#i am also working on my angelo letters and will post 5 more when i have those done !

[mdemn]

when i post this web weave inspired by sam’s very own brand of mental illness it’s over for my target audience (myself)

[mira-nicodiangelo-grey]

I posted 3,570 times in 2022

That's 1,083 more posts than 2021!

44 posts created (1%)

3,526 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@congolife

@yonemurishiroku

@juilletdeux

@inthetags

@rowanrowland

I tagged 3,423 of my posts in 2022

Only 4% of my posts had no tags

#art - 900 posts

#nico di angelo - 567 posts

#artists on tumblr - 552 posts

#uquiz - 448 posts

#beautiful - 340 posts

#jason grace - 328 posts

#lil cuties - 292 posts

#bwahahahhahahaha - 281 posts

#jasico - 252 posts

#bwahahahaha - 246 posts

Longest Tag: 141 characters

#also: i don’t actually know how old merlin is.. this is me interpreting him as ~19 and arthur as ~21. if i’m wrong please don’t come at me 😔

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

write me your words of wonder

you want to be thought of with intent, for someone to sit down and want to share their thoughts with you specifically. and their thoughts about you, even more. for someone to Know you, or at least desire the knowledge. for them to write it out in a way that you can read as quickly or slowly as you desire. that you can reread again and again, or lock in a box and never read after that first quick consumption. you crave that tangibility. and the small moments that lead up to the letter being in your hand. to be told, 'it's in the mail' and then to have the simple joy of checking the mailbox to see if it has come today. to hold the envelope and feel the love within. there is a purpose of intent within physically written words, and it patches the parts of you that feel like you aren't worth thinking about. my darling, know that you are. you are worth intentional thought and cursive letters and an envelope sealed with a kiss.

4 notes - Posted June 30, 2022

#4

WITCH Season 2 - Nerissa’s revenge Rewrite

So this is a continuation of how CHYKN’s characterization is different from comics to tv show. And I fell into a tangent about how I’d change the tv show if I got to reboot WITCH. I don’t have ideas for Season 1 yet but I have stuff for season 2.

I am starting to think they tried to fit way too much in season two which is why it flopped but I get it. They wanted to make an action packed season like the first one but also darker. I can think of ideas on how to pay homage to the ex guardians and giving each a nice story to get to know their characters better. It would have been nice to have an episode or two that focused on the five of them and their stories. Perhaps seeing them in school, how they learned of their destiny and how they worked together as a team. It would also be nice to have like hints in the background like how they do in the Owl House. Eventually we could get to the tragedy and the falling out. In the end of the two parter, we’d see how the remaining three decided to remain friends but to distance from each other, a big mistake they didn’t realize until Nerissa came back and corrupted each of them. We could combine elements from the Tv show and the comics. Season two would obviously focus on trauma. The WITCH girls but their stuff would be paralleled by CHYKN’s story. We’d learn about the old guardians and have the new ones learn from the old ones’ mistakes which is what the comics emphasized.

Kadma and Halinor are the couple of the group. Cassidy and Nerissa were star crossed lovers doomed from the beginning but Kalinor were the envy of all of Sheffield. And it’s 2022 so we want healthy wlw representation up in here. These two are all about battling the patriarchy and its backwards, archaic, hypocritic rules. They could be the foundation of the group. They knew and loved each since elementary when Kadma first moved to Heatherfield. Then they met Nerissa, a queer baby they had to take under their wing and the adorable Cassidy who easily melted their hearts and soundly absorbed her into their group. Yan Lin was the final addition to the team and they all loved her greatly as their newest sister. Kadma had reservations about becoming a guardian but it’s Halinor who convinced her how much good they could with this opportunity beyond just Earth. The Guardians have more than often been a group of magical women doing good across the infinite dimensions, how could Halinor say no to that. While growing up, they’d start the Rising Star Foundation. The two were guardians and life partners. No one could really pull them apart. They were Earth and Fire melded together. Nothing was more precious to them than each other. Nothing but their fellow guardians. They were all so incredibly close in a way only other guardian groups could understand. Which is why the tragedy with Nerissa and Cassidy shook their couple hard. Without their heart, even the foundation crumbled. Yan Lin was all about harmony and she desperately wanted to keep that but Kalinin began drifting apart but that was in vain. They just didn’t work as cohesively as a trio. They stood together for many things starting with denouncing the oracle but things just weren’t the same anymore. Kadma began hardened and dispassioned about magic and Halinor no longer recognized the women she once loved and stopped believing in Kadma. The final straw that promptly led to their breakup was Kadma taking up the crown of Zamballah. They were going to leave the whole magical business behind and Kadma takes this up? Halinor and Yan Lin end up becoming a duo for a few more years until they both decide it’s time to end their guardianship. Yan Lin stays in Heatherfield while Halinor moves away. Kadma visits her old friends but quite rarely. And Halinor and Yan Lin are called from time to time to Kandrakar to discuss certain issues. Halinor May still have reservations but she still recognizes the good and honor Kandrakar does, even years after she spoke out against the oracle. I won’t write everything I have planned for season two here but I know I still want Nerissa to come after her old friends and collect them for her team of guardians to take over the magical universe. Nerissa would want to capture Cassidy’s soul first. But when couldn’t corrupt her soul, she let her go and created an Altermere that got to live and love for a bit while she collected the others. I imagine she’d attack Halinor and Kadma together. She’ll threaten Zamballa and make a show of it on Kandrakar. Halinor would be the first to fall into Nerissa’s corruption and this is how she gets revealed as a threat. Next up, Zamballa where Nerissa still preys upon Kadma’s inflated arrogance from years untreated grief and trauma. She could have used her love for Halinor but she knew without Halinor to balance her out, Kadma is practically defenseless. Next she goes to Yan Lin. Yan Lin was known for her strength of character too. Nerissa couldn’t corrupt her either and was forced to build a second altermere. This use of flagrant use of magic to copy a life distabilizes Nerissa further. Then easily she corrupts Cassidy’s altermere.

The team’s all back together and with double WITCH’s power. But in time, Irma wakes them up from Nerissa’s thrall and more in fighting begins with the five of them. It seems like Nerissa is about to lose when she absorbs all four of her friends into Meridian’s heart and gains all of their powers. She continues to build an army against Kandrakar when Will remembers she wants the heart of Kandrakar specifically. The girls have managed to delay her takeover but for how long. In the current circumstances, it’s best to just give Nerissa the heart and she gives up the heart of Zamballa. That’s where real Cassidy steps in with her copy of the heart, her Star. This gives the girls the power to return to Kandrakar and fight Nerissa. Nerissa brings terror and nightmare to the temple like in the comics but what she didn’t count on was the heart of meridian cracking and the ex guardians + real Yan Lin and Elyon escape (yes she was trapped in there too like in the show). This makes Nerissa susceptible to the Terrors she unleashed on everyone too. During the nightmare sequences she gave everyone, we get to see what unknown forces pushed Nerissa to evil and we get to understand her personal traumas better. In this sequence the old and new guardians come together to fight Nerissa and her goons. The new guardians are fighting to defeat her, the old ones are fighting to possibly heal their old friend. They nearly succeed when altermere Cassidy gets killed. This awakens Nerissa’s heart and her evil side gets detached from her long enough for the new guardians to destroy Nerissa for good. Real Cassidy appears and absorbs altermere Cassidy which allows her to linger just a bit longer in the real world. The dreamscape ends and everyone is back in the temple. The old guardians gather around a dying Nerissa who’s back to the self before she was corrupted. She acknowledges the horrors she unleashed upon the world and apologizes for destroying their group, saying she let her heart decay since childhood.Cassidy mentions the two of them were opposites on the good and evil scales and purely existed to balance each other. Kadma asks where did she hear that, the oracle? No Cassidy learned that in death. She helps her friends see that their story, albeit tragic and painful made way to a beautiful future and to an even more powerful group of guardians. Had they not been, A darkness would have led to the fall of kandrakar and WITCH would not have existed. Cassidy urges Kadma and Halinor to make up, because they still love each other dearly. Nerissa couldn’t have corrupted either if they weren’t each other’s greatness strength and weakness. Cassidy can’t linger much longer but she smiles brightly telling her friends she’s missed them all greatly, and while she’s ecstatic Nerissa will be joining her, she will wait patiently for the remaining three to cross over. Nerissa finds it beautiful that she gets to end her life with the people dearest to her heart in their most beautiful selves, exactly how she held them in her memory. The five ex guardians hug one last time uttering a saying they hold dearly to their hearts (like an inside joke). Their trauma may not be completely healed, but at least it’s not unbearable to think about anymore.

