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mermaidinthecity · 1 month ago

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I Love You’s

I love you, family. Dad, because you are my biggest fan, and I’ll never get tired of the way you smile when I pick up a guitar and play. Mom, for being my best friend and most trusted companion, even in times when you were my only friend. That was just fine. Austin, my little brother, for being so much more brave than I ever hope to be. My aunt, Alison, for being such a beautiful person. My aunts, uncles, cousins, and relatives (even the ones I didn’t know I had) for making Thanksgiving something someone should write a book about. I love my mom and dads’ friends who have been so unbelievably supportive (and so unbelievably loud at my shows).

I love my friends. Abigail, I love you because you are my best friend in the entire world. Can’t wait to room together when we’re 65 and wrinkly and living in Minnesota. I love Ally, Kelsey, Kathryn, Jeff, Clay and all my awesome friends in Hendersonville. Britany Maack for being my first friend, I miss you!

I love everyone who helped put this album together. Scott Borchetta for believing in me and actually DOING something about it. Shake and bake, Radioman. This is how we roll. Nathan Chapman because he is the most amazing red-headed freckle-faced little producer in the world and I love your beautiful wife Stephanie. Thanks Nathan for gracing me with your first album. Liz Rose, you are my songwriting soulmate, and one of my dearest friends. Robert Ellis Orrall, you Rock! Nick for breaking your drumsticks on my songs, Tim for playing on my session ON YOUR BIRTHDAY, and everyone else who played on the album because you are THAT GOOD. Chad, for your amazing mullet (and engineering skills).

I love my record label. Jack Purcell, for your Minnesota accent. Mandy McCormack, for humoring me in my mailbox obsession. Rick Barker, because I learned everything I Know about radio in… nevermind. HAHA. Bobby Young, thanks for taking us shopping. Whitney Sutton, you are so organized and I love you for it. JZ, because of that adorable laugh/nose thing you do. Erik Powell, for being cool and pretty much a genius. Larry Hughes, you rock! Jamice Jennings, for being the sweetest ever. Kelly Rich, you are the wizard of Marketing! Jayme Austin for adding so much spirit to the label. Sandi Spika Borchetta, for being creative/brilliant/beautiful and buying me pretty things to wear. Penny Lazo, you are a crazy rock star. Andrew Kautz, if I ever walk into the label and you’re not there, I will not know what to do with myself. Natalie Kilgore, for your amazing sense of humor. Ray Pronto, for putting this Big Machine in motionnn.

I love the people who helped me get here. Arthur Buenahora, thank you for signing a FOURTEEN year old to a full writers publishing deal. I will never forget that. In fact, I love everyone at Sony Publishing. Pat Garet and Suzy Dalton for letting my little ten-year-old self open up for you. Harry Warner, for being such a gentleman and having my back at BMI. Frank Bell for being so brutally honest about my music from the time I was like 12, and so supportive of my career NOW. Andrew Orth for 14 years of great photos!! Paula Erickson for being the most stylish publicist in the world. Jody Williams, for listening to my rants about high school, and being such a dear friend and musicologist. HHS for supporting me 100%. Bob Taylor and Bob Borbonus at Taylor Guitars for believing in me and making perfection in the form of guitars. Mike Milom for being a genius and the best lawyer ever. Sarah, Ed, and Jim at GAC for taking such a vested interest in me, and PUTTING ME ON TV! CMT you’re awesome! Trey Fanjoy, because you are such a visionary and for directing an amazing video. Pete Fisher you are amazing. Rod Essig, for believing in me from the beginning and being so passionate about what you do. I Love Tim McGraw for making such inspiring music. I love Faith Hill for being the most graceful woman in the world. I love you, Jack Ingram. If at any point in my life, ever ever amount to being HALF as cool as you, I will throw myself a party. I LOVE RADIO because I haven’t met one person I don’t consider a friend. I love all of my myspace friends for taking such an active roll in what I do, I will never forget how you all rallied for me from the beginning.

I love everyone who’s inspired me to write a song, whether you know if or not. I love anyone who has ever turned the volume up when my song comes on the radio, anyone who has bought this album. Anyone who can sing along to my songs when I play them live. Anyone who’s ever requested my song on the radio, or even remembered my name. If you ever see me in public, I want to meet you. I will thank you myself. You have let me into your life, and I will never be able to thank you enough for that. I love YOU, and I love God for putting you in my life.

Love love love

-T-

PS: To all the boys who thought they would be cool and break my heart, guess what? Here are 14 songs written about you. HA.

— Taylor Swift (2006)

#taylor swift #tswiftedit #taylorswiftedit #album notes #ts album booklet #2006 #mine #edits #taylor #mermaidinthecity

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ursineknight · 1 year ago

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I've tried to write a big, special post about this book for a week, but I think I'm just spinning my wheels now. Please enjoy some loosely collected thoughts about The Luminous Dead. Spoilers below.

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The Luminous Dead was a super effective horror novel for me. I had to go sit next to my partner and be patted on the arm while I was getting through the last 10%, lmao.

The limited third-person POV works so, so well in a story where one character’s understanding of her environment starts deteriorating.

Our protagonist Gyre is exploring a deep cave system at the behest of a mysterious corporate concern all by herself. She’s wired into her cave suit, recycling and recirculating waste material in a closed loop, and subsisting off of food delivered straight to her gut because a monster in the caves may be attracted to any trace of humans.

From the second Gyre enters the caves, she’s robbed of connecting to her environment with three of her senses: smell, taste, and touch. She especially laments the last as exploration of the cave wears on her.

All that’s left to her is sight and sound, and it’s not enough.

SEEING

The author, Starling, makes it clear from the beginning that what Gyre sees is what we get to see. When Em, Gyre’s handler, hides the fallen body of Adrian Purcell, a solo caver from a previous expedition of the exact mission Gyre is on, from her suit’s sight, it disappears for us, too.

Which makes Gyre’s later visions of Isolde, Hanmei, Jennie, and Eli, other previous cavers who are connected in darker and deeper ways to Gyre’s current foray, walking around at the edge of her vision suck so bad, lmao. Especially after she cuts Em off from communication because she’s convinced Em’s messing with the suit displays to fuck with her. Now, Gyre thinks, she can trust her own perception. Like, surely everything she perceives now she can trust is happening. Despite doing this on the tail of seeing the supposedly dead mother of Em down in the caves. Oof.

Gyre’s go-your-own-way attitude comes from a life where she’s only been able to depend on herself, as her mother and father are both absent in different ways before she came down in the caves. Cleaving to her independence becomes deadly as she loses her grip on reality, though.

Especially as Gyre cuts off human contact and perhaps invites something else in, to keep her company. When she cuts off Em’s communication to her suit and herself, she only gets rid of what she’s thinking as Em’s poisonous influence by opening herself up to the cave, actually. She literally cuts Em’s line and then opens her suit’s helmet up to the air of the cave for the very first time. She says she can feel the cave on her skin.

The unraveling thread of Gyre’s sanity from here on could just be her stress. It could be fungal spores, as Gyre’s noted mushrooms in the caves and even populating the bodies of the dead down there. Even worse, there’s an idea that the cave itself gets into her. She starts weaving together the apparitions of the dead with the sense that the cave wants her to crawl back down to its lowest levels. Maybe it’s got its claws in her and doesn’t want what it has to leave.

To Gyre’s credit, she thoughtfully doubts her perceptions—near the beginning. As we run up to the end, Gyre no longer has time to doubt herself; that and the insomnia, the hunger, the weeks of isolation, the burgeoning infections make her so weak to taking what’s in front of her directly.

Even when she’s being directly contradicted at the end, Gyre won’t let go of what she’s seeing. Gyre’s insistence on the dead’s presence near the end, when Em literally is throwing up all the overlays and readings to show Gyre nothing is there!! MAN!!

HEARING

The dead never speak to Gyre. Em eventually becomes a source of truth for Gyre in the cave by being a dependable voice in her ear vs. these visions of the lost cavers appearing only to Gyre and never being perceivable by Em. These dead even touch Gyre, near the end. Jennie, a dead caver that especially haunts Gyre’s thoughts because Gyre keeps coming back to her corpse again and again, drags Gyre to the edge of the Long Drop (a miles-long straight drop in the cave system). If we can believe Gyre.

Gyre can’t entirely trust her hearing either, though. At different times, she thinks she hears music, or humming, or steps, only to realize she didn’t. Gyre always has a second thought that it might have been real, though, and her doubt sticks in your craw.

BELIEVING

Tangent, but the phantom humming and the “dead” comms channel are especially eerie. Gyre and Em finally realize Gyre’s been hearing something when Gyre snaps at her to stop humming, but it gets lost in the argument they have afterwards and Em files it away as stress hallucinations. But when Gyre is separated from Em? The humming is back, and casts doubt on Gyre’s desperate, fraying belief that she is alone down there.

And the “dead” comms channel especially throws a wrench in Gyre’s control of the situation. When Gyre cuts Em off of the suit's comms, she does it by switching to an empty communication channel...that she realizes she cannot switch back. She wanders through half the cave by herself, increasingly convinced somebody is down in a death trap of a cave with her. And then she thinks there's somebody on the line with her, too— watching her run down the last of her supplies without a word.

Not only is Gyre stuck pleading with dead air, there’s an implication that some shadowy other influence is not only listening to her, but trying to control her body. And it succeeds—at one particularly tense moment where Gyre appears to have finally gotten the upper hand, she seemingly loses control of the suit to whoever is sitting in silence on the ghost channel and they literally break her only chance at survival.

What it comes down to for me is this. While I can think of a logical reading of the novel—Gyre is hallucinating badly because of paranoia and stress from early on, and it only getting worse as things go to shit—the timbre of Gyre’s panic and her constantly rounding back on herself on whether or not she can believe her perceptions color that whole experience. I cannot in good faith just say to somebody, “Oh, she imagined all those things.” Somewhere deep down, I question myself, too. And that’s why “The Luminous Dead” will be on my mind for a long time.

Also, lmao. “Gyre.” “Lethe.” We love references. I see you, Starling.

