#ask modern Nathan Hale

[screechingsandwichhologram]

FUCK. I JUST HAD A THOUGHT AND IT IS SO SO FUCKING LIKE. CANONICAL AND SHIT BUT I CANT SHARE BECAUSE ITS SO SO SO AWFUL

[askdaremorderndaynhht]

Intro

Hey Everyone!

Here is an ask blog dedicated to NHHT, also known as Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales!

This won't be based on the books, but instead placed in Modern day.

People you can Ask/Dare (So Far):

Nathan Hale

Henry (Hangman)

Edward (Provost)

William "Billy" Richmond

Maggie Hibbins

Susan B. BeagleBeak (Eagle)

Vicente Guerreo

Pedro, Pablo, & Mark (Vicente's Firing Squad Friends)

I will add more as the story goes on.

In case anybody gets confused, here's the explanation for this AU:

In this Au, instead of being hanged, Nathan is killed by an assassin because of his whole "He get swallowed by Giant Magical History Book and now he can see the future" thing. So, then everybody (Henry, Edward, And Bily) gets sent to modern day to look for him, because when Nathan died, he was reincarnated and still kept the powers given to him by The Big Huge Book of American History. But it's not going to be easy, because per rule of reincarnation, Nathan lost his memories, and also Nathan's rival, Maggie Hibbins, is also looking for him for a reason kept secret. Not only that, but the evil organization also responsible for his death is looking for him so they can take his powers.

So yeah, it's going to be kind of complicated.

Anyways, hope you enjoy this blog!

[regretless-spy-and-culper-master]

Heyy how are you guys doing? How's life? Remember to drink water (that's for u too mod) <33

Ben: hello, we’re hanging in there, right Pythias?

Nathan: *half asleep* mm-hmm Damon…. Snuggle time. I’m sleepy… and I need you.

Ben: well, we’re apparently sleepy today but we are well overall. Especially considering everything that last week brought up for us… for Nathan…

Nathan: *whimpers softly and clings to Ben*

Ben: thank you for worrying about all of us and checking in.

Nathan: *nods* yes, thank you.

(Mod: thanks for checking in! We’re all drinking enough water. I hope you’re well too.)

[regretless-spy-and-culper-master]

(Let me now if you have a modern or canon au preference).

angsty relationship asks

why? bc i’ve been dying with r76 lately

(this doesn’t have to be necessarily romance-oriented)

do they have a lot of arguments? if so, over what?

who apologizes first? in what way? is it hard for either of them to apologize?

which one has more insecurities? over what?

who gets more riled up? do they show their anger? 

how do they hide their pain when they’re upset? do they try to hide their pain?

who tries to make up first? does it work?

would they hate-fuck if they were mad at one another? if they had a falling out?

do they hold grudges? is it hard for them to let go/forgive each other?

is there something big that could potentially tear them apart if it was revealed? 

if something already happened to tear them apart, what would make them come back together? is it even possible?

what’s their favorite pass time when they’re upset?

who do they confide in when shit hits the fan (besides each other)?

is it hard for them to talk about their feelings openly with each other? if so, is there any way that can be resolved, even in the slightest?

who grieves more when the other is away?

who misses the other more, or really thinks about them more?

do either of them have a special item (an article of clothing, a necklace, a book) that they use when they miss the other? if so, what is it? what do they do with it (read, wear, look at, smell)?

who cries more? who gets more emotional in general?

do either of them have the other’s stuff lying around their house?

how about teasing? do they tease each other while in a fight (whether it be with themselves or just general teasing)?

do either of them have any vices?

what’s the thing they miss most about each other?

what’s their go-to breakup/angst song?

who’s more jealous?

who is the first to forgive?

what’s the one deal breaker for either of them (lack of communication, fear of commitment, etc)?

who would take longer to let go? do they ever really “let go”?

which is more afraid of confrontation?

who’s the first to distance themselves (if either)?

who’s more patient? is it hard to break that patience?

who’s the first to blame themselves? 

who’s more likely to do something out of spite?

who would be the first to say they hate the other? would they mean it?

who worries more?

what scent reminds them of the other?

do they have any regrets (regarding the other, or just in general)?

who’s quicker to walk away if a situation gets heated?

who is more prone to anger?

who cries more in an argument? do either of them cry?

does it take a lot for it to get to the point of yelling?

who sleeps on the couch? can either of them sleep without the other?

who’s more likely to protect the other?

if one of them gets injured, who worries more?

who would be more afraid of the other’s death/harm?

who ends up yelling first? are they always yelling when arguing, or do neither of them yell at all?

who would be more likely to save who? 

who stays up at night brooding?

who has more dreams/nightmares about the other?

who comforts who after a bad dream/event?

do they think about each other a lot? does it affect their performance/schoolwork?

if one of them were to come back after a long time, who would come to who? would it go well? would the other person take them back?

[dcbutinamrev]

please. i. i need some halemadge. i am shaking. pl. please. anything literally anything i just need some halemadge.

I'll do my best bestie!

I did just finish a hamdre ficlet for @skyetheesorceress that took me all day to do, but if this ficlet is super short or crappy, it is because I am exhausted as I have been staring at this computer screen for...since...like...nine in the morning. I'll rewrite it or add more to it tomorrow. But I hope this will fill all your Halemadge needs for the night!

Modern au for this one.

~~

Young Benjamin Tallmadge has always kept his eyes fixed on the bright and intelligent, kind and yet handsome also beautiful Nathan Hale in his class each day at Yale University. He sits currently with Hale beside him, a boy who has his similar looks--blonde hair; though his blonde is more white--his eyes bright blue and smile wide and bright as the sun.

Tallmadge sighs, his chin resting in his palm as he sees Hale chatting lively to one of his friends, Anna, he believes her name was. Anna Strong. Tallmadge doesn't know how long it's been since he's began "stalking" Hale, as his best friend since his childhood years, Caleb Brewster, would put it, him. Tallmadge grunts when he feels an elbow being jabbed into his ribcage.

"Ow! Dude, what the hell?" Tallmadge hisses, whipping his head sharply over his shoulder at Brewster. Brewster raises his eyebrow as he sips on his water.

"You were doing it again, Tallboy," Brewster says, flipping a page in his textbook.

"Doing what?" Tallmadge scoffs.

"That," Brewster says, emphasizes on That. "You got that look on your face again."

"What look?" Tallmadge says stupidly.

Brewster rolls his eyes. "That look. The look you always give him."

A pause.

Tallmadge shakes his head, clearly denying it.

"You're in ~love~ Tallboy," Brewster says in a teasing tone. "It's pretty obvious."

Tallmadge just simply gives him a look.

"I'm just saying," Brewster says.

"I'm not in love with him, Caleb. I won't say I am."

"Are you seriously quoting Hercules?" Brewster asks with a smirk on his face.

"Which one? Mulligan? Or Disney?"

Brewster chuckles, causing Tallmadge to do so as well. They both end it with a sigh.

"Look, Homecoming is around the corner. And as to my knowledge you don't have a date yet," Brewster says.

"What are you saying?" Tallmadge asks, furrowing his brows together.

"I'm saying, Ben, now's your chance!" Brewster says, patting his shoulder as Tallmadge turns back to face Hale, who laughs at something Woodhull have said, Robert Townsend looking ready to wipe Woodhull's face clean with his fist. Tallmadge presses his lips together firmly as Brewster continues. "If you love him, go get him! What are waiting for?"

Tallmadge stares at Brewster for a moment or two, blinking once and twice, before clearing his throat and pushing himself up from his chair. Brewster's eyes widen with slight surprise and he grins as he watches Tallmadge marching up towards Hale.

Brewster rests his chin in his palm, waiting with that same teasing smirk just as before.

Once Tallmadge approaches Hale's group, he breathes in sharply. He glances over at Brewster over his shoulder who flashes him a wide smile, a curt nod and a thumbs up, before turning back to Hale. When he steps close to Hale's desk, Tallmadge clears his throat.

Silence falls among the group, followed by soft murmurs. Tallmadge shifts on his feet and bites the inside of his cheek, unclenching and clenching his fists. Hale cranes his neck slightly upward, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

"Hey um...do you mind if I talk to you? Nate?" Tallmadge tries. "Privately..."

Hale narrows his eyes and presses his lips together. He sits up straighter in his chair, both eyebrows high. "If you have something to say to me, you can also say it to my friends."

Tallmadge glances up to find the others gawking at him. He knows how loyal Hale is towards his friends and those he love. Tallmadge swears to himself he has never seen anyone trusting nor as kind as he.

Tallmadge clears his throat again and shifts awkwardly on his feet, his hands stuffed into his jean pockets. "It'll uh...it'll be five minutes at the latest. I promise."

"Why can't you tell me here?" Hale challenges, crossing both arms over his chest.

"Because I don't want to look like a fool," Tallmadge snaps, causing Hale to sit up straighter even more, clicking his mouth shut.

He glances at the other, who nod once, before Hale turns back to Tallmadge, nodding his permission.

Tallmadge extends his hand out towards Hale, who takes it gently as he assists Hale helping up to his feet. In the corner of his eye, Tallmadge could see Woodhull scowl slightly, furrowing his brows slightly as he watches the two disappear out of the room.