By the end of the season, Cassidy and Nerissa remain blissful in death, Yan Lin is still living her life with her granddaughter and new guardians in Heatherfield while also making plans to join Kandrakar, and Halinor and Kadma are back together, living in Fadden Hills as advisors to Rising Star but also coming to Heatherfield to visit Yan Lin from time to time.

4 notes - Posted May 31, 2022

#3

THEY ARE BACK FOR A BIT, LIVE AT HAMPTON COURT PALACE! I AM SO HAPPY.

I am so excited 😆

22 notes - Posted March 20, 2022

#2

SIX THE MUSICAL FILMED!!!

With the original west end cast too. This exactly what I wanted when it involves SIX. I am so happy. I wonder where will the recording be released. Anyways I’m here for it.

31 notes - Posted June 6, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Thalia approving Jasico

Since I can’t find it, I’ll rewrite it myself just so I know it’s on my blog. It’s such a good concept: When Jason and Nico got together, you’d think Thalia would give Nico the shovel talk. So it came to everyone’s surprise that it was Jason who got the rough treatment.

Thalia: look here you little shit. This angel has been through so much. He deserves some happiness in his life so if you do anything to break his heart, I will personally escort you to Tartarus and dump you there.

Jason, sweating nervously: You’re MY sister Thals, WTF?

Just more Nico di Angelo Protection Squad shenanigans cause we deserve to see it.

36 notes - Posted March 17, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

May 3, 2023 edit: I’ve been fucking looking for this post. Why did it take me this long? The year in review tag didn’t appear when i searched for it.

[booksbookssomemoviesandbooks]

Book Recs

Hello! so for my first post, I'll recommend some books, so y'all can have a closer look at some fandoms I'll post about! enjoy!!

1.  

Harry Potter By J.K. Rowling is definitely an interesting, well-written series! there are 7 books however, and the books get bigger as the series progresses. It's sometimes difficult to know the exact order, so I'll list it below:

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Although the movies are great, they don't include all the amazing details, as with all movies. A short summary:

Harry Potter, a young boy who’s being constantly abused by his uncle Vernon and aunt Petunia, gets a peculiar letter from the magical school of Hogwarts, where he spends most of his time, becoming his home.

Quotes:

“To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure." ― Albus Dumbledore

“You’re just as sane as I am" - Luna Lovegood

“Mischief managed" - Fred and George Weasley

It is Important to know that j*r is a huge transphobe, along with other things, and is currently being erased by the fandom itself.

2.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, along with the other series by Rick Riordan, is a definite must-read. With each book, you can really notice the character developments and a lot more! There is loads of representation in this one, with lgbtqia+ characters, black characters, Muslim characters and more. It's very action-packed and addicting, sucking you into the magnificent world of Half-Bloods and Demigods within the first page. The first series consists of 5 books, in the following order:

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters

Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse

Percy Jackson and the Battle of The Labyrinth

Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian

THE MOVIES ARE TRASH SO I DEFINITELY DO NOT RECOMMEND WATCHING THEM BEFORE READING THE BOOKS!!! There were many changes and the movies aren't nearly as good as the books. A short summary:

Percy Jackson, a 12 year-old who lives with his mother, Sally, and step-father, Gabe, attends the private boarding school Yancy Academy. While on a school trip, his teacher, Mrs. Dodds, turns into a fury and attacks him. This, in turn, triggers a series of other problems and adventures.

Quotes:

“If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself.” - Percy Jackson

“With great power, comes great need to nap. Wake me up later." - Nico Di Angelo

“Even strength has to bow down to wisdom sometimes." - Annabeth Chase

3.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is one of my most recommended series! With everything it deals with, from the Capitol to the districts to the champions, the books are amazing! 

Order:

The Hunger Games

Catching Fire

Mockingjay

Starring the movies is the amazing Jennifer Lawrence, but with all books, the movies have slight differences, although I definitely recommend watching them when you're done with the books.

A Short Summary:

In what was once North America, the Capitol of Panem maintains its hold on its 12 districts by forcing them each to select a boy and a girl, called Tributes, to compete in a nationally televised event called the Hunger Games. Every citizen must watch as the youths fight to the death until only one remains. District 12 Tribute Katniss Everdeen has little to rely on, other than her hunting skills and sharp instincts, in an arena where she must weigh survival against love.

(FILM SYNOPSIS)

Quotes:

"May the odds be ever in your favor." - Effie Trinket

"Fire is catching, and if we burn, you burn with us!" - Katniss Everdeen

“Hope is the only thing stronger than fear.” - President Snow

4.

Divergent is another book with a huge fandom, and rightfully so. This book is amazing, and you honestly can't live without having read it!

Order:

Divergent

Insurgent

Allegiant 

Surprisingly, I haven't watched the movies yet, but I hear that they aren’t that bad, so you should give them a go!

Summary:

In a world run by fictional classes known as factions, children who reach the age of 16 begin to choose which factions they wish to call home for the rest of their lives. Each faction comes with its own ups and downs, so it's definitely a hard choice, especially for someone as unique as Beatrice.

Quotes:

“Becoming fearless isn't the point. That's impossible. It's learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it“ - Four

“We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.” - Dauntless Motto

"We are not the same. But we are, somehow, one." - Tris

5. 

You might have heard of this series, and it's really addictive, trust me! The Mortal Instruments is one of the most astonishing books I've ever read, and it's most definitely my go-to when recommending a book series!

Order:

City of Bones

City of Ashes

City of Glass

City of Fallen Angels

City of Lost Souls

City of Heavenly Fire

Again, (I know this is rather disappointing) I haven't watched the movies, but do check them out!

Summary:

Clary Fray's search for her missing mother leads her into an alternate New York called Downworld, filled with mysterious faeries, hard-partying warlocks, not-what-they-seem vampires, an army of werewolves, and the demons who want to destroy it all.

via: https://shadowhunters.com/shadowhunters-novels/the-mortal-instruments/#:~:text=Clary%20Fray's%20search%20for%20her,want%20to%20destroy%20it%20all.

Quotes:

“Heroes aren't always the ones who win. They're the ones who lose, sometimes. But they keep fighting, they keep coming back. They don't give up. That's what makes them heroes.” - Clary Fairchild

“If I cannot move Heaven, I will raise Hell.” - Sebastion Morgenstern

“The descent into Hell is easy.” - Motto of the Nephilim

6.

Gay. What more needs to be said?

SADLY, there isn't a movie yet, but I think they're working on one, or sure though

Summary:

Set in a world in which a female Democrat from Texas wins the presidency in 2016, Red, White & Royal Blue chronicles the illicit romance between the president's son, Georgetown senior Alex Claremont-Diaz (Dad is a Mexican-American senator), and Prince Henry of Wales, his childhood nemesis.

Via: https://www.wsj.com/articles/red-white-royal-blue-book-summer-beach-read-11565285001#:~:text=Set%20in%20a%20world%20in,of%20Wales%2C%20his%20childhood%20nemesis.

Also, classic enemies-friends-lovers arc and honestly it's amazing

Quotes:

“As your mother, I can appreciate that maybe this isn’t your fault, but as the president, all I want is to have the CIA fake your death and ride the dead-kid sympathy into a second term.” - Ellen Claremont 

" 'that’s because you can’t hear all the menacing gobbling.' 'Yes, famously the most sinister of all animal sounds, the gobble.' " - Harry and Alex

"History, huh? Bet we could make some." - Alex

7.

I’m sure you've heard at least a little bit about this book. While not nearly as famous as ones mentioned above, it's still just as good, of not better. I'd say this book is one of my favorites, to be honest. It speaks about a lot of topics people usually find disturbing, and it makes me so happy that it's there, it's written, it's amazing. PTSD, coming out issues, abusive relationships and more, this book is truly awesome.

TRIGGER WARNING 

Summary:

A young boy named Charlie usually dissociates, and pushes other people away. He’s afraid of beginning high school, until he meets two other students who show him how bizarre and amazing the world is.

