#i know that was Alex Karras

[posttexasstressdisorder]

Crazy thing is I remember him more as a TV actor...of course what sticks in mind most is his turn as a dad in "Webster".

A TITAN has passed away. I was an avid football fan a long time ago. I was a fan of my home town team, The Miami Dolphins. Dick Butkus was a well known player in those good old days & he was a great linebacker. MAY HE REST IN PEACE.

[knifesxedge]

so i can find this again. finally bit the bullet and changed my kjs city names to differentiate them from my ocs so:

party — ash london coleman (ooo lady fagita)

kobra — james “jamie” eric coleman

jet — danielle “dani” camila reyes-yoon

ghoul — edward “eddie” maxwell mochizuki ii

[xellandria]

Do you ever think about your OC's accents? I know folks often do voice claims for their characters, but if your stuff was being adapted into a format with audio, how would they all sound in relation to each other and in your native language? Would everybody just have the "normal" regional accent for your area (whether that be locally or country-wide), would certain characters be exceptions? How deep down the rabbit hole do you go, and is this a dark, dangerous door for me to have opened? :P

[maturemenoftvandfilms]

Top 10 Sitcom Daddies

#10. Bill Cosby as Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show

I remember having a huge boner for Cosby, but lost it way before the rape allegations came out. That being said, I still had to put Cliff Huxtable on the list.

#9. John Mahoney as Martin Crane on Frasier

I had fantasies helping Martin out with his 'therapy'. And it only got better when found out Mahoney was gay in real life.

#8. Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman on That 70s Show

I had fantasies of Red angry fucking me in the basement. And when I'm not him, I'm hitting Donna's dad too. Plus Kitty would have gotten a taste too. What? Still bi.

#7. Ed O'Neill as Jay Pritchett on Modern Family

I know everybody loves Eric Stonestreet, but Ed O'Neill as Jay Pritchett could get me anytime he wanted. And when he's done, I'd slid over and hit Sofía Vergara. Again, still bi.

#6. John Goodman as Dan Conner on Roseanne

Let me clearify, John Goodman as Dan Conner on Roseanne. Not John Goodman as Dan Conner on The Connors. What? More pushing for the cushion.

#5. Alex Karras as George Papadapolis on Webster

I remember loving this show as a kid. And Karras would have me loving for whole different reason.

#4. Mark Addy as Bill Miller on Still Standing

This show helped my developing lust for Mark.

#3. Ed O'Neill as Al Bundy on Married with Children

Why do I have Ed twice on this list. As much as I like Ed as Jay Pritchett, it's Al Bundy who I'd be imagining dicking me down. Plus, I'm doing Peg too.

#2. Carroll O’Connor as Archie Bunker on All in the Family

Looking at Carroll sitting in that chair with his legs crossed was hot. Thick thighs does that to me.

#1. Tom Bosley as Howard Cunningham (Mr C) on Happy Days

There something about Tom walking around in those suits and him always being frisky.

[beardedmrbean]

I'm not here to call anyone right or wrong about the content of the post, I would just like to remind folks that you need to actually go to the source if you want the real answer to your questions.

Never seen Maxxx's response on screenshots before, glad I went to the actual account, never knew there was a positive resolution here, that's nice to see.

That and you read the caption again you'll notice Ripley was written as a straight man, not a lesbian, "book and screenplay" written as a man, if they'd wanted her to be a lesbian they could have left the romance in, it wouldn't have been too out of place having gay characters.

Victor Victoria came out 3 years after and had 1 of the main characters (played by Robert Preston) who was flamboyantly gay, another main character played by James Garner (man's man) later spouting the line 'I don't care if you are a man' before kissing Julie Andrews not knowing if he's a she or not, and Alex Karras former NFL defensive lineman who you may alternatively know better as either the dad from Webster or Mongo from Blazing Saddles comes out of the closet to be with main character number 1.

Movie was very very gay, and it came out in 1983, they could have put a lesbian subplot in Aliens if they wanted to, not like it was family entertainment or anything.

All that said people are allowed to read things however they like, but if you don't have the word of one of the people in charge of the decisions all you have is a theory so treat it as such please.

CURRENTLY SOBBING. OK SOO, RIPLEY IS GAY?!!

and lambert is actually trans?? 😭😭

[degrass1]

#degrass1. priv. & sel. degrassi multimuse. extremely low activity. rules & muses below cut carrd. pinterest. meme tag.

rules, subject to change.

extremely low activity. this is not my main nor my only blog, if you're looking for someone that will reply at the speed of light, you're in the wrong place.

discord is available to mutuals that ask, but i will probably not publicly share it on this blog. i don't do it often but i'm down to write there, as well.

all muses found on this blog are primarily headcanon-based and canon divergent. degrassi is an insane drama that i love so deeply but there are some things that, to me, are just unrealistic/too much. i'm currently rewatching the entire series (starting from the next generation) so i will make posts for any moments that i am divergent from.

most likely iconless, with a moderate amount of formatting. i don't mind if you do/do not use icons, or if you do/do not format!! if you need me to change anything up, let me know.

all of the graphics on this blog, unless stated otherwise, was made directly by or for me. anything else will be credited here: psd. carrd template.

i have no triggers, but if you're familiar with degrassi, you know that it is chock full of them. everything that i can think of will be tagged accordingly, but if i miss anything that you need hidden, let me know and i will tag it! i will more than likely not be writing out any heavier topics in detail, but i may mention them in headcanon/misc. posts, and in threads. again, everything will be tagged accordingly.

shipping is unlikely to be prioritized on this blog. 90% of the muses found here are underage, unless written in post-grad aus. there will be exceptions made for canon relationships and heavily plotted aus, but even in those cases, nsfw will not be present at all here.

some important notes regarding my characterizations will be listed here: emma and spinner are not married; they were and got divorced immediately after they realized what had happened, no beach wedding was had.

basic ettiquite applies. don't be weird, don't be forceful. we're all here to have fun.

mun is 21+. please do not follow if you are a minor.

*** while the origin of these muses is degrassi, i will most likely default to whatever verse your muse is from (or use a general high school verse if your muse does not have one specific fandom).

muses, subject to change, always accepting suggestions.

alex nuñez ⸻ primary. deanna casaluce

craig manning ⸻ primary. jake epstein

drew torres ⸻ tertiary. luke bilyk

elijah "eli" goldsworthy ⸻ tertiary. munro chambers

ellie nash ⸻ secondary. stacey farber

emma nelson ⸻ secondary. miriam mcdonald

fiona coyne ⸻ by request. annie clark

gavin "spinner" mason ⸻ secondary. shane kippel

jane vaughn ⸻ by request. paula brancati

jay hogart ⸻ secondary. mike lobel

j.t. yorke ⸻ secondary. ryan cooley

manny santos ⸻ primary. cassie steele

paige michalchuk ⸻ primary. lauren collins

riley stavros ⸻ by request. argiris karras

sav bhandari ⸻ by request. raymond ablack

sean cameron ⸻ secondary. daniel clark

terri macgregor ⸻ tertiary. christina schmidt

zigmund "zig" novak ⸻ by request. christina schmidt

[malixxxmizer]

favorite pantera album? I love far beyond driven and reinventing the steel, but I would love to hear yours! From one pantera fangirl to the next 😉

Malixxx’s Album Analysis 📈

Vulgar Display of Power: Pantera (February 25, 1992)

⛤ First and Foremost, Happy 32nd birthday to the album that literally changed my life two years ago!!! This album has definitely had lots of influence on my music taste, and social interactions. I know this might sound really silly but honestly every song and every lyric on this album really makes me think about my life and how I would like to live it.

