#James W. Quinn

[pierppasolini]

Night of the Demons (1988) // dir. Kevin S. Tenney

[meloveless]

horror boys I think about a lot: day 13

Tony Vincente - Witchtrap (1989)

[abs0luteb4stard]

W A T C H I N G

[pembrokewkorgi]

PKnJ Cartoon Podcast - Batman The Animated Series Part 1

In the latest installment of The PnJ Cartoon Podcast, we get a new host @myshawolf and we talk about one of favoritest cartoons ever made! Have a listen. https://youtu.be/UuLYCzFdNcU

Posted using PostyBirb

[rainydayathogwarts]

My favourite fics from other authors!!

MCU:

daisies - peter parker by @starktonyx

As it was - Steve x reader, Bucky x reader by @heli0s-writes

Never again - bucky barnes by @houseravenclaws

tap - bucky barnes by @houseravenclaws

the box - peter parker by @waitimcomingtoo

incorrect quotes ft. peter x y/n by @eunoiathewriter

begging with scott lang by @ragnarachel

trouble in paradise - peter parker by @ptergwen

your mess - peter parker by @peterbenjiparker

stark!reader x peter by @ptergwen

phone sex blurb w peter by @sgrantsgf

twenty bucks Peter parker by @deathbyathousandspiders

Harry Potter

interrupted - neville longbottom by @nevillesimp

the one that got away - harry potter by @george-fabian-weasley

angry love confession in the rain - sirius black by @salazarslytherin

jealousy, jealousy - james potter by @letterstotheflre

Poly!marauders smut by @strawberrysodaslut

New people - James Potter by @ddejavvu

A date? - James Potter by @iamgonnagetyouback

Hopelessly in love - James Potter by @marauroon

Criminal Minds

Touch starved - Spencer Reid by @donald4spiderman

Your relationship with Hotch is exposed by @ddejavvu

You walk in on Spencer talking to his fish by @radiant-reid

You obsess over Hotch and he overhears EVERYTHING by @kryptonitejelly

The team finds out you and Hotch are married by @kryptonitejelly

Jack calls you 'momma', outing you and Hotch's relationship by @kryptonitejelly

Another one where Jack outs you and hotch's relationship by @kryptonitejelly

A third one where jack outs your relationship with Hotch by @kryptonitejelly

The one where everyone finds out - You and Spencer (reid) are in love but you just don't know. by @reidscanehand

Don't think I don't like you - Spencer Reid by @luveline

Reid wears Glasses - Spencer Reid by @luveline

The fear of falling apart - Spencer Reid by @pathologicalreid

Lipstick trail - Aaron Hotchner by @ddejavvu

Stranger things

Whispering dirty things into Eddie's ear as a dare by @erosso

Eddie being pussy drunk - Eddie Munson by @subbypeterparker

Admiring Steve Harrington by @masmybeloved (deactivated acc)

Three's a crowd, but four's a party - Eddie, Steve, Robin x reader by @glasvera

Out loud - Eddie Munson by @iheartyouyou

Billy Hargrove noticing the little things by @fbfh

Bi!fem!reader x steve harrington by @eufezco

Eddie and daughter!Roan x reader series by @luveline

Dead wrong - Steve Harrington by @lucasnclair

The fair - Eddie Munson by @lovebugism

Celebrities

Chris being in love with Y/N for 7 mins video by @astranva

You'll save all your dirtiest jokes for me - Tom Holland by @waitimcomingtoo

Thirst tweets with Chris Evans and Y/N L/N by @put-trash-here

The friendship test - Joseph Quinn by @magicchai

ground rules - Joesph Quinn by @icallhimjoey

[marnerparty]

go blue pt. 2

Part 2 by popular demand!

Luke Hughes x McCarthy!reader

*for those who do not know, JJ McCarthy is the quarterback for Michigan’s football team, so yn will be his sister!

part 1 here!

ynssecretaccount

Liked by edwards.73, yourbestfriend and 101 others

ynssecretaccount last Friday night …

View all 36 comments

rutgermcgroarty didn’t we talk about this partying thing???

ynssecretaccount what about it?

rutgermcgroarty about what happened last time …

ynssecretaccount ????

lhughes_06 oh god she doesn’t remember

ynssecretaccount REMEMBER WHAT!?

lhughes_06 you adopted a penguin in Antarctica

ynssecretaccount WHEN!?

lhughes_06 literally 5 days ago 😐

biznasty I knew I shouldn’t have supplied the pink Whitney 🤦🏼‍♀️

ynssecretaccount true this is all your fault

trevorzegras why is he on this account?

biznasty shut up

ynssecretaccount he’s my friend

trevorzegras he’s like 40

ynssecretaccount age is just a number

jackhughes look at Lukey holding your hair back

ynssecretaccount he’s cute like that

markestapa he held my hair back once too 🥰

ynssecretaccount once? try 17 times bud

ynmccarthy

Liked jjmccarthy, trevorzegras and 31,667 others

ynmccarthy wondering how he puts up w/ my shenanigans

View all 202 comments

yns#1fan how’s your penguin

lhughes_06 😧

rutgermcgroarty 😧

ynmccarthy how the fuck do you know about that

yns#1fan 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️

ynmcccarthy is this one of the guys?

markestapa this is weird

jjmccarthy I think your priv has an op

lhughes_06 bc I love you 🙃

_quinnhughes meaning he’s whipped

ynmccarthy he better be

luca.fantilli i think you mean wondering how his friends put up with your shenanigans

ynmccarthy you’re one to talk mr. “lets skinny dip” and get us kicked out of the hotel

adamfantilli that was def a shenanigan

luca.fantilli whose side are you on!?

adamfantilli yns always

rutgermcgroarty come home the kids miss you

jackhughes is it yn and rutger or yn and Luke? I never know

lhughes_06 fuck you

ynmccarthy GUYS! this is the main!! behave yourselves

elblue6 why were you guys laying on dog beds …?

ynmccarthy I have a great explanation for that mama Hughes

jackhughes oh boy

_quinnhughes this’ll be good

elblue6 and that would be ..?

edwards.73 your son has that dog in him 🐶

ynmccarthy my words exactly

elblue6 he has a dog in him?

jackhughes gen Z expression, ma. you wouldn’t get it

jjmccarthy adorable. and you’re okay too

ynmccarthy do you have a crush on my boyfriend?

lhughes_06 it’s more than a crush babe

jjmccarthy we’ve decided that I’m going to marry Luke and you can have Quinn

jackhughes why am I left out?

lhughes_06 nobody wants a playboy

user1 oh to be yn mccarthy

jjmccarthy trust me, you’re better off living your own life

mackie.samo little Lukey is a man now

ynssecretaccount

Liked by luca.fantilli, rutgermcgroarty and 112 other

ynssecretaccount Mrs. Hughes wasn’t very happy about the decisions that were made last Friday night … hence the reason Lukey poo is grounded & the reason I am breaking all of my morals to sneak in and see my boyfriend #sorrynotsorry

View all 39 comments

jjmccarthy wow regretting decisions?

ynssecretaccount happens every once in awhile

lhughes_06 Mrs. Hughes???

ynssecretaccount I don’t deserve to call her Ellen anymore 😔

jackhughes wow she actually may be upset

ynssecretaccount I am! Ellen hates me! she thinks I’m an underage drunk

_quinnhughes actually, I told her you didn’t drink at all and she believes me

ynssecretaccount you covered for me?? why would you do that??

