#fair game weekend 2020

[supermaks]

I totally understand why like and people change I’m not hating promise etc but seeing the way lewis treats Ollie with the generational knowledge inside of my body of how lewis decided 17yo max was his enemy and needed to be taught a lesson makes me totally insane 😭😭😭😭😭😭 even everyone this weekend is treating ollie like he’s a little baby (he is 🥹) but like max was also a baby and people were calling for max’s head race one 😭

hundred percent get how u feel bro same. Lil bear does not represent what Max represented when he got into the car tho there is no sense of impending doom wid Ollie. Bro is talented exceeded a lot of expectations held his own nobody can say otherwise but he is not somebody who has been foretold fjkjdd. Like hes not coming from the depths of darkness ((nation that is not England or Italy)) to challenge established, up until then, pretty untouchable veterans, and wid a certain . unapologetic flare 😭 Also I'm not sure Lewis is the same person, and he doesnt have the same car, the grid isnt the same, the media definitely isnt the same, the pecking 0rder isnt the same, f1 itself feels like a completely different sport than it was in 2020 let alone when Max came in. Ollie's dad did not come across the way Max's dad does either. Its crazy because Lewis went thru a similar loneliness when he debuted partly due to his talent partly due to how there had never been someone who looked like him in such a white classist space. He was subjected to a type of scrutiny that Max will never experience. And then also u have peak german biter Seb vettel u cud say wasnt 'babied' at all either and then sharl in 2019 like if the threat is substantial the fantasy kinda breaks and the 'rookie' becomes fair game. So its just super different situations wid a lot of heavy context that is interesting to compare. Ollie's teammate cud be in the same position as soon as next year ((unless our fucking pookie.com takes his seat)) and depending on where he finishes this year, and I think so far hes been doing amazing, he'll be welcomed wid relief because 9 years later that 'impeding doom' still dooming and impeding lmfao

[msmargaretmurry]

idk if you’re still doing the fanfic title ask thing but if you are, mattdrai + neutral zone

i feel like this would be a sweet, funny little story where they have their bye weeks at the same time and coincidentally wind up on vacation at the same resort. big romcommy vibes. more of a @bropunzeling style joint than my own usual style, but i would do my best 😂

obviously leon's there with connor, third-wheeling with him and lauren, since they're coming straight from the all-star game. matthew, also coming straight from the asg, is flying in to meet up with some friends — maybe brady's bye week was before the asg, but robby thomas, or some florida pals, or whoever are there. mostly i just want him to be free of familial obligations so that he can let his freak flag fly.

anyway, the all-star weekend was good for everyone involved — let's say this is set this coming year, so no one was thrilled about going to cold toronto and losing out on three extra days of real vacation, not like florida, which was basically just extra vacation, but it was fun enough. neither the pacific or the atlantic won; none of our main cast here became the main character of the weekend, but there were some fun moments. matthew and leon didn't really talk during the asw, didn't really talk during last year's asw (although, to be fair, matthew was very busy playing host last year), because the thing is, they don't really have any reason to interact now that they're not in the same division.

leon didn't think he'd miss it, but he kind of misses it. the battle of alberta isn't nearly as exciting now. matthew pissed him off a lot when they were younger, yeah, but he has always been fun to play against. the 2020 asg was the first time they ever had a real conversation and it wasn't a big thing or anything, but it was kind of a turning point in the somewhat one-sided animosity, and by the time the 2022 playoffs rolled around, they had developed this kind of almost-friendly (slightly flirty?) respect. matthew still pissed him off on the ice, yeah, but they had some laughs, too, at faceoff circles, between whistles. leon started to believe the people that said, well, if he was on your team you'd love him.

and then matthew got himself traded to florida, built himself a happy new life there, became the main character of the nhl, etc. leon's not not happy for him, but maybe, when he thinks about it in certain moods, he does prickle a little at how easily matthew left the alberta of it all behind.

meanwhile matthew figures they were all just glad to be rid of him. he's been having a great time in florida. a great enough time that it's mostly healed the sting of how his last season in calgary ended and how frustrating his career there was sometimes. there was a time in his life when he would have really, really liked for leon draisaitl to like him, but he's totally past that now.

anyway, due to a series of somewhat comedic near-misses at the airport, they don't realize they're going to the same place until they get onto the plane and they're all in first class: matthew, leon, connor, lauren. everyone's like uhhhhh ?? but matthew makes a joke, retreats to his seat behind them, puts his headphones on, doesn't make conversation except to charm the flight attendants. when they land, connor asks him where he's headed, if he wants to share their cab. matthew politely declines. he's not trying to be anti-social, he's just not trying to intrude on someone else's vacation.

but, of course, the resort isn't huge. it takes, like, a day for matthew's group to run into leon again — at the tiki bar on the beach, where leon is loitering even though lauren and connor are down by the water, because he's feeling particularly third wheel-y today. matthew had the right idea, finding a whole group to glom onto after the asg. all this to say, he's kind of relieved to see other people he kind of knows, even if it all feels a little awkward. but hey, they're on vacation. everyone can be friends here.

cue a beachy vacation montage of drinking and laughing and playing volleyball on the beach and splashing into the water — leon (and often connor and lauren — i feel like there are other wags around with matthew's group of friends) gets kind of folded into the group, and here on vacation away from all the hockey stuff, past rivalries, etc, it turns out that they just kind of click. they're both super competitive, even about dumb things like beach volleyball — but that's fun when the stakes are low, when they're on the same team. matthew's always checking in to make sure leon's having a good time if he's hanging with them while connor and lauren are off doing coupley things — he's always making sure everyone's having a good time, really, and leon starts to really get why his teammates in florida talk about him the way they do. leon is surprisingly funny and surprisingly affectionate when he doesn't want to kill you, and matthew keeps getting that old familiar feeling that he'd really like for leon to like him.

it's only like two days in when they get tipsy and hook up, which is probably a good thing, because it's so mind-bogglingly hot that if they'd held out until the end of the week and just did it once at the end, they would have both gone a little crazy not getting to do it again right away. cue all sorts of sneaking off to have all sorts of gross, sweaty vacation sex, and maybe getting a little obsessed with each other in the process.

the last night of the trip, the whole combined group of them has a big dinner on the beach and everyone just hangs out until late, long after the sun goes down. matthew and leon keep not-so-subtly making eyes at each other, trying to gauge when they're gonna sneak off to go wreck each other, but matthew is also a little in his head about this being the last day of vacation, because he's 100% sure this is gonna be a "what happened in bye week stays in bye week" situation, which is how it should be, anything else would be too complicated and make no sense, but he knows that despite knowing all that logically, it's gonna do a number on him to fly home alone after this whirlwind — whatever it is, with leon, so at some point he disappears, and after a while leon finds him sitting down by the water a little ways away, looking out at the ocean.

leon goes to sit with him. kisses his shoulder, but doesn't try to make conversation. he kind of thinks he knows what matthew's thinking, but it takes him a while to figure out what to say about it in a way that won't be too embarrassing if he's wrong. eventually he settles on, "we should do this again sometime."

matthew looks over, surprised. "you'd want to?"

leon shrugs. "i mean. it's been fun, right?"

and then they make out on the beach, and then they go back to one of their rooms and have sex, and then shower sex, and then morning sex, all of it increasingly clingy in a way they will not discuss until, like, sexcation #4 at least, but leon does kiss matthew's cheek when they part ways at the airport later, and matthew's friends tease him mercilessly about it for the rest of the day.

[somethingusefulfromflorida]

Kevin McCarthy is not going to be elected Speaker today. There will be 3 or 4 ballots, and then they will adjourn, probably for the weekend, giving the "normal" republicans more time to fail to negotiate with the "far right" ones (they are both equally far right; McCarthy voted not to accept the 2020 election results, and Majory Green and Lauren Boebert are Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber). The so-called normal ones are still convinced they can corral the dissenters back into McCarthy's camp. We all know the normals would rather work with the crazies than Democrats, so anyone who says "uniparty" is fucking delusional. Normals and crazies are two sides of the same coin.

Republicans are fractured, but no matter how many times they commit what the media calls political suicide they never seem to die. They get rewarded for incompetence and embarrassment. It's all spectacle, it's meant to get asses in seats and eyes on screens, nothing more. What's gonna happen is McCarthy is gonna cave next week or the week after, and then the entire party will rally behind a freedom caucus nutjob who is functionally identical to McCarthy. There is NO scenario where Democrats come out on top here.

That's the thing, EVERY Republican is identical, it's just a matter of how much they care about presenting themselves otherwise. This speaker debacle has nothing to do with ideology, it's just personal. McCarthy has given the "fringe" everything they want, he's their greatest ally, he gives the appearnace of level-headed normalcy to their insanity, a sugar-coating to their poison pill, but they still pretend he's a liberal puppet because HE pretends (not very convincingly) that he's cloeer to the center than he actually is. This is all keyfabe. Everybody says "I just want what's best for America," but nobody means it! It's all about what's best for the party, and my sympathies lie with the Democrats on this one if for no other reason than I trust them to pass budgets and not get bogged down with theatrics (January 6 was tame compared to Benghazi, laser focused, it didn't distract from the functioning of government).

What would actually be best for the country would be a power sharing arrangement with a Democratic speaker (probably not Jeffries) answering to Republican controlled committees. The nutjobs get to waste time and money on their little shit shows, but then the Speaker can just ignore them, effectively vetoing any crazy bullshit they spew, preventing it from ever getting to the House floor. Only the stuff that matters would get voted on, and if the Republicans decided not to play fair by holding the budget hostage, it would be another game of chicken, same shit as always, home team advantage to the Democrats because they have the Senate and Presidency and would temper/remove the craziest bullshit amyway. The Republicans can threaten a shutdown or a debt deefault until the cows come home, we've danced this dance before and we will again.

It'll never happen. They will NEVER agree to share power. They will implode the government before they agree to help the Democrats, and we all know it. They'll rally behind someone less presentable than McCarthy because that's what the narrative demands. It's more entertaining for the Speaker to be openly hostile than to pretend to have decorum. Republicans are all petty and vindictive, some are better at hiding it, but whoever they pick won't even fucking try.