"Now," Hale says once the room's door clicks shut. "What is it you wished to tell me, Ben?"

Tallmadge swallows, staring deep into Hale's bright blue eyes as he grasps both of his hands suddenly. Hale becomes stiff, raising an eyebrow as he inclines his head upward to meet Tallmadge's eyes.

"Nathan...Nate..." he breathes in sharply. It's just three words, Tallmadge, he thinks to himself. Just three words. "Nate...you know how...you and I have been best friends, right?"

Hale nods, a kind and warm smile on his face, squeezing Tallmadge's hands in his. "Of course...we've been friends since...we were...kids really."

Tallmadge nods. "That's the point. Well, my point is...my uh...my question is...Homecoming is around the corner...and I was wondering...I-I was wondering if um...if uh...if you'd..."

"If I'd...If I'd like to go with you?" Hale finishes, catching Tallmadge by surprise.

Tallmadge nods, letting a breathy sigh as he braces himself.

Hale smiles wide with a soft chuckle, leaning up on his toes to press a soft, quick kiss to Tallmadge's cheek.

Tallmadge stares at the hallway before him with a blank look.

"Of course, I'd go, Ben," Hale chuckles as he lowers himself back down.

"Really?" Tallmadge says with slight disbelief in his voice.

Hale nods. "With you of all people, Ben."

Tallmadge scoffs out a laugh, his eyes wide and blinking. Hale nods with confirmation, giggling adorably, making Tallmadge's heart flutter before dropping their hands and bursting into the classroom once more with his arms open wide, a triumphant laugh escaping him.

Brewster stands up immediately.

"HE SAID YES!" Tallmadge gasps. "HA HA! HA HA! YES! HE SAID YES! LOOK WHO'S GOTTA DATE!"

"That's my Tallboy!" Brewster shouts, embracing Tallmadge tightly before patting his friends shoulder before releasing him.

Tallmadge wraps his arms around Hale's shoulder, pulling him closer. He whips his head towards his lookalike John Laurens and his boyfriend, Alexander Hamilton in the middle of the classroom.

"Beat that, Laurens!" Tallmadge says.

"Uh...I still win, Benny-Boy," Laurens says without taking his eyes off of of Hamilton's. "I've been dating Alexander for a year now and you? A day."

"Oh, whatever!" Tallmadge groans, waving a hand at him.

Tallmadge turns back to stare at Hale's eyes, bright blue--blue as the sky on a summer's day. He leans down to steal a quick kiss, which Hale happily returns.

Tallmadge vows to himself to protect and to love and to cherish his dear Nate at all costs.

Until death do they part.

[thebulletinhamilton-quotes]

(Let’s hope I did this right XD ) For a Halemadge one shot may I please have the “i’ve been stood up again and i’m angrily texting my friend who set me up with this loser and you ask if you can join me since you were going to eat alone anyway because you’re new to town“ prompt under the Blind date tag? If you could make it a little angsty / feels-y that be wonderful but no pressure. (Doesn’t matter who ‘s what part) Thank you! @regretless-spy-and-culper-master

A/N: JESUS ITS ALMOST BEDTIME FOR ME GOOD LORDY. Hope you enjoy it. I have no idea if it is angst or not cause I prefer to write my feelings first then tell the story. TURN plays on in the background with aesthetics and Benjamin Tallmadge’s tight pants. Anyway, enjoy!

.

Moving to New York City had seem like such a good idea. Instead, it turned out to be one of the worst ideas Benjamin Tallmadge has had since he was a kid. No, scratch that. Even a kid wouldn’t behave so irrationally.

The thing is, life in New York City did not turn out the way he planned.

His original plan had been to move there with his friends but that didn’t work out. So now, he’s living with a roommate named Tench Tilghman (who for some reason wears a trench coat all the time) who is a born and raised New Yorker. Who recently discovered that Ben is single and decided to make it a personal mission for him to set him up as on many blind dates as he can (much to Ben’s dismay). But thanks to a loophole....

Ben combs his hair one last time, looking over his delicate features in the mirror. Despite his heritage, he’s good looking if not a little pretty boy (according to the bullies back in middle school) feel. He grabs his Yale sweatshirt and jacket before running out the door as Tench tries to tell him about a date. But Ben is too quick for that.

As he walks the brightly lit, commercially decorated cluttered streets in early December, he assures himself that he’s fine and everything is good. Life couldn’t be better, he tells himself, as he walks across the street. Life couldn’t be sweeter than this. He thinks to himself with a smile.

.

Nathan Hale doesn’t do blind dates for a reason. It’s like going into a restaurant, completely blindfolded and at the mercy of someone else. It’s scary, it’s vulnerable and—

“Are you ready to order, sir?” A bored, Brooklyn accent cuts through his thoughts as he looks helplessly up at the bored waitress who cocks an eyebrow at him.

He’s been here for fifteen minutes and the restaurant is packed to the brim. The door keeps on opening as couples and groups of people come in, hoping to be seated at Burr’s Durr, a fushion restaurant that incorporates every flavor imaginable in their food.

He smiles weakly up at the waitress with blue hair and dark brown skin who looks at him unamused. “One more minutes.” He promises her as she sighs sympathetically at him. She gives him a look of ‘that’ll be it, I mean it���. He nods weakly as she walks off.

He covers his face with his hands and for a moment, he feels like he could either scream or punch a tyrannical doofus. Either way, his date is not coming and he’s going to be eating alone tonight. Again.

This is the last time I let Abe talk me into going on a date I swear—! He promises himself before a stranger sits down across from him. They dazzle smile at him, and for a moment Nathan forgets how to breathe. He runs a hand through his frizzy hair praying to whomever that his hair is not a mess because oh god this stranger has him feeling helpless.

He attempts to smile back at him with a grimace but the stranger winks at him before opening the menu, as their smooth baritones hit his ears. “What should I go, I don’t know what to get.” They ponder out loud. Nathan has to fight back a laugh before he’s able to answer their question.

“I would get the Hamilton special.” He tells the pretty individual who looks up at him as he tells him so. “It’s good,” he hears himself promising. “It’s one of my favorite dishes.” He tells the guy, who’s smile makes him want to fall apart.

The stranger hums. “Well, if that’s what to get then sure.” He seems to smile even brighter at Nathan as Nathan can hear his own heart going ba-thump, ba-thump. Thankfully, their waitress must sense that they are finally ready.

She smiles at them, before turning her gaze to Nathan, hard. “What can I get you, sir?” She asks him first, her tone is sweet with a hint of ‘don’t mess with me’ undertone.

Nathan clears his throat, aware that’s his entire body is on fire as the stranger and the waitress stare at him. “I’ll have the Hamilton special, please.” He tells her, his voice shaking slightly.

She joys it down, nodding at him. Then before he can blink, she turns to the stranger who smiles at her with ease. “I’ll have the same as well, gorgeous.” The stranger says with an air of confidence Nathan wishes he had.

The waitress takes the menu from them with a nod before turning to Nathan. “It’ll be out soon. Please let me know if you need anything else.” She says before walking away with an air of urgency.

It’s an awkward ten seconds as Nathan and the Stranger stare at each other. Thankfully, it’s the stranger who breaks their silence.

“Sorry for hijacking your date. I saw you sitting by yourself and you looked ready to pass out. I didn’t mean to intrude.” He says, his voice is apologetic. “I’m really sorry, if you want I can leave—“ the cute stranger begins. Before Nathan can stop himself, he quickly shakes his head.

“No, it’s fine. Really, thank you. I appreciate it, man.” Nathan rushes out with a smile at him. The guy looks at him, a little surprised. “Well, if you’re sure?” He asks, like Nathan might tell him to yeet out a window.

Nathan nods his head, slowly as he takes a sip of water. “I’m sure. Besides, you’re way cuter than any of the guys I go out with.” Nathan jokes before seeing him laugh while looking away. His face is flushed. Oh lord, he could be at least a second date. Nathan observes quietly.

Nathan holds out his hand with a smile. “I’m Nathan, by the way. What’s your name, man?” He asks easily, like he doesn’t have butterflies in his stomach.

The stranger takes his hand and shakes. “Benjamin but I go by Ben.” He says with a grin. “Only my mom calls me Benjamin.” He shakes his head with a chuckle.

Nathan nods before letting go of Ben’s smooth, warm palm. He cringes at himself as he stares at another dudes palms like c’mon. He’s not going to stare at this dude, at the very least they can get to know each other.

“So what brings you to town? Tell me about your adventure to the greatest city in the world, man.”

There is no harm in that, right? He thinks to himself as Ben explains that he’s new in town and his only friends are his coworkers and a roommate who is quite nosey. We are just two people getting to know each other. This isn’t a date. Nathan thinks as Ben explains how his adventure began.

Right?

....

Fin.

...

Hey guys please reblog and reply. Feedback is Bae. Also to those who would like this request, send it to my inbox PLEASE. Otherwise it gets lost in the posts and i forget. Thanks @regretless-spy-and-culper-master for the ask!