⛤ From power ballads like “This Love” and “Hollow” to beautiful dime solos in “Regular People (Conceit)” and their most popular track off the album “Walk”. Let’s be real, what’s not to like about the album.

Track list

1.) Mouth For War 3:56

2.) A New Level 2:57

3.) Walk 5:15

4.) Fucking Hostile 2:49

5.) This Love 6:32

6.) Rise 4:36

7.) No Good (Attack The Radical) 4:50

8.) Live In A Hole 4:59

9.) Regular People (Conceit) 5:27

10.) By Demons Be Driven 4:39

11.) Hollow 5:45

⛤ Fun Fact: the title of Pantera's 1992 album "Vulgar Display of Power" was inspired by a line in "The Exorcist". When Father Karras asks Regan why she can't make the straps restraining her disappear if she's supposedly the devil, she replies,

"That's much too vulgar a display of power, Karras."

Alex Karras was Webster's dad in the hit TV show Webster which Pantera was a huge fan of. Karras was a professional football player for the Detroit Lions and was known for his vulgar display of power. Pantera loved the symmetry and that's why they loved the TV show Webster.

⛤ I’m a band kid and musician who’s an absolute sucker for power ballads and power metal so you better believe that my top tracks off of this album are “This Love” and “Hollow”. I relate to “This Love” because it made me realize that there is so many different dynamics of love and it is completely valid to be mad at it when it doesn’t turn out the way you thought it would. “Hollow” on the other hand might not resonate with others but after I went through a similar situation in my life a couple months ago, I knew it was always gonna be a favorite.

⛤ Musicianship, Emotion, Lyricism, Individuality, Brutality, and Dedication. This was a recipe for greatness which Pantera fell nothing short of with the success of their sixth studio album “Vulgar Display of Power”. It’s always so amazing to know that there is always different directions that a specific band can take throughout their career growth; here is where the bands raw emotions reveals a new sense of vulnerability contrasting to their moody rock sound in previous work. Some may say that different isn’t always good, then there’s bands like Pantera that go above and beyond to kill those laws of nature.

Rating Overview:

•10/10

for outstanding musicianship, emotion, and delivery

Happy F*****g Birthday Vulgar Display of Power!

⛤ ⛤ ⛤ ⛤ ⛤ ⛤ ⛤ ⛤ ⛤ ⛤ ⛤ ⛤ ⛤

[whalermansposts]

Alex Karras Dick the Bruiser Everything about that night went wrong in a hurry, and Alex Karras (Mongo in Blazing Saddles) admitted that he should have known better.He shouldn’t have put any money down on football games. He shouldn’t have gotten in so tightly with the Butiscaris brothers and discussed buying into their place in Detroit, the Lindell Bar. He shouldn’t have agreed to work as a kind of celebrity bartender. More than anything, he should have known better than staging this hokey wrestling stunt which hinged on Dick “the Bruiser” Afflis not flying into one of his Looney Tunes rages.When the Detroit Lions grabbed him in the first round of the 1958 NFL draft, Karras walked away from wrestling without hesitation. Dick was a little hurt and a little irritated. Wrestling pays better and was a hell of a lot safer than football. You were a star, not a faceless grunt on the gridiron. Dick loved every minute of being in the ring. He thought Karras had, too.Dick watched Alex Karras become one of the Motor City’s athletic icons. One of the greatest defensive tackles in NFL history, they said. Unlike many players, Karras had evolved a calm, easy-going rapport with fans and press. His quick, imaginative mind cranked out jokes and stories easily, but the man turned to a six-foot-two granite slab on the field. When Karras got slapped with a one-year suspension in 1963 for gambling on football games, Dick offered to get him back on the circuit. Put a nice bit of scratch together. Karras wasn’t wealthy, by any means, and the only income he had to weather the gap in NFL checks was from the Lindell Bar, which he shared with the Butiscaris brothers. Karras liked the bar and liked the brothers, but he knew they had a reputation in the city.The Butiscaris weren’t exactly connected, but they were serious men. Friends of friends, or however you wanted to say it. It was through them that Karras had put down some small bets from time to time, more out of habit than desire. But the NFL found out. The Lions made no secret about wanting him to sell his share of the bar and distance himself from that lifestyle.Karras knew he would, eventually, but after 1963. For now, he needed the cash. When Dick offered to get him on the circuit again, Karras accepted right away. Now that he was famous in Detroit, he’d be a bigger draw with a bigger paycheck.  He’d make more in a few bouts than he would in a entire season with the Lions. When Dick suggested they play up their rivalry before the match with a little pageantry, Karras wasn’t as enthusiastic. The idea was this—Dick comes into the Lindell, insults Karras, they have a tussle, then everyone departed. The incident would hit the newspapers and the match would sell out. Easy.The BrawlDick stomped in well past midnight on April 23, just a few days before their advertised April 27th match. Both he and Karras had rehearsed the script beforehand. Karras made sure everyone in the bar that night knew the exchange was a wrestling bit and nothing more. He had all his bases covered.Problem was, no one thought to tell Jimmy Butiscaris’ Uncle Charley, who picked that night of all nights to visit his niece’s husband’s bar.Karras knew something was off as soon as Dick stepped in the Lindell. The always-present cigar jutted from Dick’s mouth, clenched between his molars because five of his front teeth were missing. Although an inch shorter than Karras, he had forty pounds of muscle on the younger man. Dick’s shirt strained like an overstuffed sausage casing and when he stepped in the bar, he squinted and stared at every patron. Mob guys, bookies, hooligans and hoodlums, people that had killed people—Dick didn’t care. He was the Bruiser.Dick saw Karras at the opposite end of the bar. Dick’s eyes narrowed even more and he teeth spread in a hard grin around the cigar.The bartender asked Dick if he’d like a drink, but Dick didn’t even let him finish. He stretched out one arm and stabbed his finger at Karras, who stared at Dick through his heavy-framed glasses.“Nah. I want that fat f——g four eyes to serve me,” Dick growled.Alex, to be honest, was a little relieved. The way Dick had looked coming in, he thought things were going to go bad, but so far so good. Dick was on script. Jimmy would refuse to serve him, the Bruiser would rip Jimmy’s shirt, and jab a light punch at him. A few more words, then it was done.Jimmy told him to leave, Dick the Bruiser grabbed his shirt and tore it and then gave him the stiffed punch. It looked real enough.No one saw Uncle Charley until it was too late. As this exchange had unfolded, Charley had crept over to the pool table and grabbed a long cue, raising it above his shoulder and working slowly to Dick’s side. He saw Dick grab Jimmy, rip his shirt, and then jab a fist at him. Charley didn’t hesitate.“Hey!” Charley said.Dick turned to him.Charley swung like Mickey Mantle. The pool cue swished through the air and caught Dick just below his eye, breaking the cue and slicing Dick’s face open. It would later need stitches. The cigar shot from his mouth and pattered on the floor. Blood spattered on the bar. Dick stood blinking for a moment. Alex Karras opened his mouth, but there was no stopping Dick now. In fact, there was no Dick now. The hulking bloody-faced mass of blonde hair and rage that squared off against Uncle Charley was the Bruiser, forever and ever, Amen.By now, someone had let Charley in on the play acting. Charley dropped the remnants of the broken pool cue and stepped away from the Bruiser, who seemed to grow taller and wider and meaner, like a living steam boiler.The Bruiser grabbed the closest thing to him: a candy and peanut vending machine that weighed roughly two hundred pounds. The Bruiser gripped the sides of the machine, grunted and lifted the entire machine off the ground. The tendons in his arms stiffened like buried cables. Snacks and coins tickled and jittered inside the machine. The Bruiser lifted the entire vending machine over his head.Rage hadn’t entirely taken Dick over. He had enough presence of mind to know crushing this middle-aged man with a hunk of steel and glass might be a bad choice. Instead, Dick pitched the vending machine slightly to the side, missing Charley and any patrons, but crushing the bar’s color television. Its tube imploded with a flash and sizzle, raining down glass on the battered vending machine.Patrons fled out the door. The Bruiser bellowed. He pitched stools and chairs wildly, against the walls, into rows of clean glasses, onto tables of half-filled beer mugs. The bar stank of spilled beer and spirits.Automatically, Karras slipped his glasses off and tucked them safely under the bar. He stalked toward Dick silently. He wasn’t sure if there was a damn thing he could do to stop Dick right now. When the Bruiser flew into these rages, it was like fighting an iron tornado. This night would hit the papers, but not like Karras wanted. What a screw-up.Instead of a semi-suicidal charge at the Bruiser, Karras picked up a bar chairs, clutching its legs tightly his fists and holding it over his shoulder. Dick had his back to him, whipping bar stools end over end into the wall. Karras took a deep breath then arced the chair down and across the Bruiser’s shoulders, hoping the blow would stun him or at least slow him down. Karras brought beasts down for a living and put everything he had into the swing. The chair exploded across the Bruiser’s back leaving only two shards of wood in Karras’ hands.Dick was crazy and now Dick wanted to kill him. He might have done just that if a swarm of his underworld buddies hadn’t thrown themselves on the Bruiser at that moment. Two men held his arms. One hopped up and hooked an elbow across the Bruiser’s neck. Another punched wildly at the Bruiser’s gut, trying to knock the wind out of him. Yet another wrapped his hands around the Bruiser’s waist to topple him over. Karras felt a tug at his arm. Jimmy Butiscaris pointed at the bar’s rear exit. “We called the cops, man” Jimmy said. “You need to scoot.”Before he could protest, Jimmy cut him off. “It’ll be a lot less messy if you’re gone. Easier on me. Personally. Please.”The Bruiser didn’t fall or slow, but Karras had certainly gotten his attention. For a moment, the two men faced off, nearly equal in height and weight but not in raw rage. Karras cursed and stepped back. Like Karras, Dick Afflis had once played for the NFL. Karras knew exactly why Dick quit playing football. More money, sure, but the real reason behind Dick’s move is his love of fighting. He liked to fight. Even his scripted wrestling matches sometimes turned into the real deal. In 1957, his match at Madison Square Garden had gone off-script and turned into a real fight. Then a real riot. By the time the brawl ended, the Garden was covered in a sea of shattered wooden chairs. It took sixty policeman to subdue the crowd and the wrestlers. “The Bruiser” wasn’t just a character. Before the Detroit Lions picked up Karras in 1958, Karras had worked the wrestling circuit and he and Dick “The Bruiser” Afflis had become fast friends. Both came from Indiana—Karras born in Gary and a legendary Emerson High School football star. Dick grew up in Delphi, played football and wrestled at Lafayette Jefferson High School and then for Purdue, then three years with the Green Bay Packers. Then he left it all for professional wrestling, which had exploded once televised bouts entered the industry. Dick helped the younger Karras along with his wrestling, mentoring him like a big brother