_quinnhughes you’re my sister now, it’s what an older brother does

ynssecretaccount 🥹🥺😮🤧

rutgermcgroarty I’m crying

jamie.drysdale hi yn

ynssecretaccount hey Jame!

jamie.drysdale how are you?

ynssecretaccount I’m good Jamie. why are we having a conversation in Instagram comments?

jamie.drysdale I’m sick and Trevor can’t take care of me

trevorzegras bc you’re absolutely disgusting

ynssecretaccount Trevor seriously?

jamie.drysdale will you please come here

ynssecretaccount Jamie… I’m in Michigan

jamie.drysdale I’ll buy you a plane ticket.

jamie.drysdale please

colecaufield no it’s okay, I didn’t want photo creds or anything

trevorzegras you were in on this? how dare you do that to Ellen?

ynssecretaccount you’re one to talk

trevorzegras what did I do!?

lhughes_06 where’s the golf cart Trevor?

trevorzegras 😐

jackhughes where is the golf cart trevor??????

trevorzegras oh … you know … in the bottom of the lake

_quinnhughes oh fucking hell

ynmccarthy

Liked by elblue6, colecaufield, and 41,661 others

ynmccarthy quick trip to Anaheim for my favorite Ducks! 🫶🏻

tagged jamie.drysdale and trevorzegras

View all 221 comments

jamie.drysdale why would you do this to me

jamie.drysdale but also everybody needs a little yn time

lhughes_06 you know who would like a little yn time? 😐

jamie.drysdale like you’re not together 24/7

ynmccarthy lukeeee you’re jealousy is showing!

jackhughes this is why I love you

nicohischier why are you in a headlock

ynmccarthy Jamie was feeling better so we went out … big mistake

yns#1fan hope Jamie’s feeling better!

ynmccarthy WHO ARE YOU!?

mackie.samo this is seriously creepy you guys

_quinnhughes someone break out their FBI skills

biznasty these guys were worth a week long trip?

ynmccarthy why do you hate them?

biznasty did I say that?

ynmccarthy you implied it

biznasty keep arguing with me and see how it goes for you

ynmccarthy you wanna go old man?

biznasty what’re you gonna do yn?

trevorzegras ooooh

lhughes_06 bad move

jjmccarthy good luck bud

biznasty ???

ynmccarthy I’m not gonna say sleep with one eye open … but … 👀

user1 jealous of her life

jjmccarthy puck bunny

ynmccarthy take that back right now

_quinnhughes hey, as honorary older brother that was really mean

adamfantilli what a mom

ynmccarthy like you don’t love me

luca.fantilli caught

trevorzegras thanks a lot for the help. I really needed it. Jamie is exhausting

jamie.drysdale I’M exhausting!? you didn’t do a single thing for me!

trevorzegras are you kidding me right now

ynmccarthy boys, seriously? the second I leave you start to argue

luca.fantilli you really are a mom

ynmccarthy yeah, to freaking 5 year olds

lhughes_06 are you gonna be home soon

ynmccarthy I’m on the way home right now babe

jackhughes your home or our home?

ynmccarthy Luke are you freaking kidding me!?

jackhughes 🤨

lhughes_06 I didn’t tell anyone yet! I thought we were waiting????

ynmccarthy does your mother know??

lhughes_06 no …

elblue6 I feel like I need to get involved now

jackhughes you guys, what is going on

lhughes_06 long story short we bought a house together and are currently in the process of moving in

ynmccarthy so when I tell my family I’m at your house, I’m really at ours. and vice versa for Luke

jjmccarthy WHAT!?

elblue6 are you serious?? why wouldn’t you guys say anything, this is amazing you two!

ynmccarthy oh thank God

mackie.samo these comments are getting really personal. great content for a fan page

ynmccarthy … what do you know?

mackie.samo 🤷🏼‍♀️

lhughes_06

Liked by rutgermcgroarty, jjmccarthy and 57,910 others

lhughes_06 5.1.23: the day I manned up & made sure I could have you forever :)

View all 391 comments

ynmccarthy I’m so ready to be your wife ❤️‍🔥

lhughes_06 last name upgrade 😎

jjmccarthy watch it

jackhughes Lukey boy!! congrats you guys 🫶🏻

ynmccarthy love you Jack!

_quinnhughes officially time to get me a sister

user1 Quinn’s older brother role for yn 🥹

elblue6 the daughter I never got but always needed 🩷

ynmccarthy I love you Ellen

colecaufield Luke getting married first!? no one had it on their bingo card

ynmccarthy you can imagine my shock then

lhughes_06 you are jumping for fucking joy

ynmccarthy well yeah, I still love you! just shocked in the best way :)

colecaufield you can go now 🤢

user1 she is so happy

umichhockey congrats to future Mr. & Mrs. Hughes!

Liked by lhughes_06

jjmccarthy awww lil sis! I couldn’t be happier :)

ynmccarthy I love you jj :)

biznasty I thought you were with that Zegras kid

ynmccarthy no you didn’t

biznasty yeah I know, I just like to start shit. serious congrats to the both of you!

ynmccarthy Paul, are you feeling okay? you just said something nice..

biznasty I’ll take it back you little shit

yourbestfriend you better treat her right Hughes

lhughes_06 🫡

yourbestfriend congrats my yn!!

ynmccarthy I love you!!

njdevils pop the champagne! congrats to the future Hughes’!

yns#1fan congratulations! I bet it was amazing to have your little brothers there too

lhughes_06 I only told 3 people that they would be there. so which one of you is it

rutgermgroarty not me

adamfantilli not me

mackie.samo not me

ynmccarthy why do you do this

jamie.drysdale you got yourself a good one! be nice to her or else. and also congrats :)

lhughes_06 🫶🏻

jjmccarthy also luke, what does this mean for us? how could you do this!?

lhughes_06 I know and I’m sorry. it was really difficult, you have to understand

jjmccarthy we could’ve been a Michigan power couple

lhughes_06 yn doesn’t have to know …

ynmccarthy right here guys

jjmccarthy go away for a minute

trevorzegras baby Hughes so longer a baby! congrats yn and Luke!!

lhughes_06 thank you Z!

ynmccarthy love you Trev 🫶🏻

ynmccarthy

Liked by colecaufield, elblue6 and 29,027 others

ynmccarthy meet beau :)

Comments on this post have been limited

nhl the cutest new addition to the Hughes fam!