[harryfeatgaga]

- I See You (2019)

- Lavender (2016)

- Fractured (2019)

- Don’t Breathe (2016)

- Coherence (2013)

- The Woman in the Window (2021)

- The Weekend Away (2022)

- Gone Girl (2014)

- Shutter Island (2010)

- Sightless (2020)

- The Voyeurs (2022)

- Don’t Worry Darling (2022)

- Intrusion (2021)

- Dangerous Lies (2020)

- Secret Obsession (2019)

- What Happened to Monday (2017)

- Gerald’s Game (2017)

- Triangle (2009)

- The Lie (2018)

- Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)

- Mine Games (2012)

- No One Will Save You (2023)

- Fair Play (2023)

- The Final Girls (2015)

- Alice, Darlin (2023)

- Saltburn (2023)

these are the thrillers I watched recently :D They’re psych thrillers not horror but

SLAYYYYY IVE SEEN MANY OF THESE WERE SO IN SYNC I NEED TO SEE SALTBURN BAD

[bethaven]

#12 Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

Plot: A sassy, independent woman in 1920's Melbourne mixes jazzclubs and men with solving murders. Phryne Fisher is, at first, an unwelcomed element for detective inspector Jack Robinson and the others at the Police station. Though, as time goes by she's proven to be an invaluable resorce - for the Police force, professionally - and for Jack, personally.

Years: 2012-2015

Seasons: 3

My story: One weekend back in early 2020 me and my platonic wife did what we do best - sat on the couch and watched series for an entire weekend. Then and there she showed me Miss Fisher for the first time, and it's a love that lasted. I fell hard for the strong, feisty woman that is Phryne, and not the least as the sappy romantic I am, the will-they-won't-they relationship between Phryne and Jack. Shortly after, I discovered a beutiful fandom with people of all ages, from all over the world.

Teachable moments: Phryne is a role model for everyone and shows us that norms and expectations are bullshit. Be yourself and live your life and don't forget to contribute to a better world along the way.

Best character: This might be the obvious choice but it has to be Phryne. As I've already stated, she's a huge inspiration for everyone and I try to have a little Phryne with me everyday.

Best episode: "Game, set & murder" (S3E7). A classic episode which not only hosts amazing old fashioned tennis-costumes and a spider-frightened Phryne but also a whole bunch of drama and emotions.

Best quote: -"She has no respect for the rules" -"That's because they tend to be written by men" (Lofty and Phryne). To be fair this one's from the movie, but it's so good!

Fun fact: A Miss Fisher Con is held every year in the US, where fans get together, have workshops and parties with visits from cast and crew.

If you like this you might also like: In 2020 the movie Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears premiered. It was supposed to be the first of at least three movies following the series, but for different reasons there won't be more. During 2019-2020 a spinoff called Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries aired, where we follow Phryne's niece Peregrine in the 60's. Around the same time a Chinese adaptation, called Miss S, was released and aired for one season. Others you might like are Downton Abbey, Bridgerton, Miss Marple, Vera and Midsummer Murders.

The series is an adaptation of Kerry Greenwood's books, at the moment 22 of them, and counting.

[victorious1956]

My RWBY Fic List

Another Fair Game Week done and dusted. That's the fourth one now; where does the time go?!

Here's my updated list. The symbol key indicates which ships feature. ❤️️️ Qrow 💚 Clover 💙 James 💛 Tai 🛡️🐶 Jaune/Marrow 🐝🐝 Blake/Yang

All these are on AO3. The rating is shown after each title.

Recently posted/updated:

Fair Game Week 2023 Series

❤️️️️💚️ Two separate fics for Fair Game Week 2023. Completed Days One-Six: i will be the one (who comes to rescue you) (T) When Qrow decides to investigate an unusual circus, little does he realise it will lead to an unexpected rescue which will ultimately change his life. 6 chapters 15,444 words Day Seven: Room Service (E) Qrow and Clover have been happy together for many years. Their life is contented, settled... and maybe verging on monotonous. Clover decides to do something about it. 2 chapters 1,790 words

A RWBY Alphabet Series

A series of (probably) unconnected stories from A to Z, featuring various RWBY characters and relationships. Ongoing I: Inversion (E) Qrow/Ozpin Finally, Qrow and Ozpin have a relationship they are both happy with. And even though Qrow has to travel frequently, reuniting is always enjoyable. But one night, an idle thought leads Ozpin to speculate how things could play out a little differently. 1 chapter 2,347 words

The Weight of Impossible Days (T)

❤️️💙 In the aftermath of a fateful day, friends and colleagues are lost or scattered. Against the odds, James Ironwood is recovered, barely alive. Qrow's anger, which has sustained him in recent days, dissipates as he begins to come to terms with his feelings towards his old friend. 1 chapters 5,242 words

Out of the Darkness (T)

❤️️💚️ After a long and difficult journey, Qrow has arrived in Atlas and is starting to enjoy his days in the floating city. His nights, however, are another matter. Clover becomes aware of his partner's problems, and offers his help. 1 chapter 4,564 words

Hey Jealousy (T)

❤️️💚💙 Qrow's relationship with James has been erratic, at best. Their shared history meant a closeness which at times promised to become something more. But it never quite worked. Now Qrow is back in Atlas and has to accept James has moved on. But why did he have to move on with someone so likeable? 3 chapters 9,052 words

For convenience, I've created several series and grouped most of the fics according to their main theme: Somewhat Silly Focus on Family Mostly Soft with Minimal Angst A Modicum of Angst Degrees of Naughtiness Historical Setting Modern Setting

If you are interested, I have an ongoing playlist where I keep track of the songs which have contributed to some of the things I've written. It's on Apple Music, YouTube, and Spotify.

Older fics below cut

A Fair Game Rainbow Series

❤️️💚️ A series of eight unconnected short stories, prompted by the colours of the rainbow. Because why not 🌈🙂 Completed

A RWBY Alphabet Series

A series of (probably) unconnected stories from A to Z, featuring various RWBY characters and relationships. Ongoing

Clover Ebi: Ace Operative Series

❤️️💚️ A short series looking at how a Fair Game relationship might work, if Clover were asexual. Completed

Early Days Series

❤️️💚️ A series of short fics which follow Qrow and Clover as they become more friendly, leading into the start of a deeper relationship. Completed As I wrote very little lead-up for Qrow and Clover's relationship in my longer story, I decided to try and rectify that here. These stories reach a natural conclusion of their own, and you don't have to go on to read the longer story for them to make sense 🙂

Fair Game Week 2021 Series

❤️️️️💚️ Seven separate fics for Fair Game Week 2021. Completed

Fair Game Week 2022 Series

❤️️️️💚️ Seven separate fics for Fair Game Week 2022. Completed

Fair Game Weekend 2020 Series

❤️️💚️ 3 fics for Fair Game Weekend, 2nd-4th October 2020. Completed

Hummingbird Week 2021 Series

Qrow/Summer Two separate fics for Hummingbird Week 2021. Completed

IronQrow Week 2021 Series

❤️️💙 Seven separate fics for IronQrow Week 2021. Completed

IronQrow Week 2022 Series

❤️️💙 Seven separate fics for IronQrow Week 2022. Completed

Numerically Speaking Series

❤️️💚️ A series of (mostly) unconnected short stories, prompted by the numbers 1 to 10. Fair Game with a sprinkling of Bumbleby in Part Six. Complete

Qrowtober 2020 Series

Six separate fics for Qrowtober 2020. Completed

TaiQrow Week 2021 Series

❤💛 Eight separate fics for TaiQrow Week 2021. Completed

Varin & Challance Series

❤️️💚️ Stories taking place throughout Qrow and Clover's life together. Ongoing

Vicky's OT4 Story Series (T)

❤️️💚💙💛 Five linked pieces for Iron Dragon's Charms Week. Or, how Qrow, Clover, James, and Taiyang got together. Completed 9,578 words

7-6 (M)

❤️️💚️ A quiet night in for Qrow and Clover ends in an unexpected battle for the two experienced fighters. 1 chapter 1,202 words

(all this time) we were waiting for each other (T)

❤️️💙 After one drunken night together, neither James nor Qrow know how to handle the situation between them. So they don't. Until Qrow arrives in Atlas, and then there are questions which have to be answered. 1 chapter 4,518 words

All Together Now (T)

❤️️💚💙 In a world very similar to Remnant, Hunters roam the land seeking and destroying the Scourge, which terrorise ordinary citizens. For one renowned Hunter, a vicious attack which almost kills him sets his life on an unexpected path. 4 chapters 13,509 words

As Tears Go By (G)

❤️️💚️ Some painful memories never leave you, but if you have a sympathetic partner there for you, it helps. 1 chapter 1,257 words

An Average Day in Atlas (T)

❤️️💚 In an alternative Remnant where a certain immortal witch does not exist, the focus of everyday life is not quite the same. Qrow is spending time in Atlas with his extended family of teenagers, who are on a long educational visit from Beacon. Friendships are made and there is much to learn, especially for Penny who is trying to make sense of human relationships. Winter is doing her best to help her understand, whilst making sure James doesn't overwork himself. Meanwhile, Qrow is taking a more direct approach with another member of the Atlas team. 1 chapter 4,487 words

Better The Second Time (M)

❤️️💚️ The first time is special. The second, even more so. 1 chapter 2,552 words

Birth Day (T)

❤️️💚️ Qrow and Clover wait anxiously for a very special delivery. 1 chapter 1,491 words

A Busy Week (E)

❤️️💚 Five times Qrow and Clover attempt to get jiggy, and one time they finally manage it. 1 chapter 4,710 words

but the image is discoloured now (G)

❤️️💚️ Time can diminish the hurt. It can also cause the memories to fade. Qrow wants to remember. 1 chapter 323 words

Captivated (T)

❤️️💚 Qrow's New Year gets under way with a head full of thoughts of Clover Ebi. Jimmy's PA has made quite an impression on him, but Qrow isn't sure if this is a good thing. 1 chapter 3,646 words

