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bandaigaeru · 4 years ago

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comfort place - yang jeongin

→genre: friends to lovers →synopsis: comfort can manifest itself in many forms. some find it in the fantastical world of the arts. others find it in sports. but, for you, comfort is a person. →word count: 6.5k →pairing: jeongin x gender neutral reader →warnings: drunk jeongin, mentions of puking

“Why are you doing that?”

“Doing what?”

“That,” your eyes go wide as you nod at his stature. He’s hunched over your trash can. Blue gloves shield his hands as he digs.

“Oh. I think I lost my earring or something.”

“And your first instinct was to search my trash can?” you quirk an eyebrow. Perhaps you should mention that this isn’t just any trash can, it’s your kitchen one. Full of discarded, burnt ramen and your roommate’s weird protein shakes that will clog your drain otherwise.

He nods, as though this is the most normal first step to a lost earring. Yang Jeongin is many things, but being questionable is one of his strongest traits.

You slip behind him to get to the fridge. Water bottles line the right half, more commonly known as your roommate’s side. You reach for one.

“What are you doing on March twenty-fifth?” he asks, arms deep in your trashcan. He’s really going to endure this conversation without a single shred of his pride disappearing.

You try not to look at him as you glance at the calendar. Two weeks away, the small square for that Saturday reads “NATIONALS” in large red letters.

You hum to yourself. “Dog sitting.”

“What?” he looks at you, eyes squinted in confusion, “Why?”

“Danceracha’s going out of town for the dance contest. I told you this.”

He exhales a deep, surrendering sigh as he straightens his back and plucks the gloves off. He shakes his hands in the cool air before starting for your sink. The calm stream of water trickles out. “Man. That sucks.”

“Why?” you question. Your fingertips draw marks of condensation along the plastic.

“I was gonna invite you to a party,” he mutters. A pout comes to his lips. For a moment, your heart drops. He looks the same as when you met him. All those years, long with memories but short in quantity, whizz past you.

“Party?” you repeat.

“Yeah,” he nudges the water stream off.

Parties and Jeongin don’t mix well. History has proven this.

“Whose party is it?” you start for the living room, knowing he’ll follow.

“You don’t know him,” he says, his voice never once fading because, indeed, he’s on your tail.

“Okay, but what’s his name?”

“Chan. Actually,” he hesitates, “you might know him.”

As you sink into the couch, chipped leather scratching your legs, you glance at him. His eyebrows are scrunched into his thinking stance. Then, his features light up once he finds the answer. “Do you remember sophomore year’s biology class?”

You nod.

“Remember when that senior came in to make fun of Mr. Lee?”

Again, you nod.

“His best friend is Chan. You probably saw them in our freshman yearbook for spirit week. They dressed up as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum for Twins Day.”

Your mouth forms into an acknowledging part. “Got it.” In fact, the recurring image instantly pops into your head. You can thank all the hours spent staring at it with stifled laughter for that.

“So what’s the party for?”

He shrugs, “Some college achievement shit.”

“And you got invited?” you laugh. Jeongin barely made it out of high school. He took one harrowed glance at the local campus and nearly cried. You don’t blame him, though. That place is stressful. Even as a freshman you can say this.

He rolls his eyes. “I’m cool, you know? I don’t need to be in academics for them to know that.”

“Sure,” you nod.

“I’m serious!” His lips quirk up in a defensive manner that sends a spark through your chest.

Among other things, Jeongin is confusing. Questionable and confusing. These are the words you say when someone asks you what he’s like. Because seriously, why does he always do things so infuriating yet endearing?

He runs a hand through his hair as he unlocks his phone. His thumb works quickly to swipe through a message log before he tilts the phone so you can see. “See?”

The conversation in question is short, a maximum of four texts. The details blur as he snatches his phone back as quickly as he showed it. Again, infuriating.

“Are you planning on going alone, then?”

This question makes him freeze. He stares at the wall wielding a mounted TV, whose black screen reflects the image of him by your side, shoulder to shoulder. A small smile tilts his lips. “I guess. People want me there. So I’ll find my niche.”

See? Endearing.

You have no doubts that he can find a place to fit in. He did it in high school and he’ll proceed to do it in the future. That’s just how he is. Plus, maybe he can allow someone else to feel safe too. Like he did for you.

ii.

High school is a demon with a comforting smile. When you’re forced to transition, they tell you it’s all fun. Sunshine and rainbows, if you will. What they don’t tell you is that luck will always make it so you don’t get any of your friends in your classes. And this, with your contradicting lunch shifts, will slowly force you out of the friend group you had stuck with since elementary school.

Perpetual tears are stocked behind your eyes. Waiting for the perfect moment to fall because let’s be honest, any minor inconvenience could push you over the edge. Stress does that to you.

In third period of your second week, your math teacher announces that she’s decided on her seating chart. She makes you line up against the walls as she grabs her reference sheet, lined with the images of desks, names scribbled atop them. “Jeongin,” she says, pointing to a desk in the front row.

A boy a few feet away from you steps out from the crowd to claim his desk. He’s wearing an oversized maroon hoodie whose back is marked “Yang” in white letters.

Your teacher stops at the seat next to him. She glances at you and your heart drops. “Y/N,” she points to a desk.

Sitting up front is worse than the incessant plagues of high school drama. All eyes permanently burn into the back of your head, even when not a single soul acknowledges you.

As you try to settle into your seat, back a little stiff from trying to shrink yourself into a tiny marble, the boy beside you leans over. “Hey, you okay?”

For the first time, your eyes lock. His remind you of the innocence of childhood, that blank yet full gaze. You nearly melt, but instead, your back loosens.

“Yeah. I just don’t like sitting in the front,” you chuckle awkwardly.

He smiles. Not one of the pity ones, but a real toothy smile. “Aww. Me neither, I always feel like everyone’s watching me.”

Finally, a person who gets it.

“But I just have to trick myself into not caring,” he says, glancing at the whiteboard. Shadows of poorly erased marker line the corners.

Abruptly, after his serene gaze, he jumps back to you. “Do you like coffee by any chance?”

Despite the initial shock of the question, you say, “Yeah, I do.”

As it turns out, his family owns this huge coffee shop right next to the bookstore you used to frequent. His mom was rather happy to see a new face. On that day, she accepted you as family.

And math didn’t turn out to be so hard that year.

iii.

The apartment grows quiet after Jeongin inevitably has to leave. Your roommate’s dog comes trotting out from his room. His nose is upturned, scouting for a soul to give him attention.

“Come here, Kkami,” you pat the empty spot on the couch beside you. He runs the rest of the way. Instead of resting on the couch cushion, he prefers your lap. This pickiness he obtained from his owner.

Hyunjin’s anything but a bad roommate. He does the dishes, sweeps when he finds a large puff of Kkami’s fur traveling your hardwood like a tumbleweed, even brings home coffee when you have a huge study night ahead of you. However, when it comes to you and Jeongin, your mutual hangouts on weekends, he has a very specific need. And that’s to be around you two as little as possible.

He claims it’s because he can’t stand third-wheeling. Jeongin refuses to understand this concept. “If we’re not dating, it’s not third-wheeling?” he’d said, numerous times.

Hyunjin won’t budge on the subject.

The tune set as Jeongin’s ringtone, chosen by him, plagues the air. You reach for your phone, placing a protective hand on Kkami’s side to prevent him from falling.

“Hello?”

“Problem: What would you do if your brother told you he got a girlfriend?”

You squint at your reflection in the TV between scene transitions. It looks odd without him beside you. “Which brother?”

“Guess which one would make me more dumbfounded. Hint, it’s not the older one.”

“Your younger brother got someone before you?” you snicker. Jeongin holds his pride in his individuality. Losing to a younger brother with something like this is hilarious.

“This isn’t funny! Should I be a serious big brother and talk to him or should I just seethe in silence?”

“Neither. Leave him alone.”

He does something akin to a whine. “But-”

You stick up a finger, though he can’t see you as you interrupt, “C’mon, Jeongin. He’s a teenager. Let him be.”

Sometimes, it feels like he’s the outsider and you’re the true, reasonable sibling.

He sighs. You imagine him pushing his hair out of his eyes and staring up at his ceiling. All lost in the possibilities that lay before him, since you and him both know he won’t listen to you.

“Can I hang up now?” you ask, glancing at the front door.

“Are you gonna abandon me for your significant other too?”

You scoff as the front door opens. “You’re ridiculous.”

Hyunjin steps into the apartment. His hair is damp with sweat and lays jagged in front of his eyes. You raise a hand to wave.

“It’s a real question, though. You know whoever it is will be jealous of me.” Now, you know, he’s just prodding for a reaction. You can practically hear the smirk in his voice.

“Yes, Jeongin. I would one hundred percent drop you for some person who offers emotional stimulation,” you monotonously chide.

Hyunjin gives you a curious look as he passes. You would think he’d be used to this by now.

“Okay but,” Jeongin’s voice grows low as he settles onto his bed, “would you really? Tell me you won’t.”

“I won’t,” you press your back deeper into the couch. It’s not like you’ve had many romantic opportunities since meeting him. Jeongin, though also needy, is more interesting than anyone else you’ve met. He’s a shiny emerald among a sea of charcoal.

“Good,” he says, and you can tell he’s smiling. The image of his little dimple indenting makes you mirror the sentiment.

“Now can I hang up?”

“Fine,” he sighs.

Through a laugh, you manage, “Goodnight. Love you.”

“Love you too.” And then the line goes dead.

iv.

“Are you sure you don’t like him?” must be a trendy replacement for ‘good morning.’

“Who?” you ask, rubbing your eye as you start for the cereal cabinet.

“Jeongin. Who else?” Hyunjin says. He sits at the kitchen table. A plate of freshly heated blueberry waffles sits before him.

Without turning to him, you say, “I’m sure.”

It’s a reflex, really.

He exhales in the most exaggerated way possible to grab your attention. His eyes are cold with the hunger for an answer. A real one.

“I don’t like him,” you say slowly, allowing each word time to sink into the air.

The thought has surely crossed your mind. It’d be unrealistic to say you’ve never pondered the great possibility of being in love with your best friend. But ultimately, you don’t think you are. Sure, you’d take a bullet for Jeongin. Just not in the ‘wow I’m madly in love with you’ kind of way. You tell yourself it’s in the ‘you’re going to do so much good for the world’ kind of way.

“Fine,” Hyunjin admits, picking up one of his waffles and taking a caveman bite.

Most of breakfast is quiet as you sit opposite him, staring into your bowl. Your milky reflection takes you off guard a few times.

“You know,” Hyunjin says after a while, his voice raw and a little croaky. He has to bring a hand to cover his mouth as he clears his throat. “You should get him to stay with you while I’m away.”

As you look back up at him, he adds defensively, “I’m not trying to play Cupid.”

You shrug, “He probably has other plans.”

Yet when you text him a few hours later, he jumps on it. “It’ll be like a sleepover! Don’t you miss when we did those?”

You did, but you don’t admit it.

The week of nationals arrives too quickly for your mind to process. One minute, you’re studying for an upcoming exam and the next there’s a knock on your bedroom door. It doesn’t wait for a sound before opening.

“Hey, I’m leaving.”

Hyunjin’s dressed in black sweatpants and a black hoodie, which covers his messy hair. Perfect for his night of sleeping on the bus. A duffel bag packed and puffy hangs off his shoulder.

“Good luck,” you smile up at him.

“Thanks. Don’t try sneaking into the venue with your rat like you did last year,” he returns the smile.

“Hey, it wasn’t my idea,” you rush to defend yourself.

He scoffs. “Yeah, right. You still played into it.”

“And we got to support you as your lovely friends.”

“You were the only people cheering during the contemporary dance,” he mumbles, stepping back into the hall.

“To be fair, we couldn’t realize because we were so involved!” you shout to match the increasing distance.

“Right!” he calls, a laugh shaking his words.

Studying is now a failed mission. Every time you glance at the words printed on the textbook’s glossed pages, they just blur together until your mind drifts to Jeongin. When is he coming over? He said he’d be here by seven. It’s roughly a quarter past. He has a key, so it’s not like you have to be free when he gets here.

When you succumb and close the textbook, you hear shuffling in the living room. Shortly followed by Kkami’s familiar barking, which he only pursues when someone’s here.

The feeling of a generously excited puppy fills you as you follow the source.

“Hi,” you smile.

Jeongin has treated himself to a coffee. He must have just worked a shift.

“Hi,” he hands you the paper cup.

“Oh, is this for me?” you take it. It’s hot against your palms.

“Yeah. It’s hot chocolate. Thought you might want it.”

He drops his backpack, likely stuffed with potential party outfits, by the couch. He stands and scans your face as you take the first sip of the drink. The sweetness takes over and makes you shiver, but the warmth minimizes the shiver to nothing. Surely enough, this is his mother’s hot chocolate.

“Thank you,” you say, looking into his eyes. The living room light has speckled his eyes with stars.

“Of course.”

A moment passes of just looking at each other. Not a single word. You’re not even sure if you’re remembering to breathe.

It breaks when he glances at the TV. “Movie time?”

Settling on the couch doesn’t take long. He sits close enough to you, resting his head on your shoulder. He’s done this for as long as you remember, but why does it feel so close all of a sudden?

He chooses the movie. A tradition you’ve established ever since you accidentally chose a movie so repulsively awful you had to take a break from watching movies at all. The teasing was barely bearable.

Even now, when someone says something similar to that movie, you shiver.

“Are we feeling sci-fi?” he asks.

You almost shrug until you remember where his head is. “I don’t care,” you say instead.

He chooses a romance movie, his safe pick.

And he falls asleep not even ten minutes in.

Hyunjin’s question returns to you in neon lights. Certainly, this tight feeling in your chest couldn’t be akin to liking someone. When you like someone, there’s always a telltale sign. There’s a bright moment of realization. That’s never come for you. Even now, all you can do is question. Question. Question. Question.

vi.

Jeongin’s party outfit is the most conspicuous thing ever. A light blue tee from middle school that has all his classmate’s signatures on the back. Black jeans with holes at the knees. You can’t tell if he’s going to a child’s party or not.

He catches your tilted gaze, matched with the furrowed eyebrows, and huffs. “Would you rather I get puke on a good shirt?”

You blink. “I’d rather you not puke on yourself.”

A noise close to laughter bursts past his lips. “Ha. Funny. I won’t reach that point. I’m thinking people puking on me.”

You nod. Jeongin’s a lightweight, from what you know. But hey, if it helps him sleep at night.

He departs after a long phone call with Chan. He offers a little wave as he opens the door. “I’ll give you live updates.”

“You don’t have to.”

“But I will.”

And indeed, he follows through. Selfies bombard your phone every three minutes. One is taken with Chan, but it’s so shaky and dark that they look like blobs with highlighted cheeks.

These only make you more confused. Maybe Hyunjin was right. But you don’t want him to be. Nothing makes you feel more foolish than catching feelings for a friend who is just that. Friend. That painful, heartbreaking word.

You open Hyunjin’s message log, prepared to reach out and ask if he can help you break down what you’re feeling, but his contact transitions to consuming your entire screen—perfect timing, he’s calling.

“Hello?”

“Guess what?” His voice is drowned out by external shouts.

“What?”

“We took second place!”

“Congrats,” you smile to yourself, leaning against the couch arm.

“It’s all thanks to Felix’s freestyle. That surprise category threw us off, but he really came through,” he rambles. He tells you about all his points and each error, which ultimately seem mundane but apparently make a difference in his detail loving mind.

“Anyway, I just wanted to call. See how you’re doing, you know.”

“I’m doing good,” you nod as though to convince yourself.

“How’s Jeongin?”

“At a party,” you say as your phone buzzes again. Another selfie. This time, he’s in a lonesome bathroom and posing in the mirror. A peace sign that surrounds his eye. That stupid dimple makes your heart jump.

Hyunjin giggles at something on his end and says something not aimed at you. He quickly returns to his serious tone with, “How are you really feeling? Don’t bullshit me.”

You stifle a laugh. Resting your head on the back of the couch, you glare at the ceiling, “Confused.”

“About Jeongin?”

He slips into a quieter place. You sigh. Why are your hands shaking all of a sudden? “Yeah.”

“Well,” he starts, “I pushed you into thinking about it for a reason.”

“He doesn’t like me like that.”

“How do you know?”

“Because friends don’t like friends like that.”

“But you like him like that, so doesn’t that ruin your statement?”

You sit in the silence for a minute. “I guess so.”

His breath is amplified and you can hear each inhale and exhale. “You’ll probably just brush this off, but I think you have a shot.”

You nod. “Sure. A shot at going to the moon maybe. A shot at Jeongin liking me? No way.”

“Look, pessimism isn’t gonna get you anywhere. If you’re too much of a pussy to talk to him, I will. But not because I want to, because it’s terrible seeing you sulk,” he mutters.

A round of applause for your roommate.

“Just give me some time. I still don’t know if I like him,” you glance at the dog, who’s cuddled up on a pile of blankets. Why can’t your life be that simple?

“Not trying to force you or anything, but I think you know the answer to that.”

He’s probably right. It’s not like you can retaliate anyway. There’s a distant knock before he says, “Sorry. I gotta go. I’ll be home tomorrow.”

The following silence is truly suffocating.

vii.

That party changes everything.

Jeongin stumbles home, each step a potential path to faceplanting. It’s this exact stumble that forces him to trip over a box.

The noise draws you from sleep. Through squinted eyes, you stare at him as he tries to regain his balance. His arms are splayed out, searching for a stable support beam.

“Jeongin?” you whisper, though you know it’s him. Who else would be drunkenly returning home at, you glance at your phone, three in the morning?

“Y/N,” he gasps. Your voice prompts him to follow it.

As you stand, he finds his way through the narrow path between couch and coffee table. He throws his arms around you.

“I missed you,” he mumbles, words meshing together.

“I missed you too?” It’s only been six hours.

He holds you at arms length, palms resting on your shoulders. “I love you,” he slurs, eyes drunkenly taking a long blink.

“I love you too?”

“No, like, I really love you. ‘The moon is beautiful’ type of stuff,” he nods.

You’re not sure what he means by this. But it doesn’t matter if you try to question him, because he continues.

“I think about the future a lot,” he says, hands falling to his sides before he falls onto the couch. “Nothing’s ever consistent. But you’re always there.”

“That’s-” you begin.

He wasn’t finished. “I think our wedding would be nice.”

Now, he goes silent as you stand there in shock. He thinks about that? How often?

The moment your lips part to ask these things, a light snore escapes his lips. You grab a blanket from your room, the Totoro one he loves, and you gently cover him. You lean over his face. His cheeks are a little swollen, as are his lips. You push his hair away from his eyes before going to your room. You’re careful not to make a noise as you shut the door.

He’s gone by the time you wake up. For the first twenty-four hours, you shrug it off as a painful hangover he’s just sleeping through.

Most hangovers don’t last a week, though.

One time, sitting beneath a sky littered with stars, Jeongin released a deep breath. “Do you think we’ll ever stop being friends?”

Jeongin’s not insecure about many things, as his philosophy is that if one person finds something unattractive, there’s a hoard who will think otherwise. But this topic is an exception.

“Unless you do something unthinkably terrible, no,” you mumble. And you truly meant it.

So, Jeongin: You haven’t done anything unthinkable.Why have you disappeared?

Life without Jeongin has been incredibly boring. It’s prompted an imminent heartache. Attending class is a lame option considering your bed is so much more comfortable. You never knew missing someone could form a black hole in your body, consuming each grain of energy.

Hyunjin’s the only reason you’re eating. Since he knows you’re not up for any meal, he brings you snacks and another bottle of water—to add to the mountain of empty bottles on your desk.

“Do I need to go break his ankles?” Hyunjin asks one day, nearly a month after his tournament.

You shrug. You know he’s joking, but laughter doesn’t seem to bubble up. It’s lost in the dark cave that is this confusing state.

“I texted him today. No response yet,” Hyunjin adds.

You nod. You got the same treatment, but you stopped trying a while ago.

“Have you gone to the coffee shop? To see his mom or something?”

You shake your head. “No point in it. He doesn’t tell her much. Plus I don’t want to pin her against him or anything.”

Hyunjin sighs. He doesn’t know what else to say, or offer, or do to help you. Not that you’re a lost cause, but he’s starting to lose the ounce of hope he had. To him, you’re too good for this. Telling and convincing you of that is a difficult task.

When he leaves you alone, you cry again. At this point, your eyes hurt when you aren’t crying. But hey, at least you’re sleeping nice. The desperate need to escape can do that to you.

viii.

You tell Hyunjin your conclusion at dinner—something he’s finally tricked you into eating. “I think I love him.”

He nods. “Yeah. Didn’t we already establish that?”

You push the noodles around. “I didn’t want to admit it.”

“Why?”

Averted gaze set to the ramen, though his remains scalding. “I don’t know.”

He reaches across the table to regain your focus. He knows the noodles aren’t that interesting. “That’s okay. Look, we can go beat his ass if you want. Or we can hunt him down and hold him hostage-”

He stops when he sees the small hint of a smile turning your lips up. One of his own appears, and in his mind, he’s breaking into a congratulatory dance. The crack in the sadness is exposed, and it’s slowly breaking further. All that’s next is revealing the ravine of happiness.

After dinner, you sit on the couch and decide to watch a movie. Unlike Jeongin, he gives you movie pick. It reminds you of the bitter taste that’s overcome your mouth since he up and left.

Halfway through the movie, some shitty one Jeongin and you watched a few months ago, Kkami barks at the couch. He looks between you and the crack behind it as if to say, “Hello? Get my bone!”

You glance at Hyunjin, who also waits for you to get up and retrieve the dog’s lost bone. Normally you take turns with this task, but he seems to have forgotten it’s been his turn for the last five times.

With a muted sigh, you pull yourself off the couch. Hyunjin doesn’t even bother to pause the movie. Jeongin wouldn’t do that.

You lower yourself to look into the dark tunnel. With a blind hand you swipe against the floor. A small object connects with the palm of your hand. You drag it out. A small metal earring glares back at you. You drop it in the pocket of your hoodie—which was a gift from Jeongin as you drifted into adulthood. You return to the bone search with a sting in your eyes.

ix.

Happiness is a fragile object.

At the same hour that Jeongin had said the unthinkable, your phone buzzes loudly against your side. Ultimately, this brings you back to the post-sleep daze as you trudge to answer it. Looking at the contact is the last of your concerns.

“Hello?” Your voice is raw. A long gulp of water would be kindly appreciated.

“Hey, Y/N, right?” This is a voice you’ve never heard before. You pull back to look at the contact and, unsurprisingly, there isn’t one. All that stares back is a string of numbers, unique to this person.

“Yeah?”

“Hi, sorry for the late call. I’m Chan-” you nearly hang up out of defensive instinct, but you let him finish. “I kind of need a favor right now.”

“What kind of favor?”

In the background, there’s a loud retching noise. “Um, so Jeongin, right?” Chan nervously laughs.

“We’re not really-” you start.

He interrupts, “I know. But he’s been talking about you nonstop. He’s really a wimp, you know. Actually, I guess I’m not really asking for a favor. I’m doing you a favor.”

You know where he’s going with this. “I’m sorry, Chan, but I don’t think that’s a-”

“Hush,” he says before his voice distances.

“Y/N? It’s Y/N?” the familiar, slurred voice asks.

He wasn’t going to give you an option. Deep down, you’re kind of grateful for that.

When Chan returns to the phone, he says, “I can send you the address. We’re on the first floor, so it shouldn’t be too bad. I would offer to come pick you up, but I’m babysitting.” At these final words, he laughs.

You consider waking up Hyunjin to take you—he’s the one with the car—but you think against it when you realize it’s only a five minute walk.

Despite the daytime weather that is clear sky and sun that hugs your skin, the nighttime

version is a little less welcoming. Indeed the air is breezeless, but it’s a bitter cold. Grabbing a hoodie would have been smart, but alas.

Chan opens the door with a smile. “Hi, come on in.”

He points to a closed door, “Jeongin’s in there. He should be decent. Just a little pukey.”

You follow his directions, while he starts for the couch. At least he’s allowing privacy, you think. You knock lightly on the door. After a long trial of waiting with no response, you slowly push the door open.

His cheek is resting on the cold porcelain of the bathtub. Through dazed and squinted eyes, he looks at you. “Hi?”

“Hey,” you say, stepping into his space for the first time in over a month. Despite the stain of puke on his shirt, you realize that he hasn’t changed much. What physical changes can someone go through in a month? Well. Everything.

You appreciate your mind for allowing his appearance to never leave. Otherwise, you might have looked at him just now and been disgusted. Because it’s Jeongin, and because of this weird tugging feeling in your chest, you don’t. In its place, you look at him as though he holds the world’s most valuable object.

He tries to sit up, nearly falls on his face, but manages. “Do you hate me?”

“No. I don’t think so,” you squat next to him. The familiar weight of his head meets with your shoulder.

“I shouldn’t say this,” he laughs. His mind is going a mile a minute, but his lips refuse to go at an accompanying speed. “I love you.”

You stare at the top of his head. “I love you too.”

“Really?” he lifts his head. He seems to search your eyes for the similar sparkle his hold.

“Yeah,” you nod. You decide to save your cheesy comments until the morning. No point in wasting them if he won’t remember this when he wakes up.

“Did you know that I,” he says, trying to lift himself to his feet. He leans a little too far on a foot, prompting you to rush and steady him. “thought you and Hyunjin were dating for the longest time.” He laughs again.

You squint at him, “Is that why you disappeared?”

A drunk smile finds his lips and his cheeks glow beneath the bathroom light. “Guilty.”

“You’re stupid for thinking it’d ever be anyone but you,” you whisper, glancing anywhere but him. You could say this to the mirror too. Stupid for thinking it could be anyone but him.

He’s ridiculous. Ridiculous enough to allow his smile to drop a little as he leans closer to your face. “I’m going to kiss you,” he whispers.

You watch as he leans a little bit closer. Bit by bit. You even close your eyes at one point. At the last minute, when his breath begins to mingle with yours, he pulls away. “No. Let me brush my teeth first.”

You watch in a stunned silence as he stumbles to the living room. “Do you have a spare toothbrush I could use?” he asks Chan.

Chan responds quietly with, “Yeah, under the sink.”

You beat Jeongin to it, offering him the packaged toothbrush.

“Thanks, love,” he says.

Questionable Jeongin who calls you pet names. You like it, though you’ll try your hardest not to admit it. That’d only feed into his questionable choices.

Minty Jeongin has sobered up a little bit. Instead of kissing you immediately after rinsing his mouth, he stares.

“What?” you prompt.

“Nothing.”

And then he leans in and kisses you. In all honesty, it’s exactly how you imagined kissing him. There’s no stereotypical sparks. It’s just Jeongin, whose lips happen to be on yours. That’s enough. Afterward, though, you acknowledge that Cloud 9 is beneath your feet.

Chan drives you and Jeongin back to your apartment after a difficult talk and one final puke. (The puker looks at you when he feels it coming and asks, “Can you hold my hair back?”)