Liked by ynmccarthy

trevorzegras you finally got your Doberman!

ynmccarthy it took a lot of convincing

lhughes_06 when have I ever said no to you?

jackhughes literally never she’s so dramatic

_quinnhughes she’s not responding because she knows we’re right

ynmccarthy no comment

jjmccarthy not what I had in mind when I said I wanted a nephew

ynmccarthy it’s the best I could do for right now

lhughes_06 are kids in the near future??

ynmccarthy do you think they are??

lhughes_06 I think this is a conversation to have not in Instagram comments

user1 who’s cuter, Beau or Luke?

mackie.samo beau

rutgermcgroarty beau

jackhughes beau

ynmccarthy beau

lhughes_06 wow thank you guys so much

adamfantilli will you guys just get married already ?

ynmccarthy who says we aren’t …

adamfantilli don’t even joke

_quinnhughes ????? you guys JUST got engaged

lhughes_06 we like to move fast

jackhughes did you fucking get eloped

ynmccarthy 🤷🏼‍♀️

biznasty kids these days, buying puppies together, trying to get married quick. just slow down. Luke will still be there in the morning

ynmccarthy wow, that’s actually amazing advice

biznasty well, I wanted to end it with “he’s still gonna be there because nobody else wanted him” but I decided against it

ynmccarthy wouldn’t be a Paul Bissonnette quote without a smart ass comment

biznasty says you

ynmccarthy 🖕🏻

[imposterogers]

neither studios are perfect but as time goes on there are very visible differences between how the mcu and the dceu handle things. the mcu lets minor characters be queer (or blink and u miss it one liners to confirm it). harley quinn is bisexual in both the live action verse and in a canon wlw relationship w poison ivy in the animated series. peacemaker is bisexual. they are not the only lgbt+ characters (there’s literally so many I can’t make a list w/o forgetting a few) but they are MAIN characters and their sexuality influences their stories. dc uses a ton of practical effects / films on location. say what u will about james gunn (and whatever direction he takes dc) but he’s a major advocate for practical effects. marvel continuously puts actors in green screen hell (even props like guns r cgi) bc vfx workers aren’t unionized. dc (think the batman) let’s the actors influence the script and their characters. peacemaker is bisexual bc of john cena. paul dano is writing a comic series about the riddler. the mcu doesn’t let their actors read the full scripts or have any input

it is interesting to me bc yes, both studios exist to make money, but one is slowly being ruined by corporate homophobia & ideals (nuclear families, military propaganda, etc)

[medium-observation]

JUNE RELEASE!

Monty Python's Spamalot - Kennedy Center May 18, 2023 - Medium Observation Video | Matinée

Cast: James Monroe Iglehart (King Arthur), Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer (The Lady of the Lake), Matthew Saldivar (Patsy/Guard 2), Rob McClure (The Historian/Prince Herbert), Jimmy Smagula (Sir Bedevere/Dennis's Mother/Concorde), Alex Brightman (Sir Lancelot/The French Taunter/Knight of Ni/Tim the Enchanter), Nik Walker (Sir Galahad/The Black Knight/Prince Herbert's Father), Michael Urie (Sir Robin/Guard 1/Brother Maynard), Michael Fatica (Ensemble), Kaylee Olson (Ensemble), Ryan Kasprzak (Ensemble), Phillip Attmore (Ensemble), Daniel Beeman (Ensemble), Maria Briggs (Ensemble), Eloise Kropp (Ensemble), Daniel May (Ensemble), Shina Ann Morris (Ensemble), Kristin Piro (Ensemble)

Notes: Nice video of this hilarious show. Filmed from the orchestra. Lots of wideshots, which can lead to some washout at times. Beautiful zooms however on the cast (Alex Brightman fancam at times but it never takes away from the video!). Overall a great video of this Hilarious and perfect production.

NFT Date: December 1, 2023

Screenshots: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAEn7m

Video is $20

Hadestown - First US National Tour May 20, 2023 - Medium Observation Video | Matinée

Cast: Colin LeMoine (u/s Orpheus), Hannah Whitley (Eurydice), Matthew Patrick Quinn (Hades), Nyla Watson (u/s Persephone), Nathan Lee Graham (Hermes), Belén Moyano (Fate 1), Cecilia Trippiedi (u/s Fate 2), Dominique Kempf (Fate 3), Racquel Williams (Worker), Jemal Lee Harris (Worker), KC Dela Cruz (s/w Worker), Ian Coulter-Buford (s/w Worker)

Notes: Fantastic video of Colin's Orpheus Debut! there is a small head obstruction in the far left bottom that obstructs nothing but Hermes legs at times. This was a very unique and stressful show for the cast as they were down a worker and had everyone in the company on in the show. the show started almost 25 minutes late as they had to rehearse and change choreo. The lights hit in wait for me and the choreo change is quite fun to see and it's unique!

NFT Date: December 1, 2023

Screenshots: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAEEBp

Video is $20

Beetlejuice - First US National Tour February 19, 2023 - Medium Observation Video | Matinée

Cast: Justin Collette (Beetlejuice), Isabella Esler (Lydia Deetz), Britney Coleman (Barbara Maitland), Will Burton (Adam Maitland), Jesse Sharp (Charles Deetz), Kate Marilley (Delia Deetz), Danielle Marie Gonzalez (Miss Argentina), Abe Goldfarb (Otho), Brian Vaughn (Maxie Dean), Karmine Alers (Maxine Dean/Juno), Jackera Davis (Girl Scout), Matthew Michael Janisse (s/w Ensemble), Ryan Breslin (s/w Ensemble)

Notes: Big head obstruction on the left side of the screen where the crib, and Charles room is. it's worked around fine, but it's there and can be very distracting at times. besides that it's a great 4k video and it's a unique one, because they had asl and captions so the cast had to stick on script, which led to some fun choreo improv!

NFT Date: December 1st, 2023

Screenshots: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAsYaU

Video is $10

Videos can be purchased through me at mediumobservationtrading@gmail.com

[ericdeggans]

My Best TV of 2022: A (Unexpectedly) Long List

This is not a problem I expected to have, early in 2022.

Back then, the quality of TV shows was so disappointing, I considered writing one of those cranky, old-school critic’s columns complaining about how the glut of shows in our modern, streaming-fueled media environment was ruining everything.

I should have just waited around a bit. Because, even though I was mightily disappointed by some of the biggest TV projects on the docket – everything from CNN+ to Lords of the Rings: Rings of Power (the repetition in the title should have been warning enough) – lots more TV shows surprised and delighted me this year. Too many to fit on a top ten or top 12 list.

In fact, there were too many to fit on this excellent roundup prepared by me and five other critics at NPR.org (we each got about eight choices). And I will fess up now – I didn’t vibe with FX’s Reservations Dogs in its first season, so I didn’t keep up with the second and it’s not on my list. Many apologies to devoted fans of a show I’m very glad exists and so many love. But I’m not among you devotees (at least not yet).

Here's my list of fave shows from 2022, in no particular order. It’s by design very subjective, so I welcome debate, but it’s about what touched ME on TV this year:

Andor (Disney+) – Started slow, but turned into a masterful reinvention of the Star Wars universe, focused on the gritty, merciless beginnings of the Rebel Alliance. Who knew a Star Wars show with no lightsabers, no Jedi Knights and no Force could be just what the franchise needed? REVIEW

Atlanta (FX/Hulu) – The last two seasons, both released this year, weren’t nearly as impactful as its first two. But this show remains an excellent showcase for creativity and ambitious storytelling in portraying the lives of a quartet of Black millennials.