Challenge Accepted (T)

❤️️💚️ Flirting is one thing, but Clover knows liaisons between military personnel are frowned on. Even if it's something he wants, very much. Qrow decides it's time to give him a nudge in the right direction. 1 chapter 1,941 words

Cherish (T)

❤️️💚️ Special things in Qrow's life don't last. He's learnt the hard way to keep things hidden. It's easier then, when it goes wrong. This time, it might be different. 1 chapter 1,140 words

Convergence (T)

❤️️💚️ Qrow and Clover are bound to get together. Eventually. 1 chapter 1,514 words

Deep (E)

❤️️💚️ Qrow sometimes teases Clover about the depth of feeling between them. But they both know that being in deep, is where they want to be. 1 chapter 1,396 words

Double or Nothing (T)

❤️️💚️ Qrow is reluctant to accompany Clover to visit one of Atlas Software's customers. Even though his colleague is attractive, friendly, and very good at his job. Then an unexpected turn of events forces Qrow to re-evaluate the situation in which he finds himself. 1 chapter 4,499 words

The Edge of Heaven (M)

❤️️💚️ Clover takes Qrow somewhere he has never been before. AKA Clover shows Qrow the meaning of the pink stripe on his flag. 1 chapter 3,539 words

Face the Rain (G)

❤️️💚️ Clover and Qrow have been together for some time now, but the cracks are starting to show. 1 chapter 2,324 words

Flightless (G)

❤️️💚️ The war is drawing to a close, and Qrow is flying back to Atlas after a successful mission. When his flight ends abruptly, little does Qrow know that one aspect of his life has now changed forever. 1 chapter 4,860 words

Friday I'm In Love (T)

❤️️💙 James enjoys a coffee at the railway station on his way to work. He could call in every day, but there's a reason why he only stops by on a Friday. 1 chapter 5,040 words

A Gentleman's Excuse Me (E)

❤️️💚💙 Qrow is left to amuse himself for the evening while James and Clover are out. He devises a game they can all play later, but it doesn't go quite the way he expected. 1 chapter 3,501 words

A Good Boy (T)

❤️️💛 When a family member falls ill, Tai turns to Qrow for help. And Qrow is happy to be there for him. 1 chapter 5,173 words

Gravitational Pull (T)

❤️️💙 Qrow is happy to oblige Tai by minding the store so he and Raven can take a holiday. He finds one customer particularly intriguing, and fortunately for him, the man has a good reason to return to the shop. 5 chapters 11,148 words

Hand in Hand in Hand (T)

❤️️💚💙 Qrow, Clover, and James decide the time is right to make an important commitment to each other. 1 chapter 1,799 words

Heal My Heart (T)

❤️️💛 Qrow and Clover are getting on well, both at work and away from it. Each wonders where this slow dance might lead... until an accident sends Qrow away, to be healed in more ways than one. 1 chapter 6,246 words

Hearts Forever Bound Together (T)

❤️️💛 / STRQ Every year, Remnant celebrates the Day of Hearts— a day to focus on those you love, whether as a friend, a partner, or something else. For Team STRQ, it's a day to remember the ties that bind them. 1 chapter 2,568 words

Here With Me (G)

❤️️💛 It's said a picture is worth a thousand words. Tai has a lifetime of them. 1 chapter 1,678 words

A Hidden Tail (T)

🛡️🐶 When Marrow wonders how much easier life might be if he wasn't so obviously a Faunus, Jaune does what he can to provide support for his boyfriend. 1 chapter 1,540 words

Home Is In Your Arms (G)

❤️️💚️ Qrow has never known true love, and anyway, he's not sure if it's something he deserves. But maybe things are different now. 1 chapter 2,787 words

Home To You (T)

❤️️💙 After the Fall of Beacon, Qrow is busier than ever before. His missions take him far away from friendly places, and an unexpected incident makes him wonder if home is where you least expect it. 1 chapter 3,382 words

A Hope That Waits In The Dark (T)

💚💙 Everyone is beautiful in the dark. James knew the old saying well. He wondered if anyone could ever find him beautiful in the light of day. 1 chapter 1,339 words

(i'll give you) the reasons that you need to stay (G)

❤️️💛 Qrow has stayed on Patch for long enough— he has plenty of reasons to leave. Tai does not agree. 1 chapter 1,502 words

i'm dreaming 'bout those dreamy eyes (G)

❤️️💚️ The importance or otherwise of eye colour. 1 chapter 478 words

In Your Eyes (T)

❤️️💚️ Not everyone believes in the idea of a soulmate. And sometimes, you don't have to. 1 chapter 6,303 words

Instinctively Yours (T)

❤️️💚️ In Springtime, every bird's thoughts turn to finding a partner. Clover never expected it to be him. 1 chapter 2,016 words

It's Not Goodbye (G)

🛡️🐶 In the escalating confusion after team RWBY fight with the Ace Ops, there is someone Jaune desperately wants to find. 1 chapter 647 words

Just Because It Burns (G)

❤️️💚️ What do you do when the harmless banter and mild flirting are set to lead to something more? Something which doesn't seem like a good idea... Winter has a suggestion, and she's convinced it's the answer to Qrow's problem. 1 chapter 6,602 words

The King, the Knight, and the Dragon (T)

❤️️💙💛 Sir Qrow is the most accomplished knight at the court of King James. When he is sent to investigate reports of a dragon bothering some of the king's subjects, the unexpected outcome will touch the lives of several people at court. 1 chapter 7,567 words

Kiss Me, Kiss Me (T)

❤️️💚️ After the trials and tribulations in Atlas, Clover and Qrow enjoy some downtime in Patch. 1 chapter 1,635 words

Late Bloomer (G)

❤️️💚️ Clover is as straight as the day is long... and when you are dedicated to your job, the day is very long indeed. He is a man who enjoys the certainty of his orderly life, and he can't imagine anything that might change it. Maybe he needs to work on his imagination a little. 1 chapter 2,998 words

Learn to Love Again (M)

❤️️💚️ As Qrow refuses to acknowledge he is struggling with the consequences of quitting drinking, his relationship with Clover begins to founder. When things are at their bleakest, James does what he can to help. 1 chapter 5,539 words

Let It Be Me (T)

❤️️💚️ Qrow's life has always been restless, the opportunities to settle down with another person frustratingly scarce. The rare times he's tried, it results in disappointment as they go their separate ways. So he decides that kind of life is not for him. In Atlas, he meets someone who encourages him to try again. 1 chapter 4,762 words

Letting Go (G)

❤️️💛 Qrow tries to help Taiyang move on. 1 chapter 948 words

Love Enough For Three (M)

❤️️️💚💙 Qrow blames both himself and James for Clover's situation. James blames himself too, for that and also for almost everything else that has happened. Maybe the three of them, together, can find the peace which they—and everyone else—deserve. Completed 10 chapters 21,945 words

Love On The Border (T)

❤️️️💚️ A routine guard-post inspection becomes anything but, when Clover interviews a man who is apprehended trying to cross the border. 1 chapter 3,197 words

A Lullaby for James (G)

❤️️💚💙 After the horrific experiences of the war, James' sleep is plagued by nightmares. He is helped by two other survivors, and together they achieve a more restful night. 1 chapter 956 words

maybe i will write a song for you (that you will never hear) (G)

❤️️💙 James has reached the end. The stars beckon. 1 chapter 658 words

Misfortune Favours the Bold (T)

❤️️💚️ After agreeing to help Clover with a minor DIY task, Qrow's renowned bad luck works to his advantage in an unexpected way. 1 chapter 1,957 words

The Monster I've Become (T)

💚💙 James had not expected love, or anything like it, to come calling. But it does, and for a while he can be happy. Life, however, has other plans for him. 1 chapter 4,928 words

The New Stable Master (G)

❤️️💚️ Captain Clover Ebi arrives at Faunus Hall, to take up a position as Stable Master. The estate Steward, Qrow Branwen, is unsure of his suitability for the role. In time, however, Qrow finds they have much in common. 1 chapter 4,925 words

Next Stop Anywhere (T)

❤️️💚️ Clover is old enough to take part in the Sending, a ceremony to set his feet on a journey out into the world. His experiences along the way take his life in more than one unexpected direction. 3 chapters 18,703 words

Northumbrian Treasure (T)

❤️️💚💙 Earl Clover Ebisson was no stranger to the shores of Northumbria— he and his warriors had taken many slaves on their previous raids. This time, the treasure the earl seized would prove more precious than he realised. 1 chapter 4,159 words

The One Who Loved You So (G)

Qrow & James / ❤️️💚 James cares for Qrow. He sometimes wishes he didn't. 1 chapter 1,000 words

The Only One That Knows Me (G)

❤️️💚️ There are two Clover Ebis— one public, one private. Other than Clover himself, only one person knows them both. 1 chapter 1,686 words

Paradigm Shift (M)

❤️️💚️ Clover's life is settled in every way except one. As he searches for the right woman for him, fate takes a hand and sets him on an unexpected path. 10 chapters 19,360 words

The Parent-Teacher Association (T)

❤️️💛 When Yang is involved in yet another playground fight, her teacher has to deal with her equally combative parent. Can Qrow and Tai go beyond their mutual antipathy to reach a more harmonious association? 1 chapter 5,154 words

A Positive Result (G)

🐝🐝 Yang's tiring day at work is forgotten, as Blake shares some good news. 1 chapter 926 words

Practice Makes Perfect (T)

❤️️💚 It's been several years since Clover went on a date, and he's not sure he's ready to try again. But Winter has other ideas, although the consequences of her plan aren't exactly what either of them expected. 3 chapters 8,497 words

a qrow came to me (G)

❤️️💚️ A short scene which could have happened, but sadly never did. 1 chapter 672 words

A Rainbow Above You (T)

❤️️💚️💙 Qrow and Clover both know James needs to take better care of himself, even if the general won't acknowledge the fact. So they decide to take matters into their own hands. 1 chapter 3,144 words

Reassurance (T)