As you’re helping Jeongin out of the car, Chan leans back in the driver seat and glares a strong eye at Jeonign, “Run away again and I will beat your ass.”

Jeongin chuckles. “Right. Catch me first.” As he says this, he throws his arm over your shoulder for stability. Though, he’s sober enough to walk on his own now. The occasional stumble, sure, but he’s not in dire need of someone to guide him.

You take it as his way of saying he plans on staying.

However, when you make it into the apartment, you don’t bear right to the couch.

Keeping him close will prevent him sneaking out and running away again. That’s a thing of the past, and you’ll make sure of it.

He doesn’t even complain.

“Don’t puke on me, please,” you whisper as you climb into bed. He follows shortly after. Arms naturally find your waist as he pulls you closer to him.

He hums. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Dreamless sleep takes over you, but the entire time you’re aware of his arms and his proximity. In a way, it’s better than dreaming.

It’s even better when you wake up before him. His lips are a pretty shade of pink and for a moment you forget about his eventful night. You press a light kiss to his cheek.

His eyes don’t open, nor does he stir. He’s in that beautiful, drunken sleep. You try not to laugh at the thought of his hangover to come. God, he’s going to be so whiny.

You try to slip out of his arms, but the death grip only becomes tighter. He whines a little, mutters something like, “Don’t go.”

After a few more minutes of just staring at the sleeping boy, boredom takes over. Yeah, staring is nice and all, whatever, but it reaches a certain intolerable point. Ten minutes is that point.

You nudge him, “Jeongin, let go. I need to go to the bathroom.”

“No,” he mutters, burying his face deeper into the pillow.

“Jeongin.”

“What?”

“Let go.”

His eyes finally open. They hold a small sense of surprise, which prompts you to tease, “What? Do you need a breakdown of what happened? Were you seriously that out of it?”

“No. Well, a little,” he stumbles over the words.

“What do you remember?”

“Puking,” he winces as he laughs. There’s that signature headache.

“You don’t remember kissing me?”

Wide eyes stare back at you. His lip shakes as he tries to force words out. “What?”

You laugh quietly. “Yeah. You did that.”

“I’m sorry,” he sits up. His vacant arms feel cold.

“No it’s okay. You only kissed me because I told you I loved you,” you sit up to match him.

His head turns to look at you. Tufts of hair stick up in an oddly symmetrical way. “Really? Since when?”

You nod. “Yeah. Time frame is unknown, but I think the feeling might have always been there. So you wasted a month of your life hiding.”

He tips his head, “Hey now, I had a valid reason.”

Your eyes squint at him. “It could have been avoided if you answered my texts. Or Hyunjin’s. Or if you checked your voicemail. Or-”

“Okay, I get it,” he nods, leaning in to shut you up. He presses a quick kiss to your lips. “I’m sorry.” He doesn’t say how weird it feels to kiss his best friend—but he’s incredibly excited to get used to it.

“It’s fine. I think. My grades kind of tanked,” you comment, glancing at your desk. The tower of water bottles still stands. Somewhere buried beneath them are your abandoned papers.

“Because of me?” his voice is soft, as are his eyes as he fights back the sting of tears. Of all his intentions, this wasn’t one of them.

This look pains you. “Kinda. I thought I had lost my comfort place.”

In order to disguise his tears, he pulls you into a tight hug. “I’m so sorry. I’ll be good to you. We can make latte art together at the shop and stargaze at stupid hours. Whatever you want.”

You laugh into his shoulder. “Is that a promise?”

He sniffles. “Yes. I love you. That’s the second promise.”

xi.

Hyunjin’s reaction is lackluster. A forced gasp as he waves his hands in surprise. “Wow. I totally didn’t give Chan your number or anything,” he says.

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah. He called me trying to drop him,” he points at Jeongin, “on me.”

“And you didn’t want to get out of bed?” Jeongin asks, bringing his mug of freshly brewed coffee to his lips.

“No,” Hyunjin sticks a finger up in defense. “Kkami wouldn’t let me move.”

What he means is: Yes, I didn’t want to get up but allow me to use my dog as a ploy.

You and Jeongin share a glance to confirm this thought. You burst out laughing.

“Do not tell me you’ve developed a couple's telepathy already,” Hyunjin whines, throwing his head back as he begins to pace the kitchen.

Jeongin begs your stare again. He wiggles his eyebrows to pseudo-communicate.

“I’m going to retail therapy,” Hyunjin sighs, dragging his keys off the counter before starting for the door.

A loud fit of laughter fills the air as the door shakes in its frame.

“He’s so overdramatic,” Jeongin manages, wiping a stray tear away from his eye.

You allow this time to watch him intently. All of his details flood over you with definitive clarity. His skin has gotten its first film of tan now that spring is in full swing. A change of season which you had missed out on together. It’s okay, he’ll take you to see the cherry blossoms next year.

“Oh, I found your earring, by the way,” you say when he catches you staring.

“Really? Where was it?” On instinct, he brings his hand up to his right ear. The lobes are not blinged, but it’s still worth checking.

“Behind the couch.”

He gapes at you. “How’d it get back there?”

“How would I know?”

You allow a silence to lay upon you as his face twists to think. All at once, it lights up again, “Ah. It was probably when we had that wrestling match. I didn’t have the back on because my ear was itchy or something.”

Interesting Jeongin. Questionable Jeongin.

Yang Jeongin is many things. Home. Comfort. Love. Above all else, he’s a friend. Who you happen to kiss from time to time.

#posted on april fools because surprise haha #also because i don’t think this is my best but eh #yang jeongin #jeongin x reader #jeongin imagine #jeongin oneshot #stray kids oneshot #skz oneshot #stray kids jeongin #stray kids imagine #skz imagine #bandaigaeru

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zutaralover94 · 4 years ago

Text

Prompt #5 Request

This is for you anons! And for @dangerouspersonllamabagel and for @beealexageek

Once upon a time I said I would never write this but here it is!

Read below or Read on AO3 (hopefully I can post on Fanfic soon. Still dealing with those flags!)

Tags: One Night Stands, Pregnant AU, Roommates, Pining, More Pining on Zuko’s half, but Mutual Pining, Rated M, there is a dabble of smut, and a handful of cursing, mentions of the series ‘The Untamed’ and ‘The Office’, Anyone see the Friends inspiration?, I rewrote this more times than I’d like to admit.

Katara woke up with a huge headache. She rolled over and rubbed her face into the warm pillow. There was a groan above her, and she shot up in bed. She looked over to see someone sleeping next to her. She let out a scream before grasping her head in pain. Her eyes closed and she put her head down to her bent knees. There was another groan and the someone sat up next to her. Katara rubbed at her eyes. “Shit.”

“I agree.”

Katara turned to the familiar voice, “Oh fuck.”

Zuko blinked multiple times and then turned to her. “Oh fuck.”

Katara looked down to Zuko’s shirt and sighed, “Oh, thank God.” Katara moved out of the bed pulling the strap of her bra up onto her shoulder. “For a second there I thought we, you know-.” She ended her sentence with a soft laugh and then held her head as she stood up. “Whew,” Katara began pulling on her things from the night before. “I’m going to head downstairs. I’ve got to get something for this headache.”

Zuko patted at his bare thighs and found his boxers thrown over the hotel’s desk chair in the corner. He did his best to be calm as he searches through his non-existent memories to see if anything had happened last night. But he’s fairly sure if anything did happen with Katara, even if someone brainwashed him, that he would remember in an instant.

+++

Three weeks later, Katara groaned as she felt her stomach lurch again. Stupid Sokka and his dumb chicken parm. Katara leaned over the toilet bowl yet again. She dry heaved and cried a little when nothing came up.

“Woah, are you sick?” Sokka pushed open the door. His face screwed up as Katara dry heaved over the bowl again.

“Yes,” Katara whined. “Your stupid chicken parm made me sick.” She leaned back and rested her head on the cool tub.

“That can’t be it.” Sokka poked Katara in the forehead. “Both Suki and I are feeling fine. What are you pregnant?”

“Ha!” Katara burst out a laugh and pushed Sokka away. But then it hit her with another wave of nausea. Have I had a period this month? Katara wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She mentally started counting backwards. And when she got to day 40, she started over again.

“Kat?” Sokka poked Katara again with a much more serious face. He handed her a glass of water. “I was kidding. I know you’re not seeing anyone.”

“Haha,” Katara gave a weak laugh. “Right.” She took a sip of water before laying her head back on the bathtub again.

Maybe she was just late.

+++

Two weeks later and many trips to the bathroom all but confirmed that she wasn’t just late. Katara bit her lip as she shopped through at-home pregnancy tests. She had done her research and was pretty sure which one to get. But standing in the aisle by herself was causing a queasy feeling. (That was not a morning sickness feeling. She knew the difference now.) Katara grabbed the one that had the highest ratings and another one just in case.

When she got home, she held the bag close to her and looked around the apartment. Most everyone was at work. Katara had called in with a stomach bug. She wasn’t too sure how long she could keep using that excuse. Joo Dee was becoming more and more suspicious.

She was almost too nervous to pee. Her hand kept shaking and her stomach was in so many knots. Katara was positive she knew the answer to this test. She was never late and never sick. She was as healthy and regular as any girl could be. Even so much Suki made fun of her.

Katara sat the test on the counter and sat down on the floor. She sighed as she looked around the small bathroom. She reached over for an old magazine in the bin beside the toilet. It was definitely dated but it would keep her mind busy for a few minutes.

Or so she thought. She got through one article about boob reductions before she grew bored and put the magazine in the trash can. Katara stood and leaned over the test but there was still no answer. She took down one towel and began refolding it. Then the next and the next. She put them back in color order making a very small rainbow on the shelf.

Katara froze as she heard the front door open and close.

“Kat?”

She took a deep breath in at the sound of Suki’s voice. Her hands on her stomach and she exited the bathroom with a fake smile. “Hey Suki!”

Suki gave her a strange look, “Did you stay home again?”

“No,” Katara said a little too quickly as she waved her hand as if to be nonchalant. “I, uh, took an early lunch and decided to come home and eat.”

“Oh,” Suki nodded and grabbed her lunch from the fridge and sat down at the table. “That’s good. I was a little worried when I saw your car that you decided to stay home again.”

“Nope,” Katara went to the fridge and realized it was pretty much empty, except for the case of beer, wine coolers and about three boxes of some sort of take out. Katara bit back a wave of nausea and quickly closed the refrigerator door. “You know what I think maybe I’ll just take a nap.”

Suki squinted at her, “You sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Katara smiled over to her friend and hoped it look convincing.

“Okay, well I’m going to finish this and go. I hope you have a nice nap.” Suki followed her with still squinting eyes to her bedroom.

“Okay, have a great rest of your day!” Katara said cheerfully as she opened and closed her bedroom door.

Katara blew out a breath as she laid on her bed. She closed her eyes for just a moment. Not realizing how tired she was.

It was only twelve minutes later that Suki burst into Katara’s room. “Your PREGNANT!”

“Huh?” Katara rolled over and faced Suki. She rubbed her eyes as Suki held out a white stick.

“What-? Who?!” Suki pushed the stick further at Katara.

Katara blinked a few times before looking at the stick clearly. Two lines stared back at her. She sat up slowly and looked at the two little pink lines for a few more seconds. “I’m pregnant.”

“Yeah!” Suki nodded and handed her the stick. “Aren’t you happy?”

Katara sat there stunned after taking the stick from Suki. Of course. But… “Yeah.”

Suki sat on the bed, “So that’s why you’ve been so sick. You’re never sick.”

Katara only nodded. I’m pregnant. She placed a hand on her stomach. I’m going to be a mother. Katara’s other hand slapped to her forehead. Oh, fuck! I am going to be a MOM.

“Kat?” Suki nudged her best friend. “Kat!” She pulled the hand away from her head. “Katara! Babe! Woohoo!”

Katara blinked back at her friend. “I’m going to be a mother.” Suki’s smile was bright as she nodded. “I have no idea how to be a mom!”

“What?” Suki sat back but still held on to Katara’s hand. “It’s okay. They say it just comes to you. Plus, you’ve been mothering the Gaang since we were like 12. You’ll be great!”

Katara’s thumb brushed over the non-existent baby bump. “I’m pregnant.” She whispered again and looked down at hers and Suki’s hands. “What am I going to do?”

“What do you mean what are you going to do?” Suki squeezed Katara’s hand. “You’ve always said that you wanted kids.”

“I’ve also said I want to lick whip cream off of half the cast of ‘The Untamed’!” Katara countered.

“Yeah, but that’s like not something obtainable.” Suki shook her head with a small laugh.

“And being pregnant with no idea who the father is or how I’m even freaking pregnant,” Katara pulled from Suki and stood up. “I always thought I’d be married with a steady job first. Hell, being in a relationship would be a step above this!”

“Wait,” Suki stood up too. “You don’t know who the father is?”

Katara bit her lip and shook her head. She had run through everyone she had been with in the past three months. Even though she really only needed to know who she’s slept with in the last month. But even then, Katara couldn’t think of a soul.

Tears started gathering in her eyes again. If she didn’t even know who the father was, how was she supposed to raise the child? Katara wiped at her eyes. She was just going to have to think harder.

“Kat, calm down.” Suki put her hands on her cheeks. “Hey, look at me.” She gave a smile that calmed her slightly. “We don’t need to know who the father is. You’ve got me and Sokka and Zuko and Toph and Aang and Uncle Iroh.” Katara gave a hiccup and a smile at all the names Suki started rattling off. “That’s plenty of people to look after Peanut.”

“We are not calling my baby Peanut.” Katara said with a serious face.

Suki held up her hands and backed away, “Okay, deal.” They stood there for a few minutes before Suki wrapped Katara up in a hug. “I’m so happy for you! You’re going to be a great mom!”

Katara hugged her best friend back. She was quiet for a few minutes before whispering, “I’m going to be a mom.”

“Yeah,” Suki patted her back. “So, how long have you known? Or thought you knew?”

“It’s been about a month now.” Katara pulled back and sat back down on the bed. “You remember when I first started getting sick two weeks ago?”

“Yeah,” Suki nodded.

“I’m pretty sure I knew then. But what I can’t figure out is like a week or two before that. Where was I? What did I do?” Katara rubbed at her head. “I remember Mai’s and Ty Lee’s wedding was about that long ago. But I didn’t hook up with anyone at their wedding. Or at their bachelorette party. Or any other events like that.” She looked over to Suki. “The last guy I slept with was Haru and that was what six months ago now?”

“Oh, I did always like him.” Suki nodded and then shook her head when Katara gave her a look. “So, there is no one else? You didn’t go partying without me, did you?”

“No,” Katara looked around her room. “See, this is what I mean… How am I supposed to be a mom if I can’t remember someone I’ve slept with in the past-?”

There was a flash of heated skin and dark hair in her mind’s eye.

Katara’s ankles were hooked around a strong body. Her fingernails scrapping over one pectoral while the others dug into a right shoulder blade. Her teeth sunk into pale skin and sucked. A strong buck of hips caused her to release her teeth and her head fall back in a loud moan. “Oh, my! Do that again! More!”

And more she got. Katara was hot and she ran her hands up the body to his long black strands that stuck to his sweating face. She pushed back the bangs in his golden eyes.

“Oh, FU-UH-CK!”

“Zuko.” Katara whispered as a blush rose up her neck.

“Huh?” Suki blinked at her with confusion.

“We slept together.” Katara whispered. Then groaned as more very detailed memories came back to her from their drunken escapades after Mai’s and Ty Lee’s wedding. “We, fuck.” Katara closed her eyes but was only met with Zuko’s golden eyes practically glowing with desire. “We woke up the night after the wedding in bed together. We still had on clothing, so I thought... “Katara’s eyes popped back open to see Suki gaping down at her.

“Zuko?”

“Yeah.” Katara sat up and ran a hand through her hair.

“Our roommate, Zuko? Your brother’s best friend? That Zuko?” Suki asked leaning forward with each question. Katara nodded. “The Zuko that gave you your first kiss? Zuko, the one that froze our bras when we were 15? Zuko?”

“Yes!” Katara nodded and then covered her face. “Yes, yes, yes, yes. That Zuko. The one and only Zuko we know! It’s not like he is a Lee. We know a million of Lees.”

“Kat,” Suki put a hand on her shoulder. “You’re sure?”

“I can’t think of another male that I have been in a horizontal position within the past two months.” Katara let out the biggest sigh she had ever in her life. She put her hands back on her stomach. “What if he doesn’t want it?”

“Zuko?” Suki asked with skeptic look.

“How many times are you going to say his name like a question?”

Suki huffed and crossed her arms, “I’m pretty sure Zuko will-,”

“Let’s not tell him.” Katara interrupted.

“be ecstatic.” Suki’s arms dropped, “What do you mean ‘Not tell him’?”

“I’m not going to tell him and since you are the only other person-,”

“You should definitely tell him.”

“That knows. You will not tell him either.” Katara pointed at Suki. “Got it?”

“Like ever?” Suki tilted her head and looked down at Katara’s abdomen, “You know that when the kid comes, he’ll probably know.”

“What? How?”

“Genetics.” Suki stated plainly.

“Right,” Katara stood back up again and paced to the other side of her room. “Then we won’t tell him or anyone until absolutely necessary. No one can know. Okay? Deal?”

“Katara…”

“Deal?” Katara walked back to her with her pinky finger out.

Suki sighed and held out her pinky. She yanked it back right before Katara curled it around hers. “But just so it’s on the record. I think you should tell him.” Katara rolled her eyes and hooked her pinky around Suki’s.

+++

Five months later, Katara rubbed her stomach as she munched on another small bag of pretzels. She watched as Sokka and Suki pulled out outfit after outfit from the rack. Katara had only shaken her head to pretty much every single garment. She wondered how long it would take them to realize she was doing it on purpose.

Zuko walked up to her shaking his head as he passed her a white grape juice water, “You know you’re just going to reap what you are sowing when they have a kid?”

Katara gave a soft laugh as she wiped off her fingers on her top. “I don’t know what you mean, ZuZu.”

Zuko just chuckled and passed her the opened water bottle. “Have you decided which bedding set?” Zuko picked up a package with little yellow ducks. “I heard you have to buy a whole bunch of them and put them down like all on at once. So, when Baby Peanut has an explosion in the middle of the night, you just have to take off one layer and not redo the whole bed.”

“I’m still upset that caught on,” Katara mumbled into her water bottle.

Zuko gave a smile, “Ducks or Turtles?” He held up two packages of bedding.

Katara looked them both over, “Both?”

Zuko nodded and placed them both in the buggy. “Both is good.” He pushed the cart down the next aisle. But Katara hadn’t moved.

She pressed her hand again to where she thought she felt something. Alarm bells went off in her head and she looked around. “Zuko?” Was something wrong with the baby?

Zuko was back to her in a blink hearing the shake in her voice, “What’s wrong?” Zuko looked down to where Katara was pressing a hand to her stomach. “Is something wrong with the baby?”

“I-I don’t know.” Katara smoothed her hand over the spot again. And felt the little push again. “Oh my God!” Katara pulled her hand away with a gasp. “Oh, my God!” She put her hand back over where she felt the kick or punch or whatever the baby was doing. “She kicked! She!”

Katara grabbed Zuko’s hand and placed it on her stomach. The baby gave two swift kicks to Zuko’s hand. “Woah!” Zuko pulled his hand back and then broke out into a smile. He put his hand back. His fingers were overlapping Katara’s as he felt the baby move. “She’s moving.”

“I know.” Katara laughed and looked up to Zuko. His golden eyes were so wide with surprise but also looked happy.

Katara hoped Baby Peanut would come out just like her dad. Happy.

+++

It wasn’t until they were cleaning up the baby shower two months later that Zuko asked.

“So, did the father come today?”

Katara paused while shoving a forkful of cake in her mouth. She bit down only if to have her mouthful, so she didn’t have to reply immediately. Zuko took down another row of lights as he waited. He glanced over at her often. Katara licked the fork clean, still trying to decide if she should lie or not. “Uh, yeah. Why?”

“Oh,” Katara watched his shoulders drop a little. But then come back up as he reached for another set of lights. He turned his back to her, “No reason. Just wanted to know if the father would be around a lot and if we are going to get along with him okay. Is he going to be around a lot?”

Katara swallowed and took another bite of cake as Zuko looked over his shoulder at her. Katara held up her finger as she slowly chewed. She looked down at her plate that only had maybe two other bites.

“Bye, Katara! I’m really happy for you.” Joo Dee came over and gave her a short hug. “I can’t wait to see the little one. Bring her in as soon as you can. I know the whole office will be so excited.”

Katara nodded and finished her bite. “I will. Thank you for coming.”

Joo Dee patted her head before leaving. Zuko cleared his throat, as if to remind Katara that he was still here and still waiting for an answer.

“I’m,” Katara licked her lips. “I’m not sure.” She whispered.

“Oh,” Zuko said again and began rolling up the lights.

Katara hissed and placed a hand over where the baby was pushing hard against her side. She winced and moved to be a little more comfortable. Zuko was to her in a few seconds, worry clear on his face. “I’m okay.” Katara pushed Zuko’s hands away that had reached for her side. “I’m fine. She’s just squishing my everything.”

Zuko sat back on his heels. Katara tried to ignore the small flash of hurt in his eyes. He schooled his face and then rose, picking up the string of lights he had dropped. Zuko and her were quiet for some time. Katara finished off the cake and watched Zuko climb up and down the small step ladder as he took down lights.

“Are you still free tomorrow and maybe Monday night to help me take back all the double gifts?” Katara asked to break the uncomfortable silence.

“Sure, if you need me.” Zuko shrugged as he rolled up the last string of lights. The streetlights and some small outside lights still lit Azula’s backyard enough that Katara could see Zuko’s facial expressions. It looked a little agitated, but his emotions were blocked off.

That was one thing she was hoping the baby didn’t inherit. Her father’s skill of turning off emotions. Even after all these years, he could wrap up his emotions with practically a flip of a switch.

“I mean, you don’t have to go.” Katara crossed her arms.

“Why don’t you ask the father to go? Huh?” Zuko turned around to her, dropping the string of lights in a box.

“What is up with you and asking about the father all of the sudden?” Katara tried to stand up swiftly but realized it’s a lot harder being eight months pregnant. Zuko moved to help her and once she was on her feet she slapped at his hands. “Stop. I’m fine. Thank you.” Zuko backed up with his hands raised in surrender. “I just know we had already talked about going back to get that changing table I actually wanted.”

“Yeah, we can do that.” Zuko shoved his hands into his pockets. “Just figured maybe during this last month, you might want to spend some more time with the father. Since this whole time, you’ve really only spent it with us.”

Guilt filled Katara’s stomach, she rubbed her hand over the swell right below her boobs. “I think he would be fine with us returning stuff.” She paused her hand over where the baby’s toes were pushing against her ribs. “I think we can do all that boring stuff.”

Zuko sighed and turned to pick up the box of lights. “If the father is around as much now as he is around when this baby is born. The baby will end up calling me dad. And wouldn’t that be awkward.”

You have no idea. Katara patted her belly with a laugh and walked (more like waddled) behind Zuko back into the house.

+++

It was one week before her due date that The Secret spilled.

“Me?!” Zuko yelled as he and Katara stood toe to toe in the nearly finished nursery. Zuko was holding a piece of the new changing table.

“Yes, you.” Katara had her arms crossed over her chest. “Who else?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Zuko crossed his arms over his chest. “It could have been anyone at this point!”

Katara huffed and unfolded the directions. “But it definitely has to be you.”

Suki popped her head in after just arriving home from work. “Hey guys!”

Katara gave a smile and then rolled her eyes.

“I just don’t see how it’s possible, I’m the only guy-.”

“Oh, you told him!” Suki burst further into the room. She hugged Katara from the side and gave a little squeal. “I’m so happy you finally told! I thought for sure I was going to tell! You know back when you finally told everyone about the pregnancy, I was sure you were going to tell him then. But then I remembered you really didn’t want him to find out. So, two weeks ago at the baby shower. I thought ‘Oh, wouldn’t it be cute if she told him- ‘,”

It took Katara’s fogged up pregnancy brain too long to shove a hand over Suki’s mouth. “Yes, I told Zuko that he had to help me finish the baby room. He is the only one I know that could put this together.” Katara hissed through her teeth.

Zuko looked between the two girls. As Suki blinked a few times and pulled back. “So, you still didn’t tell him?” She almost looked sad.

“Yes, I did tell him.” Katara glared at her best friend. “That I needed his help with building the changing table.”

“Right,” Suki gave finger guns with a slightly guilty face. “Wow, awkward. I’m going to go cook dinner. I’m thinking something spicy. What do you think, Kat?” Suki started making her way to the door. “Pad Thai? Enchiladas? Oh, ramen?” Suki closed the door without an answer. A few seconds later. Katara and Zuko heard the front door close too.

“What was she talking about?”

“Nothing,” Katara looked back down at the instructions. “I swear sometimes I think it’s her that has the pregnancy brain.” She gave a short laugh. “Now we should probably sort-, Hey!”

Zuko took the instructions from Katara. “What was she talking about, Katara?”

Katara ran her hands over her belly. “I think my water broke?”

Zuko gave her an unimpressed look, “You’re not going to ‘Office’ your way out of this. What was she talking about? She seemed way too happy that I was putting together a dumb changing table.”

“You know how us girls are, we get excited about anything baby.” Katara gave a small smile and tried to shrug of the conversation.

Zuko only shook his head, “Look, I’m happy to help. But I want to know what she was talking about. You didn’t even know what color the room was going to be until you were what six months along? So, how would you know to tell me to build this changing table back when you first told us you were pregnant?”

Katara just stood there running her hands over her pregnant belly. Baby Peanut moved around slightly and Katara could feel the little hiccups. Katara looked around the room. There wasn’t really an escape. “She wasn’t talking about just the changing table she was also talking abo-.”

Zuko sighed and sat down the pieces of the changing table and the instructions. “Okay.” He looked Katara over and then began to walk out. “I’m going to go find Suki. I think enchiladas would be better than Pad Thai.”

“Zuko, wait.” Katara reached out for him as he reached the door to the baby room.

“Why? So, you can stand there and lie to me some more?” Zuko opened the door to the living room. “Because I don’t want to do that.”

Katara followed him, “Zuko…”

“No, Katara.” Zuko looked around for his keys and wallet. “I feel like all you’ve done this whole time is lie.”

“I haven’t lied about a single thing!” Katara crossed her arms over her chest in defense.

Zuko scoffed, “Right. Then what was Suki really talking about?” Katara’s arms dropped and her mouth opened but closed again. “Exactly. Do you want two chicken or do you want a spinach one this-.”

“You’re the father.”

“What?”

“I said I wanted two chicken enchiladas and a cup of spicy ramen?” Katara bit her lip.

“No, you didn’t.” Zuko shook his head at her. “You said, I’m- ha. I’m the-.”

“Father, yeah.” The smile she was holding back cracked when Zuko’s bloomed on his face. “That’s what Suki- Mmph!”