[classic80sand90smovieloves2]

Sorry for asking but I saw the ask and thought about me asking before... Did you get request for Carrie, Major Payne, and the Exorcist... I feel like I sent the request in but since I had never seen you write for them before I wanted to check first and now I can’t remember if I ever actually asked

No problem! I did get requests for all of those! I have asks for Tommy Ross/Carrie (I had requests for both of them so I don’t know which is yours), Cadet Alex Stone, and Father Karras in my inbox right now. 💕

[bookloveravenue]

Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett

Budding photographer Josie Saint-Martin has spent half her life with her single mother, moving from city to city. When they return to her historical New England hometown years later to run the family bookstore, Josie knows it’s not forever. Her dreams are on the opposite coast, and she has a plan to get there.

What she doesn’t plan for is a run-in with the town bad boy, Lucky Karras. Outsider, rebel…and her former childhood best friend. Lucky makes it clear he wants nothing to do with the newly returned Josie. But everything changes after a disastrous pool party, and a poorly executed act of revenge lands Josie in some big-time trouble—with Lucky unexpectedly taking the blame.

Determined to understand why Lucky was so quick to cover for her, Josie discovers that both of them have changed, and that the good boy she once knew now has a dark sense of humor and a smile that makes her heart race. And maybe, just maybe, he’s not quite the brooding bad boy everyone thinks he is…

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52386214-chasing-lucky

********

November 15, 2020 

My Review: 5/5 Stars

I love Jenn Bennett's books. Always have since I read Alex, Approximately. She has written some of my top favorite contemporary YA romance books and Chasing Lucky is just another great one to add to my favorites. Josie returns home 5 years after her mom ran them out of town in the middle of the night. And what Josie has learned in those 5 years is to keep her head down and don't make attachments. And oh course, remember that the Saint-Martin women are cursed when it comes to love. So never fall in love. But coming back home, means coming back to the boy. Her best friend when she was a kid. The best friend she had to leave behind without saying goodbye. A lot has changed since she last saw Lucky. Her former best friend has a the bad boy rep and it doesn't take too long for Josie to realize that perhaps Lucky isn't the only one who has put up shields. After an incident that Lucky takes the blame for, Josie wants to do what she can to set things right. And she finds herself back with her best friend and perhaps even more. But in a town where gossip is truly the enemy and secrets of her mother's past comes back to haunt them, can she figure out the truth and break her curse? Or will she just be another Saint-Martin to have her heart broken? I loved this story. Josie and Lucky are great characters and their love story had me swooning. There were so many elements and threads in this story, and I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know the truth with Josie's mom's past. I wanted Josie to fall in love with her best friend. I wanted her to break the curse. Such a great book! Loved every moment of it.

[hannah-writes]

Her Daughter’s Kingdom

So @beamirang and I were talking about rule!63 and somehow this is what happened. This is, as many things are nowadays, 100% Bea’s fault.

Featuring rule!63′d Alex, loosely inspired by The King is Dead ‘verse. There might be more, depending on if anyone’s interested.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.  Alex had definitely imagined that her reunion with Michael would have been a little more smooth,. A lot more smooth, actually, and probably with a lot less yelling and threats of war and world domination. As it was, she was standing in her throne room (which, if you asked her, was still something she had trouble accepting because honestly, leading people to their freedom didn't warrant them instituting her to the monarchy no matter how grateful they were), eyes on the door as General Rath of Antar (or, as she knew him better, Michael Guerin of Roswell, New Mexico) shouted at the guards standing outside to open the door.