❤️️💚️ Qrow always anticipates the worst outcome in any situation. Clover tries to reassure him, that isn't always how things turn out. 1 chapter 1,113 words

Regency Bees (G)

🐝🐝 / ❤️️💚️, but more in the background A desparate situation calls for a desperate remedy. Especially when you have been told you must marry a gentleman for whom you have no regard. 7 chapters 13,556 words

A Regency Qrow (M)

❤️️💚️ Qrow returns to England after an extended trip, to find society has changed considerably in his absence. 4 chapters 13,918 words

Rescue Mission (M)

💚️💙 / ❤️️💛 En route to oversee talks with two potential Federation members, the United Star Ship Carpathian receives a distress signal. After going to investigate, Captain James Ironwood and his crew find themselves embarking on an unexpected mission. 4 chapters 11,428 words

Right Behind You (E)

❤️️💚 Clover wakes early, while Qrow seems to be in the middle of an interesting dream. The dream becomes real when Clover offers to help. 1 chapter 1,987 words

Room in Your Heart (T)

❤️️💚️ Clover would like to get to know Qrow better, but is there a place for him in Qrow's heart? 1 chapter 2,414 words

The Same Page (T)

❤️️💚️ / 🐝🐝 The war is over, and the future is waiting. Qrow and Clover are settled, and thinking about what might come next for them. For Blake and Yang, things aren't quite so clear-cut. 1 chapter 3,825 words

The Same Sea (T)

❤️️💚️ Qrow knows he can't be around Clover, not after what almost happened. He tries to steer his life in another direction, but sometimes, the current takes you back to where you began. 1 chapter 3,313 words

The Shape of You (T)

❤️️💚️ Qrow sees Clover in a new light. 1 chapter 900 words

Sharp Edges (T)

❤️️💚️ There is more than one way to hurt those you care about. 1 chapter 3,208 words

The Silver Lining (T)

❤️️💚️ When it seems there might be a repeat of the disastrous pandemic of two years ago, the government loses no time in declaring a lockdown of all households. For Qrow and Clover, this presents a problem. 1 chapter 3,162 words

Slowly, Gently (T)

❤️️💚💙💛 The war is over, but recovery is slow. Tai's home on Patch proves to be the ideal place to recuperate— for those that remain. 1 chapter 8,424 words

Snowdrops (T)

❤️️💚️ For Clover, it's a case of once bitten, twice shy. When Qrow's attempts to flirt with him are unsuccessful, he learns something of Clover's past which helps to explain it. 1 chapter 6,465 words

Some Kind of Madness (E)

❤️️💚️ Clover enjoys the heady rush of a new relationship. But after the madness of the early, euphoric liaisons, is there anything more? 1 chapter 3,642 words

Storytime (E)

❤️️💚️ Clover is away, so he calls Qrow and tells him a bedtime story. 1 chapter 1,501 words

Straight From Your Heart (T)

❤️️💚️ Following the catastrophic fight on the tundra, Qrow and Clover try and come to terms with what happened. 4 chapters 4,049 words

Sub Rosa (T)

💚️💙 The books and films had got it all wrong, Clover realised. There was no excitement or romance in a clandestine love affair. Only frustration. 4 chapters 10,279 words

Take My Hand (M)

🛡️🐶 Marrow and Jaune know their relationship is something special... something more than either has known before. They decide they both want to take it further, but is it too soon for Jaune? 1 chapter 2,517 words

Taking Charge (E)

💚💙 James has spent a lifetime being the one in charge. Clover wonders if he'd like to try something a little different. 1 chapter 2,671 words

Thirty Steps (T)

❤️️💚️ Clover almost loses his life in a bitter fight on the tundra. After extensive surgery, he begins his slow journey to recovery. Written for the month of Clovember 2021. 30 chapters 18,544 words

A Thirty-Leaf Clover (T)

Various Clover-centric relationships One 100-word drabble chapter a day, for the month of Clovember 2020. 30 chapters 3,000 words

Thirty-One Qrow Feathers (M)

Various Qrow-centric relationships One 100-word drabble chapter a day, for the month of Qrowtober 2021. 31 chapters 3,100 words

Three Hot Men (T)

❤️️💚💙 A house out in the country should be the perfect place for a short break from the rigours of work. If only they could get the heating to function properly... 1 chapter 2,068 words

A Time To Hold On, A Time To Let Go (G)

🛡️🐶 Sometimes it can take a long while to let go, but that's okay. 1 chapter 683 words

Trial Run (E)

❤️️💚️ Qrow has issued an... unorthodox challenge to Clover. Getting ready for it isn't quite as straightforward as either of them expected. 1,109 words

Two Hearts (G)

❤️️💚️ Two hearts, drawn together. A poem. 1 chapter 184 words

The Warmest Winter (T)

❤️️💚 It is Qrow's first winter in Atlas, and although the weather is cold, he finds warmth in an unexpected, yet welcome, place. 1 chapter 1,587 words

A Way To Say Thank You (G)

❤️️💚️ Qrow is happier than he's ever been, and he knows Clover has played a large part in that. He decides it's time to say thank you. 1,906 words

We Don't Have To Dance (M)

❤️️💚️ Neither Qrow nor Clover is looking for love— both are happy with casual encounters. A chance meeting might change their perspective. 3 chapters 7,555 words

We Dream the Same Dream (T)

❤️️💙 James and Qrow's relationship has served them well for years. Occasional visits with minimal emotional strings attached. Exactly how they both like it. Or is it? Winter is concerned for James' well-being, and decides to step in. 1 chapter 4,636 words

We're Not Boyfriends (E)

❤️️💚️ When everyone assumes you're together, even when you're not, what's the solution? Qrow and Clover decide they might as well roll with it. What's the worst that could happen? 1 chapter 6,794 words

Who Are You? (T)

❤️️💚️ Dreams are always open to interpretation, and Clover has no idea what his means. The answer, when it eventually comes, will change his life. 4 chapters 12,281 words

you know i can't love (T)

❤️️💚️ Loving someone is not always enough. 1 chapter 1,901 words

Your Words, My Mouth (T)

❤️️💚️ Soulmates exist, and Qrow wants none of it; the only occurrence he'd seen before had not ended well. But after the briefest exchange with the first Atlesian he meets, Qrow's stance is called into question as the issue becomes more personal. 1 chapter 4,488 words

[redwineconversation]

Here is What I Do Know

Here is what I do know: I hate losing.

Here is what I do know: that was never a penalty.

Here is what I do know: this will change Lyon.

Most (all?) of you weren't here in 2013 and you weren't here in 2018, either. Those two games - the 2013 final at Stamford Bridge against Wolfsburg, the 2018 Coupe de France final against PSG - it changed them. It just made them so... angry. It forced their true nature out of hiding, I guess.

After that 2018 loss to PSG - and again, Lyon was robbed in that final, absolutely the way they were here - Lyon was just... Idk how to describe it, really. Their eyes were bloodshot in that they were bloodthirsty. And Lyon played them again in the fall, right, and it was the same ref, and Le Progres, love of my life that it is, they said something like "Lyon doesn't have a short-term memory."

And this team doesn't. They remember, you know. They remember being robbed. It stands out for them, injustices like that. They remember being robbed and they remember things being taken away from them and they just, they remember. I think that's important.

It's good for them in that this will piss them off, in that they'll be petty and vindictive and will suffer from insomnia again and hate the rain again. All those things will happen. It's fine.

I mean, it's not, because I hate losing.

And I hate that we were in this situation in the first place. I hate that part of the reason was the error in the first leg, with Carpenter and Horan both watching - and I maintain it's still fair to blame them for that loss - and I hate that part of the reason we played the first leg at home was because of the abysmal first half of the season and the way we performed in the group stages.

When Lyon went out to PSG in 2020-2021, when Renard scored that own goal - most (all?) of you weren't there for that, either. So here is what happened: Lyon retreated back into themselves after the game. They shut themselves off completely. The light in their eyes was gone, the way that Lyon's will be this weekend (and possibly season, I guess we'll see about that).

Anyway, the light was gone in their eyes, you know? April to June, the light was just not there anymore. Their eyes were so dull, so human. But then - but then it was July, right. They came back from summer break. And later - much, much later - Renard talked about what happened in that boardroom that hot humid day in July, about accountability, about how it hurt. That she had been responsible for Lyon losing and she would do everything, absolutely everything, to get Lyon's title back.

There is a lot of time between now and August. And the team we get this fall is going to look much different (but parts of it regrettably will look the same unless by some miracle Malard gets shipped off on loan).

And yet - and yet I am so, so certain that a hot humid day this summer, in a boardroom, one of these players - maybe Renard, maybe Hegerberg, maybe Carpenter - will say they are sorry. They will talk about making things right, about how this team deserved better. They will say and do something, and this team's eyes will become clearer.

Next season this will happen: the monster will come in from the cold.

For now, though, it just sucks. I'm mad because it was a bullshit penalty, because Emma Hayes is Emma Hayes, because Emma Hayes got to fulfill her lifelong dream of knocking Lyon out (thanks to said bullshit penalty). I'm mad because our performance in the first leg cost us this quarterfinal. I'm mad because if we had shown a fraction of this intent in the first leg we wouldn't be having this discussion in the second.

I'm mad because Carpenter and Horan made a dumb mistake in the first leg which made Becho's dumb mistake in the second so costly.

I'm mad because this wasn't a case of Lyon being outplayed, this was a case of Lyon being robbed. There's a difference. I can, have, and will admit when Lyon was simply outplayed. But that's not what happened here. We were not outplayed.

We were robbed.

The only good thing about this, is, well, we've been through this before. Most of you haven't. But I have been. I've seen what happens when Lyon feels robbed.

I hate it when that happens. They hate it when that happens.

They sulk for a bit, and then they come back, and burn the world down just to get some sort of justice. Others have to pay because they were hurt.

Here is what I do know: that's what monsters do, really. Sometimes they slink away and lick their wounds. But they come back to haunt us.

They always do.

