#Yet if someone is loving it so far and Strike and the others inspire new fics-art-or-cosplay I'm all for it

[dg-outlaw]

Why No Love for Red Hood: The Hill?

I think it's all in the marketing and about what's being delivered versus what readers expected.

So I almost made this post on a reblog, but I didn't want to overwhelm that thread. Plus, I'm not sure if people get mad when someone does a long reblog on their short OG post? Anyway, the point of that post was that Issue 3 of 'Red Hood: The Hill' came out and no one's really talking about it, especially Jason/Red Hood fans.

I think the biggest problem (IMO) with this series is that someone wanted to write a story about The Hill and some new characters (which is fine), but like the 'Batman: The Hill' comic (which I think this series is sort of a sequel to), it's banking off a known character, Red Hood, to be it's selling point. "Come for the Red Hood, but stay for these other characters and their story." All fine and good, but a little deceptive when the marketing leans more toward it being a Red Hood (and new 'Outlaw' friends) story rather than one where Jason is a random guest star.

Series description:

In Gotham City’s early days, The Hill was one of Gotham City’s most dangerous neighborhoods, one that required the residents to band together to keep themselves safe when the police – and sometimes even Batman – wouldn’t. Now, as the Hill finds itself gentrifying, old habits die hard as the vigilante known only as Strike works with her team to keep the town safe—but she’s not alone. Jason Todd, one of the Hill’s newest residents, is more than happy to don the visage of Red Hood to help Strike keep his new home safe. But a new villain is emerging from the shadows. Will Red Hood, Strike and the Hill’s small militia of vigilantes be able to keep their home safe?

And this brings me back to the marketing and advertising of this series, especially versus the Batman: The Hill comic.

Obviously we can see the artistic parallels between these two covers (above). Overall, good job and nice throwback, but... there's a major difference. These two are not similar.

The first cover has "THE HILL" in bold, prominent text and Batman is in the background. This says that Batman is part of the story, but he seems secondary to whatever's going on in the foreground, which is mostly true to the story.

The second cover has "RED HOOD" prominent in the title with "The Hill" as secondary and smaller. Jason is also front and center with Batman looming behind him (who only just showed up at the end of issue 3. There's only two more issues left). The character of Strike, our new protagonist and The Hill's main hero, is down at the bottom and barely in-frame, further suggesting it's more about Jason (and maybe Batman) than The Hill or other characters. Again, clever marketing and nice design nod to the original cover, but deceptive when it comes to the series content. I don't necessarily blame the cover artist here as they might've been given a different brief on what the story was about and I get the fun throwback to the old Hill cover, but these covers are almost reversed in terms of Bat-character prominence.

In the original, Batman was more intertwined in that comic's story than Jason is in his series, which further adds to the audience letdown. If anything, this series needed to go with the coffee shop musician strategy: play a bunch of cover songs to win over the crowd and then slip in your original music (OCs) here and there. Once you have your audience hooked, go all out with your original stuff and then throw in 'Wonderwall' just for kicks and to keep them invested.

Ultimately, I think the biggest problem of this series is pacing and balance. The series needs more Jason to allow readers time to invest in the new characters, but as those new characters develop through their interactions with him THEN Jason can fade back as a partner character or just random character who comes in to help out. As it is, he's a guest star in series called, 'RED HOOD: the hill' with most of Jason's actions being 'day-in-the-life' stuff or a random action panel or two.

If anything, I think Red Hood #51 and #52 did a better job of establishing Jason as a main player, but also working alongside a new hero (Strike) and citizens of The Hill in solving a case. The covers above also display a more balanced composition and preview of what you're getting. Yes, you're reading a Red Hood comic, but there will be some other significant characters playing in this sandbox that you should care about and watch out for.

Sadly, I think the untrue message DC will take away from this series if it doesn't do well is that: (1) Jason is NOT an instant seller so let's shelf him because he couldn't carry this series (that he's barely in), and (2) readers don't like these new characters (most of which are BIPOC and/or LGBTQ), so let's ditch them and do more Batman stuff. 🤦‍♂️

And that's unfortunate because I think there's potential here had this series been executed in a better way. I see where the writer wanted to go with these new characters and they actually seem like an interesting and cozy bunch, but I feel like I'm stepping into an already established found family/friend group, but I don't really know them and I'm the outsider. So eventually I'll find a random distracted moment to quietly say bye to my friend Jason and slip out before anyone notices... like the socially awkward introvert that I am.

[comatosebunny09]

Inspired by @sserpente’s The Sunwalker’s Gift.

Imagine being a shopkeeper, selling heirlooms and antiques in a quaint mom-and-pop shop.

Business is incredibly slow. You find yourself flipping through the worn, deckled pages of a book, your chin cradled in your palm. There is nary a customer in sight. Not since that new, mainstream jewelry store popped up down the street.

You’re about to close up shop early to enjoy what’s left of the day—it’s lovely outside. Too pretty to be tucked between these browning walls. But the jangle of the store’s bell lures your attention to the door.

Finally.

You look up as you prepare to greet the store’s newest occupant. But you forget how to talk—forget how to breathe—rooted to the floor like a basilisk has petrified you.

He’s ethereal amid the sunbeams pouring into your tiny store. All wintry-skinned, thin, and tall, dark lenses perched on his sharp nose. Rounded cheeks, petal-pink lips, and foxlike features.

His hair is what entrances you. Swaying like snowflakes in the breeze, and you wonder if it’s as soft as the snow it resembles. Vaguely, you register it sifting through your fingers, smell it exuding the faintest hints of rosemary and firewood.

The stranger surveys your shop, one hand tucked in his pants pocket, the other holding onto an oversized coat. Even his stance is princely. Nothing captures his attention for too long as he peruses through your wares, feigning interest in your rickety things.

You suddenly feel insecure; small—he strikes a picturesque figure amid the dusty antiques lining your shelves. The store across the way would probably suit someone so devastatingly beautiful better.

Nevertheless, you remember how to speak. Square your shoulders, plastering on your most welcoming grin despite your nerves exploding like solar flares beneath your skin.

After smoothing out the wrinkles of your attire, you offer the customer a warm, rehearsed “Welcome!”

He perks up at the sound of your voice. Lips twitch into a half smile, silver brows lifting slightly. Your heart hiccups at the sight.

The stranger saunters towards the counter, carrying with him the scent of bergamot and brushed sage. It’s a homely scent. Somehow nostalgic as he leans towards you, tilting his shades down to ingest you with eyes the color of smoldering coals.

“Good afternoon, love,” he drawls, his accent thick with regality. The purr of it causes your body to flood with warmth. It’s almost dizzying, the ground shifting beneath your feet.

You swallow, your throat thickening with your voice. “What brings you in today?”

“Actually.” He looks thoughtful, a long finger tapping his chin. Suddenly, he snaps his fingers like all the world’s secrets bare themselves to him. “Maybe you can help me with something.”

You watch with bated breath whilst the stranger retrieves something from his coat pocket. It catches in the sunlight. Glints a pretty ruby red as he places it on the display counter with a resounding clack.

“I’ve been trying to part ways with the damned thing for ages. Yet somehow, it always finds its way back to me.” His gaze is far off for the barest of seconds before he replaces it with a nonchalant shrug, waggling his hand dismissively. “It’s long since served its purpose. An antique, if you will. I wondered how much it would go for if it still holds any value.”

He speaks of it so contemptuously. As if it’s been a burden to carry all this time. But it’s beautiful in its simplicity. Tarnished gold, carved with intricate runes you can’t quite decipher. It houses a gorgeous crimson stone that seems to hum and swirl with energy—with power. Perhaps it’s a trick of the light or your nerves causing you to hallucinate.

You’re delicate as you hold it against the sun’s rays, further studying its design. In your peripheral, you capture the stranger’s eyes, regarding you with something you can’t quite place. Disdain? Curiosity? Fondness? Whatever it is, it unnerves you. Makes your mouth fill with sand as you clutch the ring in your palm, intending to scrutinize it some more in the back. It radiates against your flesh despite it being so frigid.

“I’ll have to take a more thorough look at it,” you conclude, masking your shakiness. You muster another smile. “Would you like some tea in the meantime? It may take a while to appraise it properly.”

“No thank you, darling,” replies the fair-skinned stranger, leaning against your counter in an easy slouch. His smirk is back, boasting what you mistake for a fang, peeking through the plushness of his lips. “Never had a taste for the stuff.”

“Coffee your thing?”

“Gods no.”

“Water?”

He waves you off with a quiet scoff, venturing away to prod and examine the other little trinkets in your shop.

“Take all the time you need, love. I’ve nothing but time to spare. And, by the looks of it, so do you.” He eyes you over his shoulder with mirth gracing his countenance. A flash of affection colors his gaze before he busies himself again.

You huff a laugh at his peculiar mannerisms, disappearing behind the curtain of the back room to fetch your jewelers loupe. All the while, your mind swims with wistfulness.

You can't help but feel like the handsome stranger who’d fatefully wandered into your shop is watching you, burrowing deep into your soul, even through the thick veil of your curtain.

masterlist

[gaysindistress]

Never Love an Anchor

Pairings: gn!Tav x Zevlor

Summary: a ship can never love an anchor so Zevlor cut you loose but kept the love he held for you in his heart, hoping that maybe that might change.

Warnings: talks of cannon violence in bg3

Word count: idk man I wrote this in my notes and it’s more than a Drabble but not a fic so somewhere between? 🤷🏻‍♀️

I highly recommend listening to ‘never love an anchor’ by the crane wives. I read something from @gnomishcunning awhile back about the things that Zevlor deserves and that’s what inspired this so give them love too 💕

Bg3 mastlist

The great Hellrider Commander. The new leader of the exiled Tieflings. An old and broken paladin with no faith to draw strength from. A man who’s been charged with the protection of his people and expected to do right by each and every one without fail.

Commander Zevlor.

Or simply Zevlor as many of his people call him.

You’ve heard many stories about this famed man but never have you laid eyes on him. Elturel isn’t far from Baldurs gate so it wouldn’t be completely unimaginable to say that he somewhat of a hero to you. What happened to the city struck both fear and sorrow into your heart. The worst part, however, is knowing that the tieflings would be the ones to suffer the consequences of actions they had no part in. It takes a selfless soul to take on the duty that Zevlor has and this only adds to the respect you have for him.

The first time you meet is during the fight in front of the Grove. Arrows and spells are flying around as you battle the goblins with people you don’t even recognize. One goblin in particular has evaded your attack almost every time and has moved into a lethal position. Their arrows are landing successfully every time on the tiefling guard above the stone door, nearly sending him to an early grave.

Vaguely you hear someone shout his name as he stumbles backwards when an arrow lands in his shoulder,

“Zevlor!”

Shadowheart is doing what she can to protect you as your world seems to slow. Lae’zel ’chk’s at you when she notices your faltering movements and cuts down a worg coming for you while Astarion sneaks behind the remaining 2 goblins. The one that shot at Zevlor and has been dodging you also notices this and makes to attack you next. Your blade is faster than their bow.

They fall to the ground as you throw your last healing potion at the fallen tiefling and order Shadowheart to use her last spell to heal him.

The battle is won soon after and you’re finally able to meet this hero of yours for the first time. Rather than reducing to a star struck mess, you keep yourself composed as you approach him arguing with Aradin. Somehow you manage to convince them to stop fighting before yet another battle breaks out. You direct Aradin back with a simple point of your finger before turning to the Hellrider. It’s then that you realize there was one important detail missing from his legends; his striking beauty.