#The Luminous Dead

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zofiawithaz · 2 years ago

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A Chance Encounter

PARTIES: Cassius @singdreamchild & Sofie @sofiedupont

LOCATION: Masque of the Red Eye

TIMING: Current

SUMMARY: Sofie sees a familiar face and decides to join Cassius for a red eye (extra red)

TRIGGER WARNINGS: n/a

It was Saturday evening and Sofie was avoiding going home for no other reason than she didn’t want to find out if a ham demanding fiend was tearing apart her living room on the hunt for more ghosts just yet. If she wanted to even begin to deal with that, she was going to have to stop for something to eat. She walked into the Masque of the Red Eye and let out a soft sigh of relief. The atmosphere of the coffee shop was always just what she needed. It seemed the owner had a thing for baroque music. Sofie hummed along to the Purcell overture that played in the background.

And then she saw a very familiar face. Or rather, she assumed it was a familiar face. She only saw the back of their head as they were hunched over something. Sofie smiled to herself and walked up behind them and peered over their shoulder. “What are you working on?” She asked, her smile tugging into a toothy grin.

______________________________________________________________

Poetry was something that Cassius had done since childhood, something that brought him a sense of comfort and peace. As always, he had found himself in the corner of Masque of the Red Eye, drinking a red eye with extra red with his journal in front of him, writing away. There was something to writing everything by hand that helped the words flow better, one thing that the new age didn’t seem to do anymore. He began to write:

“The tombstones are cracked and weathered,

Their inscriptions faded with time,

And the weeds have taken over,

As nature reclaims what was once mankind's.”

As he was thinking, Cassius tapped his pen against the paper, completely lost in the words he composed. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice call out to him, and he quickly rose his head from his work, instinctively shutting the journal in front of him before she could read anything he had written down. “Oh, just some poetry,” he responded, patting the cover of the leather journal with a soft smile. “I have a habit of writing here in my free time. A better place than any.” He then gestured to the spot across from him at the table. “Please, feel free to join me after you’ve gotten your drink.”

______________________________________________________________

Sofie had always been a nosy creature. It was simply a fact of her existence. So when the journal snapped closed before she could see what he had been writing on the pages, she was instantly more intrigued. “So I was right, it is you.” She chirped, delighted to be right. For everything this week had contained, this was a silver lining.

“A poet?” The smile was evident in her voice. “A dancer, a teacher, a poet… What don’t you get up to, Cassius.” Her gaze flicked to the counter where there was thankfully no line. “I’ll be back in a tick.” Sofie walked over to the counter, humming as she went. When she returned, she sat down across from him, crossing her legs and taking a long sip of her drink. “What are you writing about in your poem, if I can ask?”

_____________________________________________________________

“Yes, you caught me. I write poetry.” He spoke, a hint of nervousness in his voice. For as long as he’s written it, he never dared share it with anyone other than his sire. When she stepped away to order her drink, Cassius opened his book again, to pages of writings about the night, others about loss and even some random doodles here and there. It was as personal to him as a young child’s diary. When she came back, he gently closed the contents of the journal back up again.

When she came back to the table to join him, he wasn’t at all surprised when she asked what he was writing. “It’s a little embarrassing,” he admitted before pressing his lips together. “I write about a lot of darker topics. Nothing gruesome, but things I find beautiful. Like graveyards in the moonlight or the stars on a cloudless night. I… I’ve done it since I was a boy. I’m not even sure if I’d call myself good at it, but it’s my way of getting feelings out of my head and into the world in a healthy way.”

She watched him from the corner of her eye while she waited for her drink. He seemed… she wasn’t entirely sure. Skittish? Nervous. It did make sense. Pouring out one’s deepest thoughts and feelings onto a page for the sake of art did seem highly personal. And there Sofie was, poking at it like a nosy toddler wanting another sweet.

And yet he told her anyway. And that honestly made her smile. He trusted her. She wasn’t sure why that pleased her as much as it did, but she didn’t have the time to stop and think about it. “I don’t think it’s embarrassing.” Sofie watched him, trying to catch his eye. “I think that’s wonderful. That you’re trying to find the beauty in the dark.” And what a dark place the world could be. That he could find the parts of it that still shimmered in the darkness was a blessing of sorts. The idea of darkness and art sparked something in her brain. “I haven’t seen their work yet, but my friend Metzli- they’re an artist, and like us,” her hand fluttered vaguely to her eyes, which had been steadily turning redder as the smell from her red eye wafted up to her, momentarily forgotten on the table. “But I believe they work with similar themes.”

Sofie realized suddenly she had just sat down and started monopolizing their time. With teaching, he likely only got a few hours a week where he could sit and write to his heart's content. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your work, I just thought I should stop and say hello.”

______________________________________________________________

Cassius couldn’t help but inwardly breathe a sigh of relief as she found interest in his work rather than finding it silly, as a lot of people seemed to find it. As she caught his eye, he smiled a genuine smile at her, not one of those smiles he puts on for show. “I find that if we don’t find some beauty in the darkness, then that same darkness can become all-consuming.” He mused aloud, looking back down to his journal, patting it gently.

“I’m starting to become surprised how many of our… variety I’ve come across lately.” He scrunched up his face, he was starting to wonder if it was too risky being around that many vampires in one small town, it began to move the cogs in the machine that told him to move on, find a safer place to live again. “I’ll have to meet this Metzli then,” he decided with a nod of his head, shaking away the thoughts of moving. It was more of a defense mechanism than it was something he seriously was considering, especially when he was starting to find things in his life that were worth staying for.

As she made a move to leave, his eyes widened, shaking his head. “No! No need. I quite enjoy the company you provide. I write all the time. I don’t see you nearly as often as I’d like. Please, stay.” He insisted, picking up his cup and drinking from it before setting it back down again.

______________________________________________________________

She liked that smile. The smile that didn’t seem to be hiding anything, for all the shrouded mystery of him. “There’s beauty in everything.” Sofie agreed, punctuating the statement with a sip of her coffee. “If there wasn’t, there wouldn’t be much in this world that was worth a damn.”

“It is a surprising number. I feel like a turn a corner and low and behold, another one of us.” It gave her some hope. There was strength in numbers. If she could find people to join her… like minded people, of course. They could pool their resources and be back on top of the world in no time. “I think you’d like them. I’m not entirely sure if they actually like anyone though,” Sofie thought aloud. “Well, that’s not entirely true. I think they like people, but they are just highly selective with who they’ll associate with. But they have a gallery in town- Muertarte, have you heard of it?

She had started to stand, but one particular sentence caught her attention. Her eyes flicked up to Cassius’ face and lingered there. Sofie settled back in her seat, a smile tugging at her lips. “And just how often would you like to see me? Since you don’t see me as often as you’d like, we’ll have to fix that.”

______________________________________________________________

“The poem is about ghosts stuck in an abandoned cemetery.” He admitted, looking down at his journal. Cassius decided, however meekly, to let her into his little world that rarely let people into. “I find some of the most loneliest places to be the most beautiful. A graveyard that no one visits anymore, with no one to take care of it…” He sighed, feeling a little weird about himself. “It’s something that I find myself doing in my sparetime. So I write about it.”

Cassius debated talking about Quin, knowing that she’d need all the help she could get, more than just he alone could provide. “I came across a newly turned vampire without a sire there. Her name is Quin,” he spoke in a hushed tone, not wanting anyone to overhear. “If you happen across her, help her. I can’t do it alone.” His tone was pleading, as was his face. “I’m not… not good enough on my own, especially if she’s prone to becoming a spawn.” He tapped his pointed black nail on the table for a moment before deciding it better to lighten the mood. “I think I have heard of it, but I’ve never stopped by. Maybe I should sometime,” he spoke in response to Muertarte.

Cassius raised a brow at her for a moment, as if he was weighing his options. “Well if it were up to me, I’d say we should go out on a date.” He spoke, a certain boldness in his tone and demeanor. Part of him panicked for a moment, having no idea what would be a good idea for a first date, if she even dared to say yes to the idea. “I don’t know if you’re into the idea of a restaurant or even a movie.” He suggested with a shrug of one shoulder.

______________________________________________________________

The thing with poetry, Sofie had learned over the years, was that it was a glimpse into the soul of the author. If Cassius’s description was any indication of his, Sofie had decidedly good taste in people. But her heart ached a little for him (if unbeating hearts could still ache.), if only because perhaps the lonely thing his was trying to find the beauty in was himself. Then again, Sofie was no poet, and never studied such things, so perhaps she was wrong.

Her gentle smile crumpled and creased into a concerned frown. “Do you know where she is?” Sofie had no experience being a sire, but she still figured she had been around long enough to be able to help someone newly made. “Of course I’ll help. Who would just abandon her like that?” She began to go through a mental list of what might prove useful to the girl.

And there it was. The unspoken thing they’d been dancing around. “Well since it is up to you, what time will you be picking me up?” Sofie cocked her head to the side, a cat-that-caught-the-canary grin on her face.

______________________________________________________________

Cassius couldn’t help but bite his lip with worry, the whole situation was a tricky one. “She’s at her home now, but when I left her, she was still trying to process everything.” He explained, sloshing his drink around in his cup as he stared into it. “You would think whoever sired her, even if it was for nefarious purposes, would want to keep tabs on her. Unless they only went into it to create a spawn which,” he paused shaking his head at the sheer madness of it all. “Doesn’t make a lick of sense to me.” His face turned from worry to one of anger, then back to a more neutral expression. “I don’t like to stick to groups,” he confessed to her. “But there’s something about this town lately that seems to be want me to be doing the opposite.”

He thought for a long moment, mentally thinking of all the attractions in town and which ones would suit them best. “How about I pick you up tomorrow at eight and we can go from there?” Cassius gave her a soft smile, despite knowing he was breaking a rule that he had made from himself. No getting close to anyone. Getting close made leaving harder, and not leaving meant there was a bigger chance of getting caught. The formula in what he did to stay alive was beginning to crumble, and there was a part of him that was happy it was. It was something new, something that wasn’t sticking tightly to a routine. “And where is it I’ll be picking you up from?”

