#November lucked out in that respect

[english-history-trip]

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Kyle Cheney at Politico:

Donald Trump is on the cusp of emerging unscathed from his four criminal prosecutions — thanks almost entirely to the decisions of four judges he appointed. Trump’s three Supreme Court picks formed a decisive bloc to declare presidents immune from prosecution for official conduct — freezing the charges he faces in multiple jurisdictions for trying to subvert the 2020 election and putting his New York conviction in doubt. Then his nominee to the federal court in Florida, Judge Aileen Cannon, handed him another victory by dismissing the charges he faces for hoarding classified documents and concealing them from investigators.

Her decision earned a shout-out from Trump as he accepted the Republican nomination on Thursday. “A major ruling was handed down from a highly respected federal judge in Florida, Aileen Cannon,” he said. Trump’s string of victories reflects what experts say is extraordinary luck and timing. He’s the first president since Ronald Reagan to appoint three justices to the Supreme Court, and the first to ever face criminal charges that, soon thereafter, landed in front of the very judges he put on the bench. “This is a perfect example of serendipity, how the occurrence of events and trials and tribulations of the judicial process have all combined to work in favor of Donald Trump,” said Gene Rossi, a former federal prosecutor and civil litigator.

But it’s also a function, those experts say, of the fact that Trump rose to power in an era when conservatives — who had been burned in the past by judicial picks that later broke ranks — had begun perfecting a strategy of appointing judges who would more reliably rule in their favor. President Joe Biden, too, has appointed judges whose backgrounds appear more reliably liberal, though it’s not yet clear whether he will have the same impact on the judiciary as his predecessor. “Today, given that politics are so important in securing a judicial appointment, I can see how that sort of concern can spread,” said David Zaring, professor of legal studies from the Wharton School of Business. “[Trump] got so lucky — people don’t usually get a chance to appoint three justices to the Supreme Court in one term. Trump got it and then the Supreme Court gave him a very favorable ruling after that.”

Cannon’s ruling in the documents case had nothing to do with the substance of the charges — widely considered to be the most clear-cut case Trump faces. Cannon found that Attorney General Merrick Garland overstepped his authority when he named Smith special counsel, invalidating the entire prosecution. But the decision — which legal experts suggested would likely be reversed on appeal — nevertheless put Trump’s already-slim odds of facing trial this year effectively out of reach. [...] Cannon, in particular, represents a stark example. She was confirmed to the bench in November 2020, days after Trump lost reelection to Joe Biden. And she drew widespread criticism two years later after she slowed the investigation by granting a longshot push by the defense to require that an independent monitor review materials the FBI seized from Mar-a-Lago.

[...] Not all of Trump’s appointees have ruled uniformly in his favor throughout his yearslong odyssey through the criminal justice system. In 2022, the Supreme Court rebuffed his effort to shield his White House papers from the Jan. 6 select committee, and it declined to consider his Cannon-backed effort to keep the documents investigation frozen.

This Politico article details the influence that the judges Donald Trump appointed are helping him evade legal trouble.

[happyk44]

Cracking open my Religio Romana handbook to check out what's going on next month and, since my Saturnalia post is making the rounds again, decided to write down some for anyone that would like to write some Jason/Reyna/Camp Jupiter religious shenanigans throughout the year 👍

This isn't all of them btw! I just grabbed a couple that seemed most interesting for their respective months or most relevant to the Roman babes

January 11th and January 15th: Carmentalia, two feast days in honour of Carmenta (goddess Juturna also celebrated on the 11th)

February 13th to 22nd: Parentalia, commemoration of ancestors and the dead in families

February 22nd: Caristia, family pot luck in spirit of love and forgiveneness

February 23rd: Terminalia, in honor of Terminus

February 27th: Equirria, first of two horse-racing festivals in honor of Mars

March 1st: original New Year's Day when sacred fire of Rome was renewed; Matronalia in honor of Juno Lucina; also considered the dies natalis (birthday) of Mars

March 14th: second Equirria

March 15th: Feriae Iovi, sacred to Jove (Jupiter)

March 17th: Agonalia in honour of Mars

April 1st: Veneralia in honor of Venus

April 21st: Parilia, rustic festival in honor of Pales, Roman patron goddess of shepherds and flocks, and the dies natalis (birthday) of Rome

April 23rd: Vinalia Priora, the first of two wine festivals

May 9th, 11th, and 13th: Lemuria, festival of the dead

May 15th: Mercuralia, in honor Mercury; Feriae (free day) of Jove (Jupiter)

June 3rd: anniversary of the Temple of Bellona

June 7th to 15th: Vestavia, in honour of Vesta, June 9th specifically is a die religiousus to her

June 24th: festival of Fors Fortuna

July 6th to 13th: Ludi Apollinares, games in honor of Apollo

July 14th to 19th: series of markets or fairs - not religious

July 17th: anniversary of the Temple of Honos and Virtus, sacrifice to Victory

July 23rd: Neptunalia, held in honor of Neptune

August 23rd: Vulcanalia in honor of Vulcan

September 1st: ceremonies for Jupiter Tonans (the Thunderer) and Juno Regina

September 20th to 23rd: days set aside for markets and fairs

October 7th: rites for Jupiter Fulgur (Jupiter of daytime lightning) and Juno Curitis

November 4th to 17th: Plebeian Games

November 18th to 20th: markets and fairs

December 1st: ceremonies at temples for Neptune and for Pietas

December 3rd: Bona Dea rites for women only

December 17th to 23rd: Saturnalia in honor of Saturn with public ritual on the 17th

Side note that I am not an academic, not religious, not a pagan, and not spiritual in any way. I just like reading about mythologies and how those stories/deities used to be, and still are, worshipped by people. Also helps when coming up with religions and stuff for stories. But that's it, I have one book and access to google/wikipedia and that's the depths on my knowledge on Roman polytheistic practices 🙌

[hippolotamus]

(more than) Seven Sentences Sunday 💍💜

tagged by @daffi-990 @wikiangela mi amor @disasterbuckdiaz @elvensorceress Thank you loves (make sure you check their delightful snippets) 💖

no pressure tagging @shortsighted-owl @eddiebabygirldiaz @giddyupbuck @stereopticons my love @lizzie-bennetdarcy @monsterrae1 @honestlydarkprincess @mysteriouslyyounggalaxy @eddiediaztho @thewolvesof1998 @forthewolves @heartshapedvows @loserdiaz @watchyourbuck @your-catfish-friend @statueinthestone @buddierights @911onabc @jesuisici33 @pirrusstuff @cowboy-buddie @the-likesofus @fionaswhvre @barbiediaz @eowon @ladydorian05 @spaceprincessem @apothecarose @rmd-writes @welcometololaland @vanillahigh00 @steadfastsaturnsrings @spotsandsocks @wildlife4life and anyone else who wants to

more you're where I wanna go (prev snippets here) Buck and Lucy are now real married and greeting "their" guests (also I'm still worried about some of their interactions so maybe tell me if you like it?) 😘

Relief washes over Buck when Bobby, Athena, and Ravi come into view, temporarily clearing away the tension in his shoulders. He and Lucy have one more couple to talk to first. The faces have all blurred together by now. Buck couldn’t begin to say who the silver haired woman and balding man standing in front of them are.   “Tell me, where are you planning to honeymoon this time of year?” The woman asks.  It’s a fair question, being November and all, even if Buck and Lucy have both refused to call it that. They look at the trip as more of an opportunity to travel, and have made that known to anyone in on their secret. Ravi has pushed his luck a bit by taunting Lucy, but otherwise respected their choice.

Buck risks a glance at Lucy. “I’ve done my fair share of traveling and Lucy here has a number of destinations on her list. I told her she could choose.” “Oh, is that right?” The man inquires, looking down at his wife. “How very… modern.” “Yes,” Lucy answers with a mischievous smirk. “It is, isn’t it? Evan is just full of interesting ideas. Aren’t you, darling?”  She reaches around to pinch his side and it takes everything in him not to squirm or yelp.  “Only the best for you, dearest,” he teases back.  The man and woman exchange a glance between them before she motions to move them along. Behind them, Ravi shakes and his cheeks turn bright red while he does his best not to burst out laughing.  “Yes, well, lovely to see you again, Evan. Congratulations.”  The couple hurry to get away. As soon as they’re out of sight Buck and Lucy immediately drop their hands from each other.  “Are you going to be alright?” Lucy playfully shoves at Ravi. “I thought you were going to pass out for a moment.”  “Shut up,” he says, pulling her into a hug. “I am happy for you.”  “Good thing because I can still take you in cards.” Ravi creates some space between them, but keeps his hands on her arms. His teasing expression turns somber. “Just remember what I said, okay?” Buck has to turn away, feeling like the conversation between the two friends is too intimate to witness. It doesn’t stop him from wondering what Ravi means even though it’s none of his business. Buck has plenty of his own secrets, he figures Lucy is more than entitled to hers.

[sophaeros]

julian casablancas for mojo magazine, november 2024 / issue 372 (x x)

Rock'n'roll Confidential: Julian Casablancas

The Strokes/Voidz mainman talks entitlement, respect and Arctic Monkeys

3AM (Pacific Coast Time) is an atypical hour to schedule an interview. But here's Julian Casablancas, zooming from Los Angeles, where the singer, for so long synonymous with the grit and glamour of New York City, has lived since 2020. He's a busy man: as well as fronting long-running garage rock classicists The Strokes - whose sixth album The New Abnormal won a Grammy in 2020 - he's found a refuge of sorts in his experimental, '80s synths-enabled group The Voidz, whose new LP Like All Before You is imminent. Talking to MOJO, Casablancas remains in shadow, his eyes occasionally reflecting dim light. "I can be a vampire," he promises. "You want a real rock star, bro? But I can be flexible and go into family mode too…"

What are you doing up at 3am, talking to MOJO? It's about the only time I have free. The rest of the time, it's videos and working with managers, going to concerts, social things… so l go all the way around, to crazy night hours.

The new album starts with Overture and ends with Walk Off - is there a concept lurking within? I guess a little. Maybe subconsciously. It hopefully hits if you have taken mushrooms. I had just watched Gone With The Wind, and they used to have overtures at the beginning of movies, and then we end the album with a synthesizer version. But it is not a rock opera story. If anything, the concept was going to be a one-word album title. At first, it was Zeal, then Perseverance.