[reasoningdaily]

Local Brooklyn businesses say Vanderbilt Open Streets program is hurting them

Prospect Heights business owners pushing back against Vanderbilt Open Streets Program Prospect Heights business owners pushing back against Vanderbilt Open Streets Program 02:58

NEW YORK -- Mrs. Mitchell has owned Mitchell's Soul Food restaurant on Vanderbilt Avenue in Brooklyn for more than 40 years.

"We get a lot of senior citizens and church people on Sundays," said James Bromell, the restaurant manager.

Bromell says since the Open Streets program began on Vanderbilt Avenue in 2020, many longtime customers stopped coming on Sundays, citing disrupted bus routes and difficulty to get there by car. The street is closed seasonally for most of the weekend, starting at rush hour on Fridays and ending Sunday nights.

"All I asked was to give me Sunday. You know, I lose money on Friday, I lose money on Saturdays. But again, I will accept the loss if I had to get Sunday. But they refuse," he said.

The restaurant is among many that have asked city leaders and the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council, which manages this Open Street, for a compromise.

"We're sorry about that because our intention is to create a program that's a win-win for everybody on Vanderbilt Avenue," said Gib Veconi, board chair of PHNDC.

Veconi said the council has tried to accommodate Mitchell's.

"We've offered to put in a neighborhood loading zone on the intersection closest to their restaurants so that there's a place for their customers to pull in and pick up food," he explained. "We've also offered to help them take advantage of the foot traffic that comes to Vanderbilt Avenue by placing tables and chairs in front of their restaurant."

It wasn't the solution Mitchell's was looking for.

"What they offered me was unacceptable," Bromell responds. "We never dine outside, you know?"

Business owners' grievances against the program

CBS News New York's Hannah Kliger asked Veconi whether there is any compromise that can be made to prevent the longtime business from having to close.

"Oh, I am not at all certain the business will close its doors. I don't know that that's expected in this case," Veconi responded.

When Kliger asked Bromell whether the restaurant is in danger of closing, he said it was, because the business is operating in the negative.

"She is taking her personal savings to make payroll to keep the business going," he said of Mrs. Mitchell. "Because she's not making the money she was making before."

Mitchell's is not alone in its grievances against the program. Frank Widdi co-owns Foodtown Market a few blocks down. He says Open Streets is scaring off his customers who come to grocery shop on the weekends.

"They tell me, Frank, I was I was circling around two, three, four times. I couldn't find parking. And then eventually I had to go to a store that is further out," Widdi said, adding that the issue is exacerbated with gridlock. "When they close the streets, other avenues and streets are congested like that. So it just defeats the purpose."

Lynda Balsama is the founding member of United Neighbors of Prospect and Crown Heights, a community group frustrated with officials turning a deaf ear.

She says three dozen businesses in the area wrote letters to city leaders expressing their concerns.

"Everybody was told that this was a beloved program, that the entire community was behind it. A little bit of a shell game going on. But once we started talking to each other, we realized that that was not actually the case," she said.

The group collected more than 2,000 signatures from the community, including members of the local fire and police departments, who cited worries about emergency response times.

Open Streets has more than its fair share of supporters

Open Streets supporters say the program improves safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

"There's a second side of safety, and that's people who need to be taken to the hospital. If you're having a stroke, you want to get to the hospital in six minutes, not 10 minutes," Balsama said.

In response to these claims, the city's Department of Transportation pointed to a 2-year-old analysis of the pandemic-era economic benefits of Open Streets, but did not respond to any direct questions.

A spokesperson for City Hall replied with the following statement: "New Yorkers deserve high-quality public spaces — and thanks to Open Streets, we can better utilize our city's blocks as community spaces where people can spend time with family and loved ones and build community with their neighbors. Our focus on creating better public spaces has also helped improve New Yorkers' health and quality of life while supporting local businesses. We look forward to discussing these concerns directly with business owners in the community."

There was a town hall scheduled with Mayor Adams on Sept. 9, which was cancelled because of his COVID-19 diagnosis. More than two weeks since, a new date has not been set.

This weekend is going to be the last for the Vanderbilt Open Street this year, with no word on whether it will start back up next spring.

[xprojectrpg]

This Day in X-Project - August 25

2015: Maya texts Wade asking to pay him back. Jubilee complains about jet lag. Lorna texts Alex to ask about his moms and if he liked his surfboard. Rahne asks if anyone knows a good church nearby. Clint emails Kyle, Doug, Namor, Molly, Billy, Matt, Laurie, Felicia, Angel, Gabriel, and Wanda about Shark Weekend (SHWEEKEND) and a game night.

2016: Darcy announces that the new Star Trek makeup collection by MAC is out. Doug sends an email to Laurie, Wade and Marie-Ange regarding a weekend getaway and forgotten birthdays. Alison asks for some powers help via the journal to see if she can make herself invisible and Susan offers to help with practice.

2017: Maya shares the new Taylor Swift single. Green-Eyed Monster: Alex realises that all of those who have gotten sick had been to a tourist place, street fair or bodega recently.

2018: Morningstar: Bobbi and Warren reminisce on their relationship and make some plans for the future.

2019: Alex texts the X-Factor team to get an update on their packing for the team vacation.

2020:

2021:

2022: Operation: Kefauver: The party crashers set their plan into action - Doug and Emma get in with an HFC invitation; Marie-Ange and Topaz pull some shenanigans to get access to the back room and plant a tap; Kevin uses the tap to compromise security, and give Felicia and Sarah a way in; a meeting between the Maggia family heads go poorly. Kyle posts about NEEDING a new game.

2023: Jubilee posts a dance video and asks if anyone will learn the dance with her. Shatterstar and Haller talk about Haller having met Benjamin. Haller gets a front-row seat to April's twinned self-image while he questions her during parkour. Liam meets Jess and Jess' bottle of liquor, no one in the situation is impressed. While Topaz is packing, Sharon S. drops in to meet Midnight and her.

[monriatitans]

Ta-Da! List: Saturday, June 8th

The image was made in Canva; check it out at the [referral] link here!

I share my ���Ta-Da! List” every day so everyone gets a daily update and I have a reminder of what I’ve accomplished.

To learn more about “Ta-Da! Lists”, and other ADHD life hacks, check out @adhdjesse’s book Extra Focus: The Quick Start Guide to Adult ADHD.

Abbreviations

- MT: MonriaTitans - O&T: Opinions & Truth Blog - WGS: The Weekend Game Show - ASO: Artist Shout-Out - IG: Instagram - BMAC: Buy Me a Coffee - TDL: Ta-Da! List

Ta-Da! List

✧ throughout the day: - kept emails manageable - loaded the dishwasher - filled out today’s TDL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ✧ on the mobile phone: - YouTube: watched Upper Echelon’s short “Video Games Play YOU… (Not The Other Way Around)” - Hive: shared today’s ASO and the “LDSS Big Changes” announcement

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ✧ on the bedroom setup: - YouTube: watched and/or listened to Jim Sterling’s videos “The Problems With The Epic Store”, “Quantic Dream Or Quantic Nightmare?”, “The Business Of Lies”, and “The Exploitative Push For Social Networking In Games” - Movies: watched “The Nightmare Before Christmas” - O&T: shared today’s TDL to various social media

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ✧ on the office setup: - WGS: gave a human artist, Adam Miller, a shout-out by sharing it on O&T, Tumblr, and other social media; shared a “Big Changes” announcement regarding ASO sharing, and what’s going on tomorrow, to The Titans’ Discord, IG, and other social media; changed the IG links in the Google Doc ASO list to their Tumblr or O&T links; prepared the ASO for tomorrow, June 9th; updated the StreamElement “SocialMedia Rotation” with the MT IG username; set up the Overlays in Streamlabs for “Super Lesbian Animal RPG” - Gaming: played “Final Fantasy XIV” - YouTube: watched and/or listened to Jim Sterling’s videos “The Addictive Cost Of Predatory Videogame Monetization”, “Stadia, Subscriptions, And The Death Of Game Ownership”, “G2A Isn’t Just Worse Than Piracy… It’s Also Very Stupid And Embarrassing”, “The ESA Is A Big Piece Of Shit”, “EA Doesn’t Like Being Seen As The Bad Guy? Too bad!”, “The Annual Square Enix Letter From Hell”, “The Game Industry Hides How Bad The Really Bad Layoffs Are”, “The Game Reviewer Who Hates Games”, “Single-Player Healthcare”, “The Most Influential Game Of The Decade”, “Liar’s Year 2020”, “When Inane Creeps Attack Actors For Something A Fictional Character Did”, “A Truly Fucked Up Industry”, “Digital Homicide Resurfaces With Some Incredible BS”, “Violence In Videogames, Wankers In The White House”, “Anger”, “Blood, Guts, And Videogames”, “Muscles Of The Apocalypse”, “False Advertising Vs. Narrative Subversion”, and “Should ‘Metroidvania’ Be Abolished?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ✧ chores and miscellaneous: - Food: had coffee and chocolate for breakfast; went to family dinner; had more chocolate - Chores: checked the mail

—

Well, these are all the updates I had for today! Thank you for reading!

May every decision you make be *in the spirit of fairness* and may the rest of your day *NOT go to $#!7*!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[msmargaretmurry]

"slow goodbye" leon/matthew

back at it again with the fic title prompts!! i have a few of these left and i am Determined to get through them by end of the long weekend. i was going to do more of them today but instead i went and bought a bunch of plants, and then i had to be responsible for all those plants. happens to the best of us.

(also, to the anon who send a pov flip ask like a month ago at this point — i promise i haven't forgotten about it! i will get to it. hopefully soon!!!)