She'd sent comms to Antar as soon as the political situation on Karras III had settled. It had taken longer than she would have wanted considering there were still a few rebel factions which needed to be defeated so that their airspace was safe to enter and, honestly, she was willing to concede that they had a point in disliking the fact that an off-worlder had been elected to the highest position on the planet in a way that was possibly the least democratic she had ever seen in her life, it was one of the reasons she was 'Queen Alexandra' rather than 'Empress' or 'Supreme Ruler' (both titles she'd politely declined). She knew that Antar's forces had been laying siege to the outlying planets trying to narrow down which one Alex was on and talk of Rath the seventeenth being just as much of a warlord as his predecessor was vastly exaggerated considering Alex knew him as the one who kissed her fingertips in the warmth of the morning, whispering prayers against her skin. Still, there were people out there that would have used her connection to him to their advantage, that may have tried to use her and her planet as leverage in the ongoing unrest in the system, so the comms had been coded.

Obviously, from the way the doors to the throne room banged open with Michael mid-rant, too coded.

"I swear, if you don't release her <i>right now</i> I'll take over this whole fucking planet and leave nothing but ashes behind, don't test me I'm-"

"Michael."

God, how was he so smart but so dense? 

He'd always said that he'd conquer planets for her in a way she'd always thought was a joke even after it had become apparent that Michael was, along with Max and Isobel, heir to not just a single planet but an entire system. Still, the fact that he was, very loudly, threatening to conquer what was now her planet was a little uncalled for.

Her voice cut through what was definitely the beginning of a declaration of war and she watched the way that his whole body froze, the sound of her voice was obviously not what he'd expected when he’d stomped into the throne room. Then again, the last time they'd managed to communicate properly she'd just been taken hostage by rebels who wanted to force the young clones to forfeit their rights to Antar. A lot had happened since then, to them both it would seem.

"Michael," she said again, more softly this time, and he blinked, yanking off his ornate helmet and allowing Alex to see his face for the first time in seven years. His curls fell around his face, a little longer than she remembered them being. His eyes were- they were almost the same but they were more haunted now, shadows that sat behind the amber irises that Alex wished she could wipe away. "If you can stop threatening my guards for five minutes, you'd see that as I said in the communication, I'm <i>right here</i>."

He made to move towards Alex but was stopped when she lifted her hand. He was in his full regalia and dressed for war which wasn't really an easy outfit to hug someone in and he'd seemingly forgotten. When he looked confused and crestfallen that she'd stopped him coming closer, it only took her arching her eyebrow and looking at the large and imposing spikes that were on his armour before he was fumbling for the hidden buckles, a hand shooting out to shut the main doors and shedding pieces as he rushed to close the gap between himself and Alex.

He was within arms' reach when another voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Mom?"

Alex wet her lower lip and looked not in the slightest bit surprised to hear a little person calling her 'mom'. Michael, however, ground to a fucking halt and stared at the little person looking as though all the oxygen had been sucked from the room.

"Mom?!" Michael all but exploded and was immediately levelled with a Look from Alex that was, somehow, mimicked on the face of the little person who had long sandy coloured hair and large amber eyes that were obscured a little by ringlets that she kept having to push out of her face. The expression of frustration as she did was one Michael knew well.

"Yes, Michael," Alex deadpanned in response, "that's what a child calls their birth parent."

"Birth-"

"-parent."

"You-"

"-have a daughter? Yes." She held her hand out and the little girl walked over, tucking herself at Alex's hip, looking up at Michael curiously.

"You're right mom," she said with a little frown, her brows creasing in a way that Michael absolutely didn't find soul-meltingly adorable, "he is an idiot."

Michael opened his mouth to argue before he shut it again and Alex watched him visibly retreat, fold into himself and she hated that small part of her that wished he'd just finished closing the gap and hugged her. Instead, her daughter looped her arms around her waist and tipped her head so that it was resting against her side. She pushed her fingers through the girl's hair.

"I'm not an idiot," is what Michael replied with, defensively, and was proud of the way he didn't shrink under the twin looks of utter disbelief that were shot in his direction.

Alex bent and pressed a kiss to the top of her daughter's head before she returned her attention to Michael.

"This is Maya," she said, and Maya gave Michael a little curtsey.

"Nice to meet you," Maya said with a lift of her eyebrow, "finally."

"Confident, isn't she," Michael muttered with a little nod in Maya's direction. "Her father must be proud."

Alex didn't miss the tone that was wrapped around the words. The way that Michael's expression stuttered shut and the armour that he'd shed in his haste to get to her started moving a little, picked up by the invisible hands of his telekinesis slowly. She didn't miss the bite that was underneath the words because Michael was many things and subtle was not one of them.

"I don't know," she replied, coolly, "are you?"

Michael's armour hit the ground with a clatter.

[dweemeister]

2019 Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song (final)

*breathes deeply*

TAGGING: @cokwong; @dansmonarbre; @emilylime5; @fredsbarandgrill; @halfwaythruthedark; @ideallaedi; @introspectivemeltdown; @loveless422 (of @classicladiesofcolor administering); @maximiliani; @memetoilet; @mindo80; @monkeysmadeofcheese; @myluckyerror; @nazur; @phendranaedge; @plus-low-overthrow; @shadesofhappy; @stephdgray; @themusicmoviesportsguy; @theybecomestories; @umgeschrieben; @underblackwings; @yellanimal.

And also tagging a few first-timers or those who haven’t done this in a while: @astorytellertothestars; @bitch-genius; @dog-of-ulthar; @ineedanumbrella; @jayb3; @kataka-taka; @nudehearth; @shootingstarvenator; @thethirdman8; @thewolfofelectricavenue; @voicetalentbrendan; and @wehadfacesthen.

This is not the latest we've ever started the final round, but here we go!

For those who participated in the preliminary, I thank you for your time, but we're not done quite yet. The madness has only begun. After a chaotic end to the preliminary round in which contenders crashed out and unheralded underdogs rose in the final hours, who knows who takes this final? For the uninitiated, I have an Oscar-like ceremony on my blog celebrating all the movies of that year’s Movie Odyssey (all the movies I saw for the first time in their entirety) at the year’s end. For the last five years, I have asked family and friends to help out with the Best Original Song category - because in all other categories, you'd be forced to watch entire movies to decide it. This is a musical thank-you to those, who have contributed, in their own ways, to support the Movie Odyssey and me over the last calendar year.

I normally would have known if I would have asked folks to help participate in MOABOS around the end of summer. But due to work commitments, I had no idea whether or not we would be doing this as late as mid-October. I consider it very fortunate we were able to get this off the ground this year - some of you, interestingly enough, look forward to this every year for some strange reason.

As a result of this year's limitations, this is the one of the most monolingual fields we've ever had in a final. But that's not to besmirch the quality of music seen here. In one notable piece of MOABOS trivia, a Vietnamese-language song has reached the final for the first time. A record two songs in the final are from a documentary film (albeit they are from the same documentary).