Quotes:

“And in that moment, I swear we were infinite” - Charlie

“We accept the love we think we deserve” - Mr. Anderson

“You can't just sit there and put everybody's lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love" - Sam

8. 

This book is honestly pro-feminist and I think that's much more than enough

Summary:

Kaur explores the true impact of sexual abuse and harassment, as well as the difficulties of immigrating, being a female, and depression.

It's also a poem

TRIGGER WARNING

Quotes:

“what is stronger

than the human heart

which shatters over and over

and still lives”

“you do not just wake up and become the butterfly 

- growth is a process”

“on the last day of love

my heart cracked inside my body"

9.

This book isn't very well-known, which really sucks because I really love how it speaks about the consequences of WWII from the German point of view. And about the Germans who did not believe in Hitler's ways. It's also based on a real story, and it's so cool

Summary: 

A nurse working in a nursing home meets a peculiar old lady who decides to tell her her story when she meets the nurse's younger son, Karl, who reminded her of her brother. Lizzie (the old lady) speaks about life in Dresden before the war, and even after it. She also tells them the story about the strange, magnificent elephant in her garden.

Quotes:

“That was the only way of keeping our hopes alive, by looking beyond all we were seeing around us, and the shadow of disaster that hung over us.” - 

“I think I have always had a strong sense of justice, of fair play, of what is right and what is wrong.” - 

“Our home should be an oasis of peace and harmony for us in a troubled world.” - Lizzie (Quoting Papi)

10.

This book is pro-blm and it's ahead of its time (by like 2 years but still). 

Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. via: https://socialjusticebooks.org/the-hate-u-give/#:~:text=Sixteen%2Dyear%2Dold%20Starr%20Carter,hands%20of%20a%20police%20officer.

Quotes:

“Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right.” - Lisa

“Daddy once told me there’s a rage passed down to every black man from his ancestors, born the moment they couldn’t stop the slave masters from hurting their families. Daddy also said there’s nothing more dangerous than when that rage is activated.” - Starr

“Everybody wants to talk about how Khalil died,” I say. “But this isn’t about how Khalil died. It’s about the fact that he lived. His life mattered. Khalil lived!” I look at the cops again. “You hear me? Khalil lived!” - Starr

[inevitably-johnlocked]

LOVE YOUR BLOG!

Hi Nonny!!

Thank you! I’m glad you’re enjoying my blog!!! You’re in luck, because I LOVE LOVE LOVE slow burn fics!!! First, let me direct you to this post here, where I have a list of Platonics, Fluff, and Bedsharing fics! You also might enjoy my MONSTROUS Pining Sherlock Fic Rec List, because it’s also one of my all-time fave tropes. And my Epistolary / Texting / Letters Fic Recs! (there, I think I got all of the ones I was thinking of)

Next, you can check out ALL my fic recs on this masterpage here, in case I missed any! It’s updated every time the third reblog of the post hits my dash! :)

Finally, I shall take this opportunity to share one of the two last sections I have collected on my offline document of the fluff fics :) (I’ll share the last one when someone unknowingly brings it up, LOL. ‘Cause I’m a jerk like that, LOL.)

You’re lucky that I LOVE SLOW BURN FICS, especially fluffy ones (I also have an angst slow burn list but I’ll save that for one of the MANY angst requests I got!) HERE WE ARE! This is byfar not all I have, but just currently all I have sorted so far! I have SO MANY and am still working through my bookmarks, LOL! Hope you enjoy!

LOVE CONFESSIONS / SLOW BURN / DEVELOPING REL.

New Year, New Beginning by DaisyFairy (T, 810 w. || New Year’s Eve, John POV, Post S4, Friends to Lovers) – New Year at a crime scene and John makes a decision.

Ex by Itsallfine (T, 1,248 w. || Love Confessions, Coming Out, Exes, First Kiss) – One night, in the midst of their post-case high and on the cusp of something more, John and Sherlock run into John’s ex. His ex-boyfriend.

There’s Always Three of Us by Itsallfine (T, 1,765 w. || Post-S4, Parentlock, Love Declarations, First Kiss, Anniversary, S4 Fix it Fic, Fluff) – Sherlock takes John and Rosie out to Angelo’s and gets a chance to correct the biggest mistake of his life.

Want by siennna (T, 1,806 w. || Fluff, Pining, First Kiss, POV Sherlock, Requited, Second Person POV) – When John speaks, you hear more than words. You hear the rise and fall of his tone, the comfortable quake of his laughter, the warm pauses of silence in between. When John laughs, there are stars glittering on his tongue and galaxies resting just behind his teeth, and you wish you could press your lips there and burrow into the warm sound. Part 6 of sienna’s favourites

The Marriage Proposal Negotiation by Goddess_of_the_Night (G, 2,161 w. || Dev. Rel., Possessive Sherlock, Insecure Sherlock, Fluff, First Kiss, Post Mary) – Sherlock hasn’t ever really done anything the traditional way, so of course it wouldn’t bother him to propose to John even though they’re not even dating. And the fact that John is already on a date with someone else when he decides to do it? Tedious.

Moonlight by ConsultingPurplePants (E, 2,213 w. || First Time, Scars, Camping, Sherlock’s Bum) – Sherlock is standing near the door, wearing, for what John thinks may be the first time in their acquaintance, jeans and a jumper. John drags his eyes away from the way the jeans cling to Sherlock’s just-muscled-enough legs to notice that Sherlock is wearing his own backpack, and is also carrying a collapsed tent. John’s jaw drops open. Is he about to go camping with Sherlock Holmes!?

The Case of the Made-Up Case by DoubleNegative (T, 2,394 || Fake Relationship, Clubbing, First Kiss, For Science) - Sherlock takes John to a club. For a “case.” Yes, John, a case. Part 1 of The (Secret) Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

No Strings Attached by Elster (G, 2,714 w. || Magical Realism, Fairy Tales, Love Confessions, Fae/Faeries) – To save John from being spirited away Under the Hill, Sherlock challenges the fairy queen to a fiddle contest.

What He’s Like by magikspell (E, 2,919 w. || Love Confessions, Fluff, First Time, Inexperienced Sherlock) – Realistic first time. They love each other so much.

Right Foot Red by Irrevocably_Sherlocked (E, 3,089 w. || First Time, Board Games, Frottage, Masturbation, Frottage, PWP) – …ok, it’s juvenile, but at least it’s a game where touching is allowed. And if something more were to happen, well, John can’t say he’d be too upset about that. “What are the rules of this game?” Sherlock asks, the disdain evident on the word ‘game’. “I spin, you do as I say.” John thinks he sees a slight widening of those pale grey eyes at that, just for a fraction of a second, before it is shut down. Oh, this is interesting, he thinks.

Affirmation by jamlockk (E, 3,096 w. || First Time, Dev. Rel., PWP, Love Declarations, Emotional Sherlock, Comforting John, Gross Fluff) – “Sunlight dappled John’s skin, casting a glow across his spreadeagled form as he dozed among the rumpled sheets. Sherlock knew the expression on his face was hopelessly soft but for once did not care about showing his true feelings so openly. He simply stood there, in the doorway, gazing at the impossibly beautiful man currently snuffling softly in his slumber.” Part 8 of All the ways we love

It Wasn’t Just the Mistletoe by Irrevocably_Sherlocked (E, 3,593 w. || Christmas Fluff, Mistletoe, First Kiss / Time, Frottage, Masturbation) – Sherlock and John just stood there, seemingly frozen. Sherlock was desperately trying to think of a way out of this. There was no way he could kiss John, even a small kiss, and not have him know immediately how he felt. Sherlock could lie, and fake and sham, but there was no way he could hide this.

Christmas at Holmes Cottage by johnlockedstarkid (G, 4,295 w. || Christmas, Fake Relationship, Love Confessions, Holmes Family, Pining, Kisses, Fluff, Allusions to Mystrade) – Sherlock doesn’t want to have to deal with his mother’s wishes for him to find a partner when he goes to visit them for Christmas, so asks John to pose as his boyfriend. Little does he know he’s not the only one who wishes that the relationship could be real.

Forty-four by jamlockk (E, 4,415 w. || John’s Birthday, Fluff, PWP) – John turns forty-four, gets some advice and the best birthday present he could’ve ever hoped for.