How do you switch mindsets between Voidz and Strokes songwriting? Voidz songs are where my mind has been pushing me, and where I want to go, and where I am. But the ability or capability or muscle memory of writing Strokes-sequel stuff is just always going to be there. When those songs appear, it makes more sense to put them in each category, but it's not always that clear. But there's more 'no-limits' with The Voidz.

You recently said, "My current solution is to tour with The Strokes and then use the money to record with The Voidz." How did that happen? Years of drama and betrayals and horseshit (laughs). Honestly, l am cool with most of the dudes, and now we're more mature. It's not what I set out to do, but it's a fun, cool day job that I feel blessed to have. But let's just say I was only in a band called Zog, and whatever I worked on 10 years ago in Zog, I would not be interested in any more, I'm only interested in what I'm working on now. It's just the nature of music and creativity, you know?

What did you set out to do with The Strokes? I just wanted to challenge boundaries, and to have an ambitious collective of respectful teammates. Is that The Voidz? For me, yes.

The cliché about Strokes issues is that you were rich kids who weren't hungry enough. Any truth in that? Success affects people in different ways. I'd say there are some elements, probably from me as well, where you can be entitled… all kinds of bands have fallings outs and drama. It wasn't like, Oh, we don't need the money. I think it did take a lot of hunger to get there, but then after you've achieved something, when everyone is kissing each individual member's ass… OK, let's get back to work and do it again. It was like, Uh, no thanks. That's my assessment.

The Arctic Monkeys song Star Treatment starts out, "I just wanted to be one of The Strokes." What was your reaction? I thought, Be careful what you wish for. It was funny, and flattering. I have a lot of respect for Alex and those boys.

Tell us something you've never told an interviewer before. I've been trying to communicate with crows lately. I heard they have an intricate sonic language, but I haven't had any luck. It occurred to me that food would help, so I was trying to feed one M&M's earlier, but he wasn't having it. People can catch me making weird noises, trying to mimic the crow. I think the crows are more startled than the humans.

As told to Martin Aston

JULIAN, DOPE Five of Casablancas's crackers.

Brian Eno Burning Airlines Give You So Much More (ISLAND, 1974)

Benny Goodman Good-Bye (VICTOR, 1936)

Kate Bush Why Should I Love You? (EMI, 1993)

Max Richter Path 5 (Delta) (DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON, 2015)

BEAK> Secrets (INVADA, 2024)

[burning-academia-if]

Em, thank you so much for sharing your story and creating this blog! Your tumblr account has become a sort of a comfort place for me. I absolutely adore the way you interact with your readers and love the fact that your anons have been respectful (even though I realize that most likely there were some rude and insensitive messages because it is something that goes hand in hand with publishing any sort of art publicly. And if that is the case for you too, my heart goes out to you <3 )

Every time I see a new post here I smile. I love going through your asks (I prefer to make random amount of swipes and just read wherever the scrolling stops, I call it ‘tumblr roulette’ lol, it never fails to surprise me with pieces of information I know I’ve read before but forgot about because my memory isn’t that good).

Your posts from October/November of the last year hold a special place in my heart. Back then I was going through a very harsh time with my job practically sucking out the last droplets of my blood and sanity. I vividly remember standing outside of the building on my lunch break and smoking cig after cig like a chimney (-100000000 out of 10 experience would never recommend) and I swear the moment I was about to burst into tears I got a Tumblr notification of a new post on your blog. It was about Halloween outfits your characters would choose. Despite my state I got slightly amused with some of the choices. I managed to go through the rest of my day without crumbling down completely with the help of the thoughts of your game in the back of my mind. I know it may sound ridiculous but your story and that ask in particular really helped me shift the focus from my struggles and somewhat unwind in a healthy escapism way. 

I’ve been meaning to reach out to you a long ago to thank you but I knew that telling you all of this might not be welcome as we all are strangers here (and not all authors and readers may find it appropriate when some random person on Tumblr dot com overshares and I’m sorry if I made someone uncomfortable). But I just wanted you to know that what you do not only provides some of your fans with a magnificent gaming experience but also a much needed respite from unwanted experiences of reality.

I hope life treats you well, wish you all the luck with your artistic endeavors and always remember that your mental and physical health should always be prioritized! 

This was such a nice message to open tumblr to 😭💚

Honestly, BA was something I started making for my own comfort, especially since I didn't expect to get any traction, but seeing it become a thing of comfort for others has been a really nice experience!

Idk if it's because of the themes of the story or something, but I've genuinely yet to get a rude message yet lol and I'm really appreciative of how nice and relaxed the atmosphere of this blog has been. And I'm glad it's become a place for some people to unwind to.

[darkhorse-javert]

'News to the Desert'

Introducing Simon 'Sim' Stewart, and to some extent his father Benjamin Stewart (who has made a prior apperance in my writing). Respectively they're Sam's Cousion and Uncle. @blind-dates-fest

North African Desert 1942

A towselled head pops out of the canvas back of the lorry, grins at him, offering a thick bundle in oilskin, “Post has come in, Sir.”

“Righto, Sergeant” He takes the offered bundle, turns to the thick group of his men, cramped together behind him in the path of their camp. They're standing steady, but they're concentrated on the letters in his arms. He pulls them out of the packet, turns up the first one

“Tods, J.” One man presses forwards, takes a bunch of letters wrapped together

“Smith, A J,

“Sergeant Todd..”

It carries on

At last, only one packet is left, a thin one, perhaps only two letters.or a thick one. He pulls off the cover. Two it is, numbered as is the family want.

He pulls out the first, father's familiar handwriting rolling across the thin page, and shimmering through from the other side.

Dear Sim,

We hope you are well out there and in good spirits. We two are quite well here at home, and you probably have heard more of Edwin than we have here, his last letter spoke of being ‘well but dusty’. But then, we suppose, sending post from where we guess you are is not the easiest undertaking.

Things have been very peaceful here, the church choir is carrying on very well, in spite of everything. I confess to being selfishly glad when James Robbins failed his call-up medical a few weeks ago - on account of the rheumatic fever he had as a baby - at least for now we may retain one reliable baritone voice, especially as we lost many of the younger Altos last year. But those are minor matters, and highly selfish in motivation to boot. Services are still well attended here.

‘The two scamps’ send you their luck and good wishes (if we’re being literal, they ask that you “get lots of Nazi’s” - bloodthirsty young pair, I and your mother only ask that you stay safe).

The wider family all report they are well, your Uncle Iain and Aunt Margaret have had no close shaves, despite being on the South Coast. 

By far the grandest item of news from the family is that Samatha is to be married, on 6th November. Her husband-to-be is an RAF fighter pilot, and also the son of the Detective Inspector she has been driving since she was attached to the Police.

He pauses, quietly re-reads the sentences for a moment, then continues the letter.

You may find this news to come out of the blue, but cannot be as surprised as your Uncle Iain was.  If I am reading his letter correctly,  the first he heard of the young gentleman was when a letter from the young man arrived asking for consent to the marriage. It has later emerged that Samantha has been walking out with him, his duties permitting, since the autumn of 1940. And for not one of us to any the wiser to it in the intervening time. 

He smiles at the letter, 

Oh, well played, Sammy, well done indeed. We always think of you as our ‘little cousin’, myself included in that regard. But - he lets his mind drift back to that last pre-war Summer - you were quite grown up back then, the Lady of the Vicarage with Aunt Margaret’s health as it was, joining the forces won’t have hindered that, probably helped. You’re not a girl in plaits anymore, to be trotted out in Sunday Best. Another memory; ginger plaits and a freckled face as he looked down through gaps in tree branches, to see a much younger Sammy determinedly climbing after him 

His father’s pen has paused, and then continued with blacker ink; You may perhaps be able to imagine your Uncle Iain’s reaction to all of this, Sim. 

Chuckles tickle his throat and wobble his shoulders at that. Dear Uncle Iain, as pastorally and kindly minded as he is, will have been roundly knocked for six by the apparently sudden news, and knocked again when Samantha’s ‘deception’ came to light. He almost feels sorry for his youngest uncle, what little of him isn’t childishly egging Sam on in her little flash of independence, perhaps even defiance 

That said his father’s letter continues, Iain has been a little mollified since actually meeting the young man (Andrew by name) in person. He reports he is a very decent and well-mannered young man, who clearly cares deeply for Samantha. I would also add, and your mother reckons similarly, that the depth of feeling is mutual between them, given she has been keeping Andrew so quiet- and away from ‘familial interference’. We await further news as to the location of the wedding and other particulars. We’re planning to get together a hamper here, as a present. If you get this before early November, send a telegram down to Hastings for congratulations would you?

With our prayers for your safety and health, do write when you can

And much love

Your Father and Mother

Simon consults the date on the letter, mid-October. And right now it’s 3rd November. 

He pauses, At least I think it is 

This poor letter has been wandering across the desert at snails pace -or to be more charitable at Post pace, while they’ve been moving at speed after Rommel’s boys. There might be time to get a telegram in before the wedding, if the telegram operators are nearby, and there isn’t anything of greater priority to go down the line. If not, it will have to go by post as a letter, and then be telegramed,but worth a try at least.

[lunarcovehq]

Catalina Rivera Diaz a witch that currently resides in Downtown and has been a Lunar Cove resident for 17 years only to return now, and she's ready to start a fire.

ITS THE END OF THE WORLD

GENDER/PRONOUNS: CIS Woman, She/Her

DATE OF BIRTH: November 12, 1989

OCCUPATION: Bartender at Starlight Bar

FACECLAIM: Ana de Armas

AS WE KNOW IT, AND I FEEL FINE

SPECIES: Witch

INHERENT ABILITIES: Astral Projection, Intangibility, Duplication

COVEN POSITION: Member

COVEN ABILITY: Fire manipulation

WELCOME TO LUNAR COVE, NAME HERE

Trigger Warnings: Drug Use, Drug Use in Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, Child Neglect, Reckless Behaviour

Catalina’s first moments earthside were meant to be her last, purple and unmoving as she lay on the cold wooden floor between her mother’s spread thighs. A cold, abandoned house was hardly the place to deliver a baby, but Ines Diaz was on another bender and it was a miracle in itself that she made it out of the off-season snow storm and into shelter before the baby came. It seemed that the miracles didn’t stop there, because somehow, one of the others huddled into the small room with her used to be a nurse. The woman hurried over and scooped a motionless Catalina off the floor, wrapping her in a tattered, dirty blanket as she tried to stimulate the life back into her.