INSTRUCTIONS Please rank (#1-15) your choices in order. The top ten songs will receive nominations. The tabulation method used in the preliminary round is being used for the final only as the second tiebreaker (the tabulation method that will be used principally for the final - aka "single transferable vote" - is described in the "PS"). There is no minimum or maximum amount of songs you can rank, but because of the nature of single transferable vote, it is highly recommended to rank as many songs as possible, rather than only one or two. Those who rank fewer songs run a greater risk of their ballots being discarded as I am counting the ballots. Again, this is all described in the "PS". Why not implement at a minimum number of songs to rank? Well, I believe in giving you folks as much freedom as possible.

Please consider to the best of your ability: how musically interesting the song is (including and not limited to musical phrasing and orchestration); its lyrics; context within the film (contextual blurbs provided for every entry for those who haven't seen the films); choreography/dance direction (if applicable); and the song's cultural impact/life outside the film (if applicable, and by far the least important factor). Imperfections in audio and video quality may not be used against any song. I encourage you to send in comments and reactions with your rankings - it’s always fun to read reactions to individual songs, and it usually makes the process (for everyone) more enjoyable!

The deadline for submission is Tuesday, December 31 at 7 PM Pacific Time / 5 PM Hawai'i / 6 PM Alaska / 9 PM Central / 10 PM Eastern. If you're across the Atlantic, that's New Year's Day at 3 AM GMT / 4 AM CET / 5 AM EET. There will be no deadline extensions.

The fifteen finalists (to access the below via YouTube playlist, click here... please keep in mind many of these finalists are meant to be watched and listened to):

“Are We Dancing?”, music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, The Happiest Millionaire (1967)

Performed by John Davidson and Leslie Ann Warren

After convincing her father to let her attend boarding school, Cordy Biddle (Warren) meets Angier “Angie” Buchanan Duke (Davidson in his film debut) at a social dance. Cordy, stressing herself too much in believing that she must go out of her way to attract a boy, is pleasantly surprised by Angie’s taking to her. Just before the song, she initially dismisses waltzes as a dance, “for old people” - repeating a line her father said once. The song’s melody is quoted occasionally in the film’s score.

“Crazy World”, music by Henry Mancini, lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, Victor/Victoria (1982)

Performed by Julie Andrews

Victoria Grant (Andrews) is a woman playing a man named “Victor” who is impersonating a woman. Victoria, as Victor, has become the hit vaudeville act of Paris. This is Victoria’s first performance as “Victor” not pretending to be a woman. Is your head spinning yet?

“Detroit”, music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, The Happiest Millionaire

Performed by John Davidson and Lesley Ann Warren

(partial use in film)

Lovebirds Cordy Biddle (Warren) and Angier “Angie” Buchanan Duke (Davidson in his film debut) have been discussing their future together. Angie does not want to inherit his father’s tobacco business - instead wishing to head to Detroit to be a part of the automotive industry (the film is set in 1916, as the city was booming because of the auto industry).

“East Bound and Down”, music and lyrics by Jerry Reed and Dick Feller, Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

Performed by Jerry Reed

This is the theme song for this comedy, which also describes the plot somewhat. Smokey and the Bandit is about two truckers - “Bandit” (Burt Reynolds) and “Snowman” (Reed) - who have been offered $80,000 by a rich Texan to pick up 400 cases of Coors beer from Texarkana, Texas and return to Atlanta within twenty-eight hours. In 1977, Coors was only found in the Western U.S. and transporting it across Southern state lines was illegal (giving Coors a mystique in the Eastern U.S.).

“I Dug a Ditch”, music by Burton Lane, lyrics by Lew Brown and Ralph Freed, Thousands Cheer (1943)

Performed by the Kay Kyser Band, Kathryn Grayson, Georgia Carroll, Harry Babbitt, Sully Mason, M.A. Bogue, and chorus

NOTE: An entirely separate song, “Should I”, is integrated from 3:04-3:36.

Apologies for the text overlaying the video. The second half of Thousands Cheer is essentially an elaborate revue musical performance for American World War II troops in which the film’s initial pretense of attempting a story is entirely dropped. “I Dug a Ditch” is one of the songs appearing in the film’s second half.

“I Wish I Didn’t Love You So”, music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, The Perils of Pauline (1947)

Performed by Betty Hutton

Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song

Based on the life of silent film actress Pearl White (played by Hutton), The Perils of Pauline sees Pearl become a star in silent serial films, garnering worldwide popularity. Complications with Pearl’s engagement and impending wedding/honeymoon with her partner force her to break the engagement and leave the film industry. Much later - far from Hollywood, feeling down - she auditions for a Paris nightclub with this song.

“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again”, music by Elton John, lyrics by Bernie Taupin, Rocketman (2019)

Performed by Elton John and Taron Egerton

This is the first song played over the end credits of this biopic of Elton John. This is John and Taupin’s (John’s songwriting partner through the 1960s-1990s) first collaboration outside the Sherlock Gnomes series for this decade.

“The Joint Is Really Jumpin’ in Carnegie Hall”, music and lyrics by Roger Edens, Ralph Blane, and Hugh Martin, Thousands Cheer (1943)

Performed by Judy Garland and Jose Iturbi

The second half of Thousands Cheer - where this song is found - is essentially an elaborate revue musical performance for American World War II troops in which the film’s initial pretense of attempting a story is entirely dropped.

“Le Jazz Hot!”, music by Henry Mancini, lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, Victor/Victoria (1982)

Performed by Julie Andrews

Victoria Grant (Andrews) is making her Parisian debut playing a man named “Victor” who is impersonating a woman. The scheme was hatched by her friend, Carroll “Toddy” Todd (Robert Preston) - both of them desperate for money, and Toddy is the only one who knows that “Victor” is Victoria. Preston, Lesley Ann Warren, James Garner, and John Rhys-Davies, and Alex Karras are present in this scene.

“The Next Right Thing”, music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Frozen II (2019)

Performed by Kristen Bell

Anna (Bell) has seemingly lost her friends and her sister at what is the lowest point in the film. Uncertain what to do, she recalls a small piece of advice that leads her forward.

“The Place Where Lost Things Go”, music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, Mary Poppins Returns

(Initial performance) / (reprise)

Performed by Emily Blunt; reprise by Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh, and Joel Dawson

Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song

This is a lullaby sung by Mary Poppins (Blunt) to the Banks children, who have lost their mother before the events of the film. The song was inspired by an idea from P.L. Travers’ Mary Poppins novels, in which Poppins takes Jane and Michael Banks (the aunt and father of the Banks children for this film, respectively) to the moon. There, they learn that the dark side of the moon is where things get lost. The song is referenced occasionally in the film’s score.

“The Shady Dame from Seville”, music by Henry Mancini, lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, Victor/Victoria (1982)

(Initial performance) / (reprise to be watched at your own spoiler-y risk)*

Performed by Julie Andrews; reprise by Robert Preston

*watch at your own spoiler-y risk because it gives away the film’s comical musical ending

Victoria Grant (Andrews), after making her Parisian debut playing a man named “Victor” who is impersonating a woman, has become the hit vaudeville act of Paris. This is one of her signature performances. Preston’s reprise - which appears near the film’s conclusion - was done in one take, hence his sweaty and fatigued appearance at the end.

