#Roman Holiday lives in my soul

[rhiawriter]

Dragon’s Cloak Ch. 7

Ok! Don’t expect this pace moving forward, but I felt like posting this chapter because it makes me happy and was ready (enough). Hope you enjoy!

Moving through the castle without notice felt easier to her than most things that her new life demanded of her. She felt almost free, flitting through the corridors like a shadow. And when she made it through the doors of Maegor’s Holdfast she let out a breath, enjoying the cool air on her skin. She was to meet Brandon at the stables, and they were in her sights. She picked up the pace, grinning at the thought of her rebellion, of getting outside of the gates and getting to be Lyanna again, just for one night.

But just as she crossed the threshold to the stables, she slammed into a familiar, broad and muscled chest.

“Arthur,” she took a step back.

“Lyanna?” Arthur studied her. “Why are you dressed like that?”

“I—“ Lyanna looked down at her clothing and then up behind him where Rhaegar was leaving the stable.

Rhaegar’s face brightened at the sight of her, and then darkened in confusing at her attire. Lyanna flushed with guilt.

“Lyanna,” Rhaegar’s voice was soft. “Are you visiting Flurry again in the middle of the night?”

It was the prefect alibi and Lyanna was about to agree with him when Brandon entered the ring of light, dressed in plain clothing, out of breath.

“Lya,” Brandon panted. “The distraction was easy enough. Jaime is—”

Lyanna threw her brother a dark look, and he looked past her to where Arthur and Rhaegar were standing.

“Your Grace!” Brandon smiled falsely. “Uh, what are you doing in the stables in the middle of the night?”

“I could ask you the same question,” Rhaegar’s eyes were shadowed as he assessed the two siblings. “If I didn’t know any better, I would think you were trying to steal my wife away from the castle.”

“Of course not, Your Grace,” Brandon said. “We were only on a nightly stroll. She told me that the castle has certain charms after dark. The red stones look more like purple.”

Seven hells Brandon should be better liar for all the trouble he got into. The more Brandon spoke, the higher Rhaegar’s eyebrows rose on his forehead, and the lower Lyanna’s heart sank. If she had been caught by one of Aerys’ men, she would be spitting mad. But Rhaegar was her husband. And things were beginning to thaw slightly between them. She didn’t want to lie to him and give him cause to put more distance between them.

“Rhaegar,” she stepped towards him. “We were escaping.”

“I see.” Rhaegar was now completely focused on her, and Lyanna felt embarrassed under the intensity of his gaze.

“But only for a night,” she said, hastily. “I’m not leaving you or leaving my duty, but well, things have been difficult, and I only wanted a night away from the court, where I didn’t need to be a princess anymore.”

“And you were taking her,” Rhaegar said to Brandon.

“It’s not his fault,” Lyanna said. “I practically begged him to take me. He knew it was a bad idea. We both did. I was only feeling desperate. I can be very persuasive. Please don’t blame Brandon.”

“It’s a good thing you ran into me,” Rhaegar crossed his arms over his chest. “So, I could stop you from doing something so irresponsible.”

Lyanna hung her head, dreadfully disappointed that her escape was ruined. Still, Rhaegar looked stern but not wrathful. At least didn’t fear that her husband would hurt her. But she did desperately want to escape the Red Keep.

“If you want to escape for the night, you cannot simply walk out the front gates of the keep. There are escape routes that princes and princess have used since the Red Keep was built.”

Rhaegar stepped forward and tugged her cap affectionately. “Can I show you?” he asked.

Read the full chapter on Ao3.

[myownwholewildworld]

ACTA, NON VERBA - a marcus acacius fic

a/n: hi everyone! i finally had the chance this bank holiday weekend to finish the plot draft of my upcoming series, "acta, non verba", a marcus acacius, enemies to lovers fic.

if there's something you need to know about me is that i love scotland and her history. that's why this fic is set on the romans' quest to tame the "barbarians" up north in the british isles, instead of actual rome. my aim is to be as accurate as possible when it comes to the way of life, customs, food & clothing at the time, although i may deviate a bit using some terminology of 13-14th century scotland and for that i apologise, but that's my favourite period in scottish history.

i'll be posting the first chapter in september, so i hope some of you join me in this journey 🫶 i'll also be running a taglist, so please do let me know if you want to be tagged.

i'll leave a synopsis and a very brief prologue here so y'all can have a taste for it. hope you like it 🥹 as always, all interactions welcome 💓

tags: @orcasoul

synopsis: scotland, 83 AD after the battle of mons graupius. the romans have come up to the boundaries of their empire with a relentless desire to conquer the savages that inhabit the highlands. they won't rest until the Caledonian tribes are subjugated. Marcus Acacius is in charge of your clansmen's fate, but if such fate is similar to your family's, you know you need to do something about it. as the only living daughter of the tribe chief, your people look to you for leadership.

power plays, treason, deception, rebellion, war, love, heartbreak, betrayal. and two souls, destined to despise each other, trying to navigate it all.

prologue:

He came, he saw, he conquered. And he killed. Your whole family, murdered. You saw your father fall to his demise under Marcus Acacius' sword. Your mother, brothers and sisters stabbed to death by his legion. Your settlement gone, your tribesmen subjugated to the Romans' yoke. And then it was only you. The weight of your tribe's destiny heavily resting on your shoulders, like Atlas carrying the heavens. You swore you would avenge them. Even if it was the last thing you did. You only needed to kill General Marcus Acacius.

[edenfenixblogs]

Look what Google just recommended to me!!!!

I already own (and love) Shabbat and Portico.

But I am OBSESSED with the rest and must acquire them immediately.

Top of my list is Love Japan because LOOK AT THIS BEAUITFUL BOWL OF MATZO BALL RAMEN!!!!!

We hear a lot about Jewish people in Europe and MENA, but we do not hear a lot about Jewish culture as it blends with East Asian cultures, and that’s a shame. Not just because it erases the centuries of Jewish populations there, but also because there are plenty of people of mixed decent. People who may not have come directly from Jewish communities in East Asia, but people who have a Japanese Father and a Jewish Mother, for example. Or people in intercultural marriages. These are all real and valuable members of the Jewish community, and we should be celebrating them more. This cookbook focuses on Jewish Japanese American cuisine and I am delighted to learn more as soon as possible. The people who wrote this book run the restaurant Shalom Japan, which is the most adorable name I’ve ever heard. Everything about this book excites and delights me.

And of course, after that, I’m most interested in “Kugels and Collards” (as if you had any doubts about that after the #kugel discourse, if you were following me then).

This is actually written in conjunction with an organization of the same name devoted to preserving the food and culture of Jews in South Carolina!

I’m especially excited to read this one, because I have recently acquired the book Kosher Soul by the fantastic, inimitable Michael J. Twitty, which famously explores faith and food in African American Jewish culture. I’m excited to see how Jewish soul food and traditions in South Carolina specifically compare and contrast with Twitty’s writings.

I’m also excited for all the other books on this list!

A while ago, someone inboxed me privately to ask what I recommended for people to read in order to learn more about Jewish culture. I wrote out a long list of historical resources attempting to cover all the intricate details and historic pressure points that molded Jewish culture into what it is today. After a while I wrote back a second message that was much shorter. I said:

Actually, no. Scratch everything I just said. Read that other stuff if you want to know Jewish history.

But if you want to know Jewish culture? Cookbooks.

Read every Jewish cookbook you can find.

Even if you don’t cook, Jewish cookbooks contain our culture in a tangible form. They often explain not only the physical processes by which we make our meals, but also the culture and conditions that give rise to them. The food is often linked to specific times and places and events in diaspora. Or they explain the biblical root or the meaning behind the holidays associated with a given food.

I cannot speak for all Jews. No one can. But in my personal observation and experience—outside of actual religious tradition—food has often been the primary means of passing Jewish culture and history from generation to generation.

It is a way to commune with our ancestors. I made a recipe for chicken soup or stuffed cabbage and I know that my great grandmother and her own mother in their little Hungarian shtetl. I’ll never know the relatives of theirs who died in the Holocaust and I’ll never meet the cousins I should have had if they were allowed to live. But I can make the same food and know that their mother also made it for them. I have dishes I make that connect me to my lost ancestors in France and Mongolia and Russia and Latvia and Lithuania and, yes, Israel—where my relatives have lived continuously since the Roman occupation even after the expulsions. (They were Levites and Cohens and caretakers of synagogues and tradition and we have a pretty detailed family tree of their presence going back quite a long time. No idea how they managed to stay/hide for so long. That info is lost to history.)