Catalina’s first moments earthside were meant to be her last.

Only they weren’t.

A shrill cry rang through the room. She’d escaped death for the first time at less than ten minutes old, and for the rest of her life, for better or for worse, that inexplicable luck would follow her.

After experiencing less than ideal beginnings herself, Ines turned to drugs early in life to cope, and it was a habit she was never able to kick. Carlos on the other hand came from a well established and respected lineage of witches who called Lunar Cove their home since its inception. He had an ideal upbringing, great education, great job. He was barely a social drinker, let alone someone who’d ever consider trying anything more illicit. But after meeting Ines at a party his friends had dragged him to, Ines became the drug he grew addicted to, and like with her additions, it was a habit he was never able to kick. In the months after they first started dating, he started slacking at work, missing shifts. He grew distant from his family and the Coven he used to be so greatly involved with. He became a different man, all in the name of love.  

In the next two years, both his parents passed away, and whatever family he had left made the decision to leave Lunar Cove, and him, behind. The Coven had all but washed their hands of him by that point as well, so all he had left was Ines. And he was determined to keep her.

To his credit, Carlos tried multiple times to get Ines clean. When the pregnancy test came back positive, Carlos really thought it could be a changing point in their lives. Only it wasn’t. The night she went into labour she’d snuck out of their home in the middle of a snow storm to get a fix. It was hardly the first time, he knew she’d be back eventually. And she was. Only she’d turned up on the doorstep with a stranger at her side, one who was holding a raggedy bundle of cloth against her chest. And before he could say anything more, the bundle started to wail.

Catalina’s first year of life was a struggle for everyone involved. Even after she’d been cleared to come home from the hospital, she continued to be a fussy, irritable, unsettled infant. She didn’t eat well, she didn’t sleep well, and she was always crying. Ines stuck around until two days before Catalina’s first birthday, at which point she disappeared in the middle of the night without a word. It ruined Carlos. He spent days looking for her, days hoping she’d come back, but in the end neither Carlos nor Catalina ever saw Ines again. A single father, now literally and figuratively, Carlos tried his best to cope and care for a young child, but inevitably he gave into the call of alcohol.

Catalina was nearly five before started to get the idea that her little family of two wasn’t normal. But it was all she knew. As time went on and Carlos continued to sink into his depression, Coven members would try to drop by, wanting to bring food or toys for Catalina, wanting to check up on them for her sake. And every time they were met with Carlos in a belligerent state, refusing to take the help and running them off. Carlos never put his hands on her, he’d never even raised his voice at her. He kept her clothed and fed and she had a roof over her head. He was simply…not present in her life the way she needed him.

The Sullivan’s lived a few doors down, Catalina didn’t know much about them other than the fact that the kids who lived there had both parents in the household and always seemed to be so happy when she caught them out and about. They had a son her age, Jacob, she’d seen him at school, and it was obvious to her even as a child how different their lives were. The first time Emma Sullivan caught her peeking over the fence at the family having a barbeque in their driveway, she welcomed her over for a plate, and without any hesitation she gave an open invitation for Cat to come over whenever she wanted, whether it was for a meal or she needed someone to talk to.

The next few years of Catalina’s life were more of the same, a father overcome by his own grief and a young girl left to her own devices. Inevitably Catalina’s worldview started to take a turn. She became more resentful of her situation, resentful of her father, resentful of her mother and honestly resentful of Lunar Cove as a whole. She didn’t feel like she belonged there, and often she’d fantasize about leaving altogether one day. By some miracle, perhaps because of that inexplicable luck that saved her at birth, what she lacked in family, she found in friendship.

Catalina first met Poppy Reed in grade school, when they found themselves assigned to sit next to one another. Bonded over their mutual dislike of Lunar Cove for their own respective reasons, Poppy and Catalina became best friends seemingly overnight. Whatever free time they had they spent together, more often than not up to some kind of mischief in town, dreaming about the day they’d be old enough to leave Lunar Cove in their rearview mirror.

It was this sentiment that she believes led her to manifesting the first of her inherent abilities as a young witch. Astral Projection, it came to her while she and Poppy were stargazing in the grass, high on weed, talking about where they’d go once they left LC. Poppy was talking about some place she’d seen in a magazine, somewhere on the west coast, and while Cat was floating somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness, she felt herself leave her body. Literally.   

One after the other the girls started manifesting their inherent abilities, and Catalina was grateful for the two closest people in her life because if it wasn’t for Poppy and Jake and the guidance their families provided, she would’ve had a hard time getting through it. Her own father was a witch, of course, but she could hardly talk to him about anything. It was Emma who’d helped her through her first period, Jake who awkwardly offered her his favourite chocolate bar when he’d caught her crying alone one mother’s day, Poppy who went with her to the department store to buy her first bra. They were the only family she knew and cared to have, and it was them she celebrated with once she finally became a member of the Coven herself.

Despite all the things she did have going for her in life, it always seemed that the sins of her parents would continue to haunt her. When she was around others she was an enigma, but when she came home at night she was just another sad, lonely girl. Combined with the hormones that came with teenhood, it was inevitable that she would start testing boundaries and acting out, especially when she never had much structure or discipline at home. She was known as something of a wild child around town, and it wasn’t uncommon for the townsfolk to come across her getting into some sort of mischief.

Unsurprisingly to most, as she later found out, Catalina and Jake started dating their freshman year of high school. Whether or not there were genuine feelings there was hard to discern when there was so much else going on and emotions and hormones were at an all time high. They were young and dumb, hardly making the best decisions, especially on her part, but it was…nice. But toxicity must’ve been genetic, because they crashed and burned two short years later, and she could acknowledge that that outcome was on her. Her mother taught her that people don’t stick around, and her father taught her that being left would ruin you, it didn’t make for a very healthy view of relationships.

In the aftermath Catalina just wanted things to go back to how they were when they were younger, and things seemed to be fine at first- but just a few weeks later Jake was already dating someone new, her dad started getting sick, liver failure, and everything was just getting to be a little too much. She subsequently dropped out a month into their senior year. Outwardly she was still the same Catalina, loud and outgoing, seemingly bulletproof despite everything. But inwardly she was becoming more and more unhappy with her life in Lunar Cove. Her best friend was the only thing keeping her sane at that point, but there was only so much she could do, and eventually it got to the point where even Poppy wasn’t enough to keep her in LC.

Six months after she dropped out, Catalina asked Poppy to meet at their spot late at night, and she met the other with a duffle bag tucked over her shoulder. She was leaving Lunar Cove. They’d always planned that they’d do it together some day, ride out of town side by side, but she just couldn’t wait any longer for that dream to come to pass. Come find me some day, it was a promise, and with a final embrace, Catalina disappeared in the night much like her mother had, without a trace.

For the next decade Catalina lived life like a true rolling stone, moving from one place to the next, leaving behind her a wake of chaos and broken hearts. She never ended up going back to school, but it was easy to find work as a dancer those first few years, later going back and forth between that and bartending, two jobs she excelled at. She grew into the kind of woman who was the life of the party, someone who enjoyed the thrill of being the center of attention and drew it naturally. Her habit of testing boundaries continued as she got older, the possibilities only expanding in adulthood. She partied and raved, travelled abroad with strangers on a whim, hitchhiked alone in the middle of nowhere, drugs, alcohol, sex, you name it, she did it. Whatever angel had been looking over her since her birth must’ve been exhausted, because it was a miracle she made it out of certain situations unscathed, even with her magic.

Cat got into and out of relationships almost as if it were a sport, always making sure she was the one doing the leaving rather than being the one who was left. There were plenty of times her idea of ‘ending a relationship’ was disappearing in the middle of the night and moving to a different place entirely. It was a dangerous game considering some of the kinds of men and women she was associating with, and eventually it caught up to her. She’d been in Vancouver, BC for six months in the company of a rich, older married couple as their latest plaything. It was a pretty good deal, she never paid for anything, she got to do whatever she wanted, the sex was great. But inevitably she got bored, and when she tried to leave, she realized she might’ve finally messed with the wrong kind of people.

It wasn’t soon after that that Catalina found herself evaluating her life for the first time. She was nearly thirty-five and she was still living her life like a twenty-year-old, without a care in the world, not even for her own safety. It wasn’t like she wasn’t enjoying it, but she did wonder how much longer it could be sustained.

The only constant in her life since she’d left Lunar Cove nearly eighteen years ago was Poppy, the only person she’d bothered to keep in touch with. She knew Poppy was back in Lunar Cove, that she was the new Supreme. And despite her apprehensiveness at returning to the only placed she’d ever called home, she felt like it was time. And so she packed her things up and made her way back to the town where it all began.

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 31/08/2024 (Fontaines D.C.'s Romance, Sabrina Carpenter, Coldplay)

Well, Sabrina Carpenter has done what Taylor couldn’t do: fill out the top three with her hits, though only the #1 debut - her third song to top the chart - is new, that being “Taste”, with her #1 album, which sold over 89k here, launching other Short n’ Sweet hits “Please Please Please” and “Espresso” to #2 and #3 respectively. Hell, while we’re here, let’s just chalk out Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!” at #4 and Chase & Status’ “BACKBONE” with Stormzy at #5. It’s… one of those weeks. Welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

content warning: sexual and mental health references

Rundown: Oasis Special

This week has a lot to discuss, a decent amount happening, but it’s all scattered throughout the entire chart and, really, not much of it is all that interesting, though that may just be a me problem in this case. There’s plenty of interest to many fanbases, including one of the biggest in the country but I personally can’t call myself a fan of Fontaines D.C., Sabrina Carpenter - the album was good, though - or even Oasis, the divisive but still massively successful Britpop band who have “reunited” (let’s be tentative about this) for a tour after over a decade of inactivity, though many people don’t recall or respect the years of shovelling out garbage that occurred long after their heyday, so it may seem like even longer. They do have three of their biggest, most respected hits on the chart this week, though only one of their eight #1s - more a demonstration of their quantity of hits than any comment on their lasting legacy.