[ask-halemadge]

OPEN

[regretless-spy-and-culper-master]

What are you curious about?

Get To Know Me Uncomfortably Well

PLEASE DON’T LET THIS FLOP AHHHH

1. What is you middle name? 2. How old are you? 3. When is your birthday? 4. What is your zodiac sign? 5. What is your favorite color? 6. What’s your lucky number? 7. Do you have any pets? 8. Where are you from? 9. How tall are you? 10. What shoe size are you? 11. How many pairs of shoes do you own? 12. What was your last dream about? 13. What talents do you have? 14. Are you psychic in any way? 15. Favorite song? 16. Favorite movie? 17. Who would be your ideal partner? 18. Do you want children? 19. Do you want a church wedding? 20. Are you religious? 21. Have you ever been to the hospital? 22. Have you ever got in trouble with the law? 23. Have you ever met any celebrities? 24. Baths or showers? 25. What color socks are you wearing? 26. Have you ever been famous? 27. Would you like to be a big celebrity? 28. What type of music do you like? 29. Have you ever been skinny dipping? 30. How many pillows do you sleep with? 31. What position do you usually sleep in? 32. How big is your house? 33. What do you typically have for breakfast? 34. Have you ever fired a gun? 35. Have you ever tried archery? 36. Favorite clean word? 37. Favorite swear word? 38. What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep? 39. Do you have any scars? 40. Have you ever had a secret admirer? 41. Are you a good liar? 42. Are you a good judge of character? 43. Can you do any other accents other than your own? 44. Do you have a strong accent? 45. What is your favorite accent? 46. What is your personality type? 47. What is your most expensive piece of clothing? 48. Can you curl your tongue? 49. Are you an innie or an outie? 50. Left or right handed? 51. Are you scared of spiders? 52. Favorite food? 53. Favorite foreign food? 54. Are you a clean or messy person? 55. Most used phrased? 56. Most used word? 57. How long does it take for you to get ready? 58. Do you have much of an ego? 59. Do you suck or bite lollipops? 60. Do you talk to yourself? 61. Do you sing to yourself? 62. Are you a good singer? 63. Biggest Fear? 64. Are you a gossip? 65. Best dramatic movie you’ve seen? 66. Do you like long or short hair? 67. Can you name all 50 states of America? 68. Favorite school subject? 69. Extrovert or Introvert? 70. Have you ever been scuba diving? 71. What makes you nervous? 72. Are you scared of the dark? 73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes? 74. Are you ticklish? 75. Have you ever started a rumor? 76. Have you ever been in a position of authority? 77. Have you ever drank underage? 78. Have you ever done drugs? 79. Who was your first real crush? 80. How many piercings do you have? 81. Can you roll your Rs?“ 82. How fast can you type? 83. How fast can you run? 84. What color is your hair? 85. What color is your eyes? 86. What are you allergic to? 87. Do you keep a journal? 88. What do your parents do? 89. Do you like your age? 90. What makes you angry? 91. Do you like your own name? 92. Have you already thought of baby names, and if so what are they? 93. Do you want a boy a girl for a child? 94. What are you strengths? 95. What are your weaknesses? 96. How did you get your name? 97. Were your ancestors royalty? 98. Do you have any scars? 99. Color of your bedspread? 100. Color of your room?

[cabbxges-and-kings]

honorhearted asked : 10 (absent) - character you wish was in the show? 27 (appear) - favorite character look? 186 (fate) - if you could change the fate of any of the historical figures in turn, would you? how would it change? 324 (incorrect) - do historical inaccuracies bother you? if so, which ones bothered you the most?

turn (amc) asks pt. 3. / @honorhearted​ -- accepting

10 (absent) - character you wish was in the show?

       Lydia Barnett, but no one in turn is prepared for that. Oh god I’m not sure honestly! I wish we had a snippet of Nathan Hale and how that could’ve connected more with the spy ring since he was the first Patriot spy (to my knowledge) and it could’ve played more into the Ben & Rogers feud (that went nowhere). Since he was involved in Ben’s best friend’s death & then he used his dead brother to try to lure him. I do wish we saw more of Ann Bates because I really liked her voice and looking into her, she seemed pretty interesting.

       I do wish we perhaps saw Emily Geiger, a teenage girl who ate a coded message when in British captivity. She had a small role in the American Revolution, but it would’ve been interesting to see. 

27 (appear) - favorite character look?

       No one is really coming to mind on specific looks, but I like Anna’s, Philomena’s, & Peggy’s dresses.

186 (fate) - if you could change the fate of any of the historical figures in turn, would you? how would it change?

       Maybe Peggy’s? Or Anna’s? (Based on turn lore, not the real historical component). Anna has a way better life than Peggy, just with their marriages alone, but I think they both deal with this not being what they would’ve chosen. Like their lives are out of their hands and they can’t really make it their own? (Which obviously doesn’t help with how little rights women had anyway). Like I want these two to have a life they want and what they would’ve chosen. I would also say this for Abe, but even if it’s not what he wanted, I think Abe has a better life and more choices to make it his own than Anna and Peggy do.

324 (incorrect) - do historical inaccuracies bother you? if so, which ones bothered you the most?

       Not really? It depends, I suppose. I’ve seen snippets of the one new Jane Austen show, I’m not sure what it’s called, but it just looks so weird to me how some of the characters will have their hair down and their hairstyles are so modernized? Like that really takes me out of my immersion? I have been thinking of getting into Reign, too, but the dresses and the hair also seem so strange to me. Reign is mostly a drama show, and while I can find enjoyment in the more fantasy-esque vibe and making it their own, I think I still like a resemblance of historical accuracy even if the writing is far from accurate of a person’s life. For turn, I don’t really have any issues. I think I get more annoyed by inconsistent writing, honestly.

       I do kind of wish turn took more inspiration from Historical!Abe, because I think the fandom would’ve liked him way, way more.

[script-a-world]

hi, any advice on timeline and era etc stuff? I have dyscalculia so numbers and measurements are meaningless to me and it’s really difficult to figure out how much time should lapse (on a large scale; time periods, millennia, eras, etc, not stuff like in one persons lifespan) between eras and events, especially in regards to political n social n technological etc changes

Feral: That depends. There isn’t one answer. You’re asking for longer time periods than a generation or a lifetime, but for scale, take what’s happening now. How many calamities, major political events, social trends, and changes in technology (and how we interact with it) have happened in the year 2020? Since the year 2016? Since 2008? Since 2001? How are they grouped together or spaced apart? And these are all working on each other. In the USA where I live, the 9/11 attacks absolutely have a direct causal effect with the politics that led to the 2016 election (actually before that a Supreme Court decision in the 2000 election also had an impact on that result), and the results of the 2016 election impacted how COVID has been handled this year. That’s 20 years, so when we’re looking at longer timeframes, we scale up. We see gaps and groupings and there just isn’t a specific “oh every decade/score/century, these types of events happen.”

To quote a particularly relevant introduction on Wikipedia:

This results in descriptive abstractions that provide convenient terms for periods of time with relatively stable characteristics. However, determining the precise beginning and ending to any ‘period’ is often arbitrary, since it has changed over time over the course of history.

To the extent that history is continuous and not generalized, all systems of periodization are more or less arbitrary. Yet without named periods, however clumsy or imprecise, past time would be nothing more than scattered events without a framework to help us understand them.

Eras, of the non-geological or -cosmological sort, or time periods are culturally determined, completely variable in length, and often overlap. For example, the beginning of the Victorian Era, 64 years, (defined by Victoria’s rule of England) of the Anglo-influenced world overlapped with the Antebellum Era, 78 years, (defined by political and social tensions in the lead up to the American Civil War) of the United States, which is also part of the Anglo-influenced world, and then following the end of the Antebellum Era, was the American Civil War, 4 years, and then the Reconstruction Era, 14 years (the first 2 of which are within the Civil War), which are both fully contained within the Victorian Era. Typically, when you are trying to think about eras, think about political rulership, wars, and large scale trends like artistic styles. It may also be helpful to familiarize yourself with the Three-Age System, which can be applied individually on cultures, rather describing trends for the whole world.

What it really comes down to when we think of eras and time periods is almost like a type of pareidolia. People see groupings of like things happening and put this grouping into a bubble of time, which kinda doesn’t actually exist in objective reality and is more or less a group hallucination on a massive scale. It calls to mind what Zeno’s arrow might have actually been trying to describe - not to say that this paradox is infallible, but it’s an interesting thought exercise, especially once you get into the quantum Zeno effect.

Now that I have fully diverged from the question at hand, we’ll get back to it. Let’s look at one technology type and how much time elapses between developments as well as some tie-in technological, social, and political forces that may be acting on the developments or that the developments might be acting on. I’ll also note how this technology traverses the eras of history as I find that looking at one discrete set over time is easier than just trying to look at the big picture. Let’s look at the history of printing.

(With hopes that it will be easier for you to conceptualize, I will use simplified (aka rounded up/down) timeframes written numerically rather than spelled out or via terms like decade or century so at the very least you can compare length of numbers. I’m also going to link as many Wikipedia articles as I can - I like Wikipedia for this because of its incredible cross-indexing and how it strings relevant articles together into a series, often chronologically. If the numbers are still challenging for you, I will summarize without at the end.)