I think there’s a strong tendency—aided by modern recipe bloggers—to view anything besides the actual recipe and procedures as fluff. There is an urge for many people to press “jump to recipe” and just start cooking. And I get that. We are all busy and when we want to make dinner we just want to make dinner.

But if your goal isn’t just to make dinner. If your goal is to actually develop an understanding of and empathy for Jewish people and our culture, then that’s my advice:

Read cookbooks.

[fdelopera]

Musings on the Moon Knight System for the High Holidays

BROKE: Moon Knight System in the comics are Jewish in name only. They’re basically pagan idolaters.

WOKE: Jake is MK System’s spiritual protector in the comics (especially MacKay), and connects the most with their Jewish identity.

BESPOKE: The Moon Knight System are very Jewish, but Marc, Steven, and Jake have a lot of specific religious trauma, and they each connect to their Jewishness in different ways and at different times ... just as most Jews do. Their Jewishness is an intrinsic part of who they are.

At the Rosh Hashanah 2nd day service yesterday, the Rabbi said something that brought Moon Knight System to mind.

During the Malchuyot, Zichronot, and Shofarot prayers, she said this before the Zichronot prayer:

“Jews are all about memory. We tell and retell the stories of our ancestors to link our generations together. We tell the story of the Exodus and redemption, and these are human memories. Here in the Zichronot section, we consider G-d's memory. What we are asking in Zichronot is, "Am I remembered? Is my life in G-d's memory?" And the answer is, yes. Adonai remembers each one of us, every single creature created in G-d's image is seen and noticed.”

And yet, what about those of us who are dissociative? What about those of us whose memory is scattered, fragmented, and traumatized, just like the Jewish people have been throughout our history?

What about those of us whose memory stops at a certain point, just as our family tree goes back only a few generations to those who escaped the pogroms and the Holocaust? Yes, we can trace some of our ancestors across the ocean to the shtetls, and we can search for the deep root systems that our people have grown from, but we know that if we do, we will only find tragedy and death.

For every one of our ancestors who has a gravestone in an intact Jewish cemetery in the Old Country, there are countless others whose roots were cut, who were murdered by Romans and Inquisitors and Cossacks and Nazis, whose bodies were desecrated, and who were never buried in Jewish soil. And yet, even as the Nazis and the Russians and the Spanish and the Romans and so many others tried to erase us from living memory, still we persevered. There are still some branches left. Our cultural memory endures, even though it is fragmented.

And yet, what of us who strain to remember? What of those of us who have high walls instead of doorways, keeping us out? Perhaps we can even see trees growing on the other side, but we cannot enter, not yet. How then can we connect to our past? Must we wander for another 40 years? And on Yom Kippur, how can we atone if remembrance is scattered and hidden like the Lost Tribes of Israel?

I imagine that Marc has wondered thoughts like these from time to time, especially around the High Holidays. Marc wants to think of himself as an apostate. If he’s being particularly edgy, he might even describe himself as an idolater. But I don’t think he is. Marc has a Jewish soul. So does Jake and so does Steven.

And as much as Marc might want to think that he is beyond atonement for the things he’s done, perhaps in quiet moments, he still hopes to atone as best he can. Perhaps some nights, Marc and Jake and Steven share dreams of teshuvah, of repentance, of making amends. With Gena. With Crawley. With Frenchie. And yet, how to even begin?

Perhaps Elias Spector, the Orthodox rabbi, might once have read the following passage on Rosh Hashanah as he spoke to the congregation from the bimah. And even if Marc was dissociating into the ether when he heard these words, sitting as far away from his father as possible, halfway to hiding deep within, the duty of being the Rabbi's son weighing heavy on his shoulders ... perhaps Jake and Steven listened, and they remembered for all of them:

“When a person commits a sin and does not turn in repentance, when that person forgets the sin, Hakadosh Baruch Hu remembers. When a person fulfills a commandment by doing a good deed, but forgets about it, Hakadosh Baruch Hu remembers. When a person commits a sin and later turns in repentance by remembering that sin, Hakadosh Baruch Hu grants atonement, and forgets the sin. But when a person fulfills a commandment and is constantly filled with self-praise because of it, Hakadosh Baruch Hu forgets it. What a person forgets, G-d remembers, and what a person remembers, G-d forgets.” -- The Hasidic Master Shmelke of Nikolsberg

Shana tovah and g’mar chatima tovah to the Moon Knight System. May they be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life.

[girlactionfigure]

In this photo is Audrey Hepburn with Otto Frank, Anne’s father. Audrey Hepburn was born on May 4, 1929. The actress is best known for such films as Roman Holiday and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, but did you know that she turned down playing the role of Anne Frank? Here’s why.

What many may not know about Hepburn is that as a teenager she helped the Dutch resistance in WWII. Both Hepburn and Frank were born in 1929. The two never met but Hepburn felt close to the young diarist, and lived 60 miles apart from each other. While Hepburn was not Jewish, she spent several years of the war in a cellar to use as a bomb shelter and even faced near starvation. During this time she managed to arrange illegal dance performances to support local families who were hiding Jews.

After the war, Otto reached out to Hepburn asking if she would play the role of his daughter for the movie adaptation of the well-known diary. Hepburn felt unable to play the part, having had such a traumatic experience during the war, it would be too difficult. She said of Frank: “It’s a little bit as if this had happened to my sister . . . in a way she was my soul sister.”

Photo: Luca Dotti

Humans of Judaism

[redd956]

Do you have any advice for worldbuilding religions? I have an idea of what i want practice of a certain facet to look like, but beyond that I'm stuck

Yes!

A few major things to always think about when worldbuilding religion

Size of religion

Cultural influence

Rituals/Festivities

The first thing I try to decide is what tone am I gunning for, and what do I want religion to do/represent in my worldbuilding. I work from there. It decides how extensively I want to work on and plan.

Pantheons & Gods

Decide if the religion is Monotheistic or Polytheistic, and balance your pantheons

(Also note that monotheistic religions often times technically still have pantheons due to how the religions formed over time, take for instance Christianity, with its saints, prophets, god, great angels, and demons)

For polytheistic religions try to create a general idea of what role each god plays in the lives of its followers. A common thing people forget about, and a thing that plagued me with two years of plothole filling, is how do the believers use an overall pantheon.

Are believers separated into groups who worship a particular god, but also acknowledge the others?

Are believers set to primarily worship one god out of a pantheon, the others being sidelined in their beliefs?

Are believers worshipping the majority of the pantheon, perhaps viewing a handful as powerful necessary evils?

Are believers equally worshipping the entirety of the pantheon?

Festivities & Culture

If holidays aren't originating from historical events, they often derive from religion, mythology, and folklore. Big influential religions become intertwined with culture, whether people like it or not.

This could be Christmas going from various Pagan religion's celebration of the winter solstice to a Christian holiday celebrating Jesus' birthday to a national tradition of gift giving many celebrate despite not being Christian. Every country sees culture influenced by religion in one way or another.

Other examples IRL

Religious clothing & accessories: Hijab, fez, kapp, modest dressing, clergy robes, cross necklaces, etc.

Calendar & work day: Working the majority of the week except for Sunday, national holidays, length of the month, start of harvest, etc.

Laws & society standards: Isms, Anti-Cannibalism, cleanliness culture, food consumption rules, etc.

Rituals

Rituals are also a major thing people think of when going to worldbuild a religion. This is the praying, the blessing food at the table, the enchanting a knight's sword with holiness before they charge into battle, the sacrifice into a volcano, the donating entire sheeps to a god's altar...

Rituals in worldbuilding are what can help differentiate and make the worldbuilding unique! Game of Thrones, Six of Crows, and Metro are all popular series that utilize religion heavily in their hard worldbuilding. In soft worldbuilding we also see a lot of unique religion; Hollow Knight, Spirited Away, and Dark Souls.

Ruling out the rituals and their important to the worldbuilding can do wonders to making a religion feel more real for the world it is in

Conflict

Sadly with religion usually comes conflict. This includes Isms (racism, sexism, religion vs. religion). Either way religion can play a greater role in military, government, conflicts, and more.

Take for instance warrior religion culture! Whether it be the Norse Vikings of Europe, the Pagan Roman Soldiers of the early Roman Empire, the Christian Crusaders and the blood trail they left behind, or even deities of war seen all over the world throughout history

(Im a sucker for war gods in worldbuilding)

Religion can be conflict, and for us worldbuilders, conflict can be very fun to play with!

IRL Controversy

A growing difficulty with worldbuilding religion is what I call mimicry, religion bad, and censoring

Mimicry

It's easiest and often even advised to pull from what we know when creating anything. However there's a point where we're not jumping off the deep end enough, and sometimes unintentionally we just end up making a slightly altered copy of an already existing religion. This can not only be offensive to the religion or it's people, but also limiting to the worldbuilder's potential.