Here’s a Q&A I moderated w/Atlanta cast and producers at SXSW

Better Call Saul (AMC) – This Breaking Bad spinoff stuck the landing in series finale that capped both the origin AND ending stories of criminal lawyer Saul Goodman. REVIEW

Abbott Elementary (ABC) – Sidesplitting mockumentary-style comedy about teaching in a Philadelphia school that is so good, because it’s absurd humor is so close to the actual truth. PROFILE of star Quinta Brunson.

The Patient (Hulu) – Steve Carrell delivers his most impressive dramatic role as a therapist interrogating his own messy personal history while kidnapped and forced to help a serial killer. REVIEW.

The U.S. and the Holocaust (PBS) -- Star documentarian Ken Burns reveals how antisemitism in America busted the myth that the U.S. was always on the side of the angels as Adolf Hitler took power in Germany and began implementing his Final Solution.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+) – Focused on the Starship Enterprise 10 years before James T. Kirk would take command, it’s a welcome return to a rollicking, adventure-a-week series that recalls the spirit of the original Trek series better than any other modern reboot/revival. REVIEW

Severance (Apple TV+) - for review, click here

Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) - REVIEW

Euphoria (HBO) - for review, click here 

A League of Their Own (Prime Video) -REVIEW

This is Us (NBC) - interview w/creator Dan Fogelman here

Sidney (Apple TV +) - REVIEW here

Under the Banner of Heaven (FX/Hulu) - for review, click here

We Own This City (HBO) - for interview w/EP David Simon, click here

Barry, season three (HBO) - for review, click here

Stranger Things (Netflix) - REVIEW

We Need to Talk About Cosby (Showtime) - PCHH discussion here

Harley Quinn (HBO Max) - 

The Sandman (Netflix)

As We See It (Prime Video) - REVIEW

The Good Fight (Paramount+)

The Dropout (Hulu) - 

The Crown (Netflix) - DISCUSSION here

The Handmaid’s Tale, season 5 (Hulu)

Ozark, season 4 (Netflix) - REVIEW here

Ms. Marvel (Disney+)

[batlleonafc]

"HC Quinn on Gabby Williams’ production and the efficiency behind it

“We’re relying on her to do a lot. Defensively, offensively, initiating offense. I have been encouraging her to just be very aggressive, especially in transition. Plays where she can get downhill and get to the rim because she’s so athletically gifted, but also she makes great decisions. Now you’re seeing the you see her midrange, now you see her confidence in her three. You’re seeing an amazing player in a pocket of confidence trying to will us to where we understand our goal is. She’s been so valuable for us. It’s an honor for me to coach her. I’m glad she chose us. Imma forever rock with Gabby.”

When asked if she knew Williams was always capable of her play

“Seeing her in Chicago when James Wade started playing her at the point thinking they found something there. When she came here, I was a believer. Seeing it in front of my face, seeing the work ethic, seeing the versatility, who she is as a person. All of those things made me a believer when she stepped foot in Seattle, yes.”"

What do you think about the last words of Quinn? It seems that the best things for Gabby was playing for France and that Wnba was not able to bring out her potential, which has now blossomed (but certainly not thanks to the WNBA)

I hope you were able to copy this and didn't have to type it up.

I've been thinking about why it kinda took the olympics to get Gabby on people's radar with her playing her 5th year in the W. I think part of it is that she's a very selfless player and just does what the team needs her to do. She will sacrifice her stats for the team, cause she doesn't care.

France needs Gabby to score and be that player that puts the team on her shoulders. When she played for Chicago this wasn't the case nor was it in her other seasons with the storm to this degree. Most people only care about what shows up on the scoreboard.

I think Gabby needs a coach, Staff and Teammates that believe in her and have her back (after what happened in Chicago) so Coach say that she believes Gabby can be great means alot.

the "It's an honour for me to coach her." made me laugh cause from the outside you really don't see any coaching 😅

idk if that answered your question😅

[nfcomics]

BATMAN no.98 • cover art • Jorge Jimenez (JOKER WAR) [Sept 2020]

“The Joker War” part four of six! Batman is at his most vulnerable following a massive dose of an experimental new Joker toxin. With the Dark Knight haunted by demons and visions, it’s up to Harley Quinn to protect him while he recovers—because Punchline is on her way!

[$4.99 U.S. • Catwoman card stock cover]

(W) James Tynion IV (A/CA) Jorge Jimenez

[deadpresidents]

What have you been reading since the last time you posted your latest reads?

It's been a few months since I updated my latest reads, so I'm probably going to forget a few titles, but here's what I've been reading since then:

•The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact, and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook by Hampton Sides (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•Pancho Villa: A Revolutionary Life by Paco Ignacio Taibo II and translated by Todd Chretien (BOOK | KINDLE)

•The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•Guardians of the Valley: John Muir and the Friendship That Saved Yosemite by Dean King (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day by Garrett M. Graff (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•Too Rich: The High Life and Tragic Death of King Farouk by William Stadiem (BOOK)

•The House Divided: Sunni, Shia, and the Making of the Middle East by Barnaby Rogerson (BOOK | KINDLE)

•Glad to the Brink of Fear: A Portrait of Ralph Waldo Emerson by James Marcus (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•The Founders' Curse: James Monroe's Struggle Against Political Parties by Brook Poston (BOOK | KINDLE)

•Decade of Disunion: How Massachusetts and South Carolina Led the Way to Civil War, 1849-1861 by Robert W. Merry (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•The Age of Reconstruction: How Lincoln's New Birth of Freedom Remade the World by Don H. Doyle (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•Power and Glory: Elizabeth II and the Rebirth of Royalty by Alexander Larman (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis by George Stephanopoulos with Lisa Dickey (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•The Devils Will Get No Rest: FDR, Churchill, and the Plan That Won the War by James B. Conroy (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•Ballyhoo!: The Roughhousers, Con Artists, and Wildmen Who Invented Professional Wrestling by Jon Langmead (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•The Rivals: William Gwin, David Broderick, and the Birth of California by Arthur Quinn (BOOK)

•The Book-Makers: A History of the Book in Eighteen Lives by Adam Smyth (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•A History of the Muslim World: From Its Origins to the Dawn of Modernity by Michael Cook (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•The Thought of Pope Benedict XVI: An Introduction to the Theology of Joseph Ratzinger, Third Edition by Aidan Nichols (BOOK | KINDLE)

•Avignon and Its Papacy, 1309-1417: Popes, Institutions, and Society by Joëlle Rollo-Koster (BOOK | KINDLE)

[fictional-detective-tournament]

List of accepted characters:

This will be updated as I review submissions.

