#current era has them just use a mix i'm pretty sure

[nenoname]

been seeing too many posts insisting ford should call stan "lee" lately, i'm seconds away from writing the most jarring fic where dipper inexplicably calls mabel "belle" the entire time

[queen0fm0nsterz]

I wanted to ask your ask the lady blog but I can't find it.

Do you think the lady's library is organised at all? There are some parts which you obviously wouldn't be able to reach unless you can fly, and I wonder what kind of books are in a pile if she's the only one reading them. Maybe she has someone or something put her books away or shelve new books, but they don't always do a great job?

OH... MY LADY BLOG... MY POOR LADY BLOG THAT'S SITTING ON A SHELF TAKING DUST...

Alright, so! This is actually a very interesting questions because the answer is a very contraddictory one: kiiiiiinda? There's definitely... a lot pointing to it not being as organized these days...

But, in contrast, I will also say that there seems to be a method to the madness -- as there usually is with the Lady.

The books I pointed out up there are just a few piles of the ones that can be found out of place, and somehow their scattered and overwhelming presence seems to be invoking the exact opposite feeling her bedroom does: whereas her private space feels barren and sombre, the rest of her quarters are full of mayhem in a way that feels almost quietly frenetic. Those books look like they've been taking dust for a while... however, there is a few things of interest to note.

In the part of the Residence with the Book Puzzle, you'll notice that the bookshelf has different kind of eyes depicted at the bottom of each.

(Images are a courtesy of @/dailylittlenightmares, go follow them)

These are meant to match up with the respective books, who also have the same symbols. Their shapes match the ones underneath the three statuettes RK has to retrieve, so I came to assume these books/bookshelves specifically are each tied to one specific predecessor. Maybe some of them were their belongings, books from their era, or this is simply another method to categorize specific topics so that it's easy to not mix them up.

This is of course open to interpretation - especially considering there's no eye with the shape of an exagon (which is under the green statuette), but all other bookshelves in that room have this symbol underneath:

... indicating that the books in them might have miscellaneous subjects.

I'm pretty sure, however, that this method of categorization only counts for this specific room as I was not able to find any other bookshelf that has any of these symbols outside of it.

Considering this is also where you find the book with the Lady's mask on the cover, my current interpretation is that the books in this room are all tied to her magical practices. Now, whether this room in the library was actually made by her or by someone before her, that's up for debate: I'm leaning towards the latter honestly. The entire Residence feels like a joint effort, put together through a few generations -- which is probably why it feels more chaotic as opposed to the Lady's own bedroom... but digressing.

There are items here which suggest that, at one point, she did need furniture in order to reach the higher shelves.

I wonder if she still uses it to this day... admittedly she's rather tall now, and as you pointed out she can fly.

(Imagining a little Lady trying to make her way thru the tall bookshelves :( )

I honestly don't think there's anyone here doing the organizing besides herself. Which is probably why it doesn't look very organized at all. The Lady is very precise, but only when it comes to mantaining the very fragile structure of the chaos she's grown accustomed to. At this point there's no reason in putting the books away as long as she can still use them. It's a controlled mayhem, and when something becomes out of place - like the Runaway Kid - she disposes of it. In a way, it reflects how she rules the Maw, right?

[nhaneh]

@lynxden Okay, so, one of the big challenges with digital graphics is memory - if you want to be able to display a consistent image, you inevitably have to store some kind of representation of what you want displayed in memory somewhere, and as the quality and detail of what you want to display grows, so does the amount of memory required to represent it.

Take a fairly common screen resolution like, say, 1920x1080 pixels - how much memory does it take to represent that? Well, we have roughly about 2 million pixels... and since we likely want full RGB colour, we're likely using four bytes per pixel - one byte for each colour channel of red, green, and blue, and then one extra byte for padding since computers prefer to work with even byte counts... and that gives us roughly 8 megabytes. Now say we're running a game that has a framerate of 60 fps, and suddenly we need to rewrite that screen memory 60 times per second, meaning we need to be able to write roughly 480 megabytes per second to screen memory just to keep the display updated.

This was... not something that computers used to be able to do.

Now, sure, we can reduce the number of bytes we use per pixel, but that comes at a severe limit to how many colours we can represent: if we use only a single byte per pixel, then that gives us only 8 bits total. Say we divide those up like maybe 3/3/2, then that gives us only 8 shades of red and green, and only 4 shades of blue - sure we can mix them however we like, but it's not really going to be able to represent smooth colour gradients.

So what if we take another approach - we still just use a single byte per pixel, but instead of using that to represent an RGB colour... we use it with a look-up table containing 256 different RGB colour values - this means we still have access to the full RGB colour spectrum, albeit with the limitation that we can only display 256 different colours at the same time.

This is an 8-bit indexed palette - each pixel takes up a single byte, which is then used to reference an index in an array of 256 RGB colours. This is how colours were represented both in .gif images, as well as in old VGA graphics mode 13h (320x200 pixels, 256 colours) on DOS era PCs. The SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis used the same technique, though it was limited to only 64 simultaneous colours.

There are advantages to this beyond just needing less memory (and less CPU cycles copying said memory) - since each pixel value represents a palette index rather than a distinct colour, there's a type of animation you can do called Colour Cycling or Palette Animation where instead of changing the pixels themselves, you change the colour values in the palette array - meaning you can change what colour a particular index represents across the entire screen without having to actually modify a single pixel value.

To take an example from wikimedia:

There are other tricks you can do with this too - ever thought about how the Sonic the Hedgehog games for the Mega Drive/Genesis did water stages? The game basically keeps track of which horizontal scanline the console is currently sending the video output and when it reaches the point where the waterline is, it quickly swaps out the palette from the regular to the underwater one, making everything in the lower half of the screen have a different colour from the top half.

Nowadays this kind of approach to representing colour is largely considered obsolete, but it was a common approach for quite some time, since it could give you quite a range of colours without too much of a performance or memory cost - so long as you only ever needed so many at once. Of course, it also means your ability to do colour blending or light and shading can get pretty limited since you can't just mix pixel RGB values together, but there's still quite a bit you can do with it.

Of course, since I'm doing it on a modern PC running in 32-bit full colour, my implementation is basically a 256-index array of uint32_t containing RGB values and I just do a final pass of translating from the 8-bit framebuffer to the 32-bit framebuffer by using the 8-bit values as array indices before doing the final blit from the 32-bit framebuffer to the actual screen.

I used to poke around with this kind of graphics on the actual VGA mode 13h at some point however long ago, so for me it's a pretty nostalgic approach to doing graphics.

[gardenschedule]

i’d love to hear more of your thoughts on perceptions of paul as calculating and john’s paranoia. I mean by the various quotes, it seems john was pretty adamant on distrusting paul, so you would think he’d be done with him completely? yet he still thinks about him all the time and even called him when he found out yoko was pregnant with sean. and the fact that he kept asking everyone and their mothers whether or not he should play with paul again during the lost weekend. i mean, there was definitely mixed signals going on?

Unfortunately I do think the paranoia continued up until the end and was quite present in the househusband era, it just never got bad enough (or John could never convince himself) to fully cut Paul off. It might have gotten the best of him if not for a few mitigating factors:

Paul is a pretty persistent guy and continually tried to repair the friendship for most of the 70s. John needs to be pursued and reassured and Paul didn't mind doing that.

Most of the paranoia seemed to revolve around business issues, and they had the 'no talking about business' rule for their phone calls to prevent screaming matches. They also had the 'stop fighting in the media' rule which probably helped.

John was a mercurial personality, I imagine his feelings about Paul (and whether or not he saw him as a threat) changed a lot depending on his current mood, drug use, how things were going with his career/marriage/songwriting/finances, etc

I think John was self aware about his paranoia and insecurity, he seemed to have worked on it (like in his audio diaries where he talked about wanting to avoid feeling competitive with his peers, including Paul)

I don't think Paul ever actually did anything bad enough to warrant ending the relationship? The big betrayal was the lawsuit, and they got past that. If John & Yoko were on edge waiting for the other shoe to drop, to find out that Paul has done something really awful to screw them over, I'm not sure that day ever came.

But ultimately - they were close friends and partners for a very long time. There must have been a solid core of trust, love and respect for them to join their names and share their earnings and plan to work together until they were old. John never completely lost that bit of pride in what he and Paul did together, and pride in himself for choosing Paul.

[alex51324]

OK, so I'm now caught up on Interview With the Vampire (TV). I have some observations:

Wow, was that trial ever a master-class in poor-little-meow-meowification! I was legit getting flashbacks from the (season 1-hiatus) Izzy Trenches, with the whole, "Pointing out that he doesn't have to put up with my behavior, and he wouldn't recommend anyone else do so either, is--due to Meow-Meow's personal circumstances--an act of such exquisite cruelty that it excuses pretty much anything he does while he's upset about it," and "sure, yeah, this thing Meow-Meow did sounds bad to you normies, but because we're pirates vampires it's barely anything; a slight loss of temper for which he should be forgiven completely because the other dude said something mean", thing, plus the side of "Oh, but that threatening to leave is the most brutal form of abuse thing applies only to Meow-Meow, and in only one direction; it's fine for decide to part ways with anyone else at any time for any reason, and nobody else has any right to find that at all upsetting."

(To be clear, I genuinely liked this in IWTV; it was interesting seeing an audience falling eagerly into this trap, when the audience is also fictional, and the show itself is winking and nodding to us about it.)

(I do wonder if the show is going to grapple with this at all next season--the reunion suggests that Louis had also fallen into this trap. I'm unconvinced by the fan-theories suggesting that Lestat was an unwilling participant in the trial; there might have been some use of vampire mind-powers to keep him on-script during the proceedings, but I think he genuinely didn't realize he gave a shit about Claudia until it was too late.)

2. The aging-up of Claudia's character (she was a little little girl in the books) puts her at right about the same age as The Vampire Currently Known As Armand was when he was originally sex trafficked as a human, and I wonder about that stirring up some long-buried feelings. Does the grotesque parody of innocence inherent in Baby LuLu have some parallel in his experience as a sexually exploited child? What happened to Arun--or to Amadeo, even--if he failed to play his part with a reasonable facsimile of enthusiasm?*

On the one hand, I'm interested in these potential parallels; on the other hand (glancing back up at point 1), it's a tricky needle to thread, to see these parallels as contextualizing Armand's actions, but not excusing them. I do not entirely trust fandom not to turn this into, "Well, she reminded him of His Worst Trauma, so everything he did to her was basically self-harm, and he pretty much had to kill her in order to achieve closure on that period of his life**."

(*Some of this may be addressed in the books? The Vampire Armand came out on the waning edge of my Anne Rice phase; I'm pretty sure I read it, but I don't remember much about it, and I don't have a copy. The parallels with Claudia wouldn't be, though, because in the books she was 5.)

(**Izzy Trenches flashbacks again.)

3. As someone who read the books back in the day, I appreciated the brief mention in S1 that Louis's grandfather had owned a plantation, worked by men who "shared his complexion but not his circumstances." To me, that line opened up the possibility of reimagining Book!Louis as also being Black.

(To be clear, he canonically could not have been; beyond that fact that It Would Have Come Up, in the first few pages--which I just re-read--he is described as being bone-white. Even if he was mixed and white-passing, it doesn't quite work.

However, Anne Rice did write a book, Feast of All Saints, about a mixed-race protagonist, who was the son of a slave owner and a woman he enslaved. I remember almost nothing about it, except that the white father had promised to free him and send him abroad to be educated, but broke that promise. Porting some of that over onto a book-canon-era Black Louis could be very interesting.

I'd have to re-read both books--and probably TVL, too--to be able to even think about writing it, which is...unlikely, but I put that idea out into the universe.)

[gayashelljatp]

Elliot Wright x Monroe Astor | What Is This Feeling? Chapter 1 + 2

Tags Enemies to Lovers, Roommates Who Loathe (Love) Eachother, Inspired by Wicked, Song: What Is This Feeling (Wicked), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting cause movie was set in 98, Sexual Tension, Love/Hate, Banter, Drugs, Sex mentioned, like a lot actually, Monroe Astor is a hoe, Will Astor being best boi and cousin, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Hedonism, Elliot Wright is coked out, Monroe Astor is brat, Monroe Astor-centric, implied catholic guilt, Monroe and Elliot are GELPHIE coded, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Not Beta Read We End Like The Symposium, I lied this is somewhat beta read

Summary:

Monroe Astor has never had a roommate before unless sleeping over after sex counts. Elliot Wright unfortunately has to live with him. Read as one of them tries not to perish from peril or fall deeply for the other. or Elliot & Monroe finally fulfill Glinda & Elphaba's enemies roommates to lovers arc.

