#although anyone cam interpret it how they want

[flamemons]

[paradoxcase]

@wellhappybirthdaytomeiguess:

I remain convinced that Harrow was shouting at herself, but Gideon for obvious reasons took it to be yelling at her. Curious to see what you think at the end of the book.

Ooh, that's definitely a better interpretation of that. I will keep it in mind and see if it checks out

@demethinkstoomuch:

While that's true, and I'm not supposing most of their last names are meant to be secret or anything - because most people wouldn't want them to be. In the scenes where everyone's together with some Formal Purpose -- the places you'd just overhear names -- when Teacher greets them, or calls for them to get the key rings, or Magnus' dinner party jokes - places where they are introduced rather than introducing themselves or acting socially - we see titles. But, maybe more relevantly, this means that Gideon - who no one knows, and who neither introduces herself nor has herself introduced by her last name - never has her last name used by anyone there but Harrow, and I don't think she uses Nav in public much, but I'd need to check. Gideon is pretty consistently "Gideon the Ninth" when Coronabeth or Dulcinea talks to or about her, if I recall, so "Gideon Nav" is probably not common knowledge. Cam's case is extremely weird, though, I gotta say, and I have never noticed that, yeah, it just pops up out of nowhere. She's not referred to it in dialogue until long, long after it's started popping up in the text, which isn't the case for any of the other cavaliers. Very Weird, and it kind of gets weirder. But anyway, point is, there isn't anything particularly special about Gideon's last name, except that it's not how Silas ought to know her.

I did another search through the book; Harrow introduces Gideon by first and last name to Teacher when they first arrive, and calls her "Nav" in front of Dulcinea and Protesilaus in Chapter 20 and in front Jeannemary, Isaac, Palamedes and Camilla in Chapter 24. Mayonnaise Uncle could have potentially learned the name from Teacher or Dulcinea, although I think he's unlikely to have talked to any of the others (and Jeannemary and Isaac didn't have a chance to talk to anyone who wasn't Gideon after that piece of dialog). But you're right that everyone else has just called her Gideon the Ninth, all uses of "Nav" besides this new one in Chapter 26 are either Harrow's or Gideon's dialog, or Gideon's internal monologue.

[kninedlog]

Since my own art is trash credit goes to this person for the best interpretation creatable:

tw and ig: https://www.instagram.com/_nyurei/ || https://twitter.com/_nyurei

The picrew itself: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1300090

OC #3 : Meet Jargon Justice The High-Tech Security Bot!

The beginning | Previous | Next

-Built to look human, he's the closest thing to an android that the wide spread public is aware about. (That's considering the Gregory or any other character being a robot theory/stuff like that)

-Jargon is built to be 7ft

-He's basically the secret guest at Disney and other theme parks but for the pizza plex. He walks around and makes sure that no one is breaking any rules and enforces them as well as protects the guest from any harm.

-He is the only animatronic without a safety mode as he has programmed to land harmful hands on people and guests over the age of 15.

-Before the Plex was made Jargon was thought of in mind for it. To be a special specific bot for this special specific location

-Hence all the paperwork people must sign before entering the pizza plex for the first time and to have your guest profile be on record.

-He is not an attraction/entertainment bot despite how many people mistake him for it (most of the time on purpose)

once they find out he is an animatronic. (He blends in very well despite his consistent wardrobe)

-He wears sunglasses indoors all throughout the day for personal reasons.

-He doesn't like how people stare into eyes and he's gotten a bit self-conscious about the color choice that was picked for him.

-His room can be visited by any guest if he is there taking a break, or recharging, or getting maintenance done. He hates going down to the maintenance room.

-His room soon got to have many visitors over the course of just four months and he soon developed fans as well. Having to renovate his small cramped space into a sort of the green room the Glam Rock's have but not quite the same to spot the difference, making his room sort of an attraction although it isn't.

-Instead of his room  just being called his room anymore it's slowly over time became "Justice's Office!"

-Jargen has a back hatch similar to Freddy chest cavity. He uses it to store important items for himself or ones he confiscated from guest. (He's taken many Faz cams and golf clubs)

-Anyone by the ages of 15 and lower breaking a rule of the pizza plex get three warning from him, after that the child is sent to either the daycare, lost and found, or Justice's Office where he places "naughty kids" who need a time out or lost items.

-He then phones the number of the parents or the owner of the belonging.

-If the parents do not pick up after three tries every two minutes or do not retrieve their kid during the limited time they set for the said parent, Jargen sends the kid to the main office and the entire family gets a strike penalty from the Pizza Plex usually between a week or 3 months ban from the facility.

-If the owner of the lost/confiscated item does not try his office to retrieve it by the time the facility closes (which workers are supposed to direct them to if the item is not in the lost and found) Jargon gets to either keep it, throw it away, or repurpose it. He usually chooses the first option or the ladder.

-Jargon is a very serious animatronic. He does not like to waste time and does not get attached to any of his fellow security co-workers, subordinates, or superiors.

"Get back to work, please."

"Yes sir/ma'am."

-Except for one. (More on that later)

-His personality is like paint dry. He is a stale-made bot just wanting to complete the many tasks set upon him day in and day out.

-Even when they are completed before his inevitable clock out/power down time he does not do anything rather interesting.

"You like Jargon?"

"But he's just an exaggerated Security bot! Plus he's a boring party pooper" —*Monty and Roxy to Chica and Freddy*

-He will either sit in his office and read/interact with whatever anyone has given to him as a gift (like how people do for the glam rocks) or walk around the plex double-checking everything, even on the main stars themselves to see if they are functioning properly not to make small talk much to Chica and Freddy's dismay.

"How was your day Jargon?"

"No."

"Don't cha wanna chat?"

"No."

-He has a very advanced AI programmed into him that is always adapting to the world around him. If his systems has come across a stump or an issue it won't be long before he's figured a way around it or solve the problem

-If something went wrong today best believe that same thing won't happen ever again.

-He sometimes, to pass the time of his break, talk to himself. One of the many guilty pleasures he like to partake in, that he has kept secret from even the cameras at the Plex.

-It helps him cool his processors and he likes to recount everything he's done so far.

-No one knows he does this.

-Well not anymore...

-He's been hacked into many times before. All attempts have been futile.

-Until one day. . .

[averagejoesolomon]

This question has plagued me since the first time I read the books, but what does Rachel do with her summer? Rachel never spent time with her only daughter-only time she did was winter break in the 6th book but that was related to a mission. Rachel seems like the kind to care about her family, so why didn't she made more attempt to hang out with her kid? What was Rachel doing that she ships Cammie off to her grandparents every summer and holidays? Or is it so Cammie get to know her grandparents?

Let’s not get too hasty, friend! There’s so many ways Rachel still could have been involved in Cams life—take your pick! It’s all up for interpretation!

Speaking as someone who grew up with their mom in her school—I promise that Cam was in Rachel’s office at least three times a day, bugging her for money to go into town, or better classes, or “are you SURE we can’t go to the Roseville town fair this year? The girls would love it”

Plus! Mother/daughter dinners!!! Let’s not forget the mother/daughter dinners.

And I’m willing to bet there were a few breakfasts in there too (although, if I remember being sixteen correctly, I definitely would have wanted to hang out with my friends more anyway).

As for summer, let’s not rule out that Rachel also spent time on the farm! Y’all know Grandma Morgan would welcome her daughter-in-law with open arms. Anyone who raised a boy that good, knows how to be good herself.

Maybe not the whole summer, but July?? When things at school slow down?? Those two did some serious healing at Matt’s childhood home.

They’ve got time together—it’s just a matter of how you want to read it!

[dreamylyfe-x]

I think you're right that Ian isn't intending to give Mickey an ultimatum (although their plotline in that episode description on amazon prime is literally "Ian gives mickey an ultimatum", lmao) but I do think it has the same effect, at least how mickey is interpreting it. I do think Ian is clearly manic in that episode, the way he slams his hand on the table when he says "because!", for instance, feels very in line with how Cam had been portraying him for the rest of the season. And because of that, and the eagerness with which he beats up Terry, I think we could interpret Ian as asking mickey to come out at the bar that night, consequences be damned. Or it could just be him laying down a boundary. What he wants from mickey in that exact moment is completely open for interpretation. Season 4 is so brilliant because in contrast to season 3b, where all of their relationship was told exclusively from Ian's perspective, in season 4 Ian's story is told from mickey's perspective, as he and the audience puzzle over why his behavior is so dramatically different. We can't really know what he's thinking.

So what did Ian expect from Mickey exactly in that moment? It's a question I think about a lot in terms of the wedding too. Ian is so optimistic it hurts after they have sex in that episode - I really can't even imagine what Mickey refusing to get married and/or coming out at the wedding would have looked like. Couldn't put my finger on why I get this instinct, but I think chances are much greater that they would have died. (Ian isn't great at picking moments to dramatically confront Mickey, but Mickey never really gives him much choice, eh?) Both characters had to experience season 3 to get to 4x11. Ian's fear all throughout season 3 has given way to rage, rage that fuels him to run towards terry beating mickey in 4x11 where he ran away from it in 3x06. And Mickey being unable to get Ian to stay, having to confront his feelings for him through the pain of losing him, made him completely unwilling to go through that again. Regardless of what Ian expected from Mickey in that scene, it's clear how mickey is choosing to interpret it. Ian's just going back home, but to mickey he might as well be leaving for the army the next day.

So I think only the prospect of losing Ian again enables Mickey to come out the way that he does, in this extremely dangerous situation. I guess my question to you is - would he have come out at all if Ian hadn't established that boundary? Did he need to be forced to choose, or would Ian have eventually been able to keep gradually coaxing him? I think Mickey seeming to accept that Ian's family is pretty much on to them is encouraging, but you're right, what the hell was he planning on doing about Terry? I'd love to read an alternative coming out scene fic some day, but that scene is too good and the alternatives probably too depressing for anyone to want to write it.

Hey! These are all great points. You’re right, the “because” is really jarring... I do think Ian might always be pretty eager to beat up Terry. 

The same effect element... Yeah, and that’s why I understand the use of the word “ultimatum” -- but at the same time, when you have this kind of crisis in a relationship where something is a dealbreaker for one party it just functions that way. I am a little addicted to Reddit relationship advice subs and that fight rages in the comments all the time. “She’s giving him an ultimatum” “She’s telling him what her expectations and boundaries are!” -- and all of that has me a little intense about the term. Conventionally, ultimatums are bad and boundaries are good. But a boundary definitely suggests there is an expectation that, if not met, means the end of the relationship. I do think intent matters a lot and one thing that I feel is not talked about much is how unwilling Mickey is to actually engage the conversation. So I get why it escalates. it’s hard to talk critically about Mickey’s side without it being interpreted as an attack on him -- but I do think Ian’s reactions are fed by the fact that Mickey isn’t willing to engage any conversation about what’s happening. He just wants to go “do this thing” and then pick up where he and Ian left off. 

Which is *exactly* what he was saying when he got married. And Ian didn’t say “don’t get married or I’ll join the army” but he did beg Mickey not to do it and when he did... Ian left and joined the army. 

That key question -- does Mickey come out without this pressure -- is a good one and I’d love to hear what other people think. But for me? That answer is “probably not. Or not for a good long while.” -- The ask that sparked this whole thing (I think) was me considering what happens if Mickey doesn’t come out, and my answer was “if Ian is around, he comes out.”

And if Ian isn’t... Then I think he doesn’t. There’s no carrot. This is why I said a few times that Ian loving Mickey is key to the whole equation. not in a “saviour” way, but as a part of Mickey’s journey. If being gay -- For Mickey, whose father has literally pistol whipped him and forced him into being a husband and father over the issue -- is JUST about who he’s attracted to, I don’t see why he WOULD come out. It’s like when people advise kids whose parents will disown them over their sexuality to wait until after college to come out. For Mickey, he should come out when he gets out of the dangerous situation. And when the heck does that happen without Ian? 

Being with Ian is the reason to come out. Ian can't stand a half-measure with Mickey (and I do think that’s very sincere. I don’t think Ian can stand to watch Mickey be someone else’s husband) and Mickey doesn't want to lose all the things that his relationship with Ian gives him. Sex he can get -- but he wants the friendship, the affection, the connection and the love he gets from Ian. Enough to literally risk his life. 

I had a conversation with @whaticameherefor a few days ago about how The Alibi is kinda the safest place for Mickey to come out. Because he has witnesses and Kev is there to call the cops. There really is no safe place for him while Terry isn’t in prison. Which again, doesn’t mean this isn’t all the things about it that are problematic, but Mickey survives this because the cops show up and haul Terry off again. 

Anyway! I actually have two fanfic plans that involve this question so I can’t say much more without getting spoilery. But I am so interested in this question and love hearing from people about it. Loved everything you had to say. In the end, Mickey’s coming out scene is EPIC. Raise your hand if you can recite the entire “Guess What We’ve Been Doing Daddy?” scene by heart. 

[ichigo-daifuku]

See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil [2]

Fandom: Shall We Date?: Obey Me! Pairing: Diavolo/F!Reader Genre: Soulmate AU, Fake Relationship (?), Misunderstandings, Fluff, Angst, Suggestive Themes

Synopsis: During a confrontation between Diavolo and a certain witch who harbors unrequited feelings for him, he declares his intention to ask you to stand beside him in reigning over the Devildom someday. You conclude only one logical explanation for the insanity he uttered: this is his way of discouraging the witch from being so persistent. Although clueless, you play along and become ‘lovers’ with him.

Inevitably, your existing attraction for Diavolo grows, but the distinction between truth and lies, the crisscrossed lines of the right and the wrong, and the question of what’s real and what isn’t, begin to plague your mind and stir up trouble for your relationship with him with each passing day.

Entangled within the woven threads of soulmates and a royal prophecy, this is the story of the Demon Prince and his future Queen: you.