Firstly, the song used in headlines about the reunion as if this really isn’t the most unstable tempering of relations since North and South Korea: “Live Forever” is back at #19. It debuted and peaked at #10 for two weeks in 1994, whilst Wet Wet Wet’s “Love is All Around” was #1, and made appearances lower down the chart for pretty much all of the 90s… and then 2017. It’s Liam Gallagher’s personal favourite Oasis song, and has since become a bit of a tribute ballad due to its sentiment.

At #17 is “Wonderwall”, which is possibly their most iconic tune and has spent a whopping total of 90 weeks on the chart, yet never matching its first-week peak of #2 in 1995, being blocked by a double-A-side release by Robson & Jerome that nobody remembers. It spent a couple weeks meandering throughout the 90s but resurged on digital sales platforms since 2008 and occasionally makes appearances lower down on the chart since, most recently in November of last year. Though the track may go down as one of the most-covered songs of all time, only a few non-Oasis renditions have appeared on the UK Singles Chart. The Mike Flowers Pops Orchestra actually took it to an identical peak of #2 that Christmas, being blocked my Michael Jackson’s “Earth Song”. 1996 would see dance versions by Bombayblue and De-Code reach #82 and #69 respectively, and American singer-songwriter Ryan Adams charted in 2004 with his rendition at #27. For my money, the best version of “Wonderwall” is when JAY-Z pettily butchering the song at Glastonbury in response to Noel Gallagher indicating his genre wasn’t welcome at the festival. Other than straight-up covers, you can hear elements of the track in Simple Plan’s 2008 hit “Your Love is a Lie” (#63) and Bugzy Malone’s 2017 hit with Tom Grennan, “Memory Lane” (#65). They are, like the original song, not worth listening to.

Finishing the Gallaghers’ trio of songs is my personal favourite of the three, “Don’t Look Back in Anger” which has actually spent barely over half of the weeks “Wonderwall” has on the charts. It debuted at #1, peaking there for one week in 1996, beating out spacemen, hippies and children. It dwoddled around for the next year, returned in 2017 and returned even higher today. The Wurzels reached #59 with their version in 2002.

As for the rest of what’s going on, well, don’t we usually start with the notable dropouts? Songs exiting the UK Top 75, which is what I cover, after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40? Yes, you’d be correct, I guess I just decided some angry middle-aged Mancunians was of more importance. Regardless, this week, we say farewell to: “You’re Gonna Go Far” by Noah Kahan, the “Set My Heart on Fire” mashup of “I’m Alive” and “The Beat Goes On”, overall credited to Majestic, The Jammin’ Kid and Céline Dion, “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar, “MILLION DOLLAR BABY” by Tommy Richman, “Smalltown Boy” by Bronski Beat, “Birds in the Sky” by NewEra and Natasha Bedingfield with both “Unwritten” and the Badger remix of “These Words”.

As for our notable gains and re-entries, we have the return of Fontaines D.C.’s “Starburster” thanks to their album release - we’re actually going to review more songs from them than Sabrina - then solid boosts for a handful of tracks, thoe being “Close to You” by Gracie Abrams at #68, “Bring Me Joy” by Rudimental and Karen Harding at #61 and “Cry Baby” by Clean Bandit, Anne-Marie and David Guetta at #51. Now that’s all out of the way - in a different order this time - let’s crack down on the songs that arrived on the boat this week.

New Entries

#73 - “Diet Pepsi” - Addison Rae

Produced by Luka Kloser and ELVIRA

Sigh… first of all, I’m a Dr. Pepper girl myself. Secondly, Addison Rae is the exact kind of person I would never care about: a TikTok personality largely famous for being a social media “it girl” that makes industry-backed moves into traditional media outlets but never really performs too well, gaining a cultish fanbase in part because of that. You can say that she served only for long enough until people start asking, well, “what did she serve exactly?” I had the same opinion of Ice Spice when she first came out, but Rae is being propped by people I actually care for like Charli xcx and A.G. Cook, so surely there’s something there… no, there is not. Bizarrely, for an Internet personality, this feels dated and out of time with what is actually popular. This is a 2018-era falsetto-driven alternative R&B-esque track, complete with weirdly-mixed trap-adjacent percussion that really loves my left ear and synths straight out of The Weeknd’s Google Drive he shared with, like, Halsey, watt, Post Malone and co. back in the late 2010s. There are vague references to Lana Del Rey who approached this sound better on “Summer Bummer”, but there really just aren’t many lyrics here at all in this murky sex jam to form much of anything. The bridge is a vocaloid drop circa 2017 EDM but without any of the build-up, impact or even bothering to properly resolve that aborted bridge. It all just reeks of wanting to be interesting and not actually going for it.

#69 - “Favourite” - Fontaines D.C.

Produced by James Ford

I have yet to listen to Irish indie outfit Fontaines D.C.’s most recent record, Romance. I said when reviewing “Starburster” a few weeks ago that I was not familiar and the single had convinced me on them, but I guess I have my priorities, like relistening to middling James Blake albums from 2019 and contemplating the marketing tactis of the Grimace Shake. At the same time, of course. They would have topped the albums chart on any non-Sabrina week and are at #2 today, but we have more debuts from them to discuss, and I may be missing out on some greater album context, so bear with me on that regard. This was another pre-release just charting in the top 75 for the first time, and starts with a cascading guitar riff not dissimilar to 80s post-punk with a reverb-affected mix that cleans up quite nicely overall but does give vocalist Grian Chatten an interesting dynamic where despite a technically good and clear recording, he appears to purposefully restrain himself from hitting the notes exactly or enunciating all that well, meshing in with the thematically dazed content. He reminisces on simpler times, but ensures to place those times in context and understand that a lot of that nostalgia comes from an ignorance that he no longer has, or has to be strewn out on numbness to experience it, not that it helps since now, all that numbness does is prevent him from feeling anything at all. I will say that amidst the driving jangle of the track, there isn’t a solid hook, which again makes perfect thematic sense for the disoriented dream he’s having here but doesn’t string me back to this song in particular. That main riff is incessantly catchy but it feels a bit wasted on a more hypnotic structure that thrives more on that droning tedium emphasising how distant they are from youth and how paranoid that’s made him in his relationships. This is still very good, but outside of knowing how it fits into the album’s themes, I’m not sure why I’d choose this song in particular.

#53 - “Wait for You” - Myles Smith

Produced by Peter Fenn

Oh, the world’s just been waiting for the “Stargazing” follow-up. This is similarly plucked straight out of 2014, with the folk pick-up and over-processed vocals that really reach a territory difficult to listen to in that pre-chorus, and become a full-on wall of vocal on the chorus about waiting for this other person to be… happy. Okay, so lyrically, there is an interest to this that there isn’t really to its instrumental - I like the perky drums that pick up the pace in the second verse, though - as whilst it’s not too specific, it appears to be about an undying loyalty to a friend struggling with mental health, always being by their side, but also, it hits a weird note on the idea of waiting, not actually acting upon the compassion he has for this person, and because of the focus on Myles himself and just how he wants to wait for this person to be okay, it fails to be inspirational or a generic empowerment anthem, yet it cannot function as a love song either because of how dedicated he is to the mental health angle. Some of the lyrics downplay the issue, though, deriding it as “words in [their] head”, and that trust me, he knows what it’s like, but it’s still their problem to deal with it. It appears well-meaning until that one line in the chorus: “you can’t push me away”. It almost seems obsessive and hopeless, that Smith is clinging onto someone who he’s already tried helping with the meaningless platitudes he fills this song with. I may just be reading too much into a badly-written folk-pop motivational song, but there’s a hint of weirdness to the emotional balance here that is very distracting and self-focused, that I can’t help but think this won’t connect on the same level as “Stargazing”, even if it’s a bit more tolerable on a sonic level to me.

#52 - “In the Modern World” - Fontaines D.C.

Produced by James Ford

Our second of the pair of Fontaines songs is much newer, with the album pumping it up to their highest peak so far, and I’m starting to find it really interesting just how numb these tracks from an album titled Romance are. I also start to understand why this one in particular was what got so high, given the on-the-nose lyrics about just feeling nothing in particular in the 21st century - not feeling anything, but at least not feeling bad - and the clearly post-Britpop strings that bring this into 2000s UK radio rock territory. This really isn’t that far from mid-era Feeder’s wheelhouse, which is not a comparison I think I’d have made for a charting song in 2024, but hey, if I get Feeder propaganda out there, I will. Some empty promises are made to a lover that they complete Chatten, help him belong and hence he’ll make sure that when he does feel some life, she’ll be included, and it’s largely thanks to her… but he doesn’t want to dwell on that too much, he wants to remain some sense of authority in that softly-spoken bridge. The back-and-forth between Chatten and the even wispier Conor Deegan on the chorus is a really unique take that feeds into these lyrics but, wow, the song just goes nowhere. It ends about as empty and airy as it started which actually does not fit as well to me as the less solid structure of “Favourite”. This could be taken to much grander spaces and feel arbitrarily shortened, or at least having cut some paths in the songwriting process that might have actually been worth exploring. This is far from bad, but it’s somewhat disappointing that the song feels like this much of a draft, though it iis pleasant enough to listen to, and I do think that given its middle placement on the album, this could be a case of needing to understand how it plays into other tracks. As far as I can tell, though, this is far from what it could be.

#44 - “WE PRAY” - Coldplay featuring Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna and TINI

Produced by Max Martin, ILYA, Bill Rahko, Daniel Green and Michael Ilbert

I saw the album’s tracklist. I knew this was happening. Yet it still doesn’t make sense when it’s being written out like that. This is a Max Martin-produced Coldplay track with conscious rapper Little Simz, Nigerian Afrobeats crooner Burna Boy and barely substantial vocal contributions from Palestinian singer Elyanna and Argentine TINI… in less than four minutes. Now, as of recent, Coldplay have done similarly off-the-beaten-path, artsy stringing together of disparate collaborators and ideas for vague conscious platitudes, Everyday Life is probably the most obvious example, but this really does not function properly as a song, over anything. As a reflection of multicultural understanding and collaboration, it’s something, but it also sounds like Imagine Dragons. That weak hip hop beat is placed under some grandiose strings that are at least clearly orchestrated and expensive, but Chris Martin’s vocal delivery is not very inspired, and his lyrical framing of being on the outside looking into struggles experienced not just by unnamed brothers and friends, but specific indigenous political activists in Guatemala, but still claiming to be “in the valley of the shadow of the death”, is either a misunderstanding of the phrase or giving himself some detached self-importance that does not help the populist tinge of what is supposed to be a relatively inspirational track, praying for better times to take us out of the difficulties of now. Burna Boy sounds great and I actually appreciate that he and Simz get to play off each other in backing vocals but by that point, the song’s nearly finished and both Elyanna and TINI are rendered part of the choir singing a wordless refrain, turning what I’d call meaningless platitudes about a better world into, well, literally and objectively meaningles lyrics. I don’t think Virgilio Aguilar Mendez can “la-la-la” their way out of false arrest and systemic oppression. I’m also just ashamed that the one time I talk about Little Simz on this series, she delivers her most generic and phoned-in verse that, for what it’s worth, spreads the love more evenly than Martin’s. I really wanted something like this to work, for the sake of the promising ambition and social context it’s supporting, but I really don’t like this at all. It has the grandiosity to pick up the entire world in its mix but does little more than shake it around and make pleas, which… honestly may be a more fitting analogy for modern society than I’d hoped for.