Lord El Melloi II/Waver Velvet from the Fate series

Ranpo Edogawa from Bungo Stray Dogs

Atsushi Nakajima from Bungo Stray Dogs

Osamu Dazai from Bungo Stray Dogs

Doppo Kunikida from Bungo Stray Dogs

Kenji Miyazawa from Bungo Stray Dogs

Junichiro Tanizaki from Bungo Stray Dogs

Kyoka Izumi from Bungo Stray Dogs

Akiko Yosano from Bungo Stray Dogs

Yukito Ayatsuji from Bungo Stray Dogs: Another Story

Ryuu Amakusa from Tantei Gakuen Q

Kyuu Renjo from Tantei Gakuen Q

Megumi Minami from Tantei Gakuen Q

Kintarou Tooyama from Tantei Gakuen Q

Kazuma Narusawa from Tantei Gakuen Q

Lady Love Dies from Paradise Killer

Shinichi Kudo/Conan Edogawa from Detective Conan

Shenanigan Swift from The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels

Phenomena Swift from The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels

Erf from The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels

Tsukauchi Naomasa from Boku no Hero Academia

Carlton Lassiter from Psych

Juliet O'Hara from Psych

Damien Darkblood from Invincible (The TV adaptation)

Shawn Spencer from Psych

Nick Valentine from Fallout 4

Will Graham from Hannibal

Goro Akechi from Persona 5

Neal Caffrey from White Collar

Erin Lindsay from Chicago PD

Aniq Adjaye from The Afterparty

Detective Danner from The Afterparty

Hank Voight from Chicago PD

Antonio Dawson from Chicago PD

Bruce Wayne/Batman from DC Comics

Tim Drake from DC Comics

Julia Argent from Carmen Sandiego

Alvin Olinsky from Chicago PD

Chase Devineaux from Carmen Sandiego

Shikanoin Heizou from Genshin Impact

Beverly Katz from Hannibal

Sam Vimes from Discworld

Herlock Sholmes from The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

Columbo from Columbo

Hercule Poirot from the Hercule Poirot series

Dick Gumshoe from Ace Attorney

Jay Halstead from Chicago PD

Kim Burgess from Chicago PD

Kevin Atwater from Chicago PD

Adam Ruzek from Chicago PD

Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg from the Commissaire Adamsberg series

Sean Roman from Chicago PD

Llewellyn Watts from Murdoch Mysteries

Sheldon Jin from Chicago PD

Parker Pyne from Parker Pyne Investigates

Karen Vick from Psych

Keith Mars from Veronica Mars

Harley Quin from The Mysterious Mr. Quinn

Ariadne Oliver from the works of Agatha Christie

Burton Guster from Psych

James Gordon from DC Comics

Veronica Mars from Veronica Mars

Nancy Drew from Nancy Drew

Henry Spencer from Psych

Vinnie Van Lowe from Veronica Mars

Chloe Decker from Lucifer

Dan Espinoza from Lucifer

Peter Burke from White Collar

Clinton Jones from White Collar

Reese Hughes from White Collar

Verges from Much Ado About Nothing

Auguste Dupin from the Dark Tales series

Blue from Blue’s Clues

Françoise Dupont from Fantômette

Renee Montoya from DC Comics

Kostas Charitos from the Kostas Charitos Series

Gertrude Loveday from the Ryder and Loveday series

Phryne Fisher from Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries

Raquel Murillo from Money Heist

Miss Jane Marple from the works of Agatha Christie

Javert from Les Misérables

Inspector Gadget from Inspector Gadget

Patrick Jane from Mentalist

Daisy Day from Anansi Boys

Joss Carter from Person of Interest

Arthur Lester from Malevolent

Sherlock Holmes from Sherlock Holmes

Juno Steel from the Penumbral Podcast

Lilly Rush from Cold Case

Sherlock Holmes from the Beekeeper’s Picnic

Koichi Zenigata from Lupin III

Loki from Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok

Hildibrand Manderville from Final Fantasy XIV

Shotaro Hidari from Kamen Rider W

Terezi Pyrope from Homestuck

Hershel Layton from the Professor Layton series

Shuichi Saihara from Danganronpa

Miles "Tails" Prower from The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog

Kyoko Kirigiri from Danganronpa

Adrian Monk from Monk

Nightbeat from Transformers

L from Death Note

Dale Vandermeer from the Rusty Lake series

Yuma Kokohead from Master Detective Archives: Raincode

Vivia Twilight from Master Detective Archives: Raincode

Saguru Hakuba from Magic Kaito

Benoit Blanc from the Knives Out series

Inspector Cabanela from Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Phoenix Wright from Ace Attorney

Nagito Komaeda from Danganronpa

Looker from Pokemon

Kaname Date from AI: The Somnium Files

Makoto Naegi from Danganronpa

Heiji Hattori from Detective Conan

Masumi Sera from Detective Conan

Little Red Riding Hood from Once Upon a Crime

Enola Holmes from Enola Holmes

Detective Pikachu from Detective Pikachu

Tom Barnaby from Midsomer Murders

Riz Gukgak from Fantasy High

Seiji Nanatsuki from Special 7: Special Crime Investigation Unit

Shiori Ichinose from Special 7: Special Crime Investigation Unit

Makoto Date from Yakuza

Richard Castle from Castle

Nick Burkhardt from Grimm

Dr Temperance Brennan from Bones

Catherine Chandler from Beauty and the Beast

Sokka from Avatar: the Last Airbender

Yagami Takayuki from Judgement

Workaholic Detective from Process of Elimination

Stone from City of Angels

Angus McDonald from The Adventure Zone

Gina Lestrade from The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

Bobby Bronson from Roar

Cellbit from QSMP

Hunch Curios from Mentopolis

Hazel Wong from Murder Most Unladylike

Frog Detective from the Frog Detective Series

Victorique de Blois from Gosick

Gabriel Utterson from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Sherlock Holmes from BBC Sherlock

Jacques Clouseau from Pink Panther

Olivia Dunham from Fringe

Joseph Rouletabille from the Rouletabille series

Daisy Wells from Murder Most Unladylike

Pippa Fitz-Amobi from A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series

Lisbeth Salander from the Millennium series

Wato Hojo from Process of Elimination

Ideal Detective from Process of Elimination

Renegade Detective from Process of Elimination

Techie Detective from Process of Elimination

Bookworm Detective from Process of Elimination

Posh Detective from Process of Elimination

Doleful Detective from Process of Elimination

Gourmet Detective from Process of Elimination

Rowdy Detective from Process of Elimination

Mystic Detective from Process of Elimination

Downtown Detective from Process of Elimination

Armor Detective from Process of Elimination

Halara Nightmare from Master Detective Archives: Raincode

Mashita Satoru from Spirit Hunter: Death Mark

Dogberry from Much Ado About Nothing

Shi Qiang from The Three Body Problem

Azuma Tsuyuri from Clock Over Orquesta

Cherry Ames from the Cherry Ames series

Leroy "Encyclopedia" Brown from the Encyclopedia Brown series

Lobster Cop from the Frog Detective Series

Sandra the Fairytale Detective from Sandra the Fairytale Detective

Geronimo Stilton from the Geronimo Stilton series

Paul Prospero from The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

Elijah Baley from the Robot series

Dirk Gently from Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

Suiri from Pop'n Music Lapistoria

Joan Watson from Elementary

Roquier from Puyo Puyo Quest

Holly Short from Artemis Fowl

Jo Martinez from Forever

Alex Parrish from Quantico

Cristóbal Cuevas from Cable Girls

Oskar Rheinhart from Vienna Blood

Emily Prentiss from Criminal Minds

Jane Doe from Blindspot

Dick Grayson from DC Comics

Ziva David from NCIS

Nell Jones from NCIS: Los Angeles

Lou Ransone from 9-1-1

Megan Hunt from Body of Proof

Cal Lightman from Lie to Me

Carrie Wells from Unforgettable

Spy Rise from Skylanders: SWAP Force

Flavia de Luce from the Flavia de Luce series

Camille Bordey from Death in Paradise

Florence Cassel from Death in Paradise

Jessica Jones from Jessica Jones

Charlie Eppes from Numb3rs

Elizabeth Keen from The Blacklist

James Hathaway from Lewis

Vern Loomis from Why Women Kill

Erika Furudo from Umineko

Sissel from Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Lafcadio Boone from The Sexy Brutale