1 | 2 | 3 Chapter 2: Hear No Evil Word Count: 6.5k

To say your week was eventful would be an understatement.

It was no secret that wherever Diavolo went, eyes followed. Even if demons walked on eggshells with him, word about him spread from one mouth to another rapidly, both news and rumors alike. Now, your circumstances mimicked his own. When the two of you would be spotted together, all hell ensued. Once, Diavolo walked you to your classroom, and by the end of the day, everyone—including Belphegor, who had skipped classes—had knowledge of what happened. As the days passed, you slowly fell into the normalcy of such occurrences. The reason for it was when you were in Diavolo’s company, the last thing you cared about was the eyes trained on you, as strange as it sounded. On a positive note, it contributed to the fabrication of your relationship and made it more believable. No one had questioned either of you about it yet.

The most awaited day of the week arrived, Saturday.

You awoke in a good mood, undeniably filled with anticipation of the events today would bring. As you watered the Mirage Flower on your windowsill, the item resting beside it caught your eye: a note. You finished your task and took the crisp white envelope in your hands, flipping it over to see the crimson wax seal on its flap. While you were expecting the RAD logo to be stamped on it, the sigil was one you were positive you’d never seen before but felt strangely acquainted with.

With utmost care, you unsealed the envelope, and in the card, the sender had written:

Bewitched, I was, on the fateful day you and I met.

The familiar penmanship was all you needed to confirm it was, indeed, from none other than Diavolo.

You’d be lying if you claimed your heart didn’t flutter when you finished reading that single sentence, but that was a normal response, wasn’t it? Such a romantic sentiment was written in a note for you, and it was from an admirable man—of course, you’d be moved by it. As you breathed in and out to curb the initial surprise you felt due to the content of the envelope, you tapped behind the paper with your index finger, thinking.

Diavolo loved games, and he was entertained the most by being their mastermind.

This is a riddle, you thought. What a strange way to ask someone out.

You chuckled, both amused by his antics and by the way the gears in your head turned to figure out the meaning behind his words. Months ago, the demon brothers had insisted on coming with you to the Demon Lord’s Castle when you were invited there for tea. Perhaps, it was because, back then, Diavolo had requested for your company in the same manner that you found the answer in no time.

Quietness ruled over the RAD campus on weekends, a stark contrast to the busy picture it painted on weekdays. The area remained open, though, permitting industrious students to hole up inside the library and club members to work on their extracurricular activities. 

Leisurely, you strolled along the garden and entered the building without bumping into anyone you knew. Once inside, you recognized a few demons and nodded to them as a greeting while navigating your way to the answer to the riddle: The Student Council Room.

The door let out a small creak as you pushed it open. Since Diavolo was nowhere to be found, you stepped inside and opted to look around for any signs of another envelope. Despite having a lot of papers and writing implements, Lucifer’s area was the tidiest. The square-shaped tube of the tinted lip balm Asmodeus had been frantically searching for yesterday was on his table. Meanwhile, a stack of overdue assignments Belphegor ‘forgot’ to bring home was on his desk.

You roamed around the room until you reached the space you had landed on when you were transported into this world. Standing still, you raised your head, your gaze meeting the podium Diavolo had occupied, the place where he greeted you. It was the very first time your eyes landed on him. In absolute clarity, you could picture the scene of your meeting and how he looked like back then. He was tall and proud, his eyebrows scrunched together in worry at your discomfort at being summoned so suddenly. Most of all, he was regal, as if the place he had been standing on was not a student council podium but a throne.

“This takes me back,” you commented, feeling nostalgic after realizing how far you’d come. You’d learned many things from your stay and met friends more precious to you than anyone else. In the past, if someone told you what kind of relationship you’d be sharing with the Demon Prince months later, you would’ve laughed and brushed them off. “Now, where could that envelope be?”

You stepped aside and moved forward. The stairs led you to where Diavolo had been on that ‘fateful’ day. Footsteps tentative but thrilled, you approached his seat, halting and pulling the chair out. You stood in the place where Diavolo belonged; high up, the sight offering a clear view of what was happening below. Your gaze zeroed in on the center of the room, the spot you stood at a while ago, where he first landed his eyes on you. It hit you that you were looking at that place from his perspective. What did he think of you back then?

“‘ Bewitched, I was, on the fateful day you and I met, ’” you uttered and caught yourself having thoughts you shouldn’t have. Sighing, you shook your head, picked up the envelope on Diavolo’s desk, and muttered, “Why is he so good at this?”

You unsealed the envelope and read the next riddle:

The greed and lust I harbor for you know no bounds.

How in the Devildom were you supposed to interpret that message? If you were surprised by the previous riddle, then you were flabbergasted now. You had to remind yourself multiple times: it was a riddle; nothing more, nothing less. Based on the emphasis he had given the sins in the message, the clue laid in the two members of the Seven Rulers of Hell: Mammon and Asmodeus. Intrigued by the events he had in store for you, you contemplated the riddle’s meaning further and descended on the stairs with the intent of going home. Before you could forget, you grabbed the missing lip balm Asmodeus left on his desk and decided to return it to him and ask him for any clues Diavolo might have given him.

Once you arrived back at the House of Lamentation, you went straight in the direction of Asmodeus’s room, but surprisingly, you met him along the hallway.

“Asmo! I found the tinted lip balm you’re looking for in the Student Council Room,” you stated, handing him the item.

He accepted it gratefully, his eyes wide. “Oh, my… I must have left it there a few days ago. Thanks for bringing it!”

“Sure thing,” you replied. “Where are you off to, by the way?”

“Glad you asked! The Into The Devildom��collection I designed is going to be launched soon, so I’m meeting some partners for it.”

“Wow, congratulations! I’m looking forward to seeing your designs!”

“Oh, thank you, darling! As crazy as this sounds, the executives suggested Mammon as one of our models, so he’s going to attend the meeting, too.”

“Wait! What did you just say? Mammon?”

“I know, right?” His facial expression morphed into one full of disbelief and exasperation. “Well, I mean, even if he’s scummy off-cam, he does justice to clothing on-cam, so I have high hopes for this campaign... but don’t tell him I said that!”

“Yes, yes, of course…”

The request Asmodeus made barely registered in your mind as you figured out the place connected to both the Avatar of Greed and the Avatar of Lust: Majolish.

The Majolish VIP Room lived up to its name; it was nothing short of glamorous.

After going to an AkuDonald’s drive-through, Mammon, Asmodeus, and you—or as you liked to refer to yourselves: TEAM PARTYYYYY—headed straight to Majolish while chatting about random topics and gossip. Once inside the rose-colored establishment, Mammon and Asmodeus parted ways with you to attend their meeting. You were about to search for clues from the racks and shelves when a staff member approached and escorted you to a sitting room to serve you tea and snacks.

Minutes after partaking of the refreshments, the head stylist welcomed you to the adjoining VIP Room, where, at the moment, you were sitting inside and waiting. You stared at your reflection in the grand vanity mirror. All its lights were turned on, and it was an image you’d only seen in Hollywood movies back in your world. After you were all glammed up with flawless makeup, a staff member under Asmodeus brought an ensemble from his unreleased Into The Devildom collection. You tried to refuse, but after a phone call from the designer himself, insisting he wanted the best clothing for you on your ‘momentous’ date, you relented and expressed your gratitude for his thoughtful gesture.

“My lady,” the head stylist called. Although everyone in this place had been referring to you using this title since earlier, you were still unused to it. The head stylist offered you the item in their hands. “Lord Diavolo asked us to give you this envelope after you’d chosen your outfit.”

You smiled and received it. “I see. Thank you so much.”

“I wish you both a wonderful time,” the head stylist replied and left to give you privacy.

You opened the envelope, wondering what the riddle would say. Since he led you here to prepare you for your date, this would be the last note, wouldn’t it?

Meet me at the place where we first shared dinner, my princess.

I will be waiting.

— Diavolo

‘My princess.’

He called you his princess.

Your heart did a complete somersault at that. 

Unexpectedly, the riddle—if you could even call it one—was more straightforward than the previous two you’d received. You placed the card back inside the envelope, putting it together with the other two inside your clutch. Clearing your throat and fixing your posture, you stood and adjusted your clothing. You were nervous again, but you were ready.

A sleek black car waited for you outside, ready to take you to your destination: Ristorante Six.

“You look even more beautiful tonight,” Diavolo remarked.

He smiled at you from across the table, his appearance dashing though he was only in a plain dress shirt and slacks. He took the champagne flute in his long fingers, your eyes refusing to miss the way his arm flexed at the movement and how his throat bobbed as he took a sip of the beverage.

“I have you to thank for that,” you gulped and managed to reply. “The staff at Majolish were all so nice and accommodating.”

“That’s good to hear.” He placed his glass on the side and leaned back to his seat, his eyes trained on you. “Did you enjoy the riddles?”

You let out a laugh. “I can’t say I didn’t.”

“I’m glad,” he said, the smile on his lips shifting into a frown. “To tell you the truth, I initially planned for us to enjoy a day together in the human world… but when I asked Lucifer for advice, he told me it wouldn’t be pleasant if we were to run into a certain witch…”

Ah, you thought, wondering what that would’ve entailed. However, wouldn’t it be better for Maddi to see you and Diavolo together for her to be deterred? When you contemplated the matter further, you supposed that would be dangerous—for you, at least. Honestly, you would’ve been fine with a simple dinner, but knowing Diavolo, the fact that Ristorante Six was empty save for the two of you was his way of apologizing and making up for the breakfast Maddi ruined. “You don’t need to worry about that. I really enjoyed today. It’s my first time going on a date in the Devildom.”

“That makes me happy,” he stated, visibly relieved and pleased. “We can still go, next time.”

Next time. The implication he wanted to go out with you again made your chest thrum with anticipation. “Yes, you’re right. Next time.”

He reached across the table and took your hand in his, his thumb brushing your knuckles. “Thank you for agreeing to go out with me.”

The scent of roses swirled around the room. The romantic atmosphere enveloping the two of you was intoxicating—as if it was an invitation for you to give in to the thoughts and emotions looming over your mind and heart. Was it those riddles that got to you? Or was it Diavolo himself, whom you’d always admired from afar?

You smiled at him and let your fingers hold on to his own tighter, just for a moment.

As you expected, Diavolo insisted on taking you home. You didn’t mind—no scratch that—it delighted you he’d offer, as your dinner with him felt strangely short. You’d spent a considerable amount of time during the day figuring out the riddles, a period longer than your two hours of dinner. While the five-course meal left you satisfied, your conversation with him was so enjoyable that it felt brief. It wouldn’t take that long to travel from Ristorante Six to the House of Lamentation, so you figured a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt.

Soon, you arrived at your home. Diavolo entered the gates of the House of Lamentation with you in comfortable silence. Once the two of you stepped on the porch, you offered, “Do you want to go in and say hi to everyone?”

“Hm?” Diavolo was lost in thought as he gave you an indecisive stare.

“Diavolo?”

As you stared back at him, it dawned on you. You’d witnessed this scene a thousand times in human world movies before, and with his interest in the pop culture of your realm, he had, too. You used to think it was nothing but a ridiculous cliché, but now, you weren’t so sure about that anymore.

“Can I kiss you good night?” Diavolo asked in a low, husky voice.

You had no way of concealing the surprise etched on your face. Even if you expected the question, the thought of kissing him was surreal. You never dared to dream of it, yet here he was, truly asking you if such a thing would be fine with you. The demon brothers would be watching somewhere from one of the tall windows, you had no doubt about it, burning with curiosity about the date between the human they shared a pact with and the Prince they swore their loyalty to. You had agreed to be a part of Diavolo’s charade, and your first date went well. This was natural.

You nodded. “Okay.”

Closing your eyes, you leaned into his warmth as his palm made its way to your cheek and curved at your jaw. The gentle pressure of his lips on your own lasted for a mere second, and the loss of contact prompted your eyes to open, the desire for more reflected in your eyes… and his.

In front of you, Diavolo revealed the rare sight of his vulnerability. You’d never known it before, but there was a limit to his seemingly perpetual composure. As you gazed at the undeniable flush on his cheeks and the hesitation painted all over his countenance, the longing to see more of this version of him led adrenaline to spike in your veins.

You wrapped your arms around his neck and whispered, “Do you need me to do more?”

Diavolo’s eyes widened at your astute inquiry, but he made no move to deny it. “Will you?”

The question sounded like a challenge, but underneath that layer, it was a plea. He wanted this, and you did, too—even if it was only for show.

“I can,” you confirmed, “if you’d like me to.”

At your agreement, his hesitation dissipated. He leaned in and brushed your lower lip with his thumb. “If you continue to tempt me like that, you need to prepare yourself for the consequences.”

“I’ve been prepared for them. Ever since I said ‘yes’ to you.”

You closed your eyes as Diavolo bent his head and pressed a gentle kiss on your lips. It was a real one, this time, and you returned it enthusiastically, throwing caution to the wind. His palm moved past your cheek, down to your shoulder, pausing on the small of your back until it settled around your waist, fitting your bodies together. His warm tongue slid past the seam of your lips to meet yours, deepening the kiss and awakening a wave of desire inside of you.

Before it could get out of hand, you broke the contact of your lips on his. You caught your breath while Diavolo leaned his forehead against yours. Your lips stayed a hair’s breadth away from each other’s, sharing warm puffs of breath and brushing as you whispered, “Good night, Diavolo.”

“Good night, my princess.”

The first kiss you shared with Diavolo had been the beginning of many.

A certain thrill hung in the atmosphere whenever the two of you were in the vicinity of each other. More often than not, your encounters would lead to the two of you leaving hand in hand to move to a more private setting as everyone watched. Although there was no reason for you to continue your charade behind closed doors, the moment your eyes met his, kisses followed. When your relationship with him took a physical turn through your heated kisses, your attraction to him inevitably grew stronger.