How Will I Know? by eragon19 (E, 4,895 w. || Pining, Love Confessions, POV Sherlock, Fluff, Sherlock’s Imagination, Papa Lestrade) – Here was the problem: Sherlock Holmes was completely and irrevocably in love with John Watson, and he had absolutely no idea how to tell him.

Sociopathy and Other Fibs by kinklock (M, 5,314 w. || 5+1, Miscommunication, Humour, Friends to Lovers, Post S3, Love Confessions) – Five times John called Sherlock out, and one time Sherlock returned the favour.

Tease You Till You Come by phoenix089 (E, 6,090 w. || First Time, Clueless Sherlock, Texting) – Initially, Sherlock was rather put out by John’s lack of presence on the case. But then he starts to recieve pictures, several of them, of an unexpected nature. The case is forgotten rather quickly after that.

Closeted by sussexbound (T, 6,115 w. || Love Confession, First Kiss, Games) – Sherlock and John get trapped in a closet while on a case. Some revelations are made while they play a game to pass the time. Part 1 of Intimacy

Naked by sussexbound (E, 6,166 w. || Fluff, Frottage, Love Declarations, First Time, Intimacy) – This is the sequel to Closeted and MUST be read. It’s so good! Sherlock is soft and clueless and John is just John. Part 2 of Intimacy

Onomatopoeia by aquabelacqua (M, 6,904 w. || First Time/Kiss, Frottage, Dirty Talk, Domestics, Word Kink) – Something is the matter with John. Sherlock is determined to figure out what it is. Mark his words.

What Meets the Eye by worldaccordingtofangirls (M, 8,251 w. || Amnesia, Fluff) – Amnesia is just another case to solve. Piece together unfamiliar faces, reconstruct the old identity, the lost reality. A challenge that Sherlock could even enjoy. He can read people like books. The man with the silver hair is his boss. The tottering old woman, his landlady. The girl with the worried look in her eyes…infatuated. And as for John Watson? His husband. Obviously.

The Thin Line by Odamaki (M, 10,809 w. || Virgin Sherlock, Awkwardness, Confessions, First Times, Anal) – John swallows. Keeps his eyes on Sherlock. Begs him not to ruin him.Sherlock leans forward over the witness box ever-so slightly, “I was distracted,” he informs the court, “by my partner, John Watson.”

Iris by slashscribe (E, 11,948 w. | Parentlock, Pining Sherlock, Post-S3) – Sherlock does his best to make John happy when John comes back to 221B with his new baby after the events of Season 3, but Sherlock has a track record of getting things wrong in this area. This story is an exploration of their gradual shift from friends to lovers, told from Sherlock’s perspective, full of a lot of pining and lack of emotional awareness.

Speaker for the Bees by antietamfalls (M, 14,649 w. || Deaf Sherlock, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss / Time, Fluff, Sign Language) – It isn’t always easy assisting a deaf detective. Luckily for John, they make a pretty good team.

A Silver Sixpence by doodle (E , 16,400 w. || LIVEJOURNAL || Fake Relationship, Fake Marriage, Case Fic, ) - John and Sherlock have to get married for a case, and learn some things about each other. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this story, though it’s on LJ.

At the Edge of Desire by philalethia (E, 16,375 w. || Post S3, Pining, Arse Worship, Humour, First Kiss / TIme, Sexual Fantasy, Awkwardness) – While helping John move back in to the flat, Sherlock discovers a strap-on among John’s things. He finds the discovery considerably difficult to move past.

The Effect of Memory by testosterone_tea (E, 6,430 || Praise Kink, First Kiss / Time, Fluff, Smut, Virgin Sherlock, Love Confessions, Confused Sherlock) – John has temporary amnesia coming off of anaesthesia after an operation and not only does he not recognize Sherlock, he starts flirting with him! After John recovers, he doesn’t remember the incident at all. But Sherlock does. Confusion ensues.

Tap by doctorcaseyholmes (G, 896w || Fluff, Morse Code) – Sherlock finds an unobtrusive way to let out his feelings for John.

A Need To Know Basis by mattsloved1 (G, 934 w. || Humour, Romance) – As the cab door shut firmly, the DI had yelled out they were to make an appearance at Scotland Yard the next day. It was while John watched London pass by that it happened.

BBCSH ‘How To Save A Life’ by tigersilver (T, 2,784 w. || First Kiss, Angsty Schmoop, Requited Love) – Pining, requited, and unabated spates of ‘first kiss’ fluff. Post Mary, AU, mildly cracky. John lays a smooch on Sherlock’s nape in passing. The world does that thing it does when it wobbles and Sherlock practically falls off his own pins. Part 1 of 'How To…’

A Bit of Indulgence by beltainefaerie (NR | 3,364 w. || Fake/Pretend Relationship, Developing Relationship, Love Declarations) - A case leads John and Sherlock to fake being boyfriends and John runs into an old acquaintance.

Once is Enough by Jominerva for inkandsoul (T, 3,030 w. || Love Confessions, Domestic Fluff, Whump) – Just as the earth rises to meet the sun at every mountain crest, John reaches out for Sherlock and takes his hand in his own.“Tell me it won’t end like this,” he says, blue eyes holding grey while he laces their fingers together. Sherlock lets out a shaky laugh and shakes his head. “I wish I could.”

A Lifetime Together by LondonGypsy (M, 8,886 w. || Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Falling in Love, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Pining Idiots, Alternating POVs, Domestics, Retirement) – John and Sherlock falling in love.

The Newlywed Game: Johnlock Edition by patternofdefiance (E, 9,020 w. || Fake Relationship, Fake Marriage, Friends to Lovers, Humour, Romance, Smut, Case Fic, Self-Esteem Issues) – John and Sherlock pretend to be married in order to be contestants in a Newlywed Game. Of course it’s for a case. Of course it doesn’t stay that way. Part 8 of I Blame Tumblr

Merlot by Itsallfine (E, 14,844 w. || Christmas, Pining Sherlock, Wine, Slow Burn, First Kiss / Time, Love Confessions, Wine, Holmes Family) – Sherlock and John work toward becoming something more as they prepare to host the Holmes parents at 221B for the holidays. Part of 25 Days of Fic-Mas 2015.

Twelfth Night by yourdykeinshiningarmor (E, 15,139 w. || Friends to Lovers, Fake Rel., Fluff and Angst, Mutual Pining) - John is invited to his aunt’s Twelfth Night ball. Sherlock offers to attend with him as a friendly face among strangers, but John’s family force him to address his true feelings for Sherlock. [[this one is cute]]

About Sleep and Coffee and the Existence of Fate by Atiki (E, 17,426 w. || Fluff, Marriage Proposal, Humour, 5+1) – Naturally, John was startled when suddenly the ultimate solution occurred to him: Marriage. This was, of course, a bit of a fundamental problem rather than an actual solution. One didn’t simply use the words “Sherlock” and “marriage” within the same sentence. Not even in a hypothetical context. Five times John kind of wanted to propose to Sherlock, and one time he didn’t have to.

Once More, With Feeling by cellard00rs (T, 21,178 w. || John’s Family, Fake Relationship, Romance, Fluff, Humour) – To put off his meddlesome, matchmaking mother, John convinces Sherlock to play the role of his significant other. Unparalleled awkwardness ensues.

The Norwood Love Builders by flawedamythyst (T, 47,798 w. || Fake Relationship, Slow Burn, Post TRF Angst) – Sherlock and John go undercover to solve the murder of Joanna Oldacre, but things are complicated by the many feelings John has been repressing in the wake of Sherlock’s faked death and return.

No Good Without You by textsandscones (T, 4021 w. || Case Fic, Busking, Violins, Fluff) – A diverting new case surrounding musicians and stolen instruments captures Sherlock’s attention, the consequences of which lead both detective and doctor to see one another in a different light. Part 1 of Prompt Fills

The Importance of Torn Papers by MyLittleCornerOfSherlock (G, 2427 w || Pre-Slash, Love Declarations, Fluff) – Little things make a big difference, even little notes of thanks. Small reminders to show he cares.

Laid Bare by esplanade (T, 6529 w. || Romance, Fluff, Pining, Angst) – “I suppose it comes as no surprise that I always rather detested grand romantic gestures. They struck me as unnecessary and contrived, feeble attempts at desperately holding together relationships, most of which should have been allowed to fall apart.”