Lynne from Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Mabel Mora from Only Murders in the Building

Oliver Putnam from Only Murders in the Building

Charles Haden Savage from Only Murders in the Building

Jowd from Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Scooby Doo from Scooby Doo

Daphne from Scooby Doo

Fred from Scooby Doo

Velma from Scooby Doo

Shaggy from Scooby Doo

Naoto Shirogane from Persona 4

Fenton Hardy from the Hardy Boys

Ema Skye from Ace Attorney

Natsuko Aki from Re: Cutie Honey

Naomi Misora from Death Note

Sakurako Kujou from Beautiful Bones -Sakurako's Investigation-

MaoMao from the Apothecary Diaries

Vic Sage/The Question from DC Comics

Detective Chimp from DC Comics

Madame Vastra from Doctor Who

Terry from Rune Factory 5

Cecil from Rune Factory 5

Chromedome from Transformers

Xie Lian from Heaven Official’s Blessing

Phosphophyllite from Houseki no Kuni

Sam Spud from Between the Lions

Dana Scully from the X-Files

Fox Mulder from the X-Files

Sherlock Holmes from Elementary

Barbie from the Detective Barbie series

Bill Stork from Hoodwinked

Nicky Flippers from Hoodwinked

Hercule Poirot from Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple

Ross Sylibus from Armitage III

Kansuke Yamato from Detective Conan

Kirill Vrubel from Double Decker! Doug & Kirill

Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation

Spencer Reed from Criminal Minds

Harrier Du Bois from Disco Elysium

Mário Fofoca from Elas Por Elas

Roxy Hunter from the Roxy Hunter series

Dr. Thomas Silkstone from the Dr. Thomas Silkstone series

Endeavour Morse from the Endeavor series

Vera Stanhope from Vera

Kristin Sims from the Brokenwood Mysteries

Brenda Johnson from The Closer

Rex from Hudson and Rex

Alec Hardy from Broadchurch

Billie Webber from Unit 42

Hannah Zeiler from Murder by the Lake

Sherlock Holmes from Moriarty the Patriot

Helena Wayne from DC Comics

Angel from Angel: The Series and Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Nick Knight from Forever Knight

Navia from Genshin Impact

Luo Wenzhou from Mo Du

Brother Cadfael from the Brother Cadfael Chronicles

Miss Maud Silver from the Miss Silver series

Fei Du from Mo Du

Mitsuko Hoshino from My Dear Detective: Mitsuko's Case Files

Saku Yoshida from My Dear Detective: Mitsuko's Case Files

Jake Peralta from Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Steven Stone from Pokémon

Anthony Lockwood from Lockwood and Co.

Thea Stilton from the Thea Stilton series

Saito Yakumo from Psychic Detective Yakumo

Dipper Pines from Gravity Falls

Pennington from Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door

Jessica Fletcher from Murder She Wrote

Tetsuo Tsutsumi from Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo

Jun Erio from Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo

Richter Kai from Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo

Abe Lincoln from Who Killed Markiplier?

Steve Carella from the 87th Precinct Series

C. Auguste Dupin from the works of Edgar Allen Poe

Gesicht from Pluto

[washa]

spoilers ahead for Freelancer series, Meridian series, The Balance series, and The Solitare Clan and Shaw Pack series!!

ngl kind worried for Angel and David... Like all the other empowered couples have gone through some shit.

Sweeheart and Milo w the whole Milo couldn't shift

Baabe and Asher when Asher literally almost died?? And the whole audio where it looks like Asher fell into a depression.

Darlin' and Sam w Quinn and Alexis..

Lovely and Vincent w Lovely getting a whole ass whiplash from the universe, no bc where do i even start w them.

Freelancer and Gavin with Kody, Vega, and the whole Inversion?? (Freelancer's stronger than me bro I would've just had enough 😭)

Damien and Huxley with the Inversion and that one video where Damien gets triggered and nearly burns himself in the shower??

Avior and Starlight??? Someone needs to help them both. Like i haven't even listened to them but just reading the website had me crying bro :(

Elliot and Sunshine, Sunshine is literally being kidnapped by a fucking cult while Elliot was mind washed into forgetting them.. If that's not rock bottom idk what is..

Bestie and Blake have some sort of guiltripping emotional abuse shit going on.. I mean blake is a kidnapper so I'm worried for besties mental health.

James and his partner, Anton and his. Poor them. Literally imagine being restricted to see your husband bc some guy named Marcus wanted to fuck a robot 😭😭

I'll be honest, i dont know much abt Cam and Vega with their listeners. But ik they have been through some shit or a problem like that.

But what abt David and his Angel?

Sure they've gotten an aftershock video, some comfort videos, and fuck, they're even engaged, but nothing like really big and bad for their relationship plot wise. With the Summit and a Wedding coming up, And Quinn obviously letting himself be caught by the Department. I'm worried for them both.

What if Quinn uses Sweetheart? Or the blood bond? Some other thing that crosses over with The Balance series?? Like there is no way the happy couple is not gonna go through it.

David's a well known and respected man, He's probably pissed off some people, or maybe someone is looking for a way to abuse his power. David can defend himself there's no doubt abt it, But what abt Angel?? What if someone takes advantage of David's love for Angel and makes him do something for their safety???

With the recent sweet audios of them i'm actually very worried for these two 🤕

[timeofjuly]

soft, as it began

Later, Quinn will look back on her life as two separate, distinct halves; the before you, and the after. The before ended and the after began in ninth grade, when the two of you were partnered together in English Literature.

Or, how Quinn and the reader became friends.

AN: I hope you all like this! I had heaps of fun writing it. If there are any more moments you'd like to see in Quinn and/or MC's life before RTC, send your ideas my way!

“You’re sitting over there, Quinn,” Mr Ward says, gesturing to the back of the classroom. “There’s a packet already waiting for you on the desk. I’ve paired you with one of the more talkative students – gotta draw you out of that shell somehow, huh?”

He laughs and Quinn fights the urge to shrink into her hoodie like the very reptile she’s being compared to. She’s perfectly happy in said shell, thank you very much, and being stuck for an entire semester next to some asshole – talkative is code for asshole, obviously – sounds like her own personal version of hell.