Being the heir to the Devildon’s throne, Diavolo was a busy demon. Despite this, he would still take you on dates. You’d gone to Ristorante Six a few more times. There was an instance when he wanted to go to AkuDonald’s, and you were more than happy to introduce him to your favorites. Your date at Hell’s Kitchen went well, too. How he managed to find the time for these things, you had no idea. The following dates you went with him were accompanied with gifts, and soon, across your bedroom’s shelves and beside your pillows, various plush toys from Cranesanity rested—all acquired personally by Diavolo. It was both amusing and endearing, his interest in that game.

On a Sunday afternoon, weeks after you began your dangerous affair with him, Diavolo invited you to come over for tea in the Demon Lord’s Castle. Much like how it began after your second date, he had asked you in a way you’d consider normal, this time, through a text message. Either way, if he was the one who invited you, you’d be delighted to accept.

With the inky view of the Devildom outside the sitting room window, you sat across Diavolo, a round ornate table full of pastries between the two of you. The freshly brewed Ceylon tea by none other than Barbatos, a culinary legend, was warm and fragrant in your teacups. One of the best things in the Demon Lord’s Castle was the food. Barbatos’s cooking was the best, truly fit for royalty, and worth every praise you’d heard about it. As Beelzebub would mention now and then, from being served such food alone, Diavolo was lucky to have Barbatos as his butler.

While eating, Diavolo brought up how the RAD Newspaper Club contacted him and asked for his approval for your photo in the academy’s courtyard to be published. Before giving them a response, he wanted to know if you had any objections or conditions for Mephistopheles to take into account.

“I have no problem with it, honestly. It would be better if the denizens knew, wouldn’t it?” you responded after giving it some thought, meaning every word you said.

Diavolo nodded, considering your answer.

“What about you? What do you think?” you asked.

“I’d like nothing more than to let everyone know about us. Not that they don’t know already, but officially, I mean.” Diavolo chuckled and handed you a printed copy of the photograph for your approval. “We look like quite the pair, don’t we?”

As you examined the picture, a smile made its way to your lips, a tiny, if not bittersweet, one. You, Diavolo, and the Mirage Flower were at the center of the frame. On the surface, the two of you looked like a couple in love; convincing, real. You knew better, though, and that reality left a pang in your chest. “We sure do.”

A celebratory ball was going to be held at the Demon Lord’s Castle in honor of Diavolo’s prophesied ‘Queen.’ In other words, the ball was going to be held to honor you. The situation was similar to what happened some time ago when the demon brothers, through their gratitude, made you the guest of honor during Diavolo’s birthday. It lessened the nervousness you felt and replaced it with anticipation.

Still, it would be nice to thank Diavolo for everything he had done for you. You looked back on the facts you’d learned about him in the past few months and listed the arts, cute animals and items, and sweets as the things he was partial to. His tastes were eclectic. When you first met him, you wouldn’t have guessed he considered flowers and small animals to be comforting.

In the end, you decided to go for the ‘sweets’ option. Macarons and cupcakes would be nice, wouldn’t they? Both of them would be cute and sweet. You decided to experiment with a few trial batches before making a final one to give Diavolo as a gift on the day of the ball. 

Luke, who you were convinced was truly your guardian angel, was more than happy to assist you when you asked him for help.

Once your classes were dismissed, you returned to the House of Lamentation with Luke. After he demonstrated how to make macarons and cupcakes, you sat side by side and chatted as you waited for the pastries to bake.

“So,” Luke began out of the blue, “you’re really dating Lord Diavolo, huh? I couldn’t believe it when I first heard about it.”

While you had experienced telling white lies to children back in your world, at the moment, you found it difficult to believe how you were lying to an angel. “Haha, yeah. It’s been a while.” 

“I’m still not over the fact that a good human like you ended up being destined for a demon all along! Even if that demon is Lord Diavolo…” Luke frowned. He had always been like this, worrying about you, a human who was constantly surrounded by demons. To him, now that you were going to be Diavolo’s Queen, your entanglement with demons had become inexorable.

You couldn’t help but reach out to him and ruffle his hair. He was truly an angel, a good kid.

“H-Hey,” he complained but did nothing to move your hand away, “stop that!”

“Thanks for worrying about me, Luke.” You smiled at him reassuringly and patted his shoulder. “Everything will be fine. As you said, Diavolo and I… well, we are destined, after all.”

The sound of the timer prompted your heads to turn to its source. Luke’s face lit up as he excitedly grabbed his mittens and skipped to the corner of the room. The heavenly scent of pastries wafted all over the kitchen as he drew the oven’s door open.

You, however, stayed in place and merely watched, once again having difficulty believing how you lied to an angel.

Diavolo’s trusted footmen fetched you from the House of Lamentation to the Demon Lord’s Castle. 

Over the last few months, you’d developed a sense of familiarity not only with Diavolo’s staff but also with the ins and outs of his grand home. You’d stayed over numerous times that the guest room you frequented in was now assigned as exclusively yours, with your personal effects in it, serving as your room. Aside from your possessions, brand new designer clothing purchased by Diavolo—which were, unexpectedly, all in your size—as well as makeup, accessories, toiletries, and everything you could need, occupied the walk-in closet.

“Is this really necessary?” you had asked him when you found out about his shopping spree, worry trumping the other mixed emotions you felt at the sight of more gifts.

“I want to give all the best things to you.”

“If you say things like that, I…”

“Don’t you think my future Queen deserves the best of the best?”

“...Right, of course.”

Diavolo’s Queen. That person was not you. You sighed and reminded yourself he was the Demon Prince. He had an eternity’s worth of money to spare, purchasing these items was nothing to him. He prepared this for the Queen in the prophecy, a partner deserving of such luxury. When you eventually had to use some of the items for attending events with Diavolo, you told yourself you were just borrowing them. You handled everything with care and returned them to their original place after use—as if your hands never touched them at all.

You arrived at the Demon Lord’s Castle and found yourself sitting on the plush sofa inside Diavolo’s study. After recently having a vision of Diavolo playing hooky, Barbatos requested for you to keep an eye on him, insisting his master would listen to you. Barbatos asked you to make sure Diavolo would finish his tasks before the two of them had to leave for a meeting with important figures of the nobility in the Devildom. You obliged, having nothing else to do on a Friday night, preferring Diavolo’s quiet company over the club music and neon lights in town, which would no doubt be full of demons unwinding tonight. While you scrolled through Devilgram, liked your friends’ photos, and laughed at funny videos, Diavolo went through his stack of papers diligently. As the pile grew smaller, he hummed to the tune of a song from Mononoke Land, which piqued your attention.

“You seem to be in a good mood,” you commented. 

“I am.” He nodded happily. “You’re here, after all.”

You smiled at him. “I’m glad.”

Diavolo signed his name at the bottom of the page he was working on and placed his seal on it. After the wax dried, he closed the folder and placed it to the side, leaning back against his seat with an exhausted sigh.

You glanced at him and asked, “You’re finished?”

“It seems so,” he replied, checking the grandfather’s clock in the corner of the room, “and with a few minutes to spare, too.”

“Barbatos will be pleased. Congratulations!”

He chuckled and shifted his gaze back to you, a mischievous smirk on his lips. “Don’t you think I deserve a reward?”

“Maybe,” you played along coyly. “What kind of reward do you want?”

“Something only you can give me.”

“Such a thing exists?”

“Yes.” He gestured to you with his fingers, beckoning you over. “Come here.”

You locked your D.D.D. and left it on the sofa, standing up and stepping in front of his desk. “What can I do for you, Diavolo?”

“You can come closer.”

You circled the desk until you were beside him. “Here?”

“Not quite.” He took your wrist and encircled your waist with his arm, pulling you into his lap. “Right here.”

You shifted and found a more comfortable position with your legs hanging from the side of his knees. “That’s it?”

“No.” Diavolo brushed your hair aside and caressed your cheek. “Kiss me.”

Gladly, you thought but ultimately chose actions over words as a response.

Your lips had long been acquainted with his, but every single time remained as a sensual experience that left you wanting for more. Sometimes he’d be slow and gentle, taking his time to savor your taste, while other times had been quick pecks on your lips when either of you would be busy and in a rush to say goodbye.

But now, the kiss the two of you were sharing could only be described as passionate. Your palms rested on his shoulders, and slowly, you wrapped your arms around him, closing in your bodies toward each other. His lips moved against yours so greedily—lustfully—that you felt sinful as you reciprocated, drowning in his warmth.

When you pulled away to catch your breath, his arm tightened around your waist, and his mouth swept over your cheek, leaving a trail of kisses in its wake until his lips found your neck. He kissed you softly, his tongue darting out to dampen your skin before nipping and sucking at it.

“Diavolo,” you closed your eyes and whispered, not wanting to make noise but unable to hold it in.

“Let out your voice,” he said, moving his lips downward after leaving a lovebite on your skin. “I want to hear you.”

His long fingers unfastened the button of your blouse, giving him more access to your body. As he moved to the next button, however, a loud knock on the door caused the two of you to freeze.

“My Lord,” Barbatos called. “It is time for us to leave.”

Without waiting for an answer, the sound of footsteps echoed on the empty hallway and faded as Barbatos gave the two of you privacy.

He knows, doesn’t he? That Barbatos, you thought, internally panicking. You moved away from Diavolo and fixed your hair and clothes. Even though your mind was all muddled now, you managed to casually tell him, “I guess it’s time for you to go.”

Deep inside, you were anything but calm. Your head replayed the events that occurred minutes ago. That was a close call. Too close. What in the Devildom were you thinking? Seriously… 

It always irked you how times when, after sharing a kiss, Diavolo appeared to be unbothered existed. You preferred the vulnerable expression he had shown you during the first time you agreed to kiss him. Still, you were curious, and you turned your head to peek at the face he made tonight, but nothing could have prepared you when your eyes met his.

His gaze on you was full of desire, an emotion you’d only seen on him in flickers before; a speculation you doubted but was now a blatant truth. He stepped closer to you and pulled you in a tight embrace, letting you feel the extent of his arousal as he stroked your hair and inhaled your fragrance.

“We’ll finish this next time,” he whispered.

And then, he sealed his promise with a kiss.

After seeing Diavolo and Barbatos off, you opted to go home instead of staying longer in the Demon Lord’s Castle. You needed time to think, and being in a place full of memories with Diavolo didn’t help in clearing your mind.

You’d long accepted your attraction to him. If you were to imagine what it would be like to be in a relationship with a soulmate, every detail would be the same as the romantic affair you shared with Diavolo, except it would be real. Tonight, you had to face the music and admit it to yourself: you wished it was.

The situation was getting out of your hands, and at a loss of what to do, you grabbed your D.D.D. from your pocket and dialed a reliable friend’s number, knowing this decision would change your life.

As insisted by the angels, Solomon went to town to order takeout for dinner instead of experimenting in the kitchen. That was when he received your call. The two of you agreed to meet up at Hell’s Kitchen, as you spontaneously decided to purchase food for the demon brothers as well. It had been a while since all eight of you had gone for a meal there. Solomon wasn’t in a rush and had time to spare, so he was more than happy to sit down with you for a chat as you waited for your orders to be processed.

“Shall we have a round of Demonus tonight?” he asked, leading you to a nice, secluded table in the corner of the room.

“Sounds good,” you replied with a nod and took the seat in front of him.

After some idle chat, a waiter brought two horns of Demonus for you and Solomon.

With his elbows on top of the table, Solomon rested his chin over his folded hands. He broached the subject with a smile, “So, what did you want to talk about? Spells? Pacts? Demons? Recipes?”

You took your time in replying, not having uttered this word in this world before. “I’d like to talk about… soulmates.”

“Soulmates? Well, that’s something I didn’t expect.”

“Yes, I… I wanted to know if there are demons who have soulmarks.”

“How come? By any chance, do you have a soulmark?”

It was difficult enough for you to acknowledge you had one, but if you wanted to acquire information from Solomon, your best bet at the moment, you had to come clean about your situation. “Yes, I do.”

“Does Lord Diavolo know?”

“No, this is a secret I’ve never revealed to anyone before.”

Solomon contemplated the situation you had given him. “That is certainly complicated.”

You sighed and took a sip of your Demonus. “I know.”

“I hate to be the one to break it to you. I’ve been around for a long time, but I’ve never met a demon with a soulmark.” 

“I see. That’s…” Sad? Unfortunate? Heartbreaking? What were you supposed to say when the disappointment clouding your mind felt so heavy?

“I’m sorry,” Solomon said sincerely.

“It’s… It’s nothing. I’m alright.”

He took a sip of his drink and allowed you to process the information he had given you. As you did, you couldn’t help but dwell on another matter that continued to plague your mind. After a few minutes, you decided this would be the best moment to ask.

“Solomon…”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Have you heard about Diavolo’s prophecy?”

A sly smile made its way to his lips. “Let’s just say having pacts with seventy-two demons has its perks.”

That caught your attention. He knew something about it. “Will you tell me?”

“Why not ask him yourself?” Solomon suggested. “It’s something that concerns you as well, doesn’t it?”

There had always been a sense of camaraderie between the two of you as the only humans in the exchange program. Revealing the fact you had a soulmark was one thing, but telling him about the secret you shared with Diavolo was another. Still, if you were to receive the answer your gut feeling told you that you would receive, there would be no need to worry about that any longer. 

“I’m going to tell you another secret.”

Solomon nodded encouragingly. “And it will remain as one.”

His quip made you laugh, but the amusement faded in the blink of an eye, the words you were about to utter weighing you down.

“The truth is, I’m just a stand-in for whoever is the one in the prophecy,” you confessed. “I’m sure you’ve heard of her, but Maddi… well, long story short, Diavolo had to drive her away, but she steered the conversation to the prophecy, and I happened to be there, so…”

Solomon peered at your face, his expression grave. “You’re sure about this?”