Zuko’s lips were on hers. The kiss was surprisingly soft and Zuko wrapped his arms around Katara. When Zuko pulled back, Katara’s lips chased after his. She reached up and pulled his face back down to hers. They stood there kissing for a few moments until Peanut decided to start kicking. Zuko stepped back with the largest smile on his face.

“I’m going to be a dad.” Katara nodded with a big smile too. Zuko’s hands ran over Katara’s belly. “I’m going to be a-. We’re going to be parents. Holy Shi-zues and pekingeses.”

“Nice save.” Katara laughed and placed her hand over Zuko’s. Zuko took her hand and kissed it.

“Agni, I wish you would have told me sooner.” Zuko ran his thumb over her knuckles before kissing them again.

“Why?” Katara gave a small laugh.

“I don’t know. Maybe so I could have enjoyed this pregnancy longer. Instead of being jealous of some stupid jerk that hadn’t been there for any of the important parts.” Zuko shrugged. “Wait.” Katara hummed. “How do you know that stupid jerk is me?”

“You remember the night of Mai’s and Ty Lee’s wedding? When we got super drunk and we woke up the next morning in bed together?”

Zuko vaguely remembers having to grab his boxers from across the room after Katara had crawled out of bed. “And so, you’re sure…”

“Yes, I haven’t been in bed with a male since way before that.” Katara gave a small laugh. “Plus, I kind of remember bits of that night. It was pretty hot. It got me through my horny months.”

“Oh?” Zuko wiggled his eyebrows. Katara gave his arm a little smack. Only for Zuko to gather Katara up in his arms again. “I’m going to be a dad.”

Katara wrapped her arms the best she could around Zuko. “Yeah, you oh-,” Katara clutched at Zuko’s shirt. Katara felt a gush of wetness run down her leg. “Uh, I got to go to the bathroom.”

“Oh,” Zuko stepped back and helped walk her to the bathroom.

“It’s okay. I just didn’t realize I had to go.” Katara patted Zuko’s arm and closed the door. Once she was finished, she joined Suki and Zuko on the couch. Suki had come back with boxes and boxes of take out containers. Her stomach gave a twinge and Katara hissed. She waved Suki and Zuko to continue their conversation.

“So, she finally told me.” Zuko said as he opened another container for Katara. “And I kissed her.”

“Ow!” Katara grabbed at her lower stomach. “Okay that hurt. Sorry. You were saying.” Katara moved to get comfortable again, but her back began to ache and her stomach cramped. She hissed and ran her hand over her stomach. “Sorry, go ahead.”

Suki and Zuko gave her a strange look, “You kissed her?” Suki asked after a second. She watched Katara take a bite of her noodles.

Zuko looked Katara over as she winced while eating, “Are you in labor?”

Suki’s eyes got wide and sat down her fork, “Oh my God she is in labor!”

“I’m what?” Katara groaned as a large wave of pain hit her. “No, remember I’ve had these before.” She patted Zuko on the arm. “I’m fine. What were we saying?”

“We were talking about how you told him, and he kissed you. What does that mean? Are you guys like togeth-,” Suki looked between Zuko and Katara.

“Okay. Ow!” Zuko pulled his arm away from where Katara’s nails had begun to dig in. “Why don’t we just take you down to the hospital?”

“Cause, I’m not in la-.” Katara moved again and felt the need to poop again. “I’m not in labor. I just need to go to the bathroom. Help me back up.” Zuko looked over to Suki before helping Katara up. Katara groaned in pain as she stood. “Maybe get some Tylenol too?”

Suki shook her head, “How about an epidural?”

Katara paused and looked over at her. “No, I’m fi-.” Katara whined. “Okay, maybe we should.”

+++

“Here she is,” The doctor laid the fresh pink baby over on Katara’s shoulder. Katara began bawling and Zuko kissed Katara’s forehead. He reached out for the little crying baby. He held onto Katara’s hand as she touched the baby’s foot. “Alright, we’re going to wash her off and check a few things and then we’ll do some skin to skin time. Okay?”

Katara bubbled out an ‘Okay’ and held onto Zuko’s hand harder. A nurse came by and began helping Katara clean up. They turned out some of the lights before handing the baby over to Katara.

“Oh, my Spirits she is so precious.” Katara whispered and ran her hand down her baby’s back. “And beautiful. Oh, my God. I want to keep her.”

Zuko chuckled and kissed Katara’s forehead again. “You do get to keep her, I promise.”

“Don’t make fun of me,” Katara said in between tears.

“I’m not, ‘Tara.” Zuko’s face didn’t fall from the large smile.

“Oh,” Katara whispered and kissed her baby’s head. “That little sigh. Zuko, I love her.”

Zuko rubbed Katara’s arm, “I love her, too.” Zuko sighed and after a moment continued, “I love both of you.”

“I love you too.” Katara leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Her eyelashes were still wet with tears. “Zuko?”

“Hmm?” He raised a hand to brush hairs from her face.

“I still don’t know her name.” Katara opened her eyes with a little pout. “I’ve just been calling her Peanut like the rest of you.”

Zuko did his best not to laugh, “You’ve got time.”

“But her birth record will show Baby Girl.” Katara pouted more. “I don’t want her to just be Baby Girl.”

“Then what do you want to name her?”

“I don’t know.” More tears started to well in Katara’s eyes.

“How about Peanut?” Zuko joked. But realized that this was not a joking matter as Katara’s blue eyes turned an icy glare at him. “Okay, not Peanut.” Zuko looked around for a minute. They hadn’t looked through any baby naming books. Zuko thought Katara already had one picked out. “What about Hope?”

“No, my godchild’s name is Hope.” Katara waved off the idea. “Next?”

“Uh, Patricia?” Zuko thought he remembered hearing that name somewhere…

“You want to name our baby after our birthing coach?” Katara raised an eyebrow at him.

“No,” Zuko shook his head. “Da-Shoot, this is harder than it looks.”

They were both quiet for a moment. Both working through a list of names. Katara sighed as Zuko’s fingers continued to run through her hair. The soft strokes made her want to dose off. But she knew someone would probably be in to collect their baby soon. Then she could sleep. Maybe she should make Zuko stay with her if only to have him continue running his fingers through her hair.

“What about Zara?” Zuko asked and Katara hummed.

She rolled the name around in her mind a few times, “Zara.” Like Zuko and Katara put together. “I like it.” Katara brushed a hand over the baby’s head, “Zara.”

+++

Two years later and Zuko is trying to take the curlers from Zara’s dark brown hair. “Katara! Hurry up or this flower girl won’t make it to the wedding!”

“Really?” Katara stepped from their room with a diaper bag and her hair still in curlers.

“What?” Zuko smiled up to her. “You know Suki will be mad if you show up late.”

“Oh, like her and Sokka did at ours?” Katara raised an eyebrow. “I believe you told me once ‘you reap what you sow.’? I think that they are doing just that.”

Zuko chuckled and stood up with Zara in his arms. He leaned over and kissed his wife on her freshly painted lip. “Love you.”

“Mhmm,” Katara took out Zara’s last curler. “Now, let’s go because you’re right. She really will be mad if we are late.”

#zutara #zutara fanfiction #unplanned pregnancy #mutual pining #thanks for the request #oh and they were roommates

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letterboxd · 5 years ago

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Decadent—Best of the 2010s.

The best films and directors of the decade, according to the Letterboxd community. As the 2010s stumble to a close, we release a collection of lists celebrating the best films and directors of the decade, and reveal your most underrated and overlooked gems.

When Parasite overtook The Godfather this past November to become the highest-rated film of all time on Letterboxd, it was also confirmation of what we’ve been noticing since we launched the service in 2011: that the 2010s have ushered in a new golden era of filmmaking. Alongside the rise in blockbuster franchises, the film world has seen new innovations in genre films, financing models and talent pathways, helping a new generation of indie filmmakers to get traction in the competitive and unpredictable feature film scene.

And while the industry continues to reckon with upheavals in the studio system and theatrical landscape, the upside is that cinephiles have more and more platforms through which we can find and share new discoveries, back-catalog classics and obscure treasures. Indeed, our own recently launched partnership with JustWatch is helping many of you more easily track down and watch old favorites and recent releases. (JustWatch keeps track of streaming data for 38 countries and rising, and in the US alone, it monitors well over 100 services.)

In the spirit of discovery, and ahead of our 2019 Year in Review (coming in early January) we’ve run the numbers on the past decade of movies. Read on for the results—you have a couple of days left to squeeze some of them into your year’s viewing, in order to influence your 2019 and decade stats! (By the way, if you’re a Pro or Patron member, and you have best-of-decade lists for this or any other decade, you can now tag them so they appear on your all-time stats page. Use this format: top2010s, top1980s etc. We’ve also extended support for all-time top lists past the previous maximum of ten.)

The Top 20 Uncut Gems of the 2010s

Each fortnight, we run a Showdown where you get to pick your favorite films for a given theme. For the final Showdown of 2019—and the decade—we asked you to list your favorite ‘uncut gems’ of the 2010s—the overlooked, under-seen, not-loved-enough movies that you think more people need to know about.

It’s been the most popular Showdown ever, with pages and pages and pages of lists worth exploring in their entirety. We added up the most-mentioned films, removed those that had been watched by more than 15,000 members (per the specific rules of this challenge) and arrived at a final top 20, with Alex Ross Perry’s messy rock drama Her Smell taking the top spot (read our write-up about the Elisabeth Moss-starring film here). It’s quite an international list, with six women directors (Josephine Decker, Agnieszka Smoczyńska, Kelly Reichhardt, Hélène Cattet, Cristina Gallego and Mélanie Laurent), two Ciro Guerra films from Colombia, and a film from the Safdie brothers, the directors behind Uncut Gems, which has an impressive 4.3 average on Letterboxd right now.

The Top 250 Narrative Feature Films of the 2010s

Parasite, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Portrait of a Lady on Fire topped the highest-rated 250 narrative feature films of the 2010s. The busiest directors on this list were Denis Villeneuve and Taika Waititi, with five films each. Hirokazu Kore-eda, Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, Wes Anderson, Quentin Tarantino and Lee Chang-dong all feature with three films each.

The Top 100 Directors of the 2010s

We set out to find the narrative feature film directors whose work in the 2010s, as ranked by the Letterboxd community, combined with their overall placing on our Top 250 of the 2010s list, signified their excellence in the directing field. After some data-heavy research, backed by a solid methodology, one name emerged at the top: Denis Villeneuve. Taika Waititi and Lee Chang-dong round out the top three.

Interestingly, only two Best Director Oscar winners from the 2010s made the list: Damien Chazelle and Alejandro González Iñárritu. The most prolific directors on the list are Hong Sang-soo (14 films) and Sion Sono (11 films).

The 100 Most Popular Films of the 2010s

This list is determined by the films that have the most activity across our community, including watches, reviews, comments, list additions and more. Get Out topped this list, with Avengers: Infinity War and La La Land close behind.

This is a heavily US-based list, with very few films made outside the US and only two made primarily in non-English languages: Parasite and Roma. Christopher Nolan is tied for first place with the Russo brothers in terms of having the highest number of films on the list, at four each.

The Top 50 Most Obsessively Rewatched Films of the 2010s

By “obsessive” we mean total watches from all members who logged a film five or more times. The top three are: Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Avengers: Infinity War and La La Land. The Marvel Cinematic Universe accounts for a full 20 percent of the list (including the Guardians of the Galaxy films and Spider-Man: Homecoming, but not including Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse). The Star Wars franchise has six films on the list.

The Russo brothers, Anthony and Joe, are the MVPs of this list, with four MCU directing credits. Jon Favreau is represented all over the list as a director (Elf), a writer and a producer. And, of course, the late Stan Lee is credited across the MCU. We made an accompanying list for those who have Paddington obsessions.

The Top 100 Documentary & Non-Fiction Films of the 2010s

O.J.: Made in America is the top non-fiction title of the 2010s, while For Sama is the top feature-length documentary. The MVP of documentary directors is American great Frederick Wiseman, who has three films in the list. Joshua Oppenheimer, Agnès Varda, Steve James, Adam Curtis, Asif Kapadia, Petra Costa and the filmmaking duo Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin all have two films apiece. 24 women directors feature in the list, across 26 films.

The Top 100 International Films of the 2010s

An incredibly strong list, this was topped—of course—by Parasite, with Portrait of a Lady on Fire and The Handmaiden completing the top three. There were some notable exclusions on this list, due to not having a US release date until 2020. They are: Bacurau, System Crasher, And Then We Danced, Vitalina Varela and Two Blue Stripes. Maybe we’ll see them in our 2020 round-up.

The Top 100 Animated Feature Films of the 2010s

This is a Japan-heavy list, with more than 35 films in the top 100. The US follows with 26 films, including the first-placed Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Don Hertzfeldt’s It’s Such a Beautiful Day is at number two and Lee Unkrich’s Coco takes third place.

The Top 100 Women-Directed Feature Films of the 2010s

A truly international cross-section of feature films is represented in this list, which is topped by Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire, one of three by the director to appear in the list. Greta Gerwig has an impressive two films in the top ten. Other directors to appear twice are: Kathryn Bigelow, Dee Rees, Lynne Ramsey, Marielle Heller, Andrea Arnold, Maren Ade, Juliana Rojas, Zoya Akhtar, Meghna Gulzar, Nadine Labaki, Kelly Reichhardt and Naoko Ogigami. More recent films feature heavily, with 22 from 2017 versus just one from 2013.

The Top 50 Directorial Debuts of the 2010s

We looked for the highest-rated feature film debuts by directors who had not helmed a film solo prior. We included directing partnerships where part of the collaborative team had not made a feature before; that’s why Peter Ramsey is in the mix alongside feature newcomers Rodney Rothman and Bob Persichetti, taking the top spot for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Rounding out the top three are Don Hertzfeldt and Jordan Peele.

A full quarter of this list is comprised of women directors: Lulu Wang, Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Olivia Wilde, Dee Rees, Nora Twomey, Alma Har'el, Rebecca Sugar, Yoon Ga-Eun, Jennifer Fox, Shouko Nakamura, Dorota Kobiela and Naoko Yamada.

The Top 50 Comedy Specials of the 2010s

John Mulaney topped this list, with four specials included, and a fifth likely to make the list by year’s end. Fun fact: twelve of these were from 2017, which is double the next most represented year (six are from 2018). Un-fun fact: only five comedy women here.

The Top 50 Limited or Miniseries of the 2010s

David Lynch’s Twin Peaks took the top spot, closely followed by Craig Mazin’s Chernobyl, and When They See Us, Ava DuVernay’s dramatic series about the Central Park 5.

The Top 50 Horror Films of the 2010s

We made room for a single genre list, and horror was it—you’ll note we’ve erred on the generous side with what might be considered a horror film (so, yes, there are comedy horrors and psychological thrillers included). Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse swept in late in the decade to take the top spot, while Get Out and What We Do in the Shadows also ranked highly.

The 50 Most Divisive Films of the 2010s

These were the 50 most divisive feature films, concert movies, comedy specials and other curiosities of the 2010s. These are the titles from the 2010s that had the widest spread of ratings (note: this list has been updated using a more appropriate methodology and higher minimum viewer count since this post was published).

That’s all, folks. Huge thanks to Jack for compiling the lion’s share of these lists. We’ll see you in 2020 with our 2019 Year in Review. (All the decade best-of list rankings are provisional and will be finalized after 31 December.)

#the2010s #decade best of #best of decade #best films of the 2010s #best films of the decade #parasite #letterboxd

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papermoonloveslucy · 6 years ago

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LUCY & HENRY FONDA ~ Part Two

1975-1979

[For Part One - Please Click Here!]

“The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Lucille Ball” (February 7, 1975)

Director: Greg Garrison Writers: Harry Crane, George Bloom, Tom Tenowich, Milt Rosen, Don Hinkley, Peter Gallay, Stan Burns, and Mike Marmer

Starring: Lucille Ball, Henry Fonda, Dean Martin, Ginger Rogers, Gale Gordon, Vivian Vance, Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Gary Morton, Don Rickles, Rich Little, Foster Brooks, Nipsey Russell, Phyllis Diller, Dick Martin, Dan Rowan, Ruth Buzzi

TRIVIA

Lucille Ball is visible excited to hear that Fonda is roasting her. He tells the story of how he and Lucy dated when she first arrived in Hollywood. Public speaking and comedy where not Fonda's forte, but he delivers the material sincerely.

“The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Jimmy Stewart” (May 10, 1978)

Producers: Greg Garrison, Lee Hale Director: Greg Garrison Writers: Harry Crane, Stan Burns, David Axelrod, Jay Burton, Robert L. Mills, Mel Chase, Arthur Phillips, Martin Ragaway, Sol Weinstein, Howard Albrecht, Jack Shea, Larry Markes

Starring: Lucille Ball, Henry Fonda, Dean Martin, James Stewart, June Allyson, Greer Garson, Red Buttons, Barry Goldwater, LaWanda Page, Eddie Albert, Foster Brooks, George Burns, Tony Randall, Don Rickles, Janet Leigh, Rich Little, Milton Berle, Jesse White, Orson Welles, Mickey Rooney, Ruth Buzzi

TRIVIA

Henry Fonda talks about the films they did together. Fonda introduces and narrates film clips of Stewart's career. Henry Fonda and Stewart first worked together on the film On Our Merry Way (1948). They also collaborated on How The West Was Won (1962), Firecreek (1968), and The Cheyenne Social Club (1970). The were frequently seen on TV awards shows and tributes.

Lucille Ball and Jimmy Stewart never appeared together in a dramatic context. They often were guests on the same awards shows, tributes, and talk shows. The first was “Hedda Hopper's Hollywood” (1960) and the last was Lucille Ball's final public appearance on “The 61st Annual Academy Awards” (1989).

Fonda, Ball, and Stewart, were all neighbors in Beverly Hills. Lucy talks about his vegetable garden, a subject she has mentioned on other programs. Lucy jokes about what a respectful neighbor he is. She also ribs Stewart about his somewhat prudish reputation.

Lucy: “Next to Jimmy Stewart, Fred MacMurray is electrifying!”

“AFI Life Achievement Award: Henry Fonda” (March 15, 1978)

Producers: Eric Lieber, George Stevens Jr. Director: Marty Pasetta Writer: Hal Kanter

Starring: Henry Fonda, Lucille Ball, Jane Alexander, Richard Burton, Bette Davis, Kirk Douglas, Jane Fonda, Peter Fonda, James Garner, Lillian Gish, Charlton Heston, Ron Howard, Jack Lemmon, Fred MacMurray, Marsha Mason, Dorothy McGuire, Lloyd Nolan, Gregory Peck, Barbara Stanwyck, James Stewart, Richard Widmark, Billy Dee Williams

TRIVIA

The American Film Institue (AFI) is an organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. It was founded in 1965 by a mandate from President Lyndon Johnson. Their annual life achievement award began in 1973 and was awarded to John Ford. The ceremony that honored Henry Fonda was the first and only one not to have a host / presenter.

Henry Fonda: “I dated Lucy once. I guess you could say I didn't really plight my troth. I cry myself asleep a lot because if I had plighted by troth properly, they might've changed the name of that studio to Henrylu.”

Lucy's daughter, Lucie Arnaz, and her husband, Gary Morton, sit next to her in the audience.

Film clips from two out of three film collaborations with Lucille Ball, The Big Street (1943) and Yours, Mine and Ours (1960), are included.

“General Electric's All-Star Anniversary” (September 29, 1978)

Director: Dick McDonough Writers: Monty Aidem, Jeffrey Barron, Bob Howard, Paul Keyes

Cast: John Wayne (Host), Lucille Ball, Henry Fonda, Albert Brooks, Alex Haley, Pat Hingle (as Thomas Edison), Bob Hope, Cheryl Ladd, Michael Landon, Penny Marshall, Denise McKenna, Donny Osmond, Marie Osmond, Charlie Pride, John Ritter, Red Skelton (as Old Man Watching a Parade), Suzanne Somers, Jimmy Stewart (as Mark Twain), Elizabeth Taylor, Leslie Uggams, Jimmie Walker, James Whitmore (as Will Rogers), Cindy Williams, Henry Winkler, Sha-Na-Na

Synopsis: John Wayne hosts this 90-minute ABC variety show. He gives a capsulized running history of the past 100 years between musical numbers, vignettes, and vintage film clips. Leslie Uggams and the group Sha-Na-Na perform musical numbers and Albert Brooks does a routine about holding auditions to find a new national anthem.

TRIVIA

Although video of this special is scarce, photographs show Lucille Ball interacting with host John Wayne and performing a fast-paced dance number. There are no photos or other records of Henry Fonda's role in the celebration.

John Wayne also hosted a similar patriotic variety show, “Swing Out, Sweet Land,” in 1971. Lucille Ball did a serious monologue as the internal voice of the Statue of Liberty. Bob Hope and Leslie Uggams were also involved in both shows. Mark Twain was a character in both.

This special was ostensibly to mark the General Electric Corporation's (GE) 100th Anniversary, which came as a surprise to many as it had just celebrated its 75th Anniversary in 1970! Although the company was formed in 1895 by the merger of several smaller companies, GE eventually decided that its Anniversary should be marked by the day Thomas Edison himself formed the company in 1878. This change was primarily for advertising purposes – and this special was one of those marketing strategies.

From 1953 to 1962, GE sponsored the anthology series “General Electric Theatre” which, like “I Love Lucy,” was aired on CBS. It was hosted by future US President Ronald Reagan. Henry Fonda played clown Emmett Kelly in “The Clown” aired on March 27, 1955.

In 1952, Lucille Ball was featured in a print ad campaign to promote GE Ultra-Vision television sets.

“America Alive!” (November 9, 1978)

“America Alive!” was a short-lived hour-long NBC daytime show which featured consumer tips, relationship advice, entertainment news and reviews, and comedy, from its home studio in New York City as well as remotes from Los Angeles.

Cast: Jack Linkletter (Host), Lucille Ball and Gary Morton (Co-Hosts), Henry Fonda (Guest)

TRIVIA

While Lucy and Gary were in a California studio, Lucy was supposed to interview Henry Fonda, who was in their studio in New York. The following day, host Jack Linkletter infers that it wasn't strictly an interview. Linkletter doesn't specify what happened and there are no video records of the interview.

The following day, Lucy spent the entire hour taking questions from an audience of students at UCLA.

“The 36th Annual Golden Globe Awards” (January 27, 1979)

Lucille Ball was the recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award. Henry Fonda was in attendance to support his daughter, Jane Fonda, who won for Coming Home and received the Henrietta Award for World Film Favorite. Fonda was also a presenter.

SPEAKING OF HENRY....

In 1971's “Lucy & Carol Burnett: The Hollywood Unemployment Follies” (HL S3;E22) the ensemble sings “Hooray for Hollywood” with specially-written lyrics that mention Henry Fonda and his children Jane and Peter.

In 1973's “Lucy and Joan Rivers Do Jury Duty” (HL S6;E9), Lucy and Joan are on a deadlocked jury they compare to the film Twelve Angry Men (1957) starring Henry Fonda as the holdout juror.

“Lucy Moves to NBC” (February 8, 1980) kicks off with a tour bus driving through Beverly Hills and the tour guide's voice announcing the homes they are driving past, including the Henry Fonda’s. When the bus reaches Lucille Ball's Roxbury Drive mansion, Lucy gets out of the bus – having hitched a ride from after her downtown shopping trip. In real life, the Arnaz family actually did live in the same neighborhood as Henry and Shirlee Fonda as well as James and Gloria Stewart and Jack Benny and Mary Livingstone.

Henry Fonda died in 1982.

Shirlee Fonda: "She [Lucy] was always calling or coming over to see him when he was ill. And after he died, she was one of the ones who always included me in social gathering. When I gave that first party after Henry's death, I said, 'Lucy, you have to be there and help me get though this.' And she was there for me, for 100%"

Lucille Ball died in 1989.

#Lucille Ball #Lucy #Henry Fonda #The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast #Jimmy Stewart #AFI #Golden Globe Awards #General Electric #America Alive!#Carol Burnett #Jane Fonda #Lucy Moves to NBC #Here's Lucy #Joan Rivers #Lucie Arnaz #Gary Morton #John Wayne

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why-not-a-tickle-blog · 4 years ago

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Masterpost

My Multi-chapter Fics:

We Could Try? 1, 2, 3,

Patton had found out. He’d found out not only that Virgil was ticklish, and not only that he actually liked it, but also that he’d never had a real tickle session.

Sequels: I do not understand, The Price of Cookies

Grumpy, Sorry

Virgil is grumpy and gets tickled by Patton, and tickles him back a bit. Later, Patton gets him back even more.

Tickle Week: Sunday, the idea, Monday, Dee and Logan, Tuesday, Patton and Roman, Wednesday, Roman and Virgil,

“Well, seeing as there are six of us, I propose a tickle week. We’ll leave Sunday off, but every other day we’ll put names in a hat and draw one, and whoever’s name is drawn becomes a tickle toy for the whole day.”

The Tickle House:

Virgil’s New Job,

At the End of a Bad Day

Scribbling

There’s a place called the tickle house, where you can pay to tickle or be tickled. Virgil and Janus work there, and the others often visit.

Tickletober 2020:

One: Unusual Spot

Two: Feathers

Three: Stocks

Four: Scribbling

Five: Drawn on

Six: Kiss

Seven: Unusual Tool

Eight: Interrogation

Nine: Ganged Up On

Twenty-Three: Asking For It

My One-shots:

Roman’s Idea is Best

Written with @barelyticklishlee: Roman has a fantastic idea for Thomas’s date. Virgil doesn’t agree, at least at first.

When Patton gets into a Ler mood at the same time as Virgil is in a Lee Mood.

Pretty self-explanatory

A bit of something soft

Patton’s having a hard day, so Virgil cuddles and tickles him

Cheating at Games is Ill-Advised

Virgil cheats at a tickling game with Logan, and gets very tickled.

Pay Attention

Virgil can’t pay attention to the conversation with Roman and Patton tickling him.

Beware of Running Away from Lers

Virgil tries to run away from Roman

Arms Up

Virgil tickles Roman’s armpits

Belly

Patton feels fat, but Roman still loves him just as much, and wants him to feel so much better.

Requests:

Roman wants to join

Lee Roman

14 and 25 with Lee Deceit and Let Patton please?

No regrets, with Roman and Remus maybe?

oh requests?? hmm maybe either 22 or 25 w lee virgil and any ler you like?

14 with LerRoman and LeeLogan???

w/ pat ro and lo testing which of virgil's spots is the worst

Tell that to the tickle monster: Ler Patton and Lee Virgil.

16 Any pairing u think fits!!!!

I know something sweeter than cookies: same pairing, Ler Patton and Lee Virgil.

maybe 29 with ler!patton and lee!logan?

4 with Lee Roman and Ler Deceit?

11 with Ler Logan and Lee Roman please

22 with Lee Logan and Let Remus please?

19 Lee Deceit and Ler Virgil and Remus please?

Do you think you could do 3 with a lee Deceit?

9, with Roceit? :3

16 and 7 with Lee Deceit and Ler Patton please

Shy Lee Janus being forced to ask for tickles from Ler Logan?