Law of Reciprocals by thequeergiraffe (T, 4377 w. || Fluff, Angst) – “Law of Reciprocals, is it? You’ve saved my life enough times. I figure, turnabout’s fair play.” Sherlock finds ways to reciprocate his appreciation of John.

Pleasure to Burn by scullyseviltwin (E, 17,863 w. || Firefighter AU, Firefighter John / Arson Investigator Sherlock, Slow Burn, Pining, Case Fic-ish) – “If you’d kindly stop knocking about in there and destroying all of my evidence, it would be most appreciated!” John groaned and for a moment rested his head against the side of the truck. Of course he was the only captain left on the scene, which meant he would have to be the one to deal with the arson investigator.

A Life Well-Lived by Kate_Lear (E, 20,121 w. || Original Male Character, Sherlock Woos John, Jealous Sherlock, Reluctant Bi-John) – John got scared off men by an abusive past relationship. Sherlock has to try and woo him while not scaring him off with protective possessive rage.

“finally kiss the bloody idiot” by Salambo06 (E, 29,812 w. || Mutual Pining, Declarations of Love, First Kiss / Time, Angst, Misunderstandings, Fantasies POV John) – Inspired by a fic idea on tumblr : “John and Sherlock know the Yard has a pool going for when they’re finally going to get together. It’s been running forever, and it’s worth thousands of pounds. It’s all fun and games, hahaha, until they find out Lestrade is in dire financial straits (dog needs emergency surgery, he’s putting his kid through gymnastics training, I don’t know, something), and they decide to fake a relationship to win the pool for him. Sherlock figures out the day and way that Lestrade thinks it’s going to happen, and they act it out. It’s all for a good cause, fake relationship style, until it’s not.” Part 1 of The Pool

Hitting the Water at Sixty Miles an Hour by what_alchemy (E, 30,568 w. || Fake Rel., Roadtrips, Slow Burn) – “You love your mother, Sherlock?” John watched the muscles in Sherlock’s jaw jump. He nodded in one sharp jerk.“Then we’re going to her party and making her happy.” John let out a resigned sigh. “As a ruddy couple, you bastard.”

A Study In Auto-Signatures, Sniper Dolphins, and Sex Holidays by cwb (E, 32,690 w. || Case Fic, Post S3, Evil Mary, Dev. Rel., Honeymoon, Epistolary, Bottomlock, First Kiss / Time, Fluff, Secret Agents, BAMF!John) – John and Mary go on their sex holiday, and Sherlock is grumpy and pining about it. Part 1 of HOT DOLPHIN SEX

Bedtime Stories by Liketheriver (M, 34,388 w. || Emotional H/C, Romance, Angst & Humour, Bed Sharing, John First Person, TRF, John Whump) – John’s POV during Season 2 and beyond when Sherlock takes up semi-permanent residence in his bed. A collection of codas and missing scenes wrapped up into one long fic and topped with a bow that takes the story beyond Reichenbach and into happy territory once more. Part 1 of Bedtime Universe

LHR-HNL by scullyseviltwin (E, 35,066 w. || Hawaiian Vacation, Post-TRF, Friends To Lovers, Slow Burn, Just Talk Already, Drinking, Mutual Pining) – In need of an endangered flora sample, Sherlock and John must make a trip to an unexpected destination.

once upon a time by darcylindbergh (M, 6,501 w. || Fluff and Angst, First Kiss / Time, Love Declarations, Christmas) – It starts with a wish. In the beginning, John comes home. Part 1 of things fairy tales are made of

The Newlywed Game: Johnlock Edition by patternofdefiance (E, 9020 w. || Fake Rel., Friends to Lovers, Humour, Romance, Smut) – What it says on the tin: John and Sherlock pretend to be married in order to be contestants in a Newlywed Game. Of course it’s for a case. Of course it doesn’t stay that way. Part 8 of I Blame Tumblr

Turbulence in the Sky by esplanade (T, Fluff, Pining, Anxious Sherlock, Love Confessions) – “But some things needed to stay secret. Or at least, that was what he told himself every time he lost his nerve.”

You fit me, Sherlock Holmes by orphan_account (G, 10,077 w. || Fluff, Slow Burn, Idiots in Love, Experiments) – An unfortunate series of events leads to John accepting being a part of Sherlock’s study in physical intimacy. As the days pass by, John realizes he might be in for more than he bargained for. He doesn’t entirely mind.

Bread and Wine and Curry Once a Week by cwb (E, 8737 w. || Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Stroppy Sherlock, Love Letters, POV John) – Sherlock asks John for relationship advice. Little does he know that it’s him that Sherlock is in love with.

Correspondence by Cleo2010 (T, 8,031 w. || Letters, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, Pining) – Sherlock’s been spirited away on a case for Mycroft. Part of the deal was that he and John could communicate via letter until the case was completed. Maybe the cliche is true, absence does make the heart grow fonder. Or perhaps something is growing on the feet in the fridge.Read their letters month by month. Written after series one.

Turn the key, and come home by TooManyChoices (M, 2,718 w. || Angst/Humour, First Time/Kiss, Happy Ending) – Sherlock and John have been dancing around what’s between them for years. Will John return to Baker Street, and if so, will things ever be the same?

Overture by Kate_Lear for fengirl88 (M, 4,435 w. || Friends to Lovers, First Time) – A short snippet on how John and Sherlock might have got together.

Acceptable Behaviour by bbcatemysoul (M, 3449 w. || Fluff, Dev. Rel., Miscommunication, First Time) – Sherlock isn’t really sure why John wants to shag him, but he’s certain that if he’s careful to behave properly about it, John can be persuaded to keep doing it. In other news, John is a good boyfriend and Sherlock is an idiot.

First Night Out by verityburns (M, 3251 w. || Romance, Christmas, Dev. Rel.) – As John recovers from the effects of a brutal kidnapping, he and Sherlock attend the Yarders’ Christmas Party. There are… developments on the dance floor…

Confessions by crimsonwinter (T, 4711 w. || Love Confessions, Fluff) – John and Sherlock finally confess their love for each other.

that thing you like by misspamela (E, 7165 w. || Holmes Family, Fake Relationship, Friends to Lovers) – “Happy Christmas, etc. etc.” Sherlock and John go to the Holmes’ for Christmas, and everyone thinks they’re together.

Their Great Reward by BeautifulFiction (T, 10,095 w. || UST, First Kiss, Fluff) – Boxing day, in John’s opinions, is the worst day of the year. Christmas is over, the tree is wilting and stripped of gifts, and there’s a week of dead-time until the clean slate of the new year. However the combination of a blizzard, a power-cut and Sherlock might just make it a day to remember.

Matters of National Security by mistyzeo (E, 8465 w. || Jealous Sherlock, First Time, RST, Idiots in Love, Frottage) – John starts dating a male client of Sherlock’s, and Sherlock can’t figure out why he’s so incensed about it.

Paparazzi by SilentAuror (E, 10,543 w. || Virgin Sherlock, First Time, Friends to Lovers, Post S3) – John moves back into 221B Baker Street after his marriage falls apart and the paparazzi won’t leave him and Sherlock alone about the status of their supposed relationship. Sherlock, of course, never denies it, until one day he does…

At the Heart of it All by SilentAuror (E, 19,812 w. || Virgin Sherlock, Post S3, POV John, Domestics, First Time, Kissing, Romance) – John has been back at Baker Street for four months now and thinks it’s about time they had the Talk to see whether or not they could be more than friends. Sherlock has a lot of uncertainty about this concept for multiple reasons. Unabashed romance.

Hallowed Eve by EventHorizon (T, 14,750 w. || First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Halloween) – It probably wasn’t the smartest idea to let Sherlock choose the costumes for Halloween, but John never considered himself the smartest man in the room, anyway.

Once More, With Feeling by cellard00rs (T, 21,178 w. || Humour, Romance, Fluff, Fake Rel.) - To put off his meddlesome, matchmaking mother, John convinces Sherlock to play the role of his significant other. Unparalleled awkwardness ensues. [[nice amount of fluff and pining!]]