His horns stretch and bend far beyond most tieflings indicating both his age and wisdom. The infernal ridges that line his cheekbones and forehead bring attention to his entrancing eyes. Glowing like the enteral torch, Zevlor’s eyes study you with caution as you marvel at his appearance. Moving from his face you take in the worn but cared for chain mail armor that sits upon his strong shoulders that carry the burden of thousands. His chest, board and equally strong as his shoulders, seems to move in time with your own breath; adrenaline filled but calming all the same. It’s a testament to the seasoned paladin that lives within him, his reassuring strength that does not waver in the face of danger. It’s proof of the well trained commander within him that strategizes his every move as well as others.

Whatever words you thought might aid you in introducing yourself seemed to disappear and all you can offer is a half smile. Zevlor thanks you for your help but it’s not without a lingering gaze that cuts through your confidence. It seems he’s mistaken your shyness for indifference towards his people. Regardless he still asks for your help in getting his people to Baldur’s Gate. Your immediate acceptance causes several of your companions to be upset with you. Frankly Shadowheart is the only one who has an inkling about what’s truly going on. That night at camp, she brings whatever wine she could find to your tent and slowly drags the truth out of you.

“I couldn’t help but notice your fascination with Zevlor,” she muses from behind her chalice before adding, “well I could but there’s no fun in that.”

You chuckle at her as you take a sip of your own wine. It’s bitter and foul but it’s something to sooth your nerves no less.

“My fascination? And what exactly did I do for you to notice such a thing?”

“You stared at him as if he were the most beautiful piece of art work you’d ever seen. That or he was a feast after starving for weeks on end.”

“I did no such thing!” You try to defend yourself but it fails horribly when neither of you can stop laughing. “Fine maybe I did but can you blame me? He is a beautiful man.”

Rolling her eyes, Shadowheart finishes her chalice and turns to face you. It’s startling to have her full attention on you like this but the wine has lessened your concern.

“Tell me truly; do you have feelings for him?”

You stare back at her and hope that her goddess might have mercy on enough to smite you where you sit. Alas you have no luck and are forced to answer.

Your eyes find the empty chalice in your own hands as it dangles from your fingers between your knees.

“I think..,” you start with a sigh, “I think that my feelings are irrelevant in our current situation. A relationship, a romance has no place among the fight we’re facing. Matters of the heart have no relevance when making decisions the lives of many.”

Your strangely beautiful yet sobering confession renders the cleric speechless for once. She glances to between the moon and you before nudging you with her shoulder.

“Do not be so quick to cast your feelings aside. You never know when matters of the heart may take precedence.”

Some months later after the nether brain fight, everyone has settled into their lives and gone their separate ways. Wither’s gathering has already passed and this would be maybe a few weeks later. lakrissa and alfira have gotten married and theres to be a small reception in the city at the Elfsong. Of course the heroes of baldurs gate are invited seeing as without your party, the couple wouldn’t have survived this far.

Zevlor and the tieflings have made amends following the finale battle so he’s in attendance as well. He’s still cautious and honestly probably a little scared that they will change their mind and shun him for what happened at Moonrise so he’s a wall flower. He makes his rounds and keeps up polite conversation but he doesn’t want to overstay his welcome so he plans to leave pretty early on. The rest of the party has arrived; Karlach and Wyll are the current stars of the hour as they tell fabulous tales of their time in Avernus. Gale and Lae’zel have sent their regards while Astarion and Shadowheart keep their chalices full and their gossip hushed. The only ones missing are you and Halsin.

Everyone knows that the two of you had something special but no one could ever figure out what. Shadowheart swore herself to secrecy and Astarion charmed the conversation to something entirely different. As for the others, no one knew why you chose to follow Halsin to the former shadow lands, only that you had and seemed to be content. Zevlor hasn’t seen you since the last fight and it created a deep rift within himself to think about it.

On one hand, he had nothing more than your conversations and the one near kiss to use as evidence of your affection for him. On the other, he remembered your tears when you found him the mind flayer colony and how you whispered a promise of forgiveness to him before you left to fight Thorm. He recalled in excruciatingly vivid detail the feeling of your tear soaked lips pressing to the corner of his as you pulled away and the utter devastation that filled your eyes.

“They will understand and they will forgive you if you give them the chance, Zevlor. You are their commander, their leader, their champion. You are not at fault for this and they will see that if you let them. Promise me that you will try. Promise me that you will not forsake yourself.” You whispered to him in a cracked and pleading voice, “promise me you’ll try. You deserve it.”

His heart pounded against his ribs as he forced himself to look at you in the eye. His knees buckled as your lips brushed against his. His voice wavered as he agreed to your promise. His strength cracked as you smiled at him and left to face almost certain death.

Zevlor isn’t so foolish to believe that you would’ve chosen to follow him after the finale battle but his heart yearned to think about that possibility. The chance, no matter how small, still felt real even as he anxiously waited for your arrival.

Like a goblin’s arrow, the sight of you walking into the Elfsong arm and arm with Halsin pierces Zevlor’s heart. You do in fact look content; your skin is glowing from being able to eat your fill and sleep as long as your desire. Your hair has been released from its strict hairstyle; bouncing around your face back in soft waves and shines in the pale evening light. Your eyes, while they’ve always been stunning, have a new spark of warmth and joy. No longer are you clad in armor but instead you’re wearing a white and blue patterned outfit that flows around you like water. Your figure has also changed but in this new attire, it becomes even more apparent that you are healthy, happy, and a feast yourself. The smile that blesses his dreams widens as you begin to notice your companions and former allies.

Zevlor casts his gaze to the ground when Halsin presses a kiss to your hairline. This confirmation is too much for him to bear and he finds anything to occupy his mind.

As the gathering quickly turns into a celebration, Zevlor attempts to make his exit. He quickly bids the couple farewell and congratulates them before trying to slip out without being noticed. A deep sigh leaves him as soon as he’s outside the doors and it’s not one of relief.

Frustration maybe.

Anger perhaps.

Or is it shame that forced him to leave without even acknowledging you?

“I knew you were not one for crowds but this I did not expect.”

He halts and squeezes his eyes shut. He’s been caught.

“The city has been treating you well, I take it. You look…” you trail off as you allow the tavern doors to close behind you, “good. Not that you didn’t before but… a life of ease agrees with you.”

Zevlor doesn’t face you, a choice that pains you more than you’d like to admit. He’s almost frozen in place as you approach him.

Coming to stand just beside him, you murmur his name and all but beg him to look at you.

With great effort, he does. A hint of blood woven pain flashes in his infernal eyes as he gazes down at you.

“But how have you been treating yourself, hm? Have you forgiven yourself or have you forsaken yourself to a life of solitude?”

He says nothing but it’s an answer enough; he’s not kept his promise to you. He crosses his arms over his chest and attempts to look more casual about the whole situation.

You begin to say his name but he cuts you off, “go on and enjoy the celebration. There are many people who have been waiting for a chance to speak with you.”

“what about you?”

His thick brows knit in confusion, “me?”

“Is there anyone else out here?” You tease for a moment, “I did mean you, Zevlor. What about you? Were you one of them?”

He wants to pretend that he wasn’t but he can’t, not when he’s been agonizing over this moment for months now. A particularly loud shout draws your attention back to the tavern and when you’re not looking, he can’t help his gaze. Almost immediately he finds himself staring at your revealed chest and the way your shirt does little to conceal the vast plains of your torso. A lump grows in his throat at the thought and he barely swallows it before you look at him again.

“I’ve thought of little else but what it would be like to see you again these last few months,” you say after taking a deep breath, “Halsin finds it difficult to not tease me about how ‘preoccupied’ I seem most days. On our way here, he told me that I better say the words I’ve been pondering all this time or he would do it for me.”

At the mention of Halsin, Zevlor unintentionally stiffens and looks over your shoulder towards the tavern. You follow his line of sight and step in front of him once more. It’s a bold move but no bolder than what you’re about to do.

You place your hands on his folded arms and gently pull, asking him to step closer and to give his attention.

“I know of the rumors about Halsin and I. I’d hoped that you hadn’t heard of them but it appears that you have and now I fear you won’t hear what I have to say.”

Zevlor stares at your hands for a moment before letting his eyes flutter closed. “Speak plainly, y/n.”

His words are uncharacteristically short and cold, a stark contrast to the person you’d come to know. You go to drop your hands and step back but one of his shots out and grabs your wrist, keeping you in place.

“I need you to be clear and precise right now. There cannot be any doubt or confusion from this moment forward.” he tells you in a low tone, one of authority and of a Hellrider Commander.

The hand on your wrist shifts to grip your bicep and pulls you impossibly closer. Your own breathing quickens when your feel your chest press against his and you find yourself leaning into his grip, relying on his strength to keep yourself upright.

Your voice, usually strong and confident, wavers as you whisper, “Halsin and I….we are no more than friends.”

Zevlor stays silent, only searches your face for any tell that you could be lying. The hand on your bicep flexes and his claws press into your skin. You hold back a hiss from the sting, pushing aside the pain to become fully absorbed in his presence. He goes to apologize however your lullaby words silence him, “He is not the one I’ve longed for since we first met.”

His hand tightens and tries to hold you in place but his strength fails him. Your hands drift from his arms to his chest and come to rest on his jaw. The tiefling’s eyes flutter closed at the contact and he takes a deep, sharp breath.

“Y/N,” he warns.

“I’ve admired you from the moment I first heard your story. I’ve known that you were going to be someone deeply important to me from the moment we fought side by side in the grove. I’ve yearned to learn everything about you since you reject my advances at the celebration, claiming that I could have anyone I desired. I’ve cared for you since learning of your fate in the Shadowlands. I realized that I loved you when I found you in moonrise in that awful colony but I’ve loved you far longer. I’ve loved you all of this time but yet I couldn’t find it within myself to tell you for fear that you wouldn’t feel the same.” Tears begin to flow from both of you as you whisper your confession to him and he keeps his eyes closed, “Zevlor I’m in love with you and I want nothing more than to be with you if you’ll have me.”

His tail wraps around your waist, keeping you close while his hands slid up onto your neck and tilt your head up. With a shaky deep breath, he musters the strength to open his eyes and look at you. The old paladin has forsaken his forgotten god many months ago and promised to live in your honor. He’s swore an oath to you that you know nothing about but it would seem that you have done the same.

“My love for you knows no bounds and no rivals,” he whispers as his lips brush against yours, close but not close enough. “I’ve waited long enough to hear that you feel the same. Promise to me that this is not some cruel joke, a drunken confession but the truth. Promise to me that you truly mean that you love me.”

“I love you,” you hastily whisper before finally capturing him in a passionate kiss. A groan slips from him at the feeling of your desperation to convey your feelings but it’s returned tenfold.

It seems that Shadowheart was right all those months ago.

[taurusdaylight]

our rendezvous

summary. being lost in the horizon sounds scary, but not when you're hand in hand with your lover.

pairing. boyfriend! jaehyun x implied fem! reader

genre. established relationship! au, fluff

word count. 4,021

warnings/tags. as far as i know, nothing :) it's only a little angsty because of uncertainty about the future, but nothing too intense! very very fluffy,,,, maybe a lil pda (oh?)

a/n. ur resident valentine is back! i'm so sorry for going off the grid, my life has been a blur over the past few months… i did nothing and everything. anyway, this is inspired by none other than horizon (soty!) and i was very lucky to have had the opportunity to visit florence, where the horizon mv was filmed, so i knew i had to write this! after finishing it, i realised it's rather similar to my first fic but what can i say, i love jaehyun travel! aus, plus, jaehyun and forever just go together. <3 hope the new year is treating everyone kindly, and as always, have fun reading~

–

Navigating life after graduation was akin to walking through a maze, struggling to find a way out. Growing up, you always thought that everyone’s life had already been nicely written out since there were only two things that truly mattered: school and work. The adults always preached about how good academic records would land you a great job. All your life, you never failed to achieve and maintain stellar grades so you never doubted that you would get a job. Yet, as the day of your graduation approached, you started to worry that you might not end up finding a job. Or at least, one that was to your liking.