#1 - “Taste” - Sabrina Carpenter

Produced by John Ryan, Ian Kirkpatrick and Julian Bunetta

This was far from my favourite on Short n’ Sweet - in fact, I think it’s relatively unremarkable, even if still good - but its narrative about a breakup between Sabrina and her partner, who’s gone back to his ex-girlfriend but now has the lingering influence of his relationship with Ms. Carpenter when he’s back together with her, or at least that’s what Sabrina wants to believe, makes for a good, sapphic music video where actress Jenna Ortega murders her boyfriend because she hallucinated that she was kissing Sabrina instead. Carpenter - in seemingly both the video and the song - plays a nonchalant but quietly obsessed figure who drives the two to paranoia through very specific and often sexual remarks that are cute, pointed references to her own public image and potential celebrity feuds. It’s definitely the ultimate pop star move for the social media age, but the song’s just fine: the slick guitars are cute and I like the subtle distortion in some of the vocal takes and drum patterns, particularly that moment before the chorus, that adds an edge to what is otherwise a very shiny little song, made to be an earworm but also a flickering reminder of her existence to this new girlfriend that doesn’t really connect with me because… well, who cares? Relationship drama on this level without higher stakes doesn’t really grab me as anything worth caring about, especially without a whammy of a bridge to really hold it together. I prefer it to “Please Please Please” but the album overall, a very nice collection of pop songs that’s lackadaisical and surprisingly organic, has a better selection of songs to choose from. “Good Graces”, “Sharpest Tool”, “Juno”, “Dumb & Poetic”, to name a few. I’m definitely not complaining about this new #1 though, it probably has a lot of legs, I can see this one sticking to people real fast.

Conclusion

Well, that was… something, wasn’t it? I feel like there are genuinely just a ton of mixed bags here, not just between songs but within them: a lot to love, a lot to dismiss and a fair bit to just be unsatisfied with. Best of the Week goes to Fontaines D.C. for “Favourite”, but it’s not that impressive and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Taste” gets a very faint Honourable Mention. It’s the same case for Worst of the Week, though, as nothing in here is offensively bad, just sighworthy. Honestly, Coldplay might get Worst of the Week for having the gravitas for a mostly empty statement in “WE PRAY”, whilst Addison Rae is close behind with the very ignorable “Diet Pepsi” as the Honourable Mention. As for what’s on the horizon, Rizzle Kicks will swoop in at #1, mark my words. Welcome back, lads. Thank you for reading, long live Cola Boyy, and I’ll see you next week!

[notknickers]

aww thank you. I'm still learning to draw scars. I defo need to make time for more studies. (we both gotta buckle down)

oh man. fanart, if done well and a lot can get me to do almost anything. seeing fanart of Ghost back in November 2022 is what got me into this fandom in the first place.

I'm a bit picky with headcanons but yh. im fully aware a lot of them are just watered down to be vessals for our kinks and affection. At the end of the day. they'er our silly made up blurbos U///U but yh theirs defo gaps in these guys's personalities that we can fill in (which is what we're doing now lol from the short bios we're given)

fanart (nsfw) and audio of these blurbos together. I'm waiting on my lounge chair right now to be presented to me.

hey man. Rivals to lovers makes sense. I'm stumped with who would make the first move though. becasue like you said, both of them aren't the most affectionate of people and don't trust too quickly; at least on the battlefield. like they could respect each other on the battlefield and stuff. but to get them vunerable to love hmmmmm. might need to bend like a pretzal for either of them to act on their feelings even in the most subtle ways… unless we have one of them a lil more unhinged in this department. claps hands* What if Konig is the more unhinged one and Ghost just doesn't know how to handle his feelings or Konig, like, does anyone really wanna make the over 6 foot tall batterying ram upset. Anything can happen in delulu land

my fanart is literally made up shit if you were dating Ghost ooc XD

love that the whole fandom are in on the joke of eldritch/ocotpuss/cathulu Konig since the chibi drawings of him look like a cute octopuss and the bio updating and saying His hood hides something more hideous. I'll check out your fic….(hehe heat cycles)

btw. sorry for the late reply. fell asleep after work (¯﹃¯) also I'm bad with writing hehe

hey, don't worry. life outside the machine takes precedence! plus, sleep is gooood, rest to your brain while increasing your chances of dreaming of your blorbos! it's a win-win, but thanks for replying.

now i must absolutely write that eldritch!könig/civilian!ghost fic! i have so many ideas that i left xeno!könig and his tentacles aside for a while, but after i've dealt with the five different colonel!könig/recruit!dommy mummy!reader and colonel!könig/tmale!base medic, perhaps i'll have some time to figure it out!

oh! don't even say it! today i was all excited about a fanart idea i had while at work, then i was confronted with the reality of actually drawing it... what an ice cold shower!!!

i'll get back to it as soon as i get over the trauma! but good luck with your studies, you're already ahead!

pretty pixel vessels!!! i am also very nitpicky. in fact, i've noticed, the more concrete an idea i develop of könig, the less open i am to changing interpretation (even though i still like reading others'!)

the only thing i am glad about entering the fandom when i did is that i initially conceinved this blog as a magnus archives fanblog. if it started as a könig simp blog, i would probably have called myself something like... königsheftyballs or something and i'm so grateful that didn't happen. im' much happier as a jaredhopworthsknickers!

and yes, smutty ghost fanart was my gateway drug.

(i don't know if i remembered linking you the fic in question that sold me over the ghostsoap ship, but it was this one.)

for the audio, it's easy. here's the link and happy listening! (very nsfw, very explicit). it's one hundred percent out of my headcanons: no, könig the forty-plus-year-old colonel is not simon 'ghost' riley who got his mask at a hot topic or halloween costume shop's little bitch.

time to pull ranks on that one!

(still, enjoyable listening and great voice acting, though!)

true, but them being affiliated with opposing factions opens up interesting scenarios: could either be captured by the other? could that mean the the captured is assigned to the capturer for intel extraction or other expedient? could it be that each finds out that the other is way less sadistic and more compassionate and simply human and matter-of-fact than they initially thought, which changes the mutual way they see each other, while still being wary, because of their curcumstantial enmity?

commonalities? they are both masked, they both have something to hide, something that hurts to this day, the need to create someone who can endure interfacing themselves with the world and its demands while their tender cores still reel and recover, but that they can put aside, when they're alone, to catch breath and regain their whole selves or, the opposite, feel incapable to abandon even when no one is around, as they have become too fragmented.

just throwing ideas around, but there is so much to dig up.

their similarities might draw them to one another: could they have finally found someone who gets it? could they afford to be a little vulnerable, to show a little bit of their soft bellies and hope not to be stabbed from side to side?

but, being enemies who work for different factions with different goals surely would stand in the way: if trusting and opening up is harrowing and dreadful, doing so with an enemy operator can be outright fatal... so much at stake, but what if this were the only chance they have at genuine human connection? a friendship? comfort in wach other's bodies? darethey hope for more? are they delusional? is the imprisonment getting to them?

re: your ooc fanart: and that's brilliant all the same! my latest fanart was nothing but an excuse to put könig in a skimpy little outfit and parade him around! if you like ooc ghost dating your insert, do more of it!!!!!!

i always laugh when someone comes along, thinking themselves smart by pointing out that "well, akshually ghost and könig would never date in canon", because you're in the wrong place, luv. go play the game, write/draw your canon-compliant stuff or only interact with fic and fanartists who are as attached to canon as you, but stop yucking in everyone's yum. it's called fandom, not candom.

i will go on a perilous mission to find all the ghost/könig artists i can and report back, sir! yes, sir!

(by which i mean, i will write you in the inbox or leave the links in the dms, so you'll find them when you have time. no hurry!)

n_n

[readingrobin]

Ooof this was probably my roughest month when it came to reading, Didn't really get a lot read since my schedule was jam packed and I didn't get as much reading in as I thought I would during vacation. To top it all off, the things I did manage to read mostly fell on the meh side of things, so I can't even say it was worth it for a few good reads. Oh well. I think I'll have better luck in November.

Total Books Read: 5

Total Pages Read: 1,713

Books Read:

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer (2.5/5) -

This book has been collecting dust on my bookshelves since the great vampire/werewolf YA fiction boom of the early 2010s. Really the only thing that's been keeping me from reading it has been circumstance and a deluge of other things I'd rather be reading. Big note to self, if the synopsis describes one of the teenage lead characters as "sexy," there's a good chance that I, an almost thirty year old adult, will get one of those ick feelings along my spine. It's one thing if it's coming through the perspective of a teenaged character, and another when you know it's more than likely coming from some middle-aged editor in a publishing office cubicle.

Now if I had read this over a decade ago, odds are I would have loved it. Awesome werewolf mythology that seemed very unique, a badass lead character that's not here for your girly dresses or makeup, sarcasm galore, oh yeah teen me would've eaten it up. While I can still appreciate the lore aspect, there are some qualities of the book that just tire me out.

Love triangles are always going to be some dodgy ground, particularly when you don't care for them or either of the love interests. Shay seemed so irresponsible and okay with constantly putting Calla in danger, even if it had the intention of trying to get her to see the truth behind the Keepers. Rey, though slightly better, made some comments here and there that set my teeth grinding, but at least it felt like he actually respected Calla at times. Pretty sure with how the story is going that Shay is ultimately going to win out in the end, which doesn't really encourage me to read any of the sequels.

At least pour one out for the gay werewolf representation in a time where queer characters, even queer side characters, were in short supply.