5,520 years ago, the very first form of printing we know about is done with cylinders rolled over wet clay in Sumer in 3500 BCE, the beginning of the Early Bronze Age.

3,700 years later, woodblock printing is developed in China somewhere around 200 CE/AD, just after the end of the Pax Romana in Europe.

700 years later, the next development of printing is movable type, which is developed in China in 1040. 26 years later, on the other side of the world, in 1066 is the Battle of Hastings and the establishment of the Norman Era of rulership in England, in another 20 years, in 1086, the Domesday Book is hand written in 2 volumes: 1 is 764 8”x15” pages, the other 900 8”x11” pages.

400 years later gives us the Gutenburg printing press that is developed in Germany (at the time in the Holy Roman Empire) in 1440. This is during the Renaissance Era; it’s also the Era of Humanism, and often called the Early Modern Period. Martin Luther will write the 95 Theses less than 80 years later and start the Protestant Reformation, largely thanks to the ability for the theses to be easily copied by the printing press and spread quickly.

75 years later we have etching in 1515. 90 years later, the first weekly “true” newspaper, the Relation, begins printing in 1604.

130 years later we have mezzotint in 1642, which is the start of the First English Civil War, which will last for 4 years. Depending on your preference, the Age of Enlightenment either began 5 years before or 40 years later (unless you’re French).

130 years later we have aquatint in 1772. That is right at the beginning of the American Revolution: 2 years after the Boston Massacre; 1 year before the Boston Tea Party; 2 years before the Intolerable Acts and the First Continental Congress; 3 years before Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” Speech (which is printed and shared across the colonies), Paul Revere’s Ride, and the Battle of Lexington & Concord; and finally 4 years before Thomas Paine’s Common Sense is published, the signing of the Declaration of Independence (which is printed and shared across the colonies), Nathan Hale’s execution for treason against the Crown, and Washington’s Crossing of the Delaware.

25 years later lithography is developed in 1796; the year prior Napoleon overthrows le Directoire.

40 years later we have chromolithography in 1837, the year Victoria ascends and the first electric/battery powered locomotive is invented.

5 years later is the rotary press in 1843. The First Industrial Revolution is over.

15 years later is the hectograph in 1860. 1 year later, the American Civil War begins.

15 years later is offset printing in 1875. 1 year before, the first commercial typewriter becomes available. 1 year later is Bell and Watson’s first phone call in 1876.

10 years later is hotmetal typing in 1884.

1 year later is the mimeograph in 1885. 2 years later is Black Monday. 5-10 years later the radio is invented.

20 years later is the photostat and rectigraph in 1907.

4 years later is screen printing in 1911. 3 years later WWI begins in 1914.

10 years later is the spirit duplicator in 1923. The Roaring Twenties.

2 years later is dot matrix printing in 1925. 4 years later is the Great Crash.

10 years later is xerography in 1938, the same year as the first digital computer. 1 year later WWII begins in 1939.

2 years later is spark printing in 1940. 1 year later is the Attack on Pearl Harbor.

9 years later is phototypesetting in 1949. The USSR detonates their first atomic bomb.

1 year later is inkjet printing in 1950. Truman orders the development of the hydrogen bomb. Apartheid becomes law in South Africa.

7 years later is dye-sublimation in 1957. 6 years later, Martin Luther King, Jr. gives his “I Have a Dream” Speech.

12 years later is laser printing in 1969, the summer of which is known for very Very.

3 years later is thermal printing in 1972. The break-in at the Watergate Office Building is this same year and 2 years later Nixon resigns.

14 years later is 3D printing in 1986, the year Pixar Animation is founded and the year after the beginning of the Iran-Contra Affair.

1 year later is solid ink printing in 1987. 2 years later is the invention of the World Wide Web, and the internet as we know it.

4 years later is digital printing in 1991, the same year the USSR dissolved. 2 years before, the Berlin Wall fell.

There have been no significant developments in the history of printing since 1991.

So, let’s look at some averages to help us consume this data. Printing has a history of 5,520 years. It took 3,700 years for another development to occur, and then another 700 years after that - in other words, in the first 4,400 years of printing, there were 3 developments, equalling to an average of 1 every 1,470 years. In the 400 years between 1440 and 1843,  there were 7 developments (average of 1 every 57 years). In the next 100 years between 1860 and 1957, there were 14 developments (average of 1 every 7 years but with 1 year having 2 developments simultaneously). In the next 22 years between 1969 and 1991, there were 5 developments (average of 1 every 4 years).

While the general trend is that the more a technology develops, the faster it develops, a trend is not the whole picture. Consider: in the 90 years of 1796-1885, there were 6 developments, making the average 1 every 15 years. In the 85 years of 1907-1991, there were 15 developments, making the average 1 every 6 years. There has not been a development in the past 30 years! There hasn’t been this large of a gap since 1837, 180 years ago.

In general, without numbers, what I think we can see here is that sometimes a certain development, like the printing press, can usher in a new era, and sometimes reactions to what else is happening in the world can pressure someone into developing something new, but often times, most times, when you look at just one thing under microscope over time, why that thing is produced in this era but not that era has nothing to do with the eras in question. When we create time periods, we’re generally doing it after the fact. No one living under the rule of the Roman Empire in 100 CE was thinking to themselves, “ah yes, the Pax Romana, when we have peace for 200 years!”

So applying all of this to worldbuilding, I see two methods that you can use together, to create a timeline that makes sense and is useful to your storytelling.

Method the first, arbitrarily create time bubbles of various lengths - I recommend the use of index cards for this. Index card A is 7 years; card B is 150 years; card C is 47 years and so on. Then take big ideas and put those onto your cards; use inspiration from real history. “I want the War of the Roses but condensed into 7 years.” “A Mongolian Empire type expansion happens over 150 years.” “There’s a 47 year Renaissance of fascination with Ancient History.” Then take those cards, lay them out into roughly the order in which you want them to occur, maybe overlap them a little, especially if they are happening in different parts of your world. Remember that time is not actually linear and things do not happen in a linear, narrative manner in the real world, so there can be wild leaps; there can be regressions; and you don’t have to follow real world history here - though you may want to the first time as a helpful exercise. It’s also very unlikely that you will ever have to know exactly how many years are between the eras or what the interstitial eras are.

Method the second, list all the major historical events, inventions, etc that you want/need to have happened. Start with what directly impacts your main characters and plot. “MC’s great-grandfather is humiliatingly defeated in battle, casting a pall of embarrassment across the generations following and ultimately putting the MC in the position that she starts in.” “The first great wizard codifies the 10 Laws of the Important Magical Order that the MC is trying to earn her place in.” Put these in an order that makes sense to you, keeping in mind that it’s not going to be a perfect progression. Again, you don’t need to know how many years there are between each event, but if great-grandpa was the last in a very long line of family members allowed to be in the Important Magical Order, then that IMO had to be founded first, and there would probably be some events between these two.

Then, when you have your two timelines, one of era/time periods and one of events, graft them together. You may have to shift some things to make it work, but consider the “feeling” or theme of the eras and what events make sense in relation to those feelings. Additionally would this event be more suited to happening when the era is new and is finding itself or when the era is solidly on course or is it an event that would completely shatter the illusion of the era and usher in a new one? Does it make sense for your great wizard to be codifying her laws in the expansion of an empire, or during a period of relative peace and prosperity in an established empire, or before empires were a thing in this world and few traveled far from home?

Tex: I’ve found that historically important events are caused for roughly two reasons - one, an invention that others capitalize on for an exponential growth into other inventions/social uses, and two, someone got sick of someone else’s crap and did something about it. Natural disasters will happen with enough frequency to be noted (see: the Little Ice Age, the Black Death, and the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa), although there’s little prediction for them because of the lack of observable build up in activity.

To pull from Feral’s timeline of examples, writing is popularly attributed to being invented in Sumer, 5,520 years ago - it’s our oldest found example, at any rate, though I’ve learned to never say never on archaeological discoveries.

What prompted this invention? Things rarely occur out of the blue, and rarely without interaction from other domains - where could writing have come from? Maybe art? What about from the creation of a tool, a reuse of certain skill sets? Something else we haven’t thought of yet?

So that’s one half of the question. But what about the other half - what did people around the inventor (multiple inventors?) think of this new thing? Deliberately associating a particular sound with a particular object - even a 2D object like pressing shapes into a piece of clay - and then standardizing it, is no mean feat. How did this agreement even happen? Were there arguments about how to do these graphemes, how best to shape them? What about which phoneme to each?

I doubt Sumerian cuneiform was created in a day, and likewise I doubt that language popped into existence on a whim. To keep pulling from this example, language composition has a strong effect on how we interact with our environment (University of Missouri-St Louis Libraries), but it conversely is also deeply affected by the environment its users create (Nature).

Because of this, I think it’s easier to work from a different angle - figure out what your major events are, and what eras you’re covering. If these major events also define an era, that’s even better! Working out how long everything each thing takes is ultimately a bunch of minor details, so it’s up to you how much your plot actively needs them, rather than decoration to your story meant to amuse you more than your audience.