Logan noticing Virgil having a bad day and and just having him lay down and giving him a pillow to giggle and blush into while he traces Virgil's back with his fingers or fluffy brushes to help him relax❤

Moceit cheer up tickles? 😃 (Lee Patton and Ler Janus, if you would)

oh prompts! maybe lee Patton ler roman with some sort of challenge? (Don't move, laugh, smile, whatever)

What about a lee!Virgil? (ler!your choice. Preferably a twin.) Someone comes in to wake him up from a nap, or something, with pokes. Virgil is still half asleep at this point, so he has no filter.

Lee Roman denying his in a Lee mood but Janus is behind him smirking because he knows when someone lies?

So, peharps a bit of Lee!Janus and Ler!Roman, please? Maybe Janus is monopolizing Roman's bed because it's soft and warm and g e t o f f XDD.

Lee!virgil ler!roman? That’s my everything lol

What about Lee Virgil being pranked with tickles by Remus but once Remus stops he shyly asks for more? Please and thank you!

If you're still taking requests maybe lee Janus being overly grumpy and getting cheer up tickles from Logan?

How about Remus acting as annoying little brothers do, and Roman getting back at him with some extra teasey tickles

may I request lee Logan and ler Patton where Pat's just gushing over how cute Lo is while tickling him?

Can please do some Lee janus and ler patton? Like Janus is being suspicious, and Patton is trying to figuring out what he is doing.

For the prompts thing how about Patton ticking Logan to make him take a break from working?

Ler Logan and Lee Remus, if you are up for it. Remus starts to bother Logan while he is working and Logan gets payback with tickles, knowing secretly that Remus wanted this to happen. ???

Pre-Accepting Anxiety Virgil walks in to the common room to see the Light Sides having a tickle fight, cue big Lee MoodTM. So now he's awkwardly trying to keep up his bad guy persona while desperately trying to figure out how to tell them that he NEEDS to be WRECKED!

Prompts! How about Patton tickling Logan to make him take a break from working I can never get enough of that! 😂

Lee!Patton and Ler!Logan (or whoever you wish!) Patton has always been the mind palace tickle monster and after a week of his evil ler moods and tickle attacks Logan turns the tables and gets revenge tickles?

Ok so... after Accepting Anxiety, Virgil is a little shaken from his name reveal. He sorta hides away in his room because he’s embarrassed, until Roman comes in to check on him and cheer him up and make him feel welcome with tickles 🥺

Logan maybe gets hurt, (trips or bumps against something) and Patton decides to tend to him, making sure he's not injured badly, but it turns out Logan is ticklish where Patton is examining

Ler Patton Lee Deceit - Patton accidentally brushes by Deceits scales and it sets Deceit into a fit of giggles. So Patton gets curious and starts to poke and stroke the patches of scales that are all over Deceits body. And Deceit secretly not so secretly enjoys this

Maybe some cheer up tickles with Logicality where both were watching a show and a tickle scene appeared and person B is like "Oh, this is a signal. That is how I should cheer up my friend."?

How about lee!janus and ler!virgil where Virgil remembers Janus being super ticklish back when he lived with the dark sides still and decides to see if he's still that ticklish.

Could you do a college AU where the core 4 are in their university’s theatre department? Like... they all are walking back to the dorms and they find out Roman is extremely ticklish and tickle and tease him the whole way back??

How about lee Logan hiding his lee mood from Virgil?

lee!Virgil and ler Patton, Logan, and Roman. Virgil has a huge lee mood and is way to shy to ask to be tickled so he drop little hints to try and get tickles( more like Virgil being an a** and a bratty little sh*t). The sides act like they don’t know what he want, but do. So they force him to ask

anything lee logan? I would DIE for lee logan

Okay I’m bored and I need lee!Virgil and lers Janus and Remus

Anything lee Logan would be delightful! Thank you!

Complete as of 12/8/2020

Prompts are Open!

And I also enjoy Roleplaying, but before asking for either, please read this entire Rules and FAQ post!

Keep reading

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badwolf1988-blog · 7 years ago

Text

Demons Closing In

Summary: Leland Chapman was having a very weird Halloween. To understand his story, you'd have to rewind time twenty-four hours to when he met a woman named Rainn Cameo.

Rated: Teen

Disclaimer: I do not know Leland Chapman and Rainn Cameo is a product of my overactive imagination. This story never happened.

Status: COMPLETE

“Dakota, you really think this girl can help me find my guy?” Leland waved the slip of paper on which was written an address located in the Waipio area. “This is really out of my way and I don't have time to waste on a bad lead.”

“Dad, I've known Rainn since elementary school. She's honest and she knows this guy. Her senior year was last year and he was always picking her up. If she knows where you can find him, she'll tell you.” Dakota was packing up his bookbag as he spoke. “Oh, I'll be home late tomorrow night. Matt's having a Halloween party,” the eighteen-year-old informed his father.

“Alright,” Leland nodded and pocketed his wallet. “Just keep your phone on so I can reach you if I need to.”

WAIPIO VALLEY

ONE HOUR LATER

It had taken Leland almost twenty minutes just to find the girl's house. It sat on Waipio's famous black sand beach and was hidden by tropical foliage. It was the small but expensive kind of beach house that was usually owned by the wealthy/celebrities as a winter home. Why would someone who lived somewhere this nice run with an ice head?

The door was opened almost immediately after he knocked and Leland found himself face-to-face with a knockout. The young woman was short and curvy and had bright violet eyes that were highlighted by her fire red hair and sapphire nose stud. “Rainn Cameo?”

The young woman nodded. “That would be me, Mr. Chapman.”

“Leland, please.” Leland had to mentally kick his own ass and remind himself that he was old enough to be the girl's father. She was friends with his oldest son for pete's sake!

Rainn stepped aside to allow him room to enter. “Dakota texted me and told me you were coming. I was able to find a picture of Stephen for you.” She led him into her living room and grabbed a photograph off of the steampunk style coffee table. She handed it to him. “It was taken last summer.”

“Do you know if he still looks like this?” Leland waved the photograph while trying to keep his eyes off of her very full chest.

“He's about thirty pounds lighter now.” Rainn crossed her arms over her chest. She looked truly worried.

“You seem like a nice girl so I have to ask – how do you know this guy, Rainn?” Leland asked just to appease his own curiosity.

“Stephen's my cousin.” Rainn took a seat on the couch and grabbed a pad and pen off of the coffee table. “Our parents co-own a film production company and, like most rich kids, we both like pissing off our folks. I do it by writing underground comics for Last Gasp Comics and Stephen does it by smoking ice.” She scribbled something on the pad before ripping the page off and handing it to him. “Here, this is his best friend's address in Hilo. It's the only place I would know to look for him. My number's on the bottom if you have any more questions.”

“Thank you.” Leland folded up the paper and stuck it in his pocket with the photograph. He borrowed her pen and on the bottom of a wanted poster wrote his phone number. “If you hear from Stephen or find out where he is, call me, day or night.”

THE NEXT NIGHT

HALLOWEEN

Leland pulled up to a raging house party at a little after ten with Duane Lee in the SUV behind him providing his only backup. Rainn had texted him a half hour earlier telling him that Stephen was there.

As Leland and Duane Lee entered the house, they had to shove a path through drunk teenagers while Michael Jackson blared from the sound system.

“It's close to midnight,

And something evil's lurking in the dark.

Under the moonlight,

You see a sight that almost stops your heart.

You try to scream,

But terror takes the sound before you make it.

You start to freeze,

As horror looks you right between the eyes,

You're paralyzed...”

“Thriller,” Leland snorted. “How original.”

The two men pushed their way to the back den where they were in no way prepared for the sight that awaited them. Their elusive fugitive sat on the couch with his hands in front of him, zip ties had been used to construct an impromptu pair of handcuffs. Rainn sat perched on the armrest of the couch dressed as Supergirl and Dakota (of all people) stood guard over Stephen dressed as a 1980's-era Dee Snyder.

“Well, this is new.” Duane Lee quipped.

“He found out that I texted you and was trying to leave so Dakota stopped him,” Rainn looked at Leland and explained.

“Good job, son.” Leland nodded approvingly.

“Thanks, pops. Can I take off now? I kinda have a date waiting on me.” Dakota jerked his head towards the door.

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“Leland, do you mind if I ride with you to drop him off?” Rainn asked, nodding towards Stephen. “I wanna talk to him.”

“Sure, honey, come on.”

Duane Lee went back to the office to complete the night's paperwork while Leland handled the fugitive drop off. It was one of the most uncomfortable drives he had ever taken. Poor Rainn. She tried to engage her cousin in conversation the whole ride but Stephen had simply called her a traitor before refusing to talk to or even look at her.

Rainn waited in the car while Leland booked Stephen into jail. When he returned to the Hummer, his heart broke when he found Supergirl crying in the passenger seat. Was it wrong that all he wanted to do was hold her? Not grope or fuck her (okay, so he kinda wanted to do that too), he just wanted to take her pain away. “Rainn, honey, you can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped.” He couldn't resist reaching out and brushing some of her pretty red hair behind her ear.

“You don't understand,” she said as she shook her head. “My parents don't give a shit about me. Did you know that I was the youngest comic writer ever invited to host their own panel at Comic-Con and my parents didn't even take notice? Stephen is all I have.”

“Fuck, baby... that isn't true.” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You have Dakota and I know he has your back. I raised him to be loyal.”

“Urgh!” Rainn suddenly pulled away from him angrily. “Just what I need, another reminder that you're one of my best friend's fathers! I get it, Leland! I'm not ever going to get what I want!”

“You want me?” Leland asked in shock. No fucking way. This wasn't possible. He wasn't this lucky.

“Duh!” Rainn yelled.

Leland couldn't help himself, he reached out and tangled his hand in her hair, pulling her to him so he could claim her mouth in a hungry kiss.

When they parted, Rainn screamed in terror. Looking out the window, Leland saw why. They were surrounded by zombies...

Leland sat up in bed with a start, waking his young wife.

“Baby, what's wrong?” she asked.

It was just a dream. A bizarre dream that was probably driven by 'The Walking Dead' marathon that he had had with Cobie before bed. “Nothing, honey, just a bad dream. Go back to sleep.” He pulled her to lay on his chest, right where his girl belonged.

“Love you, Leland.” She kissed his chest before drifting back off to sleep.

“Love you, Rainn.” He dropped a kiss to the top of her head and held her just a little bit tighter, thankful that she wasn't a dream.

FINIS

youtube

MY WEBSITE

#leland chapman #leland chapman fanfiction #oneshot #halloween #romance #surprise ending

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kimsgoeun · 7 years ago

Text

Under the cut are a bunch of plots I would like. Feel free to like, message, or IM me if you’re interested! And we can always discuss on Discord too if you prefer that as well.

I want a plot with AIs in it. Maybe something to do with an AI trying to pass off as human or two AIs trying to make it in the human world.

“ ok so i really wanna play older fcs so gimme the newly divorced couple who still run w the same ~crowd~ so they have to see each other a lot? and they deal with new bfs/gfs, thinking they might still love each other, trying to Fake it Til they Make It, drunken texts @ 2am, maybe they have kids together and have 2 deal with that, maybe they?? kiss again im just Shook someone please ” (brownie points if it’s F/F!!)

“ but a plot where muse a & muse b are actors. they’ve been in shows together & after a while, they fell in love… but it ended horribly, for whatever reason. but since they still move in the same circles, they both end up auditioning for the same show…only to be casted as the leading couple. they had almost forgotten the taste of the other’s lips… ”

F/F Jennifer’s Body inspired plot

A whole “we don’t like each other but now we’re stuck together because of a snow storm” AU

“ Concept: two friends work at a hotel. And they get into all kinds of shenanigans together. Stay in empty suites together. They use the pool during after hours. The boss is out on business trips most of the time so they are in charge of keeping things in order when really all they’re doing is basically living for free and meeting people who stay the night/weekend/or however long. Just crazy fun that sometimes lands them in trouble (they witness things that they wish they hadn’t)(they find money to go out on fancy dates)(they meet people of all kinds) ”

“ You, a historian, find something odd in your records. The same face, accompanied with variations of the same name, keeps emerging in paintings, drawings, woodcarvings and documents, from a span of several centuries. It looks suspiciously like your assistant. ”

“ popular wealthy bitch who owns the school and intimidates everybody but is secretly crushing on the soft boy with the puppy dog eyes who’s totally so unaware of it " (as f/f would be awesome too!)

“ an f/f plot where two socialites are best friends and party and hook up with random guys when they’re out but always end up going home together and have this super open friendship where they have no problem fuckin each other 6/7 days of the week ”

“ i’ve always wanted to a plot where a small group of people in their mid 30s meets up in their high-school/college reunion and after it’s all over they go home… and wake up the following day as the teenagers/young adult version of themselves and quickly realize they’ve been thrown back in time. ”

“ we got drunk in vegas and now we’re married but i don’T FUCKING LIKE YOU??? AU ”

plot where “you’re dating my twin and we’ve always gotten along super well and lowkey i might have a crush on you and one night you call me to pick you up and you’re drunk and you keep telling me how much you love me and i think you might be confused and think i’m my twin but no you said my name you definitely just said my name wait what does this mean” (As f/f please and thanks!)

I want a plot inspired by Gone Girl. Probably like two housewives (or a housewife and friend) that conspire to get back at their husbands for whatever (cheating, putting them in debt, etc.) and just them two plotting/planning how they’re going to ruin them. And then of course the plan taking action and them watching the chaos they created while they disappeared from town to have better (or worse) lives. This can lead them to either staying strictly platonic or it can turn into a relationship. Either way it can be a toxic relationship.

FCs

Aly Michalka

Candice Patton

Gemma Arterton

Im Jin-ah

Jenna Louise Coleman

Jessica Parker Kennedy

Ji Chang-wook

Katie McGrath

Kim Go-eun

Kim So-hyun

Lee Ji Eun (IU)

Lee Jong-suk

Lee Sung Kyung

Lucy Liu

Nam Joo Hyuk

Park Hae-jin

Park Shin-hye

Rosamund Pike

Rose Byrne

Rose McIver

Ryu Hwa Young

Seo Kang-joon

Tao Okamoto

Yoon So-hee

Opposites (but I’m open to others! These are just some I’ve been obsessed with lately)

Aisha Dee

Alisha Boe

Ana de Armas

Bae Suzy

Brenda Song

Carlos Valdes

Christian Serratos

Emmy Rossum

Im Jin-ah

Laura Harrier

Leighton Meester

Madelaine Petsch

Meghan Fahy

Stella Marve

Tessa Thompson

Vanessa Morgan

Yoo In-na

#plot bunny #1x1 rp #1x1 plot #1x1 #1x1 roleplay

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kimnjss · 4 years ago

Note

For the drabbles: Yn finding out she’s pregnant and telling both Yoongi and Huinki (separately) 🥰🥰

hyunki is sat in front of the tv, his favorite show playing loudly, eyes glued to the screen as he watches the animals interact in front of him. it's 'our planet', had come running when he heard the beginning of it and now he's sat in the same spot thirty minutes later with a bowl of cheerios in his lap.

you're stood in the doorway, yoongi peering over your shoulder. two weeks and a scheduled doctor's appointment later, you were now ready to tell hyunki about the big change to your little family.

right now, you and yoongi are debating which one of you should be the to go in and interrupt his tv watching time. would have waited to talk to him, but yoongi was leaving in a little while and wasn't going to be back home until late. now was as good as time as any.

“he likes you better today. i already got him in trouble for putting his toys in the toilet.” yoongi is bursting out a laugh at the memory, the look of confusion on his son's face when you were scolding him. “they needed a bath,” he defends and you're instantly rolling your eyes.

hyunki went running to yoongi after he got in trouble, explaining to him how he only wanted to give his toys a bath. yoongi, of course, made everything better while explaining to him just why the toilet wasn't the best place to do so.

with a deep breath, yoongi is passing you entering the living room. hyunki doesn't even glance up, so focused on the group of lions taking down a buffalo. his face is twisting the moment the screen freezes, he's darting to his father who stands with the remote in hand.

“hey! daddy, that's my favorite show in the world. why'd you pause it?” the pout that forms on his lips can only be classified as adorable, the furrow of his brow only adding to the cuteness. “me and mommy want to talk to you for a moment,”

you're entering behind yoongi, taking a seat on the coffee table in front of him. hyunki is taking one look at you before his attention is shifting back onto yoongi. “i won't put toys in the bathroom anymore,” a soft laugh is leaving yoongi's lips as he shakes his head, slightly. “nope, not about that.”

“remember when taetae told you about how you use to live in my stomach?” hyunki is nodding, eyes now on you. “well, there's a new baby living inside my belly. and in a little bit, they're gonna come out and you'll have a little sibling.”

hyunki blinks, twice before he's tilting his head to the side. dark eyes searching your features. “why do you keep having babies in your stomach, mommy?” he's looking at you full of confusion, not able to understand why you keep putting yourself in this position. a laugh is falling from yoongi's lips, arms crossing over his chest as he waits for your explanation.

“because me and daddy thought it would be nice if you had a little brother or sister, don't you think that would be fun.” he's not convinced and a little bit confused. it's obvious from the look on his face as he sits in silence, tossing your words around in his head.

his hand is propping his head up, elbow resting on his thigh. he looks most like yoongi like this and it's nothing new. his little mannerisms, reactions, facial expressions, they all screamed yoongi. “i didn't really ask for a sibling. i think i wanted the animal legos. remember daddy, i said that.”

“yeah, bud i remember. but the baby isn't a toy, you know? like how mommy's mommy and i'm daddy. baby will be baby. a part of the family.” hyunki takes a moment to weigh in the information, nose scrunched as he thinks.

not sure what, but it all seems to click in his mind after a moment. “oh, i get it. okay.” he says with a nod of his head and a large smile. he seems sure that he understands and you figure there will be a whole lot of time for him to wrap his head around the whole aspect. didn't expect him to get it all right away.

there's a slight pause, where you and yoongi share quiet glances. wondering if there is more than either of you should say. hyunki is cutting in before you get the chance, though. “can i still have the animal legos?” more concerned about the toy than whatever confusion you and yoongi brought on to him.

yoongi is nodding instantly a short laugh leaving his lips as his hand reaches to ruffle his son's hair. “of course, buddy. whatever you want.” he says with a smile, handing the remote back over to him after hitting play on his show.

hyunki grins wide, focus turning back onto the screen as he picks through the cereal on his lap. he tries to pay attention, but can't help but wonder what his new sibling would look like. or if they'll get to be best friends when it comes. and most importantly, if he was going to have to share all of his toys.

masterlist

⇝ taglist: @randomkoalablog @smoljams @dee-ehn @jaiuneamesolitaiire @hehehehahahohohuhu @sw33tnight @butterflylion @withlovestudyblr @soulstaes @bangtansonyeondayyyum @samros95 @korkanswers @houseofarmanto @marifujioka @tae165 @uxwi @jinhitwhore @preciouschimine @yeontanie21 @aa-ronpa @taefect94 @lee-karliah @codeinebelle @mochibabycakes @diminieshoe @fuddyize @soloikeadates @0xmysticx0 @bbyjoonies @amoreguk @tricethecharm @diminieshoe @jayyayyy17 @softlyjins @bangtan-noona @fan-atic-blog @fuck-expectations-people @paradisetaemin @lilacdreams-00 @vsugakookie0104 @koostime @la-evforia @betysotelo18 @chocobetterknot @simplysanha @delicategukkie @kookieswithtaeq @jeon-ggukkie @angjeon

⇝ taglist: @bangtansbun @flamboyant-louie @elliemeetsevil @angiexyoung @stonyiscanon @strawberryforever25 @mipetronella @rageyoudamnednerd @hellotherehoneybee @joonies-babyy @mypurplelamp @jikooksgirl19 @sushi-date-ghost @bigimpression @kookiesjoonies @amour-quinn @diamonddia-mond @alterlovess @gemad08 @daydreambrliever @acc3ssdenied @silentlyimpractical @bella-victoria002 @ashleyjoyx @yoooonie @btsbed @sungieshines @thia-aep @taeshuworld @hopiebabie @trynavibewhileicry @illwritetomorrow @kookoo-kachoo @prettxyliies @triviasjms @ratking101 @elephantdoors @feel-like-gold @kelitt @itsponybeaches @alpaca1612 @jeonkookiebangtan @rather-not-sayy @kimsouthjoon @seokjiniebabie @wisenerdcreator @cosmicflwr @kookie-monsteur @donghae-bae @sugalarity93 @eugeneliem @morgstreet @niieceyy @thefouranemoi @ayasanuwu @itsrapmonstanotdancemonsta @izzyexe @justzeera @xjoonchildx @pjmcth @fizziefizzco @monetsberet @killaqueeeennnn @mayumioutloud @mygsbae @fakeluvrm @lovingele @tetekiim @masterpiecejoonie @tiddieshakeshownu @kuppyjiminie @xlovelyyoongix @beeeb05 @comically-sleep-deprived @spillthetaesissy @kerikaaria @ephyra1230 @hajiraa06 @bburninggoldd @luvsoobin @agustneeds @fromthedt @hecticwonderer @cuteipat @hispoutylips @moonlitmyg @fanfics-for-fun @ruinsofangels @untainted-memories @ughtear @hopetookmysoul @unicornnomore @jungkookspromise @namjoonbaby @vantaexx @apurpledheart @rjsmochii @ladyartemesia @bangpink123 @jrobmorebangtan @baabelleer @midkpjm @kthvhs @trinityxsope @thecityrain @princecalpal @honeyspillings @kim-ji-hyeons-world @hyungaway @agustdakasuga @namjoonsleftankle @notasunshine @abyssiniandissociation @taegix94 @alison-renee @somewhereinthestarss @salty-for-suga @simplymemyself @hear-me-growl @ggukkieland @hisunshiine @ephyraaaa @yoong-i @diorhobii @lexy9716 @psiphidragon @crazyboutjooni @mvltimoon @barbikatherine @adoringinsanity @g0lden-sunset @thefiresfromheaven @nanied93 @sunshine-ybba @sakura-uji @bbyxiumin @snortyport @haveumetbadeth @abra-cadabra-jin @bangtandongsaeng @sixwestonrd @yoongs-jeontae @agirlintheparkjimin @1-800-jinsoul @craftymoonchaos @sammysammyswag @acupfullofsuga @tanumiki @neverthefirstchoice @eatjeanjin @dionysusrage @chogiyeol-utopia @wildly-lost-lantern @ditsyyvonne @uglyratlmao @sweeneyblue1 @deleteidentity @jwlmnbt @loveyoongles @sheebaba @minlindsx @btsbangtanbois @nananicholle @v9nte @munkey888 @lustremyg @silent-potato @chanelbts

#asks; be my baby 🦋#yoongi #yoongi sm au #min yoongi #yoongi fluff #yoongi fic #asks; kez 🍯

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diggerhome64-blog · 6 years ago

Text

Pleasant Gehman Remembers the Wild, Wild Weekly of Yore

I started writing for L.A. Weekly in 1979. At 18, it wasn't my first job as a rock writer but it was my introductory foray into professional journalism — meaning I'd actually be getting paid. I'd already been publishing Lobotomy, the Xerox fanzine I'd created with Randy Kaye and photographer Theresa Kereakes, and writing for Slash magazine and New York Rocker since 1977.

Music editor Bill Bentley brought me on board, as we knew each other from clubs and parties and shared very similar tastes in bands. One night, getting drunk at the Frolic Room, we were talking music and he greenlit my first feature story, "Rockabilly Redux," on the resurgence of American roots music. He was unaware of my ridiculously poor typing skills and I certainly wasn't about to tell him. I wanted to seem professional. Because high school typing class had been so boring, I'd literally cut every session in favor of going to some friend's house where parents weren't around, getting high while listening to Bowie. It took me an hour to get my first article for the Weekly down in longhand, and then all night to type it on a barely functional, borrowed manual typewriter.

Back then, fax machines didn't exist, so you had to complete your story a few days before it was due if you were mailing it in. Yes, mailing it! I preferred hand delivery. On the due date, I took the bus down Sunset to the Weekly office to turn in my story. I was unsure what to expect from a real newspaper; my only frame of reference came from hard-boiled crime reporters in '50s noir flicks. Located in a rundown two-story house just east of Western Avenue, the Weekly's first office was a hybrid of a bustling hippie commune and a messy art studio, a touch of free clinic with a rebellious punk rock flair bubbling just under the surface.

Instead of sleek corporate furniture, mismatched wooden desks and chairs were flanked by filing cabinets that looked like they'd been scooped up off the street on trash day. Several people ran around with paste-up boards; anyone who sat at a desk was either furiously typing or yelling into a landline phone. Most surfaces were cluttered with stacks of papers, overflowing ashtrays, dirty coffee mugs and typewriters, some of which were as messed up as the one I had. Newsprint proofs were tacked to the walls between unframed rock & roll posters and hand-drawn flyers for local bands.

Gehman's press pass

Courtesy Pleasant Gehman

I began to write for the paper regularly, reviewing albums and live shows, doing more features, and interviewing everyone from horror mogul Forrest J. Ackerman to Malcolm McLaren's New Romantic sensations Bow Wow Wow; from photographer and installation artist Steven Arnold to Maila Nurmi, aka Vampira, to whom The Screamers' Tomata Du Plenty had introduced me.

I also got a handle on the vibe of the office. I had wonderful relationships with all my editors. They each did their job with care and taught me so much about writing. I loved working with Bill Bentley because he cracked me up, and with Mikal Gilmore for his attention to detail and because he brought out the best of me with constructive suggestions for rewrites. I revered Phil Tracy because of his no-nonsense newspaperman persona, which matched my crazy noir-inspired fantasies. He seemed tough as nails but was super nice. I also admired the fact that he kept an emergency bottle of booze in one of his desk drawers, all "oldskool" newspaper man, which was what he was.

Jay Levin was kind of like a wacky father figure to me, too. In 1982, when I was about to be married to rockabilly singer Levi Dexter, Jay asked, "What would you like for a wedding present: money or drugs?" Unsure if he was posing a trick question or being serious, I answered sarcastically, "Both!" And in true '80s fashion, I got both from him, each portion of the two-part present way more generous than I'd ever dreamed in my broke punk-girl existence.

Many staffers were older than I was but they were mostly still young, and it all felt fresh, creative and fun. Lots of musicians and artists worked at the Weekly over the years, among them Craig Lee of The Bags, Don Bolles of The Germs, Suzy Gardner of L7, Falling James of The Leaving Trains [Still with us! —Ed.], Ron Athey, Vaginal Davis, plus members of The Flyboys, The Radio Ranch Straight Shooters, Haunted Garage and my own band, The Screaming Sirens. Many hung out in clubs and bars till the wee hours on a nightly basis, showing up to hand in an article spectacularly hungover or even still high.

In an office full of debauchery, the art department was particularly notorious, glamorous in a fucked-up way and always louche. There'd be cocaine bindles casually tossed into the trash sitting on top of proof pages, and people having Irish coffee as they pasted up the paper at 9 a.m. Every time the door to the art department opened, it was like a cross between the party scene from Breakfast at Tiffany's, a Cheech & Chong film and the playa at Burning Man.