The thought of working for the rest of your life sounded… boring. Perhaps an oversimplification, but you always made sure to put a hundred percent into your studies, so you felt like you never really had the chance to live your life the way you wanted to. You weren’t a party animal per se, but you wouldn’t hesitate to skip a night out with your friends if you had an important deadline to meet. It was always academics over everything else. Apart from meeting expectations that others had on you, the fear of failure haunted you too. More often than not, the urge of wanting to disappear creeped into your mind. It didn’t seem like a bad idea, running away to some random part of the world where no one knew you. Once you’ve spent enough time there, you could easily travel to another city and explore till your heart’s content. That was the dream. Unfortunately, this particular dream of yours never came true.

That was, until now.

Treading the path of adulthood was admittedly scary, you could slip and fall at any given moment and not know how to pick yourself up. But, you weren’t on your own. 

Jeong Jaehyun, your boyfriend of two years, shared the same sentiment. Sure, he was ambitious and had his goals set out. Like you, however, working himself to death wasn’t one of the things on his list. Jaehyun believed that it was important to strike a balance, to not throw yourself into something so deep that you would get lost in it. Working may be important but it would never hurt to have a little fun whenever time called for it. 

You first met Jaehyun in Introduction to Film Studies. Both second-year students, you and Jaehyun clicked extremely well with each other as you bonded over your shared love for films. What started as study sessions to help each other with assignments eventually progressed to warm, cosy movie date nights that also involved cuddling under a fluffy blanket on Jaehyun’s couch. 

While there have been minor arguments over those two years, you and Jaehyun always made sure to communicate. After all, a couple is supposed to fight the problem, not each other. The both of you understood that. These disagreements never bothered you that much because you believed that they were part and parcel of every relationship. Instead, you wondered more about how lucky you are to have found someone like Jaehyun. As you liked to put it, Jaehyun was your twin flame. He spoke to your soul in a way that no one else could.

Instead of taking the conventional route of starting a full-time job after graduating, you and Jaehyun booked one-way tickets to Rome the week after your final exams. How long the both of you were going to stay there for, that was a question for another time. The plan was to have no plan, going wherever your feet took you. Both of your parents weren’t exactly agreeable about this idea, nagging about how irresponsible and irrational it was. But what could they do? It’s not as if they could physically stop two grown adults from going. Eventually, they were able to come to terms with it and simply asked the both of you to stay safe. 

It’s been about three weeks or so since you two arrived in Rome. Tranquil mornings without a blaring alarm was something that you could really get used to. The icing on the cake would be waking up to the sight of Jaehyun sleeping peacefully next to you, an arm securely draped around your waist. His lips would slightly jut out, you would sometimes sneak a kiss or two because he simply looked too adorable to resist. 

A day out together would look something like sitting by an artwork in a museum, coming up with various interpretations or hopping from café to café to try out different desserts (which were often, gelato), you couldn’t count with your fingers the number of times the staff had to chase the both of you out because they were closing. Time is said to fly past when you’re having fun, but even more so when you’re spending it with the love of your life. At least, that’s what you think. 

The both of you woke up earlier than usual today because you’d turned in early the previous night, probably exhausted from all the walking. The sun wasn’t up yet, which meant that there were limited stores that were operating during this time too. It felt like a waste to sleep in and laze around in the apartment, so came the impulse decision of buying last-minute train tickets to Florence. 

“C’mon baby,” Jaehyun half-shouted, his gaze flickering between you and the platform located at the other end of the station.

Hands intertwined, you and Jaehyun were sprinting as fast as your legs could carry you in order to catch your train that leaves in approximately two minutes. Or rather, you were doing everything in your power to match Jaehyun’s speed because why was he running like he was competing in the Olympics? So much for wanting an athletic boyfriend. 

You were almost out of breath from running, you didn’t even have the energy to give Jaehyun a verbal answer. Instead, you tried to speed up like he told you to. After what felt like a hundred miles, the both of you finally reached the platform, boarded the train, and settled down into your allocated seats. 

“Oh my goodness. We are never doing that again,” you said, panting. 

Jaehyun shot you a wide grin. “Now that’s what I call an intense leg day.” 

You were rendered speechless. Here you were, thinking that he was going to agree with you. But you also remembered that Jaehyun was a gym rat first, your boyfriend second. Jaehyun goes a little over the top with exercising, you could tell that much just by looking at his physique. Though, you wouldn’t say that it was exactly a bad thing. In fact, what a sight for sore eyes he was… 

Before you had a chance to respond, Jaehyun used his other hand to push your head towards his shoulder. “Go to sleep, doll. Don’t want you feeling cranky in the middle of the day because you didn’t get to take your daily nap. I’ll wake you up when we’re reaching.”

Despite not being able to see him, you could hear the smile in Jaehyun’s voice, which caused you to grin too. Perhaps it was Jaehyun’s shoulder that made you comfy, but you could feel the sleepiness slowly start to envelop you, so you snuggled even closer to him.

“Good night, Jay,” you said before falling into slumber.

–

The train ride took faster than expected, probably because you were asleep throughout the journey. Upon alighting, you and Jaehyun walked aimlessly along Via Faenza. You stopped in your tracks when you caught the pleasant aroma of coffee beans coming from a café, it was so inviting that the both of you had no choice but to enter.

Save for the long line of people in office-wear queuing to get their morning coffee fix, there was no one else occupying the seats in the café. Wanting to be away from the crowd, you and Jaehyun made your way to the corner booth seat situated all the way inside after getting your order. You sat next to each other, with Jaehyun's arm wrapped around your waist. Your torso was slightly exposed because of the cropped top that you wore, and Jaehyun’s fingertips easily found purchase on your skin. Soft traces all over, which oddly enough, made you feel tingly and warm simultaneously. 

“Jaehyun,” you called out.

He turned to look at you. “Hmm?” 

“Do you regret being here with me? Don’t you feel like you’re wasting your life away?”

Jaehyun halted his movements, but he did not loosen his grip on your waist. His answer was written all over his face, from his creased eyebrows to his frowning lips. 

“Of course not, baby. Did I do or say something to make you think that way? I’m sorry if I did,” he said sincerely. 

“No, you didn’t do or say anything of that sort!” you quickly clarified. “I think I’m just worried about the future, you know? Once all of this is over…”

A small smile played on Jaehyun’s lips as he removed his arm from your waist. He cupped your face in his hand, sighing. “I wish you could see yourself the way I saw you, because then you’d have nothing to worry about at all. You’re going to do great things, ____. I’m sure of that. But for now, just let loose and enjoy yourself, okay? You deserve to have a break.” 

Jaehyun’s words could bring you to tears. He radiated so much positivity that it naturally rubbed off onto you, especially with the amount of time that you spend with each other. However, there were still moments of weakness, like now, where you’d inevitably think about how things could possibly go wrong. Before you could spiral into a whirlpool of negative thoughts, however, Jaehyun would pull you right out of it by telling you exactly what you need to hear in order to help get you through these times.

“Thank you,” you whispered, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on Jaehyun’s cheek.

Jaehyun made a sound, as if to signal that he was pondering. He pointed at his cheek and tapped on it with his index finger several times. “One more?”

You couldn’t help but giggle at his request, but who were you to deny him? Since you were feeling generous and grateful to your boyfriend, you quickly moved closer to give him two more kisses. One on his cheek, and the other on his lips. The best part was seeing the Cheshire cat smile appear on his face after he’d received his well-deserved kisses.

For the rest of the time at the café, you and Jaehyun were people-watching through the glass window while sipping on coffee and feeding each other small spoonfuls of pastries. At some point, random passer-bys became a part of a guessing game that started out of nowhere. Dating or siblings? What would their coffee order be if they came in here? The both of you had a lot of fun making up stories to back up your answer, boisterous laughter sounding through the place. 

Afterwards, you and Jaehyun continued wandering through the streets now that more stores have opened. An apparel store selling headwear caught Jaehyun’s eye, and he spent about twenty minutes or so looking through the bucket hats. Taking one in his hand, he tried it on and started making silly faces at you while dancing. 

“Stop it, you’re embarrassing me.” You reached a hand out in an attempt to remove the hat from Jaehyun’s head, but he swiftly avoided you.

He held on tightly to the hat. “I think this was made for me. I’m definitely getting it.”

The hat didn’t look bad on him, but it was still… questionable. A helpless sigh escaped your lips when you knew that nothing you say would change his mind. “Okay… as long as you’re happy.” 

Fortunately, Jaehyun didn’t have thoughts of wearing the hat there and then. Because if not, you would think twice about walking next to him.

The next few stores mostly sold vintage items and souvenirs. You and Jaehyun ended up getting matching gnomes that had the initials of your first names carved into it. While checking out at the counter, the cashier made a comment about how cute the two of you look together and that the gnomes were such fitting choices, so much so that they looked like mini versions of you two. With shy smiles, the both of you thanked her before exiting the store. You also noticed the tinge of red on Jaehyun’s ears, but kept quiet about it since you were most likely a blushing mess yourself. 

Then, it was time for lunch. 

You and Jaehyun had previously crafted a mini bucket list, and one of the things on the list was to try the various types of pasta while you were in Italy, so that’s what the both of you had for lunch. It appeared that all the shopping must have taken up a great deal of your energy because the both of you still had an appetite for dessert afterwards, or, rather, gelato was considered a staple so there was no way that dessert could be skipped. 

Although it was sunny, the summer heat wasn’t unbearable so you two were at the outdoor seating area of the gelato café. Within the vicinity of the café, there was a group of children playing catch with one another. After finishing the gelato, Jaehyun dragged you along to them. 

“Ciao! I’m Jay,” he introduced with a friendly smile. 

You introduced yourself to them too and stood behind Jaehyun, hiding slightly. You didn’t have anything against children, but you still considered them to be strangers, and you always had a hard time talking to strangers due to your reserved nature. You barely had any experience with children too so this was still foreign to you.

On the flipside, Jaehyun adores children. You could see it in the way his eyes would light up whenever he interacted with him. Not to mention, he was great with children (an understatement, if you had to be truthful). Seeing Jaehyun with children always made your heart swell, in a good or bad way, you weren’t sure… The only thing you were certain of was that you definitely wanted to have his children.

While you were spacing out, Jaehyun was quick to ask and memorise the names of the children. He played around with them for a bit and made sure to include you as well, the game of catch was never so fun before. However, it wasn’t long before you got tired, so you opted to sit at one corner to watch them. You whipped out your phone to capture this moment, giggling at how precious Jaehyun looked. Happiness looked great on Jaehyun, and you hoped that it would stay on him for a long, long time.

All of them grew tired after a few rounds too, putting an end to the game. While they were busy running around, you discreetly returned back to the café and told the cashier that you would be paying for the children to get gelato. You also grabbed a bottle of water and gave it to Jaehyun, who was perspiring profusely; indeed, an intense leg day it was for him. 

Through body language and very poorly spoken Italian, you tried to tell the children that they could go pick out the flavours that they wanted at the café. You were far too preoccupied with communicating that to them, the endearing look that Jaehyun had on his face went unnoticed by you. Thankfully, the cashier was there to bridge the language barrier and they managed to get their gelato without any hiccups. Before leaving, each of the children gave you and Jaehyun a hi-five, a word of thanks echoing after one another.