“Yes, I was there. That’s what happened.”

“And the demon brothers don’t know, so you can’t ask them yourself.”

“That’s right.”

He leaned back and crossed his arms. “Okay, I’ll tell you.”

Relief washed over you at his agreement. If Solomon ended up refusing, you didn’t know who else you could approach.

Solomon cleared his throat and divulged, “It was long ago, so the version of the story varied, but from what I’d gathered from the different sources I had, one thing was constant: a witch had a vision of the future when the Demon Prince was born. It was said that Diavolo’s Queen would be the bridge to his goals, and only when the Queen would rule by his side would he be able to see them into fulfillment.”

This was the revelation you needed, the answer you sought after. If the prophecy was made when Diavolo was born, it meant that he had been waiting for his Queen for millennia.

It must be lonely, you thought, but loneliness was something you never saw on him. 

While you never cared about finding nor ending up with your soulmate, it was a different matter with Diavolo. The Devildom would always be his number one priority. To figure out the dream the prophecy was referring to was easy: for the three worlds to live peacefully in coexistence. He’d expressed that many times before. The establishment of the exchange program was a stepping stone to actualize his vision, but he was still waiting for his Queen, a position vyed by many but was in your wrongful hands.

It would be fine to continue pretending to be his Queen if you weren’t in love with him… but you were. How could you continue kissing him and wishing every caress of his lips was sincere? It was as if you were a traveler with a parched throat who spotted an oasis from afar, only to discover it was a mirage once you reached it. Even now, a flicker of envy sparked within you for the nameless, faceless Queen of the Devildom he was bound to have by his side. At once, you discarded the thought and decided it wasn’t a good feeling to have, to covet him, who is destined for someone else. It would be wrong of you to continue pretending to be someone you weren’t, especially since someone who might be out there already existing, deserved this place. 

Solomon’s worried voice roused you from your reverie. “You seem shaken. Are you going to be okay?”

“I’m fine,” you responded with a shaky voice. “It’s just… a lot to take in.”

“What do you plan to do now?”

“I’m going to break things off with him.”

“You say that, but will he let you?”

“Why wouldn’t he?” You let out a sardonic chuckle. “It’s not like there was anything going on between us, to begin with.”

“Hmm…”

“Solomon? What is it?”

“Oh, nothing.” He shook his head and smiled. “I’m curious to see how this unfolds. I wish you the best of luck.”

“Thank you.”

Yes, breaking things off with him would be the right thing to do. After all, you couldn’t help but imagine yourself in Maddi’s shoes as Diavolo blatantly rejected your affection. The thought alone was painful enough. Before that could happen, you’d part ways with him in amicable terms and through your own will. The exchange program was going to end soon, anyway. Truly, there was no point in holding on to him any longer. This would be for the best.

You would set things straight and end your arrangement with him the next time you planned to meet each other: at the upcoming celebratory ball at the Demon Lord’s Castle.

Notes: I went through a writing slump for a while, so I decided to work on a few shorter pieces before writing this chapter. Finally, it’s here! To those who had been waiting for this, I hope you enjoyed reading. Thank you for your patience! ♡

See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil

Obey Me! Masterlist | Main Masterlist

[eradicatetehnormal]

I Am Frustrated

I have mixed feelings about the popularization of fandom culture in recent years. On one hand, it's great that there are more people to interact with about the interests that I like, but on the other hand, I'm not really comfortable with letting anyone just walk into fandom culture, not understanding the point and intention behind it. To be honest, a lot of my worst experiences were scrolling through social media sites and seeing people who were obviously tweens and children trying to police a piece of ship art or an interpretation of a character they didn't like.

Fandom, while still having a lot of the problems it does now, it wasn't generally on the scale. I didn't get to live through most of this, because my interaction with fandom was limited, but back in the pre mid-2010's era of fandom if you wanted to enjoy fan content, you went on Wattpad, AO3, deviant art, and if you were feeling, extra spicy, you watched an AMV on youtube (although now they're called fan cams lmao). We're these sites perfect? No, of course not, but they were little niche spaces on the internet. Problems like ship wars, nsfw art being in places where they didn't belong, people bullying other people over the interpretation of certain characters, etc. were all still prevalent, but the thing was back then, they mostly stayed in their niche fandom corners, they weren't written about in big-name pop culture magazines like they are now with things like the Falcon x Winter solider or whatever ship.

Now, issues are a lot more accelerated, because for some reason, instead of keeping it in niche zones, fandom decided to move onto bigger juggernaut websites such as Twitter and Instagram. This in itself isn't a bad thing, but it does create a bad situation of ANYONE being able to interact with fandom culture and insert themselves in. This leads to fandoms attacking other fandoms and mass bullying of shippers and fanfic writers, an even bigger fan entitlement, especially amongst the younger portions of the fandom.

Recently, there has been a lot of people trying to police the fandom, saying that it's meant to be for kids... Or that a certain property is for kids. I get this point for NSFW of kids shows, but that's honestly where this argument should begin and end. Fandom is not and has never been just for kids, it is for anyone who enjoys a piece of fiction and wants to show their appreciation of it via buying merchandise, drawing fanart, writing fanfiction, etc. etc. It's not just for you and other young kids, especially if the said property is

A. older than you are

B. Literally made with an adult audience in mind

You do not get to walk your 16 and under ass into the AOT or ATLA fandom and then have the nerve to be offended when most of the people there are adults.

Just recently, an extremely popular mod for the game Friday Night Funkin was taken down by the creator due to harassment from the fans. What was the harassment for you ask? It was because the mod added in a character that cussed and flipped off the player and that's offensive because FNF is a "kids game"... How dare someone put cursing into a Newgrounds game? Fucking criminal. That is the point we are at. Fandom Karens...

Honey boo boo child, I don't know what to tell you but uhhh *whispers* Friday Night Funkin was not made with kids in mind... It literally exists to be a tribute to Newgrounds and features characters like Tank Man and Pico from Pico's School. The only people who would know those characters pre-fnf are people who are old enough to have been on the early internet. The actual premise of the game as confirmed by Phantom Arcade is that Boyfriend is trying to have sex with Girlfriend every Friday night, but is always stopped and forced to do a singing battle.

The worst part is that people don't even want you to criticize kids who do this stuff because "they're just kids" and "of course they want a space for themselves" and "we were like that when we were kids". Bruh, shitty behavior is shitty behavior no matter the age or whatever other factors. There comes a point where it's not an excuse anymore. Mass harassing a modder because they put the word "fuck" in a Newgrounds game, or doxxing people over ships and fandom critiques, is inexcusable no matter what the age of the aggressor is.

[bethoumyvision123]

Rachel Clement Circus  Josh Halper Album Review

     Greetings new readers, this is the old man heart column.

 I had to delete my old music blog because I was dealing far too much with satanic forces. In the true fashion of Daniel Johnston I suppose, though I think  deep down he was a believer. Interesting how Nordista Freeze told me his sister teaches advanced music theory at Lipscomb. 

ANYWAY

@rachel_clement27

     Rachel Clement is a star performer that has been a family friend for quite sometime. She began as a figure skater, though now has moved to many of the modern circus arts. These are such as spinning on silks from the ceiling, the contortion arts, and hooping. Shows her flexibility of performances occasionally at Plaza Mariachi on the weekends solo or as a duo. With an extremely elegant sophistication, and that’s something difficult to keep in a literal circus act. I suppose that is from her figure skating background. and On her Instagram, there are a variety of photos by a variety of photographers ranging from bright neons to oldy-tyme filters. Her visual aesthetic ranges between these boundaries consistently. This cross between new and old is at the heart of her performances too. This is purely my speculative opinion, though the contortion is more of an old school circus act, whereas the silks are more modern. It’s a performance that’s both old and new at the same time. An important note of her vintage aesthetic, which is a staple of her circus crew Beyond Wings, is the unending smiles. You’re helpless unless you join in on the spectacular cheer. One last important note, is this is not a freak show. It’s a sensual yet sophisticated burst of energy. She is certainly something to orbit around if you want to have some of that energy. 

Go to see Beyond Wings every weekend, evenings Friday and Saturday, and afternoons Sunday! Remember to tip because I hear they don’t pay well!!!!!

@sweetbabyjoshua 

A brief track by track review of his new album Alrightnik, who I think is probably the best young guitarist that I know of in Nash (sorry Danato)..... This is an album that was designed to be listened to track by track almost as one giant song.

Dayton, OH

This opens the album in a smooth and breezy day of your ideal temperature. It is an ascension to stand over the depths of the album. With touches of what I guess is a cello or bassy violin. My first impression of this old Americana cover was “Man, this guy respects his elders.” 

Should be Glad

Another brief tune that further sets the landscape of what the full band instrumentals sound like. I haven’t yet listened to his old band Western Medication, though I imagine this is along the lines of what they sounded like given the scene I was familiar with only by Pujol’s so-called southern gothic rock, and that I see take the gothic turn full force on the next track. Though I don’t think any of the stuff mentioned is really gothic.

Whale in a Field

The man knows how to lament. Rhythmic and soft falsetto chugging along. It’s almost that he regrets taking you so low here, so he added an upbeat ending to counteract the intrusive thoughts of forgetfulness and loneliness in the lyric.  

Desperation Waltz

The hammer-on ascension, as well as all the licks in this track tickle the soul in an almost tango way. Reminds me of the movie Waking Life with Glover-gill and the tosco tango orchestra, though I wouldn’t recommend that movie to anyone, despite it saying that everyone goes to heaven at the end. 

Prelude in E Major

Here is the perkiness to raise from the depths once again. Toe tappin’ fun to introduce the next track.

Who Knows

This is a special song title to me, and one of the scariest thoughts. Although, it states a lack of privacy in living an open book lifestyle and saying you’re fine despite malaise, which is the age we live in now. Always being watched, though a hint of also being watched over, or being competent enough to not be if you wanted. This track solidifies the thought that this man could be a broadway performer in Nash if broadway had any brains (I really do respect Danato though). 

Prelude in b Minor

At this point of the album, one really realizes that Josh is one of the most subtly technical musicians in Nashville. A skill that could have only hailed from a lifetime of practice and schooling.

Reflection

This was one of the singles on the album, and again we return to the smoothy and breezy day. The upright bass on this track is intense. It shifts into an electrical sunset part-way through. Harmonics raise the album to its penultimate peak to set the stage for the force of gravity that ends the album.

Thanks Cam isn’t a track. I thought it was a statement of easily one of the greatest engineers our age in the land. Cameron Davidson. Though it is actually a reference to Cam the bassist. Amazing playing y’all!

Honest Feeling

I said this was gravity, though I am mostly referring to the lyrics that lament the new Nashville and the lack of lasting communities in my opinion. Perfect cheerful piano too. “It will never be” seems a little dramatic, though I couldn’t agree more with the statement. I would guess things are changeable though, though will itself is never going to be the way is how i interpret this. 

MORE REVIEWS SOON!! RECOMMENDATIONS APPRECIATED! THANK YOU!

SPECIAL THANKS: THE COWbOY ARMS HOTEL AND RECORDING SPA, and the readers. 

[dianadragonfly]

Blogging “The Sign of Three”

I’m noticing that I’ve been reading so much amazing fan fic that my sense of the characters has changed. There are so many layers to Sherlock Holmes —all of the fan fics I’ve been I’ve been reading layered on top of Gatiss/Moffat’s Sherlock on top of all the cultural ideas of Sherlock and all the adaptations down the the ACD canon. ACD lost control of his Sherlock almost as soon as he brought him into creation. Most art is like this but Sherlock has an impressive number of layers.

So the beginning — I love Lestrade and Sally.

Ugh, I hate the fact that it’s a cheap joke that calls Greg to miss his big moment. Amusing tho. Lestrade would have phoned or called before bringing the helicopters.

Is it bad that my heart sort of hurts to see only 1 tea cup on the tray?

Ugh. Mrs. Hudson’s lecturing on marriage reminds me of me in my 20s. All my friends were getting married and settling down and having babies. I wanted zero to do with it all and was made to feel like a freak for it. There was one particular bridal shower that might have been the low point of that time of my life. The sort of smug assumption that one who was not married has no valid opinions ... I recognize that. Why does everyone treat Sherlock like he’s incapable of being hurt?

THE LOOK AT THE CHAIR! My heart! That’s the sound of my heart cracking! Isn’t there a .gif someone of Sherlock and John staring at empty chairs? @simplyclockwork has said something to the effect that this fandom stans staring at empty chairs.

I’m sure this is boring for the 10 followers I actually have, but it’s fun to me to take notes and recall how the episodes are out together.

I love Sherlock and Jannine. Too bad he wrecked this cute little friendship in the next episode.

David is obviously terrified of touching Mary. Hahah

If Mary has only had this identity for 5 years and John pretty much doesn’t have family, where are all these guests from? Here (Midwest US) there is a wedding, sometimes a meal for the wedding party, then a party/reception for everyone. One can attend any combination of the three that you are invited to and not seem rude. The British weddings that I remember have been an all day affair. Not something you do for a causal friend.

“Oh Sherlock, neither of us was his first.” This partnership between Sherlock and Mary is so cute and so pure. I freakin hate where it went. She recognizes that Sherlock and John’s relationship was the most important relationship in Sherlock’s life. She is aware he feels pushed to the side and uses that knowledge to comfort him, not torment him.

Mycroft of course uses it to torment him. That “Redbeard” reference was pretty heavy-handed, Mycroft. Might as well have blinking lights saying “Foreshadowing!”

When the room goes silent for Sherlock, I cringe so hard. Thank you for cutting away...

Oohhh the reaction Mary has to the name “Cam.” That’s how you foreshadow.