[loveforpreserumsteve]

End of the Line (Pre-Serum Alpha!Steve and Pregnant Omega!Bucky Modern Bus Trip A/B/O AU)

Six:

Once the items were paid for, Steve took the bags and welcomed the way Maisie took his hand in hers. Fondly smiling down at the little girl while giving her hand a squeeze. Bucky knew that his heart shouldn't be stuttering the way it was from such a casual act of kindness, yet he had no control over the way his body reacted to it. Instead, Bucky directed his attention to his son. Biting back his grin, Bucky took Noah's hand and followed the alpha to the bus. They weren't the first ones to return, and with every passenger they passed, the more self-conscious Bucky became.

When they finally reached their seats, Bucky leaned towards Steve and quietly asked, "Can you hand me the concealer?"

"Oh, yeah!" Steve assured, searching through the bags until he found the item and discreetly handed it to Bucky with a sweet smile on his handsome face.

Handsome? Bucky internally questioned himself, blushing as he took the makeup to the bathroom in the back of the bus.

Opening the packaging, Bucky removed the tube and took in a deep breath. This was nothing new. Sure, Brock usually tried to keep his blows to areas that weren't typically visible, like with the bruising on his left shoulder. But there were always times when he lost all control over where his hits landed. Especially after Bucky stopped working and focused on being a stay at home father. Especially whenever Bucky interfered and attempted to protect his children.

Using the small wand applicator, Bucky swiped the makeup on the bruise. It wasn't too tender, but Bucky still had to fight from wincing. Making sure to blend it in the best he could. Did it hide the black eye completely? No. But it did make it less noticeable, and that was all Bucky could currently ask for.

Reaching for the door, a sharp pain struck through his abdomen. Bucky's hands immediately dropped down to his baby bump as he gasped for a breath. Having been through this twice before, Bucky knew that his body was preparing for the upcoming birth. But did it have to be so shocking and uncomfortable as it did so? Couldn't he get a pass since he'd been through this already? His body knew what to do, it'd be nice if it acted like it.

Inhaling and exhaling a bit too shaky for his liking, Bucky finally exited the small restroom. Rubbing his hand soothingly over his belly, Bucky carefully made his way down the aisle to his seat. Surprised to find his babies sitting quietly, buckled in, and coloring in the learning coloring books.

"You gotta teach me that trick," Bucky teased. Easing himself into the aisle seat across from Steve's and beside Maisie, watching as she held crayons in her left hand and a half-eaten granola bar in her right. Content pup wafting in the air, causing Bucky to breathe a little easier.

"They're good kids," Steve shrugged, eating a granola bar and offering one to Bucky as the bus started moving.

Gladly accepting it, Bucky decided to try and learn some more about this odd alpha. "So, why bus? Why not fly?"

"Afraid of flying," Steve effortlessly confessed before amending, "Well, fear of falling. You?"

"Too pregnant?" Bucky giggled, rubbing over his baby bump. Although it was true, Bucky was sure that Steve could understand that a plane trip would've been far too expensive for Bucky and his pups. "What's in New York for you?"

"Home," Steve answered, glancing over at Bucky, "You?"

"Sister," Bucky replied. Wondering aloud, "What brought you to Phoenix then?"

Blushing, Steve crumpled up his empty wrapper and confessed, "A comic book convention."

"Really?" Bucky widely grinned, growing even more fascinated with this man by the minute. Especially with them having something in common. Teasing, "Did you dress up?"

"Uh, no," Steve good-naturedly scoffed, fidgeting in his seat. Looking embarrassed, but Bucky couldn't be completely positive. Plus, he might enjoy how cute Steve was when his ears were red and he bashfully kept his gaze off Bucky. Especially when he decided to look over at Noah's picture in an attempt to not look at Bucky.

"Why that con? Surely there had to be one closer," Bucky asked, taking a bite of the mixed berry granola bar.

"It was, um," Steve thickly swallowed, glancing at the passengers further up in the bus, "It was for work."

"For work?" Bucky's brows furrowed, finishing off the bar and melting when Steve handed him another one without either having to speak.

Steve nodded his confirmation, but didn't say anything else on the matter. Deep down, Bucky knew that he shouldn't push. Steve had been good to him and his children so far, and he didn't want to ruin a good thing. But, he clearly still hadn't learned his lesson as he asked, "What kind of work?"

Worrying his lower lip, it was obvious that Steve was debating over answering. Then, with a deep sigh, Steve ran his hand through his golden blond hair. Mussing the strands attractively, Steve admitted, "Press. I'm a comic book artist."

"No shit?" Bucky questioned, intrigued. Before, of course, remembering that his very impressionable pups were there. Glancing at each of them to make sure that they weren't paying attention, and glad that they weren't, Bucky returned his gaze to Steve. Grinning, "Anything I've heard of?"

"I guess that depends," Steve softly chuckled, relaxing in his seat. Looking over at Bucky, and causing the little one to kick at his insides as Steve teased, "You a comic book fan, Buck?"

"You could say that," Bucky bit back his grin; perhaps enjoying the nickname a bit too much for just meeting this man and essentially knowing virtually nothing about him. Wanting to know more, Bucky lead into the aisle and pleaded, "C'mon, spill."

Rubbing his impressively large hand over his face, Steve finally shared, "Striped Crusader."

"Shut up!" Bucky exclaimed a little too loudly. Earning some glares from the other passengers and a quiet, "That's a no-no phrase," from Maisie, Bucky attempted to hide away in his seat.

"So, you've heard of it," Steve mocked, fighting a smile, and failing.

"Heard of it," Bucky good-humoredly scoffed as he looked over at Steve. One of the most talented comic book artist of their generation, and Bucky's personal favorite artist of his favorite comic book was sitting across from him. He couldn't believe it, and, in an attempt to convince himself, lamely stated, "You're S.G. Rogers."

Playfully, Steve brought his finger to his own lips and winked conspiratorially. Utterly star-struck that he was having a conversation with his -- dare Bucky say it -- idol. More than that, finding that such a talented and influential man was kind and charitable, was the cherry on top.

But of course, S.G. Rogers would be the compassionate human being that sat across from Bucky.  He did, after all, draw for a comic book series that dealt with social injustices with care while offering hope for the future. Not to mention that the lead character, Nathan Hale, the Star-Spangled Avenger, was an alpha who fought against Nazi scientist. Growing up, that character meant a lot to Bucky as a Jewish boy in Indiana. Made him want to be just like the inspiring alpha. Even after he designated as an omega, because he looked up to Nathan's omega partner, Willie Samuels, even more. And even though Steve was relatively new to that series, Bucky could confidently say that the last five years was the best run yet.

"I'm just a regular guy," Steve wearily reminded.

"Right," Bucky agreed, but shook his head as he corrected, "You're not though. You're better."

Steve's grin softened around the edges as his sky-blue eyes locked with Bucky's. Chest clenching at just how thankful he was to be traveling with Steve. Not because he was the award winning artist, but because he was a good alpha, a good man. And a little twinge in the back of his head didn't want this trip to end.

[regretless-spy-and-culper-master]

Nathan: This looks neat! Hello lovely people of the internet, ask aaay!

Ben: you know what to do. Just tell Mun here if you want modern au or historical.

— SHIP QUESTIONS

PRE-RELATIONSHIP

How did they first meet?

What was their first impression of each other?

Did any of their friends or family want them to get together?

Who felt romantic feelings first?

Did either of them try to resist their feelings?

If you had told one of them that the other would be their soulmate, what would they think?

What would their lives be like if they had never met?

GENERAL

Who initiated the relationship, and how did it go?

Did they have an official first date? If so, what was it like?

What was their first kiss like?

Were they each other’s first anything (kiss, relationship, etc.)?

What’s their height difference? Age difference?

What’s their relationship with each other’s families?

Who takes the lead in social situations?

Who gets jealous easier?

Who whispers inappropriate things in the other’s ear?

LOVE

Who said “I love you” first?

What are their primary love languages?

Who uses cheesy pick-up lines?

How often do they cuddle/engage in PDA?

Who initiates kisses?

Who’s the big and little spoon?

What are their favorite things to do together?

Who’s better at comforting the other?

Who’s more protective?

Do they prefer verbal or physical affection?

What are some songs that apply to their relationship, in-universe or otherwise?

What kind of nicknames do they call each other?

Who remembers the little things?

DOMESTIC LIFE

If they get married, who proposes?

What’s the wedding like? Who attends?

How many kids do they have, if any? What are they like?

Do they have any pets?

Who’s the stricter parent?

Who worries the most?

Who kills the bugs in the house?

How do they celebrate holidays?

Who’s more likely to convince the other to come back to sleep in the morning?

Who’s the better cook?

Who likes to dance?

[queenofangrymoths]

Book Log of 2019

I kept a record of how many books I read in 2019. I liked most of them so I would recommend you give any of them or read.

So on with the list! If it has an X next to it then it means I didn’t finish reading it. 

#1: Warcross by Marie Lu.

#2: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi.

#3: Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix by Julie C. Dao.

