite his huge build, muscular arms and calloused palms, his demeanor remains soft-spoken yet self-assured. While most village maidens sigh for officers or heirs, Isaac's gentle soul and way with children has turned many a head. But he remains devoted to coaxing new life from the earth, finding solace in small things. Perhaps amid the Bertham's blossoms, Isaac's own heart may bud anew this summer as well.

Zephyr Langston(m/f/nb)

The Sculptor, 27, Zephyr Langston hails from one of London's most prestigious arts families. Though young, their sculptures have already gained fame across England. While many London soirees vie for their presence, Zephyr relishes escaping to the countryside each summer. Using moody landscapes as inspiration, they work tirelessly to capture fleeting emotions in stone. Some say their sculptures are too sensually lifelike, but the Berthams proudly collect their edgy works. Zephyr charms salon attendees but remains unmarried, focused solely on their "passionate mistress," their art. Though prone to brooding moody spells while working, they come alive at parties with a playful wit. Could this summer be when they find inspiration of the heart as well as hands among the Bertham estate's rolling hills?

Henry Bellman(m)

The Doctor, 29, though young, he runs the village medical practice with a maturity beyond his years. What he lacks in words, Henry more than makes up for with his compassionate bedside manner. He listens with steady brown eyes that seem to see into patients' very souls. While others chat idly, Henry prefers observing life unfold with subtle calm. An avid reader, he's as learned as any university man but without pretense. More than one farmer's daughter has blushed starry-eyed receiving his attentions, yet he remains a bachelor focused solely on his work. The Berthams value Lucas greatly for his discretion and healing touch. But does his solemn façade hide deeper passions waiting to emerge? As always, only time will tell what mysteries lie beneath the calm exterior of Doctor Henry Bellman, and what intrigues he may stir in your heart this season.

Azra Hays(m/f/nb)

The Storyteller, 27, Azra Hays is a free spirit , with mischievous eyes like the summer sky. While others settle, Azra is happiest wandering the countryside in their worn boots, flute in hand.They’re a jack of all trades but lives for their art - spinning spellbinding tales that transport listeners far from their daily toils. With their easy smile and flirty manner, Azra charms all they meet. Yet beneath this bohemian exterior beats a kind and generous heart, always helping travelers in need. An orphan from youth, they never take their freedom or talents for granted. Azra makes their coin sharing folklore, gossip and bawdy jokes in villages along their route. But they save their most magical stories for moonlit campfires, weaving magic that leaves audiences in awe. Some say their nose for intrigue could even rival the Sherlock Holmes tales. Will Azra linger longer this year among Bertham's gardens and party revelries? Is there feeling breeding beyond friendship beneath Azra's roguish charm? As always, only time will tell the true depth of bonds woven beneath the summer stars.

[pupsmailbox]

SURREALISM ID PACK

NAMES︰ abigail. abyss. abyssa. achey. adam. adelaide. adeline. agatha. agnes. albert. alexander. alfred. alice. amelia. angel. annabelle. apparition. arch. archie. arthur. atticus. augustus. beatrice. beetle. benedict. benjamin. birdee. bliss. bubbles. bug. bugby. buggy. bunny. cain. calvin. cardee. catherine. cecilia. celeste. chaos. charlotte. chev. chevrotain. chimera. clara. clementine. cloudi. cloudy. compass. crow. dahlia. daisy. daphne. daze. decay. deja. delusion. dorothy. doubt. dove. dream. dreamy. drift. echo. eleanor. elizabeth. emily. enigma. erebos. erebus. ernest. error. eve. evelyn. exite. eyes. fading. fady. faid. faint. fawnly. felicity. felix. fish. fisshu. flaw. flower. forky. foxy. frog. froge. froggy. frost. frosty. ghost. ghosty. gideon. gin. ginnungagap. glitch. glitchy. graham. gray. grey. hare. harriet. hattie. haunt. haven. hazel. heartbeat. heartbreak. henry. hoarfrost. hollow. howl. hugo. icey. illusielle. illusion. imogen. infinesse. infinitie. ink. iris. ivy. jane. juliet. juno. jupiter. kai. key. khali. khaos. khora. kit. larkling. lichen. lichy. lilith. lily. liminal. link. locket. love. lucy. lulu. luminal. luna. mabel. margaret. mars. matilda. matrix. meadow. meddy. mercury. mirage. mirror. misty. mo. mold. moon. moss. mossy. moth. mothy. mug. murmur. mush. mushy. mysterie. nada. nameless. nemo. neptune. night. nightmare. nihil. nobody. noir. noire. noiresse. noirette. nostal. nostalgesse. nostalgette. nothing. nox. null. nyx. oblivionne. obscuritie. obsidian. oceana. ocina. ocula. odditie. oddling. olive. oliver. olivia. ombra. orion. pale. penelope. phantom. phoebe. phone. pin. pluto. poppy. portal. post. pulse. pup. rain. rainy. rippel. ripple. rose. salem. saturn. scythe. scythette. serene. shadow. shivver. shroom. shrum. silver. sky. smile. snak. snake. snek. snowy. socket. sombra. sophie. sparrow. spook. spookie. spooks. spooky. spoon. spotty. sprite. stacy. static. stitch. storm. stormy. stream. sugar. sunny. teeth. telle. theodore. thread. thunder. thunderly. ticket. tide. tooth. tripp. twilight. unknown. vac. vacancy. vacuify. vazio. vega. velvet. venus. victoria. vinyl. vivian. void. vortex. walter. worry. wraith. wren. yearn. zero. zeta.