Having spent almost the entire day in that area, you and Jaehyun decided to explore another part of the city before catching your train back to Rome. Long before this trip, you happened to stumble upon a website about the top spots that offered a picturesque view of the city. One of which was a twenty minute bus ride away from where you and Jaehyun were currently at. 

When the bus arrived, you and Jaehyun entered by the back door and sat down. You were busy admiring the old architecture of the buildings outside until you felt Jaehyun’s hand touching the side of your face. You realised that he was trying to put one side of his wired earpiece in your ear, which caused you to turn and face him, and you saw that he already had the other side of the earpiece in. Jaehyun was smiling so widely that his dimples were showing. You brought a hand up to poke it, feeling a sense of victory because you were one of the very few people in the world whom he allowed to touch his dimples.

Shyly, you took Jaehyun’s hand and interlocked your fingers together. No words were exchanged between the both of you, but there was a mutual feeling that this exact moment perfectly encapsulated the love you and Jaehyun have for each other. Tender, somewhat otherworldly in a way where everything, like the chatter of the other passengers on the bus, seemed to fade out in the background. 

As Can’t Take My Eyes Off You started playing through the earphones, you took it as an opportunity to mouth to Jaehyun, “I love you.”

Jaehyun’s dimples became more prominent at your sudden declaration. He made sure not to break eye contact with you before he mouthed back, “I love you.”

–

“Look!” you exclaimed, pointing toward the replica statue of David. It was the first thing that you saw after alighting from the bus.

Jaehyun turned his head to look at what you were pointing at. “Wow, it’s stunning."

The both of you hurriedly walked over to take some photos, which ended up in you and Jaehyun bursting into fits of laughter because he was imitating the statue and posing in the same way. It definitely earned you a few stares from the other visitors, but you and Jaehyun were too busy laughing to even notice that you two were getting judged. 

After snapping a few more photos, you and Jaehyun went to the other side of the square where you could see an overview of the city. It was breathtaking, to say the least, the both of you concurrently marvelled in awe at how it looked like a scene straight out of a movie. You could even spot the street that you two were at earlier in the day, as well as many other famous landmarks. Not to forget, the surrounding trees and mountains made it feel more complete, it was a perfect getaway from the bustling city for some peace and quiet. 

The both of you were standing at the top of the stairs, and you saw that there was a walking trail below. Due to time constraints, however, it seemed more logical to sit and admire the view, since neither of you knew how long the walking trail was and where it led to. Besides, it was a perfect spot to catch the sunset before you had to leave for the train station, so you two sat on one of the steps near the top where you had an unobstructed view of the city.

Like before, you and Jaehyun were listening to music together while holding hands. Other than humming along to the song, Jaehyun would also sing some of the lyrics to you, especially if it was a sweet or cheesy line. 

“Can’t believe I get to be here with you.” Even after some time had passed, you were still greatly impressed by the scenic view, in disbelief about how you could share this moment with your lover. The bright orange hues of the sun added more colour to the backdrop, it felt surreal watching it slowly go down.

“Me too,” Jaehyun replied almost immediately. “It feels like a dream…” 

“If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up from it,” you said while shifting closer to Jaehyun’s side. “Like, ever.”

“I want to stay here with you forever.” Your voice came out as a whisper, because deep down, a part of you was afraid that this happiness would be taken away from you abruptly. 

Yet again, Jaehyun made one of those sounds to indicate that he was thinking, which made you gasp in response.

“You don’t want to be with me?” you questioned, a look of betrayal on your face.

“No, silly,” Jaehyun chuckled. “Of course I want to be with you.”

Jaehyun let out a deep breath, as though he had to brace himself for what he was going to say next. “The thought of eternity feels scary. But if I know that you’ll be there with me, then… there’s nothing to be scared of. I think, for me… forever is where you are, wherever that may be.”

Silence ensued, music playing through the shared earphones being the only source of sound. Jaehyun gulped awkwardly when he noticed that your gaze was fixed on him, but you weren’t saying anything. “Did that come out wrong? I don’t even know what I’m saying sometimes. But I guess I was trying to say that–”

You cut Jaehyun off with a kiss. He smiled against your lips, causing you to do the same. Jaehyun’s hand travelled to the small of your back to pull you in before he tilted his head to the side for better access, going straight for your upper lip to return the kiss. It was slow, delicate, and everything you could ever ask for. You sighed when you felt Jaehyun’s hand running over your skin; he knew exactly what he was doing. Every kiss that you shared with Jaehyun never fell short of being exhilarating, which was one of the great things about love… or Jaehyun. Perhaps, both. 

He was the first to pull away, staring intently at you with a cheeky smile on his face. Jaehyun leaned in closer until he could bury his head into the crook of your neck, leaving another kiss on your collarbone. You wrapped your arms around his frame, hugging him as tightly as possible. You and Jaehyun stayed like this for a while until you heard a lady yelp from a distance away, her loud voice grabbing your attention.

As you looked up to find out what the commotion was about, tears immediately filled your eyes and you had to do everything that you could to hold them back. 

The said lady was standing by the railing, both hands covering her mouth. In front of her was a man, down on one knee, holding out a box with a diamond ring. You tapped Jaehyun’s shoulder so that he’d sit back up, and he turned to see what you were looking at. All of the other visitors were also invested, as everyone patiently for the lady's answer. 

Everything happened so quickly. The lady nodding and getting pulled into a hug by her fiancé, the crowd erupting in cheers and applause–a truly sweet moment to witness. Without thinking much, you blurted out, “that’s going to be us.” 

Jaehyun diverted his attention back to you, shaking his head. Seemingly biting back a smile as his lips formed a thin line, Jaehyun jerked his head to motion at something behind you. “That’s us.”

You were about to protest, pop another question that was something along the lines of whether or not he was planning to marry you. However, you remained quiet and decided to take a look at what he was referring to first. 

Well, it looks like the urge to complain has completely disappeared. How could it not? Rather than dissatisfaction, your heart leapt with joy when your eyes landed on a couple standing hand in hand at the other end of the steps from where you and Jaehyun sat; they were having their pre-wedding photoshoot.

[be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie]

First of all, no worries lol. It's taken me literal months to respond to people sometimes, and not for any good reason so I'd say you're fine.

Anyways, with that out of the way let me just say I find that interesting. Kiri, to me, has always come off as someone who attaches herself to one place. In my experience, there's a difference between being able to adapt/connect anywhere you go and truly being a traveler at heart, and Kiri strikes me as the former. She yearns to dig deeper into her knowledge and connections regarding her home and thrives on the familiarity of the people, plants, and animals around her whereas I feel like Lo'ak needs to travel, needs to get out from under his father and brother's shadows. To just exist and be himself, find himself and his place without all of the history surrounding his birthplace. That's not to say I think Kiri doesn't like experiencing new things, I just see her as a very nostalgic and sentimental person who finds peace in the plants and animals and people she's known her whole life.

Ikr! I don't know why I haven't seen a single fic about it yet, but rest assured I have a doc opened rn (I feel like my wip list is just getting longer and longer dude). Little fun fact about me: I took horseback riding lessons for a good 5.5 years and so I'll be leaning heavily on those experiences for how Spider approaches his own riding experiences as a human (with obvious differences). There's something to be said for the feeling of a creature so much more powerful than yourself under you, having to be conscious of its every move, every action---the flick of its ears, the position of its head, etc.---- without being able to know for sure it's true thoughts or emotions but trusting it anyways that brings you closer to it in a way I can't explain, even with the ones you don't get along with. And I want that for Spider, I want him to embrace his humanity in this.

He doesn't end up in Awa'atlu at first for the ilu racing one, no. I've got a good idea what I want from this fic in the beginning, but what happens after he escapes is something I'm still pondering. I know for a fact I wouldn't want this to be a story where he stumbles upon Awa'atlu, though, if I end up writing it. I'm thinking maybe he ends up back at that one village and goes from there?

And I figured I'd tell you about another fic I'm working on as we speak because I'd love your thoughts: a world where Paz actually died back on Earth, but per a contract she signed giving away her memories (which she logged regularly) she was revived in an avatar body and put in the newest program. In this program, males and females are paired together to have children (for less than wholesome reasons). A big part of this is Paz being haunted by her experiences on Earth and not wanting to be a mother because of it, and she struggles to come to terms with it over the course of her pregnancy and the early days after Spider is born, along with being in this alien body that doesn't feel like hers. I think that by the time she's gotten pregnant with the 2nd child (they're going for a boy and girl per pairing) and is coming out of her numb fog, she's begun to truly think about the horrific future that awaits Spider and her unborn baby (spurred on by the threat of killing it if it's not a girl) and ends up plotting their escape and running away. Throughout the story thus far she's bonded with the other women in the program and comes to learn about motherhood and what it means to her, and when she escapes she takes the others with her and they make their own little family before eventually running into the Omaticaya and slowly becoming friendly. I'm playing around with timelines and stuff because I think it'd be interesting to compare her and Neytiri's and Grace's experiences with motherhood, which would be so interesting to write about (Grace doesn't die until later in this world, don't wanna give away the death I'm leaning towards though). I'm taking inspiration from the poetry book 40 Weeks and more, and I love the concept but am still working out the kinks. Thoughts? Still very much in the early phases.

Also, I saw you briefly mention my memory-loss idea and I'd like to say that that brought me literal physical pain. Why, you may ask? Well because my one and only doc of the draft I was merrily working on (around 10+ pages of gorgeous notes/early rough-draft work, which for me is astounding since I tend to just ball) was deleted??? And I don't know the fuck how???? 1000 emotional damage points.

And I'm so happy to hear you've taken inspiration from fmdttpt's world! Your idea sounds so fun!

~ CherryApollo

Haha, thank you, and I'm sorry I've done it again. I've been so busy with my new job that I am swamped all the time, lol. I'm bad at responding anyway but my job is making it even worse.

BUT ANYWAYS. I love your interpretations of the characters, I just love when people think of or experience characters differently but in a way that still fits to me. For Kiri, I've just always seen her feeling at home anywhere that Eywa is, and wanting to experience every part of her. Every way she can feel her or be expressed, explore different plants and animals and nature and study and be a part of it the way her mom would've wanted to. And I just think Lo'ak gets bored easily lol.

I looove the horse comparison, it's shocking no one has written this fic yet! You have a ton going but it's okay because I'm excited for all of them. Humans are experts at taming and riding shit, why can't he, especially something as intelligent as an ikran.

Hmm, okay, the village makes sense. They would be able to tell Tonowari and therefore the Sully's real fucking fast through, so it would be kinda similar to him finding Awa'atlu. You coullllld have him escape in the forest and find the Sully's missing? I've always wanted one of those fics.

That's a really interesting idea! I personally don't care much for Paz as a character, or stories about her, but that is a very cool idea and I'd definitely check it out to see where it goes.

NO NO YOUR MEMORY LOSS FIC IS ONE I'VE BEEN SO EXCITED ABOUT, THAT'S THE SADDEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD. Google doc man, I only use google docs.

And thank u for being chill with me getting inspired by/using it! I'm trying to catch up on all my asks today (answer but not post, I schedule those), so hopefully I'll be faster to answer you next time! I'm excited to hear how your works are going!

[emptymanuscript]

You know, I just saw a post supporting the writer's strike and saying there are plenty of old shows to watch... and it occurred to me that it might be good to share some shows we love just in case people haven't seen them yet.

Places that make it easy to find where to watch things: Reelgood and JustWatch. Check both, they sometimes conflict, get it wrong, etc.