While I really liked the werewolf lore, the book also reinforces my least favorite werewolf trope, which is reinforcing incorrect "facts" about actual wolf pack dynamics to explain the weird sexism of the werewolf packs. I know it's all to make the term "alpha wolf" look cool and intimidating, but they literally do not exist. Wolf packs are made up of a mated pair and their kids/extended family. There's very little dominance involved. I know bringing actual reality to this werewolf book means absolutely nothing, but they did it first.

There's also an absurd amount of sexism, misogyny, and slut-shaming going on here and yes, I know it's all for us to realize that werewolf society is corrupt and has this weird propaganda thing going on to keeps the wolves in line, but god it's overbearing at times. It's really just a me thing, but I had to visibly cringe when one of the adults told Calla to "keep her legs shut." I don't know, maybe it was too much just because all the characters are like 15-17 years old and I'm entering my "old person yells at YA for being YA" era. God help me.

So yeah, lots of emotions with this one and I'm not sure if I want to continue the series just to get closure or not.

Don't Turn Out the Lights: A Tribute to Alan Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark edited by Jonathan Maberry (3/5) -

Seeing as I was a giant scaredy cat as a kid, I didn't really grow up with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. I tried once, but Stephen Gammell's haunting illustrations proved to be too much for little me who already had an overactive imagination. Now that I have a little more stamina when it comes to horror and spooky pictures, I figured to give this collection a try to find some worthwhile middle grade horror. There are definitely strong contenders in this collection, some that'll even unnerve some adults. Others, well, they're there to give a little variety when it comes to the type and tone of the stories.

My favorites would have to be:

"The Carved Bear" "The Golden Peacock" "The Neighbor" "The Bottle Tree" "The Tall Ones"

I don't know if the collection decently balanced between the light spooky stories that were more humorous and the more traumatizing tales. There are two that sort of stick out like sore thumbs, those being R.L. Stine's and Sherrilyn Kenyon's contributions. Stine is known for his off the wall twists, but this one being a little bit more silly, yet typical for his kind of work, doesn't really make it mesh well with the majority of other stories that want to leave you with a shiver down your spine. Kenyon's poem has the same effect, having more of an innocent, playful tone that sets it apart from the other stories, but not in a memorable way. I think if the collection offered a few more stories like these it wouldn't be so noticeable. Each are completely fine on their own, but not when integrated into a collection that aims to leave lasting scares.

Also, it's REALLY noticeable that some of the writers are writing stories centered around certain cultures that aren't their own or that they have done very little research on. I may be as white as winter snow, but even I know that the Devil has nothing to do with Dia de los Muertos. 

The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Skaife (3/5) -

I have such a great fondness for corvids, be they crows, ravens, magpies, or even blue jays, so I figured this book would be right up my alley. Skaife delves into the history behind the ravens' presence at the Towers, which I was surprised but maybe not too much that it holds a legend that may not be as old and revered as once thought.

I've been to the Tower of London, which helped me visualize some of his stories. The ravens there are definitely a quirky bunch. I remember one that graciously allowed a seagull to peck a bit at their raw chicken lunch, only to shoo them off a few seconds after. This cycle would actually repeat itself a bit, a little nibble and then a shoo, it almost seemed like a sort of game. Anyway, they are very amusing birds and Skaife really does make their personalities shine in this book.

There were moments where the book lost a little steam or included something that seemed a bit superfluous. The chapter on ghosts around the grounds seemed a little out of place in a book about the Tower ravens and the stories get a little repetitive once you edge closer to the end. But if you have an interest in the Tower and its inhabitants, I recommend picking it up.

The Oddmire: Changeling by William Ritter (2.5/5) -

I'm not sure if this is a case of me reading this book at the wrong time or I'm just getting more picky with my middle grade fantasy, but I never really felt very invested in this one. It's a great setup for a story, two brothers venture into a dark magical forest to learn which one of them is human and which is a changeling left by a goblin one long ago night. They meet various friends and threats across the way, culminating in a wonderful depiction of family bonds and loyalty. I appreciated how involved their mother was in the story, who had absolutely no qualms about going into the dangerous forest to save her kids. I love seeing more competent parents in fiction, if only just to show kids that some grownups are capable of being helpful at times.

But, other than that, I didn't really get much out of the story. The brothers seemed very interchangeable, not really having distinguishable personalities so that ultimately it doesn't really matter who is human and who is the changeling. They both have the same worries and fears, the same goals, so there's nothing really to set them apart.

The writing style didn't really pull me in either, to the point where by the last couple of chapters I was doing more skimming than actual reading.

I will say that it is a decent fantasy for younger readers looking for a bit of adventure and magic. It twists some fairy tale conventions just enough to feel fresh while holding onto a few just for good measure. I've probably just read too many at this point to really appreciate it.

Watership Down: The Graphic Novel by Richard Adams, adapated by James Sturm, illustrated by Joe Sutphin (5/5) -

I stumbled upon Watership Down a little later in life, knowing full well of its status as one of those "Top 10 Films that Scarred You As A Child." At some point, I had seen the glorious intro to the film, where Frith bestows various gifts to the animals and El-Ahrairah displays his tricks and cunning, and that immediately sent me to the novel. It's a beautiful story, with lush descriptions of the downs and adventure that, while coming from so humble a place, keeps you interested from beginning to end. By some magic, James Sturm and Joe Sutphin managed to capture everything about this story that has delighted readers for decades.

Sutphin goes for a more naturalistic style, keeping the rabbits and other various animals expressive, but not too cartoony. It mostly keeps to a certain realm of reality, with colors that are more muted, but never do any sort of disservice to the setting. While I am a fan of styles that bush boundaries, this style is perfect for Watership Down that, while seemingly fantastical at times, is a very down to earth tale. There's a certain charm to it that comes from the simplicity of its setup, that is a group of animals just trying to survive.

Of course, not every plot point and character makes it through the process of adaptation. I am thankful that Sturm was able to include some of the folk tales of the rabbits, which was one of my favorite elements of the story. Naturally, to keep this story to a single volume and maintain a sense of flow, things would have to be reworked and shifted.

In my opinion, this graphic novel is an exemplary transfiguration on the original story that will please fans and hopefully entice new readers to the book.

Rating Average 3.2

[strangerficsxx]

Chapter Eight: The Mind Flayer

story: Midnight Rain wc: 2.8k after reuniting with nancy and jonathan, the teen and children meet hopper, joyce and will as they regroup at the byers' residence to make a plan on how to close the gate.

[a/n: all characters, plot, etc. are not mine. The only thing I own is my original character. credit to gif owner.]

{ Late November 4, 1984 }

The kids begin walking in front of Steve and Jennifer as they walk side-by-side. He held her close as the tears stained her cheek. Jennifer then grabs her boyfriend’s hand, pulling him back. 

“Steve,” 

“What?” 

“I... I wanna go back.” 

“We-- we can't. What if those creatures come back? Huh? What would you do? I couldn't lose you.” 

Jennifer sniffles. 

“I...” 

Steve couldn't muster anything else to say as they continue walking, Jennifer pulls away and wipes her tears with her hands. Blood stains her hands and clothes as she approaches the redhead, keeping her head high and tries distracting herself. 

“Hey, I never got your name.” 

“It’s Max.” 

“Max. I’m Jennifer, Dustin’s older sister.” 

“How is it living with Dustin?” 

“Sometimes annoying, but deep down I love that little shit.” 

Max snickers. Jennifer takes another step. 

“What about you? I saw you exit Billy’s car the day before, he didn’t even say a word to you on your first day I’m guessing. Not even a  ‘good luck’ or ‘have fun’, nothing. I thought you were siblings.” 

“Step-siblings. He doesn't even like me, but he doesn’t hate me. When we moved from California, my mom divorced my dad and she married Billy’s father. He can’t take his anger out of my mom, so he…” 

“He takes it out on you?” 

“Yeah, unfortunately.” 

“Well, he is an ass, not gonna lie. We were dating, and he cheated on me with another girl we go to school with... So that's fun."

“God, what a dick. That's my brother for ya. He doesn't respect women that much from what I've heard and came across.” 

“Yeah, he very much is.” Jennifer continues. “But I’m sorry he does that to you, he sounds like an asshole.” 

“Yeah, but he’s my brother so I have to deal with it. It’s like… it’s like he’s just holding in so much anger, and the only way for him to calm down is to take it out on me, like I said earlier.”

“Yeah, but at least some of it is good. I always wished for a younger sister, but got a brother — that brother instead. So..” 

“And, I got stuck with a big brother.” She exhales, continuing. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we could be sisters?” Max suggests. 

“How?” Jennifer asks. 

“You know how best friends are, like, sisters to each other. Like that. I mean if it weren’t for Billy I wouldn’t even be here right now.” 

“Yeah, you can be my younger sister.”

“And you could be my older sister. Yeah, I'd like that a lot.” Jennifer smiled.

“Good because I’m in need of a female sibling to look up to for sure.” 

Jennifer knew deep down that Max began looking up to her as an older sibling, a role model and that made Jennifer very happy and decided to hold onto that title. A small bout of happiness flooded her system, continuing on .

In the woods, Jennifer and Steve, along with the kids continue down the train tracks, grouped together. Tears well up in her eyes again, that gut wrenching feeling of leaving Wilhelmina at the junkyard made Jennifer sick to her stomach, looking down at her bloodsoaked self.

“You’re positive that was Dart?” Lucas asks.

“Yes. He had the same exact yellow pattern on his butt.”

“He was tiny two days ago.” 

“Well, he’s molted three times already.” 

“Malted?” Steve asks.

“Molted.” Dustin says. “Shed his skin to make room for growth like hornworms.” 

“W... when is he gonna molt again?” Jennifer stammers, cutting in. 

“It’s gotta be soon. When he does, he’ll be fully grown, ot close to it. And so will his friends.” 

“Yeah, and he’s gonna eat a lot more than just cats.” 

Lucas stops Dustin.

“Wait. A cat?” He asks. “Dart ate a cat?”

“What? No.” Dustin lies. 

What are you talking about? He ate Mews.”

“Mews? Who’s Mews?” Max asks. 

“It’s Dustin’s cat.” 

“I knew it! You kept him!” 

Dustin tried to deny it, beginning to argue as Jennifer and Steve look at each other annoyed. Max joins in on the argument too as the brunette female and Steve take a few steps forward, noticing something. 