EXPAND

A piece about L.A. Dee Da

Courtesy Pleasant Gehman

I was certainly no exception to that riotous "All Tomorrow's Parties" lifestyle. Once, I’d lost track of the deadline for a piece that was due, and had taken a couple hits of acid to go see Ken Russell’s film Caligula with some friends. Only after I returned home blazing did I realize the story was due the next morning … so I attempted to write it. I was so high that every time I typed a sentence, it looked like it jumped off the page. I don’t remember finishing it, but somehow I did. The next day editor Phil Tracy called me to tell me he thought it was one of the best things I’d written. Thanks, Aldous Huxley!

My favorite memory of the Weekly is from 1989 and pretty much sums up the wild, laissez-faire attitude that everyone had. A paperback biography called Deviant was published, chronicling the infamous mass murderer and cannibal Ed Gein, whose crimes inspired Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Silence of the Lambs. Gein, who was an avid transvestite and cannibal as well as a crackerjack hunter, murdered women, cut them up and wore their skins over his body while dressing up in in his mother's clothes. He'd also eat parts of his victims and, as a way of disposing of the bodies, he gave the extra flesh to his neighbors, passing it off as "venison," so they all were eating his victims, too. Everyone at the Weekly was reading Deviant obsessively and simultaneously.

At that moment in time, an extremely expensive and super-trendy French restaurant opened in Los Feliz. The specialty dish was provincial wild game, and venison in particular. When the place got reviewed in the Weekly, some lunatic in the art department inserted the Deviant cover photo of Ed Gein into the review, with the caption reading something like, "This is NOT the chef of ______” — and it actually got published! Decades later, as far as I know, nobody’s ever confessed.

While the old L.A. Weekly had an unruly atmosphere at times, it was also a hub for serious reporters who took their beats very seriously. I had a lot of fun covering L.A.'s underground but I also worked on perfecting my irreverent reportage and taking advantage of the access I had as part of the punk scene. Which was exactly why Jay asked me to start the L.A. Dee Da nightlife column in 1980. Jay gave me free rein on content, and it often got pretty racy. But then, that's what the rock scene was all about. Obsessed as I was with Old Hollywood, in a punk-rock paean to 1940s gossip columnists Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons, I billed L.A. Dee Da as "the place to dig if you're looking for dirt." But honestly, if I'd actually spilled everything I knew, I'd have been run out of town. Unlike the loadies in the art department, I preferred to keep my debauchery outside of the office.

My process for producing L.A. Dee Da went like this: I'd go out every night, often to three or more places, scrawling a few notes in eyebrow pencil on a flyer. At the end of the week, I'd pop off a stream-of-consciousness column in my trademark one-fingered hunt 'n' peck. By 1983, I was consumed with booking bands at the Cathay De Grande and getting ready to tour, so Craig Lee joined in, and eventually many others. The column ran for years, into the 1990s. Years after I quit writing it, I consistently got blamed for items that other people wrote!

I miss those late 1970s to early 1990s days sometimes, somewhat out of nostalgia for my youth, of course, but also because it seems as if most of the "alternative" stuff going on was actually alternative. Mainstream media wasn't covering most of the people or events that L.A. Weekly was. On the slim chance a mainstream publication did feature something "alternative," it usually seemed to come on the heels of a recently published Weekly piece.

My time at the Weekly was way too much fun, and I look back on those days wistfully. It was like a journalistic Wild West under the palm trees of Old Hollywood.

Source: https://www.laweekly.com/arts/pleasant-gehman-remembers-the-wild-wild-weekly-of-yore-10098352

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useyourrwords · 6 years ago

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Month Ahead // Writers Week, Comedy & Too Much To Do – March

March Madness has begun and I am tired.

I am also in a lot of pain while writing this because cramps and I forgot to bring the medication my doctor gave me for them to work so that’s just fucking greeeeeaaaaaaat.

Is that too much information? absolutely! Do I care? Fuck no!

I’m in too much pain to care. The only reason I’m writing this now is because 1. I’m running out of time to write it before it’s meant to go up and 2. It’s distracting me from the pain…. well not really but I need to keep my mind busy otherwise I’ll sit here with my forehead on the desk and then security will probably ask if I’m okay and I don’t really feel like having that conversation right now.

But telling strangers on the internet???? That’s fine. I just can’t wait to go home and drink my cramp tea and play with my baby nephew.

So this month is gonna be crazy. It’s already been crazy to be honest and it’s only just begun!

This was meant to go up on Tuesday night but life happened and there was no way I was gonna be able to do anything on Monday or Tuesday let alone write a post about the month to come when it has already been shit.

Honestly how many keys do I wanna add at this point????

Monstrous March

Monstrous March is the topic for this month at Devour Your TBR.

It’s about the creepy books, the ones that give you chills. You can go with either thrillers, horrors, spooky reads.. Whatever you think fits “monstrous”!

TBR

│The Dream Thieves│The Raven Cycle #2│Maggie Stiefvater│

│

I was going to read this for Fantastic February last month but I ran out of time so I’m continuing it this month.

│Skylarks│Karen Gregory│

│

I’ve only just started this and it seems good so far, great talk about poverty!

│The Surface Breaks│Lousie O’Neill│

│

This is so far brilliant but of course it is, it’s Louise O’Neill after all.

│The Female of the Species│Mindy McGinnis│

│

This has been on my bookshelf for like 2+ years and I am finally gonna pick it up!!! Thanks to Vicky’s @ Vicky Who Reads review of the same author’s book Heroine, I new I needed to finally read this one and with it coinciding with Monstrous March for Devour Your TBR I knew it was the perfect time!

│Sharp Objects│Gillian Flynn│

│

I watched the TV series for this and IT WAS SO FUCKING BRILLIANT!!!!

With Monstrous March, now it’s time to read the book!

│Blue Lily, Lily Blue│The Raven Cycle #3│Maggie Stiefvater│

│

I might read this if I get to it this month but it’s definitely on the back burner because I’m worried if I just read only this series all the books will meld together and I’ll get sick of the world and I do not want that to happen!

│Truly Devious│Truly Devious #1│Maureen Johnson│

│

This month I’ve also added audiobooks to the mix!

I finally got a sport arm band phone case thing so I can listen to audiobooks while I’m doing housework or shopping or just running around!

I’ve signed up for Audible so if you have any recommendations PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!!!

I started this one while I was washing the car and it’s going to take me a little while to get used to paying close attention and not going on thought tangents but hopefully it all goes well and I’m able to get even more reading time!

│Khutulun│tatterhood│Agnodice│Te Puea Herangi│Moremi Ajasoro│Sybil Ludington│Kurmanjan Datka│Andamana│Mary Seacole│Florence Nightingale│Gráinne “Grace O’Malley” Ni Mháille│Rejected Princesses│Jason Porath│

│

│Empress Xi Ling Shi│Hatsheput│Agnodice│Trung Trӑc & Trung Nhi│Fatima Al-Fihri│Bygone Badass Broads│Mackenzi Lee│

│

Structured TBR Pass or Fail?

│Must Read:

6/5│

1/1│

0/0│

4/2│

7/3│

10/10│

5/5│

│Allowances:

1/1│

0/0│

1/1│

Haul

│Barbed Wire Heart│Tess Sharpe│

│

This is currently on Netgalley as read now and I loved Sharpe’s Far From You so I had to get it!

Past Grey Reads

Book Review // Everything Leads To You – A Quite Love Story

Book Review // Girl Made of Stars – I Am Broken

Grey Reads // Everything’s On Fire and I Couldn’t Be Happier – Girls of Paper and Fire

TBW

│The Bold Type│Season 2│

│2017│

Sarah Watson│

Katie Stevens, Aisha Dee, Meghann Fahy│

So I kinda finished this one this week and now I have to wait for season 3 next month!

│Brooklyn Nine-Nine│Season 6│

│2013│

Daniel J. Goor, Michael Schur│

Andre Braugher, Andy Samberg, Stephanie Beatriz│Watching weekly episodes│

I’m hoping to keep up to date with this one.

│RuPaul’s Drag Race│Season 11│

│2009│

RuPaul│

RuPaul, Michelle Visage│Watching weekly episodes│

I’m so excited for this season! Miss Vanjie is bringing the goods already and I am here for it.

Also Boy Brooke Lyn Heights looks like pre-sobriety Mike The Situation from Jersey Shore and I can’t unsee it.

│I Am The Night│Season 1│

│2019│

Patty Jenkins│

Chris Pine, India Eisley, Jefferson Mays│

I’m a lot behind but I want to finish this now that all the episodes are out!

│The Umbrella Academy│Season 1│

│2019│

Jeremy Slater│

Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda │

Ideally I will actually get around to watching past the first episode but we’ll see.

│Russian Doll│Season 1│

│2019│

Leslye Headland, Natasha Lyonne, Amy Poehler│

Natasha Lyonne, Charlie Barnett, Greta Lee│

I wanna get past episode 2.

│Sex Education│Season 1│

│2019│

Laurie Nunn│

Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Emma Mackey│

So my coworker will not stop telling me to watch this because she knows it’s exactly my kind of show but I keep telling her I’m too busy. Well this week I finished it.

I highly doubt I’m going to get to all these but it’s a plan.

Past Grey Watches

Grey Watches // I Wanna Bone Jude Law and Kate Winslet – The Holiday

Grey Watches // It Has To Be A Shit Show – A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding

Grey Watches // I Hate It So Much I Love It – A Christmas Prince

Goals

Get my mental health plan

Book a therapy session

I have to wait until April ahhhhhhhh

Get a massage from mum

Try and take a mental health day

Try and take a mental health day later in the month

Keep my shit together—So far, not so good

Start journaling

Quit soft drink—I didn’t buy any this week, instead I got flavoured sparkling water because that’s the only way I like sparkling water.

Start floor exercises—I keep adding this and never get around to it.

Try and read 5 books

Don’t waste all my time on The Sims—Also not doing great on this one already

Go to Writers Week

Uhhhh, I Got In A Car Accident

So Adelaide Writers Week started on Saturday the 2nd and I got my first in person book signing on Saturday which was amazing!!!

And Sunday I went for the full day and it was even better!!! Found a very funny New Zealand Author and discovered a popular Australian fantasy author is uhh…kinda boring but it was still a great day out!

Then I was on my way for another full day of Writers Week on Monday and I got into a car accident. I’m okay, as far as I know everyone else was okay but of course this has made my anxiety spike big time and the lack of communication in all areas surrounding the accident have only made it so much worse. My mum has been a god send and helped me A LOT.

So I was catching the bus this week and public transport is something that can also trigger my anxiety (particular if people I talk to me or touch me). I did really well and didn’t have any bus induced anxiety attacks! I got extra reading in and I’ve decided to start catching the bus now to and from work every day but my shopping day so save money on petrol and parking and also help with lessening the wear and tear on my new car.

My mum got me a knew car since I can’t afford to buy another one and she needs me to have a car to make her life easier. we found basically the exact same car as my old one but it’s a different colour and has way less Kms on the clock! Unfortunately after we bought it today it broke down while I was at Costco getting petrol before work!!!

Ended up needing to get a new battery and just made it to work on time and didn’t cry even though I really wanted to.

So that was the reason why I didn’t post on Tuesday. I feel like that’s a pretty good excuse.

I’m trying to stay positive, especially since I have the Daniel Sloss show to look forward to this month but man it’s really hard when all you wanna do is cry and everything seems to be going wrong and I’m still dealing with the mess of my name change!

Past Month Ahead

Month Ahead // December – I Already Hate It

Month Ahead // Happy Birthday To Me + Hiatus Announcement – January

February Ahead // I’m Finally Going To Read The Raven Cycle Series & It’s Black History Month + A Great Resource for Education!!!!!

I am trying y’all.

What are you doing this month? What are you reading? What are you watching?

│Blog│Goodreads│Instagram│Twitter│Tumblr│

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fictionalattachmentsradioshow · 7 years ago

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2.5 Gays, an Oldie, and a Rose-Colored Boy (my reviews for the week)

Over the last week, I have indulged greatly in the entertainment of today. Usually I try to not to go on Netflix binges and actually go outside or mingle with people, but friends, I have been exhausted; I needed this week to catch up on my reading list, my netflix queue, and to truly listen to the new Paramore album (and oh was it worth it). SO, here are my reviews of some fantastic things out there in the netflix universe, your local library, and spotify.

The 1.0+ Gay: “Pariah” directed by Dee Rees

This 2011 film focuses on a lesbian teen in the Bronx who is struggling with the balance of her own identity and needs as well as trying to be as much herself while still lying low at home with her religious mother. Alike (aka Lee, the protagonist) is such a beautifully constructed character. Her complexities are realistic and relatable. Through subtle ways of exposing us to her values, fears, confusion, and her simply honest laughter, the audience can so easily believe in this character and her journey. Often in LGBTQ+ films, characters aren’t given enough dimension and identity outside of their queer identity (that’s often based on stereotypes in those films). “Pariah” is not like this. It is well written and respectful. Alike and other queer characters in their future are focused on their future and accomplishing it as we speak. Another very refreshing aspect of “Pariah” is the lack of oh-so-typical erotic depictions of young lesbians. If you like this film, check out “Moonlight” directed by Barry Jenkins.

The Other 1.0+ Gay: “Margarita, With a Straw” directed by Shonali Bose and Nilesh Maniyar

This 2014 film focuses on a woman with cerebral palsy in India helping a local band write lyrics while also being a student. She soon moves to NYU in the film to further pursue her education and meets a blind woman she soon starts a relationship with. This amazing film released a lot of butterflies in my stomach while also making quite a few tear drops. Laila, the main character, is in the process of figuring out her bisexuality while also coming to accept herself despite what is holding her back from being “normal.” The ending is absolutely phenomenal and this film also focuses on family relationships. The storyline ends up being very realistic by adding different components of daily life and dynamics to this part of Laila’s life. Overall, I can say this film is very well developed. (Also this movie is not erotic either and although there were moments of romantic/sexual experimentation in the film, they were completely necessary.)

The 0.5+ Gay: The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

Here is my goodreads review! I read this book within about 48 hours and truly enjoyed it! https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2000810647?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

The Oldie: Riverdale, the tv series

You will see a ton of gifs from here on out because these last two features are my absolute favorite. And I am 110% Jughead in every way...

OKAY, SO NOW THAT WE HAVE COVERED THAT..

Riverdale, oh, Riverdale. You were such a cute and somewhat innocent school in the Archie comics. But what happened??? COLE SPROUSE HAPPENED i mean look at that little smirk and his newly dyed black hair and I love beanies. I might have to make my own. Does anyone have the sewing pattern? In this 2017 adaptation, Riverdale has just lost one of their golden boys, Jason Blossom. MUrDeReD! But who did it? This entire first season we get familiar with America’s favorite teenagers (at least they were in the 1940′s..) to figure out whodunit and of course, who is dating who. So, grab your cardigan because Janie’s Jughead’s dad’s got a gun and Betty is actually over Archie!

This new run has characters subtly conquering slut shaming, women’s reproductive rights, race relations [such as white privilege among Archie and the Pussycats as well as criminalizing the Serpents (a metaphor for racial/class divisions) based upon stereotypes, assumptions, and inaccurate history], homosexual tabooism, and mental illness. Although, Jughead was recently noted as asexual in the comics a few years ago, the writer of the show decided to pair up Betty with Jughead. This was incredibly disappointing, but Cole Sprouse did apparently fight for the asexual representation. So, thanks Cole! However, if it makes you feel better as an audience, in the comics, Jughead did say in one issue how if he was to date any girl, it would be Betty.

But quite frankly, I ship the hell out of Betty and Veronica. This show is run on Girl Power and Archie is a pawn in this show as well as the other guys, unlike the comics. They have so much confidence, ambition, and geez do I feel the queer vibes between them. So, next time you rewatch Riverdale, be on the lookout for these totally not platonic vibes (especially from Veronica, her body language is basically screaming I’M GAY, but then again, I may be shipping this way too badly at this point). I mean, they have never not said they are into each other, so there is still hope, right?

The Rose-Colored Boy: Paramore’s “After Laughter”

This fifth studio album of Paramore has been out for a couple of weeks now and all I can say is wow. It is so ridiculously good. It is emotionally raw and honest. I don’t know if I feel this way because I grew up listening to Paramore through my my oldest sister, but when I listened to this album for the first time, it felt like home. I don’t really have those same feelings about the other albums per say (even though they are super amazing as well), but this one just seemed to really hit familiarity. It doesn’t feel like Hayley Williams is trying to be anyone else anymore. Her iconic orange hair is now a platinum blonde/white. She is stripped down and you can really see that with songs like “Fake Happy” and “26″. Check out this wicked album for sure. It definitely has what your heart is searching for. And if anyone was curious, my favorite tracks on this album are “No Friend” “Idle Worship” “Caught in the Middle” and “Fake Happy.” The singles released are also pretty cool if you do not want to look up the full album. Oh, I almost forgot; ZAC IS BACK!

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lolcat76 · 8 years ago

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Love your stories. Wondering you're still accepting fic prompts? Laura and Bill are both reluctantly attending a singles retreat at the prodding of their families. One of them is injured on one of the outings, and are forced to interact, and well, you know...

I am always accepting prompts. I may not always answer if I can’t figure out how to write it, but I’m always accepting. And I hope you guys don’t mind if I don’t answer in a timely fashion.

“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” - Tolstoy

Bill loved his sons, but sometimes he hated them. Lee, happy with Dee. Zak, happy with Kara. Even Carolanne was happy with…whatever his name was. The three of them were convinced that Bill had a huge gaping hole in his heart, so for his 55th birthday, they sent him on a singles cruise.

He should have cashed in his ticket and stayed in Seattle, done the tourist thing. Seattle was a nice enough town, and God knew he was a fan of port cities. Still, he boarded the boat and threw his duffel bag on the bed that he was sure his sons paid far too much for, but was still bigger and probably more comfortable than his rack on his last tour. He was always more comfortable at sea than on dry land, and the trip was paid for, and honestly…what did he have to lose?

As they cast off, confetti and streamers circling around him, he tried to be grateful for the gift his sons had given him, not bitter for many times he’d set sail to the Middle East without ribbons and fanfare. He was retired, done with the Navy. Being shipboard was a pleasure, not a duty. Still, his skin itched with the memory of polyester uniforms, and he fought against his instinct to wave to the wife and sons that were nowhere near the ship nosing its way through Puget Sound.

He kicked at the paper ribbons and made his way down the balcony and through the corridors that led to the door to his stateroom. Seven days in Alaska, and then he could retreat to his studio apartment in Walnut Creek. Seven days, and he could resume reading books, building model ships, and waiting for Lee’s firstborn to arrive.

In the meantime, the ship had a bar and a casino. It wasn’t a total loss.

The first day on the cruise was ‘at sea.’ A very generous description for boredom, coupled with no Wifi. Fortunately, Bill had no problem entertaining himself during lonely hours aboard a boat cutting through the Pacific Ocean. He had a shipboard credit for drinks, he had a stack of cash Zak pressed into his hand for the onboard casino, and he had his favorite book. He made conversation at dinner, watched a show that just depressed him, and hit the rack before 11pm. What a great vacation.

The second day, he woke up early and headed out to the aft deck after he downed a cup of coffee. Bill settled in a lounge chair and flipped through the pages of Searider Falcon to find where he’d left off the day before.

He was just starting the seventh chapter when he realized that he was no longer alone. Nobody came on a cruise to Alaska to sunbathe, even a singles cruise, and yet…the woman beside him was baring more than a little skin in the morning sun.

Bill was retired, not dead. He took one look and realized that Searider Falcon, as much as he loved it, was going to have to wait. Moore’s prose was nothing compared to the legs he could see out of the corner of his eye.

She wasn’t quite his age, but not far behind. Her skin was fair - maybe Irish, maybe European, maybe she just bought good sunscreen at the local drugstore. She wore a large-brimmed hat and dark sunglasses to keep the late summer sun out of her eyes. Funny that he couldn’t see her face, but he could see every freckle on her chest.

Bill was suddenly very grateful that he’d gone on this cruise.

Still, even though it was a singles cruise, he wasn’t the type of man to strike up a conversation with a stranger (much to Saul’s dismay over the years).

He eyed the paperback she was reading. Blood Runs at Midnight. Sounded like crap pulp fiction, but at least she was reading. The last woman he’d gone on a date with could barely read the cover of a magazine before she got distracted.

He contemplated asking her about the book, but before he could open his mouth, the ship’s horn echoed two short blasts.

Shore leave. (Can’t shake old habits.)

They had an excursion for the Mendenhall Glacier, something he’d been looking forward to a good half-hour earlier. Now, he was once again regretting being forced to abide by someone else’s schedule.

She closed her book and sighed before pushing herself off the lounge chair with a hum and a shake of her hair. He’d missed it earlier, tucked under her hat, but it fell over her shoulders as she tucked her book in her bag, catching the late summer sun. Dark brown, but he didn’t miss the light reflecting glints of gold and red before she gathered her things and disappeared through the door.

Suddenly he owed his kids a thanks for sending him on this cruise.

***

Wading his way through the hundreds of people who were most likely forced onto this cruise by equally ungrateful children, he tried to find a little bit of space to enjoy the grandeur of the landscape before him. Thirty years in the Navy, and he was pleasantly surprised that the world still had a surprise or two for him.

The ten years before his retirement had been spent in the seas and deserts of the Persian Gulf. Compared to sand and sun, a giant glacier was a welcome change of pace. The Mendenhall Glacier was impressive yes, but he had to admit it wasn’t even close to the best thing he’d seen on the trip, and it was only the second day.

He chose his steps carefully along the beach, keeping the glacier in his peripheral vision. No doubt Zak and Lee would ask about what he’d seen and done, and somehow, he thought a ten-minute diatribe about some woman’s legs wasn’t exactly what they wanted to hear, especially since he didn’t even know her name. Then again, it was a singles cruise. Maybe what they really wanted to hear about was someone’s legs.

Maybe he was far too close to his sons.

The glacier was icy cold, white, blue and translucent. Begged to be admired from afar and touched up close but threatened to freeze anyone who reached out. Same as the woman he’d seen that morning. The same futile unapproachability. He surveyed the cold blue veins running through the glacier. Cold, and beautiful, and completely unattainable.

Chapter seven, safe and predictable, was waiting for him in his cabin. He headed away from the glacier and back to the parking lot.

He was maybe about a hundred feet from the ship’s tour bus when someone in front of him hit a patch of ice and came down hard, letting out a small squeak of feminine surprise her when tailbone met earth. Bill took a few long steps and grabbed the poor victim of the slick sidewalk under her arms, setting her more or less back on her feet.

He didn’t recognize her at first, not until he got a good look over her shoulder at the expanse of white, freckled skin exposed by the v-neck of her black sweater. Suddenly, the desert heat was nothing compared to the flush in his skin.

“You ok?” he asked, a little more gruffly than he’d intended. His fair maiden in distress pushed away from him, brushing slush and grit from the seat of her jeans.

“Fine,” she said, her tone more than a little embarrassed. She straightened under his gaze and looked up to meet his eyes.

No sunglasses this time. Just bright green emerald eyes, clearer and deeper than the Adriatic.

And he thought her legs were impressive.

“Thank you,” she said. “I’m not used to winter.”

“It’s August,” he replied. “Not exactly winter.”

It’s August? Jesus, no wonder he was single. He used to be charming, back in the days before marriage and kids and rations. Must have left that back in basic training.

“August in California looks a little different,” she said with a shrug. She thanked him again and turned back to the bus, but only managed one step before she faltered. He caught her elbow before her legs could give out beneath her.

“You’re not ok.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but before she could get a word out, he wrapped his arm against her waist. “Lean on me. I’ll get you back to the bus.”

They took halting steps, him slowing his pace to keep time with her, her leaning more and more of her weight against him. It’d be faster to just pick her up and carry her, but he’d had a good day so far, and he didn’t want to ruin it by getting slapped for being forward. Her ankle might be busted, but he had no doubt that her hands worked just fine.

I’ll bet they do. He might have left his charm back in basic, but his libido was still very much present and accounted for.

When they got back to the bus, he tucked her into a seat and settled beside her. “When we get back to the ship, I’ll take you to the infirmary to get that checked out.”

She rolled her eyes and huffed a little bit. “Figures. First vacation I take in ten years, and I manage to make an ass out of myself.”

“Maybe you should have taken a cruise to Mexico. Far less dangerous.”

She shrugged. “What’s the point of taking a vacation, if it doesn’t get you out of your head and into dangerous territory?”

A very good question. At the moment, he had absolutely no desire to be in his head, not when she was sitting so close to him that he could catch the faintest whiff of perfume, or shampoo or fabric softener. Something delicate and floral, taking his libido down paths that were far more dangerous territory indeed than an icy walkway to a tour bus parking lot. Get a grip, Bill.

“Bill Adama,” he said, extending his hand to her.

She took his hand and gave it a firm shake, far more steady and confident than he would have expected from such a soft-spoken woman. “Laura Roslin.”

Something about her name rang a bell in the far corners of his mind, but he ignored it in favor of savoring her soft skin against his callused palm. “Thank you for coming to my rescue,” she said. She gave his hand a slight squeeze, then dropped it, crossing her arms and tucking her delicate fingers away from his reach.

When she broke contact, his blood flow managed to redirect itself from his palm back to other, more necessary parts of his body. Laura Roslin? The secretary of education? He may be retired, but he still read the newspapers. Laura Roslin had just headed off a massive teachers’ strike, and not a moment too soon, if Lee was to be believed.

Lee was an idealist, and most of what he said to his father went in one ear and out the other. Still, he remembered Lee waxing poetical about Secretary Roslin’s ability to negotiate with the teacher’s union, despite the decidedly unpopular position they’d taken about teaching to growth rather than proficiency. Even Bill had to give her credit for not knuckling under to setting creationism as scientific policy, and that was well before he’d seen her legs.

He may not believe in God, but her legs…they did make for a convincing argument for the presence of a very benevolent Almighty.

Shut up, Bill, you asshole.

As the bus filled, he asked her about the strike, and about her policies on public schools. She might have been a little reticent to discuss her aching ankle, but she came alive when talking about her job. She was halfway through a diatribe about affordable college education when the bus pulled up in the harbor, and he was loath to interrupt her to get her back on the ship and into the infirmary. This time, though, she was a little more willing to lean against him as he guided her up the gangplank and through the ship’s mazes of corridors to the infirmary.

The narrow cots were full of the upper crust looking a little green around the gills, and a white-haired ship’s doctor bounced back and forth like a ping pong ball, giving out Dramamine and gruff advice to puke in a bucket, not on themselves. Bill liked him immediately.

By the time the doctor got to Laura, Bill had eased her boot off her ankle and had her foot, swelling and turning an alarming shade of purple, resting in his lap. The doctor poked and prodded at her leg, asked her a few questions, and told her that she’d be fine if she just stayed shipboard and off of it for a few days. “Sorry,” he said. “But if you didn’t want your ass stuck on a ship, you shouldn’t have gone on a cruise.” He turned to Bill. “Keep your lady friend off her feet.” He raised a thick, white eyebrow. “Which is the point of a vacation like this, right?”