My Recs (in hopes others will add) (admittedly the low hanging fruit):

The X-Files, 1993, 11 Seasons, free on freevee, available on Hulu, can rent or buy other places. If you haven't seen X-Files, you're missing out. It was a smash hit in the 90's for a good reason. Two detectives, a believer and a skeptic, try to solve unsolvable mysteries in the midst of grand conspiracy. And find, somehow, that as much as they annoy each other, they need each other.

Babylon 5, 1993 / 1994, 5 Seasons, free on Roku and Tubi. An Epic Space Opera that never quite got the success it deserved. It is one of those things whose influence is written all over modern sci-fi and fantasy without much acknowledgement. This is the interplay of empires and mythology, double dealing and political cruelty.

SPACE: 1999, 1975, 2 seasons, free on Crackle, Peacock, Fubo, Pluto, Freevee, Plex, Shout, and Roku. I dare you to listen to the theme song and not feel the groove of this classic campy space opera. When Earth's moon is ejected from orbit to hurtle through the galaxy, the people of Moonbase Alpha have to confront new alien weirdness every week. Part of what makes it so good is that the show takes itself completely seriously, there's no wink and nod in here.

Kindred: The Embraced, 1996, 1 Season, available as a slime tutorial. It's Vampire: The Masquerade as a cheesy soap opera. There are constant reminders of what the clans are like in the most pointed, ridiculous dialogue you can imagine. Had the lead actor not died, this show might have found its place in a couple of more seasons, as it is, it is deliciously campy and dumb. Days of our LARP.

Profit, 1996, 1 Season, available as a slime tutorial. What if the Antagonist was the Main Character. Profit was ahead of its time. It would be right at home in the modern streaming era but it absolutely didn't fit in its own day and age. Profit is dark and twisted (For people who follow me, see if you can find an early inspirations for JJ) with mature and uncomfortable themes. One of its benefits is that it was network televison, so it couldn't show all the gratuitous violence and sex that it would be given if it was made today. It's psychological violence and murder off screen, which, if you let yourself get into it, can grow into worse things than can be shown. Profit is about power, greed, and ruthlessness and what happens when someone even more ruthless and immoral than you shows up.

Farscape, 1999, 4 seasons and a TV movie, available for free on crackle, peacock, popcornflix, shout, freevee, pluto, roku, and tubi. In spite of my picture, this is live action space opera, but it is looney tunes, literally in one episode. This is what happens when the Jim Henson company decides to make a space opera as far away from Star Trek as possible. It's zany, over the top, sometimes hilarious, often creepy, and there's only one human who is far out of his depth.

Blake's 7, 1978, 4 seasons, available on BritBox, and you should be able to find all of it with a little searching on youtube. Like Farscape, this show focuses on escaped prisoners but when they find an advanced spacecraft, they decide to become freedom fighters against their fascist regime instead of just trying to escape. Darker than most of what you could find on US tv until fairly recently. These are wounded people in hostile space.

The Outer Limits, 1995, 7 seasons. Free on Roku. This is a sci-fi anthology series. Some episodes are more interesting and thought provoking than others but overall a lot of good stories.

There are now 12 series with 44 seasons between them totaling up to 880 episodes of Star Trek. That's about 3 months straight of 24 hour programming if you ran it back to back with no pauses at all. That's a lot of show. Mostly on Paramount+ but it's probably not terribly difficult to find the material less officially. It may not all be your cup of earl grey but there's a lot to try out to see if you like it.

1899, 2022, 1 season (cancelled), available on Netflix or wherever else one finds shows. This is my only modern show because I know it didn't get a lot of viewership in spite of being brilliantly twisty. 1899 is one of those shows that it is very hard to talk about without spoilers. I think it is however immediately obvious that the cruise ship Kerebos, en route to New York, is not at all in the situation it appears to be in. It is magnificently multilingual with the ability to communicate when you can't speak each other's language front and center in the narrative. It's sadly cancelled and the creators are on record that they don't want to finish it in another medium so we'll never know exactly what happened but there is wonder to be had from this first season.

Magnum P.I., 1980, 8 seasons. Free on freevee and Roku. 1 season available with Amazon Prime, rest for rent or purchase. Mix a lovable goofball naval vet with PTSD and a very stiff necked British curmudgeon vet with PTSD and you get a fun mystery every week in paradise. Magnum shrugs off most of his work and pawns it on to his friends getting by on charm and some wit.

Murder, She Wrote, 1984, 12 seasons. All available for free on Roku. 6 seasons available for free on freevee. Note that one of the primary writers for Murder, She Wrote was J. Michael Straczynski, this is the job that got him the ability to make Babylon 5. Jessica Fletcher is a charming and clever lady who has retired to the placid sea side village of Cabot Cove to write mystery novels but somehow always ends up at murder scenes. It has been estimated that if Cabot Cove was real, it would be the murder capital of the US.

Tales from the Crypt, 1989, 7 seasons, available as a slime tutorial. To get it to lucky number 13, I present another great anthology show. Every episode a different tale of the macabre or horrific. The crypt keeper is a charmingly gruesome host and there are a few episodes that have stuck with me since I first saw them in the 90's.

Hopefully one among these number can fulfill your needs and if not, hopefully someone else will tack on a few more. I know I left out plenty of my own favorites. There's lots to see while your current faves are on hiatus. There might be a brand new fandom waiting for you.

[dent-de-leon]

This snippet of dialogue from Romeo & Juliet always gives me heavy Lucien vibes and I need to share the brainrot with you

aHH oh I can definitely see it...I especially love the phrase, "Beautiful tyrant, fiend angelical," because it reminds me of when Matt was describing some of the imagery that inspired Lucien's transformation.

In response to Aabria asking, "And why is he mostly naked?"--which, already an amazing and hilarious start--Matt gives us this amazing allusion, "It is very much that angelic, biblical kind of visual--that classic painting I reference. And I wanted...wanted to see his muscles--"

And although Matt never confirms which painting Lucien's Neo Somnovem form is based off of, I always had a feeling it was Fallen Angel. Instantly recognizable, incredibly poignant and tragic. The anger in his eyes, yet the vulnerability of his pose. The way he's grounded down on earth while the rest of the angels are free to fly. Cast down and forgotten--very Lucien to me.

There's also just this facinating parallel to me of those with infernal blood being given wings or other angelic features--as a mark of being so far gone and corrupted. Obann's coveted wings, thematically ripped apart by a real angel when he's struck down. The fiendish Lord of the Hells, Asmodeus, once a "celestial of light"--"Perhaps at one point he wore a golden face...That's long gone."

And then Lucien, who always dreamed of being a butterfly. Transforming into something free and beautiful. Yet his metamorphosis ends in only blood and ruin, wings of bone that will never be able to take flight. He believed himself to be a divinely ordained god, yet when he's finally granted wings, he's more doomed than ever.

And just...the way that Lucien was demonized for his blood for so long, seen as nothing more than a monster. Someone who could never possibly be loved. Even Jester playfully teasing, "I think you're dreamy," takes him completely by surprise. “That’s a new one, as the years went on. Didn’t start that way. Not a lot of folks are eager and kind--especially in Shadycreek Run, growing up--to those of infernal blood.” I think there's also something to be said for Tealeaf literally being someone of infernal blood who uses their blood magic to inflict radiant damage. Something about divine punishment from a demon.

Mollymauk is even called the devil at one point, and it's a moment where we see why Lucien always clung so desperately to being fate touched, to the faint hope that he was destined for more, that there was a future where he would no longer have to be an outcast and a monster, always betrayed and alone. "'The world is yours...We gladly give it to thee...' 'How will I take it? What will it cost?' 'Pain and pain and pain. A dear price for a man, a pittance to a king. And nothing to a God, cosmically ordained...Long may you reign.'" "She's right, this is awfully coincidental...But then, you don't believe in coincidences, do you, Chosen One?"

Going back to theatre and tragedies for a moment--I truly can't get over the fact that Lucien liked performing in plays as a child, and that his parents always cast him as the villain. Lucien portraying the heartless, tyrant knight, demanding that a king murder his own queen if he wants to save his kingdom. "Your lands are surrounded, your castle besieged. Send out your lady love, strike her down before my armies. Her blood for your freedom!"

And I do kind of wonder if the queen's tragic end foreshadows Molly's own choice to tear himself apart to save the rest of the Nein. Lucien the heartless knight, demanding the king sacrifice his beloved queen. Lucien repeatedly telling the Nein to just let go of Mollymauk, to forsake the one person they came this far for. The Mighty Nein risking everything for one doomed, shattered soul. "Not the queen! Not the queen! For our king loves her beyond measure, and she is vanity itself. The kingdom for one soul, and the price never to be paid!" Molly ultimately choosing to give up himself, even though the Nein couldn't. Wholeheartedly believing, "It was worth it. It was worth it--"

Lucien's role in the tragedy also reminds me a bit of the opening for King Richard III. Lucien being as much of a romantic as Mollymauk, but deciding that if he'll never be loved or saved, then he might as well be the coldhearted villain that the whole world tried to make him. "And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover/To entertain these fair, well-spoken days/I am determined to prove a villain."

Resenting Mollymauk for the fact that his soul is so free and full of joy, that this "forgotten fragment," is so adored by the same world that despised him. Begrudging Molly for all the happiness and comforts he never indulged in. Clinging so fiercely to the belief that he was chosen by destiny, some sort of god or king. That he was always meant for more than this tragic, inescapable fate--

[integra1127grimmreaper]

Cold Hard Truth

Prev

Ike Evans Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Warning: angst, etc.

Summary: A vision from Ike's past reappears. Inspired by- George Jone's - The Cold Hard Truth.

A/N: Based off; Would you hold it against me universe. Can be read as stand-alone.

Saying Ike was fucked would be putting things lightly. It was New Years Eve, and he was stuck with a mob of striking employees on the steps of his hotel, he was also having trouble with getting the booze supply for tonight’s event delivered. To put the cherry on top of the cake; one of the striking assholes had killed his wife’s dog.

His morning revolved around trying to get the protesting mob off his front steps, making another plan to get his booze delivered on time, and finding a replacement dog before Vera woke up.

The meeting with Mike hadn’t given the results Ike had hoped for; come midnight the protesting would be back at full force. He had Frank Sinatra as the main attraction for the night and couldn’t afford for anything to go wrong or it would be the end of the Miramar.

And that's why he had no other choice but to take Bel’s advice and speak with Ben about the situation.

You Don't know who I am But I know all about you I've come to talk to you tonight About the things I've seen you do.  

I've come to set the record straight I've come to shine the light on you Let me introduce myself I'm the cold hard truth.

*

It was times like these that Ike found his thoughts going back to you; you had always understood the importance of making sure business went off well, was always someone he could confined his troubles to, something he could never do with Vera.

She wanted to be all hands-on when it came to the glitz and glam of being the wife of a successful hotel owner yet was completely clueless when it came to the hard work and sacrifices in making it all possible.

Slowly down the vehicle while passing a family park; to destress, Ike takes in the scenery of families playing about. The vehicle comes to an abrupt stop when he sees the familiar back profile of a woman leaning against a tree as she watched a group of children play.

It couldn’t be.

The stress must truly be getting to him to the point that his mind had conjured your image up in another woman similar looking to you.

There is a woman we both know

I think you know the one I mean She gave her heart and soul to you You gave her only broken dreams  

You say you're not the one to blame For all the heartaches she's been through I say you're nothing but a liar And I'm the cold hard truth.

*

Shaking himself out of the daze/hallucination his mind had conjured, Ike starts up the vehicle; taking one last look back at the woman. Like a scene from a movie; the woman turns around then, causing the cigarette in his mouth to fall out when Ike instantly recognizes her.