There are always moments where this can be intentional in worldbuilding, especially for Alternate History and futurism worlds that are just an extension of what we know. But if its not what you're going for its a major thing to try to avoid.

Religion Bad

For many people extremism has ruined religion, and this can bleed into their work positively and negatively. That's when we run into religion bad! Where every single time religion appears, it is only there to be an evil, a badness, a stain. (This an awful way to think about religion in general, including in worldbuilding) This can cause people to skip over cultural worldbuilding, as well as limit them by forcing them to never indulge in any potential goods religion can cause.

Censoring

Now taking the previous two in mind, don't hinder yourself! Modern day Puritan Culture and Cancel Culture makes this last part hard to stop yourself. Self censoring is becoming more and more common for creators of all types, including worldbuilders. If you want to something guttural and grim dark do it! If you want to do something gory and cult-like, do it! If you want to do something whimsical and Ghibli, do it!

[sobeautifullyobsessed]

🎄Wrapped Up In Christmas Memories🎄

a Stephen Strange x Hope Collins fic

Chapter Two

genre: angst, catharsis, healing...and above all, love ❤️

characters: Stephen Strange, Hope Collins (OFC); established relationship

word count: 3.0k

moodboard by @strangelock221b 💙🩵💜

The weeks ticked down towards Christmas, and Stephen remained as occupied with his work as in any other month of the year. And still Hope held steadfast to her promise to ask nothing but his tolerance as she rang the season in. Every few days, when he emerged from attending to his Sanctum duties or his ongoing studies, or returned from a far-flung mission or from Kamar-Taj itself, he would find she had added some new decoration or holiday detail, making not only his quarters, but the main floor as well, ever more festive. Her Artist's eye insured that she kept everything tasteful and in accord with the surroundings. Hope's latest addition had been an evergreen garland for the fireplace on the main floor, lit with colorful fairy lights and frosted candle holders of varying heights bearing ivory or red candles, nested along the greenery.

Whenever he complimented her newest handiwork, Hope would give a modest little shrug as she thanked him, moving onto the next subject of conversation without so much as a pause--though Stephen could absolutely feel how pleased she was. Thus, their equilibrium continued, and despite his ambivalence about the holiday season, he found himself quietly looking forward to each new surprise.

One such surprise was Hope's newfound dedication to attending the weekly vigil service each Saturday evening of Advent at a small Roman Catholic parish in Brooklyn. In their occasional discussions of philosophy and faith, she had given Stephen the impression that although she was lapsed from organized religion, Hope still held a true belief in a higher power. Indeed, he always saw her as a living example of the biblical maxim 'do unto others...'. And of course, she had understood and respected the beliefs he had come to hold about soul & spirit, and good & evil, based on his experiences and encounters with mystic realities.

In response to his curiosity on the first Saturday she shared her plans, Hope fell back on a familiar explanation. "It's a tradition that does my heart good to honor," she told him frankly. "It connects me to my family even when we're apart. With those who've passed on...and with past generations." He didn't miss the flicker of grief in her eyes and in the set of her mouth at her reference to those who had passed on, though soon enough, her honest smile replaced the sorrow. "Besides which, I love the music...the lights on the tree...the aroma of the incense they save for the most sacred moments. That sense of being one with a community of like-minded souls is vital to my experience of the Christmas season." Stephen found none of this surprising, for such was her nature, and part of the reason she had conquered his heart with no effort at all.

With a scant two weeks until Christmas Day, the Sanctum felt ripe with Hope's inimitable brand of holiday cheer. The sights, the scents, the flavors, and the very sounds that filled his rooms, became reminders of his own Christmases past, though Stephen refused to entertain those memories as he knew they'd only leave him morose.

Even the Sanctum kitchens had their own unique decorations, courtesy of some of Hope's grammar school-aged students; a couple dozen had given her handmade, crayon-colored Christmas cards and Tempera-painted winter scenes of snowmen and Santas, Angels and Christmas trees, or sledding and skating children, which found their way onto the walls and the refrigerators. She'd even fashioned a miniature tree as a tabletop centerpiece, festooned with a popcorn & cranberry garland and a tiny paper chain of red & green construction paper loops. In a surprising moment of clarity, Stephen remembered the several years when he still believed in Santa Claus and had helped his mother create the same sort of decorations for their tree, and how excited he'd been counting down the days until Christmas morn. Memories of a simple happiness that he'd quite forgotten had been his. Gazing at Hope's little tree brought a warmth to his chest he would like to share with her - but he stopped himself each time, knowing full well that if he let that recollection bubble forth, it might open the gates to other memories not as pleasant.

Most evenings now found Hope settled on the sofa wrapping presents or penning personal greetings in Christmas cards, while her favorite Christmas movies played on television, setting what she considered the ideal mood. Stephen eventually ended up joining her some evenings, and once he took his place beside her, she very willingly set aside her project in favor of cuddling on the couch with him. He ended up adopting the habit of fixing them hot chocolate, and in Hope's homey company, he discovered that he didn't even mind the movies he'd once found trite and too sentimental since his undergraduate days. Besides, they made Hope happy--and her happiness had become key to his own.

On the 18th, Stephen was called to Kamar-Taj for an emergency meeting of all the Masters of the Sanctums and those in charge of the various disciplines. A rift in Earth's reality had opened inside the Kibo caldera of Mount Kilimanjaro, and whatever entities had worked that magic, it appeared they were trying to wake the dormant volcano into eruption. He only had time enough to fire off a cursory text to Hope, warning her he might be away for several days--and advising her not to worry. Then he was off to Tanzania, along with Wong and a dozen other Masters to beat back the incursion and seal the rift.

'Twas a grim Stephen that returned to the New York Sanctum just after midnight on December 21st. Hope was sound asleep, and he didn't have the heart to awaken her. He was sporting a split lip and multiple abrasions to his face, neck, and hands, and though he had been charm treated in the Kamar-Taj Infirmary, he still had a slight but nagging cough from smoke inhalation.

Yet he had gotten off more lightly than most of those who had to battle the dragonlike creatures that seemed to be ideally suited for a volcanic environment; that breathed fire and fought ferociously to maintain their foothold. Two Masters had fallen to their flames, and three more had suffered severe enough burns to be placed in magic induced comas while Healers worked around the clock to hasten the regeneration of new, healthy skin. Wong, who had suffered a broken wrist, bore the same sort of wounds as Strange and the other Masters did. Stephen was heartsick over the lost lives and the pain of his brothers & sisters, and his body ached all over.

Casting the Mirror Dimension on the master bath, he bundled up his rent robes and buried them deep in the hamper so Hope wouldn't see how badly they were damaged and bloodstained. Stephen had already repaired Cloak, and it had flitted off upon their return to the Sanctum to see to its own ablutions. He soaked in the tub of hot water and Epsom salt for nearly 90 minutes, trying to put the pictures frozen in his mind of the battle and the wounded behind him. Fearing that sleep would still elude him once he finally went to bed.

In the wee hours before sunrise, he slipped carefully and quietly between the sheets, and by some lovely instinct, Hope turned to him. She stirred a bit when he placed her hand above his heart--for he always found that soothing--and after a few moments she whispered, "Missed you, magic man. Is everything alright?"

Stephen sighed in the darkness, unwilling to disturb her peace with the truth, and murmured 'yes', and then, 'I missed you too'. What he wanted most was to forget everthing for a little while, and when she rested her head on his shoulder, he nuzzled the tender haven of her hair, focusing on Hope's softness until he was able to drift off the sleep.

Stephen rarely indulged in the luxury of sleeping in, but this day it had been a necessity. Though he felt physically refreshed when he finally left his bedroom, his spirit was all too weary, and he remained disconsolate in his very bones. No matter the season, he would've felt this way following the outcome on Kilimanjaro--but somehow looking at Hope's cheery holiday trimmings made it even worse. When he found her in the kitchen baking cookies, the sweet sight of her, so incongruous with the miasma he was lost in, prompted him to issue her a fair but regretful warning.

She had just moved a batch of cookies onto a wire rack to cool, then turned to greet him--but her smile faltered the moment she saw the misery on his face. "It went badly, then." Stephen nodded, and then she was sliding her arms beneath his, holding him tight, murmuring against his neck. "I'm so sorry, Stephen. Do you...do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head and simply held her close, grateful that she was his true and loving sanctuary. When they parted just a little, Stephen cleared his throat before speaking. "Hope...honey..." he began, cupping one hand against her cheek, "I really appreciate how patient you've been with me this past month. And I appreciate everything you've done to bring Christmas to our..." He paused when his voice cracked, taking a moment before continuing, "...to our home."