#4: Bruja Born by Zoraida Córdova.

#5: A Thousand Beginnings and Endings by Roshani Chokshi, Alyssa Wong, Lori M. Lee, Sona Charaipotra, Aliette De Bodard, E. C. Myres, Aisha Saeed, Preeti Chhibber, Renée Ahdieh, Rahul Kanakia, Melissa De La Cruz, Elsie Chapman, Shveta Thakrar, Cindy Pon, and Julie Kagawa.

#6: The 57 Bus by Daska Slater

#7: The Dark Descent Of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kristen White.

#8: Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

9#: Broken Things by Lauren Oliver.

10# The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

11# A Study In Charlotte by Arthur Doyle

12# Simon Vs The Homo sapiens agenda by Becky Albertalli

13# The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

14# Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

15# The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

16# Carry On by Rainbow Rowel

17# Teen Trailblazers, 30 fearless girls who changed the world before they were 20 by Jennifer Calvert

18# Evermore by Sara Holland

19# The White Stag by Kara Barbieri

20# One Dark Throne by Kendra’s Blake

21# Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

22# A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney

23# King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo X

24# Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

25# The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson

26# Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

27# Mythology by Edith Hamilton

28# Percy Jackson Greek Gods by Rick Riordan 

29# Two Can Keep A Secret by Karen M McManus

30# The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

31# Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

32# Superman: Dawnbreaker by Matt De La Peña

33# The Phantom of The Opera by Gaston Leroux

34# Roseblood by A.G Howard X

35# Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J Maas

36# Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

37# Velvet Undercover by Teri Brown

38# Through The Woods by Emily Caroll

39# The Wicked Deep by Shes Ernshaw

40# Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

41# Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

42# Where She Fell by Kaitlin Ward

43# Modern Herstory: Stories Of Women and non binary people rewriting history by Blair Imani

44# White Rabbits by Caleb Roehrig

45# To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee Adapted by Fred Fordham

46# Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

47# Ever The Hunted by Erin Summeril

48# Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte

49# Lost Souls, Be At Peace by Maggie Thrash

50# Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash

51# The Giver by Lois Lowry adapted by P.Craig Russell

52# My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand. Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

53# What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera X

54# An Assassin’s Guide to Love & Treason by Virginia Boecker

55# The Count Of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas adapted by Nokman Poon and Crystal S. Chan

56# The Fellowship Of The Ring by J.R.R Tolkien

57# What is someone I know is gay? By Eric Marcus X

58# Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig

59# The Two Towers by J.R.R Tolkien

60# The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien X

61# The Return of The King by J.R.R Tolkien

62# Lafayette by Nathan Hale

63# Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

64# We should all be feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

65# The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson

66# Frankenstein by Mary Shelly

67# Norton Volume Of English Literature

68# Beowulf by Unknown

69# The General Prologue by Chaucer

70# 20/20 by Linda Brewer

71# Always in Spanish by Agosim

72# The First Day by Edward P. Jones

73# Bullet in the Brain by Tobias Wolff

74# Writing Fiction by Burroway

75# Murderers by Leonard Michaels

76# Greatness Strikes Where It Pleases by Lars Gustaffson

77# Cathedral by Raymond Carver

78# A Conversation with My Father by Grace Paley

79# Gooseberries by Anton Chekhov

80# The Lives of the Dead by Tim O’Brien

81# Head, Heart by Lydia Davis

82# Richard Cody by Edwin Arlington Robinson

83# “Out- Out-“ by Robert Frost

84# The Ruined Maid by Thomas Hardy

85# I wandered lonely as a cloud by William Wordsworth

86# Poem by Frank O’Hara

87# On being brought from Africa to America by Phillis Wheatley

88# On her loving two equally by Aphra Behn

89# Because you asked about the line between Prose and Poetry by Howard Nemerov

90# Ars Poetica by Archibald MacLeish

91# Ars Poetica? By Czeslaw Milosz

92# Ars Poetica #100: I believe by Elizabeth Alexander

93# Poetry by Marianne Moode

94# “Poetry makes nothing happen”? By Julia Alvarez

95# Introduction to Poetry by Billy Collins

96# In Memory Of W.B. Yates by W. H. Auden

97# The kind of man I am at the DMV by Stacey Waite

98# The Changeling by Judith Oritez Carer

99# Going to war by Richard Lovelace

100# To the Ladies by Mary, Lady Chudleigh

101# Exchanging Hats by Elizabeth Bishop

102# History Of Ireland Volume 1 by Lecky X

103# A Modern History of Ireland by E. Norman X

104# The Tempest by William Shakespeare

105# Gender by Lisa Wade & Myra Marx Ferree

106# Trifles by Susan Glaspell

107# The Shroud by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

108# King of the Bingo Game by Ralph Ellison

109# Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin

110# Fences by August Wilson

111# Where are you going, where have you been? By Joyce Carol Oates

112# Daddy by Sylvia Plath

113# What is our life? By Walter Raleigh

114# May I compare thee to a midsummer day? By William Shakespeare

115# The love song of J. Alfred Prufruock by T. S. Eliot

116# À unr passante by Charles Baudelaire

117# In a station of the metro by Ezra Pound

118# The Fog by Carl Sandburg

119# The Yellow Fog by T.S. Eliot

120# On first looking into Chapman’s Homer by John Keats

121# the Road Not Taken by Robert Frisr

122# Paradise Lost  Book 1 & 10 by John Milton X

123# The Victory Lap by George Saunders

124# The Tempest by William Shakespeare

125# The Vanity Of Human Wishes by Samuel Johnson

126# Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

127# When to Her Lute Corinna Sings by Thomas Campion

128# Sir Patrick Spens by Anonymous

129# Ballad of Birmingham by Dudley Randall

130# A Prayer, Living and Dying by Augustus Montague Toplady

131# Homage to the Empress of the Blues by Robert Hayden

132# The Times They Are A-Changin’ *

133# Listening to Bob Dylan, 2005!by Linda Pastan

134# Hip Hop by Mos Deff

135# Elvis in the Inner City by Jose B. Gonzalez

136# Acquainted with the Night by Robert Frost*

137# Terza Roma by Richard Wilbur

138# Stanza from The Eve of St. Agnes by John Keats

139# Stanza from His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell

140# Stanza from Sound and Sense by Alexander’s Pope

141# Stanza from The Word Plum by Helen Chasin

142# Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas

143# Myth by Natasha Trethewey

144# Sestina by Elizabeth Bishop

145# Sestina: Like by A.E. Stallings

146# l)a by E.E Cummings

147# Buffalo Bill by E.E Cummings

148# Easter Wings by George Herbert

149# Women by May Swenson

150# Upon the breeze she spread her golden hair by Franceso Petrarch

151# My lady’s presence makes the roses red by Henry Constance

152# My mistress’s eyes are nothing like the sun by William Shakespeare

153# Not marble, nor the gilded monuments by William Shakespeare

154# Let me no to the marriage of true minds by William Shakespeare

155# When I consider how my light is spent by John Milton

156# Nuns Fret Not by William Wordsworth

157# The world is too much with us by William Wordsworth

158# Do I love thee? By Elizabeth Barrett Browning

159# In an Artist’s Studio by Christina Rossetti

160# What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why by Edna St. Vincent Millay

161# Women have loved before as I love now by Edna St. Vincent Millay

162# I, being born a woman and distressed by Edna St. Vincent Millay

163# I will put Chaos in fourteen lines by Edna St. Vincent Millay

164# First Fight. Then Fiddle by Gwendolyn Brooks

165# In the Park by Gwen Harwood

166# Something Like a Sonnet for Phillis Miracle Wheatley by June Jordan

167# Sonnet by Billy Collins

168# Dim Lights by Harryette Mullen

169# Redefininy Realmess by Janet Mock

170# Lusus Naturae by Margaret Atwood

171# The House Of Asterion by Jorge Luis Borges

172# Death Fuge by Michael Hamburger

173# Clifford’s Place by Jamel Bickerly

174# We are seven by William Wordsworth

175# Lines written in early spring by William Wordsworth

176# Expostulation and Reply by William Wordsworth

177# The Tables Turned by William Wordsworth

178# Lines by William Wordsworth

179# Recitatif by Toni Morrison

180# Volar by Judith Ortiz Cofer

181# The Management Of Grief by Bharati Mukherjee

182# Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

183# Jesus Saves by David Sedaris

184# Disabled by Wilfred Owen

185# My Father’s Garden by David Wagoner

186# Practicing by Marie Howe

187# O my pa-pa by Bob Hicok

189# Mr. T- by Terrance Hayes

190# Late Aubade by James Richardson

191# Carp Poem by Terrance Hayes

192# Pilgrimage by Natasha Trethewey

193# Tu Do Street by Yuaef Lomunyakaa

194# Diving into the Wreck by Adrienne Rich

195# Elena by Pat Mora

196# Gentle Communion by Pat Mora

197# Mothers & Daughters by Pat Mora

198# La Migra by Pat Mora

199# Ode to Adobe by Pat Mora

200# Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy

201# The Silken Tent by Robert Frost

202# Metaphors by Sylvia Plath

203# The Vine by James Thomsen

204# Questions by May Swenson

205# A Just Man by Attila József

206# the norton anthology of world literature

207# Pan’s Labyrinth by Gullernio de Toro and Cornelia Funke Xw

208# The prince and the dressmaker by Jen Wang

209# Rejected Princesses: Tales of History's Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Heretics by Jason Porath

210# The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

[regretless-spy-and-culper-master]

Asks are open! Please feel free to send them along. (Please say if you want it canon time or modern au. Angst and feels asks are always fun.)