Brief Conversations with the Woman by May_Shepard (E, 21,906 w. || Pining, Love Fairy Irene, Filler Fic, UST/URT, Drug Use, Clueless Sherlock, Relationship Advice, Angst w/ Happy Ending) – Sherlock has a puzzle to solve, and his name is John Watson.

Tomorrow’s Song by agirlsname (M, 24,645 w. || Post-TRF, POV Sherlock, Angst with a Happy Ending, Virgin / Repressed Sherlock, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Pining) – How can he think a relationship with me would be a good idea? I am the sort of person to take a break from my life and when I come back after two years, I expect to find it exactly as I left it. In reality I find it shattered to pieces. (I actually equate you with my life. When did I start doing that?)

State of Flux by Atiki (E, 24,655 w. || Sherlock POV, Slow Burn, First Kiss/Time, Friends to Lovers, Frottage, Cuddles and Snuggles, Awkwardness, Insecure/Virgin Sherlock, Romance) – John’s marriage is over and he is finally back home (i.e. at Baker Street, where he belongs). Sherlock is awfully insecure and John is awfully hesitant, and they’re both awkward idiots, of course, but they figure it out. Many First Times happen.

Don’t Leave Anything Out by lookupkate (E, 27,422w. || Epistolary, Falling in Love, Misunderstandings, Alternate First Meeting) – The first letter John writes home from Afghanistan is meant to go to a woman he went on only one date with. How it ends up in Sherlock’s hands is completely innocent. What happens next is not. What do you do when you find out the person you’re in love with has been lying about something as monumental as who they are? What do you do when you’re the one who lied? How on earth do you put the pieces back together?

Hitting the Water at Sixty Miles an Hour by what_alchemy (E, 30,568 w. || Road Trips, Fake Rel., Family) “You love your mother, Sherlock?”John watched the muscles in Sherlock’s jaw jump. He nodded in one sharp jerk. “Then we’re going to her party and making her happy.” John let out a resigned sigh. “As a ruddy couple, you bastard.” (FAVE!)

The Sum of His Parts by CommonNonsense (T, 4,311 w. || Body Worship, First Kiss / Time) – There are eleven major organ systems in the human body. Sherlock knows about all of them to some degree, but none fascinate him as much as the ones that make up John Watson.

The Detective and the Pin-Up by XistentialAngst (T, 15,683 w. || Romance, Humour, First Time/Kiss) – Sally Donovan discovers an old secret John Watson considered long buried - a ten-year old “Men of the Armed Forces” calendar, which has John as a very enticing pin-up for August. The image of John might just change the way everyone sees the unassuming sidekick, even Sherlock Holmes.

Unwasted by patternofdefiance (E, 8,966 w. || First Time, Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Dev. Rel. Smut) – John finds it three months after he’s moved back.He’s on the hunt for something to make for dinner, is scrounging through the cupboards, when he happens upon the graveyard of pasta boxes Sherlock still seems to create when left to his own devices. Behind seven boxes of pasta, all almost completely empty, is a dark-glassed bottle, with a paler coat of dust. It’s unopened. John’s face falls slack when he sees it, instantly recognises it, and for a long moment he just stands and looks at it.

Wars We Fought, Things We’re Not by blueink3 (M, 55,204 w. || Parentlock, Fluff & Angst, Kidnapping, Whump, Post-TAB, UST, Slow Burn, Couple for a Case) –  Five months after John’s world has fallen apart, Mycroft sends the consulting detective and his doctor on a case that neither is prepared for.

The Case of the Vanishing Pants by SwissMiss (E, 44,025 w. || Post-TRF, Case Fic, UST, Homophobia, Friends to Lovers) – Five times John and Sherlock lost their pants in the course of a case.

Anytime by SilentAuror (E, 17,995 w. || UST, Porn With Feels, POV Sherlock, Romance, UST/URT, Happy Ending, Drunken Endeavors) – Sherlock blinks and attempts to focus. There is a little too much vodka in his veins at the moment and it’s having an unfortunate effect on his brain and retinas both. There are two Johns sitting across from him, and both of them are frowning at him.“You’re drunk,” the Johns tell him. Sherlock blinks some more. “Says the man with Mrs Hudson’s doily on his head.”

John Watson doesn’t have a Boyfriend by naughtyspirit (E, 18,932 w. || UST / URT, Fluff & Smut, Voyeurism, Masturbation) – John’s date has gone very well. Sherlock requires tea. John wishes he hadn’t resolved that their relationship was strictly hands off and isn’t about to address it.Unless he has to. Smut, fluff and shower time for a naked John Watson.

Just a Kiss by emmagrant01 (E, 19,695 w. || Case Fic, 5+1, For a Case) – Five times John and Sherlock kissed because of a case and one time they kissed for real. (Chapter 7 is the one you want :D)

You Can Imagine the Christmas Dinners by ardenteurophile  (T, 23,584 w. || Humour, Romance, Drama, Fluff & Angst) Sherlock takes John along for Christmas dinner with Mycroft and Mummy (And “Anthea”, too). Over the course of the evening, John realises that everyone in the room - apart from him - seems to think that he and Sherlock are a couple. Part 2 of Xmas Dinners Verse (I LOVE THIS ONE)

Bedroom Tales by Junejuly15 (M, 49,950 w. || Friends to Lovers, Through the Years, H/C, Military Kink, First Kiss / Time, Romance, Insecure Sherlock, Voyeurism, Post-TRF, Ficlets, Fluff and Angst, Fix-It Fics) – Bedroom Tales is a collection of John and Sherlock ficletsThey are set at various stages of their relationship and are in no particular order. Some are fluffy, some sexy, some angsty, there is hurt and comfort, romance and love. What unites them is that they all play in a bedroom, but not necessarily the one in 221B.

John Watson’s Twelve Days of Christmas by earlgreytea68 (M, 53,464 w. || Christmas, Holmes Family, Fake Relationship, Alternate First Meeting, Falling in Love, Fluff and Angst, Hardcore Pining) – It’s the holiday season. John Watson needs money. Sherlock Holmes needs something else.

Uphill by scullyseviltwin (E, 77,750 w. || Olympics AU || Sherlock POV, Skier!Sherlock / Medic!John, Rivalry, 2014 Olympics, Happy Ending) – Sherlock Holmes is striving for gold in this, his fourth and final Olympics as a downhill Alpine racer.

Definitions by siennna (T, 101,528 w. || Dev. Rel., Pining, Fluff and Romance, First Kiss, Love Confessions, Fluff, Cuddles) – Sherlock’s journey in defining his flat mate and stumbling through the muddled world of emotion.{{This feels complete; the chapter count is listed as ? but I feel like it is done}}

between each beat are words unsaid by darcylindbergh, hudders-and-hiddles (T, 107,998 w. || Epistolary, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Angst, Happy Ending) – On their wedding night, John and Sherlock gift each other with the things they each said when the other could not hear, the things they each put down where the other could not see: a collection of writings that illustrate the way their love for one another has grown over the years. Part 1 of between each beat

[yahoo-shutdown-corner-blog]

Today's NFL draft hysteria? You can thank Mel Kiper Jr. and Joel Buchsbaum for that

What is now a national obsession and one of the biggest days on the sports calendar was once mocked as a trivial obsession for two devoted — and very different — NFL draft analysts of yore. You can’t tell the story of the draft’s incredible rise from afterthought to prominence without giving the original NFL draftniks their proper due: Mel Kiper Jr. and Joel Buchsbaum.

One became and remains a TV star. The other was a behind-the-scenes shut-in who now is largely forgotten. Both were brilliant in their field in their own ways. Each deserve their due for helping the NFL draft become the theater it has.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper, in 2007. (Getty Images)

Kiper started his draft empire out of his parents’ Baltimore-area basement with his dad’s help. A few hours up the road in Brooklyn, Buchsbaum started out writing handwritten notes to get people to consider printing his unique football observations. They were each trying to make a living at something that was not considered anything close to an actual career in the late 1970s.

“I was told from the get-go, ‘You’re wasting your time. You’re going to have to get a job — a real job — at some point,’” Kiper told Shutdown Corner last week. “You can’t support a family doing this stuff.”

Within a few years, he went from being an 18-year-old home scout who was self-publishing and giving away his draft previews to NFL teams to becoming a self-confident 23-year-old explaining to ESPN audiences his vast knowledge about college football prospects from around the country. The rest is history.