Empathetic as usual, Hope simply reached to cup his cheek in her hand, and he wished he could just let himself melt into the moment. "But I dunno if the miracle you're hoping for is gonna happen this year. The past few days were pretty rough and given that...and the ghosts of my Christmases past...well, I think it's best if you lower your expectations about the holiday. I don't want to disappoint you but...well...I'm not gonna be catching the Christmas spirit this year."

Hope sighed and turned her face enough to place a soft kiss on the base of his thumb. "It's alright, darling. I...I understand." She sighed and stood tall enough to kiss his mouth, then whispered against his lips, "Whatever you need, Stephen. However things go." She embraced him warmly, then moved enough so she could look him in the eyes. "I spent five Christmases wondering how things might have been if you had survived Thanos. I know what's most important to me now--so in the end, all I really want for Christmas is you."

Stephen managed a small but genuine smile. He had expected no less. Undaunted, Hope briskly changed the subject. "How about I fix you some lunch and you go unwind with some mindless television? I'll bring it right to you."

"Actually, there's a little something I want to take a look at in my study...if you don't mind too much..."

"Of course, of course," she answered gamely, then swatted him softly on his way, "Gourmet grilled cheese and tomato soup are the special today, and the only tip I require is a couple dozen kisses."

"You can add those to my tab, honey," Stephen chuckled, then headed down the hall to his study, grateful for the distraction which he knew awaited him on his desk. Getting lost for a little while in a recently discovered manuscript might be exactly what he needed to get through the day.

If you enjoyed this little fic so far, you can read more about how Stephen & Hope met and fell in love in my stories 'Friday in the Park with Stephen' (meet-cute, flirtation & fluff), and 14,000,604 (hurt/comfort, angst, passion/smut, lovers reunited against impossible odds).

In addition, I've written a couple of one-shots/prompt fills as part of their ongoing series, The Wizard and the Artist

tagging: @strangelock221b @mousedetective @icytrickster17 @ironstrange1991 @darsynia @ben-locked @hithertoundreamtof23 @aeterna-auroral-avenger @lorelei-lee @stewardofningishzida @thelostsmiles @mrs-cookie @paperclippedmime @groovyqueer @mckiwi @dragonqueen89 @strangeflashholmes221 @strangesunicornsparkle

[losthomisexual]

Intro/beginners guide to paganism

This is a brief guide based on my personal experiences and research.

What is Paganism?

Now this is a big question with limited evidence but lets go through what we know and how people practice today. A lot of our sources for old religions were written by christians or romans where they could have skewed the original meanings for their own agendas. Christianity played a large role in the loss of these beliefs by ways of genocide, missionaries, renaming holidays and more. My ancestry being European i research more into Celtic, germanic, norse and Anglo-Saxon beliefs but everyone has roots and if traced back far enough we find similar beliefs across the globe. There are also a lot of neopagan religions and beliefs like Wicca and witchcraft with many subcategories.

Paganism for me is about a deeper connection to nature, myself, the spirits of the land and honouring those who’ve come before. Its being grateful for what we have, spending time with our family and friends, being kind and respectful of our surroundings and those within whether thats people, animals or plants. It gives me a bigger perspective, helping to see through hardships and take lessons from them rather than begging the gods for forgiveness or salvation. Even just walking through the bush i get a sense of how small i am in the world, we are all just small cogs in the wheel of time, passing on our lessons and stories through the generations. Norse paganism tends to have more stories than others so i tend to find myself drawn to them for guidance and symbolism. Everything around us has a spirit or a soul all the way from the sky, rain, and thunder to the grass, rocks and dirt beneath our feet, there is spiritual energy everywhere. When it comes to the afterlife i don’t really think about it much but it could be reincarnation, a realm for the dead although nothing like heaven and hell, just a resting place or even something else entirely. Living in the present is more important to me.

So how can you practice paganism?

Seasonal changes are important in paganism as well as the equinoxes and solstices.

Following the natural cycle and staying in tune with it is a simple way to get closer to nature, our ancestors and the spiritual realm. For me i also flip the holidays to suit my climate as i live in Australia so the seasons are inverted.

Many people have altars or sacred spaces in their homes but i also encourage people to go outside and create a space if they can. Whether its just a rock were you place meat or bread offerings or a tree or lake you visit you don’t need much to practice paganism.

If you cant do that thats okay too, light a candle and make an altar out of items you have found and felt a connection to.

Create an inviting, cozy atmosphere and keep it clean and cleansed to avoid unwanted spirits and energies. For holidays you could have a feast and drink beer and wine with friends and family around a fire for instance. Throughout the year theres lots of small ways to feel some magic like following the phases of the moon, cleaning, making things with intention, mindful walks, having a garden or house plants, meditation or working with charms for some examples.

There is no one way to practice and no one can be right, it is all interpretation and feeling.

You can follow a set of gods, pick and choose or none at all. You can perform rituals, spells or divination or not it is not a practice with rules unlike other big religions. Even just the term pagan or animism may be enough for you.

Whether it’s something more modern, a reconstruction or neither, you don’t have to choose a particular path or label just do what feels right to you.

Overall I believe paganism is a way of life, an open way of thinking rooted in nature, gratitude and respect.

[yellingmetatron]

SO, IT'S THAT FUCKING TIME OF YEAR AGAIN. THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN HELL TRIES TO HAVE A MONOPOLY ON ALL HALLOWS EVE, ABETTED BY THOSE HEAVEN-ALIGNED PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN PROPERLY FUCKING EDUCATED. ALLOW ME TO QUOTE IN BRIEF MY SECOND-FAVORITE ATHEIST, TIM O'NEILL:

The problem with the claim that the key traditions of Halloween are all “pagan” in origin is the same as that with all such arguments. They assume that no new traditions could possibly have arisen in the centuries since the conversion to Christianity and so all traditions which are old (or seem old) must be pre-Christian, therefore “pagan”.[...] One of the most common elements in traditional Halloween folklore involves the lighting of fires. This seems to be the source of Jeffrey Keating’s antiquarian fantasy about druids burning people alive at Samhain, but fires that are watched as they burn out over the course of the night at Halloween are found in traditions]] across Ireland, Scotland and many parts of Wales. These “Hallowmas fires” were discouraged in Protestant areas as a holdover from Catholic traditions, since watching the fire as it burned down while remembering the dead was part of the tradition in many parts, and was clearly connected to the feasts of All Saints and All Souls. But there are elements in these practices that could indicate a pre-Christian origin, such as the Scottish tradition that the fire is burned to “keep the fairies á awá” or to drive off witches. [...] Other, better known and still popular traditions do not seem to have “pagan” origins at all, despite persistent claims to the contrary. The lurid fantasies of druids carrying off people for human sacrifices unless they were placated with gifts and food are often alleged to be the origin of trick or treating. In fact, this seems to have its origin in a Christian practice. Since All Saints and All Souls were feasts focused on the afterlife, in the old Catholic tradition they were also a time where charity was encouraged by the living to boost their chances of attaining heaven. So distributing food to the poor was a central part of Allhallowtide – the three day period from Halloween to the end of All Souls. Special “Soul Cakes” were traditionally baked to be given as charity to the poor and other seasonal food, such as nuts, apples and berries – all abundant in early autumn – were also distributed.

BOLDING FUCKING MINE. YOU CAN FIND THE FULL ARTICLE HERE. LEARN YA SOME FUCKING KNOWLEDGE. LOOK, IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE ROMAN CATHOLIC RITUAL ASPECT OF IT, FINE. I'M NOT HERE TO ENTER THE VAST COSMIC SHITSTORM THAT IS SECTARIAN DISCOURSE. BUT HALLOWEEN IS NOT A FUCKING INFERNAL HOLIDAY, YOU DON'T GET POINTS FOR SHITTING ON IT IF YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN, AND IT DOES NOT DRAW SOULS AWAY FROM HEAVEN. AT LEAST NOT MORE THAN ANY OTHER HOLIDAY THAT'S BEEN FUCKING COMMERCIALIZED TO ALL SHIT.

PEACE, MORTALS.

[zoeyslayter]

2024 To Read List (plus reasons as needed):

TW for Columbine/school unaliving mention and conversion mentions (homophobia). If I've missed your trigger let me know so I can fix the tags accordingly.

All book titles connected to their respective Goodreads pages.