Between the two of them, they let loose an impressive, yet disjointed array of words, none of which was quite enough to make the point that they were together in the infirmary, but they weren’t together. The doctor didn’t seem to care, pushing them out the door while he waved an assistant toward a bedpan and a senior citizen who was starting to heave. “Go. Off your feet. Stay out of here for the next five days.”

Bill led Laura back through the ship. Her weight against him was starting to feel…right. Natural. He held her forgotten boot in one hand and her waist in the other, content to follow her halting directions back to her stateroom. One elevator and three turns, and he realized that the door he was standing in front of while she fished a key out of the pocket of her jeans was three doors down from his own.

He eased her down on the bed and dropped her shoe. Suddenly, he was at a loss as to what to do with his hands. With himself. With her. “Can I get you some ice?”

She nodded. “Yes. From the minibar. In a glass, with some Scotch.”

A woman who read and drank Scotch. He needed to call his sons tonight and thank them. He poured her a small measure of Scotch on the rocks and handed it to her, and at her raised eyebrow, he chuckled and poured himself a drink as well.

“So, Bill Adama. Rescuer of women.”

“So, Laura Roslin. Reader of books.”

She gave him a blank look, and he cursed himself for his involuntary slip. Of course she didn’t notice him that morning. He nodded at the battered paperback on the nightstand. “Blood Runs at Midnight? Sounds awful.”

She let loose a full-bodied laugh that shook both her shoulders and her red-gold hair. “I know, doesn’t it? But it’s a pretty good mystery. If you need something to read, I’m happy to lend it to you.”

Bill grimaced. “Never lend books. You won’t get them back, and you’ll just be pissed. How about we trade?”

She leaned forward, meeting his eyes over the rim of her Scotch. “And what do you have to offer, Mr. Adama?”

The Almighty he didn’t believe in was testing him, and he was failing miserably. He drained his Scotch, then palmed her room key. “I’ll show you,” he said. He was out the door and halfway down the hall before she could even utter the slightest argument.

Two minutes later, he was back in her room with Searider Falcon in his hand. “A fan of the classics, Madam Secretary?” he asked, holding the book out to her.

She accepted the hardback, stroking the cover almost reverently. “I haven’t read this one since college.” She flipped through the pages, settled against the headboard of her bunk, then started reading aloud.

Chapter seven, just where he’d left off. “‘The raft wasn’t as seaworthy as I’d hoped.’ This boat better be, or I want a refund.” She stopped reading long enough to pat the polyester quilt next to her. He sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, wanting to be close to her, but not wanting to be that guy. The creepy guy on the singles cruise who hit on an injured woman who’d just had a decent amount of Scotch.

“Bill,” she said, “come here.” She snapped her fingers and pointed to the empty space on the bed.

With that stern voice, no wonder she was so effective as the secretary of education. She must have been hell in the classroom. Not wanting to further incur her wrath, and very much wanting to get another hint of her warmth, he eased himself onto the bunk, shifting until she was once again leaning against him. She hummed softly, then continued reading. “I wasn’t afraid to die. I was afraid of the emptiness I felt inside.”

With one hand, she held the book; with the other, she wrapped her fingers around his. She read the seventh chapter, then the eighth.

Over her soft voice, Bill could hear the dim echo of shipboard announcements and voices passing outside her door. Dinner was being served, shows were going on, the casino was probably packed, but he couldn’t think of anywhere else he’d rather be.

Best vacation he’d ever had.

#lolcatfic #spaceparents fic #spaceparents prompt #fic prompt #laura roslin #bill adama #Anonymous

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rodate480 · 3 years ago

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Dating Scene Blackhawk California

The 1990s was a great decade for country music. As the ’80s came to a close there were a few country singers that were rising stars. Alan Jackson, Clint Black, Lorrie Morgan, Garth Brooks and others were becoming superstars. As the ’90s began, these and other artists – along with the validation from SoundScan – made country music the biggest music genre in the US.

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Along with the great country artists of the ’90s, the songs they sang made the decade memorable in the eyes of the fans. The lyrics were fun, sad, familiar, but now cliche, and understandable. The production of the songs was perfect. The instrumental hooks were filled with screaming fiddles, waning steel guitars, and even simple acoustic sounds.

It’s been over ten years now since one of the greatest decades in country music came to a close.

Let’s take a look at the songs that affected so many…

100) Queen of Memphis – Confederate Railroad

Confederate Railroad had a few big hits in the early ’90s. Arguably their best song was Queen of Memphis. The song is catchy and fun. The guys in the band put a great melody hook with a story of falling in love. The recipe was a success and the song climbed all the way to #2 on the charts – the biggest hit for the band. The guys are still going strong today and fans love hearing Queen of Memphis during every show.

99) Doctor Time – Rick Trevino

Rick Trevino brought a unique flavor to country music in the ’90s. His brand of country music was tinged with Tex-Mex influence. The songs he released were catchy and it led to a successful career for the young performer. One of his most successful songs was Doctor Time. The song climbed into the top five and helped his English debut album go gold. The hook is memorable and the song is still heard on country radio today.

98) Whatever Comes First – Sons of the Desert

The Sons of the Desert had an interesting run in country music. They’re first break came in ’96 when they sang the background vocals on Ty Herndon’s hit album Livin’ In a Moment. In ’97 the guys had their first and only country top ten hit with Whatever Comes First. The band later had success by singing background vocals on Herndon’s #1 hit It Must Be Love. The guys also received praise and recognition for singing background vocals on Lee Ann Womack’s signature song I Hope You Dance. The guys have since gone their separate ways, but their biggest hit remains a greatest song of the ’90s.

97) They’re Playin’ Our Song – Neal McCoy

Neal McCoy was always a dark horse in country music. It took him quite awhile to finally get a big hit on country radio. Once he broke out there was no stopping him. He racked up a bunch of top ten hits in the ’90s. A fan favorite was They’re Playin’ Our Song. The song was a big hit and one of McCoy’s most memorable. McCoy earned Entertainer of the Year recognition in ’98. He’s still entertaining fans all over the country and is a huge draw. He continues recording for various labels as well. And fans are still requesting his songs to be played on the radio today.

96) If The World Had a Front Porch – Tracy Lawrence

Tracy Lawrence was a major success in the ’90s. He consistently put songs and albums at the top of the charts. Of all the so called ‘Hat Acts’ to come out in the early ’90s, Tracy Lawrence was one to find tons of success. If The World Had a Front Porch was one of Lawrence’s best hits. The song is a great look at how down home roots play a major role in American culture. Millions connected with the message and melody in the song. If you listen to country radio today you’ll probably hear If The World Had a Front Porch every once in a while.

95) Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under – Shania Twain

The queen of country music in the ’90s was Shania Twain. Her two albums sold over 30 million albums in the US alone. A huge hit from her breakout album The Woman In Me was Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under. Shania knew how to sing a story that spoke to women and she knew how to craft a catchy hook. Even men would sing along to this song in their trucks – admit it, you did. It’s a classic song that is a huge part of the success Shania Twain has had in her career.

94) Little Good-Byes – SHeDaisy

In the late ’90s, country fans were lucky enough to hear the sister trio of SHeDaisy on the radio. The trio’s first big hit was Little Good-Byes. The girls sang the hell out of the song and women around the country took notice. The band became huge stars in the country music world. More hits followed and the girls have been releasing big hits ever since. Fans will always remember the song that made SHeDaisy stars. The song is still a favorite on radio today.

93) How Forever Feels – Kenny Chesney

By the late ’90s, Kenny Chesney was still working on a few big hits, but he hadn’t reached the superstar status he would go onto enjoy in the ’00s. In 1999, Chesney released How Forever Feels. Country fans got a little taste of what later came with Kenny’s love for the islands. The song had a slight Buffett feel and the video saw Kenny hanging out on the beach and in the ocean. How Forever Feels was Chesney’s biggest hit at the time. He’s since gone on to have much larger success, but fans first got a taste in ’99 with How Forever Feels.

92) Rockin’ Years – Dolly Parton and Ricky Van Shelton

By 1991, Ricky Van Shelton was a superstar in country music. He was on a roll of #1 hits and his albums were selling in the millions. In a few short years in the late ’80s, Shelton had taken the country music audience by storm. He was a distinctive sounding artist and fans were loving every song he released. In 1991, after a duet didn’t work out with George Jones, Dolly Parton got together with Shelton and they released Rockin’ Years. The song is a sweet love story told in a very clever way. The song is a country music classic. It came out in ’91, but the song could have been released in any decade. It’s a timeless country classic.

91) From Here To Eternity – Michael Peterson

It’s said that if you can get a song to become a classic event song you’ll have a hit for life. Whether it’s a classic sporting event song, a birthday song, an anniversary song or a wedding song, the saying seems to be true. In 1997, Michael Peterson released a classic wedding song with his #1 hit From Here To Eternity. The song was a huge hit for Peterson and became a regular at weddings in the late ’90s. The song is still a classic today. Peterson is still playing and releasing new music. He’s also writing for other artists. It seems that Peterson’s legacy will live with his timeless song. And that’s not so bad.

90) It Would Be You – Gary Allan

Gary Allan’s career really didn’t get going until the ’00s, but he still had a couple hits in the ’90s. Allan has a distinctive voice and he drew enough attention to have a top ten hit and one of the greatest songs of the ’90s with It Would Be You. Allan put his raspy and passionate vocal to the track that compares the love of his life and the heartbreak she caused with other recognizable things. The song was a hit with fans. Allan recently said that in his shows he’ll include the song when he’s touring with an artist that has an older fan base. Fans usually remember the hit and Allan seems to enjoy playing it for them.

89) Don’t Laugh At Me – Mark Wills

Mark Wills was just a kid when he started releasing hits in the mid-’90s. He covered some difficult material and brought it to the country masses with Don’t Laugh At Me. The song was about tolerance and acceptance. The song asks others to have a little respect and even a little care when it comes to the situations of others. The song was a major hit and had a few people thinking about the way they lived their life. It was a major breakthrough for Wills who at the age of 24 was still climbing his way to star status in the country world. He continues recording and touring today.

88) There’s Your Trouble – Dixie Chicks

It took nearly ten years, but in 1998 the Dixie Chicks changed things in country music. The group’s first #1 hit was There’s Your Trouble. The song kicked off a string of big hits for the Chicks. They went on to sell millions of records while touring the world and winning tons of awards. The song was unique when fans first heard it on the radio. The talented trio may have run into a bit of unwarranted controversy later in their career, but it’s hard to argue the quality of the songs they put out during their run at the top.

87) Bye, Bye – Jo Dee Messina

Jo Dee Messina’s career got off to a hot start in ’96 with her smash hit Heads Carolina, Tails California. You couldn’t go 45 minutes on country radio without hearing the song. A few less successful singles followed and many were thinking Messina would be a one hit country wonder. However, she covered the Phil Vassar-penned song Bye, Bye and in ’98 she had her breakthrough. The song was a #1 smash success and it paved the way for more huge hits from the feisty redhead.

86) Good As I Was To You – Lorrie Morgan

By the mid-90s, Lorrie Morgan had herself a huge career. She had a couple of #1 hits and plenty of top tens. Her albums were selling in the millions and she was coming off a successful Greatest Hits album. However, there was still room for a great song and in 1997 Morgan released Good As I Was To You. The song was a top five hit for Lorrie and it continued her reign as one of country’s greatest female stars.

85) All The Good Ones Are Gone – Pam Tillis

The daughter of a country legend, Pam Tillis had a huge career during the ’90s. By 1997 she was one of country’s biggest stars and certainly a huge female star. All The Good Ones Are Gone became a sad yet important song for women across the country. The song is sad and lonely, but part of what helps everyone get through each day is knowing there are others feeling the same way out there. The song was a major hit for Tillis and remains one of her biggest to date.

84) Ten Thousand Angels – Mindy McCready

Mindy McCready was young and fearless when she released her breakout album Ten Thousand Angels in 1996. The title song was a top ten smash for the girl with the true country voice. Other big hits followed and her album sold over two million copies. In subsequent years, McCready has struggled with her personal and professional life, but the big hits she had in the ’90s still stand as some of the best of the ’90s.

83) Dumas Walker – The Kentucky Headhunters

The Kentucky Headhunters were a true bar band that reached the heights of country music success. In 1990, the guys had their breakout hit with the appropriate ode to their favorite bar Dumas Walker. The song reached #15 on the charts, but its impact was felt throughout the ’90s. Each member of the band is credited with writing the song. Together they put together a simple yet favorite story with a great hook and sing along melody. It’s a true classic in country music.

82) The Fool – Lee Ann Womack

Lee Ann Womack is known as one of the traditional singers in country music. Her voice bleeds country down to her soul. The song she records speaks to the true fans of country music. Womack’s breakout hit was The Fool in 1997. The song climbed all the way to #2 that year and is still a favorite among the women in country music audiences. The song is a sad tale about how women find themselves in losing relationships. It’s a sad, but powerful song as it lets others know they’re not alone in their relationship struggles.

81) How Your Love Makes Me Feel – Diamond Rio

Diamond Rio had a huge career in the ’90s. The band reached the top of the charts with their debut single in 1991, but it wasn’t until six years and many other hits later that they reached the top again with How Your Love Makes Me Feel. It’s a crazy song about cows standing in the road and buying ice cream. The song is a classic. It’s fun to sing along with and everybody feels like dancing when it comes on the radio. A great hit from one the greatest decade in country music.

80) It’s Your Love – Tim McGraw and Faith Hill

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill were the biggest story in country music in the mid-’90s. The two toured together, fell in love, got married and had a family. It’s a fairy tale love story. At the beginning of the romance was the song It’s Your Love. Fans fell in love with the couple as they sang about how much they loved each other. The song was a major hit and raised the status of McGraw and Hill – already big stars. The two have continued recording the occasional duet, but none has quite reached the level of success of It’s Your Love. As a duo, it may be there signature song and it certainly was a big part of the ’90s in country music.

79) We Danced Anyway – Deana Carter

After the major success of her debut single Strawberry Wine, girl next door Deana Carter followed up with another smash hit We Danced Anyway. The song was about throwing caution to the wind when it comes to love. Fans loved the song and continued buying Carter’s debut album by the millions. Carter would continue her string of success with more hits from the album, but We Danced Anyway is still one that is played the most on country radio.

78) Nobody Knows – Kevin Sharp

Kevin Sharp took a popular R&B song and put a little country in it with Nobody Knows. The song was a big hit for Tony Rich and later became a big hit for Kevin Sharp. The song made Sharp a success. It kicked off a gold album for Sharp. He was able to follow it up with a few more hit singles. Nobody Knows is another great example of how good songs can be played to any music audience. As Willie Nelson says, “There are two kinds of music – good and bad.” Nobody Knows falls into the ‘good’ category.

77) Buy Me A Rose – Kenny Rogers

Kenny Rogers’ career has been up and down for over 40 years now. During his biggest run in the late ’70s and early ’80s Kenny was selling more records than anyone in music. His Greatest Hits album sold in excess of 12 million copies in the US alone. However, by the end of the ’90s there was little attention paid to Kenny. In October of 1999, however, Rogers self-released the song Buy Me A Rose. The song reached number one the following spring (we included it it here due to the release date and because it was climbing the charts in ’99). Kenny was back on top of the charts and making fans love the music he was making.

76) Too Much Fun – Darlye Singletary

There were a lot of fun songs in the ’90s and Daryle Singletary’s 1995 hit Too Much Fun was aptly named. The song was a top five hit that year and established Singletary as a rising star. Singletary had the voice of a country traditionalist. He had a few top five hits over his career and Too Much Fun became his signature song. It’s still played on radio today when fans need a little excuse to go a little overboard every now and then.

75) Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident) – John Michael Montgomery

John Michael Montgomery had fans gasping for air as they tried to keep up with the rip-roaring hit song Sold. In 1995, JMM was on top of the country world. He could have been just another hat act with three names in the mid-’90s, but he churned out hits at a rapid pace and sold millions of records. Sold is still a fan favorite today. JMM is still able to keep fans on their toes with the ultra-fast chorus as he sings about picking up a woman at the local county auction.

74) You’re Easy on the Eyes – Terri Clark

Canadian country singer Terri Clark had herself a ton of success in the ’90s. She racked up multiple number one hits, a few awards, and millions of albums sold. In 1998 she had one of her biggest hits with You’re Easy On The Eyes. The song shot all the way up to #1 on the charts. Terri’s success continued in the US for a few more years. Today she’s still recording and touring and finding big success in her home country.

73) What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am – Lee Roy Parnell

Lee Roy Parnell was trying to have success in the early ’90s with a few unsuccessful singles. Parnell found his success in 1992 with the hit single What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am. The song climbed all the way to #2 on the charts. Parnell followed the success with more hit singles over the next few years. His style was unique at the time. He played slide guitar better than anyone and had a voice that was distinctive on radio. His best songs are still heard on radio today. Perhaps the most popular is What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am.

72) One Way Ticket (Because I Can) – LeAnn Rimes

LeAnn Rimes was a major success in the ’90s. Her debut album sold millions of copies on the success of the first single Blue. Her first number one hit came later as her third single One Way Ticket (Because I Can). The song was a huge hit on country radio. Rimes has gone on to have success in both pop and country music. Still young and in her twenties, Rimes seems to be driven to continue having success in country music.

71) Guys Do It All The Time – Mindy McCready

Mindy McCready had her first and only #1 hit with Guys Do It All The Time. Her second single off her multi-platinum album Ten Thousand Angels became her signature song. Guys Do It All The Time became an anthem for women in the mid-90s. The song is about ladies going out and having a good time using the excuse that…

70) Wild Angels – Martina McBride

Martina was coming into her own as a rising country star in the mid-90s. In 1995-96 she had her first number one hit with Wild Angels. The song featured Martina’s soaring vocals. Women and girls were singing along at the top of their lungs. It’s one of Martina’s best songs in a collection that features many fan favorites. The song is still popular on country radio and during Martina’s concerts today.

69) Running Out of Reasons to Run – Rick Trevino

Rick Trevino is back on the countdown with his biggest hit Running Out of Reasons To Run. The song climbed all the way to #1 and remains Trevino’s only top country hit to date. The single came off Rick’s hit album Learning As You Go. The song was a big hit and you can still hear it on radio today. It’s a classic sing along song that is a favorite of many country music fans.

68) That Ain’t My Truck – Rhett Akins

As far as success on the charts, That Ain’t My Truck wasn’t Rhett Akins biggest hit, but in terms of lasting effect, it certainly is Rhett’s signature song. The song tells the tale of a guy that drives past his girlfriend’s house only to notice that another guy’s truck is parked in the driveway. He realizes that the girl he loves is probably not interested as much in their future as he is. It’s a sad song, but one fans could relate to. The song is extremely catchy and sometimes that’s what it takes for a song to have the longevity of That Ain’t My Truck.

67) Goodbye Says It All – Blackhawk

People often to think about Blackhawk when they think about the best bands in the history of country music, but perhaps they should. The trio had a huge run of success in the ’90s. They racked up hit after hit. The collection of songs they cut and released weren’t just hits, they became timeless classics that are still favorites of many today. Goodbye Says It All was a huge hit for the guys. It’s still a favorite today. Guitarist Van Stephenson died in 2001 of complications with skin cancer. The other two guys still tour and record today. Their impact is still felt with hits like Goodbye Says It All.

66) Livin’ On Love – Alan Jackson

Besides Garth Brooks, it’s hard to find any country artist that had more success in the ’90s than Alan Jackson. It seemed like Jackson was consistently in the top five on the country charts for about 8-10 years during the great decade. Jackson sang songs about love and life as a guy from a small town in the southern US. Fans loved Jackson’s easy going nature and his smooth delivery. Livin’ On Love was a story about Jackson’s parents. The song was full of great melodies and lyrics most fans could connect with. When people don’t have much their only choice is to live with the love of each other.

65) Cafe On The Corner – Sawyer Brown

Sawyer Brown found a lot of success during the ’80s after their win on the popular talent show Star Search. The guys entered the second phase of their career in the ’90s with more big hits. In 1992, they released Cafe On The Corner. The song is about the struggling nature some folks run into with work during their later careers. The song is timely given today’s happenings in the economy. it’s a fan favorite hit. The guys are still a major tour draw each season and lead singer Mark Miller races from end to end of the stage singing their many hits.

64) Pickup Man – Joe Diffie

Joe Diffie was a major success in the early and mid-90s. He is now known most for his tongue-in-cheek songs. He racked up major hits and could easily have more than one signature song, but his 1994 #1 smash hit Pickup Man is perhaps his most well-known song. The double meaning song became an anthem for all the guys in the crowd that love their trucks. It’s a fun song and still gets requested on a consistent basis today. Diffie is still recording and touring today. He hasn’t had a hit in America for a few years, but never count this talented Oklahoman out.

63) Callin’ On Baton Rouge – Garth Brooks

It’s fairly obvious that the biggest success in country music in the ’90s was Garth Brooks. He has sold more records than any artist in any genre except for The Beatles, Michael Jackson and perhaps Elvis. Garth single-handedly lifted every artist in his wake as he charted albums simultaneously at the top of the Billboard 200. Ask Garth Brooks what the reason for his success was and he’d probably tell you that it was a result of the songs he was fortunate to record. A huge hit for Garth was Callin’ Baton Rouge. the song was written by the great country songwriter Dennis Linde. Callin’ Baton Rouge is one of the most played Garth Brooks songs on the radio still today.

62) State of Mind – Clint Black

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By 1994, Clint Black was a huge star in country music. He had broken out as the initial leader of the Class of ’89. Garth Brooks later overtook everybody from that class, but Black’s success continued. In ’94 he released State of Mind. The song was a #2 hit on the charts and became a signature hit for Black. He said he had written the song quite some time before its release. The song is unique. Black always brought a lot of harmonica to his records and State of Mind features a great intro with Black playing the harmonica. It’s a classic song from one of the best artists in country music.

61) He Thinks He’ll Keep Her – Mary Chapin Carpenter

Mary Chapin Carpenter’s 1992 album Come On Come On was a major success. The album spawned six hit singles and sold over 4 million copies. The 5th single from the album was the #2 hit He Thinks He’ll Keep Her. Mary Chapin Carpenter has always been known for her clever and smart lyrics about the beauty and power of women. This song was no different. The song was crafted with a great melody and is one of Mary’s signature songs. It’s an anthem for great women everywhere.

60) Hard Workin’ Man – Brooks & Dunn

In 1991, Brooks & Dunn emerged on the country music scene and changed the way fans perceived the genre. Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn were struggling solo acts, but together they were a huge success. After their debut album sold over six million copies and made them overnight superstars, the guys released their sophomore set. The lead off and title single was Hard Workin’ Man. The song is an ode to the hard working folks in the US. Nobody could have done this song better than Kix and Ronnie. Kix rocked the track with his energy and Ronnie added his one-of-a-kind vocals. Now on their last rodeo tour, the guys will soon separate. Their legend is forever stamped on country music.

59) She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful – Sammy Kershaw

Starting in 1990 and running for about 8-10 years, Sammy Kershaw had a great run as a country star. His biggest hit and currently only #1 hit was She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful. The song is for all the women out there that don’t know it, as Sammy puts it. Many of the great women out there don’t realize that men simply love the way they look when they don’t realize it. The song has a great melody and is still extremely popular on country radio. Sammy still tours with his band each year and She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful is still one of the most popular in the set.

58) Life’s a Dance – John Michael Montgomery

As 1993 kicked off in the US, a young, energetic guy with the biggest dimples you’ve ever seen emerged on the country music scene with an infectious debut single. Life’s a Dance became the first of many big hits for John Michael Montgomery. The song became a signature hit for JMM and that’s impressive given the number of quality hits he had over his career. Some say the song is an obvious rip off of Garth Brooks’ The Dance, but in reality Life’s a Dance does just fine on its own. The song is incredibly catchy and is requested on radio stations all over the US today. It’s a great example of why country music was great in the ’90s.

57) Small Town Saturday Night – Hal Ketchum

In 1991, the major label debut single from singer Hal Ketchum – Small Town Saturday Night – was released. The song climbed all the way to #2 on the charts and has never left country radio playlists. The song tells the common story of what people do in small towns all across the US. Millions connect with the song and sing along with the catchy chorus when it plays over the speakers. It’s still an anthem for many that look for a little fun on Saturday night.

56) I Saw The Light – Wynonna

In 1992, The Judds took a break from recording and touring. Naomi needed time to rest and recover and pursue other interests. Daughter Wynonna signed a solo deal and began her career on her own. Wynonna the solo artist turned out to be a huge success. Wynonna’s second single as a solo act was I Saw The Light. The song is uptempo and catchy. It was popular in 1992 and remains popular today. Wynonna is still releasing new music and touring. Word is she will reunite with her Mother to record new music and tour in 2010.

55) Independence Day – Martina McBride

It’s unusual for a song that missed the top ten on the charts to become a signature song for a superstar artist. That is the case, however, for Martina McBride. The song Independence Day is about domestic abuse and how it affects an entire family including a daughter. The song is not a comfortable topic, but it connected with many. Martina left her mark on the song with soaring chorus notes and passionate vocals. Independence Day is still a popular song today.

54) Fancy – Reba McEntire

Of all the Reba songs that could make this list, it’s surprising – on the surface – that the #8 hit from 1991 Fancy had the most impact. The story of prostitution with Reba’s rendition became a popular hit throughout the decade and still one of Reba’s best known songs. Reba’s sassy vocal and catchy delivery had girls singing along to the distaste of many parents. The impact was positive, however, and Reba is an inspiration for a generation of female country stars.

53) Love, Me – Collin Raye

Collin Raye had an almost quietly successful career in throughout the ’90s. He churned out multiple big hits that still play well today. Perhaps his best song is his first big hit Love, Me. The song is about true love as told by a grandson. The still has the ability to bring tears to the eyes of fans as they reflect on their own experiences with lifelong loves. Collin Raye had major label success the turn of the ’00s, but he’s still actively recording and touring.

52) John Deere Green – Joe Diffie

Mr. Tongue-In-Cheek Joe Diffie was releasing quality fun songs long before Brad Paisley and Jason Aldean came onto the country music scene. Diffie had a knack for writing and finding songs that were fun and touching at the same time. His 1993 top five smash hit John Deere Green was the best of the bunch. The song tells the tale of a young couple in love. To celebrate their love, Billy Bob writes Billy Bob Loves Charlene in big John Deere Green letters on the local town water tower. It’s a great tune that fans still love singing along with today.

51) Longneck Bottle – Garth Brooks and Steve Wariner

By the end of 1997, Garth Brooks was at odds with his record label. Brooks was upset about the lack of sales (by his standards) of his album Fresh Horses. He wanted to make sure his next album was a major hit. The first single released from the album Sevens was Longneck Bottle. The song, a duet with Steve Wariner, became a major #1 smash hit. More hits followed and Sevens sold extremely well. Longneck Bottle marked a bit of a comeback for Brooks and a big comeback for Wariner.