Buchsbaum started earlier, first covering the 1978 NFL draft for Pro Football Weekly before anyone there had ever met him in person. (That would be a recurring theme.) Before long, he had established himself as a fixture in the business and had fans, not to mention coaches and general managers, hanging on his every NFL-related word in two annual draft-related publications (filed to editors in longhand, by the way) and in the pages of PFW (with his words often transcribed over the phone on deadline).

[Related: The 1992 Colts had the NFL draft’s top two picks, and it didn’t work out as anyone hoped]

“When Joel was in high school, he started sending my father [former PFW publisher Arthur Arkush] these letters — pencil on notebook binder paper — saying he wanted to be our draft expert,” PFW publisher Hub Arkush said. “This went on for a few months, letter after letter, and finally my dad gave him a chance.”

Now generations later, they stand as two pioneers and giants — Kiper still very much in the spotlight, but Buchsbaum far too obscure these days — who helped turn a cottage industry into a billion-dollar industry that centers on teams selecting players.

Everyone knows Kiper, ESPN’s draft figurehead year with the made-for-TV hair and the gift of gab. He says he has lightened up over the years from when he was a confident, borderline cocky analyst, but sometimes he can’t help himself. The fire still burns after nearly four decades in an industry he helped create.

“When I talk football, I talk serious football,” Kiper said, his words getting faster as he talks, with one thought bleeding into the next. “What you see on TV, once I start talking football, that’s me. It’s not phony. It’s not a persona. That’s who I am.

“Back then I was just trying to get the information out. You didn’t have a lot of time in those days. Things were quick. I wasn’t trying to be cute. I was trying to give information. You want comedy? Go to the Comedy Channel.”

On the other end of the personality spectrum was Buchsbaum, who was as far from a camera as he could get and the opposite of brash. In fact, most days he hardly left his Flatbush apartment, except to walk his dog around the block, preferring to sit quietly and anonymously and study the game he loved so much.

Arthur Arkush died suddenly at age 53 in the spring of 1979. Hub and brother Dan Arkush took over PFW and quickly realized that they might have a gem on their hands in Buchsbaum. He was producing draft content that even today would be considered excellent, even more so considering he didn’t have the benefit of the Internet.

“For the next 15 to 20 years, as far as I am concerned, it was the two of them — head and shoulders ahead of everyone else,” Hub Arkush said. “Joel created the information gathering process. He dug on players back to high school. No one [in the media] did that then. You’ve got all these guys doing it now … but I am not sure any of them were even around when Joel and Mel were doing what they did.”

But as the generations pass, now more than 14 years after his death, Buchsbaum lingers more toward the unknown in this industry. He died of natural causes at age 48 just prior to kickoff of the Week 17 games in 2002, dropping dead in his apartment — the one filled to the ceiling with books, tapes, scouting notes and years worth of dust. In Buchsbaum’s cabinet were 100 cans of low-sodium soup and little else. The kitchen served as his dog’s room, the gas stove disconnected and faint urine stains on the floor. The bathroom tub was filled with media guides.

It was squalid. But it was also Buchsbaum’s bizarre football laboratory where a lot of magic happened.

“You know the show ‘Hoarders?’ His apartment was getting to that level when we found him,” Arkush said. “You had to walk very carefully and navigate through the stacks of everything, floor to ceiling.”

And let’s get this out of the way: Joel Buchsbaum was not an attractive man. He was frail (less than 100 pounds at the time of his death), not quite 5-foot-9 (5086 in draft-measurement parlance), wore Coke-bottle-thick glasses, had no interest in standard hygiene and less so in fashion. Buchsbaum admitted to friends he would forget to eat some days — letting his health slowly deteriorate — because he had developed food allergies while being so busy watching tape, writing reports or calling the heaviest of the NFL’s heavyweights for information from around the league.

Joel Buchsbaum in 1998. (John McClain/Houston Chronicle)

How heavy? Bill Belichick, who tried in vain to hire Buchsbaum several times as his right-hand scouting consultant, once called him one of his closest friends despite meeting only a few times. The late Al Davis was a close confidante. So were Joel Bussert, Ernie Accorsi, John Dorsey, Jerry Angelo and dozens of other coaches, scouts, general managers and NFL decision makers. Buchsbaum’s monthly phone bill was $1,500 on average (footed by PFW), spent calling men who considered him one of the most dialed-in people in league circles.

“When he died, I went to his apartment to help clean it out, and there sat his Rolodex,” Hub Arkush said. “I won’t share all the names in there, but anyone who was anyone was in it. He was wired.”

The casual draft fans knew Kiper. He dominated TV and radio, and his publication grew as his popularity did. He delivered quality information and did so with an edge. The day the NFL draft perhaps turned the corner in terms of popularity might have become the same one Kiper went from niche celebrity to household name. He criticized the Indianapolis Colts’ pick of Nebraska linebacker Trev Alberts over Fresno State quarterback Trent Dilfer, and that’s when this happened:

That haymaker was delivered on the live broadcast via former Indianapolis Colts vice president Bill Tobin, and when Kiper held firm and handled himself well in the aftermath, he became a star at that moment. The draft suddenly became must-see TV.

The hardcore fans knew Buchsbaum. In addition to his writing, he became something of a cult figure in St. Louis and Houston for his weekly radio appearances on KMOX and KTRH, respectively. He won over audiences there first with his encyclopedic football recall but also with his nasally Brooklyn accent and quirky on-air persona.

“He’d describe a player, as ‘Looks like Tah-zan, plays like Jane,’ in this accent,” said Howard Balzer, who hosted a show with Buchsbaum and (occasionally) Bob Costas in the late 1970s and early 1980s. “One time the host had mispronounced his name as Bush-baum, and he cuts him off and says, ‘Hold it! It’s Bucks-baum!’ Without missing a beat [the host] said, “Well, it has been Bush-baum for this long, so it’s Bush-baum from here on out.’

“It was absolutely a classic Joel moment. He just had a unique delivery, and people ate it up.”

Buchsbaum was such an enigma, in fact, that the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ran a three-part series — perhaps a bit tongue in cheek — determined to find out if he was an actual person.

“No one thought he was a real person,” Balzer said. “Is it a computer-generated voice? Is he handicapped? Is he a real human? The rumors were crazy.”

The same mystery existed in Houston, where KTRH’s John McClain eventually would be one of the few people in either city who had actually met him.

“People used to be amazed that they could call in about any college player and he knew all about him right off the bat,” said McClain, who now writes for the Houston Chronicle. “They thought he had some computer on his lap and typed in the names. Joel hated computers. I watched him do a radio show once at his dirty apartment. He just sat down on his couch, the dust flew up off of it like ‘The Munsters’ and he rattled off information about the quarterback from Coastal Carolina. Never seen anything like it.”

One time on KMOX a local media member called in to the show pretending to be some regular draft fan, with the intent of stumping the mighty Buchsbaum by inventing a fake prospect on the spot. Hey, Joel, tell me about Rico Higginbottom, the linebacker out of Morehead State, I think he could be really good!

Of course, there was no Rico Higginbottom. And of course, Joel knew it. “That’s nawt a real playah,” Buchsbaum said without a moment’s hesitation, nor a crack in his soupy drawl. “Check the name. I watched Mowahead’s defense. That’s nawt a real puh-son.”

The joke, it turned out, was on the caller — not on Joel.

Buchsbaum was on live television once that we can tell: in 1982 when ESPN’s then-fledgling broadcast was in its near infancy, nothing like the high-flying production it is today. At some point late in the draft, the network thought it would be a good idea to kill time between picks and let Buchsbaum, who was sitting nearby the ESPN set on the floor of the New York Sheraton Hotel, for some commentary on the more obscure players. Balzer was part of the ESPN broadcast and remembered Buchsbaum (looking like he hadn’t slept in a week) telling a few media friends an hour before the draft that year that Clemson defensive end Jeff Bryant — one many writers didn’t know well — would go in the top 10, perhaps to the Seattle Seahawks. A few hours later, the Seahawks used the sixth overall pick on Bryant, to the amazement of many.

His reputation as a draft savant was growing in league circles by that point, and no media member could rattle off information on prospects like Buchsbaum could. Writers at the draft often would push their chairs closer to Buchsbaum to pick his brain on why certain picks were made and why others were not.