A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy by Sue Klebold - Reading this out of pure spite in response to an-in my opinion- unfair video about Sue. Won't link it so the guy doesn't get harassed but it made my blood boil. Side note: I have a special interest in Columbine but I in no way am interested in joining Tumblr's TCC. Eric and Dylan should not be fangirled over imho.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett - I like faerie books

Murder Your Employer: The McMaster's Guide of Homicide by Rupert Holmes - No particular reason; saw it at B&N and thought it seemed interesting. R.L. Stine apparently liked it so hey, why not?

We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix - I've been looking at this author for a while, and I own some of his books on audible, but I've been trying to get back into physical media

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom by Satoru Yamaguchi, illustrated by Nami Hidaka, and translated by Shirley Yeung - Whole series, but I'm on the second book. One of my all time favorite animes. Can't wait for the Switch game to come out in NA.

Fire Dancer by Catherine Jones Payne - I met this author about 2 years ago at a convention and she is awesome. I'm almost done with her Breakwater series, which I also recommend if you like mermaids.

Split Image: The Life of Anthony Perkins by Charles Winecoff - Perkins has been said to be bisexual, but based on further research I genuinely think that he might have been a homosexual. This topic surrounding him has interested me for a while. especially since I have reason to believe that this came from conversion therapy.

RWBY: After the Fall by E.C. Meyers - I love RWBY and also fanfiction reasons. I also got Before the Dawn and Roman Holiday for similar reasons.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Okay so I read the first book around the time the first movie came out but I only watched the movies past that, and I suddenly got hooked back in by people mentioning small details that Collins wrote, as well as Panem Academy and Emhahee on tiktok

[lalunanymph]

the recent ask that u got about btu got me in a yapping mood 😩 i really love btu and i think about that series at least twice a day lol

i've always thought that shuji was such a coward with the way he acted around y/n when they first got together and i honestly applaud y/n's patience for dealing with shuji's shitty treatment 😭 idk how y/n was able to put up with all of that and it really seemed like she wanted to try and make the marriage work or at least just get along with shuji but he's just not cooperating and straight up being an asshole towards her 😪 i also have a few questions and if u don't feel like answering any or all of them then it's totally fine!! but here are my questions:

1. is shuji y/n's first time? bc if he is, then i wonder how it went like did it happen on their honeymoon? actually, did they even have a honeymoon or shuji didn't even bother to give her that 😭

2. did any of the other bonten members and rival gangs find y/n really attractive? and were there any rival gangs who were also asking y/n's hand for marriage?

3. if ichika and shuji were together for quite a while, why didn't shuji marry her already or even made their relationship public? was it bc shuji's been long aware that kisaki will set him up for an arranged marriage?

4. my last question and also my roman empire!!! i've always thought about an alternative scenario wherein y/n and chifuyu's relationship actually went well bc chifuyu's feelings for y/n always seemed genuine 😌 like what if they're living together in hiding and y/n's feelings for shuji are completely gone, and when shuji finds out about all of that i wonder how he will react 🤭

again i apologize for having a lot of questions, im just into btu like that 😭 thank u for giving us btu and i am looking forward to reading ur future works, i hope that u'll have a great day 💙

nonnie im so sorry for the late reply, i was marinating the reply and didnt want to give a half-assed response so im firing up my yapgine for you !! i lovee how you love this series sm and im so grateful to always receive asks for it <3

honestly, youre so valid. y/n really did want to work things out with shuji even after her memory loss because that was her default intentions even before she encountered the accident </3 but shuji wasn't cooperative because to him, y/n didn't really matter :(

oooo i loveeee questions !!! i'll do my best to answer them !!!

1. due to her strict upbringing, y/n is in fact a virgin and yes, shuji was her first time. its alluded in the first chapter that they didnt have a honeymoon because shuji went on a holiday with bitchika instead and left her stranded

2. y/n's beauty is more understated and shes not as showy as the other girls hanging around toman (because of her upbringing). the one person who did find her quite charming is our second man chifuyu ofc

3. actually 🤓☝️ it was ichika who wasnt ready for marriage with him. it's hinted in chap 4 or 5 that shuji did want to marry her, but because of the trauma she endured from her parents (i didnt state it but they're actually dead so she and her sister were raised by grandma harumi) and her perception of how dangerous shuji was as the reaper, she was reluctant to consider commitment with him

4. OHHH i love this scenario !! i think if y/n's feelings for shuji were gone, she would 110% be with chifuyu! he's respectful and sweet (plus kinda hot too if we're being honest hfhfh) and she would have no problem falling in love with him after working through her trauma ..... as to how shuji would react, it would honestly be the most soul crushing thing to him and he would try his damndest to break them up using shusei as ammo to repair their marriage back

[hgejfmw-hgejhsf]

THE NOTEBOOK AU MY ROMAN EMPIRE

I was wondering when you might find your way over here to ask about The Notebook AU. Welcome in. Pour yourself some tea, coffee, or hot chocolate and let's get right down to it.

So surely by now y'all must know the stunningly gorgeous and perfect Notebook art created by @shirmirart right? Right? Well, if you don't, you can see it with your eyeballs right here.

It was that day that my life was changed entirely and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I HAD to write this fic. And so, what I did was, I rewatched The Notebook for the first time in a bit (despite having seen it many, many times), and I took some notes as I watched, and then I got to work. Anddddd then it stalled out a bit because of the holiday season.

But I am determined. I would really love to get it out into the world this summer, to coincide with that summer romance feel, but we shall see, as I am about to enter into my busiest season of the year at work. Trust that it IS HAPPENING though! As my promise to you that it's well and truly happening, I'll give you the start to the entire fic, beyond the cut:

I am no one special, just a common man with common thoughts. I’ve led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me, and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect, I’ve succeeded as gloriously as anyone who ever lived. I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul, and for me that has always been enough. The summer sun sparkles off of the water as rainbow shadows flash along the painted blue wall, creating all manner of color combinations in the early morning light. A man stands at the window watching pensively as the birds begin to sing their morning songs and the water laps at the dock, worn wood giving way agonizingly slowly to nature, a battle that will be hard-fought but undoubtedly won.  His fingers dance on the wooden windowsill, the precision of their movement playing a silent tune for one that evokes brief flickers of soft skin and dark, yearning eyes. He doesn’t miss a single note. “Good morning,” says a voice from the doorway behind him, breaking the surface of the calm morning and sending ripples of sound out into the universe that reverberate through the room, through their bodies, and out to the lake beyond. An official, audible beginning to a brand new day. He turns, his attention fully on the visitor in the doorway. An old man, much like himself, whose eyes tell silent stories of a life well-lived in the crinkled corners and a twinkle that he doesn’t suspect could ever be dulled. If time hasn’t doused this man’s light, what else could? He holds a book in his hand and wears a pair of reading glasses atop his head that seem oddly familiar, causing the man at the window to reach for phantom glasses of his own only to find none. He blinks and shifts his focus to the wedding ring on the visitor’s left hand, a golden band with minor scuffs and scrapes visible even from across a room. Proof of a long-lasting love. The man at the window smiles and twists at his own ring that rests on his pinkie, silently wishing that he had a similar story of great love that this man must have. A small spark, like a flame trying to burst to life, burns fast and quick in his chest, only to immediately be suffocated when allowed the chance to breathe. He presses a hand reflexively over his heart, as if willing that spark to burn once more. But nothing comes. “I thought that I might read to you today, if you’re up for it,” the visitor says, pulling the man gently from his thoughts. He nods, uncertain why he feels such a pull towards this stranger, but feeling a sort of comfort and peace set in from the moment the man stepped into his space. “I’m Henry,” the man at the window says, stepping across the room just as the visitor moves towards him, meeting him in the middle. He holds out his hand for the visitor to take, and after a brief hesitation, the visitor shifts his book into his opposite hand so that he can accept the greeting. “Alex,” the visitor replies.