Content Rating: Teen and Up.

Wordcount: 7,105

Notes: (Recommend y'all read on ao3 for better reading experience)

Hi, I'm Ace currently in my 'Descendants' writing era. But I'm branching out posting and writing gay shit for other fandoms.

I am finally here to post my 'Glory & Gore' fic. I've been trying to make a work worthy of publishing and I think this one's pretty nice. Writing for G&G was very out of my comfort zone but I injected my Midas Touch to it.

I've been trying to write a MonroeElliot fic since I saw the piano scene in early December. I eventually landed with mixing both of my hyperfixations 'Wikced' (2024) and 'Glory & Gore' (2024) and BAMM!!! This was made. Special thanks to my editor and proofreader who tolerated me ranting about Monroe and Elliot against their will.

If you are reading this on tumblr ahhh thank you!!! Feedback is greatly appreciated and feel free to comment anything. Triggers read the tags above.

Chapter 1: First Day

“Will, you can’t do this to me!” Monroe’s voice rang out dramatically, reverberating off the high ceilings of the dormitory’s common area. 

The room, lavishly decorated compared to the other dorms on campus, was quintessentially Astor. It had mahogany paneling, gold accents on the molding, and a tasteful but insistent display of old money. 

Monroe paced the space like a tortured poet, one hand on his forehead for dramatic effect, the other clutching the back of a leather armchair as though it was the only thing with a gravitational force.

“Auntie said—”

“Yes, that we were supposed to room together,” Will interjected, sounding resigned, his hand ran through his perfectly coiffed hair—an Astor tell of mild irritation. “But Dad said one of us has to room with one of the scholars. It’s Astor family tradition.”

“Tradition?” Monroe scoffed, throwing his arms out as if the word offended him on principle. “Can’t you just tell your dad that you roomed with said charity case—”

“Monroe, you can’t say that about…” Will paused, glancing down at the email open on his phone. “Sinclair.”

Monroe folded his arms, eyebrows furrowing like a petulant child denied dessert. “Fine. Room with this Sinclair guy. But can’t I at least live alone? A private suite? Surely I’ve earned that much.” His tone was borderline pleading now, carrying an undertone of exasperation that only he could manage to make sound bearable.

“You do realize this isn’t the Hamptons, right?” Will countered, an edge of amusement creeping into his voice. “This is a dormitory.”

“It’s our family’s dorm building. The last name is plastered all over this place!” Monroe retorted as he pointed to the Astor crest etched into the fireplace mantle.

“Exactly. Which is why you’re staying here,” Will said firmly. He tucked his phone away and crossed his arms, channeling his older sibling-energy even though Monroe had him beat by a few months. “You may be older than me, but Mom said I’m in charge.”

Monroe opened his mouth to argue but Will cut him off with a raised hand.

“Before you say anything else, no, you cannot live off-campus. My parents would track you down and drag you back here.”

“Can I at least—”

“No, you cannot convert the common room into your private suite,” Will interrupted, barely suppressing a smirk. “It’s either you stay in the Astor building or move to other housing, which probably means more roommates. So don’t be dramatic.”

“You’re the dramatic one,” Monroe shot back, his tone dripping with indignation. “You should have enrolled in a theater arts program instead of whatever boring degree you’re pursuing.”

Will rolled his eyes, adjusting the cuffs of his pressed shirt with an air of practiced patience. “Well, if I had, who would take over the family business?”

“Well, I didn’t convince anyone to let me study music theory. I just refused to apply for anything else.” The ebony-haired teen said this with pride like it was some grand act of rebellion.

Monroe’s impractical pursuit of music theory was tolerated only because, as Will had put it once, What’s the point of being rich if you can’t indulge in hobbies that will never pay the bills? That didn’t stop their relatives from complaining about it at every family gathering, though.

“God, why does this have to be so hard?”

“Cous, we haven’t even started classes yet,” Will pointed out. “Come on, let’s go grab our stuff and settle in. It’s not the end of the world.”

“Fine. But if this Sinclair guy is a slob who snores, or listens to bad music, I promise I’m moving back in with you. Family tradition be damned.”

“Duly noted,” Will replied, his lips twitching into a small, knowing smile as he led the way out of the room. 

As much as Monroe’s dramatics could be exhausting, Will couldn’t help but feel protective of his cousin. Monroe had always been a little too soft for their world of tailored suits and cutthroat business deals.

The Astor family’s business empire, Astor & Co., had its hands in everything from finance to backing high-end fashion designers and art galleries. Will was already being groomed to take over, while Monroe’s future in the family enterprise was… unclear, to put it generously. 

For now, Will was content to keep an eye on his cousin and make sure he didn’t self-destruct before midterms.

As they walked through the halls of the Astor Dormitory, Monroe couldn’t help but glance at his reflection in the polished windows. He ran a hand through his perfectly coiffed curls, adjusting his posture. If he was going to be forced to room with some random stranger, he might as well make a good first impression.

“I still think I should get a private suite,” Monroe muttered under his breath.

Will didn’t bother turning around. “Let it go, Monroe.”

“Never,” Monroe shot back, a small smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. Despite his protests, he knew Will was right. He always was.

Monroe Astor was starting to think maybe this wasn’t going to be as terrible as he thought. What were the odds? Maybe his roommate was a no-show, and he’d have the room to himself. His own little kingdom in the middle of Kingsbridge College. Private, quiet, untouched. Perfect.

Except, of course, for the fact that the lock was stubborn as hell. He jiggled the key multiple times, huffing dramatically before realizing something. The door wasn’t locked.

It was already open.

His new home was, admittedly, a step up from the cramped dorms he'd feared. The room was spacious, with white paneling that lent a modern touch to the classic architecture, and the lighting was warm—almost candlelit-like, with a soft golden glow that reflected off the polished floors. 

He strode in, deciding immediately on the left side of the room. It had the best view, the city skyline stretching out beyond the window, with the faint buzz of life below. It would be the perfect spot for his piano once it arrived.

Monroe was lost in the music as he began unloading his luggage. Bag after bag, suitcase after suitcase. If the floor started groaning under the weight of his overpacking, he didn’t notice. Headphones in place, he bopped along to some classic 60s rock.

He was lost in his world, imagining how he’d decorate the room, when—

“ Astor? ”

A voice cut through his haze, punctuated by a snap of fingers in front of his face.

“ Aghh! ” Monroe let out a shriek that echoed down the hall, no doubt alarming Will, who was unpacking two doors away. He yanked his headphones back to his neck as if the voice had physically touched him. “Jesus Christ, I didn’t see you there!” he breathed, his heart pounding.

Leaning casually against the doorframe was a guy about his height, pale as moonlight and sporting a mustache that seemed more ironic than intentional. He wore a chunky brown sweater that looked brand new but smelled faintly of weed and… something else Monroe couldn’t quite place. Bad decisions, perhaps.

“What am I? A ghost?” the guy quipped, his voice low and dry, one eyebrow arched like he’d been amused by Monroe’s shriek.

“You’re as pale as one,” Monroe shot back, regaining his composure. “You could’ve knocked.”

“I did.” The guy rolled his eyes but he looked vaguely amused. “You were too busy… doing that.” He gestured vaguely at the headphones still dangling from Monroe’s neck.

“Oh.” Monroe straightened himself, “What are you doing here, anyway? What do you want?” The shorter boy asked, sounding more accusatory than curious.

The guy didn’t flinch at Monroe’s sharp tone. Instead, he smirked—a slow, infuriating kind of smirk. “If your last name is Astor, that means you’re my roommate.”

Monroe froze, his stomach dropping. “Oh.”

Oh. Oh no.

At that moment, he wanted to die. Or better yet, lock himself in a convent and commit to a life of prayer and solitude. The level of assholery he’d just displayed to someone he was about to live with was beyond unacceptable.

“You’re Wright?” Monroe asked, his voice quieter now, tinged with disbelief.

“No,” the guy said flatly. “I’m wrong.”

Monroe blinked, his jaw tightening. “I’m being serious here.”

“Weird last name, but I won’t judge,” the other man teased, his infuriatingly sly smile lighting up his face. Monroe wasn’t amused one bit.

“I—” Monroe was about to respond when the guy added, “Pipe down. I was joking. Seems like you’re not the joking type,” the guy said, sliding his hands into his sweater pockets. 

Monroe’s nostrils flared as the guy extended a hand lazily, “I’m Elliot Wright. As in Edgar Wright, if you’ve got taste.” Monroe has seen Edgar Wright films but he doesn’t give a fuck who that is.

Monroe stared at the hand for a second longer than necessary before shaking it reluctantly. “Monroe Astor. As in Marilyn Monroe.”

Elliot snorted. “Makes sense.”

Monroe stepped aside, gesturing awkwardly toward the room. “Well… help yourself. More of my stuff will be arriving soon.”

Elliot stepped in and immediately froze, his eyes widening as he took in the sheer amount of luggage scattered across the room. “ More ?” he echoed, as if he hadn’t heard him right. “

Monroe shrugged, entirely unfazed. “I pack light.”

Elliot blinked, utterly breathless, but decided not to comment. Instead, he moved toward the right side of the room, tossing his duffel bag on the bed and plopping down his suitcase with a sort of ease that made Monroe's brow twitch.

Trying to lighten the mood, Monroe leaned against his bedpost and asked, “So, Elliot… I take it you’re into the whole ‘starving artist’ thing?”

Elliot gave him a look, unamused. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, you know,” Monroe said, trying for a charming grin. “The whole... sweater, weed smell, tortured soul thing you’ve got going on. You strike me as a creative type who doesn’t care about material things. Let me guess, you’re a musician? Or… a poet?”

Elliot’s eyes narrowed, his smirk fading into something colder. “I like all of those things,” he said flatly, his tone making it clear he wasn’t amused by the observation.

“Well, that’s cool! I’m a hedonist myself, so I get it,” Monroe replied, brushing off the tension with a laugh. “I mean, we’ve all got our vices, right? Yours just happens to be…” He made a vague gesture, as though trying to find the right word. “…Substances.”

Elliot stiffened, his jaw tightening. For a moment, he didn’t say anything, his gaze hardening into something unreadable. Then, in a clipped tone, he said, “Right. Substances. Sure.”

The atmosphere in the room shifted palpably. Elliot turned away, rifling through his duffel bag, clearly shutting down whatever conversation Monroe had been trying to have.

Monroe frowned, watching him in confusion. He hadn’t meant anything by it. Why was Elliot reacting like that?

“You know, it’s not a big deal,” Monroe offered, attempting to smooth things over. “Everyone’s got their thing, right? No judgment here.”

Elliot didn’t look up, his voice sharp. “Cool. Thanks.”

Monroe felt a pang of irritation. What the hell was his problem? But instead of pressing the issue, he let it drop, though the unease lingered like the smell of cigarettes that would soon become synonymous with their shared space.

“You said what to him?” Will exclaimed, his fork paused halfway into his mouth, a piece of medium-rare steak speared on the end.

Monroe waved him off, stabbing at his roasted potatoes with exaggerated nonchalance. “It’s not that bad.” He chewed with a smugness that suggested he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

Will set his fork down with a clatter, leaning forward like he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing. “You essentially called him —” He lowered his voice but emphasized the words, “a junkie —, casually, as if you were saying hello.”

Monroe shrugged. “It’s not like I meant it seriously. People say stuff like that all the time.”

Will leaned back in his chair, giving his cousin a withering look. “Good luck living with him after that little Freudian slip. You’ve officially made it weird.”

“Can’t I just move away from the…” Monroe dropped his voice to a whisper, glancing around like Elliot Wright himself might materialize out of thin air. “ Alleged drug dealer? ”

Will arched an eyebrow, reaching for his water glass. “There are no more rooms open. The entire floor is occupied. Everyone else seems to be capable of cohabiting without offending their roommates.”

“This floorplan sucks ass.”

Will sighed, the corners of his mouth twitching with barely concealed amusement. “Monroe, you can’t just casually insult our deceased grandfather over dorm layouts.”

Monroe shrugged. “Doesn’t stop me from hating the building. Or him. Honestly, for all I care, he can die in a ditch.”

“ He’s already passed, ” Will pointed out, biting back a laugh.

“And yet I’m still annoyed,”

Will shook his head, amused despite himself. Their grandfather had built the dormitory decades ago, though he’d always had a particular disdain for Monroe, claiming he lacked focus and a shred of discipline. On the other hand, he adored Will, much to Monroe’s enduring irritation. 

“This is ludicrous.”

“You’re ludicrous,” Monroe shot back petulantly before changing the subject with the grace of a socialite dodging scandal. “How’s your new roomie?”

Will hesitated, glancing down at his plate and cutting into his steak as though it were suddenly fascinating. His voice dropped to a whisper. “He’s a senior.”