But the almost Woody Allen-ish Buchsbaum on live TV? It wasn’t an Emmy-winning idea.

“It wasn’t a good interview, terrible in fact,” Balzer said. “I’ll never forget hearing from someone in the truck saying in my ear, “Never again.’”

Footage of that portion of the draft is difficult to track down. Knowing that, Buchsbaum — who never wanted to be on TV, much less photographed — can lie peacefully in his humble grave at Riverside Cemetery, a Jewish cemetery in Saddle Brook, N.J. about an hour north of the apartment Buchsbaum spent most of his adult life.

It was at that grave site that only a handful of people showed up when Buchsbaum was laid to rest. The timing made it difficult, coming the day after the New England Patriots were eliminated from the playoffs, but Belichick and then Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli were both close with Buchsbaum — as close as they could be to a man they each met in person only a handful of times — made the drive down from Massachusetts to Saddle Brook. When they arrived, only a few other of his hundreds of close NFL contacts made it to the burial.

Scott Pioli and Bill Belichick, pictured in 2005, paid their last respects to legendary NFL draftnik Joel Buchsbaum. (AP)

“Ernie Accorsi, Joel Bussert, Joe Browne from the league office were the only [other] NFL people to attend his funeral,” Pioli told Shutdown Corner last year. “There were so many people who used him but then didn’t have the decency to show up and pay their respects. It broke my heart. Eventually, Bill and I talked about how sad that was.”

Buchsbaum was not just a collector of information. For some teams, he was a source. He’d do the countless hours of legwork for his twice-annual draft publications, the Pro Prospects Preview in the fall and the Draft Preview Guide, in the spring. Teams would call Buchsbaum for information on players — in some cases, if Joel didn’t know the answer, no one did.

Pioli was one of those men, formerly a grunt on Belichick’s early Cleveland Browns staffs, and Buchsbaum became a trusted ally. They remained close, talking often about players, football philosophies and everything else. But as Pioli and Belichick drove back after the funeral, sitting in silence for the first 20 minutes, Pioli couldn’t help but think of the Beatles song, “Eleanor Rigby” and its words about lonely people, an empty gravesite and apathy after death. It made him sad. And then the darndest thing happened.

“That very song came on the radio,” Pioli said. “I remember like … bawling. It was sad. I left that funeral and as the drive went on I remember getting angry being disappointed at all the people who pretended to have relationships with Joel but couldn’t find it within themselves to make the time.”

Kiper and Buchsbaum were not close friends by any means, but they got to know each other over the years and shared a deep mutual respect. They knew that each could not do the other’s job, nor did they want to. But they would connect every year at the draft — one of the few days Buchsbaum was guaranteed to leave the house — and would always find time to talk.

“Our broadcast was just the first round, or a little beyond, in the early days,” Kiper said. “So Day 2, Joel and I, we’d sit back and watch the draft, write down the picks and just relax. Maybe debate a pick here and there, but it was always friendly and respectful.

“We’d sit back and get caught up on the year. We had our little reunion every year at the draft. We’d spend hours together just talking. I wish he was here today. I miss those times with Joel.”

Buchsbaum once said of Kiper to The New York Times shortly before his death, “I’m not half as brilliant as he is … I’m just a glorified information gatherer.”

Arkush believes Buchsbaum wasn’t giving himself enough credit.

“Joel was a scout. Yes, he was an information gatherer. But he was a scout. Belichick told me in person that Joel was one of the best scouts he ever worked with,” Arkush said. “I don’t think people do it today the way Joel did it. If people who cover the draft now read some of his reports from back in the day, they might be shocked at the information he had then.”

When Buchsbaum died, his mother was the one who was shocked. She read the tributes written on her son — everyone from John Q. Fan to NFL general managers left kind, heartfelt words — and was stunned that most of them considered her son a genius. Belichick always knew. PFW held an early morning memorial service at the 2003 NFL scouting combine for Buchsbaum, a small, otherwise nondescript meeting room at the Indianapolis Convention Center, and dozens in the NFL — even Davis — were in the room. McClain spoke first, followed by Belichick. The Super Bowl-winning coach explained how he tried almost every year to hire Buchsbaum to work, first for the Browns and later for the Patriots, but he always rebuffed Belichick, saying that he was loyal to PFW and that he “liked working for all 32 teams.”

“Belichick would have paid him a lot, too,” McClain said. “But money was not important to [Buchsbaum], loyalty was. PFW gave him his shot early on, and he wanted to stick with him until the end.”

Belichick then told a story about how the entire NFL universe believed that the Patriots would select Michigan wide receiver David Terrell with the sixth overall pick in the 2001 NFL draft. Belichick had vowed not to mention to anyone, even Joel, with whom he was exceptionally close and unusually trusting in, the true apple of his eye: Georgia defensive tackle Richard Seymour. Belichick explained to his Patriots inner circle that Seymour’s name was not to be uttered to anyone outside of the building prior to the draft.

On draft day that year, Belichick picked up the phone for what had become a tradition, he and Buchsbaum chatting about the picks to unfold later that day. After some chitchat between them, Buchsbaum — who never was much for small talk, always wanting to receive or deliver the information that mattered most to his livelihood — told Belichick, “Don’t wuh-rry … Seymoah is gonna be there fuh you.”

Belichick was gobsmacked. That’s when he knew Buchsbaum was the best-sourced person he talked to not part of any NFL team.

McClain visited Buchsbaum in Brooklyn for a story in 1998 and was one of the few who entered his apartment. They spent a few days talking about his scouting life, most of it in the unkempt apartment, and McClain returned to Houston with what few ever had managed to procure: a photograph.

“He had told me, ‘No pic-chahs,’ but I managed to get one,” he said.

McClain ran it with the story that pulled back the curtain on one of the draft’s most mysterious figures.

“I’ll never forget someone telling me they liked the story I wrote about Joel but wishing I hadn’t run the photo of him. ‘It was like pulling back the curtain on the Wizard of Oz.’ I’ll always remember that,” McClain said.

Both Buchsbaum and Kiper had their critics. They were laughed at. Had their appearances mocked, for different reasons. Had their scouting misses echoed far more than their successes. But in the end, they left their indelible mark on a strangely huge event.

What made Kiper special was that he worked his way up and was willing to smile in the face of critics, knowing that he might be wrong but that he also arrived at his conclusions through hard work and strong sourcing. Kiper also never has shied away from his evaluation mistakes when they’re brought up, and he seldom touts his own contrarian assessments when they end up being right.

What made Buchsbaum special was that his thoroughness and quality of information were impeccable, he was immune to groupthink and willing to take strong, unorthodox stances. In his final piece for PFW that ran the day before his death, Buchsbaum predicted Ohio State’s shocking upset over the mighty Miami Hurricanes in the 2002 national title game. Nearly nailed the final score, too: 26-24. Now that’s a way to go out.

Pioli believes they each deserve their credit today — not just for the information they delivered and the movement they helped start, but also for how they got to where they were.

“People could be hard on Mel, but I give him a ton of credit,” Pioli said. “Both he and Joel were self-made. They were grinders from Day 1, and they were passionate about what they did. They lived and breathed this stuff. How can anyone criticize that? I greatly admire and respect the work they did, in the case of Joel, and are still doing, in the case of Mel.”

“They helped change the popularity of the draft,” McClain said. “Mel was great on TV. Joel did what he did, and there will never be another one like him. They helped take it to the next level, there’s no doubt in my mind.

“They were competitors, but they always respected each other. That was good for the league and good for the draft.”

Kiper agrees. And it’s around this time of year that Buchsbaum pops into his head. Thursday marks Kiper’s 34th draft with ESPN, and things have changed dramatically from the days when they first watched it all unfold in smoky hotel ballrooms. This year’s draft will be broadcast from the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum — outdoors — with one pick called in from, get this, outer space. What a weird, wild draft world in which we live.

“I think the gratification for me, and I think Joel would say the same thing if he were here today … back then in the beginning, people said, ‘Who cares about that stuff? You guys are wasting your time,’” Kiper said. “We heard all the negativity and we still did what we did.

“To see it now, over the last 10 to 15 years, to get to the point where everyone cares, everyone is watching … I think if Joel was here today, he was not a TV guy and never wanted to do what I did, but I think he would just find this all terrific. He’s a big part of all of this.”

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!

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