[mmoviejournal]

2023

Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (2022)

In Bruges (2008)

Carlito’s Way (1993)

Black Adam (2022)

All the old Knives (2022)

Outside the Wire (2021)

Sabrina (1995)

The Lion King (2019)

The Piano (1993)

Nope (2022)

The Bubble (2022)

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012)

Project Power (2020)

Paw Patrol: The Movie (2021)

Lady Sings the Blues (1972)

Road House (1989)

The Defiant Ones (1958)

Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)

Mean Streets (1973)

Ball of Fire (1941)

The Recruit (2003)

The Tuskegee Airmen (1995)

Dark Victory (1939)

The Aftermath (2019)

Bright Road (1953)

Encino Man (1992)

Bolt (2008)

To Catch a Thief (1955)

Tootsie (1982)

Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)

Inferno (1980)

Old Dogs (2009)

Look both Ways (2022)

Antwone Fisher (2002)

Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

Kajillionaire (2020)

The Wiz (1978)

Littly Italy (2018)

Menace II Society (1993)

Cops (1922)

Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966)

Those who wish me dead (2021)

Ajvar (2019)

Burning Sands (2017)

Operation Fortune (2023)

Your Place or Mine (2023)

Vivo (2021)

The Age of Adaline (2015)

Luthor: The fallen Sun (2023)

Scent of a Woman (1992)

Boston Strangler (2023)

The Smurfs (2011)

Faraway (2023)

The Sweetest Thing (2002)

Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018)

The Smurfs 2 (2013)

Monster’s Ball (2001)

John WIck: Chapter 4 (2023)

Fallen (1998)

Outbreak (1995)

Scream (2023)

The Good Nurse (2022)

Fireflies in the Garden (2008)

Before Sunrise (1995)

Crooklyn (1994)

Scream (2022)

Band of Angels (1957)

Kramer vs Kramer (1979)

The 355 (2022)

Old (2021)

Come Sunday (2018)

All my Life (2020)

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)

Hellraiser (2022)

Roman Holiday (1953)

Creed III (2023)

Red Corner (1997)

The Laureate (2021)

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006)

Red Notice (2021)

Dune (2021)

Sherlock Jr. (1924)

Disclosure (1994)

I killed my Mother (2009)

Next Exit (2022)

Submergence (2017)

In the Heat of the Night (1967)

The Vanishing (1993)

The Color Purple (1985)

The Long Hot Summer (1958)

Transcendence (2014)

Don’t be a Menace to South Central while drinking your Juice in the hood (1996)

Ransom (1996)

Deep Blue Sea (1999)

Cloud Atlas (2012)

The Mother (2023)

Elephant Song (2014)

Gosford Park (2001)

Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

The Girl in the Spider’s Web (2018)

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Swordfish (2001)

Moneyball (2011)

Official Secrets (2019)

Death at a Funeral (2010)

Killer Elite (2011)

Out of Africa (1985)

What’s love got to do with it? (1993)

Frankie and Johnny (1991)

The Hustler (1961)

Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)

Seberg (2019)

Escape Room: Tournament of Champions (2021)

Interstellar (2014)

Soul Food (1997)

Wait till dark (1967)

Mo’ Better Blues (1990)

In the Heights (2021)

Ghosted (2023)

Matthias & Maxime (2019)

Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

In the Cut (2003)

The Wood (1999)

Outlaw King (2018)

Donnie Brasco (1997)

Extraction (2023)

Little Nikita (1988)

The Illusionist (2006)

The Lady from Shanghai (1947)

Some like it Hot (1959)

Eve’s Bayou (1997)

The Aviator (2004)

Space Jam: A new Legacy (2021)

Clock (2023)

My Girl (1991)

Design for living (1933)

Everything Everywhere all at Once (2022)

Chain Reaction (1996)

Pandora and the flying Dutchman (1951)

Before Sunset (2004)

The Jackal (1997)

A Journal for Jordan (2021)

Candyman (2021)

Tequila Sunrise (1988)

Midnight (1934)

The Deer Hunter (1978)

Our Hospitality (1923)

Miami Vice (2006)

The Perfect Find (2023)

Just Cause (1995)

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Our Brand is Crisis (2015)

Notorious (1946)

Crush (2022)

Striptease (1996)

Don’t worry Darling (2022)

The Lion in Winter (1968)

The Constant Gardener (2005)

Ben Hur (1959)

Deliver us from Eva (2003)

Fast X (2023)

Strange days (1995)

8mm (1999)

The Woman in the Window (2021)

Guys and Dolls (1955)

Sister Act (1992)

The Visitor (2022)

Dead Again (1991)

Spellbound (1945)

Air (2023)

Indiana Jones and the last Crusade (1989)

Carmen Jones (1954)

…and Justice for All (1979)

Honk for Jesus. Save your Soul (2022)

A Fish called Wanda (1988)

The Nutcracker and the four realms (2018)

Boogie Nights (1997)

Venom: Let there be Carnage (2021)

Bird Box: Barcelona (2023)

Hush…Hush Sweet Charlotte (1964)

Rumble in the Bronx (1995)

They cloned Tyrone (2023)

Once upon a time in America (1984)

The Wild One (1953)

Something New (2006)

Dying Young (1991)

Death Takes a Holiday (1934)

Me Myself and Irene (2000)

Friday Foster (1975)

One day (2011)

A good Year (2006)

Varsity Blues (1999)

High Noon (1952)

Men in Black 3 (2012)

Friday (1995)

Strait- Jacket (1964)

Step Up (2006)

Air Force One (1997)

Big Business (1988)

Breaking (2022)

Barbie (2023)

He who gets slapped (1924)

Near Dark (1987)

How Stella got her Groove back (1998)

The Joneses (2009)

Stardust (2007)

Heartburn (1986)

Mildred Pierce (1945)

Paid in Full (2002)

Awakenings (1990)

The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Serpico (1973)

Amsterdam (2022)

Tom and Huck (1995)

Emancipation (2022)

Mademoiselle Ange -Ein Engel auf Erden (1959)

The Ninth Gate (1999)

No Sudden Move (2021)

The Rite (2011)

Her (2013)

King Rat (1965)

Labyrinth (1986)

Too Young to Die? (1990)

42 (2013)

One Night in Miami (2020)

That Thing you do (1996)

Lilies of the Field (1963)

Me before you (2016)

He got Game (1998)

Life as a House (2001)

Bhowani Junction (1956)

Pretty in Pink (1986)

Antebellum (2020)

Wild Things (1998)

Shadow in the Cloud (2020)

Fled (1996)

The Batman (2022)

No Time to Die (2021)

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)

Vampire’s Kiss (1988)

Conspiracy Theory (1997)

Red, White and Royal Blue (2023)

The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)

The Postman (1997)

Enemy at the Gates (2001)

Out West (1918)

The Age of Innocence (1993)

Spider-Man: No way Home (2021)

Masquerade (1988)

Fair Play (2023)

Harlem Nights (1989)

Das Cabinet des Dr Caligari (1920)

Knock at the Cabin (2023)

The Pope’s Exorcist (2023)

Swing Time (1936)

Angels & Demons (2009)

The Dictator (2012)

Best Christmas Ever (2023)

Istanbul Için Son Çagri (Last call for Istanbul) (2023)

The Negotiator (1998)

Cuvari Formule (2023)

The Lady Eve (1941)

Family Switch (2023)

Shall we dance (1937)

Leave the World behind (2023)

The Killer (2023)

The Burial (2023)

Dead Presidents (1995)

Brothers (2009)

My Summer of Love (2004)

Oppenheimer (2023)

Rebel Moon: A Child of Fire - Part 1 (2023)

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Tuesday, October 24, Part I

Buffy: Where did you send him? Anya: The land of the trolls. He'll like it there. Full of trolls. Willow: It's hard to be precise, though. Alternate universes don't stay put. Trying to send him to a specific place is sort of like ... like ... trying to hit a ... puppy, by throwing a live bee at it. Which is a weird image, and you should all just forget it. Anya: It's possible that he's in the land of perpetual Wednesday ... or the crazy melty land ... or, you know, the world without shrimp. Tara: There's a world without shrimp? I'm allergic. Willow: He, he's probably in troll land. Buffy: I only care that he's not here, and I got this nifty souvenir.