Also feel free to send ideas for posts / drawings / fanfictions etc.

[tabloidtoc]

TV Guide, December 21-January 3

Cover: Mayim Bialik stars in the new comedy Call Me Kat

Page 1: Contents, Ask Matt -- The Outsider, Coroner, Transplant, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire 

Page 2: Win an autographed Supernatural poster, plus order Supernatural prints for your home, Your Feedback, Coming Next Issue -- 2021′s exciting entertainment possibilities such as Ted Danson in The Mayor and returning favorites like The Witcher and Prodigal Son 

Page 4: The Years in Cheers and Jeers 

Page 6: Matt Roush’s Top 10 of 2020 -- Mrs. America, Schitt’s Creek, The Crown, The West Wing/The Trial of the Chicago 7, Perry Mason, Upload/The Good Place, Fargo, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Hamilton, The Last Dance 

Page 8: Cover Story -- Mayim Bialik takes the lead on the new sitcom Call Me Kat her first major role since The Big Bang Theory and along for the ride: some friendly felines 

Page 9: Catching up with the rest of The Big Bang Theory cast -- Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Kunal Nayyar, Simon Helberg, Melissa Rauch 

Page 10: A Fond Farewell -- we remember the stars and behind-the-scenes talent who left us in 2020 

Page 14: Captain Jack is back -- fan favorite John Barrowman returns to save the world again in the Doctor Who holiday special 

Page 16: What’s Worth Watching -- Week 1 -- David Hyde Pierce on Frasier 

Page 17: Monday, December 21 -- Everybody Loves Raymond, The Incredible Dr. Pol, The Bachelorette, Greatest Holiday Commercials Countdown 2020, Dr. Pimple Popper: Season’s Squeezings, Tuesday, December 22 -- Live With Kelly and Ryan with Mariah Carey and Alanis Morissette, Matlock, Next series finale, The Curse of Oak Island, Let’s Make a Deal Primetime 

Page 18: Wednesday, December 23 -- Buddy Valastro: Road to Recovery, General Hospital, Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, Christmas at the Castle, The Misery Index, Hart to Hart 

Page 19: Thursday, December 24 -- It’s a Wonderful Life, 24 Hours of A Christmas Story, Scrooge, Meet John Doe, Father Knows Best, The Bold and the Beautiful, Christmas Eve Mass 

Page 20: Friday, December 25 -- Helen George on Call the Midwife Holiday Special, Carol Burnett and Friends, Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Celebration with Tori Kelly and Julianne Hough and Tituss Burgess, Live Rescue: Top 20 Moments of 2020, Surprising Santa Claus 

Page 21: Saturday, December 26 -- Doctor Who Takeover, A Year in Music

Page 22: Sunday, December 27 -- Paula Abdul on The Masked Dancer, A Winter Preview-Land, Lucy Worsley’s 12 Days of Tudor Christmas, Your Honor, Modern Family 

Page 23-37: TV Listings 

Page 38: Stream It! Your Guide to the Very Best Streaming Available Now -- Netflix -- The Midnight Sky, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Bridgerton, Leaving Soon -- The West Wing, The Office 

Page 39: Prime Video -- Yearly Departed, The Affair, Hulu -- New Year’s plans gone wrong -- Absolutely Fabulous, Designing Women, How I Met Your Mother, Frasier

Page 40: New Movie Releases 

Page 41: Series, Specials and Documentaries 

Page 42: What’s Worth Watching -- Week 2 -- Erin Napier on Home Town 

Page 43: Monday, December 28 -- His Dark Materials, Atlanta Justice, Tuesday, December 29 -- Laura Ingalls Wilder: Prairie to Page, 7 Little Johnstons, Streets of Dreams With Marcus Lemonis

Page 44: Wednesday, December 30 -- The Godfather Marathon, Heroes on the Front Line, Married at First Sight: Season 12 Matchmaking Special, True Conviction, The Big Bang Theory 

Page 45: Thursday, December 31 -- New Year’s Eve marathons -- The Twilight Zone, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Homeland, Quantum Leap, Three’s Company, Countdown to 2021 -- Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin Eve with Ryan Seacrest and Lucy Hale and Billy Porter, Fox’s New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast 2021 with Ken Jeong and Joel McHale, New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen, United in Song: Celebrating the Resilience of America with Josh Groban and Yo-Yo Ma and Audra McDonald and Renee Fleming and Patti LaBelle, NBC’s New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly and Amber Ruffin and Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani 

Page 46: Friday, January 1 -- Michelle Visage on RuPaul’s Drag Race, TCM’s New Year Comedies, The Rose Parade’s New Year’s Celebration, Law & Order, Self-Made Mansions

Page 47: Saturday, January 2 -- Critical Thinking, Kindred Spirits, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Sunday, January 3 -- Elizabeth Is Missing, Batman, Jimmy Carter Rock and Roll President 

Page 48: Sunday, January 3 -- Nathan Fillion on The Rookie, The Watch, Last Man Standing

Page 49-68: TV Listings 

[dcbutinamrev]

hello i come in peace, bearing gifts of a lams prompt

hear me out

modern au

john and alex are like really close friends—close to the level of hugging constantly, holding hands, cuddling on the couch—but not together. so one day they’re hanging with The Gang (tm) and one of the boys dares the two to kiss or something idk it’s up to you. & so basically they do the thing and discover that through their years of being friends they were really harboring feelings for each other the whole time, but didn’t realize it until just then.

ending’s up to you i couldn’t think of one. though i wouldn’t say no to it getting a little heated /hj

Ah! I love this one! This is gonna be so cute and fluffy! As always, ask and ya shall recieve!

***

Hamilton stands by his locker, swinging it open and exchanging his class supplies for his next period. He stares at the pictures inside his locker, of his mother and his older brother, James whom he misses dearly. Hamilton frowns at those, staring at his mother as she smiles back at him and therefore causing Hamilton to smile as well. Just a little.

Hamilton sighs to himself as he glances at the other photos before him ones of with his longtime, best friend John Laurens and their other friends: Benjamin Tallmadge, Tench Tilghman, Richard Kidder Meade, and Nathan Hale along with the Schuyler Sisters: Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy. Or as Hamilton would sometimes refer to them as just "The Sisters". Hamilton feels a small smile tugging on his lips before closing the locker door shut and turns around on his heels with his textbooks in his arms.

He yelps with surprise when he turns around to find Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy standing before him. Hamilton smiles sheepishly as the Sisters burst out laughing, rolling his eyes.

"Guys," Hamilton says as the four of them begin to walk down the halls. "What did I tell you about sneaking up on me like that? You know I could have accidentally punched you in the face, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, we know, Hammy," Peggy says, patting Hamilton's shoulder. "Lafayette taught you everything you need to know about self defense."

"He did," Hamilton sighs, glancing at the floor between his feet. Hamilton's chest squeezes as he misses his older foster brother, Marquis de Lafayette, dearly. He flew to France for college a month or so ago. Hamilton and Lafayette have a pretty special brotherly bond with each other and have never been truly seperated before. Until now.

"Aw, cheer up, Alex!" Angelica says, slinging her arm around Hamilton’s shoulders while sipping on her coffee. “He’ll be back for Thanksgiving and Christmas!” 

“I know,” Hamilton mumbles. 

“You did complete that essay Mr. Washington had assigned us, right, Alex?” Eliza says. 

“Of course, I did! You know me, Betsey. I’m nonstop!” Hamilton laughs. 

Eliza blushes at the nickname and nods. Hamilton notices this and smirks, winking at Eliza. 

“Alex!” shouts a familiar southern voice. 

The four look up instantly and Hamilton couldn’t help but beam when he sees his closest friend, John Laurens, sprinting down the hall towards them followed by Meade, Tilghman, Tallmadge, and Hale. Hamilton embraces Laurens tightly before pulling away. Laurens grins as he slides his arm around Hamilton’s now. Hamilton purses his lips together as he blushes a deep shade of red. Almost red as his hair. 

“Hi, Jack,” Hamilton says. 

“Hey, Alex,” Laurens says. He glances around the group. “Hey, guys! Long time no see, eh?” 

The Sisters glance at each other. 

“John...we literally just saw you yesterday,” Peggy says. “At the football game.” 

“Oh,” Laurens says. “Right.” 

“So...anyone have any plans tonight?” Hale asks. 

“Why?” says Hamilton. 

“Tilghman’s having a party tonight,” Hale explains. 

“I don’t know,” Hamilton mumurs, clutching his textbooks tighter as he shifts on his feet. “You know how George is about me going to parties. Especially since Lafayette isn’t here.” 