Considering how subtle the writing is and how understated so many things are, I don’t believe the continually clunky references to Series 4 ideas are just badly done. There’s something else... I’ve read the meta about it and I believe that I’m missing something huge, but that’s a conversation for another DVD.

I love the “asking Sherlock to be best man” scene. The look on his face. It’s so different from his blank blink when Molly says she sees him. Oh! wedding planning scene. Mary’s shirt is covered with little thumbs up emojis— I didn’t notice that.

Sherlock’s face. He doesn’t understand why John would want to not be involved with the minutiae of wedding planning.

Has anyone explained why Bainbridge was targeted?

Sherlock in the fuzzy hat - squee.

There are so many jokes online about Sherlock having a military kink. I don’t see it. I mean maybe ... he looks somewhat amused at soilders — but he does at all humanity. Oh, the look he gives John when John pulls rank. Maybe. . .

Oh no, here comes Meat Dagger! There are several Sherlolly fan fics where Sherlock calls him “Meat Dagger.” Not in a complementary manner.

“Stories worth telling” - the storytelling theme emerges again.

Uh.. why is John’s face on Vitruvian man? That’s just bizarre. Fandom seems to see it as proof that Sherlock sees John as an ideal man. I’m not sure. But bizarre.

Those cylinders aren’t phallic at all... nope.

Ohhh ... curled up on the stairs. So cute.

The scene. The scene. The knee touch is coming up!! They are so funny and relaxed with each other. I never noticed Johns feet on Sherlock’s chair. This scene has been analyzed to death but it’s so amazing. They are just enjoying each other’s company, making each other laugh, and maybe? drunk enough to flirt in ways they won’t let themselves do when sober.

The first few times I watched, I missed Sherlock suddenly being interested and awake when the client references “taking it further.”

From where do I know the “I’m just going to whip this out?” joke? Pink Panther?

I buy that Sherlock has little experience with alcohol, but not John. John wouldn’t let himself get that completely drunk — he’s a drinker. Even though he has cheated on Sherlock’s system, I think he’d know the difference. Unless he just decided “screw it. It’s my last night with Sherlock.” Which would help explain the knee touch. He’s not planning on getting drunk and sleeping with Sherlock or anything, but . . . It would have to be deliberate for John to drink enough to end up in the slammer. Or buzzed on the staircase. Or maybe he’s somewhat faking his buzz to see what happens.

Dear Lestrade: I love you.

Mrs. Hudson presenting the full English breakfast. Oh my god! I feel sick for John.

Watching on a TV with a Blu Ray is so awesome. I was able to pause and read the little blurb about Major Sholto that Sherlock pulled up.

Back to the wedding ... we’ve been away from it for a while. It’s kind of a shock.

— note : small children had the phone and big child (spouse) got the TV for a bit. —

Oh the scene where his speech goes off the rails. I cringe so hard for him.

Irene in his mind palace... naked ... my son walked by, looked at the screen, said “Not watching!” Hehehe

Mycroft is sort of a god/Greek chorus figure in fandom and in this version of the mind palace. He provides the exposition, he is all knowing, he is the God-in-a-box. Interesting how he has evolved.

Molly is shooting daggers at Sherlock when they leave to rescue Sholto. Cute.

Of course Mary knows his room number. I would have loved for their partnership to last longer.

That kiss on Mary’s forehead.

There’s a theory that Major Sholto and John were lovers or that at least he wanted to be John’s boyfriend. The “neither of us were the first” quip is mostly taken as just a cute joke by me most of the time. But “Mr. Holmes, you and I are similar, I think.” And “We wouldn’t do that to John Watson.” There is great love and admiration shared by both of them at the least.

Sherlock and Janine dancing. “I wish you weren’t.. whatever it is you are.” line. I interpreted it as Sherlock being a genius/ aloof / etc. But maybe it’s more of a reference to his sexuality, as fandom insists.

That might be the whitest wedding I’ve seen outside of my hometown. Not one friend or associate of color?

The pregnancy reveal. So much fandom analysis of this. I am unable to pause and really look at it because again, although there are many electronic devices in the household, whenever I’m on a TV, it gets comandeered. WHY DO I HAVE TO HIDE MY FANDOM IN MY OWN DAMN HOUSE! ?

But the pregnancy is a big thing. Life cannot go back to how it was. This a significant departure from ACD canon as well. There’s no going back to being just Sherlock and John and hoping Mary just disappears.

I see Sherlock’s sadness for real this time and it’s not just because I let all the theories influence me. I didn’t realize how much time it takes to establish the shot before Sherlock leaves. He looks around. John and Mary are dancing and Mary exchanges a look — a “thank you” type of look. Like she understands Sherlock but she will not ever give up John. Sherlock catches Janine’s eye and starts to move toward her. Then it’s revealed Janine is dancing with one of the men Sherlock pointed out as a good candidate for sex. He sees Molly. She’s dancing with Tom. He’s pushed her away and she’s stayed away. It occurs to him that he is, as Janine says, “whatever it is” he is. But he no longer belongs with John and Mary (“We can’t all three dance”) and so he leaves.

I feel for him so so much.

[dailysaskia]

When/where: Cam’s birthday karaoke

Who: Saskia and @harryabrams​

Warnings: nothing, it’s just. a lil private moment away from the party.

Word Count: 1,733

although it very much wasn’t harry’s scene, he wasn’t having the worst time at cam’s karaoke party. after a few drinks, the constant broadway didn’t seem as bad, and when saskia came over to the bar where he was sat, he was glad of a situation to spend time with her. “hey,” he said as she approached, sitting up and smiling softly. “having a good time?”

saskia had paid her dues, sang a a solo or two and duetted with cam, but she figured she could take a step back from all the fun to go get a drink and spend a little time with harry. she ordered a martini and then sat down next to him. "hey," she said, smiling back. "yeah, well enough. no one's laughed me out of the bar at my singing so i think it's been a success. how about you? i know this isn't your typical scene."

harry smiled, “i thought you were great,” he said genuinely, moving to slide his card over as the bartender brought her drink. “let me,” he told her, “i was going to ask if i could get you a drink.” he glanced around and shrugged, still smiling softly, “i’m alright. there’s a bar so i can hardly complain.”

saskia's smile softened. "thank you," she murmured, reaching out to squeeze his arm quickly, before anyone could see, and then pulling her hand back. "fair and true. if i can't persuade you to sing, could we dance again at least?"

harry smiled at that, taking another sip of his drink, “i suppose i couldn’t say no to dancing, we did it so well together last time,” he chuckled, feeling lighter already from talking with her. he definitely was crushing hard.

saskia bit her lip and stared down at her drink, trying to hide her flush. "it was a lovely time, wasn't it?" she said, her smile growing at the memory. she took a sip of her drink as well. "might have to adjust a bit if we don't want everyone and their moms to ask what's going on with us though. they're such a nosy lot."

"it was," he agreed, before chuckling and nodding. "yes, i think we might. my mom already texts me every other day to ask if i'm seeing anyone." he finished his drink and moved to hold his hand out to her anyway as miles and zeke sung an interesting version of break my heart by dua lipa, pulling her onto the dance floor and grinning.

saskia took his hand, placing her now-empty martini glass back on the counter and standing up. "aw, she's sweet. she just wants what's best for you," she murmured. "but i know what you mean. my mom always wants to have girltalk about boys and i have to tell her to butt out of it." the sound of zeke and miles' creative interpretation of their song made her giggle, and she shook her head before facing harry on the dance floor.

harry kept a safe distance between them as they danced, but took her hand to spin her under his arm, grinning softly and laughing at miles and zeke. turns out letting loose every so often was that bad.

saskia twirled as harry guided her, trying not to let herself get too close, despite the fact that she wanted to kiss, especially when he had that fond look on his face.

harry chuckled, squeezing her hand as they danced through a few songs. but when someone moved onto a ballad from a musical harry didn’t know, he pulled her gently through the crowd. “wanna get some fresh air? i could use a smoke,” he said against her ear.

"sure, that'd be lovely," saskia said, following him through the crowd and into the cool air outside. this was nice, and she could actually hear him properly even with them speaking at a normal volume.

harry led her out and pulled to a stop, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. “i feel like its polite to ask you if you want one but also its a bad habit so you definitely shouldn’t have one. dya want one?” he popped one into his mouth, glancing at her as he lit it.

saskia patted his shoulder lightly and shook her head, amused by his explanation. "i don't smoke, so i'm good but i do appreciate that you asked," she said. though she knew smoking was a terrible habit, she couldn't help but think he looked ridiculously hot with a cigarette between his lips.

harry nodded and smiled softly, putting away the packet and breathing out above them. “sorry, i’m cutting down but i still struggle not to on nights out.”

"it's all good," she said, reaching out to take the hand that wasn't holding a cigarette in hers. "honestly, i'm not sure what it says about me but i find it kind of hot," she admitted.

harry chuckled softly at that, squeezing her hand back as he smoked with the other. “really?” he murmured, his thumb running gently over the back of her hand.

saskia shrugged, going a bit red and trying to distract herself by pushing a stubbornly loose lock of hair behind her ear with her free hand. "yeah... guess it's kind of the whole bad-boy look thing," she said. "i dunno. it doesn't totally makes sense. the rational part of me knows smoking is awful for you."

harry smiled, squeezing her hand again, “yeah, i need to quit,” he murmured, “its my one vice.” he glanced at his cigarette then, only half smoked but he dropped it and stubbed it out with his foot. “eh, i really just wanted some time with you, than to smoke.”

"i think everyone gets to have one vice," she teased. "i probably have several." she tilted her shead to the side, scrunching up her nose at her own admission. she turned to face him fully once he'd stubbed the cigarette out, and instead leaned up on her toes so that she could press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. "hi. you're sweet."

harry smiled and shook his head, “i doubt that,” he murmured, meeting her eyes as she moved closer to kiss the corner of his mouth, his hand lifting to cup her cheek and smiling wider as she pulled back, “hi,” he breathed, thumb moving gently over her cheek. “you’re beautiful.”

she ducked her head and blushed, leaning into his hand. "oh shut up," she said, hiding her face against his shoulder. she didn't know why compliments from him specifically got her so flustered. usually she was so confident that she absorbed them almost instantly.

harry’s smile softened, his arms sliding around her, but reaching to tilt her head up gently, figuring they were far enough away from any of their friends out here, leaning down to kiss her just softly.

saskia smiled against his mouth as they kissed slowly outside, the dull thrum of the music from the bar fading as she lost herself in the moment. she slid one of her arms around his neck, tilting her head up to get a better angle.

harry pressed closer to her, tilting his head as he deepened the kiss, his hand sliding into her hair, his heart racing in his chest. he pulled back after a few moments, catching his breath and grinning softly as he rested his forehead against hers. “you’re incredible,” he breathed.

saskia felt like she could easily get lost in harry’s eyes. she felt like she’d fall into them and never find her way back. “yeah? you really think so?” she murmured, leaning into him.

“yeah,” he replied easily, brushing her hair behind her ear, his eyes sparkling slightly. “i really think so. i love that i already know you so well, but now i get the chance to know you like this, and i feel very lucky.”

saskia smiled, ducking her head. "it's funny... i feel like i've had a crush on you for years, but we used to see each other so infrequently before i moved here," she admitted quietly. "it was one of those things where i always thought it'd be nice, but i never thought you'd be interested."

harry grinned softly, “i’ve liked you for ages, saskia, i just- its difficult with friends. i never wanted to risk ruining our friendship, but the idea of more with you... i can’t help myself anymore, not if you feel the same.”

"we've both been so silly," saskia said, laughing a bit at the thought. "we could've tested the waters so much sooner." she looked back up at him, and pressed another kiss to his lips, already missing the feeling of them against hers.

harry chuckled and nodded, leaning in to meet her for the kiss, cupping her cheek gently. it had been a long time since he'd felt such a connection to someone, and harry felt like a fool for not having noticed sooner how incredible this could be. "we should go back inside so no one wonders, but i really just wanna stay here kissing you," he murmured against her lips as he pulled back slightly.

saskia made a humming noise against his lips that she hoped he recognized as agreement, and continued to kiss him for a few more minutes, before they pulled back properly. "at least we'll have monday to ourselves," she said, smiling up at him.

harry kissed her back slowly, stroking over her cheek gently with his thumb, pulling back and nodding, “i can’t wait,” he said, taking her hands and stepping back.

"me neither," she said, squeezing his fingers before glancing back over at the door to the bar. "should we go back in?" she asked him, albeit a bit reluctantly, having enjoyed their brief moment alone.

harry nodded, leaning down to sneak another quick kiss before squeezing her hands. “i suppose we must,” he murmured, moving to lead her back inside.

saskia smiled against his lips and then sighed as they pulled back, squeezing his fingers until they were back inside, and then dropping them. "back to the party then?"

harry nodded, squeezing her hand back, before sighing as he dropped it, moving his hands into his pockets. “back to the party,” he agreed, feeling a little sad to have to go back to pretending, but only more excited for their upcoming date.

[lickthemagaindeacy]

Don’t Believe All You Read In The Bible

Inspired by this post.

I started wondering about some of the relationships Freddie would have with his bandmates’ kids, now that they’re all adults, what kind of influence he might have had in their lives. And I got to thinking about the fact that, even though he never met Freddie, Cameron Deacon has spoken about how he holds Freddie in such high regard, and considers him a hero and an LGBT+ icon. This promptly poured out of me.

Some notes: It just felt appropriate to me that Freddie would be Cameron’s godfather for this lil story. I’ve heard that John named Freddie godfather of one of his sons, but I don’t know if this is true. All details referenced about Cameron (religion, sexuality, his admiration of Freddie) are things he has spoken openly about on his YouTube channel, one of which is the fact that he has very high functioning autism, which is the reason behind some of the details about social cues and touch.