PRONOUNS︰ ?/?. ?t/?t. [redacted]/[redacted]. _/_. abandon/abandon. ap/ap. backroom/backroom. being/being. bizarre/bizarre. blank/blank. blur/blur. clock/clock. cloud/cloud. cold/cold. creature/creature. creep/creep. dark/dark. daze/daze. deja/vu. deranged/deranged. dim/dim. dream/dream. echo/echo. eerie/eerie. em/empty. empty/empt. empty/empty. end/end. entity/entity. error/error. eye/eye. familiar/familiar. film/film. flower/flower. fog/fog. forget/forget. fru/fru. ghost/ghost. glitch/glitch. h?/h?m. hollow/hollow. hx/hxm. hy/hym. illusion/illusion. ina/ina. infinite/infinite. ink/ink. jpeg/jpeg. key/key. lim/lim. lim/liminal. liminal/liminal. lost/lost. lurk/lurk. mist/mist. moss/moss. mush/mush. mush/shroom. mystery/mystery. night/night. no/exit. no/non. noir/noir. nos/nos. nostal/nostalgia. nostalgia/nostalgia. not/nothing. nothing/nothing. nox/nox. null/null. obsidian/obsidian. odd/odd. one/one. penumbra/penumbra. phantom/phantom. pitch/pitch. pop/pop. rem/ember. scythe/scythe. sh?/h?r. sha/shadow. shade/shade. shadow/shadow. shrooms/shroom. shx/hxr. shy/hyr. silhouette/silhouette. space/space. spiral/spiral. stat/stat. stat/static/static. static/static. stone/stone. strange/strange. surreal/surreal. tele/vision. th?y/th?m. that/thatthing. thing/thing. thon/thon. thxy/thxm. thy/thym. tooth/tooth. tv/tv. twilight/twilight. un/canny. uncanny/uncanny. vae/vaer. vast/vast. venta/venta. voi/voi. voi/void. void/void. vor/tex. watcher/watcher. weird/weird. where?/where?. winde/winde. x/x. yellow/yellow. ⚫. ⚫️. ❓. ❔. 🌀. 🌑. 🌚. 🌫️. 🏚️. 👁️. 💭. 🕳️. 🗝️. 🚪.

SIMILAR LISTS I HAVE︰ 1 2 3 4 ⭐

[afewproblems]

Difficult Days - Part Seven

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six or Read on AO3

The day that Henry waltzes back into Shawn’s life starts out normal enough. 

It’s a Tuesday. The sun is out, the local smoothie place on the corner of 118th has finally brought back its mango tango tropical blend --containing absolutely mouth tingling amounts of pineapple, and Gus even manages to get the cute smoothie girls number while they wait for their drinks. 

“You hear about Pluto? That's messed up,” Gus says, leaning against the counter as he hands her a ten. Her head tilts slightly, eyebrow raised, her sharp green eyes sweep over Gus as a smile blooms over her freckled face. 

Oh shit, she's going to eat him alive.

“I hadn't, you'll have to tell me sometime,” the cashier says with a wink that pulls a strangled laugh out of his best friend.

They leave with their drinks, Gus's cup adorned with a sharpie phone number and a smiley face across the plastic. The bounce in Gus’s step makes Shawn grin as he watches him read the number again and again.

“Can an area code be cute?” Gus asks as they turn down the street to the department, passing uniformed officers leaving for patrol.

“Depends on the number of eights, also fours, very sexy numbers Gus,” Shawn says sagely, fighting to keep his face neutral as Gus glares openly at him.

“Please,” Gus huffs as they climb the stone steps up to the precinct, “you are just jealous that my Pluto line pulled”.

One of the rookies, officer Miller? Mayer? Some kind of M name, Shawn thinks as the officer stops to hold the door for the pair of them to enter the building. 

The rookie flashes Shawn a smile as he waves them in and Shawn can't help but smile back. Maybe Gus wouldn't be the only one getting a number today.

“It was bound to happen Gus,” Shawn insists as they turn down the hall towards the bullpen, ���the intersection of women that are single, into astrology, and a little crazy is small but you were eventually gonna find it buddy”.

Gus sputters around the straw of his smoothie, “there is a huge difference between astrology and astronomy Shawn--”

“Are we talking horoscopes?” Juliet asks with a curious smile as she falls into step beside them, carrying a file folder and a mug of coffee in the other hand as they make their way to the desks. Shawn grins as Gus swallows nervously. 

He likes Juliet.

She's sincere and chipper but there's an edge to her that Shawn can't quite pinpoint where the line is. It also helps that she has enough patience to balance out her partner who has not been subtle about his distaste for Shawn.

Plus, Gus is completely smitten with her.

Juliet is probably the only woman who has laughed at, objectively, every single one of Gus's jokes since they started working together --which is a feat in and of itself. Shawn watches as Gus lifts his hand to rub at the back of his neck, stammering through the account of his interaction at the smoothie place with the counter girl.

Shawn sees the way Juliet deflates slightly, her eyes darting between Gus and the number on the smoothie cup. He shakes his head at the open display of pining. 

It would almost be amusing if Shawn didn't have to hear about how amazing, and funny, and cute, and scary Juliet is every other night from Gus and why someone like her could never go for someone like him --which is bullshit.

Anyone would be lucky to have someone like Gus on their team, and Shawn will champion that argument until the day he dies. 

Besides, if he isn't mistaken, Juliet agrees with his sentiment.

“It just seems so disrespectful to remove its status as a planet after all this time,” Gus sighs, trailing off from his planetary rant.

Juliet nods, “not just to Pluto but to all of us that had to repeat ‘Men Very Easily Make Jugs Serve Useful Needs, Perhaps,’ and not have all the boys in class giggle at the word ‘Jugs’”.

“You get it,” Gus exclaims, elbowing Shawn as he tries in vain to stifle a snicker.

It's not Shawn’s fault that ‘Jugs’ is comedy gold, he doesn't make the rules.

Shawn lets his attention wander from the pair slightly, taking in the neat stacks of paperwork on Juliet’s and Lassiter’s desks, wondering just what cases he might be able to snoop on in preparation for his psychic showcase later, and speaking of the Head Detective it’s a little odd that he isn't in yet. 

Shawn looks at the clock on the wall, it’s nearly 9:30, well past when good ol’ Lassie normally arrives. 

“Boy this place hasn't changed a bit”.

Shawn stills as he registers the voice from across the bullpen.

Oh no.

No, no, no, he's been so fucking careful.

“How long are you sticking around for Detective?” Lassiter's voice floats across the space behind them, “I can show you the new evidence room if you have time?” 

Shawn slowly turns, holding his breath, to see Lassiter walking and talking, hitching his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the evidence room, with Henry Spencer.

Fuck.

Henry looks very nearly the same, maybe a little thinner than he was the day he left Shawn at the station, definitely more grey and less hair than there had been. The collar on his polo is warped slightly, as though it had been left to air dry on a rack, and the brown leather shoes he's wearing are dull, scuffed at the sides. 

The Henry Spencer who diligently ironed his clothes and shined his shoes every day has seemingly evaporated in the last ten years, replaced with some laid-back facsimile.

Shawn had heard that Henry had retired from Gus, who had heard it from his mother, around the same time that he was supposed to have left Santa Barbara.

Shawn looks closer, taking in the same cool blue eyes, piercing and sharp as he surveys the precinct. 

His dad must just miss his old haunt, the station that was his second home for nearly forty years, that has to be it. 