“Suite: Judy Blue Eyes”, music and lyrics by Stephen Stills, Woodstock (1970)

(an excerpt of how this song is framed in the film)

Performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Brief Spanish lyrics sung in counterpoint

Directed by Michael Wadleigh, Woodstock was the official documentary film for the eponymous August 1969 music festival. The festival organizers retained film distribution and music recording rights. “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” refers to Stills’ thoughts towards his imminent breakup with folk singer Judy Collins. This song is composed in the form of a classical music suite (in layman’s terms, it sounds like an ordered collection of separate songs in one).

“Trường Tương Tư”, music and lyrics by Leon Le, Song Lang

Performed by Isaac and Liên Bỉnh Phát

Lyrics in Vietnamese

English translation and context are in the link.

“Woodstock”, music and lyrics by Joni Mitchell, Woodstock

Performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

This song appears in the end credits to Woodstock - the official documentary film for the eponymous August 1969 musical festival.

The winner is somewhere above. They will join a list that includes the following past winners:

2018: "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing", Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955)

2017: “Remember Me (Recuérdame)”, Coco (2017)

2016: "Stayin' Alive", Saturday Night Fever (1977)

2015: "Amhrán Na Farraige”, Song of the Sea (2014)

2014: "Rainbow Connection", The Muppet Movie (1979)

2013: “The Gold Diggers’ Song (We’re In the Money)”,Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)

Go forth and listen! You may submit your responses in any way, as long as they come in before the deadline. I am free to answer any questions about anything you have about the process.

Happy listening, and have a happy holiday season as we conclude this decade (already?)!

TABULATION Like the preliminary... a respondent’s first choice receives 10 points, the second choice receives 9, the third choice receives 8, etc. HOWEVER, this points system is used only for tiebreaker purposes.

The winner is determined by a process called single transferable vote (the Academy Awards uses this method to choose a Best Picture winner, visually represented here - you should really watch this video if the below doesn't make sense... which it probably won't):

All #1 picks from all voters are tabulated. A song needs more than half of all aggregate votes to win (50% of all votes plus one... i.e. if there are thirty respondents, sixteen #1 votes are needed to win on the first count).

If there is no winner after the first count (as is most likely), the song(s) with the fewest #1 votes or points is/are eliminated. Placement will be determined by the tiebreakers described below. Then, we look at the ballots of those who voted for the last-placed song(s). Their votes then go to the highest-remaining and non-eliminated song on their ballot.

This process (in step #2) repeats until one song has secured 50% plus one of all votes. We keep eliminating nominees and transfer votes to the highest-ranked, non-eliminated song on each ballot. NOTE: It is possible after several rounds of counting that respondents who did not entirely fill in their ballots will have wasted their votes at the end of the process. For example, if a person voted the second-to-last place song as their #1, ranked no other songs, and the count has exceeded two rounds, their ballot is discarded (lowering the vote threshold needed to win), and they have no say in which song ultimately is the winner.

A song wins when it reaches more than fifty percent of all #1 and re-distributed votes.

Tiebreakers: 1) first song to receive 50% plus one of all #1 and transferred votes; 2) total points earned; 3) total #1 votes; 4) placement on my ballot; 5) placement on my sister’s ballot; 6) tie declared

[shannaraisles]

In Marcher Fields - Chapter 13

Poppy Hawke was never the daughter her mother wanted, the sister her twin preferred, the hero Kirkwall desired. They do not see the woman who stands between them and the chaos that threatens. No one takes the time to look, until she crosses the path of a certain Knight-Captain with demons of his own to battle …

[Read on AO3]

Chapter Thirteen

9:37 Dragon, Solace

The city was a mess.

Chaos did not even begin to cover every single day since the explosion of the Chantry, and the rampant slaughter that had followed it. Shame gripped Cullen every time he thought of that day; shame that he had not turned against Meredith sooner, shame that he had not listened when Poppy warned him years before. She had seen, so clearly, where Meredith's path was taking her, and he, so blinded by duty and past pain, had let her speak and ignored the words that predicted his future. He remembered the betrayal in her eyes when Meredith invoked the Rite and he said nothing, betrayal he had hoped he would never see there again. But this time he had earned it. He had stood beside a woman mad with power and hungry for innocent blood, and had said nothing to prevent the templars' rampage through the city.

Oh, he had done his best for those mages who didn't turn to blood magic at the sight of them, but there had been precious few of those. Thankfully, there had still been a few templars among the ranks who thought as he had grown to - moderates who would have supported Thrask's foolish plan if they had but known about it. Men and women he could trust to take the frightened mages who did not fight back into their care, hide them in the city. There had been some fleeting thought of perhaps letting them go in the chaos once Meredith had been calmed. But in truth, all he had wanted was to get to the Gallows before his Knight-Commander did. All he'd wanted was to protect his love.

No one knew what had happened within the Gallows that day. Wave after wave of templars breached the inner hall only to be turned back - not by magic and mages, but by the Champion of Kirkwall, her brother, and her friends, fierce and angry at the pointless slaughter being meted out by a madwoman and her followers who did not think for themselves. When it had finally become clear to Meredith that sending her templars into the Gallows was nothing but a death sentence, she had settled down to wait, and he had thought she was waiting for Orsino. As terrible as it sounded, even now, even to himself, Cullen had hoped that in cutting down Orsino, Meredith might come to her senses. He had been prepared to sacrifice the man's life for the lives of everyone still living. And even now, he felt the shame of that thought, knowing that Poppy would not have sacrificed anyone. She had not even killed the mage responsible for the atrocity that flipped Meredith from power-mad into pure madness.

He could not even begin to describe the wave of unadulterated relief he had felt when the doors had opened and Poppy had limped through, battered but not broken, her eyes still shining with anger at the death that surrounded her. And the sinking horror when Meredith drew her lyrium-laced sword and demanded the death of the Champion of Kirkwall. That was when he had made his stand - not for justice, or the innocence of mages, not for what was right in that moment, but for Poppy. He would not stand aside and watch a good woman who had tried to keep the peace for so long cut down by the ambition of a crazed lunatic no longer open to reason.

The battle that followed was a blur in his mind. Meredith had called upon the statues of the Gallows themselves, magic that she should not have been able to conjure sending guardians of stone and bronze against Poppy and her friends, against Cullen and the remaining templars who had joined him. There had been blood and pain, terror each time Poppy fell to a blow, relief each time she rose again to rejoin the fray and, at the last, unbridled dread as Meredith became ... What had she become? A wizened, twisted parody of the woman she should have been, a red lyrium grotesque that hummed with malevolent power, yet was powerless in death.

He remembered the quiet that had fallen over the courtyard, the stillness of life and death in an instant. He remembered the way the ragtag band of friends drew protectively around Alex Hawke as he lifted his twin into his arms, too hurt to even hold her own body on her two feet. He remembered looking into Poppy’s eyes, the plea for no more that did not need to be spoken. And he remembered putting up his sword, feeling his templar fellows do the same, and watching as the Champion of Kirkwall was borne safely from the Gallows and out, into the ruin of the city.

Everyone had looked to him.

That's what filled his waking hours, haunted his sleep. Everyone was looking to him. The viscount was three years dead, his position never filled thanks to Meredith's intimidation tactics. Grand Cleric Elthina was dead, killed in the explosion of the Chantry. Meredith was dead. Karras and the others of his ilk who had been promoted for their cruelty were dead or in hiding. Cullen was the ranking officer for the entire city. Everyone looked to him.