~~Buffy Season 5 Episode #89: "Triangle"~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

right or wrong (Ensemble, T, Hellblazer xover) by [personal profile] madimpossibledreamer

It Never Goes Away (Buffy, Faith, T) by Coraniaid

To Be Hers (Buffy/Spike, M) by Oddxrey

underbaked (Jenny/Giles, T) by The_Eclectic_Bookworm

Tender is the night (Cordelia/Angel, G) by RandomPizzaEater

How God Kings sleep (and how a vamp doesn’t care for them) (Spike, Illyria, unrated) by blue-moon21

Roots (Buffy/Spike, T) by acekoomboom

[Chaptered Fiction]

Vamp for Rent 6/18 (Spike/Xander, M) by forsaken2003

Forgotten Memories Ch. 2/12 (Buffy/Angel, M) by Ilovebooks10

Through the Looking Glass Ch. 1 (Buffy, Dawn, T, SG-1 xover) by BrennaLynn

Pink Milk & Peaches Ch. 1/? (Angel/Spike, unrated, Choose Not to Warn) by Takabinary

"The Sky's Gonna Open" Ch. 4 (Lindsey/OC, T) by lindseymcdonaldseyelashes

The Gift Ch. 1-4/4 (COMPLETE) (Angel/Darla/Drusilla/Spike, E) by the_widow_twankey

Wesley's Musical Extravaganza or How My Polycule Keeps Dragging Me Into Musicals (And How I Secretly Enjoy Them) Ch. 1-7/7 (COMPLETE) (Gunn/Fred/Wesley/Lilah, T) by JamesTheIceQueen

Encased by Sunshine, Chapter 27 (Buffy/Spike, M) by acb6293

Dusk Rising, Chapter 24 (Buffy/Spike, E) by HappyWhenItRains

L'amore troverà la via, Chapter 8-9 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Violette-Milka

A Sweet Roman Holiday, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, E) by CheekyKitten

Destiny or Choices Made?, Chapter 19 (Buffy/Spike, T) by charmed4lifekaren

Surviving Together, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, E) by ionlylikebadboys

The Neighbor's Point of View, Chapter 54 (Buffy/Spike, G) by the_big_bad

(Buffy/Spike, G) by all_choseny

Mutually Beneficial Agreements, Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, M) by FoolForSpuffy

To Boldly Go, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, G) by Lady Emma

In the Depths of October, Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, E) by mcgnagallsarmy, acekoomboom, violettathepiratequeen

Ethan Rayne, Watcher, Chapter 16 (Buffy/Spike, G) by Desicat

Overture, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, M) by simmony

Under The Rubble, Chapter 52 (Buffy/Spike, M) by Geliot99

To Boldly Go, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, G) by Lady Emma

Shall We?, Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, M) by Ginger

Dusk Rising, Chapter 23 (Buffy/Spike, E) by HappyWhenItRains

What the Drabble?, Chapter 31 (Buffy/Spike, M) by VeroNyxK84

To Boldly Go, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, G) by Lady Emma

Autumnal Shorts, Chapter 23 (Buffy/Spike, M) by VeroNyxK84

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork:Nightwalker Xander () by madimpossibledreamer

Artwork:Cordelia () by primadsezcanada

Artwork:Spuffy 20s fic poster () by isevery0nehereverystoned

Artwork:Buffy () by pzyii

Artwork:Buffy and Faith () by jmoonjones

Artwork:The Hero of Three Faces Cartoon () by paulgadzikowski

Artwork:Spike () by keelifallen

[Reviews & Recaps]

Smile Time (Sesame Street meets modern horror) by fancoloredglasses

Mothman’s Buffy Rewatch: Season 2, Episode 4, Inca Mummy Girl by mothmans-wedding-photographer

PODCAST: ATS 201 - Judgement by Another Buffy Podcast

[Fandom Discussions]

Top 5 2022 Fanworks by yourlibrarian

You know what I really love about ‘Slayers: A Buffyverse Story’? by girl4music

Bangel fans: Marian Jinabel by iwillrememberyoumarathon

by Revamped iwillrememberyoumarathon

Bangel fans: Grace by Revamped iwillrememberyoumarathon

Has anyone looked at the soul canon by evilwickedme

I don’t watch Angel very often by marilyn-not-monroe

found this rewatch of i only have eyes for you particularly interesting by all-seeing-ifer

I wouldn’t say I think buffy is already suicidal in season 2 by all-seeing-ifer

Willow Rosenberg and Biblical Prophecy. by secretlyasummers

I’m glad Gunn calls Angel his friend in the House that always wins by angelustheimmortal

What did Buffy and Angel discuss after she came back? by BaskingINBangel

[carolinesiede]

My 2022 Roundup

Phew! What a year.

2022 started with news of some disappointing corporate shake-ups at The A.V. Club — my main freelance home for the past nine years. After leaving the site in solidarity with my wonderful departing editors, I went all-in on a full-time contract gig with FOX Digital only for that to rather unexpectedly end in mid-November. Add in the tumult that has taken over Twitter in the last third of the year, and I’m ending this year without any of the pillars of stability that have propped me up for my entire career, not to mention nearly my entire adult life.

And, yet, remarkably, I also feel more rejuvenated and excited than I have since the start of the pandemic. After a challenging 2021 took a fairly drastic toll on my mental health, 2022 was filled with adventures that pushed me out of my comfort zone and reminded me that I’m capable of more than I think I am.

I started the year covering virtual Sundance, which was my first experience with a major film festival like that. Then in March I hopped on a plane for the first time since 2015 (!!!) to attend SXSW, where I saw a Dolly Parton concert, watched Nic Cage watch Nic Cage play Nic Cage, and just generally had 10 of the most surreal, exhausting, exhilarating days of my life.

May brought my first-ever on camera interview, with Cha Cha Real Smooth writer/director/star Cooper Raiff, who was in town for the Chicago Critics Film Festival. Then June took me to L.A., where I watched a dear college friend get married and took my first-ever trip to Disneyland! (I also dealt with my first major cancelled flight snafu and managed to have only a minor emotional breakdown in LAX.)

The adventures didn’t stop there, as I took a relaxing trip home to St. Louis in August, dashed around like a madwoman covering the Chicago International Film Festival in October, and took a semi-spontaneous trip to New York City in November, where I squeezed in five Broadway shows amongst catching up with friends old and new.

The year wasn’t all easy, of course, especially when it came to the major mental adjustment of switching from a freelance lifestyle to the structure and demands of a full-time job creating a brand new section with a two-person team.

And it was incredibly bittersweet to say goodbye to some of the long-time anchors of my career: My episodic recaps of This Is Us (my favorite show I’ve ever gotten to write about in such an in-depth way) and especially my long-time A.V. Club column When Romance Met Comedy, which came to a close after 101 columns totaling 187,227 words.

I’m especially proud that my final four WRMC entries (Roman Holiday, Win A Date with Tad Hamilton!, 2005′s Pride & Prejudice, and How To Be Single) really sum up the scope of what I was trying to do with this four-year project. And though it was kind of nice to take a break from writing about rom-coms for most of 2022, I feel like the genre is calling me back again in 2023. 

Other highlights of the year included celebrating Nathan Chen’s gold medal win at the Beijing Olympics (I’ve been following his skating career since 2016!), spotting Nate from The Bachelorette at my screening of Black Adam, re-hauling my wardrobe, getting my bivalent booster (a major turning point in pandemic safety — get yours today!) and reconnecting with friends I hadn’t seen in person in years.

I also created a public Instagram account, recapped “The Slap” Oscars, delved deep into the nerd-spheres of the MCU, Stranger Things, and House of the Dragon, and kept things going strong with my podcast Role Calling, where we covered the careers of Meg Ryan, Antonio Banderas, and Zac Efron, and released a series of Lord of the Rings specials that I’m especially proud of.

Oh and I picked my 10 favorite films of 2022, even though this is the first time in years that I didn’t actually publish any official year-end coverage:

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Living

Cha Cha Real Smooth

Elvis

Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.

The Woman King

Aftersun

Everything Everywhere All At Once

Saint Omer

Turning Red

As we head into 2023, I’ll leave you with wishes for a Happy New Year and a roundup of all the major writing and podcasts I did in 2022. If you enjoyed my work, you can support me on Kofi or PayPal. Or you can just share some of your favorite pieces with your friends! That really means a lot. 

When Romance Met Comedy

Nearly 70 years on, Roman Holiday remains one of romantic comedy’s most delectable treats

Win A Date With Tad Hamilton! now has retro charms twice over

Joe Wright made Pride & Prejudice feel fresh all over again

Can romantic comedies teach us How To Be Single?

My last A.V. Club TV recaps

This Is Us season 6

The Doctor Who 2022 New Year’s Day Special

Op-eds and Features

At the SXSW Film Festival, Nicolas Cage watches Nicolas Cage play Nicolas Cage

Revisit the lighthearted nun comedy that won Sidney Poitier the Oscar

Awards show recap: The chaos Oscars

‘Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion’ is still timeless at 25

75 years of the Roswell incident — pop culture’s favorite alien conspiracy theory

Watch rare color footage of Queen Elizabeth II’s 1947 royal wedding

Interviews

Cooper Raiff on his new Apple TV+ indie rom-com ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’

Film Reviews

Say "maybe" to Jennifer Lopez’s Marry Me (my last A.V. Club film review!)

‘The Worst Person in the World’ might be the best movie of the year

Unfortunately, ‘Uncharted’ isn’t quite a national treasure

‘The Batman’ review: Why so serious?