Henry isn't here for Shawn, he can't be.

But…there was that god damn article he and Gus were mentioned in after the McCallum case. 

Shit.

Shawn closes his eyes and breathes in to try and slow the icy panic sliding up his spine, like he's been dropped off the edge of the pier in January.

He stills again as Henry responds to the Detective, clapping him on the arm with a relaxed grin.

“Nah, I'm in and out Lassiter, just checking in with the old guard on our poker night, you know how it is”. 

Shawn slowly ducks himself behind Gus, as Henry shifts his stance to the Chief's closed office door.

He hasn't seen Henry since that awful night ten years ago, and the thought of seeing his dad here now, of being exposed as a fraud, a liar, a--

Shawn shuts his eyes, and shakes his head as though to erase the thought.

He doesn't need Henry ruining this for him, not when things are finally, finally working for once. He needs to get out of here.

“Gus,” Shawn hisses sharply, interrupting his friend mid sentence, he tucks his head further down, keeping himself angled away from where Henry and Lassiter are still talking. 

Palling around like old chums, god of course they are. Why wouldn't Henry love someone like Lassiter, the complete opposite end of the spectrum where Shawn is concerned. 

“Shawn what?” Gus tries but Shawn flaps both hands out, cutting him off again. 

Juliet frowns at the display, though there is a hint of concern in her gaze as her eyes follow the direction from which he is obviously hiding, landing on Lassiter who is still chatting with his dad.

Everything feels off balance, like he missed a step on the stairs but then the rest of them have given way to let him drop.

“Gus, Henry is here and I need to not be,” Shawn says lowly, “I need a distraction or a miracle, preferably both if you can swing it”.

“Shawn--”

“What kind of distraction?”

Juliet and Gus say at the same time and, hell yes, Shawn knew he liked her for a reason.

“And with zero rehearsal? I am so proud of you two,” Shawn whispers to them, ignoring the way his heart is threatening to jack hammer its way out of his chest.

He clears his throat roughly, swallowing once, “I just need something big enough to get me into the kitchen without being seen?” 

“On it,” Juliet affirms, taking a step towards her desk to drop off the file from one hand, while the coffee cup remains in the other.

She takes a small step away before pausing and turning back to the pair of them, “hold on, this isn't for anything illegal or to do with a case is it?” she asks warily, glancing between Shawn and Gus.

“No,” Gus and Shawn say at the same time.

Juliet nods once and takes off towards Lassiter and Henry with long determined strides.

“Wow,” Gus sighs, hearts in his eyes and Shawn shakes his head at the sight.

God these two.

He breathes out, long and slow, before startling slightly at the commotion behind them. Shawn hazards a glance at Juliet to find her profusely apologizing to Henry for the large brown coffee stain all over his polo while Lassiter watches with a stunned expression on his rapidly reddening face. 

Ho-ly shit, if Gus doesn't lock this girl down, Shawn might have to. They'll have a summer wedding, Shawn thinks a little hysterically as he takes the opportunity to bolt, speed walking to the department kitchen, Gus hot on his heels.

They round the corner out of the bullpen and head down the hall towards the staff kitchen, nearly crashing into Buzz on their way through the narrow door.

“Sorry man,” Gus winces as Buzz just manages to stop coffee from flowing over the side of the cup in his hand as he makes way for them.

“All good, is Shawn okay?” Buzz asks, concern in his voice and expression as he peers back into the kitchen.

Shawn says nothing, biting the inside of his cheek until he tastes copper on his tongue. He breathes out again, long and slow, before taking a short sharp breath in, just like Mrs. Guster taught him. 

“He's fine,” Gus says quickly, “I could smell the fresh pot from the pen so we wanted to jump on that before anyone else”.

Buzz tilts his head at Gus quizzically, “oh that stuff’s old actually, probably from the shift change I think”.

“And that's what…you're drinking?” Gus says slowly, staring at the young officer who beams at the pair of them.

“I know it's not everyone's taste but I love the last cup,” Buzz smiles before taking a long sip from the chipped mug in his hand, “not too hot, plenty bitter and strong, it's great.”

Shawn breathes out a laugh this time as his heart rate finally begins to slow to a more normal pace.

“We'll take your word for it,” Shawn says, rubbing his hand through his hair before reaching for the electric kettle next to the empty coffee pot. It's full of water still, and based on the fresh droplets on the counter, someone filled it recently.

“Glad you're okay Shawn, you'll have to head back soon, apparently we have a visitor that Detective Lassiter is showing around--”

“Thanks Buzz, we'll try,” Gus interrupts smoothly, he's smiling but it's just a little too wide.

Shawn flicks the switch on for the kettle and turns to slump against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest.

Buzz shrugs and gives them a little salute with his mug before turning on his heel to head back to his desk. 

Gus waits a beat before whirling around to Shawn, eyes wide, “why the hell is Henry here?” 

“Why do dolphins tease pufferfish Gus?”

“Because they like to get high?”

“Because they do whatever the hell they want and how should I know how a dolphin thinks,” Shawn bites out as the kettle bubbles and spits behind him.

“I thought he moved away,” Shawn says eventually, chewing on the corner of his lip, “guess he came back”.

Gus grimaces, peeking around the corner of the kitchen for a moment before turning back to Shawn.

“Make me a cup too,” he sighs, reaching a hand up to pinch into his eyes, “you're gonna owe Juliet big time for this, I don't think I've ever seen Lassiter turn that shade of red before”.

“Hey, he should be grateful she spilled on the right asshole,” Shawn mutters as the kettle clicks off automatically. He turns around and reaches for the overhead cupboards to grab two mugs from the shelf.

“Well, your vocabulary hasn't changed much, has it kid?”

Shawn nearly drops both mugs at the sound of his father's voice behind him and the quiet curse Gus blurts out.

Shawn doesn't turn around, keeping his shoulders level as he sets the mugs down and reaches for a random box of tea bags on the counter, looks like Gus will have to settle for green tea this time as much as he hates it. 

“You’d be surprised,” Shawn manages after a long beat of strained silence.

Henry hums, “What, you're not gonna say hello to your old man?”

Shawn bristles, hating the way he can feel his ears begin to heat. He grips the counter to halt the furious tremor in one hand while the other crushes a still wrapped tea bag.

“Detective Spencer did you find--”

Oh good. Lassie is here now too, Shawn thinks viciously.

“I know where the kitchen is Lassiter,” Henry sighs, “I did work here after all”.