Monroe’s fork paused mid-air. “Why are you whispering?”

Will glanced around the restaurant like he expected his new roommate to materialize out of thin air. “I don’t know. I feel like he’ll hear me or something.”

“Your roommate sounds like a weirdo.”

“We’re not talking about me. We’re talking about you and how you’re going to survive living with your roommate after you implied. Oh, I don’t know, he is in into substances .”

“Again with this, I was being cordial!” Monroe defended, his voice pitching slightly as his indignation grew. “Besides, it’s not like he hasn’t heard worse. And I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just… conversational.”

“Conversational?” Will repeated,. “You basically insulted the guy’s entire existence. It’s a miracle he didn’t pack his bags right then and there.”

Monroe sighed, tilting his head back dramatically. “Why is it always me? I don’t ask for much, you know. Just a private suite and a roommate who doesn’t look like he’s seen the inside of a jail cell.”

Will snorted, reaching for his water glass. “Well, Astor, you’ve got neither. So I’d suggest figuring out how to make it work before he poisons your toothpaste or something.”

Monroe glared at him, muttering under his breath. “My life is so hard.”

Will just laughed, shaking his head.

Monroe stumbled into the shared dormitory with all the grace of someone who had, frankly, had a night. His shirt was unbuttoned, his hair a mess of post-threesome chaos, and his tie hung limply around his neck.

He kicked the door closed behind him, narrowly missing the doorframe, and began stripping as he moved. First the jacket, which he tossed somewhere onto a chair, then the belt, which clattered to the floor in a haphazard coil. By the time he reached his side of the room, he was down to his tank and boxers.

He swayed slightly as he moved toward his desk, where his meticulously curated collection of skincare products gleamed under the faint light of his beloved vanity mirror. 

For all his indulgences, Monroe would never dare skip his nighttime routine. He was many things—chaotic, entitled, undeniably for the streets—but neglectful of his skin was not one of them.

As he began applying toner with slightly unsteady hands, a voice drifted from the other side of the room.

“Hello…?”

Monroe froze, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest. Oh, right. He had a roommate now.

“ hOlY shIT, YOu ScAreD Me, ” he whisper-shouted, his voice breaking in his panic. He clutched his toner bottle like it might somehow protect him from… well, his roommate.

From the other bed, Elliot shifted, his voice groggy and slurred. “What? What time’sit?”

Monroe squinted at the grandfather clock his grandmother bought him, though his attention was more on the shadowy figure of Elliot lying in bed. “Uh… like… midnight? Maybe later? Why are you awake?”

“I wasn’t awake,” Elliot muttered, his voice heavy with exhaustion and irritation. “You’re loud as hell.”

“Well, excuse me, ” Monroe huffed, grabbing his moisturizer and dabbing it aggressively onto his cheeks. “You’re the one who’s always scaring me. It’s honestly creepy”

Elliot groaned, rolling onto his side to face Monroe. His hair was mussed, and his sweater—which he hadn’t bothered to take off before crashing into bed—hung loosely around his shoulders. His face, even in the dim light, was etched with annoyance.

“Fun?” he echoed, his voice still gravelly with sleep. “Is that what you call… whatever the hell you’re doing?”

“Yes,” Monroe snapped, now applying under-eye cream with a flourish. “ Fun. Ever heard of it, Mr. Antisocial? It’s what people do when they’re not moping in bed all day.”

Elliot’s lips twitched, not quite a smile but close enough to be infuriating. “You look like you’ve been hit by a car. Twice.”

Monroe paused, one hand hovering over his vanity. He turned to glare at Elliot. “I have been kissed aggressively by two very attractive girls tonight, thank you very much. I’m glowing.”

“Sure,” Elliot said, his voice flat but his eyes glittering with something Monroe couldn’t quite place. “Glowing like a dumpster fire.”

Monroe gasped, clutching his chest. “How dare you!”

Elliot groaned again, rolling onto his back and draping an arm over his eyes. “God, just finish whatever you’re doing and go to sleep.”

Monroe sniffed, dabbing his face one last time before capping his moisturizer. “For your information, this ”—he gestured at his reflection in the vanity mirror—“is the reason people want to kiss me aggressively. You could take a few notes, Wright.”

Elliot cracked one eye open, his gaze sliding to Monroe’s reflection. “You talk about yourself like you’re the eighth wonder of the world.”

“I am,” Monroe said with a smug grin, switching off the vanity light—except for the glowing border of the Hollywood-style bulbs. He wasn’t about to sleep without his sacred mirror lit. “And I’m the perfect nightlight, too.”

Elliot groaned softly. “Turn that thing off.”

“No,” Monroe said simply, climbing into bed and fluffing his pillows with a level of satisfaction that bordered on theatrical. “I like falling asleep looking at myself. Who wouldn’t?”

“You’re unbelievable,” Elliot muttered, turning onto his side to face the wall, the glow of the mirror reflecting off his pale skin.

“And you’re loud,” Monroe shot back, though his words were muffled by his pillow.

Elliot turned his head slightly, staring at the soft glow of the vanity mirror as it illuminated Monroe’s features, casting him in a warm light that made him look far too angelic for someone so obnoxious. It was annoying. It was distracting. It was Monroe.

And it made it impossible to fall back asleep.

“ Turn it off, ” Elliot grumbled again.

Monroe didn’t respond. He was already asleep, a faint smile tugging at his lips, blissfully unaware of Elliot’s scowl and the buzzing tension that filled the room.

Chapter 2: A Week Before Class

Monroe was knee-deep in the sacred art of organizing his wardrobe. His jackets were draped across the bed, arranged by material: corduroy, wool, cashmere, and that one black leather jacket that he stole from Will because it looked better on him.

Scarves were meticulously folded and color-coded on his bed, and an assortment of ties, watches, and other accessories glinted in the golden light from his vanity mirror. The room looked less like a shared dormitory and more like a Ralph Lauren store.

Monroe was entirely engrossed, lifting a cashmere scarf to inspect how the fabric shifted under natural light. He tilted it slightly, then furrowed his brows, whispering, “Hmm, maybe too matte…”

Then, out of nowhere, a hand waved in front of his face.

“ Aghh! ” Monroe let out a startled shriek, quickly smothering it with a series of coughs that fooled no one. “What?”

His new roomie Elliot Wright stood before him, leaning against the edge of the bed with the kind of lazy, nonchalance that Monroe found distracting. 

His sweater looked rumpled, like it had been picked up off the floor and shrugged on without a second thought, and yet somehow he still managed to look like he’d just walked out of an indie film.

Elliot raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. His expression said it all: You know why I’m here.

“I’m serious. What? ” Monroe pressed, crossing his arms defensively.

The taller roommate shrugged, stepping closer, and for a moment Monroe was distracted by the soft shuffle of his roommate’s worn sneakers on the polished floor. “I think you left these,” Elliot said, finally revealing the items in question: a stack of magazines.

At first, Monroe didn’t process what they were—then his eyes widened as he registered the glossy covers of scantily clad women in provocative poses.

Tucked among them, however, was one glaring outlier: a men’s sports magazine that Monroe had definitely purchased purely for the articles.

“Hey!” Monroe exclaimed, snatching the magazines from Elliot’s hands with an almost feral urgency. His cheeks burned, but he masked his embarrassment with indignation. “Were you snooping around my stuff?”

Elliot raised an eyebrow, his expression maddeningly calm. “No.”

“Then how did these get on your side of the room?” Monroe demanded, clutching the magazines against his chest like they were state secrets.

“Probably fell out of one of the many luggage bags you brought. You know, the ones taking up 90% of the room.” 

There was something about the way Elliot said it—calm, unbothered that made Monroe bristle. It wasn’t kindness, not really. It was patronizing, Monroe decided. 

The way he talked, the way he moved, the way he just stood there hush and probably high as a kite. It was as if he were silently judging Monroe for being so... Monroe.

Monroe opened his mouth to retort, but Elliot cut him off with a cheap smile. “Relax, Astor. I’m just returning them. Not my business. Just being a nice roommate.”

“Right, well, thanks, ” Monroe said stiffly, turning away and pretending to focus on the scarves still strewn across his bed. His hands fumbled slightly as he tried to refold one, his fingers oddly clumsy.

Behind him, Elliot’s voice broke the silence, soft and vaguely amused. “You don’t need to freak out, you know. I don’t care what you read. Or… look at.”

Monroe stiffened, the scarf slipping from his hands. “I’m not freaking out,” he lied, his voice pitched slightly higher than usual.

“Sure,” Elliot replied, dragging the word out lazily as he stood upright again. He took a step closer—not close enough to invade Monroe’s space, but enough that his presence was palpable. “I mean, they’re your magazines. No judgment here.”

“Are you mocking me?” He whipped around to glare at Elliot, his cheeks still faintly red.

Elliot looked genuinely confused.“Mocking you? No.” He followed up with “Why? Do you think I should be?”

“Whatever,”

Elliot, clicked his tongue filling Monroe’s flustered silence but he let the moment hang for a beat longer before stepping back toward his side of the room. “Anyways,” he added over his shoulder, “If any of your stuff gets on my side. I’ll give it back to you, yeah?”

Monroe stared after him, cheeks still warm as he tried to process what had just happened. He clutched the magazines tighter, vaguely aware of how absurd this must look.

Okay, he thought, biting his lip again. That was mildly embarrassing.

Maybe his roommate wasn’t that bad. Maybe he was... chill. And maybe—just maybe—Monroe should learn how to be chill too.

On second thought, maybe his roommate was a little too chill.

Monroe had just returned from brunch with Will, where his cousin wouldn’t shut up about the “weird senior” he was stuck living with—a human being cursed with the name Cassius.

From what Monroe vaguely remembered from countless mandatory family Bible studies, the name Cassius had something to do with a cross, betrayal, and maybe a caesar salad—mambo jumbo Olive Garden shit. Either way, it wasn’t his problem.

His problem, however, greeted him the moment he stepped into the room.

Monroe froze in the doorway, clutching the small silver cross that hung around his neck.There was Elliot Wright, coked out of his mind, sprawled on Monroe’s pristine bed like it was his God-given right.

For a brief, uncharacteristic moment, Monroe wasn’t even mad—Elliot looked almost peaceful, his long limbs stretching lazily across the covers.

But then Monroe’s eyes zeroed in on what really mattered: Elliot’s head resting directly on his perfectly steamed outfit for dinner. A white button-up, now wrinkled to hell, sat under the disaster that was Elliot’s main.

Monroe Astor was seeing red.

Storming over, he grabbed Elliot by the head, shaking him violently. “Wake uppity up! ” he hissed. “Get out of my bed, you brainless fu—”

Elliot stirred mid-shake, his lashes fluttering up at Monroe with glassy, unfocused eyes. His cheekbones caught the golden light from the vanity, and Monroe was briefly— briefly —distracted by how ridiculously symmetrical his face was.

Then he saw it.

Some sort of residue—white and powdery—was dusted across Elliot’s mustache and lips. Monroe’s grip faltered, and Elliot’s head flopped back onto the bed with a dull thud.

“Huh?” Elliot mumbled, his voice thick with haze as he squinted at Monroe.

“Huh?” Monroe shot back, the ire flooding back in full force. “ You’re on my bed, dipshit! ”

Elliot blinked again, then seemed to realize where he was. “...My bad,” he muttered, attempting to push himself up.

Monroe wasn’t about to let him off that easily. He grabbed Elliot’s head again, holding him in place, and practically shoved a tumbler of warm ginger water into his hands. “This conversation isn’t over,” he snapped, pressing the rim of the tumbler against Elliot’s lips until the other boy reluctantly swallowed.

Elliot coughed lightly, his clouded eyes darting up to Monroe. “Thanks,” he muttered, his voice softer this time.

“This isn’t over! ” Monroe restated, refusing to let the moment soften. “I’m not done arguing with you!”

“Give me a break,” Elliot mumbled, sinking back against the bed.

And that’s when Monroe saw it.

Cigarette ash. All over his precious outfit. The white button-up now bore faint gray smudges like a crime scene victim.

Monroe’s eyes widened, and his voice pitched dangerously high. “ Look at what you did! I tolerate everything: the smell and the whole getting high lifestyle of yours, but this is pushing it to another level,”

Elliot glanced at the shirt, his expression unbothered. “Get over it,” he said flatly. “It’s just a few ashes. Brush it off with the palm of your hand.”

“Are you high right now? ” 

“When have I ever been sober around you?” Elliot retorted, slouching further into the bed.

That gave Monroe pause. “That’s… alarming,” he admitted, narrowing his eyes. “I mean, I’m a hedonist myself, but that’s a lot.”