50) If I Know Me – George Strait

George Strait had so many hits in the ’90s it’s hard to pick for this list. If I Know Me is a song that still sees a lot of play on radio and seems to be a fan favorite. The song was a #1 hit for Strait in 1991. The song tells the story of a guy that recently broke up with a girlfriend. He’s questioning his decision and playing with the idea that maybe he can’t really go through with it. It’s a common personal fight men tend to go through. Perhaps that’s why it was and remains so popular. That and nobody sings a song like King George.

49) Down Home – Alabama

Alabama ruled the 1980s in country music. They were still releasing hits as the ’90s came and Down Home was a major hit for the group. The song is classic Alabama. The story of growing up in rural America. The good times, the bad times, and all the fond memories. As usual, Alabama crafted a catchy song that fans loved to sing along with. It’s what made them so special to country music.

48) Vidalia – Sammy Kershaw

It’s hard to believe that a song about a girl named after an onion could become such a fan favorite hit. The song was Sammy Kershaw’s Vidalia cracked the top ten in ’96 and became a signature song for Kershaw. According to him, it’s still a fan favorite in concert and transcends generations. The song is a sing along favorite for country fans of all ages. It wasn’t Sammy’s biggest hit during his successful run in the ’90s, but it’s a fun song that has become a timeless big hit.

47) Walk On Faith – Mike Reid

In late 1990 and 1991, former Cincinnati Bengals Defensive end Mike Reid took his debut single to #1 on the country charts. Walk On Faith had an infectious guitar riff and optimistic lyrics. Reid had been writing songs for successful artist since his retirement from football in 1974 and he’d had some big success. He continues writing songs for other artists today, but he might still best be known the most for Walk On Faith when it comes to his recognition in the music industry.

46) Seminole Wind – John Anderson

By the time the ’90s came around, John Anderson was experiencing a slump. He had major success in the early eighties, but things changed toward the end of the decade. That all changed in 1992 when John released his double platinum album Seminole Wind. The album produced a string of hits. The title track from the album went all the way to #2 on the charts. The song seemed to be too regional for national success on the surface, but fans all over the country connected with the story about Seminole Indians. Fans loved the melody and still request the song often.

45) You Don’t Even Know Who I Am – Patty Loveless

During the mid ’90s, Patty Loveless was the biggest female in country music. She was winning awards and her songs were having a major impact on the charts. In 1995, she released You Don’t Even Know Who I Am from her Album of the Year When Fallen Angels Fly. The song became a top five hit on radio and connected with country fans. The song is about a dying relationship. It doesn’t put blame on either person involved. According to Patty, the song lets people know they’re not the only ones experiencing the sad and lonely situation of an ending relationship. Patty put vocals on the track like only she can. The song is still a favorite today.

44) Sittin’ On Go – Bryan White

In the mid-90s, Bryan White was just about as hot as an artist could be in country music. He was only in his early twenties at the time, but had the charm and maturity of a guy much older. His voice was unique and his talent was undeniable. In 1997, he released the 4th and final single – Sittin’ On Go – from his platinum album Between Now and Forever. The song went all the way to #1. The song was uptempo and catchy. Fans still sing along each time it comes on the radio. Bryan took a few years off during the ’00s to raise a family. Now that his sons are a little older he is back out recording and touring again.

43) Goin’ Through The Big D – Mark Chesnutt

Mark Chesnutt had a lion’s share of hits in the ’90s. A traditional sounding guy from Texas, Chesnutt drew on the influence of the great George Jones. He took the fun Goin’ Through The Big D all the way to #2 in ’94-’95. The song took an upbeat mood to the common situation of divorce. The song perfectly written as it walked a fine line of cliche and commonalities. The song remains a fresh perspective on the all too common divorce so many experience.

42) Every Once in a While – Blackhawk

Looking back now, Blackhawk was an amazing band. The songs they recorded and released during the ’90s are some of the best country songs every created. Every Once And A While was the 2nd single off the band’s debut album. The song reached #2 on the charts in 1994. The story of two lovers that still think about each other every now and then with the killer melodies the band created, the song is still a favorite of country fans today.

41) Go Rest High On That Mountain – Vince Gill

In 1995, Vince Gill released the tear-jerking song Go Rest High On That Mountain. The song won Song of the Year at the CMA Awards as well as two Grammy awards. The song began as a tribute to Keith Whitley, but Gill finished the song after the passing of his brother. The song has helped many grieve the loss of loved ones over the years and remains one of Gill’s biggest hits despite only reaching #14 on the charts.

40) Old Enough To Know Better – Wade Hayes

The early and mid-’90s saw an influx of popular guy performers. Aft the success of Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, George Strait, and Clint Black, Nashville execs were looking for any guy with a Southern twang a hat. In 1995, Wade Hayes had his turn as a big country act. Old Enough To Know Better was an instant hit with fans. Everybody has a little kid in them. And we all tend to make a mistake or two that make others shake their head and say that we’re…

39) I Don’t Call Him Daddy – Doug Supernaw

As 1994 kicked off in country music, Doug Supernaw was a rising star. He was on the (at the time) independent BNA Records label. His 2nd single Reno had just climbed into the top five on the charts and he was becoming well known across the US. As 1994 began, Doug’s third single I Don’t Call Him Daddy made him a legitimate star. The song was about a divorced family as told by a young boy. The song had been a minor hit for Kenny Rogers years earlier, but the song belongs to Supernaw. In years since his stardom Doug has slipped into a real life Crazy Heart story… With Father’s Day coming next weekend you’ll be sure to hear this song on the radio.

38) Cadillac Style – Sammy Kershaw

Sammy Kershaw debuted in 1991 with his debut hit single Cadillac Style. Kershaw instantly drew comparisons to the great George Jones. The southern voice soaked in years of booze, hard work, and soul made Kershaw a hit with fans. Cadillac Style was catchy and fun to sing along to and fans ate it up. Kershaw built a solid career throughout the ’90s and never felt bad about the comparisons to the great George Jones.

37) When She Cries – Restless Heart

In 1992, ’80s country supergroup Restless Heart had an unlikely hit with When She Cries. The song became a hit on the country and pop charts and remains a classic on both charts to this day. The song marked the first time the band was without its lead singer. It’s usually difficult for bands to overcome the loss of a distinguishing part success, but Restless Heart had what is their biggest hit. The melodies were still there and the song still sounds great today.

36) My Love – Little Texas

Little Texas had become one of the biggest acts in country music by the time they released the third single from their double platinum album Big Time. The song was My Love and it would go on to become to the band’s biggest, first and only number one hit on the charts. Little Texas was known as the rock band of country music. The had rocking songs that fans loved, but like many hair metal bands of the late ’80s, Little Texas is most known for their big hit power ballad.

35) Why Didn’t I Think Of That – Doug Stone

It was the fourth and final single from his 1992 smash hit album From the Heart, but for Doug Stone Why Didn’t I Think of That has become his signature song. The tune is about a guy that loses the love of his life. He’s left contemplating the reasons he lost her. He sees all the things that her new love does and he wonders why he couldn’t do those simple things to make her stay. The song remains a favorite on country radio due to its catchy melodies and recognizable story. For Stone, the song remains a favorite at shows. Even though his career as slowed down and he’s had some legal issues, Stone continues recording and touring for the love of the music.

34) Choices – George Jones

In 1999, the greatest country music singer released a new album and a new single. Choices was the song and it became a top 30 hit for Jones. It wasn’t his biggest hit on the charts, but that didn’t take away from the impact the song had on audiences. Men everywhere connected with the song about life’s choices and how our decisions impact who we are and what we’ve done. The song is also remembered for the surprise Alan Jackson performance at the CMA Awards. Jones was asked to sing a shortened version of the song on the award show. He felt insulted and refused. So Alan Jackson cut off his own performance of Pop A Top and sang Choices in respect for his good friend and inspiration.

33) Time Marches On – Tracy Lawrence

Tracy Lawrence released his double platinum smash hit album Time Marches On in 1996. The title track made it all the way to number one as the second single off the record. The song has a unique beat that tells the story of a family over the course of many years. Fans loved the way Lawrence delivered the story. The song still stands out today as unique. Tracy Lawrence could deliver a song in the vein of traditional country artists from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Time Marches On is one of Tracy’s biggest hits and still a favorite today.

32) What Mattered Most – Ty Herndon

Ty Herndon said he arrived in Nashville to record his first music with producer Doug Johnson. The first song they discussed was What Mattered Most. The two debated about the song thinking it may have too many words to become a hit. Together they finally decided that was the unique feature of the song that would make it stand out to listeners. The two were right and the song quickly climbed to the top of the charts in 1995. Herndon would have a few more hits before falling into some hard times later in his career. He’s back now recording and touring and seems to be very happy with his life.

31) Maybe It Was Memphis – Pam Tillis

If there is a signature song for the great Pam Tillis it has to be the passionate Maybe It Was Memphis. The song became a top five smash hit in 1992 for Tillis. In the ’90s and still today, fans of all ages know just about every word of the song. It’s great to be sitting in a car with someone when the song comes over the radio because both of you will usually belt out the chorus with as much passion as Tillis put on the hit track. Tillis originally cut the song in the ’80s, but nothing transpired until she re-cut the song for her 1991 breakout album Put Yourself In My Place.

30) She’s In Love With The Boy – Trisha Yearwood

Trisha Yearwood was a female country music sensation in the ’90s. She sold millions of albums and had tons of hits. Her voice was powerful and emotional. In 1991, Yearwood released her debut single She’s In Love With The Boy. The song tells the story of a young couple in love. The father of the girl in the song is a little angry with the boy because he’s a little rough around the edges. The girl’s mother then has to remind her husband that he was the same way when they started dating. The song made Yearwood a star. Her talent, dedication, and collection of songs made her a legend.

29) This Kiss – Faith Hill

Faith Hill was already a country superstar by the time her third album Faith was released in 1998. The lead off single from the album was This Kiss. The song turned Faith into a crossover sensation. The song is simple. It’s about young love and the great feeling of falling and being in love. At the time, Faith and husband Tim McGraw were the biggest acts in country music. Faith’s career equaled McGraw’s at the time and This Kiss stands as one of the greatest songs of the ’90s.

28) What’s It To You – Clay Walker

Texas country music sensation Clay Walker has been a star in country music since his 1993 debut album came out. The first single for Walker was the ultra-catchy and fun What’s It To You. The song is still popular with fans on radio. It’s impossible to avoid singing along to the lyrics when you hear this tune even today. These days, Walker is releasing a brand new album and riding high on the top five success of a new single. He’s battled with MS and changing country music tastes over the 17+ years he’s been a star, but somehow he still one of the biggest draws in country.

27) Gone Country – Alan Jackson

In 1994, Alan Jackson released a single that poked fun at the music industry as a whole. Since the emergence of artists like Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, and Jackson himself, there had been a rush for musicians to country music that may have been considered artists from other genres. Country had proven to be the biggest selling music genre and everybody wanted a piece of the pie. Gone Country was a catchy song that played on this phenomenon. Jackson was the perfect choice to sing. It was one of the few big hits he didn’t write or co-write for himself, but Gone Country is an Alan Jackson classic at any rate.

26) Blue Clear Sky – George Strait

George Strait had a ton of hits in the ’90s. It’s hard to pick a few for this list, but Blue Clear Sky has to be included. It’s a classic Strait song about love and the good things in life that surprise us. When the song was pitched to Strait he thought the lyrics should be changed to the more common phrase Clear Blue Sky. The songwriters and Strait’s producer let him know that the song needed to be Blue Clear Sky because that’s what Tom Hanks’ character Forrest Gump had said in the popular movie of the same name. George conceded and the rest is history.

25) Dust On The Bottle – David Lee Murphy

David Lee Murphy could have been just another hat act with three names, but in 1995 he released one of the most popular country songs of all time with Dust On The Bottle. The unique story of a young guy grabbing an old bottle of wine from a friend to take on a date became an instant hit with fans. The song has a rocking beat and a sing along chorus. Generations of fans still crank up the volume when it comes on the radio. Today, David Lee has become a major success as a songwriter for other artists. Most recently he wrote the smash hit Big Green Tractor for Jason Aldean.

24) Meet In The Middle – Diamond Rio

There were a ton of catchy, sing along songs in the ’90s, but Diamond’s Rio’s 1991 debut #1 hit Meet In The Middle may be the most catchy, most sing along, fun song ever. The opening guitar riff is awesome. The lyrics tell the story of two young lovers walking to meet each other halfway between each others house. The song is about the power of compromise in relationships, but the most memorable thing about the song will always be the sing along chorus.

23) Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away – Vince Gill

It took a few years in the ’80s, but Vince Gill became a superstar in the ’90s. He won tons of awards. He put out a string of hit singles and he sold millions of albums. In 1993, the second single off his most successful album I Still Believe In You was released. The catchy Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away became a #1 hit for Gill. It’s one of his most recognized songs today and still gets played often on the radio. Fans love the upbeat vibe of the song and the chorus is easy to sing along to.

22) Wild One – Faith Hill

Faith Hill became an instant success after her debut single Wild One climbed all the way to #1 in 1993. The song is one of Faith’s most well-known hits today. Like most great songs from the ’90s, Wild One is extremely catchy and fun. The song is about a young girl growing up with an adventurous nature. 17 years later, the song is still connecting with young girls that share the same spirit of the girl in the song.

21) I Like It, I Love It – Tim McGraw

Tim McGraw’s career got off to a slow start when his first three singles and debut album failed to make much noise. His career took off like a shot with his second album though. For the lead off single to his third album All I Want, Tim released I Like It, I Love It. The song became a classic Tim McGraw song. It was one of the best and most played songs of the ’90s and remains a McGraw classic. The song even has a dance remix for line dancers.

20) Chattahoochee – Alan Jackson

Alan Jackson was already having tons of success with his first three albums when he released the single Chattahoochee from his third album A Lot About Livin’ (And A Little ‘Bout Love). The song became a smash summer hit as well as becoming a signature song for Jackson. The song tells the story about growing up and hanging out with friends during the summer. The video featured Jackson slalom water skiing in his trademark ripped jeans. The sound and style of Chattahoochee influenced songs that followed in the ’90s.

19) Some Girls Do – Sawyer Brown

In the early 1990s, Sawyer Brown entered a new level of success in country music. Their second single off their hit album The Dirt Road was the SB signature song Some Girls Do. The song was written by lead singer Mark Miller. The tune is about how some girls turn the other when it comes to the hard working, good timing, fun loving, good old boys, but there is no reason to worry because when it comes to loving country boys – some girls do. It’s a classic song and usually the closer for every Sawyer Brown show. The guys are still releasing music and touring. If you haven’t seen them live yet you need to do it asap. They’re great.

18) Don’t Take The Girl – Tim McGraw

If Tim McGraw’s first hit single Indian Outlaw gained him enough notoriety to get noticed, his second hit single and first #1 Don’t Take the Girl made him a legitimate country star. Don’t Take the Girl had fans singing along for most of the ’90s and still today. While the song that made Jimmy Johnson and Tommy Thompson a little more famous in the country world, it really took Tim McGraw’s career to a new level of success and propelled him to the superstar he is today.

17) Any Man of Mine – Shania Twain

In the mid-’90s there was no one better at crafting an infectiously fun melody than Shania Twain. Any Man of Mine came out in ’95 and became Shania’s first American #1 hit. The song even had crossover success, reaching #31 on the pop charts. Everybody and that means everybody was singing the tune. Kids, adults, women, and men were all singing all to perhaps the catchiest song of the ’90s.

16) A Broken Wing – Martina McBride

If you watch American Idol or any singing competition, you’re sure to hear a cover of Martina McBride’s classic hit A Broken Wing. The song is a favorite of females of all ages. The song is about a female character escaping a difficult and abusive relationship. Martina nailed the vocals as she always does and very few compare to the original version despite the number of times it’s been covered.

15) Next To You, Next To Me – Shenandoah

With a distinctive lead vocalist and an upbeat melody, country band Shenandoah had their biggest hit in 1990. Next To You, Next To Me was a fun song to sing along to throughout the decade and remains a favorite today. It’s a simple song, but sometimes those are the most memorable.

14) Five Minutes – Lorrie Morgan

Lorrie Morgan is sassy, sexy, and one of country’s greatest female performers. To kick off the ’90s she released her best song Five Minutes. The song is about a woman, sick of man that isn’t giving enough in a relationship, leaving. She gives the guy five minutes to try and figure out his deal before she hits the road. The song became an anthem for women.

13) Brand New Man – Brooks & Dunn

As solo acts, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn couldn’t get their careers started. In 1991, they teamed up and released their first single Brand New Man. The result was a new breed of country music. The song was rocking, in your face, boot stomping country music that made you take notice. With Ronnie’s soaring vocals and Kix’s contagious enthusiasm, Brooks & Dunn dominated the ’90s and changed things in country music.

12) Heads Carolina, Tails California – Jo Dee Messina

If you listened to country radio in 1996 you couldn’t go 10 minutes without hearing Jo Dee Messina’s debut hit single Head Carolina, Tails California. The song was a #2 smash hit that year and it made Jo Dee a star. The catchy melody spun the tale of two lovers looking for something to do. The answer? Flip a coin. It was a fun song and one of the best songs in a decade that saw many fun songs.

11) The Dance – Garth Brooks

Over the summer of 1990, a slow, simple song from newcomer Garth Brooks was released. The Dance was an unusual choice as a single to kick off the summer. Normally it’s the hard rocking, up tempo songs that are released in an effort to become summer anthems. But The Dance was special. The simple lyric about life and taking chances became a signature song for the mega-star Brooks as fans everywhere connected with the performance. Garth lobbied his label to release the song when they wanted to move on to the next album. Brooks convinced them and he says it’s the song that really jump started his career.

10) You’re Still The One – Shania Twain

Shania Twain’s now 20+ million selling album Come On Over started out selling records relatively slow. That was until the album’s third single was released in 1998. You’re Still The One was a song about her then husband, producer Mutt Lange. The song became an anthem for all those in love. Fans loved the song and loved Shania. The song became a smash hit on the country and pop charts and took Shania to a new level of mega-star success. To date, it’s her biggest hit and still receives big play on multiple radio formats.

9) Check Yes or No – George Strait

In 1995, George Strait was preparing to release a collection of every hit he had up to that point. Strait Out Of The Box was a huge collection of great country songs and is one of George’s best selling albums. To promote the album, Strait needed a new song to hit the charts. The single he choose was the smash hit Check Yes Or No. The song told the cute story of two young lovers falling in love forever with it all beginning with a passing of a note in grade school class. The note was sent from the little girl to the little boy and the question became the timeless chorus of the song. Check Yes Or No is still a favorite of many fans today and George is still racking up #1 hits and he doesn’t appear to be slowing down.

8) Wide Open Spaces – Dixie Chicks

In the second half of 1998, the Dixie Chicks released the title track from their breakout album Wide Open Spaces. The single became an anthem for girls all over the country. The song was about a young girl looking to get away and head out into the wide open spaces life had to offer. The song turned the Chicks into stars and helped the album sell over 12 million copies. The chicks gained some misguided criticism for a comment in 2003, but their legend survives today. They’re ultra-talented musicians and still producing some of the best country music today. Wide Open Spaces is a classic country song and I’m sure a few Dads still use it to remind their girls to check the oil.

7) Strawberry Wine – Deana Carter

It was an unlikely hit, but in the second half of 1996, Deana Carter saw her debut single Strawberry Wine go all the way to #1 on the country charts. The song was a waltz and had a slow, but melodic feel to it. Carter’s vocals fit perfectly as she sang about a young girl’s first experience with love on her grandparent’s farm one summer. Women and girls connected with the familiar story and the song would go on to win Song of the Year at the CMAs.

6) Amazed – Lonestar

After two successful albums, Lonestar parted ways with bass player John Rich (Big & Rich) and set out to release their third album. The result was Lonely Grill and in the summer of 1999 the second single from the album would take the band into surperstardom. Amazed was the song. Fans loved the song. It had a slightly more pop and adult contemporary sound that what Lonestar had previously released. The song spent 8 weeks at #1 on the country charts and reached #1 on the pop charts as well. The song was everywhere that summer and Lonestar would often have to play it twice at their concerts.

5) Should’ve Been a Cowboy – Toby Keith

The most-played song on country radio in the ’90s was Toby Keith’s debut single Shouldn’t Been A Cowboy. The song turned Keith into a new country star. The song was about a guy looking back and wondering what his life would have been like if he had followed the path of his cowboy heroes. At the time of the songs release – 1993 – many adult men from the baby boomer generation had grown up with classic western movies and TV shows. The song was their anthem and still is today as they reflect on their lives. It wasn’t a bad debut single for Keith even though he was told earlier by a Nashville executive that the song was no good.

4) I’m In A Hurry (And Don’t Know Why) – Alabama

In 1992, after being named artist of the decade, Alabama still had plenty of great music left. They released the single I’m In A Hurry (And Don’t Know Why) and the song became one of their biggest hits. The catchy chorus caught on immediately with listeners of all ages. In a decade that saw the expansion of computers and the Internet, it seemed like everybody was in a hurry to get something done. Alabama provided a catchy theme song for all of the busy listeners in country music. It’s a great song. The opening chorus with lead singer Randy Owen belting out the vocals is amazing.

3) Don’t Rock The Jukebox – Alan Jackson

For one of the biggest artists of the ’90s, Alan Jackson released his signature hit in 1991 with Don’t Rock The Jukebox. The story of the Don’t Rock The Jukebox was simple and told best by the man himself in the video – Don’t Rock The Jukebox. Jackson and his band were at a small town lounge. Jackson went over by the jukebox to talk to a band mate. One of the legs was broken and when Jackson leaned up against it his bass player said…

2) My Maria – Brooks & Dunn

Brooks & Dunn were one of the biggest acts in the ’90s. Their fans loved everything they put out, but in 1996 the duo released what has become their most well-known and most requested song. The cover version of the song My Maria became a sensation in the ’90s. The song was everywhere. People were even naming their kids Maria. Ronnie’s soaring vocals during the chorus and the music arrangement clicked with listeners. Fans requested B&D to sing the tune for their going away special in 2010. It’s one of the greatest country songs ever and definitely a top song of the ’90s.

1) Friends In Low Places – Garth Brooks

In 1991, the biggest star in country music history, Garth Brooks, released his biggest hit song. Friends In Low Places set Garth’s career on a whirlwind ride to levels of success unseen in country music. The song is a story about a guy letting an ex-girlfriend know that he doesn’t need her anymore and that he has the best friends a guy can ask for. The song has become a barroom anthem and is likely the most played song at country karaoke bars all over the US. For added effect, Garth added a third verse to the song. He sang it almost exclusively in his live shows and often had the fans sing the entire verse. It was a powerful idea and a reason Garth was the biggest country star of the 1990s.

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Meet Robyn’s Virgin River Cast of Characters VIRGIN RIVER – BOOK 1

Melinda (Mel) Monroe—Nine months after losing her ER doctor husband in a violent, big-city crime, this burned-out RN, certified nurse midwife and nurse practitioner, age 32, comes to Virgin River, answering an ad to assist the local country doctor.

Jack Sheridan—40-year-old retired, decorated Marine who fought in four combat zones and now owns Jack’s Bar, the center of social life in Virgin River. There he meets Mel Monroe.

Doc Mullins—Virgin River’s grumpy 70-year-old town doctor, who has a difficult time accepting Mel Monroe’s help when she answers his ad for help.

Hope McCrea—The 76-year-old widow who donated the cabin and the first year’s salary when Mel answered her ad for an assistant for Doc Mullins. Virgin River town benefactor.

Liz (Lizzie) Anderson—Too wild, in her parents’ estimation, this 14-year-old is sent from Eureka to live with her Aunt Connie in Virgin River, where she meets Rick Sudder.

Rick Sudder—Surrogate son to Jack Sheridan, 16-year-old Rick Sudder falls hard for Lizzie. They become involved, and their romance is an ongoing story through the first six books.

John (Preacher) Middleton—The 32-year-old cook at Jack’s Bar, this Marine friend of Jack’s is as tender as he is strong. Preacher is known for his pies and fancies himself a bit of a gourmet.

Paige Lassiter—Twenty-nine-year-old beautician on the run from her abusive husband, Paige and her three-year-old son, Christopher, find shelter and protection in the person of Preacher Middleton at Jack’s Bar.

Mike Valenzuela—Having served in the Marines with Preacher and Jack, then shot while a sergeant in LAPD’s gangs division, Mike, 36, comes to Virgin River to recover from his injuries and eventually becomes the town constable.

Brie Sheridan—Jack’s youngest sister whose police detective husband left her for Brie’s best friend. A 30-year-old county district attorney, Brie comes to Virgin River to recover after losing a big trial. In Virgin River, a romance blossoms between Brie and Mike Valenzuela.

David Sheridan—Jack and Mel Sheridan’s first baby.

Tommy Booth—The new kid in Virgin River, this shy, athletic high school senior is the son of retired Army General Walt Booth and brother of Vanni. He plans to attend West Point.

Brenda Carpenter—Having recently suffered a miscarriage, Brenda loses her heart to Tommy Booth, who helps find the rapist targeting high school girls at area parties.

Walt Booth—The 61-year-old retired Army general and widow, whose two children, Vanessa and Tommy, have roots in Virgin River, as does his niece, Shelby.

Paul Haggerty—Now a local builder, Paul, 35, was best friends with and a Marine buddy of Matt Rutledge, who died serving his country. Living by the marine motto, Semper Fidelis, Paul honors his friend’s memory by helping Matt’s widow, Vanessa Rutledge, and her baby.

Matthew (Mattie) Paul Rutledge—Son of Vanessa Rutledge and her deceased Marine husband, Matthew.

Marcie Sullivan—A year after her beloved husband, Bobby, died of wounds sustained while fighting in Iraq, Marcie, 27, leaves Chico, California, to go to Virgin River in search of Ian Buchanan. Bobby’s best friend and his first sergeant in the Marine Corps, Ian saved Bobby’s life, and Marcie wants to find out why he won’t answer her letters of gratitude.

Ian Buchanan—Suffering from the after-effects of war, Ian, 35, lives in seclusion deep in the forest above Virgin River until Marcie Sullivan finds shelter in his remote cabin during a snowstorm.

Erin Elizabeth Foley—Marcie Sullivan’s older sister, a 34-year-old attorney.

Vanessa (Vanni) Rutledge—Giving birth to her son, Matthew, after her husband dies fighting in Iraq, Vanni comes to love Paul Haggerty but has a hard time convincing him he isn’t dishonoring his buddy by loving her in return. A former flight attendant and roommate of Nikki’s, daughter of General Walt Booth.

Joe Benson—Paul Haggerty’s best friend, an architect from Grant’s Pass, who falls in love with Nikki Jorgensen in Virgin River.

Nikki Jorgensen—The flight attendant friend of Vanessa’s, Nikki is based in San Francisco and has a fling with Joe Benson in Virgin River.

Muriel St. Claire—This 56-year-old movie star, expert horsewoman and lover of dogs is the romantic interest of her new neighbor back home in Virgin River, Walt Booth.