“Mr. Spencer,” Gus says, cutting through the strange tension that has begun to spread through the little kitchen, “it's been a while”.

“Burton, yeah it has, how's your mother?”

“My mother?” Gus repeats, confusion in his voice, “she's uh, she's great--”

“I'll bet,” Henry interrupts, “she's certainly something your mother, definitely had a lot to say to me over the years, that's for sure”.

Shawn falters slightly, has Henry been keeping tabs on him this whole time though Mrs. Guster? 

He swallows roughly, still facing the cupboard. Shawn tries to unclench his fist but it won't budge, the paper around the teabag has grown damp now from the sweat on his hand and he can feel the cheap ink from the label rubbing into his palm.

Lassiter clears his throat awkwardly, “uh, Detective, Sargent Bart is ready if you still wanted to meet”.

Henry sighs behind him, Shawn can hear the shift in his stance as he turns back to Gus.

“Well, at least one of you is polite, but you always were a good kid Burton”.

Shawn feels his hackles raise at the same time Lassiter clears his throat again.

“Fine,” Henry says in a clipped, disappointed voice, “Shawn, if you want to talk, you know where to find me”. 

Shawn hears Henry walk away, his shoes scuffing against the floor heading further and further down the hall, and let's his head slowly fall until it connects with the cupboard. 

He lifts his head, just enough to drop it again, connecting with the cupboard door with a muffled thunk before he straightens up, shakes out his shoulders and finally drops the unusable teabag on the counter.

“Guster, what's got your partner so worked up, is being confronted with a real detective just that upsetting?” Lassiter asks as Shawn finally turns around. 

He's still standing next to Gus, his blue eyes tracing over Shawn as though scanning him, smirking slightly.

“Upsetting?” Shawn laughs, but it sounds fake, hollow, “Lassie, Lassie, Lassie, I'm touched you think I'm capable of that kind of emotional intelligence, it’s, well, it's an honour Detective”.

Gus sighs, shaking his head, crossing his arms over his chest as Lassiter rolls his eyes with a huff.

“Then what the hell is your problem, he's your dad isn't he?

“Lassiter--” Gus tries but Shawn beats him to it.

“You really don't remember huh?” Shawn says incredulously, “the first night we met?”

Lassiter tilts his head, blue eyes narrow as he stares at Shawn, “the first? Spencer, that was a few weeks ago?”

Right. 

Shawn had been pretty certain that the Detective didn't remember being there the night Shawn was arrested, and this just confirmed the theory.

He's pretty sure Vick remembers just based on the look in her eyes when she reminded Shawn she had no problem with booking him if he were lying about the psychic thing, she'd processed him before and would do it again to protect the department.

But, it looks like she hasn’t said much of anything to the other Detectives, not about Henry dropping him off or the call he had made to the Gusters while standing behind him, most certainly eavesdropping.

Which should be a relief.

It's not like he’s enthusiastic about people knowing the details of that awful night.

A brief flash of Lassiter’s expression, pained and sympathetic, as he walks up to Shawn in the hallway to ask if he's okay, flashes once before dissipating.

It's…it's good he doesn't remember. 

He doesn't need Lassiter looking at him with anything other than irritation or anger in his very, very, blue eyes--

No. 

That is one thought he'd rather not examine too closely --especially not now with Lassie standing in front of him with his annoyingly observant glare.

Shawn sighs sharply, lifting his hand to pinch his nose before dropping it limply at his side.

“You know what, why don't you run along Lassie, I'm sure there's a boy stuck in a well somewhere that would love your help”. 

Lassiter blinks once, twice, Shawn can see the cogs turning in his head as he moves away from the counter, making his way past the Detective. 

It's the same jab he'd used over ten years ago.

Why the fuck did he say that? 

Shawn halts as he feels Lassiter grab his arm loosely at the elbow, but doesn't turn around.

“Better yet,” Shawn says loudly, the words come out smoothly but at a higher pitch than normal, and Shawn can feel both Gus and Lassiter staring at him.

“Shawn--” Gus tries but Shawn starts moving, pulling his arm from Lassiter's hand with a quick tug.

“You could continue sniffing around Henry,” Shawn calls over his shoulder, “he never wanted a pet when I was growing up but I think he'll just love you”.

He moves a little quicker down the hallway before veering right into another hall.

There are footsteps behind Shawn keeping pace. He steals a quick glance behind him, breathing out a bark of laughter as he meets Gus's harried glare.

“I can't believe you,” Gus hisses as they speed walk their way to the start of the row of individual offices, “I can't believe he didn't murder you right then and there, it's not like you wouldn't have deserved it”.

“I resent that baseless accusation,” Shawn huffs as he continues walking.

“You called him a dog twice--”

“That's the third time technically,” he admits lightly, ignoring the way Gus curses under his breath as they finally reach the foyer.

“Gus, it's fine, we'll leave it for a few days, let Lassie cool down,” Shawn huffs as they pass several uniformed officers heading back into the station.

Maybe if they wait long enough what he had inadvertently let slip to Lassiter will have blown over and Henry will have gotten the hint that Shawn has no interest in speaking to him.

“We wait till they call us, ya know?” He says as they push open the heavy entrance door and the hot afternoon sun hits their faces.

“I'm sure it's already forgotten by now”.

Part Eight Up Now

Tag List: @adaed5 @drakkywolf @newgrangespirals @riverofrainbows @steddierthings @eriquin @newgrangespirals

[lakecountylibrary]

LCPL WRAPPED 2024

Ok DON'T PANIC, this post is still true - it just broke containment a bit so we don't know how many people saw the original tags and might therefore be a little concerned to see THIS post.

We don't know what you, personally, checked out.

We have to track total circulation stats to make sure we're doing our job correctly and keeping a healthy collection (and to defend our budget), but these stats are anonymous!

Is one person responsible for every single One Piece check out? Is James Patterson artificially inflating his numbers by visiting our library constantly? Who knows! The only thing we know is that kids(?) really, really like Jeff Kinney books.

And so without further ado, here are the most checked-out items of 2024:

Want to compare to 2023? Here's 2023 wrapped

(ID: Images are lists of books; each list is typed out in the post under the image. /ID)

Most Checked-Out Adult Books:

Adult Fiction:

James Patterson was #3 last year, too, though with a different book.

1: The Women by Kristin Hannah 2: First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston 3: The #1 Lawyer by James Patterson 4: A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci 5: The Exchange by John Grisham

Adult Nonfiction:

Prince Harry and Matthew Perry dropped a rank from 2023 to make way for Britney!