“Yes, sir,” she says, rather than protesting. She holds her bookbag a little tighter to her chest and weaves between the desks, heading to her assigned seat. Her partner, whoever they are, hasn’t deigned to arrive yet; there’s less than five minutes until class starts according to her old, cracked Casio watch. That’s running late by her standards.

She sits and watches with increasing trepidation as the seats around her begin to fill, though the one directly next to her stays empty. Each new face through the door sends a new thrill of anxiety surging in her chest. Will her partner be James McKinnon, the guy who egged the Principal’s car over the summer? He probably doesn’t even know who she is.

Maybe it’s Brittany S (not to be confused with Brittany C, who is actually quite a nice girl), who spends all of her time giggling in the back of the classroom and going to the bathroom every ten minutes. Quinn’s going to be forced to do all of the work if she’s stuck with her.

Or, worse, what if it’s Anna Haas? The thought makes nausea roil in her belly. Anna probably doesn’t remember but in fourth grade she’d called Quinn firecrotch and Quinn had cried about it for a day straight, even though she hadn’t really even known what it meant. And then she’d gone home and asked her mom to explain, and that had caused a whole new world of trouble.

But James, Brittany S, and Anna all end up sitting elsewhere to her relief and soon, the entire classroom is full, save for the seat next to her.

Disquiet prickles at the back of her neck. She knows it’s ridiculous and they’re all literally in their assigned seats, but it feels like everyone’s purposely giving her a wide berth, like she smells bad or something. And she definitely doesn’t; she’d woken up super early this morning to shower and get ready before her dad woke up. She smells like jasmine and vanilla, if the description on her bottle of Dollar Store shampoo is to be believed.

Her Casio shows nine on the dot and Mr Ward stands up, right on que. “Alright, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to English Literature. I have very low hopes that all of you have actually finished your assigned readings, but-.”

The room to the classroom flies open and someone stumbles through, their chest heaving as if they’d sprinted from the other side of Brookside High. Their left shoe is untied and their hair is in disarray, but they’re smiling, lips curling around the puffs of their panting breaths.

“Fashionably late as ever, I see,” Mr Ward says wryly, regarding the student with a raised brow. “I thought we were turning over a new leaf this semester?”

“Sorry, Mr W,” you say, wiping your hair from your forehead. “Consider my leaves turned, I swear, it won’t happen again.”

Quinn’s heart does a terrifying flip in her chest. It does another few loops as Mr Ward gestures towards her desk, like it’s on the world’s most terrifying rollercoaster.

“You’re lucky I’ve already got a headache and don’t feel like filling out the paperwork to give you a late slip. Go, sit, and keep your mouth shut until I say you can open it.” Mr Ward’s trying for stern, but there’s the hint of a smirk pulling at his moustached upper lip.

You mime zipping your lips and then half-walk, half-jog to the back of the classroom, waving at a few other students as you do. Quinn’s heart is beating staccato in her chest and when you pull out the chair next to her, she’s worried that it’s so loud that you’ll be able to hear it.

You offer her a little wave too, as if you’re friends, despite the fact that the two of you have never even spoken before. Quinn goes to wave back, an aborted flutter of the hand, and feels heat in her cheeks at the awkwardness of the motion.

Mr Ward continues to talk and normally she’d be listening, even taking notes, but the thud of books and rattle of pens as you get comfortable is extremely distracting. You’re still breathing a little heavy from your grand entrance, too, and Quinn is hyper aware of the rhythmic whistle of your exhales. You’re sitting next to her, a sizeable gap between your bodies, but for some reason, she feels like you’re in her freaking lap. Her skin feels itchy, something funny settling in her stomach. She shifts a little in her chair, hoping to dispel it.

She forces herself to pay attention to the teacher and, through a combination of tuning in to the end of his explanation and flicking through the packet on her desk, she gathers that they’re doing a project about the Great Gatsby, the book that they had read over the break. In their assigned pairs, they need to pick a topic from the list provided by Mr Ward and then write an essay about it. That sounds fine to her; she likes the book, had enjoyed reading it over the break, and scanning through the topics, there’s several that she finds compelling.

She hopes that you’ve read the book. It’s not long, so surely you have. Worst case, Quinn’s pretty sure that there’s a movie based on it, so she can always ask you to watch that just to get a sense of the story.

Mr Ward finishes speaking, and the entire class erupts into noise, students turning to their assigned partners. That means that she needs to talk to you now, too. Anxiety skitters up her spine, forcing her back ramrod straight.

She turns to you, a slow motion of the head, her fingers tapping a nervous beat against the desk. You’re already looking at her. Your cheeks are still flushed and there’s mascara smudged on your eyelids.

“Hey, Quinn, right?” you say, leaning back in your chair at such a degree that Quinn’s shocked you don’t teeter over. “Nice to meet you.”

You introduce yourself, as if she doesn’t know who you are. Of course she knows who you are; you’re not one of the popular girls, necessarily, but you go between different friendship groups like a party yacht in the Mediterranean Sea, welcome wherever you dock. Quinn hasn’t been to many parties, but you’ve always been at the ones she has, laughing, smiling, in the middle of the group. Your mother is a retired athlete of middling talent, a tennis player, the closest thing that Brookside has to a celebrity even though she’d last competed over a decade ago. Quinn’s dad says that she had quit to get married and have kids, like all career women inevitably end up doing, even though your mom’s career-ending shoulder injury is common knowledge in Brookside.

“Nice to meet you,” Quinn says. It suddenly occurs to her that she might be able to make a friend here. You seem to be friends with half of the freaking school, after all; befriending you must be easy if everyone else has managed it.

Sound reasoning, but shit, what do people say to make friends?

All prior knowledge and instinct on how to interact with others like a normal person flies from Quinn’s brain with the grace and disastrous potential of an airplane on fire. All of her friends, the few that she has, have been her friends since preschool and she doubts that pointing at the sandpit and asking you if you want to play dinosaurs will win her any favour.

Compliments! She can give you a compliment. “I like your -.” She scans your upper half frantically, looking for something to comment on. “Bracelet! I like your bracelet! It’s cute.”

Said bracelet is a pretty, delicate golden chain, dotted with tiny purple stones. It drapes over your wrist in a way that she’d normally find benign but for some reason, she’s drawn to the way it sits on your skin, how it slides down your forearm when you lift your hand.

You grin at her. You have a pretty smile, she thinks, even though you have a mouthful of braces. “Aw, thanks! My dad got it for me for my birthday. Hey, you’re good at this class, right? I remember reading a poem you wrote in the Brookside Verse last year; it was really good.”

A mixture of mortification and hot, sticky pride fills her belly. Mr Ward had insisted that she submit the poem to the school’s arts magazine: had she known that they’d actually pick hers to be published, she never would’ve agreed. The idea of anyone, but especially you, reading it, makes her want to throw up.

“I don’t know if I’d say I’m good,” she mumbles, praying for the blush that’s turned her face red to recede. You’re going to think she’s such a loser!