Elliot cracked a grin, his lips curling lazily. “Like what, you don’t do crack cocaine?”

“ Does it look like I do crack? Crack is whack! ”

Elliot let out a low laugh, and the sound was warm and rough around the edges, like sandpaper dipped in honey. It sent an involuntary shiver down Monroe’s spine.

“Is that supposed to be funny?” Monroe snapped, his cheeks heating for reasons he refused to acknowledge.

Elliot just shrugged, his grin lingering. Then he moved to stand, clearly over the conversation.

He sat up, unsteady and wobbling, clearly not yet reacquainted with gravity.

And that’s when he almost face-planted.

Monroe, acting on instinct, reached out to catch him, his hands gripping Elliot’s waist as they both stumbled. For a moment, Elliot sagged against him, their faces suddenly too close, their breaths mingling in the space between.

Monroe froze. His arms tensed around Elliot as he stared, unable to look away. He was painfully aware of how sharp his roomie’s jawline was, the faint flush on his cheeks, and the way his pupils dilated in the dim light.

For a second, he felt the pull of something dangerous.

Then Elliot shifted slightly, and the moment snapped.

They both fell.

Monroe yelped as his knees gave out, dragging Elliot down with him. They landed in an awkward tangled mess on the floor, Elliot’s weight pressing down against him.

“Get off,” But Elliot didn’t move right away. His head lolled against Monroe’s chest for a moment longer than necessary, his breath slow and even.

When he finally shifted, rolling off to the side, Monroe scrambled to his feet, glaring down at him with flushed cheeks. He didn’t offer a hand to help.

Elliot, still wobbly, propped himself up with a groan and made his way—unsteadily—to his side of the room. Monroe crossed his arms, watching him with a mixture of anger, pity, and something else he didn’t want to name.

For a brief moment, he almost called out to Elliot. But then he looked back at his ash-stained shirt and decided against it.

Monroe hadn’t seen his roomie all day. Not that he was looking for him or anything, but it was strange. Elliot was such a homebody—always slouched on his bed, scribbling in that notebook of his, or napping like he had nowhere else to be. 

Maybe he was out scoring more... whatever it was he did.

Not that Monroe cared. In fact, Elliot’s absence was convenient. With no roommate around, Monroe had the perfect excuse to have someone over for a little fun. 

The janitor’s supply closet and empty lecture halls were starting to feel like poorly written punchlines to his life. They were uncomfortable, unglamorous, and—let’s face it—not up to the Astor standard.

Now, he was leaning back against the headboard, his shirt unbuttoned and his lips busy with a girl whose name he’d already forgotten. Her Daisy Marc Jacobs was cloying, her laugh too sugary, but she was pretty enough and enthusiastic, which was all Monroe needed. 

Her hands wandered, tugging at the waistband of his pants, and he let out a sweet and low moan, half-smirking against her lips.

He was just starting to get into the moment when the door opened.

Monroe froze. His eyes darted toward the door, where Elliot stood, one hand still on the doorknob, his sweater slung lazily over his shoulder.

For a moment, Monroe thought he might actually die.

Elliot’s face didn’t change—no shock, no irritation, not even a flicker of amusement. He just stood there, his gaze flicking once toward the girl, who was blissfully unaware of the intrusion, and then landing on Monroe. Their eyes locked.

Monroe’s chest tightened, his pulse quickening in a way that had nothing to do with the girl in his lap.

“Uh—” Monroe started, his voice embarrassingly uneven, but Elliot didn’t let him finish.

“Don’t stop on my account,” Elliot said casually, his tone as infuriatingly indifferent as ever.

Monroe’s breath hitched. Was he smirking? No, he wasn’t. Was he? Monroe couldn’t tell, but something about Elliot’s relaxed demeanor—made his skin crawl.

The girl shifted, leaning down to kiss his neck, and Monroe flinched as if she’d startled him. His eyes were still locked on Elliot, who gave the faintest shrug before turning around and closing the door behind him.

He was gone. Just like that.

“Monroe?” the girl’s voice broke into his thoughts, her fingers trailing up his chest.

“Huh?” he said, snapping back to the present.

She giggled. “You okay? You got all tense for a second.”

Monroe forced a smile, his jaw tight. “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.”

But he wasn’t. Not really.

The encounter had rattled him more than he cared to admit, and not for the reasons it should’ve. He wasn’t embarrassed that Elliot had walked in—no, that would’ve been too normal. Instead, Monroe found himself thinking about the way Elliot had looked at him. Calm. Detached. Completely unaffected.

Because now, all Monroe could think about was how close Elliot had been just moments ago. His chest felt too tight, his head too full, and the girl’s hands on him suddenly felt wrong—like she was in the way of something he didn’t understand.

Get a grip, he told himself, dragging in a shaky breath. But his thoughts kept circling back to Elliot. What kind of person didn’t react to something like that?

Monroe’s lips twisted into a scowl, but his fingers trembled where they gripped the edge of the mattress.

God help him. He hated Elliot Wright. He hated him so much, it hurt.

But he was just going fuck and hopefully forget.

Monroe had managed to avoid his roomie for the rest of the week leading up to the first day of class. 

Which was really fucking hard, granted they lived together. But he had his ways. A couple of nights in a hotel—the kind with crisp white sheets, impeccable room service, and a bathroom that didn’t smell like stale weed—did wonders for his peace of mind. 

Finally, he had uninterrupted privacy. Because the last thing he needed was to be mid-fuck and suddenly think about him. So that made hooking up at the hotel way easier.

Unfortunately, he soon had to check out of paradise. But on the bright side tonight was the Welcome Party , hosted by one of the frats: Kingsbridge’s Theta Chi. And if there was one thing Monroe never missed, it was a good party.

By the time he pulled up to the Astor dorms on his motorcycle, he had no plans of stepping foot into his room.

Instead, he went to Will’s, two doors down—where, thank God , his cousin always had an emergency outfit ready for him. Luckily for him, Will’s very weird roommate was not in sight. Which meant he avoided another unwanted interaction. 

“I don’t even wanna know,” Will said as he tossed a fresh set of clothes onto the bed, already resigned to whatever antics Monroe had been up to. “But if you get foundation on my jacket again, I’m making you dry clean it yourself.”

Monroe scoffed, peeling off his shirt. “That was one time.”

“It was twice , and I had to make up a whole lie to the dry cleaner about it being chocolate .”

Monroe rolled his eyes, but he wasn’t listening anymore. A leather jacket, a tight white tee, and flared jeans later, he was back to looking perfectly disheveled, exactly as he liked it.

“You sure you wanna do this?” Will asked,  eyeing him as Monroe checked himself out in the mirror.

“What kind of stupid question is that?” Monroe scoffed. “It’s the welcome party . I was practically born for shit like this.”

Will just hummed in response, clearly unconvinced.

But Monroe wasn’t interested in his cousin’s skepticism. He swung his leather jacket over his shoulder and stepped out, making his way down to the Theta Chi house.

And the moment he got there, he regretted not rushing.

The place was packed—loud music pulsing through the walls, people spilling out onto the front lawn, red Solo cups in every hand. It wasn’t the best party Monroe had ever been to (boarding school had set the bar high), but for a college rager, it wasn’t half bad.

He’d barely been there ten minutes when Will found him again, tapping his shoulder.

“Look, there’s my roommate,” Will whispered, subtly gesturing toward the other side of the room.

Monroe barely registered what Will was saying because Cassius Whoever didn’t matter. No—Monroe’s gaze was locked onto who Cassius was talking to.

Elliot.

Fucking.

Wright.

Monroe barely resisted the urge to groan out loud.

Of course, he was here. Of course , Elliot had somehow wormed his way into his night.

He needed a drink. Immediately.

He didn’t stop moving until he was lost in the throng of people, where the music was louder, and the liquor flowed faster. A few drinks later, a couple of Marlboros burned down to the filter, stolen kisses exchanged in dimly lit corners—Monroe finally started to feel like himself again.

By the time the night hit its peak, he felt a warm buzz and humming under his skin. It was the perfect moment to make his exit—before the party got sloppy, before the high wore off, before anything had the chance to ruin the night.

While the party hadn’t been mind-blowing , it had served its purpose: his mind was sufficiently distracted, and his ego? Adequately fed. He was satisfied. Finally, he could head home, face Elliot, and get over whatever weird, frustrating, wrong feelings had been creeping in since—

Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.

Because, apparently, he had pissed off some Greek god or angel in a past life, because just as he was slipping out of the party, a certain someone was also leaving the party.

Monroe practically skidded to a stop in the doorway, and sure enough—standing there, bathed in the glow of the streetlights, looking as high as ever—was Elliot Wright.

Monroe sucked in a slow breath, pressing his tongue against his cheek in irritation. This was going to be one awkward walk back.

He didn’t acknowledge Elliot at first, didn’t even spare him a glance. Instead, Monroe pulled his leather jacket tighter around himself and lit another cigarette. As if the nicotine could somehow erase the fact that they were about to share oxygen.

Elliot, on the other hand, had his wired earphones in, staring straight ahead with an expression that was either zoned out or indifferent. 

But Monroe had a sixth sense for these things—for people looking at him. And Elliot was definitely sneaking glances.

Monroe’s fingers twitched as he blew out smoke, itching to say something snide. But before he could open his mouth, Elliot finally broke the silence.

“So, did you bring your keys?”

“What?” 

“Your keys,” Elliot repeated, pulling out one earphone. “Did you bring them? ’Cause I didn’t bring mine.”

Monroe stopped dead in his tracks, staring at Elliot like he’d just suggested they break into The Louvre. “What do you mean you didn’t bring your keys?”

“I figured you would have yours. You’ve been gone for three days, so…”

Monroe looked like he was about to grab Elliot by the mustache and drag him up the stairs. “You figured ? What kind of degenerate leaves their room without keys?”

“The kind that locks the door through the doorknob,” 

Monroe’s mouth fell open in disbelief. “That doesn’t even— what?! That’s not a real excuse! Who does that?! ”

“Apparently, me.”

Monroe groaned loudly, dragging his hand down his face. “Do you know anyone else who has a copy of your keys?”

“Nope. Do you?”

Monroe cursed under his breath. He tried to think—tried to focus —but it was hard with Elliot just standing there, radiating his usual smug, infuriating energy. Then it hit him.

Will. Will has a copy.

“My cousin might…”

“You have a cousin?”

Monroe didn’t dignify that with an answer.

When they reached their floor, Monroe immediately made a beeline for Will’s door, knocking loudly. “Will! Open up!”

There was no answer.

Monroe knocked again, louder this time. “I know you’re in there. Stop ignoring me, you son of a—” Okay he was not gonna insult his aunt and uncle. He loved them too much more than he admitted.

But still nothing.

Monroe yanked out his phone and called Will, pacing back and forth in the hallway. The phone rang… and rang… and went straight to voicemail.

“For God’s sake!” Monroe hissed, shoving his phone back into his pocket.

“So… he’s not answering?” Elliot asked, leaning against the wall with an almost smug look on his face.

Monroe glared at him. “ Obviously not. ”

Elliot hummed, unbothered as usual. “Guess we’re stuck. What do you wanna do about it?”

“We sit here and pray Will isn’t out doing… I don’t know, Will things, ” Monroe said, collapsing against the door next to Elliot.

For a moment, neither of them said anything. They just sat there, backs pressed to the cold door, the quiet hum of the dormitory filling the space between them.

Monroe, who was still somewhat buzzed, glanced at Elliot from the corner of his eye. He looked… softer in this lighting. Less smug, more human. Not that Monroe cared.

“So,” Elliot finally said, breaking the silence, “you’re not gonna yell at me some more?”

Monroe exhaled dramatically. “I don’t have the energy.”

“How uncharacteristic of you,” Elliot teased.

Monroe turned his head, glaring. “Do you ever not talk?”

“Do you ever not complain? ”

“Can we just sit here quietly?”

“Sure. But you’re not very good at sitting quietly, are you?”

“So,” Elliot started again, turning his head slightly to look at Monroe. “You gonna tell me why you’ve been avoiding me all week?”

“I haven’t been avoiding you. I just thought a nice change of scenery—”

“Right. And I’m sober right now.” Elliot paused before, leaning his head back against the door. “Just saying. Maybe you should loosen up. Could be good for you.”

Monroe rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath about “ wannabe philosophers .”

Elliot shifted slightly, turning to look at Monroe again. “You know, you kinda act like a dick.”

“I have one that’s for sure,” 

“Still not the joking type I see,” Elliot said letting out a slight chuckle. “I’m serious,” Elliot said, his voice softer now. “You act like you hate me, but—” 

“Hoooaaah” Monroe yawned interrupting Elliot mid-sentence. “You were saying?”