1: The Woman in Me by Britney Spears 2: Spare by Prince Harry 3: Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry 4: The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson 5: I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Adult eBooks & eAudiobooks:

Format doesn't matter - people were reading The Women however they could!

1: The Women by Kristin Hannah 2: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 3: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros 4: Funny Story by Emily Henry 5: First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

Most Checked-Out YA Books:

Teen Fiction:

Welcome back reigning champ Suzanne Collins!

1: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 2: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins 3: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling 4: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling 5: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Teen eBooks & eAudiobooks:

Major gains from Sarah J. Maas in this format - she didn't make the list with teens last year!

1: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas 2: If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin 3: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins 4: Powerless by Lauren Roberts 5: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas

Teen Manga:

This is the first year we're sharing the top check-outs in this category!

1: One Piece by Eiichiro Oda 2: Bleach by Tite Kubo 3: Skip Beat! by Yoshiki Nakamura 4: Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto 5: My Hero Academia by Kōhei Horikoshi

Most Checked-Out Kids' Books:

Kids' Fiction:

AKA Mr. Kinney's House

1: No Brainer by Jeff Kinney 2: Diper Överlöde by Jeff Kinney 3: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney 4: Big Shot by Jeff Kinney 5: Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories by Jeff Kinney

Kids' Graphic Novels:

Return of Babymouse! It was popular in 2022 but didn't rank in 2023. (Though, we also didn't separate out kids' graphic novels in 2023.)

1: Babymouse by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm 2: Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland 3: Dog Man: The Scarlet Shredder by Dav Pilkey 4: Cat Kid Comic Club: Influencers by Dav Pilkey 5: Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea by Dav Pilkey

Kids' eBooks & eAudiobooks:

Rick Riordan with the steel chair?? I suspect we have Disney to thank for this revival.

1: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan 2: Claudia and the Bad Joke by Ann M. Martin 3: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea by Dav Pilkey 4: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling 5: No Brainer by Jeff Kinney

[ciceroprofacto]

SOA supplementals

Primary Sources / Letters

Papers of George Washington RevWar Series volume 11 (all)

The Army Correspondence of Colonel John Laurens in the Years 1777-1778 compiled by William Gilmore Simms (p.145-162)

The Papers of Henry Laurens volume 13 (p.33-140)

The Political Writings of Alexander Hamilton by Holloway and Wilson (p.7-117)

Backstory / additional context

The First Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch (all)

The Great New York Fire of 1776: A Lost Story of the American Revolution by Benjamin Carp (all)

Kidnapping the Enemy by Christian M. McBurney (all)

Strategy, Politics, Staff

Fatal Sunday by Lender and Stone (p.xi-122)

Washington's Secret War by Thomas Fleming (all: p.223-244)

To Starve the Army at Pleasure by E. Wayne Carp (various)

The Valley Forge Winter by Wayne Bodle (all: p.163-220)

George Washington's Indispensable Men by Arthur Leftkowitz (p.15, 45-157)

John Laurens and the American Revolution by Gregory Massey (p.86-106)

Washington's General: Nathaniel Greene and the Triumph of the American Revolution by Terry Galloway (p.165-171)

Wives / Women of the Army

Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation by Cokie Roberts (various)

The General & Mrs Washington by Bruce Chadwick (p.209-222)

Martha Washington: An American Life by Patricia Brady (p.118-126)

Caty: A Biography of Catherine Littlefield Greene by John & Janet Stegeman (p.48-59)

Pox Americana by Elizabeth Fenn (p.98-103)

Spies

Revolutionary Spies Intelligence and Espionage in America's First War by Tim McNeese (p.99-209)

General Washington's Spies on Long Island and in New York by Morton Pennypacker (p.1-119)

Washington's Spies by Alexander Rose (all)

Spies in the Continental Capital by John Nagy (all)

George Washington's Secret Spy War: The Making of America's First Spymaster by John Nagy (all)

Allies / foreign officers / special forces

Unlikely Allies: How a Merchant, a Playwright, and a Spy Saved the American Revolution by Joe Richard Paul (all)

Thomas Paine: Enlightenment, Revolution, and the Birth of Modern Nations by Craig Nelson (p.99-145)

Special Operations During the American Revolution by Robert Tonsetic (p.7-149)

Light Horse Harry: A Biography of Washington's Great Cavalryman by Noel B. Gerson (p.1-60)

John Paul Jones: Sailor, Hero, Father of the American Navy by Evan Thomas (p.97-133)

The Admiral and the Ambassador by Scott Martelle (p.49-54)

Tadeusz Kościuszko and Casimir Pulaski: The Lives of the Revolutionary War's Most Famous Polish Officers by Charles River Editors (Pulaski section)

Pulaski: A Portrait of Freedom by R.D. Jamro (p.85-99)

Steuben / Drill

The Drillmaster of Valley Forge by Paul Lockhart (p.105-113)

The Life of Von Steuben by Frederich Kapp (p.120-136)

Baron Von Steuben's Revolutionary Drill Manual: A Facsimile Reprint of the 1794 Edition (all)

Lafayette

For Liberty and Glory: Washington, Lafayette and Their Revolutions by James R. Gaines (p.98-106)

Adopted Son by David Clary (p.154-179)

Lafayette by Harlow Giles Unger (p.65-71)

The Marquis: Lafayette Reconsidered by Laura Auricchio (p.59-64)

[miharaikko]

My 2024 writing round up

Thank you for the tags to @firenati0n @0npurpose @sophie1973 @clockwrkpendrxgon @kj-bee

I started writing fic this year in May and managed to put out 21 pieces, 19 oneshots and 2 multi-chapters. I would have never imagined myself as a fic writer, considering I barely knew the concept a year ago, but here we are—brain rot so active and ideas overflowing 🤷‍♀️

I’m so thankful to all the people willing to give my little stories a chance. Thank you for all the kudos, comments and overall yelling on twitter and discord. 

And thank you to my Red Umbrella gang. Since meeting y'all in June my life has significantly improved 💕 Can’t wait to see what 2025 brings us! ✨

My AO3: miharaikko My fandom: Red, White & Royal Blue Number of fics posted: 21 Number of Words posted: 91,717

Breakdown under the cut.

MAY

Pearly Gates (M, 5K)  Alex sees Henry across the dance floor and is mesmerized by his ivory skin and the pearl top he is wearing.

JUNE

Love will abide (take things in stride) (E, 15K)  Henry should be getting married tomorrow. Instead, he's at a pub, considering if he should go back to the hotel of a man he just met.