ANYWAY: y'all can't get mad at me for this, because i didn't pick the title, and the title is CLEARLY for a breakup fic. i'm feeling something set during the 2022 battle of alberta series.

i think for this one i would lightly plagiarize myself by yoinking the structure i used for send me off to a foreign land, with play-by-play of that last game of the series breaking up the scenes leading up to it.

so matthew and leon have been doing the frenemies with benefits thing for a while — let's be cliche, let's let them have first hooked up at the 2020 all star game — hooked up one other time that season, then didn't again for a while because of all the covid chaos, and then started up again during the 2021–22 preseason and have been going pretty strong all season. they're not friends, not really, but they're both kind of soft at their cores, so hooking up a bunch has unfortunately fostered some fondness between them. and by "fostered some fondness" i mean that they're a little obsessed with each other. not that they'll admit that. possibly they won't even admit it to themselves.

the oilers get to town for the playoff series a couple days before game one and they decide, okay, let's just hook up once and then we're not talking to each other until the series is over. surely this is a good and fine plan and nothing could go wrong. leon sneaks off to matthew's for the evening, a process that is far too familiar by now. matthew offers him a beer, but won't be having one himself — he doesn't drink during the playoffs — so leon abstains as well. it feels a little weird because they usually have a drink first, but everything already feels kind of weirdly charged in a way leon can't quite put his finger on, so — whatever. they stare at each other in the foyer for a moment, and then matthew asks, "do you think this is a bad idea?"

leon says, "do you think it's ever really been a good idea?"

"fair enough," matthew says. they go upstairs, have some sex that is somehow tenderhorny and fucknasty at the same time. is it a teensy bit possessive? perhaps! there's just something about it that already feels strangely final. probably because whichever of them loses this playoff series is going to hold a grudge about it forever. possibly too much of a grudge to keep doing this. matthew is careful with leon's ankle without ever actually acknowledging out loud how transparently bad the injury is, which for some reason makes leon feel awfully vulnerable.

afterward when they're lying together all sweaty and naked, not quite cuddling but not quite not cuddling, after a long silence, matthew says without looking at leon, "i don't think i'm gonna re-sign in calgary."

"what?" leon asks, then, "why are you telling me this?"

matthew shrugs. "i don't know. i wanted to say it out loud, i guess. and i can't say it to anyone here yet. and i don't want to say it to my family yet. obviously if, you know, we win the cup or whatever, maybe i'll change my mind, but. i dunno. i think it'll be good for me to get out of here."

leon spends a long minute turning all of this over in his head and trying to process the strangely strong feelings he has about it. about matthew telling him — about matthew telling him, specifically, because he doesn't matter enough to keep it from him.

eventually he says, "well, you're not winning the cup anyway. because we're gonna kick your ass."

matthew snorts, but rolls onto leon to kiss him, and they don't wind up going again but they do make out for a very long time.

meanwhile in game five, leon is fully focused on the game, except for some fleeting moments between whistles when he finds himself looking for matthew. he's pretty sure matthew is injured, and he can't figure out if matthew was injured when they hooked up and he just didn't notice. the game is an absolute battle, lots of trading leads and tying it back up again, so he really needs to fucking focus. his foot feels like it's going to fall off. he wants to win so fucking badly.

and then — they do win. leon sets connor up for that otgwg and they are so relieved and so happy, and it's not until he's shaking matthew's hand in the handshake line that he realizes that the other night felt final because it was final. no one else in the world knows that matthew is probably leaving calgary, but leon knows, and he wishes he didn't. because if he didn't know, then he wouldn't have to wonder where he's going, and how much futher away it'll be.

he texts matthew after the game, even though he knows matthew won't want to hear it: good game. and good luck this summer.

matthew texts back: thanks. take care.

[brookston]

Holidays 2.17

Holidays

Aegle Asteroid Day

Analog to Digital TV Day

Baird Color TV Day

Celandine Day (French Republic)

Commemoration of all the Defunct Member of the Royal Family (Belgium)

Daisy Gatson Bates Day (Arkansas)

Day of Cancelled Expectations

Dia Internacional do Gato (International Cat Day; Portugal)

Electra Asteroid Day

Global Tourism Resilience Day

International Day of Responsible Gaming

International Juggalo Day

Inventor’s Day (Mexico)

League of United Latin American Citizens Day

LULAC Founder’s Day

Minimum Wage Day

Missouri Compromise Day

My Way Day

National Cat Day (Italy; Poland)

National Champion Crab Races Day

National GvHD Awareness Day

National PTA Founders’ Day

National Public Science Day

National Tennis Pro Day

National Women’s Emancipation Day (Lithuania)

Perfume Day

Practice Your Free Throws Day

Random Acts of Kindness Day

Saffron Crocus Day

When You Grow Up Day

Who Shall I Be Day

World Cat Day (Italy)

World Community Arts Day

World Human Spirit Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Cafe au Lait Day

Canned Sardines Day

Dark Lord Tickets Go On Sale Day

Indian Pudding Day

International Crumpet Day

National Cabbage Day

Snow Ice Cream Day

3rd Saturday in February

Barley Wine Day (San Francisco) [Saturday before Presidents Day]

Community Pubs Week begins (UK) [3rd Saturday through 4th Saturday]

International Restaurant Day [3rd Saturday] (also May, Aug & Nov)

National Black Movie Day [3rd Saturday]

Red Sock Day [3rd Saturday]

Shopping Cart Saturday (New Orleans) [Saturday before Mardi Gras]

World Pangolin Day [3rd Saturday]

World Whale Day [3rd Saturday]

Weekly Holidays beginning February 17

National Engineers Week [thru 2.24]

National FFA Week [thru 2.24]

Take Your Family to School Week [thru 2.23]

Independence & Related Days

Great Lawl Reich (Declared; 2014) [unrecognized]

Greenia (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Kosovo (from Serbia, 2008)

Libyan Revolution Day (Libya)

Sildavia (Declared; 2020) [unrecognized]

Festivals Beginning February 17, 2024

Anderson Vakey White Wine Weekend (Anderson Valley, California) [thru 2.18]

Annie Awards [Animation] (Los Angeles, California)

Arizona Strong Beer Festival (Phoenix, Arizona)

Bay Area Renaissance Festival (Date City, California) [thru 3.31]

Cedarburg Winter Festival (Cedarburg, Wisconsin) [thru 2.18]

Color the Wind Kite Festival (Clear Lake, Iowa)

Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival Cortez, Florida) [thru 2.18]

Hardee County Fair (Wauchula, Florida) [thru 2.24]

Jupiter Seafood Festival (Jupiter, Florida) [thru 2.18]

Lake Tahoe Winter Reggae Festival (Stateline, Nevada) [thru 2.18]

Melodifestivalen (Växjö, Sweden) [thru 2.17]

Menton Lemon Festival Menton, France) [thru 3.3]

Nice Carnival (Nice, France) [thru 3.3]

Omaha Beer Week (Omaha, Nebraska) [thru 2.25]

Panama City Beach Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival (Panama City Beach, Florida) [thru 2.18]

Philly Beer Fest (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) [ website ]

Sertoma Chili Cookoff (Springfield, Missouri)

Sourdough Bread Festival (Cherry Valley, California) [thru 2.25]

Feast Days

Alexis Falconieri (Christian; Saint)

Andre Norton (Writerism)

Cantre’r Gwaelod (Celtic Book of Days)

Commemoration of the Flight into Egypt (Christian)

Constabilis (Christian; Saint)

Donatus, Romulus, Secundian, and Companions (Christian; Martyrs)

Evermod (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Shezmu (Egyptian God of the Wine Press)

Festival of Quirinus (God of War, Storms & Thunder; Ancient Rome)

Finan (Christian; Saint)

Fintan of Clonenagh (Christian; Saint)

Flavian, Archbishop of Constantinople (Christian; Saint)

The Flutebird (Muppetism)

Fornacalia: Day of the Ovens (Old Roman Bread Festival)

Fornax’s Day (Pagan)

Fortchern of Trim (Christian; Saint)

Hachinohe Enburi Matsuri (Festival for a Good Harvest; Japan)

Hadaka Matsuri (Loincloth Festival; Japan)

Hopping Day (Pastafarian)

Isaac Asimov Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Janani Luwum (Anglican Communion)

Kali Yuga (The Evil Age; Everyday Wicca)

Lommán of Trim (a.k.a. Leman or Luman; Christian; Saint)

Lucian (Positivist; Saint)

Pierre-Auguste Cot (Artology)

The Quirinalia (Feast of Fools; Ancient Rome)

Raphaelle Peale (Artology)

Saidai-ji Eyo Hadaka Matsuri (Naked Festival; Japan)

Seven Founders of the Servite Order (Christian; Saint)

Sheep Shearing and Blessings Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Silvia of Auchy (Christian; Saint)

Sepandārmazgān (Day of Women; Ancient Persia; Zoroastrian)

Tanis Diena (Pig Celebration; Latvia)

Theodulus and Julian, in Palestine (Christian; Martyrs)

Toshigoi (For a Bountiful Rice Harvest; Shinto)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Lucky Day (Philippines) [10 of 71]

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Tycho Brahe Unlucky Day (Scandinavia) [9 of 37]

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [12 of 57]

Unglückstage (Unlucky Day; Pennsylvania Dutch) [9 of 30]

Very Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [11 of 60]

Premieres

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Film; 2023)

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (Film; 1989)

The Brady Bunch Movie (Film; 1995)

Camping Out (Disney Cartoon; 1934)

Destiny’s Child, by Destiny’s Child (Album; 1998)

Eagle: Their Greatest Hits (Compilation Album; 1976)

Exercises in Style, by Raymond Queneau (Book; 1947)

Fancy, by Iggy Azalea (Song; 2014)

Footloose (Film; 1984)

Gunga Din (Film; 1939)

Hell’s Fire, featuring WIllie Whopper (Ub Iwerks Cartoon; 1934)

Hey, Hey, It’s the Monkees (TV Special; 1997)

High Voltage, by AC/DC (Album; 1975)

Honeymoon Hotel (WB MM Cartoon; 1934)

Jerry, Jerry, Quite Contrary (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1966)

The Kick Inside, by Kate Bush (Album; 1978)

Madame Butterfly, by Giacomo Puccini (Opera; 1904)

The Marvels (Film; 2023)

Politics Among Nations, by Hans J. Morgenthau (Political Theory; 1948)

The Right Stuff (Film; 1984)

Scooby-Doo! Moon Monster Madness (WB Animated Film; 2015)

The Secret World Arrietty (Animated Studio Ghibli Film; 2012)