'After Yang' review: Colin Farrell grapples with the loss of his android son

‘Turning Red’ is Pixar at its weird, wonderful best

‘The Lost City’ almost strikes gold at SXSW

‘Everything Everywhere All At Once' is transcendent and a bit exhausting

‘Morbius’ is a boring, bloodless bat man

In ‘Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood,’ nostalgia becomes rocket fuel

‘Dual’ review: Two Karen Gillans, one deadpan dark comedy

‘The Bad Guys’ review: Animated baddies make for a good time at the movies

‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ review: Marvel makes a messy horror movie

‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’ review: Mamma Mia, here we go again

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ review: ‘Top Gun 2’ is a gloriously corny nostalgia fest

HBO’s ‘The Janes’ tells the story of radically empathetic abortion activists

‘Jurassic World Dominion’ review: Just going through the dino motions

‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’ is a stellar new riff on a classic indie dramedy formula

‘Elvis’ somehow has both the best and worst performances of the year

‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ review: A surprisingly bittersweet romp

‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ lacks grit

‘Marcel the Shell with Shoes On’ is pure magic

‘My Old School’ is a wild, weirdly charming documentary

‘DC League of Super-Pets’ has delightful Saturday morning cartoon vibes

‘Bullet Train’ review: Brad Pitt’s thrill ride just barely stays on track

‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ review: A wickedly fun Gen Z slasher from A24

‘Not Okay’ and ‘Vengeance,’ two provocative comedies about narcissism

‘13: The Musical’ review: Broadway magic gets lost in Netflix translation

John Boyega gets a dramatic showcase in ‘Breaking’

‘Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.’ review: A megachurch mockumentary masterclass

‘The Woman King’ review: Viola Davis’ crowning achievement

‘Don’t Worry Darling’ should’ve worried more

‘Bros’ review: Billy Eichner is a glorious rom-com lead

‘Black Adam’ review: The Rock goes bad — mostly for good

‘Ticket to Paradise’ review: George Clooney and Julia Roberts grin and bear it

'Call Jane' review: An abortion drama with optimism

‘My Policeman’ and ‘Causeway’: Harry Styles and Jennifer Lawrence lead quiet new dramas

‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ review: A superhero elegy

TV Reviews/Recaps

‘Welcome to Flatch’ S1 (premiere + final recap)

‘Monarch’ S1 (premiere + final recap)

Streaming pick of the week: Hulu’s ‘Pam & Tommy’

‘The Dropout’ review: Amanda Seyfried leads TV’s latest scammer drama

Marvel’s ‘Moon Knight’ is promising but weirdly paced

‘Doctor Who’ review: A pirate-themed Easter special is a throwaway romp

Get ready to fall in love with ‘Ms. Marvel’

‘She-Hulk’ review: Marvel’s bold comedic experiment’

‘House of the Dragon’ review: ‘Game of Thrones’ is back and better than ever

‘Andor’ review: ‘Star Wars’ grows up, with a rebel yell

Explainers & Rankings

Oscars 2022: Where to watch the Best Picture nominees (and other movies like them)

Marvel second installments ranked — including ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

‘Top Gun 2’: Film critic eats his shoe (literally) over ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

'Stranger Things' recap: Here's a refresher ahead of the season 4 premiere

‘Stranger Things’ season 4 storylines, ranked

Here's everything Marvel announced at Comic-Con

'She-Hulk': Three Marvel movies (and one TV show) to revisit before starting the series

The 11 best movies of the year so far: ‘Top Gun 2,’ ‘Turning Red’ and more

10 of the best streaming shows of the year (so far)

22 things we loved in 2022

‘House of the Dragon’ 101

‘Game of Thrones’ returns: Everything you need to know about HBO’s ‘House of the Dragon’

‘House of the Dragon’ 101: Who's who in this new game of thrones

‘House of the Dragon’ 101: What are the Stepstones and where’s Old Valyria?

‘House of the Dragon’ 101: What’s up with Targaryen incest?

‘House of the Dragon’ 101: That time jump (and those kids), explained

Festival Coverage

Sundance coverage part one, two, three, four, and five

The coolest, weirdest, best things at this year’s SXSW festival: Vol. 1

The coolest, weirdest, best things at this year’s SXSW festival: Vol. 2

The splashiest movies out of this year’s SXSW festival, Vol. 1

The splashiest movies out of this year’s SXSW festival, Vol. 2

Chicago International Film Festival preview, part one and two

Movie Previews

February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October

Role Calling Podcast

Meg Ryan: When Harry Met Sally, Joe Versus the Volcano, Sleepless In Seattle, Anastasia, You’ve Got Mail

Antonio Banderas: The Mask of Zorro, Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, Desperado, Evita, Pain and Glory

Zac Efron: High School Musical, Hairspray, Neighbors, The Greatest Showman, The Greatest Beer Run Ever

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King

Specials: One Year Anniversary Special, Thor: Love and Thunder, Halloween Ends, The Best and Worst Films of 2022: Letterboxd Special

Other Podcast Appearances

The Filmcast: The Tragedy of Macbeth

Culturally Relevant: Breaking Down the Films of Sundance 2022 

Travolta/Cage: Old Dogs/National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets

The Filmcast: The Lost City

The Filmcast: Morbius

Happy Harvest Horror Show: Hocus Pocus 2

And here are similar year-end wrap-ups I did in 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2013.

[jdgo51]

Make Space for Hope

Today's inspiration comes from:

Waking Up to the Goodness of God

by Susie Larson

"Lord God, hope sometimes feels so costly, yet our hearts can’t live without it! You are the God of all hope and the giver of all good gifts. Let hope arise within me on this day! Not wishful thinking or positive thoughts; I want redemptive hope — a pure, confident assurance that You are up to something good and soon my eyes will see it. Heal the places in my story where disappointment still lives. Help me plant fresh seeds of hope, knowing the harvest will come in due time. Thank You, Lord." Amen.

"'We were out to lunch recently with our son Jake and his precious wife, Lizzie. They’re the ones who’ve battled infertility for many years. I’ve watched them graciously play with nephews and nieces on the floor and enter into family times with a heart hospitality that’s left me breathless. I’ve watched holidays come and go with no signs of a breakthrough. Still, they’ve stayed engaged in their relationships. They buy thoughtful gifts for birthdays and Christmases. They pray for the rest of us when we walk through hard times.

I’ve marveled as I’ve watched them. I’ve cried out to God more times than I can count. I know He hears us, but this has been heartbreakingly painful.

They’ve tried hormones, IUI, and IVF and are now walking through the process of something called snowflake adoption. Over lunch, I told Jake, “I’m praying for an acceleration of your paperwork. That you’ll be matched with a baby sooner than you expect.” Jake’s eyes welled with tears, and he reached for my arm. “Mom! Don’t pray that way for me. That’s not what I want. That’s not helpful right now. I don’t need this process to speed up. I need my heart to heal.

Our hopes have been dashed so many times; I need a heart that has space for hope.” Ugh. I choked back the tears and said, “Of course, honey. That makes so much sense. That’s exactly how I’ll pray.”

I asked Jake and Lizzie if I could share this part of their story, and he said, “One of the ways we can partner with God for the renewal of all things is to use our story to help others.” I love that boy.

I can think of countless times when I was willing to bypass hope and just wanted relief. More than relief, God is after the full redemption of our story. We just want a break, but God is after a breakthrough. Jake’s prayerful plea was bursting with wisdom. It’s not enough just to get what we want when we want it. God wants life to spring up in every aspect of our story. He wants our hearts to have lots of space for hope.

God knows our end from our beginning. He’s written out all our days before we’ve lived even one. He knows the way we take, and He knows we’ll come through our trials as gold, as ones purified by the fire.

Let hope arise.

If hope feels too expensive for you, don’t despair. Just whisper a prayer to the One who loves you, holds you, and will never let you go. He is your faithful God, and He knows what you need and even what you strongly desire. His plans for you are good. Really, wonderfully good.

“I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,” says the Lord, “plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

— Jeremiah 29:11 AMP

The word translated as “well-being” in the verse above means peace in relationships with others and God, soul prosperity, health, safety, and wholeness.1

Let your heart rest in His goodness. Dare to trust Him with the most vulnerable parts of your story. He’s tender with your weakness and compassionate with your hurts. He’ll surround you with His favor as with a shield. You can trust Him.

Let hope arise.

FAITH DECLARATION

Jesus is my Lord.

He holds my heart.

He gives me hope.

He renews my strength.

He is always good to me.

BRAIN RETRAIN

Goodness is on its way to me."'

FURTHER STUDY

Romans 15:13; Hebrews 11:1

Interlinear Study Bible, Jeremiah 29:11, StudyLight, accessed June 27, 2023, https://www.studylight.org/study-desk/interlinear.html?q1=Jeremiah 29.

Excerpted with permission from Waking Up to the Goodness of God by Susie Larson, copyright Susie Larson.