JULY

waging my wars behind my face and above my throat (M, 3K) Henry is having a bad day and Alex helps him through it (part I)

AUGUST

I was already on my way (GA, 1.1K) Henry is having a bad day and Alex helps him through it (part II)

SEPTEMBER

touch my phone (as if it’s your face) (GA, 5.3K) Alex texts the wrong number. It turns out to be the right one in the end.

just you and I (GA, 1K) Slices of life, inspired by Tom Odell's Grow Old with Me

OCTOBER

In the heart of Wales (Yng nghalon Cymru) (GA, 2.8K) Alex and Henry get lost in the heart of Wales

only thing on my grocery list (is your lips) (GA, 2.2K) Henry keeps visiting his local market and trying out new recipes, all for the sake of a cute vendor

more than a game to play (the truth is on my tongue) (E, 2.5K) Being friends with benefits shouldn't matter. But when Henry gets jealous, it starts to matter.

I was cold as a stone (but I found what I'm lookin' for) (GA, 2.6K) Henry retreats to a cabin in the woods for some peace and quiet, but he also finds something else there.

all eyes on you, my magician (all eyes on us) (GA, 3.8K) - collab with tothemoon_andsaturn Henry is a magician, but he is falling under the spell of Alex.

three words, infinite possibilities (GA, 1.8K) Alex figures out that his feelings for Henry are more than he thought.

a beagle's guide to finding love (GA, 5.7K) When David feels like henry could use a new friend, he takes the matter into his own paws.

pink silk ribbon kinky thingy (E, 7.2K) Alex finds a spool of silk ribbon which makes him feels things. Henry helps him process those feelings.

NOVEMBER

saturday night love (GA, 1.3K) A-list actor Henry decides to come out during an SNL sketch. Alex is the SNL regular who gets to kiss him during it.

DECEMBER

Spotify Wrapped - a Series of Unserious Drabbles (M, 2.7K) writings based on my 2024 Spotify Wrapped

a beautiful sight, we're happy tonight (M, 2.8K) - collab with tothemoon_andsaturn Henry takes Alex to visit Wales. The lack of snow doesn't stop Alex from transforming the day into a winter Wonderland.

but if you’re leaving, I gotta know why (M, 4K) Alex overhears a conversation between Henry and Bea and realizes there's a lot more things that he feels for his roommate.

...for so long (M, 6.2K)â Henry is tasked with baking gingerbread and he gets a helping hand from a friend

both your hands (in the holes of my sweater) (M, 6.4K) Henry and Alex lend each other certain clothes items over the years

s'mores (let me taste you some more) (E, 8.8K) Stuck in a cabin due to a storm, Alex and Henry only have marshmallows, crackers and chocolate as supplies. They make the best of it, while also tending to some old wounds.

WIPs & UPCOMING FICS

I've been yapping about these 3 since the moment they each came to mind, but with the collections I took part in, and other smaller ideas that never let my mind, I haven't been able to finish them. But my goal for 2025 is to bring these 3 babies to the world:

Red Wine and Royal Bleu Cheese - vaguely established plot, where Alex visits a winery where he meets Henry

Clay your love on me - Alex is a TikTok potter and Henry is a fan of his live videos

no title yet, but this will be my multi-chaptered Magnum Opus once I manage to write it, based on the following prompt: Friends with benefits (they share a house to split the rent) with detriments (they used to date but broke up for self-sabotaging reasons) with perks (sometimes they spend the night together. it’s fine) with troubles (one of them is moving away. it feels worse than the breakup)

And I also have an upcoming fic for the Wrap It Up exchange.

[charmsandtealeaves]

Got some of my reading and writing groove back this week.

Read this week:

Other Reads:

Funny Story by Emily Henry

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Happy Place by Emily Henry

Fics:

Ripples in the Water by @kay-elle-cee (ch.13)

WIP, pirate Jily micros collection, rated M

A collection of microfics in the restless waves rise and fall universe. Each entry likely under 1k words.

Sweet Nothing by @petals2fish

Complete (2.2K), wartime Jily, rated Teen +

They were promises spoken into tired, desperate ears—fragile dreams shaped in the quiet moments when hope still flickered. Sweet nothings to cradle against the harshness of reality, like the smooth stone sitting on the kitchen counter or a single strand of hair tucked into a locket.They were just words, but words these days were the closest thing they had to magic.

Shut Up (Make Me) by petals2fish

Complete (2.3k), Hogwarts Jily, Rated M

She was supposed to be mad at him, not mad about him. But when he opened his eyes, she wasn’t fuming, and wasn't pushing him away with a scathing remark. Instead, she stared up at him, wide-eyed and breathless, lips still slightly parted as if she hadn’t quite processed the space he’d put between them. There was no anger, no sharp-edged retort—just quiet, stunned curiosity, like she was confused why he’d stopped so suddenly. “Shit,” he murmured, though he wasn’t sure what for. His breath hitched as he realized her hand was still tangled in his hair, fingernails ghosting over his scalp, sending little shivers down his spine. “You didn't mean to kiss me tonight,” she whispered, her green eyes locked onto his, searching—like she was trying to find something hidden among the freckles and summer-worn tan of his face. "Did you?"

The Unsent Letters of Lily J Evans by @tedwardremus

Complete (2.5k), Rated G

The summer before 6th year, Lily wrote a lot of letters. She didn’t send a single one

Slam by @athenasparrow

Complete (944w), mutual pining Jily, rated T

James’ hazel eyes blaze so furiously that Lily wonders if his magic might pour out of him until her hard-won herbs are no more than smoking ash.

Eternal Summer, Book 1: Beginning Again by @missgryffin (ch.5)

WIP, Hogwarts Jily, Rated E

James Potter just spent his sixth year trying to get over Lily Evans while, unbeknownst to him, Lily Evans just spent her sixth year trying not to fancy James Potter. Now, they just had a drunken near-kiss that neither one remembers, they've been named Head Boy and Girl, and they're both wondering how they'll survive their final year at Hogwarts in each others' presence.

The Lighthouse by @tedwardremus

Complete (30k), Remadora Muggle AU, Rated M

There is an old fishing town off the jagged rocky coast covered in permanent fog and a broken lighthouse that is no longer able to bring ships safely to shore. Tonks travels to the forgotten place to record an episode of her popular podcast. Imagine Tonks' surprise when she arrives at the abandoned lighthouse and comes face to face with its kind yet lonely keeper—Remus.