“Hey guys,” Steve calls. “Guys!” 

Jennifer furrows her brows at the kids before looking back. Steve slings the spiked bat over his shoulder and Jennifer wipes away the tears, heading toward the sound. Lucas and Dustin follow behind as Max lingers on the tracks before jogging after the other's. Later, the five of them tramp through a clearing. Steve, Lucas, and Dustin shine flashlights ahead as they come to a hilltop overlooking the dense forest and glowing city lights beyond. 

“I don’t see him.” 

Lucas peers through his binoculars. 

“It's the lab. They were going back home.” 

Jennifer stands there, grabbing Steve’s arm, worried what might happen next as they continue, walking down the slope leading towards Hawkins Laboratory. The enter through the group of shrubs and trees, moving closer before walking out as someone in the distance calls out to them. Flashlight beams from the woods as Jennifer, Steve and the kids exit, stepping into view. They see Nancy and Jonathan. 

“Steve?” They ask in unison.

“Nancy?” Jennifer asks. 

“Jonathan,” Dustin says. 

“What are you doing here?” Nancy asks. 

“What are you doing here?” Steve asks. 

“We’re looking for Mike and Will.” 

“They’re not in there, are they?” 

“We’re not sure.” 

“Why?” 

In the distance, monsters screech as Steve and Jennifer look over at the darkened lab. Soon everyone turns too. The emergency lights turn on and off. A look of dread settles on Jonathan’s face. 

“Shit.” Jennifer curses, stepping towards it. 

Nancy turns to Jennifer, looking her over. "What happened to you?" She asks.

"Wilhelmina... she-- she died back there after being attacked by those... those creatures."

"Oh, Jennifer. I'm sorry for your loss."

Soon indistinct chatter is heard amongst everyone as Jennifer rolls her tired eyes. Nancy pushes past them, joining Jennifer in her spot. 

“The powers back,” She says. 

The chatter stops as the group rushes toward the guard booth, the light now on as Jonatha repeatedly pushes the button as Dustin pushes his way into the booth. He pushes the button too, but nothing happens. Sudden;y the gate opens as the curly haired kid grins. Jonathan and Nancy enter his parked car, driving past the open gate as Jennifer and Steve along with Max, Lucas, and Dustin wait along the outside. 

Max spots something as two vehicles approach them. They move out of the way as Jonathan’s car speeds past them. Hopper’s SUV comes to a stop in front of them. Steve ushers the three kids inside as he helps Jennifer in, he gets in as well. The vehicle zooms off. 

——

At the Byers residence, the porch light glows on the front porch as Jim’s SUV, Jonathan’s car and Bob’s car are parked outside. Inside, Will lays on the couch as Jonathan strokes his head. Jennifer and Steve watch Nancy rests her hand on his shoulder tenderly as Hopper taks on the phone. Jennifer pulls Steve into the kitchen where they wait, holding onto each other. The kids sit around the table. 

“They didn’t believe, did they?” 

“We’ll see.” He sternly says. 

“”We’ll see?” We can’t just sit here while those things are loose!” Mike shouts.

“We stay here, and wait for help.” He says, not changing his expression before leaving the kitchen. 

The dark haired boy’s brows furrow as he goes over to the games. He lifts a blue 3D cube from the top and gazes at it with a somber expression. 

“Did you guys know that Bob was the original founder of Hawkins AV?” Mike says as the kids including Steve and Jennifer look at him, leaning against the counter top. “He petitioned the school to start it and everything. Then he had a fund-raiser for equipment. Mr. Clarke learned everything from him. Pretty awesome, right?” 

“Yeah,” Lucas and Dustin say at the same time. 

Mike sets the cube on the kitchen table. “We can’t let him die in vain.” 

“Well, what do you wanna do, Mike?” Dustin asks. “The Chief’s right on this. We can’t stop those Demo-dogs on our own.” 

“Demo-dogs?” Max asks, armed crossed. 

They stare at the red haired female. 

“Demogorgon, dogs. Together, Demo-dogs. It’s like a compound, play on words—” 

“Okay.” Max cuts him off. 

“I mean, when it was just Dart, maybe…” 

“But there’s an army now.” Lucas says. 

“Precisely.”

“His army.” 

Jennifer and Steve look toward Mike, brows furrowed. 

“What do you mean?” Steve and Jennifer ask in unison. 

“His army. If we stop him, we could stop his army too.” 

Mike rushes into Will’s room, and shows the other’s the drawing of the shadow monster. 

“The shadow monster.” 

“It got Will on the field. The doctor said it was like a virus, it infected him.” 

“And so the virus, it’s connecting him to the tunnels?” 

“To the tunnels, monsters, the Upside Down, everything.” 

“Woah. Slow down.” 

Mike continues. 

“Okay, so, the shadow monsters inside everything. And if the vines feel something like, then so does Will.” 

“And so does Dart. 

“Like what Mr. Clarke taught us. The hive mind.” 

“The hive mind?” Jennifer asks. 

“A collective consciousness. It’s a super-organism.” 

“And this is the thing that controls everything.” 

“It’s the brain,” Jennifer finishes. 

“Like the mind flayer.” 

“What?” Everyone asks, confused. 

Dustin takes out the game manual as Everyone from Steve and Jennifer to Lucas, Mike and Max to Hopper stand around the kitchen table. The dimly lit kitchen light shines above the book. 

“What the hell is it?” 

“It’s a monster from an unknown dimension. It’s so ancient that it doesn't even know it’s true home.” He explains, continuing. 

“Oh, my god, none of this is real. This is just a kids’ game.” Hopper groans. 

“No, it’s a manual. And it’s not for kids. And unless you  know something we don’t, then this is the best metaphor—” 

“Analogy.” 

“Analogy? That’s what you’re worried about? Fine. An analogy for understanding whatever the hell this is.” 

“Okay, so this mind flamer thing—”

“Flayer. Mind flayer.” 

Jennifer sighs before continuing. 

“What does it want?” 

“To conquer us, basically. It believes it’s the master race.” 

Steve stammers. “Like the Germans?”

“Uh, the Nazis?” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, the Nazis.” 

“Uh… If the Nazis were from another dimension, totally. Uh, it views other races, like us, as inferior to itself.” 

“It wants to spread and take over other dimensions.”

“We are talking about the destruction of our world as we know it.” 

“That's great. That’s really great. Jesus!” Steve says, concerned. 

He turns away as Jennifer watches before following after him. She watches as her boyfriend paces back and forth before stopping him, cupping his cheeks. Jennifer holds Steve’s gaze. 

“Maybe we should do our date now since the world is ending.” 

“No, not while demo-dogs are after us, or this mind flayer thing. We will get to that date, even if it’s in another life.” 

He presses their lips together, holding each other for a while before pulling away. She brings him into her arms before heading back to the table. 

“…We win.” Nancy says. 

“Theoretically.” 

Hopper grabs the book from Nancy’s hand as he glances at the page. 

“Great. So how do you kill this thing? Shoot it with fireballs or something?”

“No Fire— No Fireballs.” Dustin chuckles. “Uh, you summon an undead army, uh, because… because zombies, you know, they don’t have brains, and the mind flayer, it… it… it likes brains. It's just a game. It’s a game.”

“What the hell are we doing here?” 

“I thought we were waiting for your military backup.” 

“We are!”

“How are they gonna stop this? You can’t just shoot this with guns.” 

“You don’t know that! We don’t know anything!” Hop shouts. 

“We know it’s already killed everybody in that lab.” 

“We know the monsters are gonna molt again.” 

“And we know that it’s only a matter of time before those tunnels reach this town.” 

“They’re right.” Joyce says, voice almost hoarse. 

Everyone turns to joyce. “We have to kill it..” 

Jim Hopper approaches Joyce. 

“I want to kill it.” She says.

“Me, too.” 

“I—” Joyce begins.

“Me, too, Joyce, okay? But how do we do that? We don’t exactly know what we’re dealing with here.” 

“No. But he does.” 

Mike walks toward Will. The other’s close behind, looking at Will. 

“If anyone knows how to destroy this thing, it’s Will. He’s connected to it. He’ll know its weakness.” 

“I thought we couldn’t trust him anymore. That he’s a spy for the mind flayer now.” 

“Yeah, but he can’t spy if he doesn’t know where he is.”

Later, Jim drags a lawnmower and tosses it in the yard. He drops a cardboard box outside then returns to the shed. Little by little, he unloads the compost, leaving a large pile of junk in the backyard. Inside the shed, Nancy pulls off strips of duct tape as Steve seccurs a brown tarp over the wall. 

“Hey.” She says, catching his attention. “I saw you and Jennifer earlier in the kitchen. Her hands cupping your face — are you… are you guys, like, dating now?” 

“Yeah,” He says, resting his arm above and looking down. “We are. Is there something wrong?” 

“No, no. Of course not. I’m… I’m happy for you both. You guys look great together.”

Steve steps on the ladder. Later, Jennifer, Steve, Nancy and the kids smother the walls with cardboard, tin foil, newspaper and other materials as Nancy wraps one of the support posts as Max sets a chair covered in cardboard and duct tape against it. She puts another chair opposite the first.

In the house, Dustin stares out the kitchen window anxiously as he removes his hat, running his hand over his thick curly hair, passing Nancy. She is standing against the wall with her arms crossed, looking iver.

In the living room, Steve takes practice swings with the bat as Jennifer sits on the couch, watching and waiting. In the hallway, Lucas and Max sit across from each other. Steve stops swinging as Jennifer stands as he lowers the bat.

Before she could say anything, the lights above begin flickering as Nancy, Jennifer, Steve and Dustin look toward the backyard. 

Sometime later, Jim bursts through the back door as he searches for something, grabbing a pen and an empty envelope, he rushes toward the table and sits down. He sighs. 

“What happened?” 

“I think he’s talking, just not with words.” Jim speaks, jotting a series of dots and a dash on the paper. 

“What is that?” 

“Morse code,” The kids and Jennifer say together. 

“H-E-R-E. Will’s still in there. He’s talking to us.

Hopper gives Joyce a look. Inside, the radio beeps as Dustin writes it down, Lucas shouts to Nancy each letter. 

C-L-O-S-E G-A-T-E

The gang in the kitchen reviewed the message. 

“Close gate,” They say together. 