“Well, I would,” you say. “I really liked it. Will you have anything in the next one?”

“I’m not sure yet. I didn’t know you read the Brookside Verse?” she blurts out and damn, that sounds like she’s calling you an idiot, as if your interest in the art’s magazine is something wildly out of character, worthy of being questioned, and what is wrong with her?

“I had an in-school three-day suspension in the library,” you say, “and I wasn’t allowed to like, read any books or anything, and they obviously took my phone, but there were heaps of copies of the Verse around, so I read it then. I liked the bit that compared the girl’s lips to fruit.”

“Oh,” she says, a little lost for words. She likes that line too, the bit about lips like an overripe fruit, ready to split and spill. “Thank you. I’m happy you liked it.”

“So, wordsmith,” you say, and your words are teasing but in a fun way, not a cruel one, said like it’s a secret only the two of you share. If Quinn had been blushing before, she’s outright on fire now. “Do you have any preference on what topic we do? I like the sound of one or four, but I’m happy to do whatever.”

“Four sounds good.” The words come out more like a squeak.

“Cool!”

The next ten minutes are spent working out the specifics of the assignment and she’s pleased by the way the two of you split up the work; you seem more than happy to do your fair share.

“We’ll probably need to talk outside of class to work on this,” you say, tapping your pen against your lips. You both have notebooks open in front of you and whilst Quinn’s been taking detailed notes, you’ve been aimlessly doodling in the margins. She does think she can see Gatsby’s green light scribbled in one corner, though, and a little jotted car that may be his Rolls Royce, so at least you’re on-task.

“Yeah, probably,” Quinn agrees. The assignment is extensive and you’re going to have to work pretty closely together.

“I’ll add you on Facebook so we can message each other,” you suggest. Quinn does her best to hide a wince.

“I don’t have it, sorry,” she replies apologetically. Social media is a big no-no in her house; her parents barely allow her to have her own cell phone and even then, she has to give the device up once a month for her mom to go through it.

“All good. Can I borrow your phone?” you ask.

Helplessly, hopelessly, Quinn pulls out her cell phone and passes it across to you. It’s an older model, a hand-me-down from her older brother, the screen cracked despite her best efforts. There’s no code on the phone; she isn’t allowed to have one.

She watches your fingers fly over the screen and then jumps a little when she hears a ding come from your pocket. You pass her phone back, looking pleased with yourself.

“I just texted myself, so you’ve got my number,” you clarify. “So we can organise a time to work together. We can meet at my house? Or yours, if you’d prefer. I’m easy.”

“Yours is good,” she replies, too quick, the words tripping over themselves on their way out of her mouth. Let hell she’ll ever let anyone over to hers.

You brighten. “Awesome! Any afternoon works for me. If we end up working late enough you can have dinner at mine too; mom and dad always make enough food to feed like, a million people.”

You laugh and Quinn laughs with you as if that’s an entirely relatable sentiment, when in reality, she’s almost certain that her own cupboards are bare and that she’ll be scraping the sides of the peanut butter jar tonight to hopefully scrounge together a single sandwich.

Does all of this laughing mean that you’re friends now? She has no idea. Do people invite not-friends over to their houses for schoolwork and dinner? You’re probably just this outwardly friendly to everyone; you’ve probably got a rotating roster of friends barrelling through your door each afternoon, eager to spend time with you after school.

“How does Wednesday sound?” you ask her.

“Wednesday works great.” Lord knows that she hasn’t got anything else on.

“Great,” you say. “It’s a date. I’ll text you my address now.”

Your head ducks down to your phone, no doubt to send her your address. You therefore aren’t privy to the flush that overtakes her at those words, burning red-hot from her ears all the way down to her chest.

It’s a date. She tells herself to calm down and stop being so weird, because obviously you don’t mean it like that, but the blush doesn’t get the memo.

Quinn’s phone buzzes and then you look back up at her, smiling with your mouthful of braces. She looks at you, her cheeks still red, probably staring like a lunatic and thinks as soon as I’m alone, I’m going to pull out my notebook and write about this. Write about the way your bracelet hangs from your wrist and the way your braces glint on your teeth. The way that your hand is stained with ink from your doodling. The way you’re smiling at her, right now. The way it makes her feel like the only person in the world.

[critical-quoter]

July Books

I had a bit of out-of-town traveling and flying. I would like to attribute this to the amount of books finished, but frankly, my reading speed has no true rhyme or reason. **Also, I've far surpassed my reading goal for the year!**

Throne of Power - Rina Kent ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Throne of Vengeance - Rina Kent ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Come Back for Me - Corinne Michaels ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Black Ties & White Lies - Kat Singleton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Bromantic Puckboy - Eden Finley & Saxon James ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Freed - E. L. James ⭐️⭐️ Sing for Me - Brittany Ann ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Hollow Heathens - Nicole Fiorina⭐️ Bridesmaid for Hire - Meghan Quinn ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Queen of the Night - A. N. Stauber & Molly Briar ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Little Slice of Hell - Clio Evans ⭐️⭐️ What I Should Have Done - R. L. Atkinson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rivalry - Lisa Suzanne ⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Soulmate Equation - Christina Lauren ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Broken Vows - Catharina Maura ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Home Game - Odette Stone ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Come Break My Heart Again - C. W. Farnsworth ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Accidentally Ours - Erin Hawkins ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Key to the Dark - Alexa Michaels ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Her Soul to Take - Harley Laroux ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Sight of You - Ashley Mack ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Things I Should Have Said - Kelsey Humphreys ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Her Soul for Revenge - Harley Laroux ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Faked - Karla Sorensen ⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Mindf*ck Series - S. T. Abby (Audiobook) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ One Pucking Love - Ellie Wade ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Keeping Her - Angela Snyder ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Saving Him - Angela Snyder ⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Reason Why - Lacy Channell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Not My Coach - Pru Schuyler ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ready for You - Samantha Leigh ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Morally Corrupt - Veronica Lancet ⭐️ Forget Me Not - Karissa Kinword ⭐️⭐️ In the Light of Sin - Juniper Nye ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Scoring Chance - Teagan Hunter ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Lord of Bones - Aiden Pierce & R. K. Pierce ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Watching Ames - R. Handler ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Scandalous - L. J. Shen ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Pucking Wrong Man - C. R. Jane ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Flawless - Elsie Silver (Audiobook) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stolen Heir - Sophie Lark ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Butcher & Blackbird - Brynne Weaver (Audiobook) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Chalet Love in Alaska - Ellyne ⭐️⭐️ Skin of a Sinner - Avina St. Graves ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Heartless - Elsie Silver ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Tailgates and Twist of Fate - Haley Rhoades ⭐️⭐️ Irresistible - Willow Aster ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Dom - S. J. Tilly ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Shattered Veil - Deborah Garland ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ King of Sloth - Ana Huang ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fallen Star - Heather Ashley ⭐️ Mile High - Liz Tomforde ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Leather & Lark - Brynne Weaver (Audiobook) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Hit - Julie Weaver ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Holdout - Jacqueline Snowe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Comeback Pact - E. M. Moore ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

61 books total books read for July 2024