Ike blinks thrice, even going as far as shaking his head to better clear his vision but there you still stood. Four years later, and you still looked as beautiful as the first day he met you.

As if in a trance, Ike was about to step out to go toward you when suddenly a little girl from the group of children ran up to you.

Watching you pick the little girl up and sweetly smile as you hug her closely; Ike’s eye catches the glint of a wedding ring on your finger then.

What did he expect?

It was inevitable that you would have moved on after he had broken your heart, and by the looks of the age of the little girl; you had done so quite soon thereafter.

It pained him a bit, but Ike was glad that you had found happiness.

Yet as he watched you lovingly interact with your daughter; Ike couldn’t help the faint tinge of regret though.

All your life that's how it's been Lookin' out for number one Takin' more than you give Movin' on when you're done.

With her you could have had it all A family and love to last If you had any sense at all You'd go and beg her to come back... 

Nxt

[thorniest-rose]

the anon from the fandom ask is so me reading your steddie fanfics even though i hate stranger things and never watched more than the first season (BUT YOU DID MAKE ME LIKE THEM!)

im just secretly hoping one day you will write something else for paul/duncan cause 'watch him blossom like a white star' lives rent free in my head

but im going to read anything you do because im that whipped

oh my gosh this is so sweet, thank you so much. Reading things like this is such a balm for me right now because I've been feeling insecure recently, about my writing and also my place in fandoms. I have so much baggage from the last three years and sometimes I'm so tempted to delete all my fics and just disappear, or start again with a completely new blog and ao3 profile, but then I think of all the people who enjoy my writing and who wouldn't find my fics again or know it was me, and that makes me sad. So hearing things like this really gives me motivation and makes me want to stick around and keep writing.

It's also so funny that you've read my steddie fics even though you don't like ST (I actually didn't love the first season either and I only started really enjoying it with S2, plus S4 was imo by far the best season yet). But I appreciate it, it's so lovely to know that someone would enjoy my writing so much they'd read any pairing I write!!

As for Duncan x Paul, thank you SO MUCH, I loved writing that fic and briefly dipping my feet into another fandom. I wish so much that there had been more of a fandom for Dune because I had so many other ideas I wanted to explore. But I just didn't get round to it in time and then I got sucked into other things. Hopefully the inspiration will strike me again in the future because I do adore them! There's just something about a young bratty prince character and the older gruff man who has to protect him and reluctantly adores him and wants to fuck him into the floor that does things to me dhdhshs

In the meantime, thank you so, so much again for your message. I've been having a bad week and this made me feel so much better <3

[bittxrsweetsoph]

Y'all I have a theory!

You know 007's OST - No time to die by Billie Eilish?

WHAT IF it was inspired by Goncharov? Okay I know it sounds crazy BUT HEAR ME OUT

*obvs this post contains spoilers from Goncharov (1973)*

Let's analyze the lyrics:

I should've known

I'd leave alone

Just goes to show

That the blood you bleed

Is just the blood you owe

At the very end of his life, Goncharov, on the floor and with his clothes soaked wet with his own blood, looks back. It's been a hell of a ride! He's won, he's failed, he got some friends on the road, and many enemies too. He realizes that, even though he's never been alone (Andrey, Katya, his cat, etc), the mobster's life is a lonely one. You can never be sure you're trusting the right person. And so there he is, dying alone, and his blood doesn't even impress him. He's already seen so much blood. He has killed, we know that much. Was it fair? Did those people deserve to die? Goncharov owes a debt, those people's families want him dead. Now he is.

It is implied in "faces from my past return, another lesson yet to learn" too, the faces of those he murdered. Every single one of their faces was carved into his memory; now he remembers. Now he gets to learn what they felt.

We were a pair

But I saw you there

Too much to bear

You were my life

But life is far away from fair

Was I stupid to love you?

Was I reckless to help?

Was it obvious to everybody else

That I'd fallen for a lie?

You were never on my side

Fool me once, fool me twice

This screams betrayal. Someone Goncharov loves betrays him. Is the song referring to Andrey or Katya? We don't know, but it kinda fits both of them. "Fool me once, fool me twice". Guess what! There were two big betrayals.

Katya's treason takes place on the final act, but there are some hints scattered throughout the entire movie. She loves her husband (she really does), they've been through a lot together. They care about each other. But sometimes love isn't enough. And in the end, Katya leaves. She runs away to Reykjavik, to start a new life, far away from danger and secrecy.

Andrey's betrayal is more striking, though. In a friendly or romantic way, we can't say. Anyway, since the beginning Goncharov and Andrey are thick as thieves (no pun intended,,, well, maybe). They're inseparable, they act as one single soul in two different bodies. They are partners in crime, the perfect tandem in Napoli, they complement each other. There are no secrets between them... Right?

It is first implied that Katya cheated on Goncharov with his best friend. Then, some lines in the fruit scene, the poker scene and Goncharov's death scene, also make us think there was more than friendship between both men (not confirmed by the writers, but yk it was the seventies). Goncharov has literally and figuratively fallen for a lie, as Andrey, his friend, companion, lover, soulmate, is the one who ultimately kills him and sees him fall to the ground, all signs of life disappearing.

Are you death or paradise?

Now you'll never see me cry

These verses could be linked to the homoerotic details and interpretations we are familiar with at this point (if you're not, I strongly recommend you go to ao3, there's gold in there). There are many religious references throughout the film. Goncharov and Katya, as well as Andrey, grew up in a religious environment. Yes, different religions, maybe, but the same concepts: honor, family, tradition. It's easy to imagine them having a significant faith crisis when they realised their feelings (Goncharov for Andrey, and Katia for Sofia). In the song, we can see the dichotomy: Goncharov wonders why loving Andrey should be bad if it feels so good. Katya looks at the apple that Sofia is holding, thinking to herself: maybe Eve accepting and eating the apple, falling into temptation, was an unknown door to a new paradise.

There's just no time to die

THE SIMBOLISM IN THIS FILM. It always comes back to time. We are running away from an enemy we can't win. Time will always catch us. We can't fight against time.

The characters continuously have this thought. "I'm running out of time". Goncharov himself speaks about how there isn't enough time in a day to fulfill his wants, to do everything he's planning, but he keeps procrastinating the vital stuff in life. It is only when he is bleeding out that he comes to the conclusion that none of the bills, jobs and arguments were important. They weren't worth it.

So yeah, that's pretty much it!

[kanisema-blog]

Trash Belongs in the Trash Can!

Once upon a time in a small town named Pleasantville, there lived a guy named Larry. Now, Larry had a bad attitude and was known for being quite trashy. In fact, his behavior was so awful that people often said he belonged in the trash can himself! Larry was impolite, lazy, and had no regard for others.

Larry's attitude had developed over the years due to a difficult childhood. His parents were constantly arguing, and he grew up in a neighborhood filled with crime and negativity. As a result, Larry had learned to survive by adopting a tough exterior and pushing people away.

One sunny day, as Larry was lounging at his favorite spot near the park, he noticed a girl cleaning up the litter scattered around. She was wearing a bright smile, with sparkling eyes that seemed to reflect the sunlight. Larry couldn't help but be curious about her, as she seemed so different from anyone he had ever encountered.

Her name was Emily, and she had recently moved to Pleasantville. She had a positive outlook on life and a heart full of kindness. Emily believed that even the smallest actions could make a big difference in the world. She had taken it upon herself to keep the town clean, hoping it would inspire others to take pride in their environment.

Larry found himself strangely drawn to Emily's purity and positive spirit, even though it was in stark contrast to his own demeanor. He started watching her from a distance, amazed at how she could find joy in something as mundane as picking up trash.

One day, Larry decided to approach Emily and strike up a conversation. To his surprise, she greeted him with a warm smile and open arms. Larry was taken aback. No one had ever welcomed him before, let alone someone as caring as Emily.

As they spent more time together, Larry's rough edges slowly softened. Emily taught him about the beauty of kindness and the value of taking care of one's surroundings. Her infectious optimism began to seep into his soul, and he started to see the world through a different lens.

The town of Pleasantville took notice of Larry's gradual transformation and the positive influence that Emily had on him. People were amazed by how someone who seemed destined for the trash can had found love and redemption with a clean girl.

News of Larry and Emily's unconventional relationship spread far and wide, attracting the attention of influential individuals from various fields. Psychologists studied their pairing, fascinated by how love and positive influence could shape someone's entire attitude. Sociologists examined the impact their relationship had on the community, seeing a shift towards a cleaner, friendlier environment.

Larry and Emily became unlikely celebrities, drawing both admiration and criticism. Some praised their story as a testament to the power of love and personal growth, while others scorned it as a mere fluke or publicity stunt. Nonetheless, their story continued to inspire others to find hope in unexpected places.

As time passed, Larry and Emily faced new challenges together. Their relationship was not always easy, as they each struggled with their own demons. Yet, they held on to the belief that love, understanding, and persistence could conquer all.

In the future, their story continued to be told as a reminder of the potential for change within every person. Many wrote books and articles about their love affair, analyzing the psychological and societal implications. Larry and Emily became symbols of the transformative power of love, reminding the world that even the trashiest of individuals could find redemption and belong in society.

And so, Larry, the guy with the bad (trash) attitude, fell in love with Emily, the clean girl, and together they proved that love has incredible strength to change lives for the better. Their story became a powerful testament to the human capacity for growth, and their impact on society was felt for generations to come.

[brisownworld]

Doing Business Different

This curated group of books was inspired directly by the ending of the first book on the list, Duchess by Design. I was so blown away by that ending that it redefined in my mind how much I could expect from romance, particularly historicals, in terms of female agency, questioning the patriarchy in a much more stringently patriarchal time, and book business owners. Please enjoy the other two books on this list as well, of business owners striving to make a difference one way or another through their profession.

Get new recommendations every Friday

Duchess by Design by Maya Rodale. Adeline Black, a broke aspiring dressmaker in Gilded Age NYC, accidentally knocks the broke English Duke of Kingston off his course. Kingston has arrived in NYC to woo an American heiress to save his crumbling dukedom and his mother and sister, but after becoming instantly obsessed with Adeline, she teaches him that perhaps there’s a third option other than a loveless marriage to a wealthy woman and complete financial ruin. A fun twist on dukes in historical romance, where he has to learn feminism and hard work rather than being simply a savior of a downtrodden hot lady.

This book has stuck with me ever since I read it. It didn’t end at all where I expected it to, and up until the final few chapters I was convinced there was no way she could get us back to a happily ever after. There’s just too many obstacles, practical and otherwise! And yet. And yet!! I love Adeline and I love that her big thing is pockets in dresses. 

Rating: 4.5/5

How hot? 🔥🔥🔥

Read the other two reviews:

The Hellion and The Hero by Emily Sullivan. Lady Georgiana Arlington has lived her entire life for others, even agreeing to a loveless marriage to save her father and her family. But now she’s widowed and ready to rumble, starting with the business she inherited from her late husband that she intends to make a haven for laborers, particularly female ones, making her a target for the other business owners in the area who don’t appreciate having to offer competitive wages, benefits, and treatment now.

When the target on her back starts to get more threatening, her brother hires someone to look into it and keep an eye on her: Captain Henry Harris, PI, war hero, and the one who got away years and years ago when Georgiana was a debutant and he was a penniless fortune hunter. He’s still smarting from her choosing someone else (though he doesn’t know why), and she’s got her own baggage from before, but together, they’re pretty much unstoppable.