I want you (bless my soul) by @wearingaberetinparis

Complete (2.5k), curse breaker Jily AU, Rated M

If anyone had asked Lily Evans what she planned to do with her life while at Hogwarts, she would have loftily replied that she had her future all planned out. If those same people would see her now, though – thigh-deep in quicksand, holding on to James Potter’s forearms in an attempt not to sink to its deep, bottomless pit – they would hardly call her in control of her destiny.

To Live Without A Heart by @uncertainwallflower (ch.4)

WIP, James Lives AU, Rated M

James wasn’t home that night. It was the one decent thing Peter did, and James hated him for it.

Coming of Age Era by @jamesunderwater

Complete (1.3k), pre-relationship Jily, Rated G

James Potter is growing up -- no, really, he is, he even has a card to prove it!

[gayhoediaz]

bless this mess

M | 2.3k

“God, just wait ten years until you’ve wifed me up and I’m killing myself chasing a toddler around this place, you’re gonna be so horny.” “Oh, god,” Henry breathes, his hips practically moving of their own volition despite the afterglow still drifting throughout his veins; his lips part against Alex’s pulse point, his stomach fluttering. It’s not something they have spoken at length about - not yet - but their future together is set in stone, so marriage is absolutely in the cards, and so are kids. Someday. And the thought of an older version of Alex - a few pounds heavier, a few more faint lines on his face, a wedding band wrapped around his finger as he chases their children around the house, or soothes them after a bad day, or makes them lunch - god, even the mere concept has Henry wanting to come in his sweatpants all over again. “Don’t joke, you know you're right."

♡ read on ao3 ♡

[luriddaze]

CLOSED for @angelxrp // henry stone. open to m/f/nb !

"yeah, he's an asshole. why would you even be with him in the first place? you're obviously awesome. i don't know, it just seems like he should've been dropped awhile ago. that's none of my business, though - i'm just trying to be a friend."

[glennk56]

Tom Bosley before Happy Days (2 of 2) (1959-1972)

Tom Bosley's next movie in 1968 was as a family doctor in Yours, Mine and Ours starring Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda.

In Dec. 1968 Tom Bosley teamed up with Alice Ghostley as KAOS agents in an episode of Get Smart.

Tom Bosley guest-starred in an episode of The Virginian in 1969.

In 1969 Tom Bosley started as a regular on The Debbie Reynolds Show. He played her brother-in-law in 20 of the 26 episodes of the one season it was on.

Tom Bosley also guest-starred in 2 episodes of Bonanza, 1 in 1968 and 1 in 1969. He is shown here with, of course, Dan Blocker.

Tom Bosley was in the pilot episode of Night Gallery which aired in Nov. 1969. He was in the segment entitled 'Eyes' which is one of the more memorable offerings of the Night Gallery series. It starred Joan Crawford, screenplay by Rod Serling himself and directed by a young Steven Spielberg.

Tom Bosley played Esmeralda's old boyfriend in an episode of Bewitched in 1971, again teaming up with Alice Ghostley.

Also in 1971, Tom Bosley appeared in an episode of Mission: Impossible. Pictured with Harold J. Stone.

In the fall of 1972 Tom Bosley was cast in The Sandy Duncan Show. This was a reformulation of the show Funny Face from the previous year. The only thing that remained from Funny Face was Sandy Duncan's character. The new cast also included M. Emmet Walsh. Bosley played Sandy's boss at an Advertising Company. The show lasted 13 episodes, which is how many episodes Funny Face lasted.

Also in the fall of 1972 Tom Bosley started in the animated Wait Til Your Father Gets Home voicing the father Harry Boyle. This show lasted 3 seasons and 48 episodes.

In 1973, Tom Bosley guest-starred in an episode of another 13-episode seres, A Touch of Grace starring Shirley Booth. Pictured here with comic Jackie Vernon.

During these years Tom Bosley also guest-starred in episodes Mod Squad, The Sixth Sense, Marcus Welby, MD, Medical Center, Love, American Style, Maude, McMillan & Wife and others. He also did many TV movies and was a regular on The Dean Martin Show.

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌈 Queer Books Coming Out in July 2024 🌈

🌈 Good morning, my bookish bats, and happy July! Pride Month may be over, but remember: Read Queer ALL Year. Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR before the year is over. Happy reading!

[ Release dates may have changed. ]

❤️ Earth to Alis - Lex Carlow 🧡 Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts - Adam Sass 💛 The Sky on Fire - Jenn Lyons 💚 The Meaning of Liberty - Sage Donnell 💙 Making It - Laura Kay 💜 The Black Bird of Chernobyl - Ann McMan ❤️ A Map of My Want - Faylita Hicks 🧡 The Devil You Know - Ali Vali 💛 The White Guy Dies First: 13 Scary Stories of Fear and Power - Various 💙 The Second Son - Adrienne Tooley 💜 Cursed Under London - Gabby Hutchinson Crouch 🌈 Forbidden Girl - Kristen Zimmer

❤️ Rise - Freya Finch 🧡 Undercurrent - Patricia Evans 💛 Online Rebellion - Blue Matt Jeff 💚 Wolf Gift - T.J. Nichols 💙 Cash Delgado Is Living the Dream - Tehlor Kay Mejia 💜 Miller: Origin - Starr Z. Davies ❤️ The Shadows Beyond - T.J. Rose 🧡 The Ones Who Come Back Hungry - Amelinda Bérubé 💛 Their Viscountess - Jess Michaels 💙 Fast Holiday - Kerry Lockhart 💜 The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky - Josh Galarza 🌈 The West Passage - Jared Pechaček

❤️ The Hades Calculus - Maria Ying 🧡 Misrecognition - Madison Newbound 💛 One Last Summer - Kristin Keppler 💚 Waypoint Seven - Xan van Rooyen 💙 Hiding Him - Adam Hattan 💜 Thousand Autumns - Meng Xi Shi, Me.Mimo ❤️ The Adventure Zone, Vol. 6: The Suffering Game - Various 🧡 Rowan & Aldred - Lucie Fleury 💛 Yoke of Stars - R.B. Lemberg 💙 Casting Vows - Ariella Talix 💜 Count Felford's Vessel - S. Rodman