______________________________________________________________

Her frown grew deeper. “If someone was making new vampires just for them to be spawn, they would be putting a target on all of our backs, theirs included.” Sofie couldn’t help but feel a little hypocritical as she said it. Wasn’t she doing the same thing? If whoever had wiped the rest of her clan did still have their sights set on her, wasn’t she putting the others in danger by staying in town? “You’re not the first I’ve met with a distaste for grouping up, but there is safety in numbers.” Usually.

“Tomorrow at eight sounds perfect.” She took a sip of her drink, content with the new addition to her schedule. She leaned forward, and for the second time in a few weeks found herself scribbling on a napkin. “This,” Sofie handed over the note, her handwriting looping across the crumpled paper. “Is my address. It’s just me… and potentially the scary girl who is probably in the process of breaking into my apartment to judge me for holding onto a doll I didn’t know was actually haunted. And demand more ham.”

______________________________________________________________

Cassius nodded his head in agreement, knowing full well what disaster this spelled if it wasn’t taken care of. “Something’s going to happen, and it’s only a matter of time to see which direction that swings.” Cassius stopped and thought for a moment, unsure on how to proceed. He had always been taught to stay low, keep up appearances and move on when the time came. “I suppose that’s just not the way that I was taught,” he confessed aloud. “I’m not saying it’s inherently a bad thing, but I guess I’ve just never experienced it.” He thought about how in the last manner of days he’s already met two other vampires and is hearing about another. “I have a feeling that’s changing though. There’s another thing you’ll have to teach me,” he looked up to her with a knowing smile.

As he received her address, Cassius nodded gratefully and stuck it into the pocket of his coat. He then began to open his mouth to speak at the who potentially was in her apartment, but it ended with his mouth just hanging open in a mix of confusion and horror. “Haunted doll…” he muttered then continued with “ham?” He shook his head, quickly finishing off his drink. “Well I’ll be sure to beware of the scary ham girl and her newly acquired haunted doll and pick you up at your place.” He gave her another smile. “Until then?”

______________________________________________________________

“I suppose we have to be… upstanding citizens? And ensure it swings in the best direction to keep us safe.” Sofie had to keep it safe. She couldn’t afford to lose it all again. She couldn’t bear it. A laugh bubbled up and broke through the clouds of her expression. “Well, the teacher is now the student, I suppose.”

“It is,” Sofie sighed “a very long story, that begins with me being an antiques dealer. And learning that I hate online advertising, because it draws the strangest customers.” Sofie winked as he stood to leave. “Until tomorrow.” She agreed. It was strange she thought to herself. She hadn’t felt a thing in her chest in years, and yet the flutter in her chest felt so real. She smiled to herself. I’m coming back to life. He’s bringing me back to life.

#c; cassius hawthorne #thread: a chance encounter

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motorsportverso · 2 years ago

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GERAL TOP 10

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1h59min17s

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GERAL

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8-48-Grag McCarty,Geiser Trophy Truck,Evolution Trophy Truck, 11h25min54s

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10-512-Mike Belk,VW Buggy Class 5,Vintage,11h39min12s

#utvs #norra 1000 mexico #class 10 #trophy truck

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o-rchidae · 2 years ago

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8. Is what you like to write the same as what you like to read?

I guess if you categorise most of what I write as historical fiction then yes. I like reading history books, classic fiction, and historical fiction. Also I read a lot of horror and supernatural themed fiction so that's definitely influenced Sleeping with Ghosts. I guess my sweet spot is Victorian ghost stories.

Here is a list of authors I have enjoyed recently:

Laura Purcell

Bridget Collins

Bella Ellis

Susanna Clarke

Natasha Pulley

Stuart Turton

Pat Barker

Oscar de Muriel

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campaignoutsider · 4 years ago

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Boston Herald Goes Full MAGAt on Pardon for Trump

For the past five years the Boston Herald has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Donald Trump, but today the chumpy local tabloid has plumbed new depths. From Jay Fitzgerald and Keith Regan in today’s MASSterList: Curious timing: ‘Biden should consider pardon for Trump’ It’s pretty amazing for a newspaper editorial board that has remained absolutely silent, one way or the other, on President…

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#Boston Herald #chumpy local tabloid #Donald Trump #goofy local tabloid #Jay Fitzgerald #Joe Biden #Keith Regan #Massterlist #pardon #Pat Purcell #Rachelle Cohen

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unstable-molecules · 6 years ago

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March 1976 goings-on at DC Comics.

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kantrips · 3 years ago

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2021 Reading Log

In 2021 I read 71 books, beating my reading goal of 50! I was in two book clubs last year. For 2022 I’m dropping to one – I found the reading manageable but not the meetings.

I mainly read books that were slow paced, 300-499 pages long and reflective, emotional and dark. My top three genres were Classics, Literary and Historical.

Full list under the cut. Please recommend me things at will! For 2022 I want to read more poetry and am aiming to hit at least 70 books again.

The Overtstory – Richard Powers

The Song of Achilles – Madeline Miller

Homesick for Another World – Ottessa Moshfegh

The American Fiancée - Éric Dupont

The Silent Companions – Laura Purcell

The New Wilderness – Diane Cook

The Driver’s Seat – Muriel Spark

Emma – Jane Austen (comfort reread)

The Fellowship of the Ring – J.R.R. Tolkien (comfort reread)

The History of Bees – Maja Lunde

The Two Towers – J.R.R Tolkien (comfort reread)

My Year of Rest and Relaxation – Otessa Moshfegh (reread for book club)

The Return of the King – J.R.R Tolkien (comfort reread)

Hamnet – Maggie O’Farrell (a new favourite!)

Such a Fun Age – Kiley Reid (a new favourite!)

The Memory Police – Yoko Ogawa

The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger

The New Me – Halle Butler

The Radium Girls – Kate Moore

The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath (reread for book club)

The Dutch House – Ann Patchett (a new favourite!)

Convenience Store Woman – Sayaka Murata (a new favourite!)

The Cost of Living – Deborah Levy

Wide Sargasso Sea – Jean Rhys

Rebecca – Daphne du Maurier (comfort reread)

Eggshell Skull – Bri Lee

Far from the Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy (comfort reread)

Burial Rites – Hannah Kent (reread for book club)

Beauty – Bri Lee

The Silence of the Girls – Pat Barker

The Death of the Heart – Elizabeth Bowen (a new favourite!)

The Turn of the Key – Ruth Ware

The Thirty-Nine Steps – John Buchan (reread for book club)

The Road – Cormac McCarthy

In a Dark, Dark Wood – Ruth Ware

The Bass Rock – Evie Wyld

Starve Acre – Andrew Michael Hurley

The Labyrinth – Amanda Lohrey

The Winter People – Jennifer McMahon (contains offensive racial stereotyping)

Beautiful World, Where Are You – Sally Rooney

Useless Magic – Florence Welch

The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald

High Fidelity – Nick Hornby

A Few Days in the Country and Other Stories – Elizabeth Harrower

Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh

The Last Time I Lied – Riley Sager

The Museum of Modern Love – Heather Rose

The Silent Patient – Alex Michaelides

Frankenstein: The 1818 Text – Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

The Mercies: A Novel – Kiran Millwood Hargrave

The Guest List – Lucy Foley

Life Before Man – Margaret Atwood

Unsheltered – Clare Moleta

The Mysterious Affair at Styles – Agatha Christie

Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall – Kazuo Ishiguro

Mr Salary – Sally Rooney

I Hope We Choose Love: A Trans Girl’s Notes from the End of the World – Kai Cheng Thom

The Yellow Wall-Paper – Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Exciting Times – Naoise Dolan

Persuasion – Jane Austen (comfort reread)

The Woman in Cabin 10 – Ruth Ware

The Harp in the South – Ruth Park

Upstream: Selected Essays – Mary Oliver

Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell

Little Eve – Catriona Ward

Collected Stories – John Cheever

Before the Coffee Gets Cold – Toshikazu Kawaguchi

The Go-Between – L.P. Hartley (a new favourite!)

Lady Oracle – Margaret Atwood (a new favourite!)

Final Girls – Riley Sager (I quite disliked the previous book I read by this author but forgot and picked this up from a street library!)

The Plague – Albert Camus

And currently reading: Girl, Woman, Other – Bernardine Evaristo

#books #reading update #any fellow bookworms out there?#tell me what to read #especially poetry recs classic or contemporary #it's funny because I exceeded my reading goal #yet still feel like I wasn't reading much this year

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glitchtech-industries · 3 years ago

Text

Bang Bang

Magnus flipped a coin between his fingers, showing off to his friend, Pamille. The girl watched in awe, as he did seemingly impossible things with the coin. He tossed it in the air, spun it on his middle finger, and made it dance.

"Cool, huh?"

She nodded and leaned against Magnus. He smiled at her and pushed a hand through her hair. She was adorable to the teenager. He smiled at her and kissed her forehead before continuing their walk.

The large building was easy to point out to the two. It was their workplace and it was hard to miss. A huge pink and white building with "GlitchTech Industries", very hard to miss.

"It's such a nice day! Maybe we should go to a park later!"

"That would be nice," She signed.

Magnus looked around the area. It really was a nice day. He sighed and closed his eyes. There was a stinging sensation in his brain that he was trying to ignore.

'There's nothing wrong. Everything's fine.'

"Stop that man!"

There was a man who ran past the two. Magnus' eyes widened and tried to grab Pamille's arm, but she took off. She ran after the man and reached down to grab his pant leg. She was able to and pulled on it, making the man trip and fall. When he turned around and glared at her. Pamille backed up and looked around, hoping someone was pursuing him.

"You bitch! I'll get you!"

The man pulled out a gun, and Magnus' face paled. He wasn't thinking when he ran over to her when he heard the gun cock. He moved in front of Pamille and tried to activate his quirk, but it was too late.

BANG BANG

The man ran away from the scene and left the two. Pamille's eyes opened and looked at her friend. He was keeping himself upright on the wall and turned to smile at her.

"Hey... you're okay..."

He slumped against her and she held him, before turning him around. There were two bullet holes in his side. Pamille gasped and quickly picked him up.

"Pamille- no... you shouldn't carry me..."