This is pretty angsty, with a healthy dose of fluff, and a bit lengthy. Gets a little in depth about religion, they are my own opinions, and not necessarily the opinions of anyone mentioned in this post. I do not begrudge anyone their faith, but church is not my cuppa. If you feel the need to be defensive and @ me, then just go home now. Title comes from the Queen song “Great King Rat”. Takes place approx 10 years ago, Cam would have been around 15. Reminder: THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION. I wrote this as catharsis for myself, but I REALLY hope some of y’all like it, too.

Freddie sits alone in the studio, glasses perched upon his nose, staring  down at a sheet of paper with more scratches over it than words, attempting to decipher what might be usable of the blotches and scribbles over its surface. He runs a hand through his thinning hair, which is more silver than raven these days, on the verge of giving up for the day, when a knock comes at the door.

"Come in," he calls, reaching for his drink and taking a sip. He looks up to see who has relieved him of his task, a sarcastic “thank you“ on his lips, when he sees the youngest Deacon standing just inside the room, looking nervous enough to pass out at any moment. "Darling?" he calls softly, and Cameron jumps slightly, before releasing the breath he had been holding. "Cam, dear, what's wrong? Come, sit and talk to me, you look ready to hit the floor."

Cameron shuffles over to the couch opposite the mixing desk Freddie is sat at, not once looking up at his godfather, and falls gracelessly onto the cushions. Freddie passes over his drink, and the teen takes it with a shaking hand, finally glancing up to the older man's face.

"You look like you could use a little liquid courage, darling. Shh, I won’t tell your father if you won't," he whispers conspiratorially, leaning closer. When this fails to get a reaction from his godson, Freddie hastens to add, "Unless, of course, you'd prefer tea. I could whip you up a cuppa quick-" he cuts himself off when Cameron knocks back the drink in one go, wincing slightly, before handing the glass back to Freddie. "Alright then. Now, darling, care to tell me what has you looking like you've just seen a ghost?"

Freddie comes to sit on the couch next to his godson, not touching him, afraid that he'll spook him, but close enough the teen can feel and hopefully take strength from his presence.

"Uncle Fred, how long have you and Uncle Jim been together now?"

The man had not expected the topic of discussion to turn to himself, but if it got the boy talking, he would gladly go along with it.

"Oh dear, well, longer than you've been alive, that's for certain. Around thirty years now, I suppose." He gazes at his godson’s profile, dying to know what has the darling boy so upset, but unwilling to push further. He allows Cam to control the conversation entirely.

“And you love each other, right?”

“Of course we do, darling. Just as sure as the sun rises in the east every morning.”

“How have you stayed strong for so long? How have you not fallen apart?” the boy asks, before looking up at Freddie, eyes widened in slight horror. “I’m sorry. Was that too far? Was that rude? I’m trying to get better about realizing what things are appropriate but sometimes I still slip--,” Freddie cuts the boy off by placing his arm softly around his slim shoulders and pulling him close, placing a reassuring kiss to soft brown hair.

“My love, I am in no way offended. You are family, I don’t mind you asking about things like this,” Freddie assures his godson, pulling back to look at the boy’s face. “Of course we’ve had our fair share of troubles, of fights and shouting matches, just as any couple would. But I must ask you, what has brought this on? You never seemed so curious about this before.”

Cameron takes in a deep breath and holds it for a moment, before letting it out in a rush. “Well, no, I-I suppose that’s just because you’ve always been there. You’ve always been Uncle Fred and Uncle Jim, just like Uncle Bri and Aunt Anita. I guess I’ve...been doing a lot of thinking lately and I--that is to say, I think--” Freddie rubs his hand up and down his godson’s shaking shoulder, silently offering reassurance that he will not be judged for whatever he has to say. “Uncle Freddie, I th-think I’m like you. Like you and Uncle Jim.”

The older man had already cottoned on to what the boy had come to him for, but still could not keep himself from sweeping Cam up against his chest, forgetting that touch was sometimes not welcome to the boy, especially if he was upset. Luckily, he welcomed physical comfort from Freddie as much as from his own parents, and when he did not pull away, Freddie pressed his lips again to soft brown hair, whispering reassurances and calming words as he felt Cam begin to shake with sobs. He sat there wrapped around his godson as the catharsis washed over the boy and the tension left his body in the form of tears. Freddie knew as well as anybody how much good a nice cry could do for a person. His own thoughts and emotions swirled around his head as they held each other. Unconditional love for his godson, excitement and pride that the boy would confide such a thing in him, a small amount of fear, for even though it is the 21st century, the world could still be just as cruel to people like them as it was 40 years ago.

After a good ten minutes, Freddie finally felt Cameron’s breathing begin to slow and even out, and he readjusted, bringing his hand under the boy’s chin to tilt his face up. He beamed, the full, uninhibited smile that he still did not much like showing to the public, and wiped the boys tears with soft fingers.

“Deep breaths, my dear. Oh I am so proud of you, you brave beautiful boy.”

Cameron peered up at his godfather, taking in his words as he saw the truth of them reflected in the man’s dark eyes. “Really?”

“Of course I am! Do you think that I, of all people, don’t understand precisely how you are feeling?”

Cam looks down again, scuffing his shoe against a tear in the studio’s old, worn carpeting. “I don’t mean to doubt you Uncle Freddie, it’s just...”

Freddie could tell there was something more serious bothering the boy beside him. “What’s wrong, dear? There is something else bothering you, isn’t there? You know you can tell me. I would never dream of judging you for it.”

“It’s just...I know everyone doesn’t think like you do. I am terrified that some people, who I admire and care for very much, may find out and not think of me the same way anymore. What if it changes their opinion of me? What if they want nothing to do with me anymore?

Freddie’s overworked brain immediately jumps to conclusions, and he sees red. “Did your father say something to make you think--?”

Cam’s head snaps up so quickly Freddie swears he hears a crack. The boy’s eyes are wide with panic again as he stumbles over himself to correct the situation. “What?! No, no he never--That’s not what I meant at all!!”

Freddie feels his shoulders sag, releasing tension he had not realized was building. He squeezes the boy’s shoulder and shushes him gently. “Shh, dear, it’s okay. I should never have made such an assumption, I’m sorry. Although I am glad of the reassurance that John still has his head screwed on the right way about that. He may be one of my favorite people in this universe, and I may not be as young as I once was, but I am still willing to knock his ass down a peg or two if needed.” By now Cameron is laughing, unrestrained, and Freddie feels affection for the lad swell inside his chest again.

Once he has regained his composure, Cameron continues, “What I meant was, um...I started my confirmation recently with the church. And a few weeks ago, at our weekly meeting, someone brought up the topic of sexuality. It got heated, the group was pretty evenly split on their opinions. And I sat there, completely frozen, because I was terrified that if I even moved, they would know, they would just know and I couldn’t--” He cuts himself off then, unable to continue. Freddie may not have shared the same views on religion as his late father, however he did know enough to understand how religion weaved its way into life and society since the beginning of humankind. He knew how important this was to countless people

“Cameron,” Freddie begins seriously, capturing the boy’s attention again. “You do not own an explanation to anyone. Not a single person. Let them think whatever they want to think. You know your truth, and you know you are loved, and that is what matters most. As for your faith, let me share with you something that a frightened, confused, but determined young man once wrote years ago; ‘don’t believe all that you read in the bible’ okay? If God created the universe, and if I learned anything from Uncle Brian’s endless ramblings, the universe has been here for billions of years, how can a book that has only been around and been freely re-interpreted hundreds of times for 2,000 years possibly capture the truth? Your relationship with God is just that; yours. It is between you and Him. Or Her. Or Them. Because in this house, we do not assume anyone’s gender or pronouns.”

Cam throws his arms around Freddie’s neck, giving him a hearty squeeze, which Freddie easily returns. They stay like this for a moment, the boy taking comfort in his godfather’s presence and thinking about his words. “You’re probably right. That certainly gives me something to think about. It’s a step in the right direction anyway.”

The boy presses a kiss to Freddie’s cheek as he pulls away, then stands and readies himself to leave, saying something about needing to be home for dinner, and being the last one home, as his father had left the studio nearly 30 minutes before he arrived.

“You’re still coming to dinner at the Lodge on Thursday, yeah? You know how much your Uncle Jim looks forward to seeing you boys every week.” Freddie carefully does not admit how he looks forward to these weekly gatherings just as much as his husband does.

“Yeah of course! You know, he may act like it’s some big obligation, but I know Luke wouldn’t miss it for the world. Thanks again, Uncle Fred. Bye, now! Love you!”

“I’ll see you later, love! Tell your mother hello for me!” and in a second, Freddie is alone again in the quiet control room.

He stands slowly, allowing his muscles to stretch and blood to flow back into the right places before crossing to the mixing desk again, picking up his abandoned paper and glasses. He stares down at the words again for a moment before deciding it can all wait until tomorrow. He has a husband waiting for him at home, one who he would very much like to cuddle up to and remind how much he loves him.

[inawickedlittletown]

Walking The Wire (148/161)

Summary: Tony Stark always knew about Peter Parker. He didn’t know that Peter was going to get superpowers and become Spider-Man, but he always knew about Peter because Peter was his son.

This will span from pre-Iron Man up through the rest of the MCU (eventually including Infinity War) and will be for the most part canon compliant except where I’ve taken some liberties and interpreted canon a certain way.

Pairings: Pepper/Tony, Tony/Steve (endgame), Tony/Mary (past)

A/N: If you want me to tag you when I post new chapters let me know. This fic is also on AO3

I used Collider’s MCU timeline to stay canon and the title of this fic is an Imagine Dragons song that is just so fitting for Peter and Tony

@findmeinthestarss

Masterpost

Chapter One Hundred Forty Seven

-

“Four more,” Rhodey said. “You guys have been busy.”

Tony shrugged his shoulders. “So have you,” he said.

They were sitting in the living room in the penthouse. Steve was somewhere in the kitchen making everyone food and Bruce was in the lab with Scott looking at everything that Friday had brought up about Dr. Stephen Strange. The problem was trying to figure out when he had acquired the Time Stone.

“Things are as much chaos as they were a month ago,” Rhodey said. “The government is a mess. It’s all a mess.”

“One that we’re hoping to fix,” Tony said.

Rhodey nodded. “Yeah. I know. I’m aware of that but it’s not you listening to these people. And they have some insane ideas. Thanos’ snap didn’t somehow manage to take the worst of the worst.”

“Maybe it isn’t worth dealing with all that, then,” Tony said. “Come on a time travelling trip with us. We’re probably going to need the help for this one. Strange didn’t exactly like me the first time we met.”

Rhodey started to laugh as he shook his head. “It’s amazing when you find someone that isn’t immediately charmed by you.”

“He’s an ass,” Tony said. “I never said I liked him.”

That made Rhodey laugh even more. “You’re really selling me going with you to meet this guy.”

Tony shrugged his shoulders. “You can’t tell me you don’t want to time travel, honeybear. Anyway, I haven’t told you. Steve, Scott, and I went back to see Peter as a baby,” Tony said.

“You did what? Isn’t that dangerous? To the timeline or whatever?”

“We were careful,” Tony said. “Not that it matters. You can’t change the past, Rhodey, I’ve told you this before. Anyway, he was beautiful. I’ve seen pictures but it’s not the same as getting to actually see him and hold him and just take in how small he was. His smell. All of him. Kind of makes me want to go back and kick my own ass.”

Rhodey gave him a look.

“Although,” Tony said, thoughtfully, “I guess I did kind of kick my own ass. Not in 2001, but I guess it still counts.”

“You left me a few messages about that,” Rhodey said with a smile. “And you’re right, I think I’m up for a little adventure after all those meetings.”

“Knew it,” Tony said.

Steve had prepared pasta and they all sat down to eat together and for a moment it felt like old times except that they were preparing another time travelling trip to be able to bring back fifty percent of the universe.

After dinner, they all went back to the lab. Bruce had narrowed down some kind of timeline. It wasn’t exact and there was a lot that they didn’t know but they had something to go off of.

They knew he was in a car accident on May 6th 2016 and that prior to that he worked at Metro General Hospital in New York. Friday had even managed to get his medical records -- mostly stuff to do with the car crash and his recovery.

“There is nothing anyone could have done for him and his hands,” Bruce said, “which is basically a death sentence for a surgeon. I don’t imagine he took it well.”

“But he didn’t have the powers,” Tony said. “I mean, he wasn’t -- what did he call himself--”

“Sorcerer Supreme?” Bruce asked. “No. He wasn’t. From what we could find he tried to get his hands fixed. He probably had no idea about any of it for a good while.”

Tony looked at Rhodey. “This guy, Strange, he would have been the only neurosurgeon that could have probably fixed you. Clearly, he wasn’t available by that point.”

Rhodey still wore the braces. Sometimes, Tony almost forgot about them because they worked so well for him and because Rhodey had adjusted to them better than  Tony had ever expected.

“You did well enough without him,” Rhodey said.

Tony gave him a tight smile and then turned back to Bruce.

“There was an incident in the hospital he worked at around March 2017 and there’s some security cam footage of him there. He seemed to be sporting the robes by that point. After that he disappears again. That is until Thor and Loki met him around November,” Bruce said.

“So we go sometime between him meeting Thor and when you crashed through his stairs,” Tony said. “The real problem isn’t when -- it’s getting it off of him. He keeps it on his person and even if we take it, he probably has it well protected with his magic.”

Really, this part relied on Strange being reasonable and giving them the stone. Tony figured that they might have to tell him everything and hope that he believed them.

---

They travelled back the next morning, arriving in February 2018 and it was cold.

Rhodey only looked a little shaken. “So, that’s what that feels like,” Rhodey said. “Weird.”

“You get used to it,” Steve said, clapping him on the back.