And he found himself thinking ... what would Poppy do?

That thought gave him strength, offered him the confidence to do what was right. He knew her, he knew how she thought. The first thing was to look to the people, to the injured and the homeless, to make certain everyone who had survived had a roof over their head and food in their bellies. He had made a point of seeking out the guard captain, a woman he knew was a friend of Poppy's, and together, they had organized the search and rescue, the building of food banks and shelters, their focus the people of Kirkwall over the demands of the nobles or even the Chantry. The Seekers had arrived, interrogating and investigating, but Cullen had no time for them. Let them punish him for his mistakes, for the mistakes of his superiors who should have known better. He was busy doing what needed to be done, because that was what Poppy would have done were she here.

And that was another pain in his heart. Poppy Hawke had vanished.

If anyone had seen her in the weeks since the explosion, they were keeping very quiet about it. Her companions had all been seen doing what they could to keep the peace and protect the people. Aveline maintained her grip over the guard; that apostate elf had taken the alienage in hand; the elven warrior prowled the streets, cutting down slavers who came to take advantage of the chaos. The pirate had cobbled together a small fleet from those whose boats had not been damaged by debris, and taken soundings of the harbor, identifying the only route that was not a danger to shipping. The prince had gone back to Starkhaven to reclaim his throne, muttering threats of retribution against Kirkwall for the death of Elthina. The dwarf was pouring money into the clearing and restoration of Lowtown. The Warden mage, the one who had caused the explosion in the Chantry, had fled the city with what remained of the mages in the Circle. But of Poppy and Alex Hawke, there was no sign.

Cullen could understand why she had gone to ground - the horror and shock of everything that had happened, coupled with her injuries, was more than enough to excuse her absence. Yet why was her brother not out in the city, reminding everyone that they had a Champion, as he had done after the Qunari invasion? If he'd had time, Cullen would have tracked down the dwarf, demanded to know where she was, demanded to see her ... but his priority was the city and the people now under his care.

"Knight-Captain?"

He jerked out of his contemplation of the red lyrium remains, turning toward the man who had spoken. Another templar captain - Rylen, that was his name - come from Starkhaven's empty Circle with lyrium for the templars here and aid for the restoration efforts. A good man to have around. A good friend, if he could manage to make such a thing.

"Yes?"

Rylen held out a crumpled piece of parchment. "Some dwarf handed me this when I was passing through Lowtown," he said, only the faintest flicker of curiosity in his tone. "Said I was to hand it to you in person."

Cullen's fingers closed on the folded parchment. "This dwarf ..." he said carefully. "Red tunic? Open to the navel?"

Rylen snorted with laughter. "Aye, that's him. Called you 'Curly' too, if that's any help."

Cullen rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Rylen. How is the clearing of Lowtown coming?"

"We've the main thoroughfare cleared, but there's still many hexes crumbling in on themselves," the Starkhaven templar told him. "Still a fair number of grumbles and gripes thrown our way, too."

"Let them grumble," Cullen told him. "They have a right. I doubt any of this would have happened if templars in Kirkwall had been more moderate."

"With respect, ser, it would have happened somewhere else," Rylen said in a dark tone. "Things the way they are, any wee thing would have sparked a flame somewhere."

"You may be right."

Cullen nodded, dismissing him with a glance, and turned away as Rylen returned to his duties. Around him, men and women and elves and dwarves were still working, still clearing the debris from the courtyard, avoiding the gruesome statue at its heart without needing to think about it. No one wanted to risk being infected with the same madness that had driven Meredith to become the catalyst for all this destruction.

He looked down at the parchment between his fingers, crumpled and travel-stained. It looked as though it had come a long way to reach him. And there, the ink faded and smudged, was his name. Just Cullen, written in a hand that made his heart constrict. Poppy's hand.

Stepping away from the bustle of the courtyard, he passed into the Gallows, walking on heavy feet to the room that had become his office, of sorts. He sat at the cluttered desk, loaded with reports and entreaties, diplomatic messages and the like, and let out a long, low sigh. There was still so much to do. But here and now, it could wait.

With trembling fingers, he broke the wax seal, and unfolded the letter.

Cullen,

I don't know what to say. I don't know what I can say, except I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. All this chaos is my fault. I helped Anders. I didn't know at the time what he was doing, but I was so glad he was talking to me again that I helped him gather his ingredients without asking him what he was doing. He said it would help to sever the connection with the spirit he shares his body with. I believed him, I wanted to believe that my friend would not lie to me about such a thing.. And because I believed him, Kirkwall is in ruins. No amount of sorry can make up for that.

I made a mistake, a terrible mistake. I know you must be angry that I did not kill him for what he did, but hear me out on this, at least. He expected to die. He almost wanted me to kill him for what he had done. I did not spare him because he was once a friend. I refused to make him a martyr. I want him to live with the knowledge of what he has done, to experience the chaos he has unleashed on us all. Mark my words, this will not end with Kirkwall. The flame has been lit, and even now Circles across Thedas will be talking about what has happened, remembering the injustices they have suffered. I do not think it will be long before this chaos spreads to all the lands. And that is not Anders' fault. The fault and blame lies with the Chantry, as I have always said. So long as the Chantry holds the templars' leash, so long as the Chantry spreads lies about mages, so long as the Chantry has the people convinced that the doubtful mercy of the Circles is the only way to keep mages contained and the people safe from them, this chaos is inevitable. I know you know this. I won't ask you to agree with me, though. I know you are suffering enough with all that has happened.

I've left Kirkwall. We heard the Seekers were there, and the rumors that an Exalted March might be called on us, on me. Leaving seems the best way to protect the people from more terror. Aveline knows that Sebastian is threatening to bring Starkhaven against Kirkwall when he has power, his response to my letting Anders live. I know her. She will already be preparing for it. Merrill will keep the elves safe and away from the city. I know Fenris is preying on the slavers in his own way. Isabela will leave for the seas again. Varric is the only one who will stay in the city. Kirkwall is his home. He will not leave it unless forced. Please, don't let him become a casualty of all this. He is my best and dearest friend. I could not bear it if he fell because of me.

I could not bear it if you fell because of me. I know these are only words, but they are all I have to give. I love you, Cullen. I've loved you for years, and even if you turn your face away from me entirely, I will always love you. You saved me from myself too many times to count and never asked for anything in return. All I seem to have given you is troubles and burdens that should never have fallen to you.

Don't look for me. Don't try to find me. Not even Varric knows where I am going. Alex is with me, I will be safe enough. Take care of yourself, love. Don't ever forget that Anders was right, though his methods were barbaric. The Chantry needs to be put in check, or our world will burn because of it.

And remember that, for a few hours at a time, I was happier than I have ever been, because I was with you.

Your always loving, Poppy

Cullen crumpled the parchment in his hand, staring at the open door, staring at nothing. She was gone. She hadn't even stopped to say goodbye. But that was her way, wasn't it? She saw that her presence was a danger to so many others, and she left to protect them, never thinking of herself in that moment. And he might never see her again.

His eyes flickered down to the page in his hand, flickered to the philter on his desk, to the symbol of Andraste etched into the desk, to the flaming sword on his own breastplate. The Chantry was everywhere, even now, filled with pride amid so much misery. His jaw clenched, sudden certainty filling his soul. He knew where the blame lay. He knew who had been responsible for all of this. He knew Poppy bore no blame for what had finally happened here. He knew.