Pamille frowned deeply and pulled him onto her back. He'd done so much for her.

---

"Alright! Time for two worlds to meet! Purcell, Pamille, this is Magnus and Rento. Rento, Magnus, this is Purcell and Pamille."

The two duos nodded at each other and Glitch bit her thumbnail.

"The sucky thing is there's a language barrier. The girls speak French and the boys speak Japanese."

"Parlant français? Alors, je m'appelle Magnus!"

Pamille and Purcell's faces lit up at Magnus' French. Glitch's eyebrows raised and smiled at him.

"You really are a genius, huh?

"Heh, yeah, I am. Pamille's a pretty name, y'know."

Pamille was taken aback by the compliment. As the others, the ones who were able to speak, talked amongst themselves, Pamille was focused on Magnus. Suddenly, she walked over to them and hugged Magnus.

"Hey-" Rento objected, but Rento was taken aback when he saw Magnus' reaction. His best friend was crying. Silently, like normal. But... the tears were just slipping from his eyes.

"Magnus..?"

"I... I can't remember the last time I got a hug... that was like this."

The memory was saved in both their minds.

---

The first time he let her into his lab was about 2 weeks after they were introduced to each other. Pamille looked around at the lab.

"Y'know, if you were to bring me into a lab a while ago, I'm sure I would have broken down into tears... however..." Magnus smiles at the room, "This is a tech lab. It's amazing and doesn't remind me of where I used to be."

Pamille cocked her head and walked over to him. She pulled a notepad off of the counter and wrote "What happened at another lab?" before handing it to him. He read it over and frowned.

"I... have been friends with Rento for a long time. Through our friendship, there was a time when we were the closest we'd ever been. When we were kidnapped by these scientists."

Pamille gasped and covered her mouth. Magnus snorted at her reaction.

"Yeah, it was awful. They prodded at my brain and made me 'smarter'. That's why I know so much French. How're you doing with your Japanese lessons?"

Pamille gave him a thumbs-up before grabbing the notepad and writing something in Japanese. When she handed it to him, a smile broke across his face.

"As a certified genius and Japanese citizen, I approve."

The memory was saved in both their minds, but it was a turning point in the trust factor in their relationship.

---

It was about 4 months since the two duos had met, and it was a special day. Pamille's birthday. She got a "Happy Birthday" from Rento, a card from Glitch, and a kiss and a few knives from Purcell. However, she hadn't received anything from Magnus. She went to the lab and looked around. Magnus was putting something in a box before he noticed her.

"Ah, Pamille! You know you can't sneak up on me! My ears are too strong!"

Pamille frowned at him and pulled on his lab coat sleeve. He knew from her face and the way she pulled on his sleeve that she was upset. He patted her head and smiled.

"You thought I forgot? Don't worry, I didn't~"

He handed her the box and she looked at it. She opened the box and pulled out the contents. It was... a giant lollipop.

"Oh, and a membership for a candy shop nearby."

He handed her a card and she directed her attention back to the giant lollipop.

"Click that button right there."

She clicked a button that was on the stick of it and when she did, the lollipop transformed into a giant battleax.

"Tadah! Your very own battleax! I made it special for- Oh!"

Pamille hugged him and he hugged her back.

"Glad you like it, Pam."

---

This was the least she could do. She carried him to the building and when she got into the lobby, she couldn't see anyone there. Why would she, the lobby was her job.

She wanted to scream out. Let anyone know what had happened. She couldn't use her phone, since she needed both hands for carrying Magnus. He might be dead. She wasn't strong enough, and now Magnus could be dead.

"Pam..."

She heard his weak voice, letting her know he was still alive. She carried him to the elevator and desperately mashed the floor the lab was on. The doors finally closed and the elevator was silent. On any other day, it would be anything but silent. Magnus would be talking about a new invention or an update on his favorite anime.

Pamille didn't like the silence.

The doors opened and she lumbered out, dragging him into the lab. Pamille was a strong girl, but natural strength can only take a person so far. When she entered the lab, her legs gave out and she fell to the ground.

"Pamille?"

Thank god Rento was in.

The young boy went to check on her and gasped at the scene. He quickly picked his friend up and carried him in and placed him on a table. He then carried Pamille into a chair before working on his friend.

---

Magnus was stabilized. Rento and Pamille looked at him in his hospital bed. They each had downcast expressions.

"What happened?"

"A thief I think. He had a gun and Magnus' quirk didn't work fast enough."

Rento nodded and looked at his friend, "You're always putting yourself in danger, Magnus."

"It's my fault."

"It is not your fault. He chose to save you."

"I went after the thief."

"You did the right thing."

"I don't even have a quirk."

"That doesn't mean anything-"

Pamille slammed her hands down on the table. She was breathing heavily and wheezed.

"Pamille... you can say anything to me."

"No, I can't."

"Why not?"

Pamille grabbed the notepad and began scribbling angrily. She shoved the notepad into his hands and crossed her arms. She watched his eyes as they scanned across the page and watched as they widened.

"...I see."

That was a response she'd never heard. Most people said, "I'm sorry" or "That's so sad". She knew Rento wasn't the best with feelings and past experiences due to his own.

"So... you really can't."

She shook her head. He looked back down at Magnus who was still in his coma.

"This is the most peaceful he's looked."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Even when he was asleep, he wouldn't be this peaceful. He'd be moving, he'd be talking. Sometimes even shouting. I can't blame him, he went through some awful things."

"You did too."

"So did you."

Pamille nodded and watched Magnus. His chest rose and fell; up and down. He really was peaceful.

---

It was a week.

A week since he was shot. Pamille spent all day every day, by his side. She wished each day for him to wake up.

"He kissed me once, he kissed me twice, and kissed me once again..."

Pamille was asleep in the chair, an old portable radio.

"You'll never know how many dreams..."

That was a different... yet familiar voice. Pamille opened her eyes and saw Magnus with his eyes opened. He was softly singing along to his favorite song. Pamille's eyes widened and she stood up, wheezing.

"Don't strain yourself."

Rento ran in and ran over to the bed, "Magnus! Your thing sensed a spike in your heart rate!"

"Wow... I made you forget a word. Impressive."

Rento teared up and cried, a smile breaking out on his face. The two friends hugged Magnus carefully, and he hugged them back.

"So, uh, what did I miss?"

"Does that even matter? How're you feeling?!"

"Uh, it so does matter. Were we attacked? Did Percy get a boyfriend? C'mon, guys, I need answers!"

Pamille pulled on Magnus' sleeve to get his attention.

"Yes, Pam?"

"I want you to promise me something."

"Yeah?"

"Never change."

#bnha ocs #glitchtech squad #pamille #rento #magnus #injury tw

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hawkvalley · 3 years ago

Text

Regular Season Game 6

Hawk Valley

Denver Broncos Regular Season Game 6 October 17, 2021

Quick Review

The Denver Broncos beat the Steelers in the second half 13-10. It was almost 20-10, but Teddy’s final pass was intercepted in the end zone. There are two halves in every game you say? Well, the Steelers won the first half 17-6 and the overall game 27-19.

A longer review

Pittsburgh started the game off with a flag on the kickoff return. Benny Snell, #24, was flagged for holding. From the 15 yard line, Najee Harris, #22, gained 6 yards running up the middle. On second down, Harris picked up 3 more yards. On third down, Ben Roethlisberger, #7, completed a pass to Chase Claypool, #11, down the sideline for a 23 yard gain. JuJu Smith Schuster, #19, ran to the left, on first down, picking up three yards. On second and 7, Ben Roethlisberger tossed a deep incomplete pass to Snell. On third down, with about twelve minutes left, Ben Roethlisberger connected with Diontae Johnson, #18, for a 50 yard touchdown. At one point in time on Sunday, this was the Geico Play of the Day.

The Broncos responded with a three and out. Take that Pittsburgh! On first down, the Broncos were flagged for delay of game. A run up the middle by Gordon gained one yard. On second and 14, Gordon ran to the left and picked up five yards. On third and nine, Teddy connected with Patrick for a five yard gain. The Broncos punted with 10 minutes left in the quarter.

On first down, from the 17 yard line, Harris picked up three yards running up the middle. The Steelers ran the same play on second down, but this time Harris gained 5 yards running up the middle. The Steelers needed two yards on third down, so Ben Roethlisberger tossed the ball to Pat Freiermuth, #88, for a four yard gain. Shelby Harris #96 was injured on the play, he was poked in the eye. On third down, Ben threw a pass that was almost picked and Purcell was injured on the play. On second down, Harris ran to the left for a seven yard gain. Ben completed a short pass to Eric Ebron, #85, on third down for a five yard gain and the first down. With 6:40 left, Harris ran up the middle for six yards. On second down, Harris picked up five more yards. With 5:25 left in the quarter, Chukwuma Okorafor, #76, was flagged for a false start. On first and 15, Kalen Ballage, #29, ran to the right for two yards. On second down, Ben was sacked, lost eight yards and fumbled. Alexander Johnson #45 recovered the ball for the Broncos.

Williams ran to the right twice for a two yard loss. On third down, Williams caught a pass for 11 yards. On fourth down, with 2 minutes left, the Broncos kicked a 39 yard field goal.

On first and 10 from the 25, Zach Gentry, #81, caught a pass from Ben for a 13 yard gain. Harris ran to the left for 4 yards with 64 seconds left. On second down, Harris caught a pass for a 6 yard gain which was enough for the first down and the first quarter ended. After one, Pittsburgh lead Denver 7-3. *”Pittsburgh held the ball for over 11 minutes in the first quarter.” --Announcer.

When play resumed, Harris gained 5 yards. On second down, Harris ran to the right for a gain of 21 yards. On first down, Ballage ran to the right where Von Miller tackled him for a three yard loss. On second and 13 with 12:50 left in the half, Ben’s pass was almost intercepted. On third down, Ben tossed another incomplete pass. On fourth down, the Steelers kicked a 48 yard field goal.

The Broncos next “three and out” featured a seven yard gain by Gordon on first down, two incomplete passes and a punt. The Broncos took 45 seconds off the clock.