“Aw, come on, Alexander!” Meade whines. “It’s just one party! Can’t you be a rebel for once? Come on! It’ll be fun! I mean, we’re high schoolers man! This is what high schoolers do!” 

“No,” says a new comer voice. The group turns to see Robert Hanson Harrison approaching them. Laurens grins. “High schoolers such as ourselves, go to high school, do their classes and complete their assignments on time and are responsible with their time management and classwork.” 

“Ah, Harrison,” Tallmadge says. “Always the innocent one.” 

“Come on, Alex!” Meade begs, grabbing hold of Hamilton’s sleeve. “It’s from 8-12 tonight!” 

“But school--” Hamilton protests. 

“School,” Tilghman scoffs. “John will be there!” 

Hamilton whips his head over towards Laurens. Laurens nods. 

“Ugh...okay, fine,” Hamilton groans. “Just one party.” 

“Perfect!” Laurens chirps. “Pick you up at, Ham! Sharp!” 

“Just don’t drink though, John,” Hamilton says. “I can’t drive yet. I still don’t have my lisence...” 

“Dammit!” Laurens groans. 

The group laughs, so does Hamilton himself. Laurens hugs Hamilton once, longer than Hamilton would have liked, before he releases him and heads down the hall with the boys towrads their next class. Leaving Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy and Hamilton by the lockers. Hamilton stares after Laurens as he rounds the corner, a small faint blush to his cheeks. Peggy grins and nudges her elbow into Hamilton’s ribs. 

“It looks like someone’s in love~” Peggy teases as they begin to head down the hall. 

Hamilton blushes tomato red as his dark blue eyes flow wide open, clutching his textbooks tighter to his chest. 

“What? What? No! No! Peggy, I’m not,” Hamilton protests. “I won’t say I am.” 

“Are seriously quoting Hercules?” Angelica snorts. 

“Which one? Mulligan or the movie?” Hamilton retorts. 

The four laugh at once, doubling over. Hamilton frowns as he glances up to where Laurens disappeared off too. Hamilton’s stomach flutters at the thought of going to a party with Laurens. He really hopes Washington will let him go. 

~~~ 

After English, Hamilton stays behind a little, finishing up a test question before finally packing his things and handing Washigton the finished test. Hamilton hesitates, biting his lower lip as he watches Washington scan through the test. 

“Hey, Dad?” Hamilton asks his foster father, gathering the courage to do so. 

“Yes, my boy?” Washington mumbles still flipping through the test. 

“I was wondering...if uh...if uh...if I could out with the Gang tonight...” 

Washington raises an eyebrow. 

“To a...Meade well...he wanted me to go with them to a party at Tench’s place....tonight...it’s from 8-12...” A pause. “And John will be there and you know how close John and I are...” 

“I know...” Washington says. 

“And when Gil comes back for the holidays, I’m sure he’d want to hear about the adventures I’d had while he was gone and I don’t think telling him I stayed up three nights a week working on that novel will meet his requriements...” Hamilton explains, fidgeting with his watch. “So...” 

“So...?” 

“Can I go, Dad?” Hamilton asks. 

Washington hesitates, pressing his lips together as he shuffles through the stack of papers. 

“Please, Dad! It’s only one party! I know how you are with me going to parties! And I get that Dad! Please! I want to go! I mean, John’s going to be there!” 

“Alright. Fine,” Washington sighs. “Be home by ten.” 

“But Dad--” 

“Home by ten, young man. You have school tomorrow and a presention at the end of the week. Ten.” 

Hamilton groans. “Yes, sir...” 

“Good,” Washington says. “Dismissed.” 

Hamilton storms out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him. 

~~~ 

8 PM comes quicker than Hamilton could imagine. Hamilton finally finishes the last paragraph for his presentation on PowerPoint, quickly changes into something casual yet appropraite for a party but nothing to formal, fixes his curly auburn hair into a low bun and grabs his phone before zooming out of his room. 

Hamilton grins when he hears the car honk outside the house. He rushes down the stairs, nearly stumbling over his feet, and quickly pets Martha’s tomcat named Hamilton after him, give Martha a quick kiss on the cheek and a quick side-hug from George. George and Martha both stand by the front door, watching fondly as Hamilton runs to Laurens’s car parked in the driveway. He swings the passenger side door open. 

“10 PM!” George calls. 

“I KNOW, DAD!” Hamilton retorts. 

Hamilton climbs on inside, quickly buckles himself up. 

“You ready, Alex?” Laurens asks, a grinon his face. 

“Hell, yeah!” Hamilton says. “You better not get drunk, Jack. You have to drive me home tonight.” 

“10 PM?” 

“Yep.” 

Absentindedly, Laurens threads his fingers through Hamilton’s. Hamilton grins, eyes twinkling as he squeezes Laurens’s hand in return. 

“So...what do you suppose we do when we get there?” Laurens asks. 

Hamilton shrugs. “I don’t know. I’ve never been to parties before. You know how George is, Jack.” 

Laurens nods. But that’s all. 

~~~ 

The two arrive at Tilghman’s place in less than a half hour. Laurens parks the car and instantly climbs out. Being the southern gentleman he is, Laurens opens the door for Hamilton, and holds out his arm for Hamilton. Hamilton loops his arm through Laurens and the two enter the house. 

Hamilton winces when he hears the music blaring, nearly blowing his eardrums off. Hamilton finds the Sisters and the boys by the couch in the living room. Other people mill around, laughing or making out or swimming in Tilghman’s pool or dancing or whatnot. Hamilton and Laurens sit in between Tallmadge and Hale. Laurens rests agaisnt the couch, his arm around Hamilton which causes Hamilton scoot a little closer to him so his head is on Laurens’s shoulder. 

“Okay, okay!” Peggy says, clapping her hands. “How about we do a classic! Truth or dare!” 

“Oh, I’m okay with that!” Meade says. 

“As am I,” Laurens laughs. “What about you Alex?” 

“Okay?” Hamilton says sheepishly. 

“Okay, so. John? Truth or dare?” Hale says. 

“Dare! I’m a daredevil! Give me a dare!” Laurens says. 

“Alright,” Hale says. He grins. “I dare you to kiss Alexander!” 

“What?” Hamilton and Laurens both shriek. 

“You heard him!” Meade says with a laugh. “Kiss him, Laurens!” 

Laurens glances down at Hamilton hesitantly. Hamilton’s cheeks turn red, red as his hair. Hamilton presses his lips together, eyes wide. Laurens clears his throat, scratching the back of his neck. 

“Are you uh...are you sure you want...” 

“It is a dare,” Hamilton agrees. “Might as well get it over with...” 

“Right...” Laurens says. 

Hamilton and Laurens stare at each other for what seems eternity. After a while Hamilton inches his way closer to Laurens, swallowing nervously but never taking his eyes off of Laurens’s. Laurens swallows when he feels Hamilton’s nose agaisnt Laurens’s. Their lips almost a breath apart. 

Laurens grins and so does Hamilton. Hamilton leans in closer, angling his face. Laurens’s eyes flutter close as he inches closer. Laurens and Hamilton both close their eyes at the same time, tilting their heads slightly before finally pressing their lips together. 

The boys whoop and holler, cheering Laurens on. Hamilton giggles into the kiss, cupping both of Laurens’s cheeks while Laurens slides his hands up into Hamilton’s hair. Laurens grins, deepening the kiss. Hamilton smiles agasint their lips. 

After a while, the two slowly pull apart for breath of air. Hamilton giggles as Laurens presses his forehead agaisnt Hamilton’s. 

“Wow...” Laurens breathes. “Wowzza...Wow...Wow...” 

Hamilton giggles as he looks up into Laurens’s eyes and tucks a loose strand of blonde hair behind Laurens’s ear. 

“Wow...” Laurens says shakily. “Can I kiss you again...?” 

“I didn’t say you could stop,” Hamilton says. 

Hamilton smashes his lips agaisnt Laurens’s again. Laurens happily returns the kiss. 

When they pull apart again, Hamilton giggles once more, tracing the crookk of Laurens’s jaw. 

“Hey...” Hamilton whispers. 

“Hi...” Laurens says. 

“Jack...?” Hamilton breathes. 

“Yes?” Laurens says. 

“I...I love you...” Hamilton gasps. “I love you, John...I love you...” 

Tears start to prickle in Hamilton’s eyes. Laurens grins and presses his lips to Hamilton’s once more. 

“I love you too,” Laurens says, “So much.” 

Hamilton yanks Laurens down by his shirt collar and Laurens pushes Hamilton gently down on the couch, moving his lips to Hamilton’s jaw and neck and shoulders. 

“Okay, okay!” Meade says, getting up from the couch instantly. “We didn’t ask for a live makeout session!” 

Laurens and Hamilton both chuckle. Laurens, above Hamilton, stares into Hamilton’’s dark blue eyes. Up close, Laurens sees a light shade of violet. A unique color. Laurens wonders how come he never noticed it before. 

“I love you,” Hamilton whispers, cupping Laurens’s jaw. “I love you, Jack...” 

Laurens grins as he kisses Hamilton again, hard and firm. 

“I love you too.” 

A pause. 

“My dear boy.”