Everyone perks up at the ringing phone and rushes toward it. Dustin grabs the phone and puts it back on the hook. Soon Jennifer walks over, grunting as she rips it off the wall and hurls it to the floor.

“Do you think he heard that?” 

“It’s just a phone. It could be anywhere. Right?” 

They all look towards Steve in their current standing positions. In the living room, the kids look outside. They clear the way and hold the hunting rifle towards Jonathan. 

“Do you know how to use this?” 

“What?” 

Can you use this?” He asks. 

“I can,” Jennifer says. 

Jim tosses Jennifer the hunting rifle as she slides the bolt. The gun cocks. Standing with the whole group, Hopper and Jennifer aim their rifles at the living room windows. Screeches echo in the distance. Steve grips the handle of his bat as Lucas aims his slingshot. Mike wields a candle stick. They stare out the window before turning to the dining room window.

The bushes rustle outside the window as the group waits edgily. Snarling, they turn to the living room window, weapons ready. The monster groans as loud thuds are heard, the monster screeches again before it abruptly stops. Suddenly, a demo-dog is thrown into the living room as it slides across the floor lifeless.

It screeches as everyone screams in fear, holding their stances. His rifle trained on the creature, Hopper approaches slowly towards. He prods the creature with his foot as his head flops back.

He relaxes his grip on the gun. Soon, everyone swivels around as the door creaks, the bolt unlocks. Lucas, Jennifer and Hopper raise their weapons. The chief steps through them to the front of the group. The door chain slides off its track. Creaking open as someone enters. Their jeans are rolled up above their dirty sneakers.

Hopper lowers his gun. Eleven stands before them in dark clothes. Her eyes darken and hair slicked back, blood drips from her nose.

As the group gapes at her with shocked expressions, Mike moves towards the front beside the chief. Tears well in his eyes as they lock onto hers. The corners of his mouth curl up and Eleven returns his wistful smile.

[haejjoon]

Do you have any headcanons w ex machina in regards to how the whole chase-and-tease thing between akira and akechi are gonna go w the parallel of phantom thief lwader versus detective (one scene from the og game would be the "welcome home honey" scene)

sorry anon i am working thru these one at a time 😭😭 been off tumblr for a good bit.

headcanons, headcanons.... honestly i'm surprised its taken this long for someone to ask regarding my plans for them since it IS tagged akeshu, but it's also a very slow burn so i suppose there's that HDKSJH

i think that the chase-and-tease is very prevalent (and integral to akeshu's dynamic) so i'm very excited to explore their typical roles swapped!! as of right now they're caught up in a literal chase—akechi avoids akira like the plague, and akira hunts him down for sport LOL (not on purpose though. it really has been a series of fateful coincidences; thanks a lot, yaldy)

i think what i'll have most fun with is exploring the "tease" part. both of them know much more than the other is letting on, and part of the enjoyment is watching them snipe at each other while keeping their defenses so high. while in-canon we don't get to see it as in depth as we could (since we're only shown the ""twist"" at the time akiren's plan's already come to fruition) i'll definitely have a lot of fun picking that apart in swap.

in terms of specific scenes, though. "welcome home honey" will probably stay; i can see akira saying it to akechi with a shit eating grin on his face. i already drew out small comics for their billiards games, but to recap: akira intentionally throws the games, and akechi refuses to use his left hand. only when akira shows his true strength will akechi respect his opponent and show off his true hand.

akira also just hangs out at leblanc a lot. despite living and working there part time, akechi is shit at coffee and curry (loses his patience often and just doesn't have the Barista's Touch) and so akira likes to hang around and show him up, makes coffee beautifully. sojiro asks akira if he'd live out in the attic instead. akechi pretends not to care that akira's better at him at this (god he so does.)

other than coffee/curry though, akechi beats akira at pretty much everything he challenges him to, though a lot of it's attributed to akira never really rising to the challenge. akechi puts his all into beating him and akira puts up a decent fight, but ultimately loses, again and again, because as fucked up as it sounds he knows that serving akechi's ego is what'll keep akira around. but over time, akira holds back less and becomes more and more invested into their little competitions—chess, darts, billiards, arcade games, batting, debates—and realizes that oh, oh, he likes this. he likes that akechi forces him to fight. it's fun, and it's dangerous, and he's in way too fucking deep by the time november rolls around because as much as he wants to fight against akechi fair and square, how is he supposed to oppose the whims of the masters of the game? he's just the pawn who pulls the trigger, and he prays for dear life that his standard bad luck (curse affinity) will fuck with the gamemasters for good. he's a trickster no matter what universe he's plopped in, huh.

anyway thank you so much for the ask anon <333 and im so sorry i'm only getting to you now!!

[sinnohlunarfestival]

Racer Application Delivery!

A Dragonite is seen flying overhead, zooming through the sky to and fro -- going all over the neighbourhood in which you lived. Eventually, it spotted you and zoomed towards you at astonishing speeds, only barely stopping itself from barreling into you mere inches away.

Landing properly, the delivery Dragonite (you can tell its occupation by the telltale sachel at its side) pulled out a decidedly thick envelope for you. Nodding at a job well done, the Pokemon took off quickly, most likely onto the next urgent delivery.

In your hands you find a nicely printed envelope with some forms, rules and regulations concerning an event being held next year in Sinnoh -- a grand race! To be precise, a Garchomp race, using supplied specialized Garchomp raised specifically for this race. You are expected to respond in kind, whether you will attend as a racer or declining the invitation to race.

All are welcome to reply to the application.

What will you do?

Simple rules to follow concerning this application.

1. If you are chosen, you must commit to taking part in the event. Exceptions can be made, of course, as life can toss us all into all sorts of dire situations.

2. Only one application per mun. Please choose only one muse to apply, no multiple applications. Breaking this rule will have you disqualified from the event and possibly future ones.

3. Please respect the dice roll results. Practice good sportsmanship. This event is for fun!

4. Event is being held on EST/Eastern Standard Time. Please respect that muns involved as staff/participants may not always be around/in the same timezone.

5. Pokemon IRL blogs/Personals cannot apply/participate as Racers.

6. This application is first come basis, don't feel too disappointed if you do not manage to join in as a racer!

Deadline for applications is November 12, 2023, 9 PM EST. Good luck!

Chosen blogs will be contacted as soon as all spots are filled (twelve/12 in all).

RACER APPLICATION: GOOGLE FORM

[jenthebug]

I posted 838 times in 2022

That's 128 more posts than 2021!

261 posts created (31%)

577 posts reblogged (69%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@adelphicoracle

@fatmaninalittlesuit

@belovedgoofball

@robinruns

@biglawbear

I tagged 690 of my posts in 2022

Only 18% of my posts had no tags

#the nightly shitpost - 330 posts

#metastatic breast cancer - 39 posts

#the internet is for cats - 26 posts

#monthly dash cleanse - 21 posts

#bariatric clinic job - 14 posts

#soba tinycat - 13 posts

#mundane - 13 posts

#insertcaffeine road trip - 13 posts

#parenting - 12 posts

#i was tagged - 12 posts

Longest Tag: 135 characters

#in the background: to-do list and niece's gift and why did i agree to do more packing tonight and how will my oncologist appointment go

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

I got the job!!

The bariatric clinic called me yesterday.

I thought they were calling about a second interview, asking for references, something like that.

NOPE

They offered me the job, at $4/hr more than I make now!

HOOOLY CRAP. This is AWESOME. It’s also a little scary. They want a 2-year commitment (years are uncertain with cancer) and they’re definitely gonna drop that extra $4/hr of work on me, but...

I’ll have a good team behind me.

I’ll be doing work that I want to do, that feels important, that feels more like working than drowning in calls. (Even on the busiest 911 days, even when I took the 60-80 calls per day I take now, there was a damn good reason)

If I’m right, and I’ll be actively looking for reasons I am, this will be the best of badging office work (a team, face to face interaction, out of the house enrichment because this zoo animal needs it) and the call center (healthcare, genuinely improving lives, and no fucking stairs).

Wish me luck!

Wish me strength!

And wish me patience for my 10 remaining call center shifts.

78 notes - Posted July 13, 2022

#4

Kitty has a name! We chose Soba after the noodles that Japanese people eat on the New Year for longevity, hoping he has a long life.

81 notes - Posted October 16, 2022

#3

Look who got stuck in my window well...

It's a feral bastard! Complete with the gloves I used to rescue them because they were trying to kill me!

Our night is now entirely cat-focused; get this kitty set up for the night so we can take them to rescue tomorrow.

82 notes - Posted October 12, 2022

#2

Got this in my fortune cookie last night. Now I'm sharing it with you.

92 notes - Posted January 16, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Hi new followers!

I'm Jen.

I have metastatic breast cancer. On a practical level, that means I'm tired all the time from treatment and my life will probably be shorter than yours.

I live with my husband, my son Jay, my cat Soba (shown), and my corgi Momo in the Denver metro area.

I have no picture of Jay for you. He's 15, trans, and hates getting his photo posted. He likes getting his photo taken, and I have plenty of photos of him, but he's not about being on Mom's socials. I respect that.

This is my husband.

See the full post

103 notes - Posted November 19, 2022

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[gallawitchxx]

dad ian utilizing his time at PTA to question the schoolboard's decision to stop including cosmic brownies in school lunch. he's here on behalf of his husband. no, trust him they don't want his husband to come down. yes, he's doing them all a favor. they were already on thin ice with the twinkie ban in november. it's like they're TRYING to get their kid to become a little debbie dealer. what? his time is up? that's okay, he's just gonna wait until someone can nut up and give him an answer that he can bring home to his husband and child.

RAYYYYYYYYYY. RAY 🖤🥰😭✨🥳🤘🏼🥺 how does it feel to be so funny? how does it feel to be so brilliant? how does it feel to be so fucking cuuuute? how does it feel to be everybody's internet crush?

THIS IS FUCKING HYSTERICAL.

me: *sees this ask & laughs for an hour* also me: *figures i should probably take the dog out* also also me: *sees a little debbie truck on the walk* 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

also also my school had a little snack bar thingy that you could visit after school & zebra cakes were a quarter & you best believe that i spent beaucoup dollars on those delicious little fuckers 🦓🧁💵

so i respect the hustle. the grocery store baked goods hustle. good luck to their kid & honestly, good luck to the PTA. they're in for a looooong road with those two as parents.