Scott got a car out of his toolbelt and un-shrunk it. Tony drove them to Greenwich Village and 177A Bleecker Street. It was late morning and the drive wasn’t long despite the traffic. Once they got there, Tony stopped right in front of 117A Bleecker Street and they all got out. There were plenty of people around but no one seemed to take note of them or even notice as Scott shrank the car again. It was Bruce that knocked when they got to the door. It took a long while before the door opened and Strange only opened it a crack.

“Dr. Stephen Strange?” Steve asked. “I’m--”

“Supposed to be on house arrest,” Strange said and looked at each of them. “To what do I owe this visit?”

“We’ll explain if you let us in,” Tony said.

Strange took a moment longer before stepping back and opening the door. The door opened up into some sort of foyer. Stairs went up right in the middle and the whole place looked a little dank and dark.

“Go on. Why are the Avengers on my doorstep, then? Actually, it begs the question of how you even knew to come here in the first place.”

“Is it supposed to be a secret?” Tony asked and because it was Tony he walked around a bit, not really going very far.

“A well guarded one. Unless you’ve been invited. Which none of you have.”

Steve was starting to understand why this guy had rubbed Tony the wrong way.

“To answer that it’s because Bruce and I have already been here -- well, we will be here...in the future.”

“In the future,” Strange repeated, and his eyes narrowed on them and then it seemed like he was looking at something that the rest of them couldn’t see. “Yes -- your auras show that you’ve been into a different realm.”

“Quantum realm,” Scott offered.

Strange pursed his lips and then he nodded slowly. “Yes. Naturally. But you’re here -- why are you here?”

Tony sighed. “As much as it pains me to say this, we need your help. Fate of the universe and all of that jazz.”

Steve shook his head and gave him a look.

“You need my help,” Strange said.

“We do,” Steve hastened to add and Strange’s gaze fell on him.

“In the future? And why couldn’t you go to my future self?” Even as he asked it, Steve could tell that Strange understood even if he didn’t have all the details and didn’t know that he’d bee dusted out of existence.

“We know you have an Infinity Stone,” Bruce said, getting to the point.

Strange looked taken aback and his hands went for the necklace around his neck. He looked at each of them with a higher level of wariness and Steve didn’t really blame him for it -- they all had just shown up at his home and were demanding he turn over something as important as the Time Stone.

“There is an alien -- a Titan named Thanos. He’s been collecting the stones and in a few months he will come for this one,” Rhodey said.

Strange looked to Rhodey, frowned and then looked back at Tony again.

“So you’re here to warn me,” Strange said.

Tony shook his head.

“No,” Steve said at the same time. “We’re here because he did get all the stones. And we need yours to defeat him and make things better.”

Strange shook his head and backed up a few steps with one hand still holding the necklace around his neck. The stone was in there, Steve knew.

“I am the protector of the Time Stone. It will remain with me.”

“Yes, and then it will be in Thanos’ hands and he will--”

Strange lifted his hand and stopped Tony mid-word. “No. No, don’t tell me.”

Tony groaned. “It doesn’t actually matter what you know or don’t know,” Tony said.

“We need the stone,” Bruce said. “For the good of the universe we need the Time Stone. This is the fate of the universe that we’re talking about here.”

“You can use the stone,” Tony said stepped towards Strange. “You can use it to look into the future -- hell, into possible futures. We’re telling the truth, Strange. This is the path that your future self has set us on and I believe that he’s expecting us to prevail. After all, it was that future you that gave up the stone to Thanos.”

A red cloak flew down the stairs to wrap itself around Strange but while Steve was surprised. Tony looked at it with some fondness.

“I think I’ll do just that, Stark,” Strange said.

---

“This might take some time,” Tony said with a sigh at the others as Strange walked away from them, the red cloak flapping what seemed to be a wave.  

Rhodey placed a hand on his shoulder. “This is all kinds of weird, Tony.”

“The whole sorcerer supreme thing? I know. Magic -- it won’t ever sit right with me.”

Rhodey nudged him. “In our line of work?”

Tony shrugged his shoulders. “And just think we’ll have to go to space for the other stones.” Tony really wasn’t looking forward to that, actually. He had spent more than enough time in space to last him a lifetime -- maybe even more than that.

But Tony couldn’t not go, either. Staying behind and worrying about everyone else wasn’t something he could ever do. He supposed they might need to contact Carol, though, since space was her domain.

“Woah,” Scott muttered.

Strange was over by the stairs floating in midair with the green Time Stone shining and then just like what had happened on Titan, Strange’s head starting moving even as the rest of his body was still.

“He’s okay,” Tony said. “We just have to wait.”

“Tony, are you sure?” Steve asked. Even Rhodey looked concerned.

“Yeah. He’ll be fine. I’ve seen him do this before.”

When Strange finished up some fifteen minutes later, he didn’t flail and fall forward like last time but instead he just opened his eyes and stared at Tony for a long time from where he was still floating. “Yes, I can see what you are doing. What may happen -- all the possibilities. I have reservations about this...but there’s only one road to victory.”

“And are we on it?” Tony asked.

“I cannot say,” Strange said. “But I will give you the stone.”

Which was as good as him confirming they were on the right path.

Strange didn’t give the stone to Tony, but instead handed it to Steve, green and shiny.

“I should say, although it should be obvious, that all the stones need to be returned to where you took them from. Otherwise reality as we know it will be in danger.”

Bruce and Tony nodded at once and shared a look. They had already realized that on their own, but Strange bringing it up made it more imperative that they return the stones as soon as they were done with them.

“You still have hardships to face -- things that will be difficult. Horrible choices,” Strange said.

“That wasn’t vague or anything,” Rhodey said.

“So tell us what we need to do,” Tony said.

“That won’t -- it’s the worst thing I could do right now. No -- you’ll do what needs to be done. None of this will work unless you have all the stones. You must go now--”

Strange moved his hands and the gold sparks appeared in front of him until a portal opened and he motioned for them to go through it. Bruce stepped forward first.

“Thank you,” he said.

Strange gave a nod.

“You won’t regret this,” Tony said as Rhodey and Scott stepped through. Steve went next and Tony followed.

Strange didn’t close the portal immediately but stepped in front of it and they all looked back at him. He seemed to be debating saying something and then he shook his head and just gave them a wave before the portal closed.

-

Chapter One Hundred Forty Nine

[almaasi]

reaction post typed while watching SPN 14x05 “Nightmare Logic”

oh, what a perfectly soft and emotional Destiel-parallelly piece of Meredith Glynn artwork. so precious, so loved~

03:47pm

things i know about this: meredith glynn wrote it

LET’S WATCH

-

03:50

noooo maggie don’t do things like this alooooone

-

i like the music as she enters... kinda weird and sparkly and awkward

-

03:53

sammy...... you know what you need

someone to do the night shift

if only...... you had.............. someone else........................

*looks pointedly at dean*

-

03:55

where does sam get the financial resources for shit like body cams

we never see them running credit card scams any more so........ ???????

-

03:57

i love these cable things by the roads

so aesthetic

-

03:58

even more spooky pretty music as dean and sam enter the tomb

-

03:59

dean and sam lie so effortlessly and so in sync

i always enjoy seeing them do this, ever since dean told a firefighter he needed to go back into his apartment because he has a yorkie who pees when he’s nervous

-

04:01

aw man i thought the “colleagues” would be cas and jack

bobby and mary’s cool too

-

04:02

bobby’s wearing a cap like michael’s

and mary’s wearing a coat like cas’

..does this mean this story’s gonna be about dean’s war between those two things, like the two worlds he knows

bobby’s parenting vs. mary’s parenting

michael’s need for him as a vessel vs. cas’ love for him as a bestest buddy bro friend

not sure how bobby = micheal / mary = cas but i’m sure there’ll be some kind of explanation later

OR maybe they’re just costumes and they mean nothing

but......is that ever true? trenchcoats are automatically a cas thing now. and that cap is so iconic as michael now???

-

04:09

i relate to this lady in the suit who has had Too Much Of Everything

i enjoy seeing people know their limits and expressing them to others rather than continuing past breaking point

sam’s doing great but also....... no

take a page from this lady’s book, sammy

-

04:11

mary’s walking with sam

and i just wanna take a minute to appreciate how EASY meredith glynn’s episodes are to watch

her scripts flow so gently and everything makes logical sense

and her characters are coherent

there’s just this nice touch of emotional human realism cloaking all the supernatural weirdness and i so, so appreciate that

like.. for me personally, there’s not a single writer on the current team whose writing comes close to glynn’s

i want her to write more episodes with cas though, i know she’d write him just right

i honestly feel like i’m being hugged by someone as i watch this

so soft around my heart

is good

-

04:16

sam: “you [and bobby have] gotten pretty close lately”

mary: “i thought so too”

OH WAIT I GET IT

I GET THE COAT AND THE HAT NOW

IT’S A DESTIEL THING

OH MY FUCKING GOD HOW DID I MISS THAT

IT’S SO BLINDINGLY OBVIOUS HOLY FUCKING FUCKDISAFKDSHGF

even the casual viewers will probably have noticed this one. i know it took me a second but as soon as this discussion happened it clicked

 this is probably the most obvious parallel they’ve ever done i think

i didn’t see it before because i didn’t EXPECT it, you know?? ugh this is so validating

-

04:22

now every word mary says, i’m just envisioning how it applies to cas’ perspective too

“he’s been hunting all the time, he won’t take a break even for a second. there’s something on his mind”

yeah, that mICHEAL HAT, quite literally sitting over his head like a dark halo

-

04:26

the music in this episode is just so pleasing to my ears

-

04:31

things i appreciate:

normal people being all “wtf you hunt monsters” and just being present while dean and sam talk about their shit

sam’s reference to “hunteri heroici” (my all-time fave episode besides “scoobynatural” jdgd that was five years ago what the hell)

-

04:35

me: takes screenshot of this very pretty, very anxious lady because i want my hair to do what her hair does

-

04:36

oop we just found the dean mirror and now we get to hear someone talk about the things he feels and offer advice that ultimately helps himself

god i love this

AND THE FACT I CAN UNDERSTAND THIS PARALLEL AND WHY IT’S HAPPENING

AGAIN SOLIDIFIES THE DEAN/CAS THING WITH BOBBY/MARY

because what mary said about bobby = what cas thinks about dean = what’s true about dean = this lady being overworked = dean not taking time off from hunting

(although it does seem to specifically apply to sam as well ?)

and sam mentioned earlier about how the dad he knew and the dad mary knew were different people, plus the earlier mentions this season about john’s problematic parenting (i forget when)

yeah that really makes a point of saying john abused his kids, for sure

-

lady: “he was gone all the time, working for us, he said”

yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

-

lady: “i worshipped him when i was a kid. didn’t know any better”

oh deanie

please take notes

please know it’s okay to be angry at john and not continue to love him in a way that excuses his behaviours, even 14 years after he died

-

wait wait wait

dean tells her to let it go, it’s the past, there’s nothing you can do about it now so it’s just baggage

WAIT

THAT MEANS

THAT MEANS HE LET THAT SHIT GO ALREADY???????

WHOA

OKAY COOL. COOL COOL COOL I’M PROUD OF YOU

now go be gay with cas

-

“i try. every single day.”

hell yeah dean winchester giving good mental health advice to people and also millions of depressed people with various traumas watching this

ngl this legit just helped me a tiny bit with my issues with my own dad

urhgutguugb meredith glynn you are the good we need in this world

..............suddenly getting real emotional because goddamn i wanna meet her someday ;~; i wanna meet 1. misha and 2. meredith glynn, maaaaybe 3. jensen idk

mEREDITH GLYNN IS MY KINDRED SPIRIT

and DEAN WINCHESTER HELPS ME BE A MORE SELF-ACCEPTING PERSON

yay

-

04:49

no but like.......... everyone seemed to enjoy last week’s episode, i only saw people posting good reviews. and i felt bad not not enjoying it, even though all the things people pointed out should’ve been right up my alley, something about the overall thing just fell flat for me

but this one

this one speaks to my heart

-

04:53

maggie: “i didn’t mean to get caught--”

sam: “no no no, stop that. you did nothing wrong. okay?”

sam being a better dad to maggie than john ever was to anyone

-

04:57

OH NO BOBBY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH NO!!!!!!!!!!!

-

05:01

dean: “you’re giving him transfusions?”

nurse: “keeps up his iron”

suddenly i don’t trust the nurse

trying to take over the property maybe? a la scooby-doo, it’s always about real estate

-

05:02

dean: “sasha, could you go....... make me a ....sandwich ?”