Rating: 4.5/5

How hot? 🔥🔥🔥🔥

How The Duke Was Won by Lenora Bell. James, unexpected Duke of Harland, thought he was safe from ducal responsibility as the second son. But when his father and perfect older brother perish from a carriage accident, he’s dragged back from his travels and adventures to take his rightful palace in the peerage and is in need of a wife. Because he can’t be bothered to care about much of this, as he’s accustomed to his freedom and is working to establish a cocoa manufacturing plant that doesn’t rely on slave labor or exploiting workers that can give chocolate to people of all classes, he selects a series of debutants at random to come to his estate and compete for his hand.

Charlene is the illegitimate daughter of an earl and a courtesan, who bears a striking resemblance to her half sister, the earl’s acknowledged daughter Lady Dorothea. When James invites Dorothea to his estate for the Marriage Games, she’s unfortunately out of town, so the earl’s wife convinces Charlene (whose mother and sister are in danger from a very bad man) to pretend to be Dorthea to secure the duke’s hand in exchange for a healthy payout. In dire straights, Charlene agrees, even though she’s far from duchess material. Luckily, James is far from duke material, so as you might expect, it’s a match made in heaven, despite much of their courtship happening with Charlene pretending to be someone else.

Every part of these shenanigans did it for me. I love that Charlene knows self defense and kinda kicks James’s ass upon first meeting (he’s pretending to be a servant to test the way the debutants treat their staff, then he comes on to her and she does not react demurely). I love that James cares so much about the family he’s built in spite of the family he came from. I love how Charlene can’t help but be herself despite all she has riding on this deal, and how instantly James fights by her side despite her deception. All of this book is great. 

Rating: 4.5/5

How hot? 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[thebandcampdiaries]

Ron Hamrick has released a brand new single: “I’d Give Anything.” 

May 2023 - Hailing from Michigan, Ron Hamrick is a renowned songwriter who has even made it to Billboard's Top 10! His latest offering, "I'd Give Anything,” showcases a contemporary and polished arrangement strong of a captivating melody that perfectly matches the nostalgic spirit of the tune.

“I’d Give Anything” is an energetic yet smooth song that feels like a quintessential soft-rock number. It is all about creating a mellow, soothing sound that's perfect for relaxing and unwinding after a long day. One of the things that makes Ron’s music so special is the artist’s ability to write very relatable tracks without compromising the uplifting energy of his work. “I’d Give Anything” is the kind of track that most music fans will be able to connect with. It’s a song that dwells on a fascinating hypothetical reality: what if the greats of music who passed away were still around? What if greats like Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and others who left too soon had been able to make more music to share with the world? The possibilities are truly endless, but sadly, we can only speculate at this point in time. Still, “I’d Give Anything.” highlights Ron’s timeless passion for music, and it feels like a homage to some of the most iconic musicians who elevated the craft throughout the years.

“I’d give anything to hear those songs that never were.” - Anyone who has ever been a fan of musicians who passed away before reaching their full maturity or potential can most definitely empathize with this feeling! It's a shame that so many talented artists died too young, as we're missing out on the incredible music they could have created. From Jimi Hendrix to Kurt Cobain, there are countless musicians who left us far too soon. Each of these artists had a unique perspective and voice, and it's heartbreaking to think about what they could have achieved had they lived longer. However, their music lives on and continues to inspire generations, proving that their legacies will never be forgotten - including artists like Ron Hamrick, who carry the torch and keep the flame alive. Musically, the song is just as compelling as its inherent meaning. The soft synth sounds on “I’d Give Anything” blend seamlessly with the groovy yet smooth rhythm section, creating a unique and captivating sound. The combination of the two elements makes for a dreamy, almost hypnotic quality that draws the listener in and keeps them hooked until the very end. The way the synths and rhythm section complement each other is a testament to Ron’s exceptional songwriting skills and his ability to create a cohesive and compelling tone throughout the spectrum. Ron’s voice on “I’d Give Anything” is soft-spoken yet full-ranging and dynamic, reminiscent of great vocalists like Peter Gabriel and Mick Hucknall (of Simply Red). His vocal delivery is expressive and emotive, conveying a sense of longing and vulnerability that resonates with listeners.

The instrumentation is beautifully layered, and Ron's vocals are smooth and emotive. However, what’s even more striking is how down-to-earth the song feels, despite the sophisticated musicianship behind the track. Ron's humility as an artist shines through in every note. It's a rare combination of musical complexity and emotional authenticity that won’t go unnoticed. In an era in which every artist seeks glory and feeble notoriety, it is refreshing to come across someone who actually sings from the perspective of a passionate music fan. Ron's song "I'd Give Anything" embodies the essence of what it means to create music for the love of it. 

Fans of artists as diverse as Billy Joel, Air Supply and Lionel, The Eagles, and Fleetwood Mac will certainly appreciate the soft rock smoothness of this amazing release by Ron Hamrick. Whether you're feeling nostalgic, romantic, or just in need of some good vibes, there's a soft rock song out there that can lift your spirits and make you feel good, and remind you of the power of music and its lasting legacy.

https://open.spotify.com/track/43DXKMREaKxX1tKAboScWt?si=59dc173d516645aan

https://youtu.be/alrrOugip4w

https://www.youtube.com/@RonHamrickMusic

https://twitter.com/ronhamrick

We also had the opportunity to ask Ron a few questions: keep reading for more!

I love how you manage to render your tracks so personal and organic. Does the melody come first, or do you focus on the beat the most?

Answer:

I hear both in my head when I sit down to write a song. I also have at least most of the lyrics in my head. They all come at basically the same time when I get an idea for a new song.

Do you perform live? If so, do you feel more comfortable on a stage or within the walls of the recording studio?

Answer:

I have been performing on stages for many years, and I have also spent many hours in recording studios, so I am very comfortable with both.

If you could only pick one song to make a “first impression” on a new listener, which song would you pick and why?

Answer:

I would pick my song “Tomorrow” from my EP “Nothing But Sunshine” because it’s a very mellow, optimistic song with lyrics full of hope. Perhaps it would serve to make the listener’s day a little better, although I try to do this with all of my songs.

What does it take to be “innovative” in music? 

Answer:

I think the masters at being innovative in music were The Beatles, and they were innovative in various ways, which I think is the best answer to this question – I don’t think there is only one thing you can do. I also think it’s a fine line, and if you get too innovative, you can scare off listeners. The Beatles were innovative from their conception with just the idea of using the complementary interplay between two guitars in a band (which was very uncommon at the time they formed), and they continued to slowly push the envelope using things like unheard-of recording techniques, new sounds (a sitar in pop music? – really??), unconventional song structures, unusual key signatures, unique chord progressions, and even blending ideas from multiple genres of music. In my songwriting efforts, I try to draw in listeners with the idea that many people can relate to and keep them listening using various techniques I have learned from studying Beatles music. This can be something different in every song.

Any upcoming release or tour your way?

Answer:

I continually write new songs, and I’m currently working on several I plan to release on an EP later this year, with perhaps a single or two released ahead of the EP. I play live performances regularly at venues around the area where I live in Virginia, and I have had numerous requests to do a performance in the town where I grew up in Michigan, so I will be traveling to Michigan for a performance in September. I have also been invited to do another tour in England, which is being planned for the Summer of 2024.

Anywhere online where curious fans can listen to your music and find out more about you?

Answer:

The best place to listen to my music and find out more about me is on my website www.ronhamrick.com.

[winchesterandpie]

Lovin' Feelin': Asking you to be his girlfriend

Pairing: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x wife!reader

Word Count: 1011

Warnings: highly self-indulgent, bad puns, fluff, and messing with Hangman and the other aviators

A/N: Good evening, aviators! This is your author speaking! We're back with another helping of Bradley and his wife messing with Hangman. I have three ideas for the eventual reveal and I think I'm going to write all of them. I also have several other ideas for this, so I'll probably keep revisiting this as inspiration strikes. Let me know if you have any ideas for fun bets, and I'll see about writing them! Enjoy!

Lovin' Feelin' Masterpost

“Thirty bucks says you won’t ask her to officially be your girlfriend.”

“By when?”

“End of tonight.”

“Tonight? Come on, Hangman, she isn’t even in town today. Give me a week,” Rooster bargained. He wasn’t technically lying, but you were returning tonight from visiting your friend. “She deserves something good.”

Hangman caved quickly. “Fine. But only because you two are so perfect together.” After three months of the two of you “dating,” even Hangman couldn’t help but notice how happy the two of you were together. It was fitting, then, that your unofficial callsign had become Sunshine.

That didn’t stop him from teasing Rooster for the amount of time he spent smiling at his phone.

“Alright, one week.”

“One week.”

“See you tomorrow, Bagman.” Rooster shook his head at the other pilot, turning away toward his car. He couldn’t wait to tell you about the newest bet. You had had a “first” kiss, a meet the team, and many smaller agreements. Hangman made most of the bets, seemingly trying to progress your relationship, but he was far from the only one. Bob had been surprisingly creative with some of his. All together, they had funded quite a few dates for the two of you.

The engine roared to life, but it didn’t cover the sound of his phone ringing. He grinned when he saw the caller ID.

“Your ears burning?” he asked when he answered the call.

“No,” you replied, and he could hear your smile in your voice. “Should they be?”

“Hangman made another bet.”

“Oh? What’s this one?”

“Asking you to be my girlfriend.”

“Wow, you’re planning on backing out of our marriage.”

He laughed, putting the Bronco in drive. “You caught me. I wish it didn’t have to be this way, sweetheart.” That pulled a laugh from you, and he drank in the sound. “Are you home yet?”

“Yeah, I just walked in the door.”

“How was your flight?”

“Not as fun as the flights you take me on, but everything went smoothly.”

“That’s good.” Bradley grinned at the memory of your most recent flight together in Maverick’s P-51 Mustang.

“How was your day?”

“It was good. We got to give some rookie pilots the runaround. I’ll have to tell you about it tonight.”

“Ooh, I can order takeout?”

“Perfect. I’ll be home in twenty.”

“See you in twenty. Love you!”

“Love you too.”

A week later, you were pulling up to the beach with Bradley and your face of surprise was ready. He slid his arm around your shoulders as you waved to his teammates. They greeted you like they didn’t know what was going down, but you knew better. Bradley hadn’t told you all the details, but he had told you that he had pulled the other pilots into whatever he was scheming.

You realized his plan was going into effect when the campfire burned low and the marshmallows came out. There were too many marshmallows being burnt. Hangman, you could believe as someone without the patience to brown a marshmallow properly, and a few of the others as well, but all of them? There was no way. There was the additional suspicion from no one letting you get ahold of a roasting stick, despite you reaching for one on more than one occasion.

“Here.” Bradley came to your rescue with a s’more already assembled.

“You are my new favorite person.” You grinned, reaching for the treat but he pulled it back.

“New? I wasn’t before?”

“Well, it’s not like you’re my boyfriend,” you teased, shrugging innocently. Alright, you may have done it intentionally to goad him into showing his hand.

“About that,” he trailed off, and despite your knowledge, you furrowed your brow in acted confusion.

“What? Are you…”

He stepped closer to you, offering the s’more again. “I’d like to see s’more of you.” You didn’t even let him finish before you were doubled over and cackling.

“That’s the best you’ve got?” Jake cried out, sounding like he was almost in pain on your husband’s behalf. "Sunshine deserves better!"

“You had a week and that’s it?” Tash chimed in.

You were leaning your weight into him now, still unable to stop laughing at the terrible line.

“Hold up, he hasn’t even asked her yet!” Reuben caught Jake’s hand before he could hold out the cash.

“And you would have robbed me blind?” Jake sounded even more offended as he gestured at Bradley’s hand outstretched for the money. You were already laughing, so you didn’t need to hide your snort at how little he really knew.