Terri—When she learns she’s pregnant, she tries to convince Paul Haggerty that the child is his.

Emma Sheridan—Mel and Jack Sheridan’s second child is born.

Dana Marie Middleton—Paige’s little girl is born.

Luke Riordan—A 38-year-old newly retired Army Blackhawk pilot, who comes to Virgin River to repair some cabins that he co-owns with one of his brothers.

Shelby McIntyre—At age 26, Shelby is embarking on a brand new life after being a full-time caregiver to her mother for the seven years prior to her death. A niece of General Walt Booth, she plans to travel, visit family in Virgin River and apply to nursing schools, but her plans change when she meets Luke Riordan.

Cameron Michaels—In nearby Grants Pass, Oregon, Cameron, 35, is a family practice physician/pediatrician who is ready to fall in love, marry and have children when he has a one-night stand with a woman he met in a hotel bar (Abby MacCall Crawford). Subsequently he applies for the job as Virgin River’s town doctor to fill the post vacated when Doc dies.

Abby MacCall Crawford—Because her musician husband, Ross, is divorcing her for another woman, this former flight attendant is not in the mood to celebrate when she comes to Grants Pass, Oregon, as a bridesmaid in a friend’s wedding. However, a romantic romp that night with Dr. Michaels leaves her pregnant with twins. She comes to Virgin River to stay with Vanni until the babies are born.

Maureen Riordan—Sixty-one-year-old widow and mother of five Riordan brothers.

Art Cleary—His mother deceased, 29-year-old Art has Down syndrome and, after suffering abuse at his grocery store job in Eureka, leaves the group home where he has been staying and goes to Virgin River. There Luke Riordan takes him under his wing and offers him a job and a place to stay at his little group of vacation cabins.

Ness Valenzuela—Brie and Mike’s baby girl.

Dan Brady—Introduced in Book 1 as a mysterious local illegal pot grower, Dan, who served as a Marine in Iraq and is now a reformed grower, returns to Virgin River to work for Paul Haggerty’s construction company. He rents Cheryl Creighton’s parents’ old house, renovates it and falls for Cheryl.

Lydie Sudder—Rick Sudder’s paternal grandmother, who raised him after his parents died when he was young.

Cheryl Creighton—The former town drunk, now sober, who finds more than understanding with Dan Brady.

Jerry Powell—Counselor for Lizzie Anderson and Rick Sudder.

THAT HOLIDAY FEELING – BOOK 8 Under the Christmas Tree novella

Nathaniel (Nate) Jensen—Large animal veterinarian who finds more than animal attraction with Annie McKenzie.

Annie McKenzie—A beautician with her own shop and the daughter of a local (retired) dairy farmer, who falls for Nate Jensen.

Reverend Noah Kincaid—Widowed Presbyterian minister from Seattle, who comes to Virgin River to renovate and reopen the abandoned church he bought on eBay. He shocks the townsfolk by hiring and falling in love with a former stripper.

Ellie Baldwin—The brassy, beautiful former exotic dancer who signs on as Pastor Noah Kincaid’s assistant in order to regain custody of her children, Danielle, eight, and Trevor, four.

Lucy—Noah’s rescued border collie.

George Davenport—Noah’s best friend and mentor from Seattle.

Sean Riordan—Thirty-two-year-old cocky fighter pilot from Beale Air Force Base, who comes to Virgin River in hopes of a second chance with his Air Force sweetheart, only to discover they have something more to share than a smoking hot history.

Franci Duncan—Former Air Force flight nurse, who settles in nearby Eureka to raise her three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Rosie, who is a secret to her dad and Franci’s former boyfriend, Sean Riordan.

Harry—Franci’s dog.

Vivian Duncan—Family nurse practitioner.

Carl—Vivian’s significant other, a physician.

Dr. T.J. Brookner—Marine biologist Franci Duncan has been dating casually.

Erin Foley—Having raised her younger siblings after their parents’ early deaths, this 35-year-old, burned-out attorney and sister to Marcie Foley Sullivan (A Virgin River Christmas) and to Drew Foley, medical resident, comes to Virgin River to get to know herself.

Aiden Riordan—After serving in the Navy as an OB/GYN, Aiden leaves his last duty station (San Diego) and comes to Virgin River to recharge. There he falls for Erin Foley, but his crazy ex-wife complicates matters.

MIDNIGHT KISS – BOOK 12 Midnight Confessions novella

Drew Foley—Erin’s younger brother and a medical resident whose fiancé left him.

Sunny—Nathaniel Jensen’s niece, who’s soured on love after being left at the altar the previous New Year’s Eve, visits Virgin River for the Christmas holidays.

Clay Tahoma—Born in Flagstaff, Arizona, this 34-year-old divorced Navajo horse whisperer/farrier comes to Virgin River to work as a veterinarian assistant for his old friend, Nate Jensen. There he falls for Lilly Yazhi.

Lilly Yazhi—The Hopi woman who delivers feed and does the books for the feed store owned by her grandfather, Yaz, who raised her after her mother ran off. Not enamored with old-world, male-dominated tribal relationships, especially one with a Navajo with traditional ways, she nonetheless finds the new Navajo farrier irresistible.

Gabe Tahoma—Clay’s son from a teenage relationship.

Colin Riordan—Retired Army Blackhawk pilot, seriously injured when shot down, comes to Virgin River to recuperate. Younger brother of Luke Riordan.

Jillian Matlock—VP of Corporate Communications for Benedict Software Systems, on a leave of absence after being falsely accused of sexual harassment, comes to Virgin River.

Kurt Conroy—Former employee and one-time love interest of Jillian Matlock, who accuses her of sexual harassment.

Denny Cutler—A 24-year-old who has served in the Marines and comes to Virgin River to find his biological father.

Kelly Matlock—Older sister to Jillian Matlock, a sous chef in San Francisco.

Lief Holbrook—Widowed stepfather of 13-year-old girl and writer from Los Angeles.

Courtney Holbrook—Thirteen-year-old stepdaughter of Lief Holbrook.

Luca Brazzi—Mentor and owner of five-star San Francisco restaurant where Kelly Matlock works.

Shiloh Tahoma—Cousin of Clay Tahoma; artist and gallery owner in Sedona, AZ.

Kelly Matlock—Thirty-four year old sister to Jillian Matlock. A five-star sous chef in a restaurant in San Francisco, who comes to Virgin River to recuperate from an emotional collapse at work.

Lief Holbrook—Screenwriter in Los Angeles and recent widower, who relocates to Virgin River in search of a better environment to raise his troubled teen stepdaughter, Courtney.

Courtney Holbrook—Fourteen-year-old stepdaughter of Lief Holbrook with definite attitude issues.

Amber Hawkins—Girl who befriends Courtney at school in Virgin River.

Rory Hawkins—Wheelchair-bound nephew of Amber who suffers from muscular dystrophy.

Sinette & Hawk—Parents of Amber and Rory.

Luciano Brazzi—Famous chef and mentor to Kelly in San Francisco restaurant where she worked before coming to Virgin River.

Olivia Brazzi—Wife of Luciano.

Spike—Courtney’s new golden retriever puppy.

Becca Timms—Several years after her final break-up with Denny, 25-year-old Becca, an unemployed teacher, heads to Virgin River, where she plans to confront the man who broke her heart. She simply wants to let go so she can move on.

Denny Cutler—Having found a permanent home in Virgin River after serving in the Marines, this 25-year-old associate in Jilly Farms is surprised to see his former girlfriend, Becca, in town.

Nora Crane—single mother of a newborn and a two-year-old; very young and extremely poor.

Blackhawk Plaza California

Adie Clemens—elderly widow in need of some Christmas charity; very concerned for her young neighbor, Nora, and her children.

Thickson Family—Frank, a disabled and disgruntled logger; his wife, Lorraine, a hard-working waitress, and their children: eight-year-old Megan and three young boys.

Connor Danson—a 35-year-old, successful business owner in Sacramento, Conner is an unwilling witness to a violent crime. He is in Virgin River trying to keep a low profile until the trial.

Leslie Petruso—Burned by love, 32-year-old Leslie moves from her hometown of Grant’s Pass to Virgin River to put her cheery ex-husband his new wife out of her mind.

Katie—Connor’s younger sister. A military widow and mother of twin boys, Katie is forced to move across the country, away from Connor, who is her main support and the boys’ only male influence.

Mitch and Andy—Katie’s five-year-old twins; Connor’s nephews

Greg Adams—Leslie’s ex

Allison Adams—Greg’s new wife

Candace and Robert Petruso—Leslie’s parents, 60-something, retired and a fun-loving couple.

Regis Mathis—high profile businessman, Mathis is the murder suspect awaiting trial.

Katie Malone—Thirty-two-year-old widowed mother of twin boys. Now that the threat to their safety is over, Katie is reuniting with her brother, Conner, planning to spend the summer in Virgin River.

Dylan Childress—A former child actor, 35-year-old Dylan, now a pilot and rancher of sorts, is the owner of a charter air service in Payne, Montana. Dylan and his buddies are on their annual motorcycle road trip, this year through California, when they run into Katie, who is sidelined by a flat tire.

Andy & Mitch—Katie’s five-year-old identical twins. After a family trip to Disney World, Katie is taking her bright, rambunctious boys to Virgin River to spend time with their Uncle Conner.

Adele Childress—Dylan’s grandmother. Adele, a famous actress in her own right, she removed troubled teenager Dylan from the Hollywood scene, taking him to the ranch in Montana where she raised him.

Lang—Best friends since college, Lang and Dylan are business partners. Lang and his wife, Sue Ann, have five children.

Blaine—Dylan’s 40-year-old stepsister.

Bryce—Age 30, Bryce is Dylan’s half brother.

Cherise Fontaine—Dylan’s mother. Cherise is an actress and, like Blaine and Bryce, has used Dylan’s notoriety for personal gain.

Jay Romney—A well-known Hollywood producer, who is looking forward to having Dylan star in another movie.

Tom Cavanaugh—Having served in the Marines, Tom has returned home to Virgin River to take over the family apple orchard. Almost 30 years old, Tom is ready to settle down and perhaps start a family of his own.

Nora Crane—Twenty-three-year-old mother of two young girls. Brought to Virgin River and abandoned there by her abusive ex-boyfriend, Nora desperately needs work to support her family.

Maxie Cavanaugh—Tom’s grandmother. Maxie raised Tom and has managed the orchard during his college years and his time in the Marines.

Darla—widow of Bob Pritchard, who was killed in action in Afghanistan while serving under Tom. From Denver, Darla is now taking classes at University of California/Davis and wants to spend time visiting Tom in Virgin River.

Junior—a big, muscled man of about 50 years, Junior is the orchard’s long-time foreman.

Adie Clemens—Nora’s elderly neighbor, who has befriended Nora. Adie helps take care of Nora’s girls.

Jed—Nora’s estranged father, with whom she only recently reunited after not having seen him since she was 6 years old.

Susan—Jed’s girlfriend

Berry and Fay—Nora’s daughters, ages two years old and nine months old, respectively.

Patrick Riordan—The youngest of the Riordan brothers and a Navy fighter pilot, who is in Virgin River for a respite after losing his best friend when a mission over Afghanistan went terribly wrong.

Angie LaCroix—A young medical student recovering from a catastrophic car accident, who visits her uncle, Jack Sheridan. Her agenda is very like Patrick’s—she needs some time and space to regain her confidence and reassert her goals.

Donna LaCroix—Angie’s mom, Jack’s oldest sister. A journalism professor, she can be overprotective and domineering, one of the reasons Angie flees to Virgin River for a break.

Jake—Patrick’s deceased best friend.

Marie—Jake’s widow. Patrick spends as much time as possible talking to her on the phone or visiting her, feeling very responsible for her as a support.

Megan Thickson—A nine-year-old with a devastating facial scar that’s leaving her disfigured.

Frank and Lorraine Thickson—Megan’s parents.

Dr. Hernandez—A reconstructive surgeon.

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chuckprophet · 5 years ago

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Warren zanes on The Rubinoos

Warrenzanes

Following

Aug 23, 2019

· 13 min read

Berkeley, California presents . . . .

The Rubinoos, bringing you their new recording . . .

fifty years in the making. . . From Home

In a just universe you would give this bio your full and sustained attention. And in a just universe the story contained herein would be adapted and produced as a PBS American Mastersprogram (four-parts, ideally). Why? Because this bio has in it the story of The Rubinoos, a tale that has all the peaks and valleys of Shakespeare’s best. It’s the story of America’s favorite band (if only America had paid better attention). But it’s not a just universe, and this is not a story that comes to us froma just universe. It couldn’t. There’s no good music in a just universe. They don’t need the good music there. We need it here. That’s why we have the Rubinoos. Music for an unjust universe.

The occasion for this bio is a new album. A remarkablenewRubinoos album. I’m not being paid enough to lie about that (sorry, Yep Roc). I believe From Homeis an event, ifyou know enough to be ready for it. So, before turning to the specifics of this new recording, some set-up is required. Meaning, I want you to know enough to know to be ready for it. But, first, can we linger for a moment on this number? The Rubinoos stayed together fifty years to bring you From Home. How long did your band stay together? I’m referring to your band that recently had a reunion show and told a local newspaper you’d been “six years in the trenches together.” You said,“We’ll always be brothers, like family.” We’ve all said stuff like that. But next to the Rubinoos, our bands met in the morning and broke up that afternoon.

This is something else. Fifty years of pop exploration, of four people singing and playing as one, fusing themselves together. 10,000 hours? In Rubinoos terms, that’s a mere beginning. The Rubinoos adventure began in 1970, at a Berkeley, California middle school. Ronald Reagan, then Governor of California, gave the order to spray tear gas into a crowd of radicals on the UC Berkeley campus. The prevailing winds, blowing in from the Pacific, carried the tear gas onto the playground of that middle school. The future Rubinoos breathed it in. In that moment, they became a part of the fabric of American history. Or something like that.

And then, over fifty years, things including the following took place, listed here in no particular order. The Rubinoos:

1) Appeared on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand

2) Did 56 dates opening for Elvis Costello during the Armed Forcestour (playing encores at 55 of those shows — they were still “figuring it out” during the first show).

3) Appeared multiple times in Tiger Beat.

4) Were at one point produced by Todd Rundgren.

5) Had to sue Avril Lavigne for lifting their song “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend,” eventually settling out of court.

6) Acted as Jonathan Richman’s backing band, The Modern Lovers, on classics including “The New Teller” and “Government Center.”

7) Completed more than 15 tours of Spain . . . since 2000.

8) Had a top fifty hit in the U.S. covering “I Think We’re Alone Now,” originally by Tommy James and the Shondells.

9) Had a hit in the U.K. with “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.”

10) Recorded the theme for “The Revenge of the Nerds” and lived through the experience, their dignity intact . . . for the most part.

11) Have a band member who made demos for Holland-Dozier-Holland and another who wrote for Modern English.

12) Recorded their second record at The Who’s Rampart Studios, finding themselves frustrated that a singer down the hall was wasting studio time beating up the vocal line, “Whooooo are you? Hoo hoo, hoo hoo,” causing one Rubinoo to say, “When are these old fucks gonna be done so we can record?”

13) Were opening for Jefferson Starship and covering the Archies “Sugar, Sugar” when they were booed off the stage at Winterland (yes, this is on the things-that-went-right list)

14) Responded favorably to Chuck Prophet (the Alan Lomax of San Francisco pop?) when he suggested in 2018 that they record a new album.

14) Actually continued to enjoy one another’s company through five decades.

15) Recorded a live album or two in Japan.

16) I could go on, but I think you get my point.

You can’t get all that done in six years. Obviously. But what made The Rubinoos stay together? What allows that to happen? How does one great band manage to remain in working order when most great bands burst into flames? The answer to the question, I believe, is in the history part of it.

So, again, Ronald Reagan’s tear gas. The stuff came onto the middle school playground. And though one can’t be conclusive about direct effects, after that Tommy Dunbar and Jon Rubin both started having trouble in math class. Frustrated, their teacher would send them into the hallway, an ineffective form of punishment if the idea is to improve a student’s math skills. But it was a good move on the teacher’s part if the real consideration was Bay Area rock and roll. Tommy had been asking people to join groups since he was seven. He was that kid. In the school hallway a bond formed between the two mathematical exiles. And soon enough, Tommy popped the question. They were thirteen, and it was 1970. The Rubinoos came into being. Or something like that.

Tommy’s brother, Robbie, enters the story as soon as it starts. Robbie was in the band Earth Quake (originally Purple Earth Quake). To Tommy and Jon, Robbie was a symbol of possibility. Through his example the younger men could believe that, yes, bands can form, flourish, make records. In fact, with Robbie as a model, Tommy and Jon came to believe that if you form a band, that band should and willdo all of those things. When they eventually landed on American Bandstand, the feeling was less one of pinch me!than it was, “Yes, it makes sense that we’re here.” Raised in left-leaning Berkeley, tear gas in their eyes, this almost casual relationship with commercial glory can be partiallt explained by the fact that American Bandstandand Tiger Beatdidn’t register as heroic activity with the Berkley locals. The Rubinoos enjoyed what came their way, but it wasn’t going to attract the Troyskyite girls back home. But Robbie, that elder brother, did more.

In an act that may have seemed insignificant, Robbie Dunbar gave his younger sibling Tommy the Cruisin’collection. Cruisin’would haunt cut-out bins across the nation for years to come. It was classic rock and roll, year-by-year on nine albums, 1955–1963, with dee jay’s air checks, patter, and vintage ads spliced in. On the 1955 Cruisin’ album you could hear the Penguins “Earth Angel,” The Moonglows “Sincerely,” The Platters “Only You.” Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley were in there, as was Ray Charles. Good stuff. An education. Tommy and Jon spent hours and days pretending to be dee jays, singing along year-by-year. It became an obsession. They thought people harmonized because . . . that’s just what people do. Doo wop shaped their world view. Inadvertently, they found their way to the same kind of experiences that gave both The Beatles and The Beach Boys musical foundations in group vocals. When drummer Donno Spindt joined the band, he brought with him an opera-singing mother who helped the boys find the full natural resources in their lungs and throats. From the start, The Rubinoos had a gift for welcoming teachers, in any form.

This is not to suggest that doo wop and early rock and roll were exclusive interests. They were musical omnivores. They ate everything on their plate and picked things off their neighbor’s. It didn’t matter if it was the DeFranco Family or Hendrix, Toots and the Maytals or the Beach Boys, Frank Zappa or Iggy Pop. They didn’t differentiate, didn’t establish hierarchies of value. They just wanted more. Early on, they felt they were kind of a Prog Rock thing. But also an oldies band. Huh? It was as if they were cloaked in some kind of productive innocence, an openness to the world of music that in the end would give the band the widest possible pasture in which to run naked, musically speaking. It’s a quality they share with a few legendary outfits, including, in different ways, NRBQ, The Band, The Lovin’ Spoonful. But where NRBQ, for instance, would drift between the silly and the serious, The Rubinoos wouldn’t sleep with a song they couldn’t respect in the morning. They loved novelty records like “Purple People Eater” because they were funny, but The Rubinoos ultimately stayed with that same song because they saw it as . . . art! They were incapable of irony.

As Tommy explains, when they started covering the DeFranco’s “Heartbeat is a Lovebeat” they laughed until they found themselves forgetting to laugh, taken away by an honest admiration for the song’s internal order and beauty. Once they gotinside a song, they couldn’t put themselves above it. They maintained their wonder. Similarly, when they first started playing rock and roll classics from the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry, they thought playing the simple rock and roll would be, well, a simplematter. Not so. As Tommy describes, they found it was very difficult to make those songs sound as good as the original recordings. With Cruisin’as their first dunking in the holy waters, the experience of actually playing the songs from Cruisin’gave them their second. They were converted, young missionaries. Put another way, they quit school in ninth grade but were immediately enrolled a school of their own founding. And they always left the door open for visiting faculty, whether Donno’s mother, Robbie, and the others who would come to the door, something to offer.

Earth Quake would soon be a part of the scene forming around local label Berserkley Records. And the Rubinoos would follow. But The Rubinoos, by the time they signed with Berserkley, were in the kind of shape The Beatles were in when they arrived in George Martin’s world: fully fucking formed. A listen to their 1977 debut is all you need to know to grasp this for yourself. The teachings were all in there. If the timeline locates that first album in the punk era, the almost obsessive precision and craft the debut displays puts it somewhere else. Not everyone knew where. They still don’t. New York Rockertook a shot at it, describing it thus: “The best pop album of the decade.”

That first decade of The Rubinoos was crowned two years later with the release of a second masterwork, Back to the Drawing Board. “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” was the single and got a lot of airplay in the U.K. and elsewhere. The track’s co-writer, James Gangwer, had first approached Tommy asking if the young guitar player could tackle the “I Love Lucy” theme song on guitar. Tommy could. As Jon elaborates, it was James Gangwer who advanced The Rubinoos’s R&B and Soul education. The Elvis Costello tour came that same year, and Jon remembers watching Elvis Costello and the Attractions every night, studying them, moved by their power, looking for the lesson. There was a purity in that decade of teachers and students spilling into one another. But how could it last?

When Berserkley Records turned from a label into something much more like a management company for Greg Kihn, The Rubinoos continued to study, not always liking the subject matter. The lessons in that era would be less joyful, often relating to the sad cruelties of business than to music. With occasional respite, the band entered a long period of false starts and fodder for broken hearts. Meaning, they hit some of the stuff that makes bands break up. Yet they didn’t. Yes, they took on different shapes, witnessed some comings and goings of band members. But The Rubinoos didn’t die. There was concern in the Bay Area when Tommy got a driver’s license. “Have you heard? Tommy’s getting his license.” A kind of hush was heard. All over the world.

All of this is to say: there’s another list. And on it are the plot twists that chipped away at the inner workings of the band, including the following:

1) An extended residency in Lake Tahoe, The Rubinoos suddenly a lounge act playing for tourists. And it’s hard to back out of those kind of places without turning to see where you’re going.

2) Rumblings within the band, tremors of dissatisfaction that brought The Rubinoos as close to a break-up as they would come.

3) Bassist Al Chan’s departure, despite his natural fit as a Rubinoo. The worst part? He became an accountant.

4) Donno’s departure. Taking with him a piece of the band’s soul.

5) A move to Los Angeles, a city arguably different from Berkeley.

6) A deal with Warner Bros. and a producer by the name of Todd Rundgren, who at that time thought too little about the act he was producing.

7) Recorded vocals stacked in ways they never needed to be, bringing Jon and Tommy to a place many worlds from doo wop.

8) A Rubinoos quickly dropped by Warner Bros.

9) Less glorious work, including sessions with Kim Fowley on sessions for drag queens.

10) Jobs in wedding bands.

11) A bitter relationship with Beserkley Records that held up publishing and record royalties.

The producer of From Home, Chuck Prophet, was around fourteen years old when he fell for The Rubinoos. They were hissymbol of possibility, his Earth Quake. It took forty years of training for him to be ready to produce The Rubinoos. Over that time, he thought a lot about the band. I had Chuck Prophet on the phone, and he said, “You know Joseph Campbell’s idea of the ‘hero’s journey’? That’s a good frame of reference for understanding The Rubinoos.”

Chuck went on to suggest that the band’s arc echoes the hero’s journey as Campbell has defined it. I was compelled by what Chuck was getting at. After all, in those “missing years,” what really happened to The Rubinoos? If they didn’t break up entirely, what was happening? Chuck believes that Joseph Campbell’s theory of the hero narrative as a cross-cultural phenomena — The Odyssey,Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Epic of Gilgamesh, Star Wars — could be mapped onto The Rubinoos career. They didn’t break up, Chuck suggested, they went into what Campbell thought of as the unknown, the special world, where various trials and temptations and losses and hallucinatory wanderings lead to a heightened stage of consciousness. How interesting, I thought. It gave a framework for the less glorious twists and turns that led from the first records to the present, where they returned, more essentially and profoundly themselves. As I listened, I believed Chuck had something. “What does the band think of this theory?” I asked. Chuck paused. “They think it’s total bullshit,” he said.

As I already knew, The Rubinoos have, for a long time, taken an unconventional view of the markers of success, the American Bandstandstuff. They’re from Berkeley, after all. They didn’t see themselves as lost for forty years. They were touring Japan and Spain, showing up to the gig to find there was always an audience waiting. They loved singing together, were always making music. As Jon Rubin said by phone, “How lucky are we that we are still getting to play together? I enjoy the rehearsals as much as the shows.” Joseph Campbell might have felt a twinge of disappointment in hearing this. No suffering? No magical gift to illuminate the darkness mid-journey? No Yoda or Frodo? Depends who you ask, the interpreters or the participants.

From Homeopens with “Do You Remember?”, which feels a celebration of the return home from the other world, from the wilderness. “I want to tell you a story!” That shouted declaration opens the song, and then takes us through scenes from that first decade of Rubinoo life, when the boys were “singing acapella and getting it all wrong.” It recalls “DiFranco Family B-sides and the one by the Troggs.” For the lover of real group singing and smart pop songwriting, which is the stuff in which The Rubinoos partake, these are heroes returned to us. No, they were never lost to themselves. But I do believe they were lost to us. Our fault, not theirs.

But they’re back. From Homebreathes in the energy and recalls the crackle of the first two records, but with a difference. The Rubinoos have returned . . . slightly wizened? The second cut, “January,” is like a summer song that’s lived through a few break ups and seasons of worry, the harmonies as gorgeous as ever. Yet it’s not that The Rubinoos got serious and no longer live at the old address. They’re not indulging in melancholy or pondering mortality while strumming twelve-string guitars. That’s not the story. Listen to “Honey from the Honeycombs,” a beautiful musical lift that serves as a tribute to a legendary female drummer, Honey Lantree of British group The Honeycombs. Honey’s dead now, but the song resurrects her. For three minutes, it seems she could never age, and the young Rubinoos return with her, staring at their Honeycombs album covers, looking at that drummer, with her beehive hairdo behind the drum kit.

I’m not going to go song-by-song. You have to. But I’ll tell you a few of my very favorites. “Phaedra.” The mythological and art historical references somehow put this song out of time entirely. It’s perfect pop. “How Fast.” A car song that my kids understood immediately. They knew the hook line almost before they heard the song. “How fast does thing go?” A timeless sentiment from the backseat, for boys or men. “Masochist Davey.” “He’s only happy when you make him cry.” C’mon. More likely it’s divorce this time, not just a high school break-up, but The Rubinoos are still the best band to tell that sad bastard’s story. This band has given us a record as good as anything they’ve done. And they’ve showed us great since they were kids. Fifty years of showing up. Four voices falling together as one. It’s as beautiful as this music thing is going to get.

No one gives pop music credit for aging well. But they’re not thinking about greatpop. The Rubinoos prove that angle wrong. The good shit grows deeper. And the good bands, the ones that make it home? The same thing happens to them. Deeper. Not more somber, not more serious, not broken, not less alive. Deeper. I’m inclined to go with New York Rocker on this one: “The best pop album of the decade.” You choose the decade.

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