Elliot smirked, leaning in just a fraction. “Nothing. Forget it.”

Before either of them could say anything else, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall.

“Monroe?”

Will appeared at the end of the corridor, dragging a very unconscious Cassius Sinclair by the arm.

Will looked at both of them up and down. He raised an eyebrow before fishing the spare keys out of his pocket and tossing them at Monroe. “I don’t even wanna know”

Monroe didn’t even bother to defend himself, too focused on unlocking the door and escaping the suffocating tension.

As he stepped inside, he glanced back at Elliot, who was still leaning against the wall with that infuriatingly smug look on his face.

“Don’t say a word,” Monroe muttered, slamming the door behind him.

Notes: Y'alll made it to the end. I wonder if anyone will ever read this on this platform. This is my first post of 2025 hopefully more writings to come. I really believe in this fic to the point I made my own GIFS. Send comments on my AO3 or on here and yk send request on my blog if you want. Hope y'all caught the Wicked references I put here and there.

[bubblegummintie]

Here’s that masterpost I mentioned in my pinned post. It took awhile to fix some things but I'm going to be dividing stuff to make it clear what's original works, more canon works, and then a mix of both for a server I run. (Still loosely taking applications or well, for small interviews for people to join it. 18+ kind of server and pretty rad. Dm me if you want to ask about it!). 

A lot of the ones posted or planned to be posted/are being planned to eventually write for a small series I'm doing for an au idea for Smile for Me are heavy topics and contain death, trauma, and just might not be good for some people to read. Don't feel shame in skipping them because I do have plans for more wholesome works to post in between the one I just finished and a continuation of that one in prologue/epilogue form (depends on which I write first). Keep yourselves safe and read the tags for things! {Will edit later and work on adding more to the masterlist as time goes on. If I forget, I'll try posting the links until I post the link to this list}

.˚ *꒰ঌ✦໒꒱ * ˚. Angst Writings .˚ *꒰ঌ✦໒꒱ * ˚.

✧˚₊‧ Original Character works ✧˚₊‧

𖤐 “Nightmares, Nightmares. When Will They Stop?” - is a small story with my OC, Kouya Rivermasu that deals with a great deal of heavy topics. It was my first time posting something so it might not be the best, but read the tags before actually reading it to make sure it's a good story for you. 

 The link is: https://archiveofourown.org/works/50809402

˚｡⋆୨୧˚ Bloomhaven/AU spin on canon events ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

❦ “Am I Better, Am I the Same, or Just Worse?” - is a two chapter fic that deals with the trauma of childhood, post-Habitat events, and has Boris having a panic attack while in the process of legally adopting my Flower Kid — Aspen. It's set in the current era we live in so these events happen closer to 2 years ago in our time and deals with my seaside, flowery town being mentioned so far. Has a good ending so a lot less trauma, but still deals with canon events.

The link is: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51182377/chapters/129324394

⊹₊｡ꕤ°₊ ⊹ More canon type events ⊹₊｡ꕤ°₊ ⊹

❀˖° "Bad Choices Lead to Dead Ends" - is a two chapter fanfic that will potentially just get it's own section eventually due to it being the second part of a series I'm planning now. It follows the loop au that some people have used where Kamal and Boris are sentient. The twist? One of them is destined to die and the other is meant to stay back to watch the aftermath. The first chapter is Boris' POV and the second is Kamal's POV. I'd suggest reading one after the other to really put into effect the two halves of a picture type style put in. It gets really sad so I'd bring some tissues and skip out on this one if you're sensitive to death and your comfort character dying.

The link is: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51857044/chapters/131115796#workskin

The link to my friend's art for the fic: https://www.tumblr.com/l0nelyappariti0n/735082417599168512/bad-choices-lead-to-dead-ends-chapter-1

˗ˏˋ༻ʚ♡︎ɞ༺ˎˊ˗ Lighthearted/Wholesome Writings ˗ˏˋ༻ʚ♡︎ɞ༺ˎˊ˗

✧˚₊‧ Original Character works ✧˚₊‧

࣪𖤐 [Placeholder]

˚｡⋆୨୧˚Bloomhaven/AU spin on canon events˚｡⋆୨୧˚

❦ [Placeholder]

⊹₊｡ꕤ°₊ ⊹More canon type events⊹₊｡ꕤ°₊ ⊹

❀˖° [placeholder]

More will be added over time so be on the look out and if you lose this post, just know it's in my pinned post as well!

[quincyhorst]

DRAGON FIVE: Noh Sung-Joon

Or how he used to be known before the wikia name chage, No.

Jokes aside, I love him 😭 Like the rest of the bench he has a simple design but for me its the profile that always spins things up. This one in particular aged like a fine wine.

"Plans to fly all over the world as a Hallyu star in the future."

Learn more below! ☆

First off, about his profile... What it mentions, 'hallyu', refers to the growing fascination of overseas audiences towards korean entretainment, be by k-dramas, movies, music; everything korean. Pretty much what's going on with the web nowadays.

Some profile translation went to be more direct however. The spanish dub turned him into a k-poper for example:

"Le gustaría que la música pop coreana fuera conocida en todo el mundo." "Wishes korean pop music was known worldwide"

...So yes, he's probably the closest we're gonna get to Stan Twitter in Inazuma Eleven (?

As it is notorious however, such music genre hadn't become popular yet during 2010/the FFI era. So for now, all he can do is find ways to share it with others and hope it will blow up in the future. (He's in for a huge surprise)

If he's organizing a party, be it in Korea or overseas, expect him to put K-Pop on the mix.

Although he has set the goal of being a hallyu star in the future, he doesn't have an specific idea of what in particular due to the ambiguity of the term. Currently he'd love to be an actor, but he wouldn't mind becoming a singer either. He keeps his options open.

Though, his singing voice could have some training...

Given his skill 'Ikemen!UP', he's fairly popular, specially with the girls. Though he hasn't gotten into any dating stuff yet.

...Unfortunately, he can be quite annoying at times. He's always finding an opportunity to shine both outside and in a match, liking to gain compliments. He's isn't neccesarily the one to bring others down, but in case he has to do group work he makes sure his voice is the most heard.

Back on Korea, he was acclaimed to be one of the best forwards of the country alongside his buddies, and it was rumored that if an international tournament was to happen, he'd be inmediately on the starting line-up. So this obviously made him excited when the FFI was announced, but then... His spot on the field was taken by three "half-koreans with japanese names"; or at least that's how he calls them. Now benched, he can't help but feel resentful at times; but there isn't much he can't do anyway. At least when he leaves the bench by chance, he'll do his best to perform as he can.

(He mainly doesn't like much the Chaos duo due that they took the spots meant for his friends, buuut his feelings towards Aphrodi are more conflicted; as while he still has some sort of a grudge, he can't help but also find him... Rather pretty. However having these feelings confuses him a lot, and he just doesn't know how to act on them.)

When it comes to the bench group, Sung-Joon warmed up very well to Ji-Nan, as despite his short temper he likes his goalkeeper skills. Plus their shared pettiness make them unite even more, usually training together on their free time.

Sung-Joon tries to get Ji-Nan more into korean pop culture, even believing he could be an interesting actor for a production too. This is also why he likes Hyeon-Dae and his aspiration as a cinema producer. He sees future on this trio!

Being the only 3rd Year of the bench group, he often tries to impose himself as their leader. But sadly there's gonna be disagreements on his proposals, specially from Jung-Won. They don't like each other that much, but... If it wasn't for the "four-eyes", Sung-Joon wouldn't have made his only shot at the FFI. So he's forced to tone his rivarly down.

...And to end. Some time ago, I was searching for TCG pictures in the Inazuma11 wiki, and while stumbling upon Route of Sky's card... LOOK WHO I FOUND!!!

SUNG-JOOOOOOOON ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

It makes 0 sense for he to be here BUT IDK I'M SO GLAD HE'S ON CARD AHHHHHHHHHH

(This also would make him be the only FD bencher with "merch". If we think about it.)

[tianshiisdead]

Hello! I have been designing some characters for a comic/story that I'm working and would like it incorporate Chinese culture into some of them and have some of them wear Hanfu. Being pretty much as white as you get I really want to go about this respectfully but a lot of my style is mixing different styles of clothing for example I was thinking of mixing Edwardian and Hanfu with a bit of a modern twist. I was wondering if this ok for me to do or if I should just back away from the idea? thanks

Hi! So, first of all, I'd recommend doing your own research because I can't give you permission to do anything. Like I can give a general opinion but that's one opinion from one person out of a huge and diverse society of diaspora and Chinese people so, nothing I say is indicative of much and my opinion can't and shouldn't be used as a go-ahead. No matter what I say here, my words are not permission, and I ask you to not use them to argue with or silence other Chinese people. I can't give permission, but I can give you a few questions to consider if you choose to go ahead with it after doing research.

1. First of all, I'd question why you want to incorporate Chinese culture? What is Chinese culture going to add to it that Edwardian doesn't have, outside of aesthetic? Also, is it going to start and stop with hanfu? I don't think it's inherently bad to have cultural mixes, but a big part of orientalism (and the chinoiserie legacy) is treating Chinese culture and aesthetics as something to be slapped on for fun or exoticness, decorations to be played with. Chinese culture can be a sensitive topic as it is the culture of a marginalized group over in the west, as well as one that's been historically fetishized and used for empty exotic effects, so it's important to be aware of that. If you're going to use Chinese aesthetics, I'd say it shouldn't be surface level for the sake of it. How is Chinese culture relevant and why are you using it?

2. A lot of research should be done into what styles you're using. Hanfu is not a monolith, it's just a general description of the clothing han people wore through history and it's evolved with fashion trends just like any other garment has. This ties back to why you're using hanfu - is it just an aesthetic thing? Are you going for a certain specific period? It's a mistake to blend all of Chinese history (and fashion history) into one big ancient blob. The clothing of the periods also is affected by neighboring cultures and cultural exchange and current state affairs etc. etc. etc. so it's important to take that into account as well, no culture (or clothing) exists in a vacuum, so make sure you're aware the situation of whatever era you're looking at. For example, robes in the Yuan dynasty (and a lot of the stuff you might find on google) has influences from Mongolian clothing because it was a Mongolian led dynasty, and what elements those are would be important to know if you're going to be picking and choosing what elements of hanfu to use.

3. Please do historical research. On Chinese history that you're using yeah, but also on Edwardian history. The specific era of Edwardian gave me pause because afaik that's 1901-1914, when Britain was imperializing and colonizing China. There were racial tensions then, and British-controlled places like Hong Kong and Shanghai had racial hierarchies where Chinese people were uh. Not at the top. And the legacy of British imperialism certainly remains in many areas of China today. China and Britain have a messy relatively recent history (please read into the opium wars and 8 nations alliance/boxer rebellion/unequal treaties) and like with all countries with messy histories, if you're going to blend their cultures and aesthetics, especially during a sensitive period like the Edwardian era, a lot of research needs to be done. Also, I'd advise you to look into chinoiserie and European/British use of Chinese clothing, culture, and aesthetics as 'exotic' artifacts. There are good articles out there on this topic, British colonial nostalgia and power dynamics in the usage of Chinese aesthetics in their fashion and art, the commodification of 'exotic Chinese artifacts' and how it enables British women to participate in imperialism, and its very relevant in your case I think.

4. If you're seeking to publish in any sense, I'd recommend looking into a professional you can consult on culture and such. Your content is going to reach a lot more people and be under a lot more scrutiny, and it's gonna take someone who actually knows and studies the topic to be respectful. If these are just OCs for fun then I'd recommend doing research and going through existing discussions on culture and fashion history and appropriation, I usually start with googling and searching for fashion/history blogs and articles (or like places like JSTOR if you have a uni account), especially if I'm going to be posting anything.

One last thing, this might seem like a lot of work for incorporating a simple aesthetic, but I do want to warn against using culture as an aesthetic. Like mentioned at the beginning, why are you using hanfu? How does it tie in and will you be incorporating this into the history and society as well? Why is this important you use Chinese culture like this? Especially during this time period, with hate crime rates against asians climbing and racism getting even more blatant than before. This isn't yes or no, it's complicated and sensitive and deserving of thought and effort.

[growingstronglikeahighgardenrose]

Sanditon Season 2: all the news & my thoughts

So, we're getting not one but two new seasons of Sanditon! After a year of tremendous effort on behalf of the Sanditon sisterhood who kept the fandom alive, we'll be looking at a new season. Although I think the biggest thank you probably goes out to Bridgerton, which showed that romance, regency, a diverse cast and butts are a perfect mix to lure audiences.

I want to take this moment to reflect on what I think we'll win, what we'll lose and what we can expect in the future.