“Alright, alright, will the peanut gallery shut up?” Bradley shook his head, helping you back upright with a fond sigh. “As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I… I really like you.”

“I really like you too,” you replied earnestly, then took a bite of your s’more. “Mostly for the s’mores.” He chuckled, dropping his head as his neck reddened.

“Will you be my girlfriend?” he finally got the question out, his free hand coming up to the side of your face.

“Yes,” you answered immediately, closing the distance to kiss him amid cheers from the other pilots.

“Now you’re stuck with the man with the worst line I’ve ever heard,” Javy teased when you broke apart. “And I’ve heard all of Hangman’s lines.”

“I still can’t believe you made me give you a week only to disappoint.” Jake slipped the money into your husband’s back pocket before smacking his butt.

“Mmm, you think you could’ve come up with something better?”

“Oh I know I could. But this just gives me more stories for when I’m inevitably the best man at your wedding.”

You just grinned, leaning into your husband’s shoulder as you wondered, not for the first time, how they would react when they found out you two were already married. Bradley looked over at you, the spark of mischief in his eyes overshadowed by a tenderness reserved for very few. Sure, you rolled your eyes at his sometimes terrible lines, but you wouldn’t trade him for anything.

Lovin' Feelin' Taglist (I think I got everyone, but if not, shoot me a message):

@red-ace-in-space @ohh-to-be-a-frog @alana4610 @mirandastuckinthe80s @partofmejustwantstosleep @rosiahills22 @alanadetigy @natasharomanoffisbaebby @havaneselover08 @jules-1999 @katiemcrae @lttlemer @hufflepufftruffle @heavanskitchen @roses-and-grasses @littlehippies-world

Let me know if you would like to be added to or removed from the taglist for this universe of fics!

[pinksirensong]

B.F.F. 

Chapter Three

STEP ONE: STRIKE AT THE WEAKNESS

Orpheus remembered his father well enough to know that he was a jealous man, he couldn’t stand even knowing someone was looking at what was his. With his mother, Calliope, being a muse was a huge problem because often the people she inspired became infatuated with her and then the King of Nightmares would show his true colors. When Y/N saw who he truly was she would leave him and everything would go back to normal.

“Hey, milady, I need a huge favor!” Orpheus kissed Y/N’s cheek when he entered their apartment.

“Oh, no.” she crossed her arms and looked disapprovingly towards him. “The last time you said that I had to bail you out of jail.”

“That’s what friends are for, right? Anyway, that’s not it. You’re cheering tonight, right?” because her family left her to fend for herself, Y/N could only stay at college with a scholarship and the cheer squad provided her that. It was cheering for the basketball team but also some cheer competition, so far they were the second best team.

“Yeah, at the game. Why?”

“I need to go to New York tonight to get something, but you know I’m a terrible driver, especially at night so...”

“So?”

“After the game could you go with me? You drive me there, I get it and we come back. Easy and fast.” Easy? Yes, but faster? If his plan worked it would be slow as a worm. New York was less than two hours from New Haven, but he could make it more just enough so she wouldn’t sleep early and that would definitely get Morpheus' attention. It would be the spark.

“Well, I kind of had plans with Daniel after.” even better, but he had to use all his cards right.

“He won’t mind you helping me just this one time. Please, Y/N! I’ve a pal that found my father’s watch and it’s the only thing I have left of him and I’m afraid that if not tonight he won’t save it for me.”

“Oh, Owen...” when Y/N hugged him he felt guilty about it, but he had to remind himself that it was for her own good. “I’m sorry. Of course I’ll help you, I’ll just text Hob to warn Daniel about tonight. You can always count on me!” his father didn’t like her enough to even learn how to use technology, she had to text his friend to get in contact with him. Yes, Orpheus was doing what was best for her...for them. Once Morpheus was out of the picture they would go back to their lives.

“I don’t even know how to thank you, really. It means so much to me that you will be by my side. You’re my family, Y/N.”

“And you’re mine, Owen.” she was his best friend and because of that strong friendship she would sacrifice anything for him.

It was strange every time something came up she had to call Hob to warn Daniel and he did the same. Sometimes it felt like she was surrounded by secrets and it was completely exhausting. After she informed Hob and asked him to pass on her message and apologize for not being able to see Daniel, also apologizing for bothering him, she went on with her pre-game routine. A long shower to relax the muscles and forget about all the troubles of college. God, she loved painting more than anything in this world, but sometimes it was just hard to sit and do it. There was also the Owen-Daniel issue, because she was pretty sure they disliked each other even if they never even met. She was too young and too broke to have so many problems.

Orpheus, as usual, didn't just wait until she was ready but also went to the game even if he hated it, he was her moral support at this time. His friend was very attractive, if he still wasn't in love with Eurydice and if she wasn't almost like a sister to him things could be different, but things were the way they were, but he couldn't understand why his father? So many others had persuaded a relationship with her, men and women, yet none would get close enough to her, it was like for Y/N anything romantic was out of the table…or so he thought.

The game was an easy win and the squad cheered amazingly well, Y/N rushed to find Owen at the parking lot. He had a Chevy Impala that was probably almost as old as them, but everytime Y/N suggested he find one less old he would say it was a classic. Surprisingly it worked as well as a new car, never once it let them down and she appreciated that a lot. Hopefully it would hold itself together on this trip.

"I brought snacks for us." he threw his keys at her and sat in the passenger space. "And some energetic drinks, it's late and you worked a lot today. So sorry for bringing you into this, I just…really need you right now." Y/N could understand him, it was too hard to be alone right now and he was her best friend in the whole world. She would be there for him always, no matter what happened.

"Don't worry about it, I'm always here for you!" soon they were already on the road, the radio loud enough so they could not only hear it but sing-along too.

Orpheus couldn't remember a time where he was as happy as this, Y/N had changed everything for him. After losing Eurydice it was like the world lost all colors, but she brought it back and he was happy again. His friends cared so much about him and because of all they lived together he owned her and their friendship this. Orpheus wished it wasn't his father who she was with or that he wasn't such a monster, maybe then he wouldn't have to do all of this, but he knew that the man who condemned a woman to Hell for simply defying him would never be good for his friend. Y/N was a free spirit, everyone wanted to be around her and be her friend and Orpheus wasn't her only male friend — but he was her only best friend. Morpheus would never allow it, he was too possessive to let anyone close to what was his.

"Please, apologize to Daniel on my behalf. I know you guys barely saw each other this week."

"I'm sure he will understand."

"Are you sure? Sometimes our friendship can be a little too much for other guys, I don't wanna hold you back or disturb your relationship."

"If he doesn't get it then that's on him. As I said before, you're my family and that's above any relationship. Someone who doesn't get it…well I can't be with that person." Y/N's former boyfriends didn't like the way she was closer to Owen, even if they treated each other like siblings, and some even accused her of cheating. The thing is that she could never be with someone that didn't trust her, because trust is as important as love when you're with someone. She loved Daniel and she trusted him, even knowing that he probably was hiding something from her. Sometimes we gotta have secrets to protect ourselves and with time they might come out, but lies are different.

Orpheus couldn't believe how well his plan was doing. Once they got there, just as he had adjusted with an acquaintance of his, Orpheus called his "pal" but unfortunately the watch was sold a few hours earlier by his roommate. Thankfully he was the son of a muse and tonight he was inspired, so almost as if he was acting on Broadway he gave a show. There were tears and stuffy nose, he barely formed a sentence right. It worried Y/N to a point where she took him to a 24 hour coffee shop to calm him down.

Many hours went by and neither noticed that the sun was coming up just like they didn't notice her phone blowing up with messages from Hob – probably because Orpheus put it on silent mode.

Many coffees and energetic drinks laters Y/N was too much awake for her own good. The journey back passed way faster than before, but as soon as they got home Y/N was too energized to sleep and for the first time in weeks she was inspired. She was sad and heartbroken for her best friend, and she just had to put it all out on a painting. Everything else would have to wait.

On the other side, Orpheus was over the moon for he knew that one thing Dream of the Endless didn't have was patience.

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tag list: @jesllianaquilesrolon @reallystressedhoneybee @waitingformysandman @mypsychoticlove @mrdarcyifhewere21stcentury

[dent-de-leon]

Tiefling, goliath, eisfuura, cleric, sorcerer

Tiefling: who is your favorite female player

Ooh that's tough. I feel like I have to say Laura Bailey, because the way she plays her characters just makes me so emotional--there are just these moments when she made me cry, especially in C2. She was also one of the VA's I knew of before starting CR, so I was excited to see her play!

Goliath: who is your favorite campaign 1 character

AH this is so hard. I wanna say it's like a three way tie between Percy, Keyleth, and Vax. I love them all a lot. But I don't know, I think there's something I especially love about seeing Kiki now after how far she's come, and everything she's been through. I just have a lot of fondness for her and it makes me excited for more of TLOVM :')

Eisfuura: who is your favorite npc

This feels like cheating almost, because it's just so predictable for me, but--Lucien without question. I adore his wit and charm and dramatic villain monologues--which we now know are inspired by him literally being an actor, and I'll never get over that. He quotes his favorite lines sometimes. He's always looking to put on a show, to become part of something grand.

He's playful, and there are moments when you see a bit of vulnerability behind the mask. And even though he's the villain of the final arc, his character is just so tragic, it makes you still kind of want to root for him a little.

And seeing Matt play Lucien is very fun because it's like watching this eerie sort of mirror image of Taliesin's performance as Mollymauk. The little quirks and mannerisms inherited from Molly, the charm and showmanship and banter. A personality that's become warped, twisting Molly's dreams and desires into something darker. And yet, for every striking difference, there are ripples and echoes of the same Circus Man we know. It's really amazing to watch Matt act all of that out.

Even the way he does Lucien's laugh has this eerie echo of Molly to it that really does remind me of Taliesin. I think that's what makes his performance so appealing to me, that it's not just a character of Matt's--but a character that's almost like this collaboration between them.

Cleric: what is your favorite battle

Again, probably expected, but--that final fight with Lucien. I'm just so weak for stories like this. Where the final villain used to be someone beloved by the other characters before they were lost to them somehow. It makes the conflict so much more personal and just gets me so emotionally invested.

Narratively, thematically--there's just so much to love about this fight. The way Lucien and the Nein are able to manifest whatever they imagine in the Astral Sea through sheer will. The ever present, constant threat of the Nein slowly gaining more and more Eyes, the sense of urgency and finite time.

The whole mechanic where characters are rewarded for trying to reach back out to Molly!! Heartfelt pleas and gutting reminders, the Nein all holding out their hands to Molly. The fact that Jester and Caleb seem to be the ones most consistently able to get through to him, fighting hardest to free him--and then they're the ones Lucien goes after and kills, because to him they're the biggest threat, a representation of the thing he most fears.

That shard of Molly's soul still present, reacting so viscerally whenever his friends are hurt. The way the end of that fight is just so heart-wrenching and gutting and leaves me teary eyed. The perfect parallels to Jester's tarot reading. I'm still not over any of it.

Sorcerer: what is your favorite sam commercial skit

tHE ELDERMANCY COCKTAIL!! There's just. So much going on here. Watching the slow decent into utter chaos, everyone trying to stop him with each new horrible, terrible addition he pours in. The moment he takes that first sip. The horror. The regret.

The realization he just drank like 3 shots of absinthe in an espresso with yogurt. The fact that all this happens?? I believe?? In the episode where we were all horrified there'd be a TPK in that big fight with the Tombtakers?? Literally everything about this whole situation was so cursed I love it.