There was a flag on the punt. Justin Layne, #31, was flagged for an illegal block in the back. From the 9 yard line, Harris gained 3 yards running to the left. Harris picked up 5 yards on second down. The announcers pointed out that Harris had over 70 yards rushing in the game so far. After an incomplete pass, the Steelers punted with 10:15 left in the half. The Steelers drive lasted 100 seconds.

Williams ran to the left and gained no yards on first down. Teddy connected with Sutton for a 9 yard gain on second down. Needing one yard for a first down, Williams almost took it to the house with a gain of 49 yards, he carried the ball all the way down to the five yard line. There was a flag on the play, Williams was flagged for celebration. On first and goal, with eight minutes left, Williams ran up the middle for two yards. On second and goal, Teddy was sacked for a twelve yard loss. On third down, after a Bronco timeout, a screen to Williams gained 6 yards and moved the ball to the eleven yard line. On fourth and goal, with 5:50 left, the Broncos kicked a 29 yard field goal. The score: Denver 6, Pittsburgh 10.

On first down, from the 25, Schuster ran to the left for a three yard gain. He was inured on the play. On second down, Ben found Claypool, who was covered by Miller, for a 59 yard gain. Harris attempted to run to the right, but he was unsuccessful. On second down, Okorafor was flagged for a false start. Pittsburgh called a timeout. When play resumed, Ben threw an incomplete pass. On third down Ben threw an incomplete pass into the end zone. There was a flag on play. Fuller was flagged for pass interference, which moved the ball up to the one yard line. On first down, a run by Harris failed to get into the end zone. On second down, the Steelers called upon Harris again and this time he ran into the end zone with 2:12 left in the half. The score: Pittsburgh 17, Denver 6.

Back on offense, Teddy Bridgewater connected with Sutton for 15 yards and that play took us down to the two minute warning. On second down, Teddy found Sutton again for a gain of 12 yards. Garett Bolles was flagged for a false start on first down. On first and 15, Teddy tossed an incomplete pass. On second down, Teddy threw another incomplete pass. On third and 15, Alex Highsmith, #56, was flagged for a neutral zone infraction. On the second chance third down, Bolles was flagged for holding, the Steelers declined. The Broncos punted with 1:37 left in the half. The drive took 35 seconds off the clock.

On first and 10, Harris gained three yards running to the right. On second and 7, with 60 seconds left, Ben tossed the ball to Johnson for a three yard gain. There was a flag on the play, Kendrick Green, #53, was flagged for being an ineligible player downfield. On second and 12, Harris ran to the right for a 13 yard gain. On first down, Ben connected with Ebron for a 5 yard gain. With 23 seconds left, Ballage ran up the middle for a loss of two yards and the half ended. At halftime the score was: Pittsburgh 17, Denver 6.

To start off the second half, Ford was flagged for holding on the kickoff return. On the first play from the 15 yard line, Teddy connected with Sutton for 12 yards. From the 27, Gordon picked up six yards running up the middle. Somehow Teddy found Gordon for a four yard gain on second down. The next run by Gordon gained one yard. Teddy Bridgewater then connected with Patrick for a 12 yard gain. On second and 9, from midfield, Gordon ran to the left for one yard. Another Gordon run to the left picked up 2 yards. With 10 minutes left in the quarter, Teddy threw an incomplete pass and the Broncos punted on the next play.

On first and 10, Harris ran to the right for five yards. On second down, Harris picked up 18 yards running towards the middle-left. On first down, Ballage picked up three yards running to the right. On second down, Ballage picked up one yard on the run, but there was a flag on the play. Kevin Dotson, #69, was flagged for holding. No problem, Ben threw the ball to Harris for a 14 yard gain on second and 17. Then Ben connected with Claypool for 14 yards. On first down, Harris picked up 8 yards. On second down, Ben threw an incomplete pass. Third and 2, Ben connected with Freiermuth for three yards. On first down, Harris lost one yard. Then Harris lost another yard after a Bronco timeout. On third down, Ben threw an incomplete pass. On fourth and 11, with 2:58 left in the quarter, the Steelers kicked a 51 yard field goal and made it, but there was a flag on the play. Dre’Mont Jones, #93, was flagged for leverage, a 15 yard penalty. First down Pittsburgh. After the penalty, Ben tossed two straight incomplete passes. On third and 10, after a timeout, Ben connected with Claypool for an 18 yard touchdown. With 2:41 left in the quarter, the score was Pittsburgh 24, Denver 6.

Teddy Bridgewater connected with Patrick for a 19 yard gain. Bridgewater was sacked for an eight yard loss on first down. On second down, Williams picked up three yards. On third and 15, Teddy found Patrick for a ten yard gain and that play ended the third quarter.

On fourth and five, Teddy connected with Patrick, who stretched out for the first down. He was rewarded for his effort, first down Denver. Back to the running game, Williams gained 10 yards. On the next play, the Broncos tried a reverse of sorts and lost one yard. On second and 11, Teddy tossed an incomplete pass. On third and 11, Fant caught a pass for 9 yards. On fourth down, Bridgewater connected with Sutton for a gain of 25 yards. On first and goal from the three yard line, with 11:45 left in the game, Teddy tossed an incomplete pass. On second and goal, Teddy was sacked for a one yard loss, but there was a flag on the play. Lloyd Cushenberry, #79, was flagged for holding. On second down, Teddy scrambled for 11 yards. On third down, Teddy tossed an incomplete pass. On fourth down, with 10:19 left, Teddy Bridgewater found Hinton for a touchdown. The score: Denver 13, Pittsburgh 24.

The next Pittsburgh drive started on the 18 yard line, they gained 4 yards and then punted with 7:40 left in the game. Jones and Ford were injured on this drive.

The Broncos started their drive from the 28 yard line. On first down, Gordon ran to the left and gained four yards. On second down, Patrick gained 15 yards. Sutton followed that up with a 9 yard gain. Then Gordon picked up five yards running to the left. Teddy Bridgewater then connected with Sutton for a 39 yard touchdown. The Broncos attempted a two point conversion and failed with 5:46 left in the game. Denver had fought all the way back and could now take the lead from Steelers with a touchdown on their next drive, if the defense could get a stop.

On first down, Snell ran up the middle for up two yards. On second down, Ben connected with Johnson for a 22 yard gain. On first down with 4:11 left, Claypool picked up 16 yards. On first down, Snell ran to the left for no gain. Denver took a timeout. On second down, with 3:25 left, Snell picked up four yards running up the middle. On third down and 5 with 2:39 left, Pittsburgh took a timeout. When play resumed, Snell gained four yards running to the left. On fourth down with one yard to go, Denver took their final timeout. Pittsburgh kicked a 43 yard field goal on the next play.

Denver started their final drive from the 25 yard line. On first down, Teddy threw an incomplete pass. On second and 10, Teddy found Patrick for a 22 yard gain. Teddy then connected with Fant for a six yard gain right before the two minute warning.

When play resumed, Williams gained 9 yards on second down. Then Fant caught a five yard pass with 1:40 left. On second and 5, Teddy threw an incomplete pass. On third and 5, Teddy connected with Hinton for a 23 yard gain. With 56 seconds left, Bridgewater threw an incomplete pass. On second and goal, with 50 seconds left, Gordon caught a pass for a six yard gain and moved the ball to the 3 yard line. On third and goal, Teddy tossed an incomplete pass. On fourth down with 17 second left, Teddy Bridgewater’s pass into the end zone was intercepted. That was Teddy’s first interception of the season.

With 11 seconds left on the clock, Ben Roethlisberger took a knee to end the game. Final score: Pittsburgh 27, Denver 19.

The Game Stats

Denver Broncos

Time of Possession

26:58

Passing Attempts

Passing Yards

288

Rushes

Rushing Yards

106

Pittsburgh Steelers

Time of Possession

33:02

Passing Attempts

Passing Yards

253

Rushes

Yards

147

The Running Game

*AYPC is average yards per carry

PlayerCarriesAYPCLongTD(s)Fumble(s) Gordon94800 Williams884900 Bridgewater1111100

The Passing Attack

*Was targeted once **Was targeted twice

PlayerReceptions%LongTD(s)Fumble(s) Patrick778%2300 Sutton764%3910 Williams3100%1000 Fant375%900 Gordon2100%600 Hinton267%2310 Moore**00%000 Spencer*00%000

The Quarterbacks

Bridgewater

Passing

compypaTD(s)INT(s)LongRating 63%8213993

Rushing

AttYardsLongTD(s) 111110

Sacked

TimesYards LostFumble(s) 2200

Ben Roethlisberger

Passing

compypaTD(s)INT(s)LongRating 60%102059121

Rushing

AttYardsLongTD(s) 1-1-10

Sacked

Time(s)Yard(s) LostFumble(s) 191

Afc West Standings

Vs the Division

TeamGame(s) PlayedWinning %Net Los Angeles2100%+20 Kansas City10-6 Las Vegas10-14 Denver000

Vs the Conference

TeamGame(s) PlayedWinning %Net Las Vegas3100%+18 Los Angeles1100%+5 Denver450%+12 Kansas City333%-15

vs the NFC

TeamGame(s) PlayedWinning %Net Denver1100%+14 Kansas City1100%+12 Los Angeles250%+1 Las Vegas10-11

Problems

For the first thee weeks of the season the Broncos were averaging 25 points on offense while giving up only 9 points on defense and they were 3-0. The net points for this period was a very impressive +50! Since they've started to play "better" teams, the Broncos are averaging 13 points on offense while giving up 25 points per game and the net has gone negative, -25! A massive change for the worse, a -75 drop in net points. It's as if the Bronco bus has driven off a cliff.

Since the Broncos are playing the Raiders this week and the Raiders also started this season 3-0, lets see how the Raiders have changed this season. During the three week winning streak, the Raiders scored 90 points on offense while giving up 72 for a net of +18. Since then, the Raiders have only scored 23 points while giving up 48, for a net of -25. In other words, the Raiders drove off a hill, they only dropped 43.

Heck, why not look at the entire Afc West and see how things have changed since the season started.