1. No Sidlotte HEA

This is probably the most heartbreaking salty news we could get. But I know Theo James, he likes new projects. And after divergent's disaster, I can't blame the boy for not wanting to hang onto another franchise. As a fanfic writer, although mainly an Esther/Babington one, I broke my head for over a year on how to get Sidlotte together. I had to imagine the grandest schemes to get them together. Tom needed 10 000 pounds in less than a month. Even Babington was probably not worth that much. That's over 6 million in today's money if adjusted to inflation. Regency era's England's top 1-2% made that in a full a year, and most of that is probably in assets and investments. And they don't just get to keep that money, most used a good chunk of it to keep their estates running and to pay their staff. Anyone know someone who has a casual 6 million lying around?

There's only two realistic solutions: either have Eliza die: which would be cruel and take years (unless you kill her in childbirth 9 months in), or create a grand scheme that would take months and see Sidney, Crowe and Babington actively work hard on their 'business' while in the meantime Charlotte, Lady Denham and Lady Susan get everyone including the prince regent to come to Sanditon. I kind of accepted they would have a hard time getting out of that plot twist. It was likely that Sidlotte could not be endgame.

Personally, I never felt a strong connection to Sidlotte, and had hoped that Charlotte, like Jane Bennet, would go to London with Lady Susan to recover from her heartbreak, and I kind of hoped James Stringer would eventually go down there for his apprenticeship, where a sort of Captain Wentworth-like situation would come to exist where he is a young man trying to make something of himself. I know Charlotte didn't love him. But I also knew that Charlotte wanted adventure and perhaps needed to grow as a person. But in the new season she'll probably be a bit jaded, closed off, and depressed. And will probably need a softer more available man. Growing up goes with swinging to extremes. She was an open optimist at the beginning, and eventually turned to the opposite, not letting her emotions shine through and being very guarded (@miss-holly-goes-lightly did a wonderful post on this). Adulthood is finding a good balance again.

So while I am saddened, because this brings along a long set of questions like: "Does Sanditon still take place in Sanditon then?" "Where will Sidney live, will he then live in London with his wife?" "Why doesn't he come help his brother the next season or visit his family, as we know Tom will make a mess of things" The show will have to answer these questions in a believable manner.

2. No Beaufort twins

Mollie Holder said on her instagram that the Beauforts wouldn't be returning. This leads to quite a few questions like: where will Georgiana stay then? What will be happening to Mrs. Griffiths? Will Georgiana be her sole ward while the Beaufort's absence is explained as them having married or having become governesses?

3. Who remains aboard

Rose Williams is definitely on board. It's also pretty certain Tom will be there again. Lady Denham is also likely to return. The child actors and their parents were willing, but worried about their increasing age a few months back. Old Stringer said he'd have loved to be part of Sanditon again and to see it continue, but he's well... dead on the show so he won't return. So who will join Charlotte?

Leo Sutter might not return. He plays an important role in the next spin-off of vikings. Vikings has a new season each year. On top of that he's currently busy recording Gateway 6. We don't know how long that might take. And perhaps by the time filming ends he's required for the next season of the Walhalla series. Leo Sutter is a rising star, he might not even have the time to return. Especially for two seasons. At his age and point in his career, he needs to cement his name, or he'll remain b-list while he has a-list potential. So he might have to give up Sanditon for his career. It's sad, I'd love a Stringer/Charlotte future where they both grow to being suitable for each other while becoming people confident in their own abilities. But in the end, I would be alright with it, as Charlotte didn't express immediate interest in him. Writing him out would also be fairly easy, they could just write that despite thinking he had to stay home after his father's death, he went to London in the end under Charlotte's encouragement. Perhaps he could then come back for a guest appearance.

Crystal Clarke will reprise her role as Georgiana. Clarke has, since Sanditon, spoken out about the sometimes tone-deaf director and scriptwriters. She had to step in a few times to make sure Georgiana was done justice. She also said she hoped Georgiana, if the show was continued, would get the space to breathe and be independent, instead of playing a minor role as token black friend of Charlotte while under the control of Sidney. It will be complex to have her return without involving Sidney, as his character will have to be written out. I imagine this can be done with a timejump, but the timejump would have to be 4 years to make Georgiana 'of age' as she is 17 in the show. They'll probably place her under someone's care while saying Sidney is "still her guardian, but away". Georgiana is, in my opinion, an essential part of Sanditon. Bridgerton showed the world wanted to see diverse faces. Austen wrote a black character as a wealthy and desirable woman. They simply have to do more with her in the future. Clarke will reprise her role, this time with black writers to do justice to her character. I'm excited to see what will be done.

The actor who plays Arthur, Turlough Convery, is a good actor and mostly in period pieces. However he's never overly in demand, and usually stays with shows for multiple seasons. I think he's quite willing to come back and it means Georgiana would have a friend. I also hope they delve into his character, especially after his "I don't think i'll ever get married".

Matthew Needham and Mark Stanley, Crowe and Babington, are Sidney's best friends. It will be hard to have them come back without them explaining why Sidney is never with them. But I believe they would work well as a duo: the drunk and the one braincell are a fun dynamic. Both are not much in demand, despite that I quite like them as actors. So we might see them returning. Their return would also be vital for the return of a few other characters:

Their return would also be vital for the return of a few other characters:

Charlotte Spencer's Esther Denham is married to Babington. Without Babington returning, how can Esther? And vice versa. Their storyline was also the main romance for me and a big part of the last few episodes. They kinda need to return. Babington is also Sanditon's access point to high society. To cash in on Bridgerton's success they should search that royal connection. Babington is friends with the Prince Regent. On top of that he has the most money. If he hosts a party and Charlotte is invited, this is where they get those grand-bridgertonesque scenes.

Lily Sacofsky's Clara had a romantic subplot with Crowe. In their final unaired scene they went to London together. She could return. However, the chances are quite slim. Clara is in London, and Sanditon takes place in Sanditon. Unless Lady Susan takes Charlotte to London for a while and she meets Clara and Edward there, cooking up a plan to get back at Esther and Lady Denham.

4. Predictions

There's no words to describe the popularity of Bridgerton, so this WILL influence Sanditon. I predict: more sex, more scandal, and even more ahistorically modern ideas and characters, multiple female characters and multiple male characters that each get screentime and their separate storylines and developments like in bridgerton, instead of just Charlotte's pov we follow. Glamorous scenes. And more POC.

The season will start with a timejump in all likeliness (as it is easier so they don't have to focus too much on her grieving). Charlotte will catch us up with what has happened while perhaps narrating over some letters she's written to georgiana and lady susan. She'll return to Sanditon during a summer. Sanditon will have been partially rebuilt with Eliza's money, and many activities will be planned. Sanditon will be in some kind of trouble. Charlotte will still be a planner. Her being very actively involved in things and having a vision was one of the most alluring parts of her character. In the books there was a rival town Tom hated. That might be a bit tricky to adapt so they could introduce some local competition for attention around Sanditon. A local duke hosting parties could overshadow tom's events. Or the social season in London could lure everyone there instead of to Sanditon. Charlotte will try to help Tom with this while getting reacquainted with everyone still in Sanditon, and hearing about the reasons why Sidney/Esther/Stringer/The Beauforts (to be seen) aren't in the show anymore. She'll also rebuild her relationship with Georgiana.

Then one day for an event Charlotte will invite Lady Susan, who will invite her to the London season to get over her heartache à la Jane Bennet. Charlotte will join Lady Susan to lure a crowd to Sanditon. There, she'll be confronted with some of her demons of the past season. Perhaps a pregnant Eliza Campion makes an appearance to rub it in Charlotte's face. In Sense & Sensibility Margaret discovered Willoughby's relationship in a most shocking manner in an almost public setting. Sanditon likes to nod at all Austen books so this could be a nod at that book when Charlotte discovers unpleasant news in a public manner. Charlotte will congratulate her and wish them happiness, and afterwards either a girlpower moment could happen with Lady Susan or Georgiana supporting her, or a love moment. Mrs Campion has tried to talk Charlotte down in front of people in the past, if she did it again, a new love interest could step in at that time to compliment her and then take her off for a dance. That could be an emotional moment for her, as she realized her feelings for Sidney in London during a dance the last time around as well. And she could have her cinderella moment by excusing herself and running off after the dance, uncertain of her feelings. She'll have some grand balls, might be harrassed by a man and risk a scandal, or try and prevent Georgiana from ruin during a scandal.

At the last moment she'll succeed in her goal and lure a crowd to Sanditon's events that will put Sanditon on the map. Either the local competitive duke, or someone from London will be impressed with her, but she won't be ready to marry yet. I trust that by the end of the second season, she'll finally have a realisation that she's quite happy with how she's living her life and how good her work is, and that she has finally stopped feeling sad. So the second season will stop with her atop a cliff, letting go of the traumatic loss she suffered on that same cliff a season before. By the end of the season, one or two love interests will be set up for the last season.

So the nudity and big romance will have to come from elsewhere. Georgiana will get more agency and action in the next seasons. She could be trying to tempt Charlotte in joining her adventures as a single wealthy independent woman. She might even leave to find her place in the world via boat, returning to where she was last truly happy: Antigua. The second season could maybe end with Charlotte overlooking Georgiana's boat leaving from the previously mentioned clifftop. Another option is Georgiana falling in love with a local man and taken an interest in the town. Financially speaking, Georgiana could be the only one able to save Sanditon. But I don't think she owes the town anything. Another option is the writers focus on Georgiana navigating her relationship with Otis, who might be back home for a holiday after navy duty. We could also see some political debates à la Poldark S5 about freedom, servitude, independence and so on. The first plan for Georgiana doesn't even have to exclude the second, she could decide to sail away with Otis to find their place in the world. In any case: race shall not be brushed under the carpet and Georgiana will kick some shins on her way to her happy ending. In Jane Austen, we have rarely seen a woman who tried to elope, or escape her guardian, get a happy ending. Georgiana Darcy, Eliza Williams, Eliza's mother, ... they're all tragic tales of women falling for bad guys who try to steal their virtue or take their money. And in the end they always become dependent on men again. I hope in Sanditon Georgiana will learn and grow herself, instead of being coddled by men. A lot could be done.

Esther and Babington could be a very cool insert if the actors join. They can really connect the high society to Sanditon. They could host balls, invest in Sanditon or drive the London plot. But they can also be an emotional backbone to the show. Esther married Babington, but she wasn't in love yet. I'm not a fan of the edward/Esther angle. After all he did, I rather she hated him with burning passion and never spoke to him again. But he could try to blackmail her and ruin her reputation in London. Perhaps become some kind of Lord Whistledown. With Charlotte coming to Esther's aid. Esther's plotline could be about learning to trust people and open her heart again. Perhaps she could have a conflict with Babington about him wanting a family and she still being uneasy with marriage, let alone children. Maybe they could have a fight, with one of them going to London. In their separation they might realize they love each other. And then the other comes back home from London with Charlotte and they fix everything. Another route is them having a fight, Esther going to confront Edward or Clara about their blackmailing or maneouvring. Babington thinks it's because she doesn't love him, but actually it's because she loves Babington and wants to be rid of her past. But she gets into an accident and Babington only realizes the truth later on, leading to a happy ending.

Other things I'd love to see: Mary finally growing a backbone and telling Tom to either be open about his affairs and finances or be gone. Arthur and Diana growing a backbone and telling their brother he's a fuck up. Charlotte realizing Tom is stupid. Lady Denham appointing Charlotte or Arthur to head of Sanditon after showing their worth an entire season. Tom being repentant. Diana getting over her fears. Arthur getting a love interest. Crowe being in Sanditon, I just love him. Kisses. Healthy love interests that aren't broody and traumatized and in need of fixing by women. Jane Austen's men need to do their growing ON THEIR OWN. And then they earn their brides.

5. What we'll lose

- A Sidlotte ending: once the new season comes out, Sidlotte is no longer headcanon.

- A happy Esther/Babington ending: they married and looked happy, despite Esther's rushed turn around. If they're in the new season, their marriage won't be perfect. They'll have conflicts, just for plot. Whatever headcanons we had for them will probably be falsified. We might come to dislike them or their relationship. I've seen almost all my ships crumble to dust on the rocks of multiple seasons dragging out relationships and piling on conflict just to keep it interesting.

- A part of what made Sanditon Sanditon: we'll lose many faces we've come to love. And the dynamics and relationships will therefore change a lot.