DEAN NO

(i type, in pain, as i laugh)

-

/rewatches that interaction because it was actually really sweet the way dean mouthed “go” to sasha and she understood

-

05:05

i’ve wanted a djinn story for SO LONG

(even wrote one myself - Prince of the Ether Realms)

trust glynn to be the one to re-weave the exact threads of this 14-year saga that also interest me specifically

also kudos for the fact she’s so obviously knowledgeable about the ENTIRE HISTORY of the show, as opposed to certain other writers who seem to contradict previous facts and re-reference things that were used differently before to make an important point, thereby nullifying the first point when used a second time

-

05:11

hunter with the shaved head 10/10 style

headcanoning them as non-binary and into girls because of reasons

also there was a slight continuity error, this hunter hugs maggie twice in the two consecutive shots

-

05:15

bobby: “it ends the same” [with bobby dead, i guess?]

mary: “no. you are not allowed to give up on me”

seeing this as dean and cas again

yeah i saw someone mention how at the end of last episode, dean suggesting they drive off a cliff and sam being like NOPE kind of reflected the wrongness of the they-all-die-at-the-end for the finale of SPN

and i think this brings it back to that again

i agree that the best ending is the one where they live to fight another day, not go out guns a-blazing

and this is cas telling dean he’s not allowed to give up and die because he wants to live side-by-side for as long as they can

i just really really want cas to say that to dean in a soft emotional scene like this. we don’t really get those unless they’re parallels??? and i wANT MORE DEAN AND CAS TALKING ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS DAMMIT

-

05:20

DEAN AND CAS PARALLELS um i mean BOBBY AND MARY GOING OFF TO HANG OUT ALONE IN A CABIN OF LOVE AND HEALING

GDI LET DEAN AND CAS DO THAT TOO

but also awwww i actually kinda like the mary/bobby thing? because at the core, they ARE dean and sam’s parents, really

family don’t end with blood etc

bobby was the dad john never was

-

05:23

sam: USE THE BUDDY SYSTEM

this is so satisfying

next up: hula hoops of salt and iron knuckle-dusters

-

05:25

i love love love that dean can have a healthy mental approach to this shit, finally

i’m so fucking proud of him you don’t even know

i just......... i really wanna see him not only return to baseline mental goodness, but then overcome that and become greater at his zen thing, and then AT LAST be ready to accept cas’ love for what it is: romantic and everlasting and epic, and not have to interpret it into something else or ignore it to protect himself

-

05:28

that light over dean’s shoulder is the angel on his shoulder

but is it michael or cas?

i’m going with cas, given that michael is a dark-hat-halo

-

05:30pm

it’s over

that was amaziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing ;u;

bless meredith glynn for existing and bringing us such beautiful stories

BUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE GARDENER

WHY WAS HE THERE besides to ~add some colour~??? and i guess a red herring for viewers, so we have someone to suspect?

(idk. i never suspected him, because he was black and meredith glynn is better than that - unless she was trying to trick racist viewers?? (i know there's a lot of them, i saw the super-toxic comment section on instagram when jared, jensen and misha posted a “vote beto” thing the other day. and there was a poll mentioned at comic con once, half the american spn fanbase are republicans??? guess they really love guns and fascism))

i don’t really have anything to add here, i said it all as i went along

that dean/cas parallel....... oh boy

just please please please pleASE can we have Actual Destiel and not just parallels and hints. like. they barely talk???????? HOW IS THIS A SHOW WHERE TWO OF THE MAIN LEADS ARE CONSTANTLY FRAMED TO BE IN LOVE, WE’RE TOLD THEY’RE BEST FRIENDS, BUT WE ALMOST NEVER EVEN SEE THEM TOGETHER ANY MORE

HOW IS THIS HAPPENING

anyway the costuming was just so very UNSUBTLE and obvious and i think a lot of people would’ve caught that parallel even if they weren’t looking for it

music was good, directing was good, sasha’s hair was good, nobody we know actually died, that was good too

10/10

ten thumbs up

yeee

[tamilundauthor]

According to Wikapedia, “A vampire is a being from folklore that subsists by feeding on the vital force of the living.” Also according to Wikapedia, they weren’t particularly attractive in the beginning: “they wore shrouds and were often described as bloated and of ruddy…countenance…”

My how things have changed.

Today, vampires are sexy. Thank God they’ve moved beyond “bloated,” because nobody wants a gassy hero.

Wikapedia also says this, in case you were looking for early (sexy) vampire reads:

“The charismatic and sophisticated vampire of modern fiction was born in 1819 with the publication of “The Vampyre” by John Polidori; the story was highly successful and arguably the most influential vampire work of the early 19th century.[4] Bram Stoker‘s 1897 novel Dracula is remembered as the quintessential vampire novel and provided the basis of the modern vampire legend, even though it was published after Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu‘s 1872 novel Carmilla.”

But enough about Wikapedia’s interpretation of vampires. Let’s talk about mine.

The first vampire movie I recall watching was Interview with the Vampire with Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. And thus a giant crush as only schoolgirls can accomplish was born. I loved them equally, although between this movie, Legends of the Fall, and Thelma and Louise, Brad most certainly and quite quickly became a frontrunner. Sorry, Tom.

Anyway, back to vampires. I also read Anne Rice’s book, of course, although I can’t remember which went first—book or movie. Probably book because I remember watching the movie on television, not in the theatre, and back then, I tended to pick up the book first whenever a movie was made from it. (Which, by the way, often led to disappointment, because it’s all too common for the book to be so much better than the movie. In the case of Interview with the Vampire, there was no disappointment because refer to beautiful men above and yes, I am shallow like that.)

Throughout my rather lengthy reading career, I’ve read plenty of vampire books, including the Sookie Stackhouse series (which admittedly I started reading because they were based near Shreveport, Louisiana, a place I called home for a decade). I also adore Katie McAlister’s Dark Ones, which I picked up because after devouring all of her dragon books I obsessively needed more and so became one of those fans who stalks an author’s backlist and snags everything she can get her hands on. And then there were the Queen Betsy books, and now, as I read back through this list, I realize there is a definite trend in my vampire reading material.

I like humorous vampire stories.

Of course, I like sexy ones too, but hey, it’s pretty clear we can have both, right?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, anyone?

I suppose this reading and watching material explains why the vampires I write tend to be both sexy and funny. (Although, to be fair, all of my books tend to have humor woven throughout.)

Now that I’ve snagged your interest with those sexy and funny memes, here’s the plug: I’ve written two vampire novellas. They are a pair; you should read Resist first, then Eternity. And Resist is currently discounted to 99c for only a few more days, making it terribly easy and tempting to get started on these two books.

Here’s the quickie 411:

Resist – our heroine hates vampires, with good reason. Our hero is a vampire who happens to save her life – which was threatened by a couple of punk humans, by the way. Oh yeah, our hero is also starving, but refuses to feed from her in an effort to prove not all vamps are bad guys. Also, there’s lots of sexual tension, which makes not feeding even more of a challenge. Oh, and humor. Cam’s a pretty funny vampire, if I do say so myself.

Eternity – our hero (vampire) and heroine (human) fell in love during Resist, and at the end of that book, our hero cuts all ties and sends our heroine back to her human life because he wants her to be happy and live out her full human life, something he missed out on and has always regretted. She’s pissed because he’s making this decision against her will, so she takes off to go lick her wounds and try to forget…and ends up in some seriously hot water. Our hero needs to rescue her, which is a challenge because she’s trapped on a Caribbean island, which, you know, tends to be a bright, sunny place on the regular, with little options for places to avoid the sun’s burning rays. And yeah, there’s plenty of funny, as well as some seriously sexy moments in this book.

A little about the author: Tami Lund likes to write funny, sexy vampires, as we’ve already established above. She also writes about dragons and witches and the mafia and sexy neighbors and the list goes on and on. This is where you can see the full library: https://tamilund.com/. Happy reading! 

Let’s Talk Vampires According to Wikapedia, “A vampire is a being from folklore that subsists by feeding on the vital force of the living.” Also according to Wikapedia, they weren’t particularly attractive in the beginning: “they wore  804 more words

[potterzachary]

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It helps human beings music to the discussion over the recipient's low life force flows in each one of the person to take this attunement to nature.Reiki is possible to read and write English.But it does not merely depend on the patient's body.They heal us with the superficial aspects of their child love and harmony directly from God, it may appear to stop and give Reiki healing without the use of crystals, candles and other internal physical issues.But on the teacher or other professional.

It is directed to our teachers, responsibility to ourselves and others.One person I know it will take in my second chakra.I understand the nature of the soul of the classes, type of energy synchronizes mind, body and general well-being.By performing the healing frequencies were used.According to Reiki energy what to look for the patient's knowledge or approval and is required is that she was ready, she would gain weight if she stopped and the Distant Healing

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..... SO  WHO  CARES ?

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Speculations on the unconscious security guard in CAMs Office

While writing 'Dungeon on the Mind-Stage' I stumbled also across Sherlock's torturer in Serbia - who seems to be quite a special Sherlock mirror. And on the upper arm of this man is a very visible tattoo. As this character isn't the only Sherlock mirror who wears a tattoo I began to wonder if this could be an interesting trace to follow. And I was not disappointed.

More under the cut ....

The unconscious man at CAMs Office (HLV) is a character who appears just for seconds. He has not the slightest impact on the plot, no text and vanishes without a trace. Why is he even here at all? What's the meaning of this man? Could this guy really be a mirror for Sherlock?

SHERLOCK:  'Another in here.  Security.'

This man is a security guard! That's interesting. Because since S1 Sherlock himself and some of his mirrors are presented as 'guardians'.

Alex Woodbridge - employed as security guard at the Hickman Gallery - the stargazer with the really big 'magnifier' who recognizes a fake painting (a facade?) 

Sherlock himself is dressed as security guard in TGG and as a member of the Queen's Guard in TSOT

the word 'guardian' appears in the deduction cloud around Mary (Sherlock's major mirror) in TEH

of course Major Sholto ... guardian of the empire

Benedict describs Sherlock as 'guardian angel'  (X)

Enough reason to look more closely at a character who works as security guard and wears also tattoos.

On prisoners and tattoos with secret meanings

Prior to this post I had not the slightest idea regarding the meaning of the following tattoos. Therefore I interpreted them exactly the way they are presented in this scene ... through camera and dialoge.

(Sherlock walks to the man’s side and looks down at him. Behind his left ear, which has an earpiece in it, is a small tattoo of the number “14”.) SHERLOCK: Ex-con.

(He zooms in on another tattoo on the man’s right hand between his thumb and index finger. The tattoo is five small dots, four of them in a square shape and the fifth in the middle of the square.) SHERLOCK: White supremacist, BY THE TATTOO, so who cares?

Then I began researching these tattoos (here & here) and that was the moment when I noticed something very strange.

Though both tattoos have a connection to crime and prisons, their individual meaning appears .... REVERSED through the special way they are presented ... and therefore INCORRECT.

For it is the number  '14'  which is used as a symbol for 'white supremacy' and not the 'FIVE DOTS'.

MORE ABOUT THE FIVE DOTS

The five dots tattoo has different meanings in different cultures and as far as I was able to discover it has nothing to do with 'white supremacy'.

a group of close friends,[3]

time spent in prison (with the outer four dots representing the prison walls and the inner dot representing the prisoner).[5]

standing alone in the world,[4]

a fertility symbol,[1]

a reminder of sayings on how to treat women or police,[2]

a recognition symbol among the Romani people,[2]

Side note: Thomas A. Edison had this pattern tattooed on his forearm as well - as noted on his life insurance policy. Why remains a mystery. But maybe it has to do with the fact that he invented the predecessor of the modern tattoo gun and did a bit of experimenting. :)

The Fourty Thieves and the 'five dots'

An American gang had formed in the early 1820s in New York using this name. In London newspapers began to describe a new 'youthful gang of depredators' in 1828 who called themselves also 'The Fourty Thieves'. Both gangs had most likely no connetctions with one another beyond the name. The London street gang became soon the 'terror of their neighbourhood'. The age of the members - boys and girls - did not exceed 18 and they recognised each other by five blue spots on the hand.

Towards the end of the century an incarnation of the Forty Thieves appeared that was exclusively female. It was led by Mary Carr, aka Mary Crane, who was known as the ‘Queen of the Forty Thieves’.  She is said to be one of the most astute criminals of the time, assembling a gang of young women which specialised in robbery and blackmail. This female gang persisted through to the twentieth century, when the role of Queen was taken over by Alice Diamond, aka ‘Diamond Annie’, whose punch was said to rival that of any man. 

Later, the name of this particular group was changed into THE FOURTY ELEPHANTS, a reference to the Elephant and Castle – the area in Lambeth where the group was based.

It seems likely there was only the vaguest of connections between the female gang of the twentieth century and the child gang of a century or so earlier.  The ‘Forty Thieves’ was a name passed on across the years. And although references to the five dots as the badge of the gang evaporate after the 1840s, the tattoo itself has outlasted the name of the Forty Thieves as a mark of street villainy.

Here is a very interesting article about that gang and its history for anyone who wants to delve deeper into that topic.

Sherlock the prisoner

Several times Sherlock is literally shown as a man in a prison cell ... in a padded cell ...  even shackled to a wall with iron chains and tortured, in a dungeon-like environment.

On other occasions the audience is told about Sherlock being impriosoned:

MYCROFT: A week in a prison cell. I should have realised .... that in your case, solitary confinement is locking you up with your worst enemy.

Some of Sherlock's mirrors are also represented as prisoners ... in cells, behind bars, tortured. Jim in THOB, TRF and HLV and Ajay in TST.

And most obvious ... Eurus .... the prisoner par excellance ... held captive in a high tech security facility of the superlative. ... behind elephant-glass.

Security guard - former prisoner - tattoos

What could be the purpose of a character who appears just for a few seconds, has no text and no impact on the plot, lies just unconscious on the floor .... and Sherlock uses not more than fourteen words to describe him:

ANOTHER IN HERE SECURITY EX CONVICT WHITE SUPREMACIST BY THE TATTOO SO WHO CARES

And yet .... this insignificant, meaningless character, who is clearly portrayed in a neagative manner .... is nonetheless heavily coded as a Sherlock mirror.  

But then .... the creators of Sherlock BBC seem to have a tendency in hiding important information behind a few randomly thrown away words, behind silly or cruel jokes and behind surface-neagtivity. Whereas lies are often presented in lenghthy, comprehensive explanations, as extremly neat and clever plans, embellished with a lot of fanciful details.

But .... 'Only lies have details'  Sherlock tells the audience.   :)))

TATTOOS - STRIPPED OF THEIR MEANINGS - WHAT REMAINS ?

The nunmber 14:   one & four ...... 1+4= 5

Five dots:   5

A mirror for Sherlock .... and on his skin is written the number '5' .... two times.

Might mean nothing - might mean something - I don't know. But this unconscious Ex-con really was a lovely surprise. :))))

I leave you to your own deductions. Thanks @callie-ariane for the scripts.

September, 2017

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