Overall Record 5 Games

TeamPoints ScoredPoints SurrenderedNetWinning % Los Angeles142116+2080% Denver10276+2660% Las Vegas113120-760% Kansas City154163-940%

1st 3 Games

TeamPoints ScoredPoints SurrenderedNetWinning % Denver762650100% Las Vegas907218100% Los Angeles6760+767% Kansas City9295-333%

Last two games

TeamPoints ScoredPoints SurrenderedNetWinning % Los Angeles7556+19100% Kansas City6268-650% Denver2650-240 Las Vegas2348-250

The worst offenses in the NFL after week 3

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Denver Broncos

Minnesota Vikings

Detroit Lions

San Francisco 49ers

Miami Dolphins

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

Chicago Bears

This can be explained by Drew Lock playing one game during this period and Teddy Bridgewater coming back from injury during this period. The fourth quarter of the Pittsburgh game suggests to me that Teddy and the receivers are back in sync and that the offensive slump is over.

If the slump is not over and the offense continues to play like they did during the first half of the Pittsburgh game, then the season is over and the dreams of so many people that call into sports talk will come true and there will massive changes at the end of the season.

It’s one thing to type how bad the Bronco’s offense has been during this period, it’s another thing to look at it in a list. So, here’s that list. I’d like to point out that the “easy win” teams now rank higher than Denver and that today’s opponent, the Raiders, actually rank lower than Denver.

Opponents ranked by points scored after week 3

2. Dallas Cowboys

4. Los Angeles Chargers

5. Philadelphia Eagles

6. Kansas City Chiefs

9. Washington The Football Team

10. Cleveland Browns

12. Baltimore Ravens

16. New York Jets

17. New York Giants

18. Cincinnati Bengals

22. Pittsburgh Steelers

25. Jacksonville Jaguars

28. Detroit Lions

30. Denver Broncos

31. Las Vegas Raiders

On Saturday, the Broncos moved Mike Boone RB #26, John Brown WR #17, and Tyrie Cleveland WR #16 to the active roster. They also designated Jerry Jeudy for return from IR. The coaching staff describes John Brown as very fast.

Today's teams ranked by stats

Broncos (3-2)

24th

18th

22nd

12th

100%

Lost 2

Raiders (3-2)

19th

13th

4th

29th

91%

-1

Lost 2

Outlook

This is Denver's first divisional game of the year, the Raiders have already played one divisional game and lost.

The Raiders fired their coach on Monday. If they had waited till midweek, the situation might have been more of a distraction for the Raiders, but they handled the situation quickly, so the coaching change might not benefit the Broncos.

The two straight losses have sent the organization into meltdown. Sports talk was already angry heading into the season and now they see blood in the water and are circling the coaching staff. Some people might be searching for old Vic emails.

The losing culture that has set in wants to lose more games for better draft picks which will lead to more wins, just like that successful Cleveland Browns franchise...

When the Packers lost their first game of the season, that was great news for Denver because it meant that the Rodgers watch was over. Now that the Broncos are on a losing streak, more Denver fans are following the Packers. They believe that Arron Rodgers wants out of Green Bay and wants to play for Denver next season.

I included some personal moves this week because that will impact this game. In the fourth quarter last week, Teddy was on the same page as his receivers after sitting out one week and it paid off. Now the coaching staff has added new people to the offense. How long will it take Teddy and the new players to connect? If Teddy connects early, the Broncos win.

If the passing game takes off early, that should help the offensive line, which has regressed this year. Bolles looks like a rookie. So once again, it all comes down to Bridgewater. If he has a bad day, the Broncos lose.

Game Time

Sunday October 17 @ 2:25 PM MT

Just a reminder, the game after this, against the Cleveland Browns is on Thursday night (4 days away). October 21 @ 6:20 PM MT

Looking Ahead to Future Opponents

Preseason Outlook

WeekTeamWinning %Win(s) 1Vikings0%0 2Seahawks33%1 3Rams00

First Quarter Outlook

WeekTeamWinning %Win(s) 1Giants20%1 2Jaguars00 3Jets20%1 4Ravens80%4

Second Quarter Outlook

WeekTeamWinning %Win(s) 5Steelers40%2 6Raiders60%3 7Browns60%3 8Football Team40%2

Third Quarter Outlook

WeekTeamWinning %Win(s) 9Cowboys80%4 10Eagles33%2 12Chargers80%4 13Chiefs40%2

Fourth Quarter Outlook

WeekTeamWinning %Win(s) 14Lions00 15Bengals60%3 16Raiders60%3 17Chargers80%4 18Chiefs40%2

A red line, might be wavy, indicates a loss.A green line, might be double, indicates a win.*(records as of October 16,2021)

#denver broncos #afc west #las vegas raiders #teddy bridgewater #courtland sutton #nfl football #lvvsden #denvslv

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alltoowell-taylorsversion · 4 years ago

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I love you, family. Dad, because you are my biggest fan, and I'll never get tired of the way you smile when I pick up a guitar and play. Mom, for being my best friend and most trusted companion, even in times when you were my only friend. That was just fine. Austin, my little brother, for being so much more brave than I could ever hope to be. My aunt, Alison, for being such a beautiful person. My aunts, uncles, cousins and relatives (even the ones I didn't know I had) for making Thanksgiving something someone should write a book about. I love my mom and dad's friends who have been so unbelievably supportive (and so unbelievably loud at my shows). I love my friends. Abigail, I love you because you are my best friend in the entire world. Can't wait to room together when we're 65 and wrinkly and living in Minnesota. I love Ally, Kelsey, Kathryn, Jeff, Clay and all my awesome friends in Hendersonville. Britany Maack for being my first friend, I miss you! I love everyone who helped put this album together. Scott Borchetta for believing in me and actually DOING something about it. Shake and bake, Radioman. This is how we roll. Nathan Chapman because he is the most amazing red-headed freckle-faced little producer in the world and I love your beautiful wife Stephanie. Thanks Nathan for gracing me with your first album. Liz Rose, you are my songwriting soulmate, and one of my dearest friends.

Robert Ellis Orrall, you Rock! Nick for breaking your drumsticks on my songs, Tim for playing on my session ON YOUR BIRTHDAY, and everyone else who played on the album because you are THAT GOOD. Chad, for your amazing mullet (and engineering skills). I love my record label. Jack Purcell, for your Minnesota accent. Mandy McCarmack, for humoring me in my mailbox obsession. Rick Barker, because I learned everything about radio in...nevermind. HAHA. Bobby Young, thanks for taking us shopping. Whitney Sutton, you are so organized and I love you for it. JZ, because of that adorable laugh/nose thing you do. Nancy Johnson, for being my GIRL and pretty much a genius. Jayme Austin for adding so much spirit to the label. Sandi Spika Borchetta, for being so creative/brilliant/beautiful and buying me pretty things to wear. Penny Laza, because you are a crazy rock star. Andrew Kautz, if I ever walk into the label, and you're NOT there, I will not know what to do with myself. Cynthia Grimson, for your amazingly dry sense of humor. Ray Pronto, for putting this Big Machine in motionnnn. I love the people who helped me get here. Arthur Buenahara, thank your for signing a FOURTEEN year old to a full writers publishing deal. I will never forget that. In fact, I love everyone at Sony Publishing. Pat Garrett and Suzy Dalton for letting my little ten-year old self open up for you. Harry Warner, for being such a gentleman and having my back at BMI.

Frank Bell for being so brutally honest about my music from the time I was like 12, and so supportive of my career NOW. Andrew Orth for 14 years of great photos! Cindy Guagenti for being the most stylish publicist in the world. Jody Williams, for listening to my rants about high school, and being such a dear friend and musicologist. HHS for supporting me 100%. Bob Taylor and Bob Borbonus at Taylor Guitars for believing in me and making perfection in the form of guitars. Mike Milom for being a genius and the best lawyer ever. Sarah, Ed, and Jim at GAC for taking such a vested interest in me, and PUTTING ME ON TV! CMT you're awesome! Trey Fanjoy, because you are such a visionary and for directing an amazing video. Pete Fisher you are amazing. Rod Essig, for believing in me from the beginning and being so passionate about what you do. I love Tim McGraw for making such inspiring music. I love Faith Hill for being the most graceful woman in the world. I love you, Jack Ingram. If at any point in my life, I ever amount to being HALF as cool as you, I will throw myself a party. I LOVE RADIO because I haven't met one person I don't consider a friend. I love all of my myspace friends for taking such an active roll in what I do, I

I will never forget how you all rallied for me from the beginning. I love everyone who's inspired me to write a song, whether you know it or not. I love anyone who has ever turned the volume up when my song comes on the radio, anyone who has bought this album. Anyone who can sing along to my songs when I play them live. Anyone who's ever requested my song on the radio, or even remembered my name. If you ever see me in public, I want to meet you. I will thank you myself. You have let me into your life, and I will never be able to thank you enough for that. I love YOU, and I love God for putting you in my life

Love love love

-T-

PS: To all the boys who thought they would be cool and break my heart, guess what? Here are 11 songs written about you. HA.

#taylor swift #tswiftedit #debut #lyric edit

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thewidowstanton · 4 years ago

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The Widow’s best of 2020

Well… during a year when we haven’t been able to see many live shows we’ve still managed to find lots of things we loved. Here are some of them; live shows are indicated, otherwise we watched them online – our grateful thanks go to all the companies that streamed their productions for free – listened to them or read them. You’ll notice that our list includes lots of women and the occasional man.

But before that we start with a new category…

PERSON OF THE YEAR: Circus director Carol Gandey (pictured) of Gandeys Circus. If UK touring circus – an artform championed by The Widow’s Liz Arratoon for more than 25 years – is to survive Covid-19, it will be in large part to her. Gandeys had produced three shows before the UK’s March lockdown, two of which never had a chance to open, incurring hundreds of thousands of pounds in costs. It then provided accommodation and living expenses for 33 stranded artists, and meanwhile developed an air-flow working model for circus – trialling an opening at Butlins – which gave the government enough confidence to allow circuses to reopen with reduced seating capacities.