Simon Says, Be My Valentine, Parts 3 & 4 (Underdog Cartoon, S3, Eps. 19 & 20 1967)

Symphony in D Minor, by César Franck (Symphony; 1889)

This Means War (Film; 2012)

Valleri, by The Monks (Song; 1968)

Variations on a Nursery Song for Piano and Orchestra, by Ernst von Dohnanyi (Orchestral Work; 1917)

Today’s Name Days

Alexius, Benignus, Bonosus (Austria)

Bartol, Benedikt, Flavije (Croatia)

Miloslava (Czech Republic)

Findanus (Denmark)

Salmo, Väino, Väinu (Estonia)

Karita, Rita, Väinämö, Väinö (Finland)

Alexis (France)

Alexis, Benignus (Germany)

Theodoros (Greece)

Donát (Hungary)

Donato, Marianna, Patrizia (Italy)

Auce, Donāts, Konstance (Latvia)

Donata, Donatas, Vaišvilas, Viltė (Lithuania)

Aleksandra, Sandra, Sondre (Norway)

Donat, Donata, Franciszek, Izydor, Julian, Konstanty, Łukasz, Niegomir, Sylwin, Zbigniew, Zbyszko (Poland)

Teodor (Romania)

Miloslava (Slovakia)

Alejo, Alexis, Teodoro (Spain)

Alexandra, Sandra (Sweden)

Jordan, Jordana, Jordanne, Jorden, Jordon, Jordyn, Leroy, Reggie, Reginald, Regis, Rex, Rexanna, Rexford, Rexine, Roy, Royce (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 48 of 2024; 318 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of week 7 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 28 of 28]

Chinese: Month 1 (Bing-Yin), Day 8 ()

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025)

Hebrew: 8 Adair I 5784

Islamic: 7 Sha’ban 1445

J Cal: 18 Grey; Foursday [18 of 30]

Julian: 4 February 2024

Moon: 63%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 20 Homer (2nd Month) [Lucian]

Runic Half Month: Sigel (Sun) [Day 9 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 59 of 89)

Week: 2nd Week of February

Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 27 of 28)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 2.17

Holidays

Aegle Asteroid Day

Analog to Digital TV Day

Baird Color TV Day

Celandine Day (French Republic)

Commemoration of all the Defunct Member of the Royal Family (Belgium)

Daisy Gatson Bates Day (Arkansas)

Day of Cancelled Expectations

Dia Internacional do Gato (International Cat Day; Portugal)

Electra Asteroid Day

Global Tourism Resilience Day

International Day of Responsible Gaming

International Juggalo Day

Inventor’s Day (Mexico)

League of United Latin American Citizens Day

LULAC Founder’s Day

Minimum Wage Day

Missouri Compromise Day

My Way Day

National Cat Day (Italy; Poland)

National Champion Crab Races Day

National GvHD Awareness Day

National PTA Founders’ Day

National Public Science Day

National Tennis Pro Day

National Women’s Emancipation Day (Lithuania)

Perfume Day

Practice Your Free Throws Day

Random Acts of Kindness Day

Saffron Crocus Day

When You Grow Up Day

Who Shall I Be Day

World Cat Day (Italy)

World Community Arts Day

World Human Spirit Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Cafe au Lait Day

Canned Sardines Day

Dark Lord Tickets Go On Sale Day

Indian Pudding Day

International Crumpet Day

National Cabbage Day

Snow Ice Cream Day

3rd Saturday in February

Barley Wine Day (San Francisco) [Saturday before Presidents Day]

Community Pubs Week begins (UK) [3rd Saturday through 4th Saturday]

International Restaurant Day [3rd Saturday] (also May, Aug & Nov)

National Black Movie Day [3rd Saturday]

Red Sock Day [3rd Saturday]

Shopping Cart Saturday (New Orleans) [Saturday before Mardi Gras]

World Pangolin Day [3rd Saturday]

World Whale Day [3rd Saturday]

Weekly Holidays beginning February 17

National Engineers Week [thru 2.24]

National FFA Week [thru 2.24]

Take Your Family to School Week [thru 2.23]

Independence & Related Days

Great Lawl Reich (Declared; 2014) [unrecognized]

Greenia (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Kosovo (from Serbia, 2008)

Libyan Revolution Day (Libya)

Sildavia (Declared; 2020) [unrecognized]

Festivals Beginning February 17, 2024

Anderson Vakey White Wine Weekend (Anderson Valley, California) [thru 2.18]

Annie Awards [Animation] (Los Angeles, California)

Arizona Strong Beer Festival (Phoenix, Arizona)

Bay Area Renaissance Festival (Date City, California) [thru 3.31]

Cedarburg Winter Festival (Cedarburg, Wisconsin) [thru 2.18]

Color the Wind Kite Festival (Clear Lake, Iowa)

Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival Cortez, Florida) [thru 2.18]

Hardee County Fair (Wauchula, Florida) [thru 2.24]

Jupiter Seafood Festival (Jupiter, Florida) [thru 2.18]

Lake Tahoe Winter Reggae Festival (Stateline, Nevada) [thru 2.18]

Melodifestivalen (Växjö, Sweden) [thru 2.17]

Menton Lemon Festival Menton, France) [thru 3.3]

Nice Carnival (Nice, France) [thru 3.3]

Omaha Beer Week (Omaha, Nebraska) [thru 2.25]

Panama City Beach Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival (Panama City Beach, Florida) [thru 2.18]

Philly Beer Fest (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) [ website ]

Sertoma Chili Cookoff (Springfield, Missouri)

Sourdough Bread Festival (Cherry Valley, California) [thru 2.25]

Feast Days

Alexis Falconieri (Christian; Saint)

Andre Norton (Writerism)

Cantre’r Gwaelod (Celtic Book of Days)

Commemoration of the Flight into Egypt (Christian)

Constabilis (Christian; Saint)

Donatus, Romulus, Secundian, and Companions (Christian; Martyrs)

Evermod (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Shezmu (Egyptian God of the Wine Press)

Festival of Quirinus (God of War, Storms & Thunder; Ancient Rome)

Finan (Christian; Saint)

Fintan of Clonenagh (Christian; Saint)

Flavian, Archbishop of Constantinople (Christian; Saint)

The Flutebird (Muppetism)

Fornacalia: Day of the Ovens (Old Roman Bread Festival)

Fornax’s Day (Pagan)

Fortchern of Trim (Christian; Saint)

Hachinohe Enburi Matsuri (Festival for a Good Harvest; Japan)

Hadaka Matsuri (Loincloth Festival; Japan)

Hopping Day (Pastafarian)

Isaac Asimov Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Janani Luwum (Anglican Communion)

Kali Yuga (The Evil Age; Everyday Wicca)

Lommán of Trim (a.k.a. Leman or Luman; Christian; Saint)

Lucian (Positivist; Saint)

Pierre-Auguste Cot (Artology)

The Quirinalia (Feast of Fools; Ancient Rome)

Raphaelle Peale (Artology)

Saidai-ji Eyo Hadaka Matsuri (Naked Festival; Japan)

Seven Founders of the Servite Order (Christian; Saint)

Sheep Shearing and Blessings Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Silvia of Auchy (Christian; Saint)

Sepandārmazgān (Day of Women; Ancient Persia; Zoroastrian)

Tanis Diena (Pig Celebration; Latvia)

Theodulus and Julian, in Palestine (Christian; Martyrs)

Toshigoi (For a Bountiful Rice Harvest; Shinto)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Lucky Day (Philippines) [10 of 71]

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Tycho Brahe Unlucky Day (Scandinavia) [9 of 37]

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [12 of 57]

Unglückstage (Unlucky Day; Pennsylvania Dutch) [9 of 30]

Very Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [11 of 60]

Premieres

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Film; 2023)

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (Film; 1989)

The Brady Bunch Movie (Film; 1995)

Camping Out (Disney Cartoon; 1934)

Destiny’s Child, by Destiny’s Child (Album; 1998)

Eagle: Their Greatest Hits (Compilation Album; 1976)

Exercises in Style, by Raymond Queneau (Book; 1947)

Fancy, by Iggy Azalea (Song; 2014)

Footloose (Film; 1984)

Gunga Din (Film; 1939)

Hell’s Fire, featuring WIllie Whopper (Ub Iwerks Cartoon; 1934)

Hey, Hey, It’s the Monkees (TV Special; 1997)

High Voltage, by AC/DC (Album; 1975)

Honeymoon Hotel (WB MM Cartoon; 1934)

Jerry, Jerry, Quite Contrary (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1966)

The Kick Inside, by Kate Bush (Album; 1978)

Madame Butterfly, by Giacomo Puccini (Opera; 1904)

The Marvels (Film; 2023)

Politics Among Nations, by Hans J. Morgenthau (Political Theory; 1948)

The Right Stuff (Film; 1984)

Scooby-Doo! Moon Monster Madness (WB Animated Film; 2015)

The Secret World Arrietty (Animated Studio Ghibli Film; 2012)

Simon Says, Be My Valentine, Parts 3 & 4 (Underdog Cartoon, S3, Eps. 19 & 20 1967)

Symphony in D Minor, by César Franck (Symphony; 1889)

This Means War (Film; 2012)

Valleri, by The Monks (Song; 1968)

Variations on a Nursery Song for Piano and Orchestra, by Ernst von Dohnanyi (Orchestral Work; 1917)

Today’s Name Days

Alexius, Benignus, Bonosus (Austria)

Bartol, Benedikt, Flavije (Croatia)

Miloslava (Czech Republic)

Findanus (Denmark)

Salmo, Väino, Väinu (Estonia)

Karita, Rita, Väinämö, Väinö (Finland)

Alexis (France)

Alexis, Benignus (Germany)

Theodoros (Greece)

Donát (Hungary)

Donato, Marianna, Patrizia (Italy)

Auce, Donāts, Konstance (Latvia)

Donata, Donatas, Vaišvilas, Viltė (Lithuania)

Aleksandra, Sandra, Sondre (Norway)

Donat, Donata, Franciszek, Izydor, Julian, Konstanty, Łukasz, Niegomir, Sylwin, Zbigniew, Zbyszko (Poland)

Teodor (Romania)

Miloslava (Slovakia)

Alejo, Alexis, Teodoro (Spain)

Alexandra, Sandra (Sweden)

Jordan, Jordana, Jordanne, Jorden, Jordon, Jordyn, Leroy, Reggie, Reginald, Regis, Rex, Rexanna, Rexford, Rexine, Roy, Royce (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 48 of 2024; 318 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of week 7 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 28 of 28]

Chinese: Month 1 (Bing-Yin), Day 8 ()

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025)

Hebrew: 8 Adair I 5784

Islamic: 7 Sha’ban 1445

J Cal: 18 Grey; Foursday [18 of 30]

Julian: 4 February 2024

Moon: 63%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 20 Homer (2nd Month) [Lucian]

Runic Half Month: Sigel (Sun) [Day 9 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 59 of 89)

Week: 2nd Week of February

Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 27 of 28)

[ne-spivay-ranenko]

Jukebox January: Day 4, and 5, and 6... and 7... and 8 and 9 too...

the original post tag of all my posts

So, I fell victim to the classic "I got distracted and missed one day... so now I'll just do two the next day... but that's overwhelming so maybe I'll wait until the weekend... and then somehow now it's the 9th and I missed doing a whole bunch of days that I really had great songs for." So I'm doing it all now. At once. But in a smaller format: no links, and I'll only write paragraphs for the ones that I have a lot to say about. Then I can feel good about catching up!