- Fanfics become dated: I know it is the problem of every fandom, but it's one I regret all the same. Part of why I love Austen fandoms is the fact that the books are written. The characters and relationships won't change. With 2 new seasons coming, all fanfics out there will become dated. The millions of hours authors put into Sidlotte fics will perhaps become barely read when Charlotte gets new love interests. All the headcanons I and many others wrote down for Sidlotte, Esther/Babington, Charlotte/Stringer, will officially become silly fantheories. I've been there a couple of times before that shows changed the entire course and personality of certain characters and then you can't help but feel exhausted and sometimes annoyed because these are your babies and you had dreams for them, and the writers took them in directions that sometimes don't do them justice. But it's canon so you gotta accept it. Sometimes fantasy is nicer than a writer toying around with storylines and characters just to create drama. And I'll have to write my characters in a new way that fits the characters based on the info from the new seasons. I might fall out of love with them. Ah, the burden of being a shipper weighs heavy.

- Perhaps we still lose a HEA: Season one ended with a happy babington/Esther and an unhappy Charlotte who learned a lot, and a Sanditon that was saved. Although Sanditon has been extended for two seasons it's possible that if the ratings for S2 aren't good they may still cancel the third season. If they don't learn from their mistakes and end season 2 on another cliffhanger even Esther's relationship and sanditon may be at stake. If they're getting 2 seasons they will also not marry or engage charlotte in the second, meaning Charlotte will still be single by the end of the series if they cancel season 3. The whole reason we wanted more seasons was for charlotte to have a HEA. So I'm really fearful that she'll be put in another hard spot. They at least need to get her happy by the end of S2.

6. What we'll gain

- More sanditon content

- More regency era content and images and music which is always lovely

- Seeing our favourites again

- Hopefully we get to see new challenges and romance and humor and tense moments and scandal and drama that will be fun to watch

- A Georgiana story arc: a black woman in a realistic historical setting living her life, being wealthy, and England just having to Deal With It. And as cherry on top she'll be written by black writers.

- Happy endings (hopefully)

- New hot men! This is a guarantee

- Perhaps LGBTQ+ representation with Arthur

- Frustration at Tom's antics (guaranteed)

- Maybe some interactions with Charlotte's siblings

- Esther Babington content

- New material to write fanfics and metas about

- Over 8 hours of viewing pleasure

[elenajohansenreads]

Books I Read in 2021

#83 - Shadowmarch, by Tad Williams

Mount TBR: 69/100

Beat the Backlist Bingo: Cover features your favorite color prominently

Rating: 1/5 stars

Well, that was a slog.

So I have a history with this piece of intellectual property. I was introduced to Williams as an author in college (1998) because several of the friends I made my first year were big fantasy nerds--no surprise there--and I was perfectly ready to move on from my high-school-era love of less sophisticated fantasy authors. I borrowed The Dragonbone Chair from one of those friends and off I went.

So in 2001 when news about Williams writing an online serial went around, and I saw the $15 price tag...well, I was a perpetually almost-broke college student still, and sure I spent money on books, but that was a high gateway, because a) I didn't own my own computer yet, I was borrowing friends' or using the computer lab to write papers and such; and b) sure, a chunky fantasy novel might be $7 or $8 in paperback, but it was portable, easy to reread whenever, and nobody had tablets or smartphones or e-readers yet, so an online serial publication was definitely not portable. Even fifteen dollars seemed like too much for the inconvenience of a book I could only read sitting at a computer, and couldn't read all of at once.

I was genuinely angry about this shift away from the paradigm, and much like Williams vowing this serial was online only and would never be published traditionally (which I distinctly remember but don't actually have a source for) I too vowed that I would never read it.

I held out much longer than he did, if my memory of that claim is even true. But I'm wishing now that I hadn't bothered.

This is bad. Not even close to the level of quality I expect from Williams, based on the earlier Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series, as well as War of the Flowers--which was weird but I enjoyed it--and the Otherland series, which was even weirder and not always good, but yeah, I still enjoyed that too, for the most part.

Who am I supposed to care about in this book? I'm no stranger to multiple protagonists, but there are simply too many here, meaning none of them get the development time they would need to be interesting. I'm trying to wean myself from the complaint that protagonists need to be "likable," because a character can be a jerk and still be interesting, but few of these protagonists are particularly likable either!

1. Barrick is a whiny jerk who folds under pressure and abdicates responsibility to his sister, and then makes a spectacularly bad decision for no reason other than to set up some tension at the end, and his future arc. If it's because he's "mad," bad plot reason, and if it's because he's affected by the more general shadow-madness, well, I guess he could be vulnerable to it like anyone else, but that's pretty flimsy too. 2. Briony is a fairly standard "if only I weren't a woman, people would take me seriously" princess who doesn't fold as much under pressure but is dealt a really raw deal. I'll give her credit, she does legitimately try her best to rule her lands, but she's also kind of a whiny jerk like her brother, too. 3. Quinnitan is...pointless. Sure, I see how the end of her arc in this book echoes those of the Eddon twins, but there is no direct connection between her plot and anyone else's. And I mean that literally, if there's anything that ties her story to any other single part of the book, I simply do not see it, it's buried in lore or foreshadowing that was lost on me amid the sheer weight of nearly 800 pages of plodding narrative. I read all of her scenes constantly wondering why I should care, and the fact that her arc is a very basic harem plot, "I don't want to be a token wife but really what choice do I have?" sort of thing, doesn't help, because on its own it's incredibly unoriginal. 4. Chert is marginally likable, because he's arguably got the most defined personality and most personal growth in the book, as a person of a "little" race who is distinctly not human--I get a mix of gnome and dwarf, with a faint whiff of Podling from The Dark Crystal--and who deals with an unexpected foundling by taking him into his family and trying to make it work, even when that foundling is really a big blank space in the story who still manages to get into trouble. 5. Captain Vansen gets points from me for being the guardsman deep in unrequited love, which is a trope I would absolutely eat up with a spoon. The problem is, the object of that love is a protagonist I don't care for (Briony,) leading me to question what the eff he's thinking that he can even admire her from a distance, let alone be in infatuation/love. And his plot arc is mostly "something goes wrong that's not really has fault but everyone blames him anyway." Which got dull.

Chert and Vansen are most of the reason this book gets a second star*, honestly. Chert's scenes with the Rooftoppers are generally pretty excellent, even if they're mostly tied to a plot arc that I don't care for.

The other thing that's getting me about this is that it feels like a deliberately grim-dark retread of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. You've got a castle that's the seat of current government but used to belong to the enemy--the enemy that no one is sure even exists anymore, that lives in a land far enough away to feel distant but also somehow close enough to be threatening, once people believe in them again. That castle is perched upon magically important ruins/caverns, and that enemy has forms of magic/communication that affect humans and can cause or appear symptomatic of madness. There's a race of small likable people who aren't quite dwarves or any other "standard" fantasy race, but are still somehow cute/appealing. There's a crippled prince who's not really well-liked. One of the primary female protagonists is a young woman who laments the limitations of her womanhood under the patriarchal feudal system of the world.

And to someone who's never read either of these series, that list of similarities could mostly read like fairly common fantasy tropes, and I forgive anyone who reads this review and thinks that. But I've read MSaT probably ten times all the way through in the twenty-plus years since I was introduced to it, and I feel like I've just been handed the same story again, with a thick coat of gray paint slathered on it and a few details changed--and those changes are basically always for the worse. No one in this story can be said to be a direct equivalent to Simon, who gets a very clear hero's journey, but if I'm supposed to slot Barrick in as a Simon/Josua mashup (that crippled prince problem) then it takes the entire book to get Barrick out of his comfort zone and on his journey, where Simon got booted from the castle at the end of the first act of the first book.

And that gets at the underlying problem that is at least partially fueling all other problems--this book is clearly just the first act of the larger story, and yes i know! that is what first books do! but this also doesn't have a lot of forward motion on its own, and it doesn't resolve anything aside from the mystery of a single murder at that happens near the beginning. Seriously, all other plot threads get kicked down the road with the "and now they're exiles" theme that the ending has assigned to most of the protagonists. Chert doesn't suffer that fate, but the ending of his story line--also the end of the book itself--is the foundling reasserting that he doesn't know who he is, which is not new information. We've literally not known who he is the whole time, except that we do find out who his mother is, but don't find out how he was taken or why he apparently hasn't aged as much as he should have or what the Qar intended by sending him back "home." The identity of his mother is basically the least important question surrounding him.

I truly feel like I just read a 750-page prologue, and that is not a good feeling.

*Yeah, I told myself this was a two-star book, but by the time I wrote the whole review, it's not and I can't pretend I still believe that. This is a one-star book. This is so bad I don't want to go on with the series, even though it almost has to get better, now that most of our protagonists are out on their journeys. And because it could hardly get worse, right? But this already took up so much of my time (I had to take a week-long break in the middle to binge some romances, as a relief from all this grimdark toil) and even though I've managed to collect secondhand copies of the rest of the series, and they've been sitting on my shelves for a few years waiting for me to invest my energy into them...I'm giving up. Not worth it.

[spongebob-connoisseur]

i think people need to realize that hillenburg meant he didn’t see spin offs happening anytime soon during the time of that quote while hillenburg knew of kamp koral i have this itching feeling that he appointed waller to help out with spin offs because he knew no matter what nick would still try to milk out the series after his death and wanted to appoint someone he trusted while this could be false as we don’t know the whole story and i say it’s too soon to say the spin off will be bad or good or just mixed we need to be respectful of the cast and crew as they could still love this even if may not turn out great i just wish nick would stop killing off or not greenlighting potentially good shows

the future of spongebob is really filled with uncertainty i can see it lasting for many more years or just being announced to end next year

spongebob like you said in a previous post is not the same as it started and i agree, i love all the seasons in spongebob even the middle era seasons, they are flawed, but a guilty pleasure for me as i grew up with them as a kid, but idk the newest season just doesn’t hit the same anymore? i know i grew up but i still liked 9 to 11 but 12 just seems eh to me now? but that’s my opinion

i know am a sourpuss in this situation compared to the other spongebob fans being more optimistic, but if people are generally happy and excited about the current state of the series good for them enjoying something 😄 i am in no postition to judge others what they like

I wanted to reply to this sooner but couldn't get to it. Sorry this is so late!!!

But I really agree with you. I get tired running into videos and posts on literally every social media platform about kamp koral. The constant spread of misinformation and even if you have the facts to say "hey that's not true" it's like talking to a brick wall. They all think it's fake. I was pretty skeptical and against kamp koral initially but things change ya kno?

Tbh I do agree that it sounds like Hillenburg put Waller in charge of the show so when Nick has any future plans with the show, he'd be able to steer it into the right direction at least. If Hillenburg trusts him with the series then I can't really complain about if he'd really approve of it or not. I'm not sure about it and I feel a little weird about talking about what Hillenburg would have wanted and wouldn't have wanted.

It feels like a weird line about someone's personal thoughts and opinions and there's no proper way to verify hence why I'm tired about talking about Kamp koral and spin offs and whatever. It feels a little too personal. And I don't know a thing about him. None of us do. We never met him. He's his own person separate from his creation and so are the people who work on spongebob.

But we should be respectful of the people who work on the show since they're just trying to get by.

Don't worry! I get what you mean. A lot of people like the middle era. There are good episodes and I feel like it got judged waaay too harshly. Even though I'm not much of a fan of it. There's a lot of gems and people really liked to over hate it for nothing. Nostalgia is one hell of a drug.

And I get what you mean by the new episodes. Its a fairly common criticism about it and even I can admit it's can be a little extreme at times. I don't think you're a sourpuss for feeling that way! Everyone has a different opinion and yours is valid and I appreciate hearing it. What matters is being respectful and you are very respectful and nice! I enjoyed reading this and sorry I replied so late!

[justapayneaway]

Okay so the video had some shit that I could potentially understand from an outsider's point of view but hell this is just plain stupid. The Harry situation was clearly a joke. Yeah I guess how he said it might have stung and made people question his thought but he was clearly joking. (1/?) (This is about that video with the hateful remarks of Liam, I thought maybe I should rant about it. Pay in mind it was late and I already had a crap mood so I'm pretty not okay during this rant)

The girlfriend situation, don't even start with it. Yeah she's 18, that girl ain't 19 and even if she was, internet really did her wrong by finding ways to show she aint. That situation fucked up Liam even more and idc if he loves her or whatever but it clearly didnt do him justice and I wish they never made it public, even if it's a stunt or a "real" couple. Like that made people hate him more. (2/?)

The merch is people's choice. I hate the hoodie but I like the t-shirt. He has the rights to sell whatever he wants. His album might be expensive online but its cheap af in stores. It costs 15$ cad here which is nothing compared to the others's album (Louis doesn't count). (3/?)