Carol constantly lobbied the government and the Arts Council for aid – as did other industry figures – and her application to the Arts Council Recovery Fund, which was said to be exceptional, resulted in a £1.1 million grant; the largest amount awarded to any UK circus company. Gandeys used some of the money to cover the losses due to the lockdown, and to fund a survival package that included some reduced-capacity performances this autumn, as well as funding the production costs for reopening in 2021.

From one strong and inspirational woman to another…

BEST EXTRAVAGANZA: Rhianna’s Savage X Fenty Volume 2 TV special for her lingerie range. Wow! What a mix! This was an explosion of creativity; part fashion show, part dance show, part gig, part circus, part ad, and included a simply stunning floral set. Add a cast of big names, a wonderfully diverse choice of dancers and models, no expense had been spared. Exciting, fresh and really impressive.

BEST LIVE SHOW: Zebra, a solo show by juggling genius Wes Peden, which was part of the London International Mime Festival at the Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room.

BEST CIRCUS SHOW: The really inventive CAPAS by Circo Eia (pictured) – so great to see so many new ideas, and here’s our chat with cast member Francesca Lissia. Plus the intricate and dazzling Twenty Twenty by Gandini Juggling.

BEST DANCE SHOW: Faust by the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, featuring the spectral Bernice Coppieters (pictured) as Death; and Cia de Dança Deborah Colker’s super-stylish Belle, inspired by the novel Belle de Jour.

BEST KIDS’ SHOW: Little Angel Theatre’s hat trilogy, presented by puppeteer Ian Nicholson; an adaptation of the picture books by Jon Klassen: I Want My Hat Back, This Is Not My Hat and We Found a Hat.

BEST COSTUME: The Widow has always considered costumes to be extremely important. As Federico Fellini said: “Don’t forget that costumes, like dreams, are symbolic communication,” and frankly we wish more artists would make the sort of effort Dua Lipa made on Saturday Night Live!

Staying with costumes… slightly less glamorous, but an effort was made by Hot Mess in party-sketch work-in-progress Dirty Stop Outs.

MOST EXCITING: Meeting Marina Abramović in the foyer at London’s Barbican before the Efterklang gig.

BEST SHOWGIRLS: Seen in the 1972 film Un Flic; costumes by Colette Baudot. Also featured is a stunning black dress, worn by Catherine Deneuve, designed by Yves Saint Laurent.

BEST BURLESQUE: Lady of Burlesque, starring Barbara Stanwyck, who wears costumes by the great Edith Head.

BEST FILM CREDITS: Sudden Fear, starring Joan Crawford as a scorned – but impeccably dressed – woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown!

BEST CASTAWAY: Hard to choose between Rupert Everett, Ian Wright or Daniel Radcliffe, who all washed up on BBC Radio 4′s Desert Island Discs.

BEST SHOWBIZ STORY: Catherine Russell – on Outlook, BBC Radio 4 – who has played the same role for 32 years and said the same lines more than 13,000 times. She holds the world record for the most theatre performances in the same role; Margaret Thorne Brent – a psychiatrist who might also be a cold-blooded killer – in the off-Broadway play Perfect Crime.

BEST TV SERIES: It was a close call with The Queen’s Gambit, but our choice is the utterly brilliant My Brilliant Friend; the adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s series of Neapolitan novels.

BEST DOCUMENTARY: The Bee Gees – How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.

BEST CABARET PIC: The ever-lovely Eve Ferret at the Crazy Coqs in London. Picture: @marc_t_albert

BEST SHOWBIZ MEMOIR: John Cooper Clarke’s I Wanna Be Yours.

BEST SHOWBIZ BIOGRAPHY: Jon Gresham: The Life and Adventures of a Sideshow Showman, Fire-Eater and Magician by Edwin A Dawes, Pat Gresham and Jon Marshall. This is a painstakingly detailed and enthralling account of Gresham’s life, lovingly compiled by his widow and friends from material written by Gresham himself. Want one? Details below.

BEST SHOWBIZ AUTOBIOGRAPHY: The heartbreaking Everything and Nothing: The Dorothy Dandridge Tragedy by Dorothy Dandridge and Earl Conrad. The revealing autobiography of Hollywood’s first African-American sex symbol and screen legend.

BEST GIG: Sevdaliza’s only show this year, streamed live from The Hague's Koninklijke Schouwburg (Royal Theatre) to a global audience.

BEST SONG: Désormais by Charles Aznavour, which was used as the title track for the film Chambre 212 or On a Magical Night.

BEST ALBUM COVER: Charles Aznavour’s Désormais. That hat!

MOST CHARMING: The sheep invasion during Isabella Rossellini’s show Sex and Consequences, which was streamed live from her farm in Bellport, Long Island, USA. Yes, her live sheep!

BEST TWITTER CIRCUS PIC: The stunning Crystal Pyramids by Severus posted by @PablosCircus.

BEST LIVE COMEDY: Myra Dubois – star of Britain’s Got Talent – at The Poodle Club in Sydenham. Some of us recognised the greatness of Rotherham’s finest before she was famous!

GONE TOO SOON: Actor Chadwick Boseman (pictured) at just 43, funnymen Eddie Large, Tim Brooke Taylor and Bobby Ball, and dancer, choreographer and actor Ann Reinking.

MOST MISSED: Davenports magic shop that closed at the end of January – but you luckily can still order from it online – and a more recent casualty, after 96 years, London’s beautiful Café de Paris.

MOST DISAPPOINTING: Madonna’s Madame X show at the London Palladium. Goodness, this was shoddy! She was so incapacitated that she simply marked all the dance moves and had to be helped around the set, and up and down the stairs. The tickets were exorbitantly expensive and no one paid to see someone hobbling about onstage. We paid to see Madonna!

But let’s not end on a sour note…

BEST SHOWBIZ MASK: Shirley Bassey’s fabulous sequinned number!

REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Some things we’re looking forward to include: The 45th London International Mime Festival, which will be screening free-to-view videos of shows from past LIMF editions, running an extended workshop series with live and online classes, and hosting a series of talks.

We’re also awaiting the new series of Call My Agent, which starts on Netflix on 21 January 2021.

And, last but by no mean least, one of the world’s truly funny clowns, Gloria – also known as Mooky Cornish – has been busy training her chickens – Kukuruzza (pictured top), who has been taking piano lessons, and the athletic Galina – and will be touring the Canadian prairies with them next summer. Now that’s something we’d love to see! Picture: Nichole Huck

Better days ahead!

*Jon Gresham book is available via PayPal from [email protected]: P&P incl, UK – £25, EU – £30, USA tracked – $52

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theladyspooks · 5 years ago

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In Morte, Aerternitatis Ch. 1: Begin

New Orleans, LA 1995

Storm clouds bordered the edge of town, a distant rumbling threatening to disrupt the merry making taking place only days before Mardi Gras in the jubilant city of New Orleans. Anastasia Fyodorov drove her cerulean 1966 Ford Mustang through the cobblestone streets as the radio played softly in her ears.

Are you with me, New Orleans? Do ya hear me? This is the Kingfish coming to you at 96.2 FM. Anointed and appointed. Just three more days, Crescent City, three days until Lent. So let's have it, the merriment before the penance, and the feast before the fast! The Kingfish gonna keep y'all company all the way down. Hey, brothers and sisters, y'all know what "carnival" means in Latin? Well, the Kingfish went to the good schools, so he can tell you all about it. Carnival. Farewell to the flesh. That's what it means. I like that a lot! Farewell to the flesh. Yeah, you right. And farewell to all that floodin', as far as I'm concerned. That's right. Look at it. The banks of the mighty Mississippi are ready to spill their seed. Just look at that sky out there. It's ready to rain on us again. And the clouds? Well, now, brothers and sisters, they're not the only thing threatenin' the Crescent City. We're talking murder, mes amis. Or so we've heard before, the hook man, kerchunk. So when you pull on your costume and turn to admire yourself in the mirror, please keep those lips locked tight. Do not call his name.

Anya let out a chuckle before pulling onto a side street and switching the car off, her mind swam with thoughts of young teens daring to utter the infamous name all for a few bragging rights amongst their friends. True, her brother had always flirted with the idea of attempting the same, often trying to goade her into calling upon the vengeful spirit. Their mother, however, had taught her far better than to mess with anything associated with the supernatural. Better to let the dead stay that way, after all.

‘Speak of the Devil.’ She thought with a chuckle as she spotted a familiar face leaving her dance studio. She retreated from the car and locked it with a smirk.

“Missed me already, Vadim? What would your employees think of you leaving the brunch rush just to see your sister?” She teased.

“I’ll have you know that Doc has the rush handled just fine, thank you. Plus…” He reached behind his back and pulled a pair of keys out, “You forgot your studio keys at the bar.” He chuckled as Anya’s whole body untensed and she threw herself into his arms in gratitude.

“I know I give you so much shit, but I really have no idea what I’d do without you, moy brat.” No matter how long the siblings spent in America, their native tongue of Russian would always be a part of their lives.

“You’ll never have to worry about that, dushen'ka,” Vadim squeezed his sister fondly and relinquished the keys to her when she pulled back, “Now run along, your students await and Doc will be expecting me back soon.” He patted her cheek fondly and chuckled when she scrunched her face in mock annoyance.

“Okay, okay, enough touchy feely time. Get back to it and swing by the house later, I’ll cook you some gumbo and biscuits as a thank you.” She laughed and began walking to her studio keys firmly in hand as Vadim voiced his agreement at her offer, turning and making his own way back down town.

Anya unlocked the door and began to prepare for the day’s classes, the smell of last night's shoe chalk still fresh in the air to accompany her thoughts.

Vadim had always been an attentive older brother, even as far back she could remember from her time in Russia. Constantly watching out for her and being the responsible male figure in her life when their father could not. Not that it was their father’s fault, of course, what with his family’s safety to worry about.

Or so their mother had always told them.

It had only been five years since Elena Fyodorov’s passing at the hands of a car accident, but to Anya it truly felt like yesterday. No one was really at fault, a child had chosen the wrong time to wander out into the street in order to retrieve his ball and Elena had swerved to avoid hitting him. Unfortunately, the impact from colliding with a lone street pole was just enough to take her mother away instantly. After that, it was up to the Fyodorov twins to survive the world on their own with no mother and a seemingly absent father.