On to D, E, F, G, H, I:

Demoni - Joker Out My soundtrack of 2023. The song that changed my year by making me fall in love with the music of five shagadelic Slovenians. The first Joker Out song I listened to when I wanted to check out more music from Eurovision artists, and I was hooked. Seriously, this song creates such an atmosphere that I had to listen to it over and over and over. I think it's that the beat kind of reminds me of a heartbeat? Like when you're alone and it's very quiet and all you can hear is your own heartbeat. Which does feel a bit like you're alone with your demons...

Democracy - Leonard Cohen Released in 1992, but sounds almost like it could have been written in 2020. I listened to this song a lot that year, and it captures America so well, all about the irony of the struggle for democracy in a country that's theoretically based on democracy. I could say a lot about this song, and maybe I'll come back to this later and write more, because every line has something I could say about the connections between 1992 and 2020.

Dear Dictator - Saint Motel All I have to say here: "It's not too late to say you're sorry, but it's too late to truly mean it" is one of my favorite lyrics ever, never have I heard it said so well, how I feel about people who have done unforgivable things.

Dzeguzes balss - Carnival Youth A cover of a song from a Latvian movie from several decades ago, and while I admit I don't know the whole context of the movie, the song's lyrics are so, so good. No matter what, the voice of the cuckoo can't be stopped: "Mēs to norakām bedrē, sirds stūrī/Bet, kad mazliet atlaidās sals/Tad kā naiva narcise izlīda/Dzeguzes balss!"

Dead Star - Muse

Do I Wanna Know? - Arctic Monkeys

DESTROYA - My Chemical Romance For one of my favorite lines ever: "with blood they wash in money", and for how much I love the overlapping vocal parts in the end.

Dear Jealousy - MIKA

Dīvainas Parādības - Embark I have to plug this band because I'm one degree of separation away from the ex-drummer. So, check them out!

Eternally Missed - Muse Too good of a song to be buried as a B-side forever, the guitar effects in this building up the tension are amazing, and the emotion just pouring from Matt's voice.

Eve of Agnes - XIXA and Imarhan

Eyes - Sudden Lights

Enjoy the Silence - Depeche Mode

Ero s onoga svijeta - Let 3 I always love crazy Eurovision acts because they almost always have a serious meaning buried underneath the music. When I got to learn about Let 3's long history of saying "fuck you" to fascism and the background of this song (taken from the most famous Croatian opera), that's what made me love them most of all.

Fifty Years After the Fair - Aimee Mann So, this is again a song of some really specific interest of mine, and this is from a time in my teens when I had a fascination with the 1939 World's Fair. And the song is all about how the fair was showing such a bright future and then--WW2 in Europe broke out while the fair was still going on. "How beautiful it was, tomorrow" is the line that breaks my heart every time.

Famous Last Words - My Chemical Romance

Fallout Shelter - Mike and Bernie Winters Another one of those Fallout-game-vibe songs that I love so much.

Figure It Out - Duncan Laurence I don't actually listen to Duncan much, but this one is important to me because it's the one that @sorrelink sends to me when I'm anxious about the future.

Friction - Imagine Dragons I know this band is much-maligned for making empty stomp-clap stadium music, but their second album is really, really good and has some incredible lyrics. This one in particular I remember listening to a lot in my last year of high school when I was feeling a lot of pressure to succeed and stressing about it.

Fitter Happier - Radiohead Less of a song and more of an interlude on the album. I just used to listen to OK Computer a lot in my teens and this is what I always think of with that album.

Gennifer Flowers - Fever Dolls

Give Me The Future - Bastille

God Knows I Tried - Lana Del Rey Another artist I don't listen to much anymore but who I listened to a lot in the past. To me she does satire of America amazingly, but at the same time doesn't seem self-aware of it, but it also might just be an act of her stage persona? Anyway, this song is a favorite of mine just for how this line makes me feel: "Put on that Hotel California, dance around like I'm insane/I feel free when I see no one and nobody knows my name"

Ghost Lights - Woodkid

Gladiator - Jann

Hysteria - Muse One of the best songs ever, and I know I'm biased because I love Muse, but: The legendary bassline. The way the guitar solo builds all this tension and then explodes out. "I'm not breaking down, I'm breaking out." 1000/10, if you don't know this song you need to.

Hooked on Radiation - Atomizer Sometimes Spotify gives you some random song from 2003 and it's really good?

Haemoglobin - Placebo

H.S. - Tom Cardy The most inspirational comedy song ever. Like, it's meant to be funny but it also makes me feel so much better about myself. Also it's about space.

Home - Dotan

In corpore sano - Konstrakta Every single time I look at the lyrics of this song (or someone's analysis of the song) I get more and more layers of meaning. This whole song is literally an art piece, she is so good at seeing social issues and writing about them in a way that packs so much into a 3 minute song. And as someone who has a lot of health related anxiety -- "a sick mind in a healthy body" is all too real of an experience for me.

Izbēgšana - Sudden Lights

I Appear Missing - Queens of the Stone Age

Istanbul (Not Constantinople) - They Might Be Giants Could not resist adding this. If you don't know it, you need to. Why did Constantinople get the works?

In the Year 2525 - Zager and Evans A classic in the "looking at the future from the 1960s" genre I love so much.

I Am Not a Robot - MARINA (Marina and the Diamonds) An important reminder to me, someone who struggles a lot with being a people-pleaser: better to be hated than loved for what I'm not.

[highschool-rooftop]

oct. 27th, 2020

man its weird to think this blog is 2 years old isnt it? like when I started this i thought that i was anyday from just killing myself, i had no hope, no job, and was about to love my living situation but thanks to a few nice friends and accepting people, i was able to land a job at *generic sounding name for local seafood joint* and then after that place stressing me to the point of panic attacks and taking it out on the wait staff... then i ended things nice with that place despite how much i hated it and i apologized to the wait staff alot.. probably too much...

now ive worked at *big store chain* a year now and i hate it just as much as i hated *generic sounding name for local seafood joint* for a similar reason too!! i fucking despite the people that run the places i work because i know i could probably do their job 30× better, i just choose not to because thats also 30× more responsibility on my shoulders and ive already got broken legs from the shit i feel like im dealing with outside of work.

the more i focus for a minute the more i feel like my life is in shambles and that im barely functioning right anymore. ive been horribly depressed again as of the past couple months and my family i live with barely talk to me because im always in my room which is like totally fair, but if im not sleeping up there im using whatever energy is left from work to hang out with my friends because theyre actually engaged in the topics i talk about, they show interest and actually talk to me not at me. my aunt and uncle and i have few interests in common so its incredibly difficult for me to keep a conversation going for long with them. theyre always playing card games or board games but im not interested in them, theyre not really that fun for me. my uncle plays xbox but hes typically on COD which i dont enjoy because of how toxic those communities are, hes got minecraft but the last time he played he never told me he was getting on at all otherwise i would've joined! then theres me and my cousin who are currently on nearly completely different schedules and really only see each other when hes taking me to and from work which makes it hard to hang out and play games, and thats of hes even willing to play any of the games im comfortable with and not trying another Survival-Crafting-RPG-Game of the week or something like factorio which is hyper complicated and i dont have the time to dedicate to learning how to play correctly so i just end up being a resource collector and its kinda boring..

and all of thats just the at home situation. my friends at least hear from me more but since alot of them have moved out of town for college at this point i haven't hung out with a friend outside of work irl in like 5, maybe 6 months... and i dont interact with many people at work. im really really lonely.

small bit of good news i feel i should add here in case i dont come back again for a few months is that ive scheduled an appointment to see someone abt getting hrt, itll be Jan 19th! ill also be seeing a few of my online friends in December too!! i hope i can stay alive at least until then. sometimes i feel like im in the same situation i was in when i started this blog but those two things are the two things giving me the hope to keep pushing on i guess.

oh and my old friends birthday will be this weekend, i probably shouldve just forgotten them by now like they probably have me but in the off chance that they ever find this stupid blog: happy birthday BXXXXX, hope you have been in good health and that you are happy ! please be well and enjoy Freddy VS Jason and the Scary Godmother, and the live action Scooby Doo movies again this year !

with that i think thats all ive had to say. im neglecting mentioning new speaker of the house, Mike Johnson, and all the terrible horrible things i want to say abt him and how im worried it will fuck with my healthcare before i even recieve it due to the fact that im typing this up outside, its cold out, my phones almost dead, im tired, and i still have a bit of this bowl of the married iguanas to finish up with before unwinding and going to bed to repeat this living nightmare of a life all over again tomorrow. maybe ill watch adventure time before bed ..?