❤️ The Actor and His Secret - Ben Alderson, Laura R. Samotin 🧡 How To Die Famous - Benjamin Dean 💛 So Witches We Became - Jill Baguchinsky 💚 The Amazing Alpha Tau Romeo and Juliet Project - Lisa Henry, Sarah Honey 💙 The Noble’s Merman - S.S. Genesee 💜 The Loudest Silence - Sydney Langford ❤️ Life is Strange - Brittney Morris 🧡 Bury Your Gays - Chuck Tingle 💛 I Will Never Leave You - Kara A. Kennedy 💙 The Blonde Dies First - Joelle Wellington 💜 Under the Lupine Moon - A. Knightley

❤️ Benji Zeb is a Ravenous Werewolf - Deke Moulton 🧡 Charlotte Illes Is Not a Teacher - Katie Siegel 💛 The Ghostkeeper - Johanna Taylor 💚 Trespass Against Us - Leon Kemp 💙 Exes & Foes - Amanda Woody 💜 The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl - Bart Yates ❤️ Unbound - J.A. Vodvarka 🧡 StreamLine - Lauren Melissa Ellzey 💛 Time and Time Again - Chatham Greenfield 💙 No Road Home - John Fram 💜 Queen B - Juno Dawson 🌈 A Darker Mischief - Derek Milman

❤️ Beautiful & Terrible Things - S.M. Stevens 🧡 Benvolio & Mercutio Turn Back Time - Elle Beaumont, Lou Wilham 💛 About Last Night - Laura Henry 💚 You Had Me at Happy Hour - Timothy Janovsky 💙 Moonbane - Jamie Jennings 💜 Between Fate & Failure - Amber D. Lewis ❤️ Blessed by the Cupid Distribution System - Robin Jo Margaret 🧡 Between Dragons and Their Wrath - Devin Madson 💛 Twisted Magic - Barbara J. Webb 💙 Rare Birds - L.B. Hazelthorn 💜 At the End of the River Styx - Michelle Kulwicki 🌈 Origin Story - Jendi Reiter

❤️ Eras of Us - Shannon O'Connor 🧡 Corpses, Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema - Willow Maclay, Caden Gardner 💛 A Wolf in Stone - Jane Fletcher 💚 Toward Eternity - Anton Hur 💙 Portrait of a Shadow - Meriam Metoui 💜 Anyone's Ghost - August Thompson ❤️ Home Ice Advantage - Ari Baran 🧡 Unbelievable You - Chelsea M. Cameron 💛 Incorrect Eyes - Andromeda Ruins

[cosmogyros]

Normally I don't plan my reading in advance, because I simply follow whenever my fancy leads me, but this challenge seems fun! 25 books I want to read in 2025 - let's go.

(I've been missing the classics recently, so this list is a bit classic-heavy. Also I ended up being unable to keep it to 25. Oops.)

Color coding:

pink = fiction green = nonfiction

An asterisk means it's a book I already own in physical form.

As I read books on this list, I will italicize them.

1. Willa Cather - My Ántonia

2. Gabriel García Márquez - One Hundred Years of Solitude

3. Timothy Snyder - On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

4. Han Kang - Human Acts

5. Geraldine Brooks - Horse

6. Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone - This Is How You Lose the Time War

7. Ruth Kinna - The Government of No One: The Theory and Practice of Anarchism

8. John Steinbeck - The Grapes of Wrath

9. Virginia Woolf - A Room of One's Own

10. Leslie Feinberg - Stone Butch Blues

11. Mary Doria Russell - The Sparrow

12. Banana Yoshimoto - Kitchen

13. Howard Zinn - A People's History of the United States

14. Fyodor Dostoevsky - Notes from the Underground

15. Upton Sinclair - The Jungle

16. Jorge Luis Borges - Labyrinths*

17. Olga Tokarczuk - Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead

18. Akwaeke Emezi - Little Rot

19. Naomi Klein - No Logo

20. Hengameh Yaghoobifarah - Ministerium der Träume

21. Yaa Gyasi - Homegoing*

22. Susanna Clarke - Piranesi

23. E. M. Forster - Maurice

24. Richard Adams - Watership Down

25. Ursula K. Le Guin - The Left Hand of Darkness

26. Henry James - The Portrait of a Lady

27. Mikhail Bulgakov - The Master and Margarita

28. Frank Herbert - Dune

Additionally, I'm going to tag on a second goal list. My "currently reading" pile has become way too huge, because I have a fickle heart and tend to hop around from book to book (or, as Bertie Wooster would say, I "flit and sip" like a butterfly). So I'm aiming to finish at least five books that I already started in 2024:

1. Albert Einstein - Essays in Humanism

2. Daniela Dröscher - Lügen über meine Mutter

3. Priscilla Murolo & A. B. Chitty - From the Folks Who Brought You the Weekend

4. Frantz Fanon - Black Skin, White Masks*

5. Simon Blackburn - Think: A Compelling Intro to Philosophy*

[a-magical-evening]

Do you happen to have the link to the prono that Trey makes a cameo in? Asking for a friend 👉🏻👈🏻

Hi anon's friend 😏

I don't happen to have a link to the full film of Here Comes Elska but I know where all the clips of Trey and Matt's cameos can be viewed. Right here on YouTube! (The clips are all safe for work, don't worry.)

For the others they were in or involved with behind the scenes, I don't have much in terms of moving image, but I know of stills I can share.

I believe Sex 4 Life Too is the one they were in (or messing around on set) with Carrie Fisher. Those set pics of Matt in the silver jacket were taking while that was being filmed.

This post has more screenshots, including Trey playing piano for a bunch of naked people and one of him pretending to direct one of the actors while wearing some striking leather pants.

There's also this rarer one of Matt that was taken from the film's website. A quote from him about his experience can be found here.

Based on the film's IMDb page, it looks like this image of Matt watching two people have sex next to a rainbow flag is also from that film, but taken on another day.

I'm still kind of confused about their involvement in Profiles #8. From this Wiki page, "While researching for Orgazmo, Trey Parker was invited to an adult industry filming party at Buck Henry's house, which had been rented for the shoot. The resulting footage of the xxx-rated film Profiles #8, includes in the background mainstream actors Carrie Fisher, Richard Dreyfuss, and Timothy Hutton, in addition to Trey Parker and Matt Stone."

I considered that it might have been an alternate name for Sex 4 Life Too, but I've found sites talking about the premiere and it was still called Profiles #8, so maybe they ended up messing around on two film sets with Carrie Fisher! Who knows what they got up to tbh.

Hope this helps your friend out 😉

Addition: This helpful Reddit comment lists all the films M&T were involved in:

Profiles 1: The Young and Horny (1995)

Sex 4 Life Too (1995)

Here Comes Elska (1996)

Profiles 8: Triple Ecstasy (1996)