Life, however, was not entirely cruel to the Russian redheads. With the immense fortune their parents had bequeathed unto them both had flourished in their own respective professions, Vadim with a Russian New Orleans fusion restaurant and Anya with her own ballet studio for children and teens whose parents could not afford to send them to the bigger cities. Nothing gave her more happiness than being able to do what she loved while teaching others along the way. Was it the easiest craft in the world?

Absolutely not.

Being a ballerina meant long days into longer nights with a strict schedule that had one's body screaming for a hot bath. Anya didn’t want that to be what her students felt, she wanted them to enjoy what they did; to feel the emotion and passion that went into dancing. It was more than just movement; it was poetry, a story to tell, a-

“Mornin’ Miss Ani!”

Anya grasped her chest in surprise, turning to face the energetic voice with a smile.

“Yasmine! You nearly gave me a fright, sweetheart.” She pushed her hair back with a smile as the rest of the kids filed in through the door.

“Sorry Miss Ani! Wasn’t my intention, I swear!”

“I know, Sweetheart, I know. Don’t worry about it,” She smoothed the young teen’s baby hairs down, “Now go put your flats on and get ready for stretches.” Yasmine nodded and ran back to join her friends near their cubbies.

‘Just another day.’ Anya shook her head before joining her students.

_______________________________________

The evening was still light as Anya cleaned and organized the studio for the night, her muscles well used and ready for a shower. Well, a shower after she cooked dinner for herself and Vadim.

Normally the idea of cooking would be fine with her, perfect in fact what with how much she enjoyed it. As much as Vadim was the big chef of the family, she knew she could hold her own when it came to the comforts of the kitchen; often having to cook and care for her brother when he was sick or hungover from the previous night.

She wiped her hands on her leggings and slung her gym bag onto her shoulder, keys jingling in hand as she went to lock up for the night. Breathing in the warm New Orleans air at night was more refreshing than any shower she could dream up. It was refreshing and rejuvenating in ways that she couldn’t put into words after spending most of the day in the stuffy studio with a gaggle of energetic kids.

She turned the lock to the studio, ready to get in her car and head home.

“Anya?!” She turned to see a familiar truck pull up near her car.

“Annie? Paul? What are you two still doing over here, I thought you would’ve been home by now.” Her confusion only grew when Annie got out of the car and lightly jogged to her before hugging her tightly.

“Anya, it’s Ethan, the cops are keeping him in the station. I-” Anya hushed her gently, her hands softly running up and down her back as Paul too exited the vehicle. Her face must have held the question she had waiting on the tip of her tongue.

“Got a call from Annie today that Ethan was being held for- well, held for suspicion of murder on multiple counts.” Paul looked none too thrilled that a nice night with his wife was dashed by such a dark turn of events.

Anya had always admired the love shared between Annie and Paul, how effortlessly they floated around each other as if it was fate’s design. She couldn’t ever remember her father looking at her mother the way Paul looked at her best friend.

“Murder? Annie, what-” The blonde cut her off.

“I know it sounds crazy, but he didn’t do it! I know he’s been so off kilter since Daddy died, but he wouldn’t murder anyone Anya, he wouldn’t!”

“Hey, hey, take it easy Ann! No one here is saying that,” She held her shoulders, “Where is Ethan now?”

“Still being held in police custody, they’re convinced he murdered Purcell-”

“Purcell? Professor Philp Purcell, the man who wrote that Candyman book?”

“Yes, him and- and they’re trying to pin all the recent murders on Ethan, including Daddy!”

Now that made her pause. The death of Coleman Tarrant was heard throughout the entirety of Louisiana and no one was more devastated than Ethan. He’d been the one to discover Coleman in front of the hidden Candyman shrine in the old Tarrant ancestral estate. He’d been obsessed with the legend weeks before his death, often spending late nights at the bar of Vidam’s restaurant combing over notes and muttering to himself. Ethan had blamed himself, citing that if he’d found his father sooner that he could have saved him.

Nothing Annie nor her mother told Ethan would ever convince him otherwise it seemed. No, it was preposterous to think Ethan would ever harm his family let alone any human being, even one as arrogant as Philip Purcell.

“Is there anything we can do?” She knew there was little she could say to make this go away, but she could try. Annie shook her head and grasped Anya’s hands.

“Not right now, not until we can find something that could prove Ethan innocent to the murders,” She sighed as Paul came up alongside the both of them, “We were going to head back to my childhood home in the morning, try and find something that could help make sense of all this.”

“I can meet you both there if you need an extra hand? Only have a nightly pointe class tomorrow with the kids I need to be at.” Hell, she could even cancel that if it meant proving Ethan as innocent.

“That would be real fine, Anya,” Paul intercepted and wrapped his arms around both the young women’s shoulders, “But in the meantime, you’re welcome to come back to the bar for a drink on the house, think we could all use one after today.” She smiled at his kindness.

“You know on any normal day I’d never pass up free booze, but I promised Vadim I’d cook him a meal tonight. Now come on, group hug hm?” She laughed as Annie cracked a smile while Paul chuckled, squeezing both ladies equally.

“We’ll see you at the old plantation house in the morning then?” Annie inquired after pulling out of the hug.

“Of course, Ann” She hugged her best friend one last time before kissing Paul on the cheek, “Have one on me, Mister Manager.” Paul laughed and patted her back fondly.

“Don’t gotta tell me twice!” He laughed.

With one last wave, Anya trekked to her car; images of the clear night and legends dancing in her brain.

________________________________

The Fyodorov villa was old, but still big enough to accomodate a family of three or more. In the case of Anya and Vadim the latter couldn’t handle the absence of his mother enough to live there, opting to find his own estate nearby. Anya felt in a similar fashion to her brother yet slightly different.

The thought of her family home sitting in ruins or used as a vacant lot wasn’t something that thrilled her by any means. Their family had engraved too many memories, painted too much love within the walls of this estate for her to simply sell it to the highest bidder.

The decision to keep the villa came with a few opportunities to redecorate and make the space her own, keeping all of her mother’s prized possessions and their childhood memories stored in the attic for safe keeping. Gone were the emerald green walls and gold drapery, replaced by a celestial pink and cream velvet. Paintings of moon lit scenery and castles in a far away land lined the walls with various antiques and flowers accompanying marbles tables.

Some may call her sense of decorum tacky, almost old fashioned, but it reminded her of home; a fond memory that she never fully got to embrace.

Something she still desperately clung to.

While she kept everything light and airy throughout the estate, her own room was styled to fit a more romantic mood. Swathed in white lace drapery and painted a deep burgundy to offset her chestnut bed post, it’s arms reaching towards the ceiling while holding black velvet netting to encase her in her own dreams. Two shelves lined the walls and held her most favorite stories, some that she had enjoyed in childhood and others that stole her attention even now.

Of all the rooms in the villa, one that meant the world to her, one that she found herself in now was the little dance studio that she had gutted the basement for, one that was only accessible through the pulling of a blue book of poetry in a lone bookcase.

The room was modest in size, enough for one or two people to dance in comfortably in tandem and lit by an adjustable switch to set the right mood. One wall was lined with full body mirrors for her own self reflection and critique, the other bare with one or two chairs and an old record player..

This was her safe place, somewhere she could reflect and relax; a room to be whoever she wanted. Some days she pictured that she was an established ballerina still performing in Russia, other days she imagined herself as a princess dancing amongst dashing strangers and beautiful aristocrats.

Even now she could feel herself start to nod off into her imagin-

“Anya? Hellooooo? Earth to the grand duchess!”

She made two mistakes when constructing this room, telling Vadim how to find it and not making it sound proof.

With a sigh she turned off the lights and opened the passage back into the stairwell, smirking at the sight of her brother on the other side.

“You realize the food is on the table, right?” Her nose scrunched at his scoff.

“Well that’s all well and good, but I was under the impression I’d be dining with my sister. The one who made the meal?” He flicked her cheek and threw his arm over her shoulder, guiding her back upstairs.

“I know, I’m sorry. I’ve been a bit spacey since I got back, Ethan was arrested..” At her comment, Vadim’s head shot up in confusion, “Murder, evidently.”

“Bychit! You’re messing with me aren’t you?” Anya smiled wanly at his disbelief, “Well shit, you’re not...shit well- who’s the victim?”

“Philip Purcell.”

“The Candyman professor? Well I’ll be damned, Ethan’s dad used to mention him when he’d come to the bar. Something about the old codger not believing the myth after he told him to say the name five times in a mirror or something like that.”

“What, like Bloody Mary?” Anya chuckled as she dug into her meal.

“Sort of a Bloody Mary vibe with Phantom of the Opera thrown into the mix,” Anya stopped mid chew to look up in confusion as he continued, “I read Purcell’s book, Candyman was originally an artist named Daniel Robitaille who fell in love with a white woman from Southern society. After they were found out he was chased down and tortured by an angry mob, sawed off his painter’s hand and smeared honey all over him before the bees came”

“Jesus..” Anya put her hand over her mouth.

“You can guess what happened after that, surprised you haven’t heard the tale.”

“I know what Candyman is, I just never really knew anything about the man behind the myth.” She shrugged.

“Coleman was obsessed with it, told me the story and gave me a copy of Purcell’s book to read up on. As far as I could tell Ethan’s been depressed, but murder?” He shook his head and took a bite of his biscuit.

“Well, I’ll be seeing Annie and Paul in the morning. Maybe they’ll have more info by then.” She stood up and collected her dishes. Vadim quirked his head.

“Day trip?”

“Not exactly, Annie thinks there might be some clues back at the old Tarrant estate. You know, where they- where they found Coleman?” She hesitated and looked at Vadim, “The shrine.”

“Mm, spooky.” Vadim shivered, “Gonna leave the big bad boogeyman an offering?” He chuckled.

Anya stopped at the sink and hummed thoughtfully.

“You know? I just might.”

____________________________________

#candyman x oc #candyman #horror #slasher #daniel robitaille x oc #slasher fanfic #daniel robitaille

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