Mr. Boring" was given by hateful people because he looks like that jock guy that wants to fuck you and leave you like a rag but we dont even know him. Nobody knows any of the boys so this is just a wrong thing. This could be his persona or the real him but what does that do you? Y'all really love to make him look bad with any ounce of being you have. This boy is much more than Mr. Boring but all of you fuck him up constantly so of course he comes of different. (4/?)

I wouldn't blame him, if people always told me I was the worst or boring, you will try not to be or shut everyone out. Cringeworthy lyrics? OH GOD YES! But some of his tracks on Lp1 aren't as much. Stack it Up sucked balls and I wish its death because it was horrible. Strip that down is that generic song you find in clubs which is fine. All his songs lack something for sure but they are still very good. (5/?)

Lyrics wise he said he didnt have inspiration to write which honestly I don't blame him, maybe he ain't a wordy person to open up and ask people to write shit for him and I dont blame him. He gave what he could and I'm proud of him. Yeah some lyrics are problematic af and I wish they worded it better or made it look less crappy but what can we do? (6/?)

A lot of artists write like that but no! LIAM JAMES PAYNE has to be hated on it as if he is the only one who does those kind of lyrics. Some artists have the same intentions but some aren't as straightforward but still, it's all the same. Plus, Rude Hours and Both Ways are like 2 songs and he gets dragged on repeat for it when there are good songs on the album. (7/?)

I hate his team for making 3 different albums with the target one with 2 bonus and the Japanese one with 3 extra bonuses and that sucks. His features should've been out of the album and have those 5 beautiful bonus songs in instead. The Christmas one should have been off the album. Stack it up was a failure from the start. (8/?)

I just wish people would stop hating on him and always drag him down. He is much more but I see what those people see because Liam ain't himself and he didnt give his 100% but he seems okay enough to have this album out and seems pretty proud so just give him some rest. This album ain't as bad people make it to be. People hate those 2 problematic songs and wont even listen to the other songs. (9/?)

And not everyone has the same music taste. I like "sexual" pop music and rock. His music are those generic sex songs and that isnt a bad thing. If he likes doing it, who is to tell him to not do that? Y'all really compare him to 1D Eras and the bandmates but they are different. Liam maybe likes these 'popular' shit and what does that do you? Liam is human. Liam is Liam. We cant do shit and he lives his life. Give him a break jeez.. (10/10) [sorry for this rant, you can hate me if you want to]

__________________

Okay anon I don’t hate you at all! This is well thought and I do agree with a lot of point you made here. I’ll try making a few comments by ask since this is big lmao

BTW SUPER IMPORTANT: don’t watch that video and don’t spread it! Report it if you feel like doing something about it. 

1. But what even is the Harry situation? Him saying that they aren’t best friends? Or that they have much in common? Because that’s understandable. Or is it the “harry’s clothes” comment of 2017 that harries keep bringing up when you can clearly see that Liam was just joking?

2. I do agree with you! The situation with the teenager just made things way worse for him. It added a lot of hate and it was completely unnecessary, especially how they keep bringing her up every single time and how she is always there!

3. I actually like his merch. I think it’s simple, but the white t-shirt is amazing. Sure the hoodies could have been more elaborated, but they’re super cozy! The thing I appreciate most about his merch is that it’s actually affordable. Btw I agree that it’s personal taste. His album is kind of cheap compared to other albums I've bought. 

4. But the thing for me is that Liam was never boring. He is smart and has a brilliant dark sense of humor. I think that some old 1d fans didn't like him much because he was always the spokesperson and had to say the shit nobody wanted to be said. People don’t seem to want to get past that to be honest with you! 

5. I agree with you! I really prefer Liam to shut up these fucking people with his success and what he wants to do that being an underwear campaign. Sure, some of the lyrics aren’t poetic shit, but there are others that are really deep and have some dark themes behind them. The songs aren’t bad at all in my opinion. SIU should have never been released, but I think we can all agree with that one!

6. I do think that Liam wasn’t 100% inspired, but I also feel like these are the songs we were supposed to get last year. They aren’t current if that makes sense, so of course some lyrics aren’t worded okay. 

7. I never thought it was a bad thing to use lyrics written by other people. That’s literally why songwriters exist! And a lot of people don’t write their own lyrics, but apparently it’s only bad for Liam to do it. I do agree! He is getting dragged for two songs. 

8. I don’t understand why they made three different albums. I understand wanting to keep the old songs because in terms of certifications/streams it gives him an advantage, but the extra songs are so damn good! They deserved more than this and he actually wrote on them. With the whole thing of the album I really don’t understand why AIWFC was added! 

9. I think you say it all with this part “This album ain’t as bad as people make it to be”. That’s the truth! I like the album and sure I'd do thing differently, probably. But I think people are judging the album based on BW and they are just going along with the hate. This album is exactly what Liam said it was going to be! A mix of songs that felt like a playlist with different genres.

10. It’s a personal taste thing again! I consume all kinds of music, I’m eclectic. I’ve been like that since I was a kid and learnt to play music. It isn’t bad that Liam is showing what kind of music he did and experimenting with different genres. For me it makes him a more complete artist to be honest with you! I really hate that they keep comparing them. Just let them all be whatever the fuck they want!!

In conclusion, I don’t understand the hate and I wish it would end.  

(Hope this answers you and don’t feel bad about ranting! It’s good to let it out.)

[sftswigan]

New band on the scene, Divide The Sun, tell us about their lockdown as a band, their influences and why not many of have heard of them...yet!

Alright lads, firstly, who are Divide The Sun and can you tell us a little bit about the band as we here at SFTS take pride in knowing the local scene very well but we’ll be honest and say that we know nothing about you guys! Why is that?

Phil: OK, so the initial introductions for Divide the Sun are...

Robin Bailey - Rhythm guitar & vocals

Gaz Moore - Lead guitar & vocals

Will Waddington - Bass Guitar

Phil Moore - Drums

We’re a band who are a little “late to the party” in that we only met initially about 2 years ago, and only formed as the current line up about 12 months ago.

Robin and I met at TMP Music College, and when we decided to wanted to continue to make music, we recruited Gaz and then Will, who had previously played together (some years ago) in a number of bands. We’ve discussed recently how we want to start to take it to the next level, gigging and promoting etc. Sadly Coronavirus has made a dent in those plans.

Robin: I think we were clear from the start our goal was to write, produce and play original songs. We are still on that journey. Also, we’re probably guilty of being too perfectionist or maybe its a bit of impostor syndrome??

However we have released our first single, Green and Brown, (second single on its way, soon) and made a couple of surprise gigs at TMP, both of which were very well received! Like you guys the response so far has been “why have we never heard of you before”!!

Well it’s great to have another Wigan band in this amazing scene we have.

What is the writing process in the band and how did the song ‘Green and Brown’ come to fruition?

Robin: The writing process usually starts with me or Gaz having the basis of a song and we take it to the band, who all add their bits. In fact some songs/ideas don’t get Divide the Sun’s approval and are rejected. ‘Green and Brown’ was pretty much accepted from the outset and developed by all the band. Its a song that covers all the light and airy themes of war, terrorism, religion and death....set to a nice jangly indie groove!

Phil: Yeah, the structure of the song is definitely driven by the two main songwriters, but they do ‘allow’ Will and I a certain degree of autonomy in how we add to the song!! Once the structure is there, we’ve found that the process to a final format is pretty quick. We then just take time to tweak and perfect it.

Love the fact that such topics can be turned into a song, I remember back with the Bush era in th US brought out a lot of new material for bands like Greenday, System of a Down etc and probably other bands too. Have these dark times with COVID, protests, the government etc inspired the band and songwriting whilst not being able to gig?

Phil: In all honesty the band as a whole have been in somewhat of a hiatus through COVID. We’ve only managed to get together once, but we’ve stayed in contact pretty consistently. In fact, probably more so than before lockdown!!! The two songwriters have been sending ideas across, and we definitely have things to get straight into once lockdown is lifted.

In the meantime, Robin is very prolific with his songwriting, and is definitely not afraid to progress any songs that he feels are worth it, but that are maybe not DtS material.

Robin: Its funny three songs I have written have been inspired by all those themes. One called “Alone together” deals with those whose lives have always involved self-isolation even before lockdown. The “Luckiest Man in Rock and Roll” is a jealous song aimed at those who have made it in the music industry. And “Us and Them” deals with lies, corruption and oppression. I may try and write a happy song one day!!

The way the world is at the moment there’s plenty for the band to write The way the world is at the moment there’s plenty for the band to write about and it’s all very relevant and people can relate to it too.

What’s the plan for the band once we get more normality back?

Gaz: What is normality, though? The World is always in chaos, just in different guises. There’s always plenty to write about!

Will: Get back into practice, get a set together and play a gig!

Robin: Yes, that’s the answer!

Phil: Yeah, I think it’s about catching up on the material we already have, and getting that back up to standard. But the guys have been working on some stuff that we’re going to begin developing as soon as we can!

Gaz, you make a very good point.! There’s always bad things going on so spot on there but it’s often ammunition for bands to write about I suppose.

When you get back gigging is there anywhere in particular you want to play or bands you’d like to gig with? Or is it a case gig wherever and as much as possible?

Phil: We’re still at the stage where we’re getting the material together, to a standard that we’re happy to take to a (potentially paying) audience. So I think it’s fair to say we are only just beginning to think that far ahead. One particular venue is like to play is The Old Courts in Wigan but also The Boulevard. Having said that, we want to make sure that the material is good to go before we rush into anything. Will’s lives in Preston and there are apparently a number of venues there that we hope to play at. In terms of supporting, you’ve got to aspire to someone like The Lathums but that may be a stretch given their meteoric rise!! The Lilacs and Island Dam are also obvious local choices given their quality and current experience.

Will: Some of the Preston venues that is like to play at are, The Ferret, The Continental, 53 degrees. There were more but I heard they closed.

Good local bands we could support; Blues Harvest, Zvilnik, Doug Perkins and the Spectaculars, Fighting, dat brass, Ward 16 and Jackpot Golden Boys.

Yeah no rush and this is the perfect time to get it right whilst gigs aren’t really as we know them just yet and people are understandably not ready to go out to pubs/venues.

We’re very lucky to have so many good bands not just in the northwest but in the UK.

What bands are you listening to at the moment and does that have an influence on the bands songwriting?

Robin: I think a lot of bands indirectly influence my songs however I never sit down with an artist orgenre in mind. I think it’s probably more subconscious. I am often maybe more conscious of not sounding like anyone or copying anyone. Historically [I listened to] Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, The Smiths, Leonard Cohen ... currently Elliot Smith, Sufjan Stevens, King Krule, Aha, early Prefrab Sprout, Wu Tang Clan, Laura Nyro....

Gaz: [I’m] Currently listening to Future Islands a lot and although it’s not the sound I would want from my own band......

I do find it is inspiring my own writing. I definitely have a connection with the vocal both melodically and lyrically.

Good to see quite a mixed bag of music there.

That was our last (serious) question. We’ve got some, more hypothetical fun questions now....

If you could open up for any band (Alive or dead) who would it be?

Robin: Super Furry Animals

Gaz: Well for me it would have to be the best live band I’ve ever seen..............the mighty...............pigeon detectives. Jokes. KASABIAN!!

Phil: Biffy Clyro. Definitely.

Will: Erm, queen at wembley.

Interestingly, the bloke who taught me guitar when i was 16 was previously in a band who did genuinely support queen in their early days.

Some great choices there! Streaming music or Vinyl?

Robin: Would love to say Vinyl, but I would never have listened to the range of music I have, if it wasn’t for streaming. So from a purely selfish and indulgent perspective, streaming.

Gaz: Streaming through the week. Vinyl on Sundays!!

Will: I'm not nearly hipster enough to be interested in vinyl nowadays, just for the sake of trying to be cool, so streaming all the way :)

Phil: I listen to a lot of music on the go, so Vinyl isn’t really practical!! Also, I’ve never owned a Vinyl record without scratching it to hell, so definitely streaming for me, too.

Also, you can choose an album, a book and one other item to take to a desert island with you. What do ya take?

Phil: I’ll go first then.....

Album - The Wall - Pink Floyd (without question)

Book - Difficult one this. Probably the complete collection of Sherlock Holmes (I’m sure it’s available in one volume somewhere)

Item - can I take my phone?

Robin:

Album. Desire- Bob Dylan...

Book: Finnegans Wake-James Joyce...(never understood it, so might work it out on the Island).

Item: Mini-Brewery.

Will:

Album - 1977, ash.

Book - Lord of the Rings.

Item - survival knife / multitool. Or maybe a saltwater still, depends if the island has a fresh water source or not...

Gaz:

The Bends - Radiohead

Book of local wildlife

Guitar :)

Thanks very for taking the time to chat to us lads!

Please go and visit the band's social media pages and follow on the streaming services.