The Chantry was supposed to be a moderating influence, a gentle hand guiding the masses, protection and care for the poor and dispossessed. Yet the Chantry had allowed all this to come to pass, forgetting that they were the hand of Andraste and the Maker in their urge to maintain power through fear. The Chantry had leashed the templars and turned them into an army, fanned their fanaticism and bigotry until precious few remained who understood the true purpose of the templars. Cullen had been one of them for too long, clinging to his hate out of fear. He wanted nothing more to do with them.

But he would remain at his post, in his position, because here and now he could help the people the Chantry had turned their backs on. There would be no hunts for the mages that had fled, no cages or punishment for those who remained. He had joined the templars out of a wish to serve, to help, to be a strong right hand for those who had none. Somewhere along the line, in pain and anger and torment, that had been lost. Poppy had shown him that there was more to him than rage and resentment and fear. He could not let her down again.

Wherever you are, whatever you face, please know how proud I am to have known you, Poppy Hawke. What a privilege it was, to love you.

Come home safely.

[maturemenoftvandfilms]

I know that he is no longer with us but did you ever get excited over Alex Karras? If you watch in the TV show Webster he was a thick daddy bear

I was a kid when Webster was on, but I did like Alex Karras for some reason. Looking back at that show now. Clearly I was attracted to Karras. He's one of the many reasons I like Blazing Saddles.

[junker-town]

The 6 biggest winners from NFL free agency

Sam Greene/Cincinnati Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

These are the teams who took a big jump forward.

We’re still in the middle of NFL free agency, but for all intents and purposes the process is approaching its end. There are still some great players available, but as cap space is eaten into and the market is narrowing we’re seeing smaller need fills now, rather than the bigger splashy deals of opening week.

From top to bottom, honestly, I’m really impressed with what a ton of teams have done so far. There really isn’t a clear and obvious loser in the bunch, and while I do have some feelings about some of the deals signed — most notably Jacksonville, who I thought could have done a lot more with this cap space, I do still see the logic behind their moves. Almost everyone got a lot better, and there are some really fun signings to appreciate when the season begins.

Heck, look at JuJu Smith-Schuster in Kansas City. That’s going to be an absolute blast to watch him and Pat Mahomes. Von Miller in Buffalo? Get out of here, that’s just silly. Allen Robinson adding to the Rams? The one benefit of this top-tier arms’ race we’re in is that football is going to be just nuts in 2022. It’s way too early to make any bold predictions, but it certainly feels like we’re going to see extreme parity between a handful of the best, then a great mass at the bottom unable to make an impact.

That’s going to spur a lot of discussions about competitive balance, but I think it’ll largely be overblown. We have a lot of aging teams in win-now mode trying to get rings before knowing it’s all going to crash down — then a larger number of teams hoping to slowly build for the time their window opens. It’s here we get a bizarre intersection in free agency, so let’s look at who did really well this signing period.

No. 1: Cincinnati Bengals

Notable signings: La’el Collins, Alex Cappa, Ted Karras

That says it all. The Bengals No. 1 priority in free agency was using their considerable funds to upgrade the offensive line, and my God did they achieve their goal. Collins, Cappa and Karras are three colossal upgrades on the offensive line. All are immediate starters, all will ensure the Joe Burrow offense gets even better.

I have no issues with any signing this team pulled off. Even the smaller, less pronounced deals make this team better. Yes, they lost C.J. Uzomah to the Jets, but Hayden Hurst is a really solid bridge option who found himself without a spot in Atlanta after drafting Kyle Pitts.

The big thing was seeing if Cincinnati would overspend and go too deep for this year. That would have been a trap. Instead they wisely spent their funds and got so much better as a result. I love it.

No. 2: Los Angeles Chargers

Notable signings: J.C. Jackson, Sebastian Joseph, Uchenna Nwosu, Gerald Everett

While it’s not listed, I’m also lumping the trade for Khalil Mack in here, because it was part of the team’s free agency strategy.

In a lot of ways the Chargers were in a similar position as the Bengals in terms of being a team with an elite future; but, while Cincinnati needed to fix its offensive line, the Chargers needed to upgrade their defense. I really appreciate that this team didn’t get scared by the all-in approach of the Broncos and shy away, instead pushing their chips in and going for it.

Jackson and Joseph will be huge boosts to the defense, while Everett brings much-needed depth at tight end to ensure Justin Herbert has more help. I love what this team did and think they could take a big step forward in 2022 as a result.

No. 3: New York Jets

Notable signings: Laken Tomlinson, D.J. Reed, C.J. Uzomah, Tyler Conklin, Jordan Whitehead

I really love the value the Jets found at several position. Laken Tomlinson was a huge get for their offensive line, while C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin give the team a hell of a tight end pair to (hopefully) settle down Zach Wilson and enable him to make better decisions in his second year.

Whitehead was an overlooked steal I think should have been signed for more money by someone, but their loss is the Jets gain.

The only real criticism I have is Uzomah’s contract, which feels a little pricey — especially when they went to spend even more money at TE later by signing Conklin.

No. 4: Jacksonville Jaguars

Notable signings: Christian Kirk, Brandon Scherff, Foyesade Olukun, Darious Williams, Foley Fatukasi, Zay Jones

If we’re going by pure raw talent, the Jaguars won free agency. This is a hell of a list of players that will make the team better. My concern is that Jacksonville blew so much of their cap space and I’m not sure this team can still really make noise in the AFC yet.

A lot of these contracts were big. Yes, there’s some creative cap work being done behind the scenes so it’s not devastating, but I’m still not enamored with everything they did.

Kirk and Jones will really help Trevor Lawrence, which should have always been the end goal of this. The future of this franchise hinges on ensuring Lawrence can live up to his full potential.

No. 5: Carolina Panthers

Notable signings: Donte Jackson, Austin Corbett, Xavier Woods, Johnny Hekker

I don’t know what the hell is in the water in Charlotte. One day the Panthers are on the brink of making a monumentally stupid move by trading for Deshaun Watson, then they follow up by quietly having a brilliant free agency.

This ranks a little lower because the impact isn’t massive, but damn this was smart. Using the team’s available money to bring back Donte Jackson and sign D.J. Moore to an extension was a great use of resources. Austin Corbett is a much-needed boost to the offensive line, Xavier Woods is a reliable safety, and Johnny Hekker is the best punter in the NFL who was a cap casualty.

Just really solid moves here.

No. 6: Miami Dolphins

Notable signings: Cedrick Wilson, Connor Williams, Chase Edmonds, Teddy Bridgewater

You can absolutely see the plan Mike McDaniel is trying to enact in Miami, and I dig it. His creative offenses hinge on a solid run/pass balance with creative use of the running back.

Chase Edmonds was smart signing to this end, and he’ll get plenty of chances to shine in this offense. He wasn’t my favorite RB in this class, but it might be one of the best homes for a player at the position. Also not listed was Raheem Mostert, who will offer a short-yardage back when needed.

I really love the value for Cedrick Wilson. I think he was an overlooked receiver who’s making a pittance of some of the bigger names signed this period. Whether it ends up being Tua Tagovailoa who plays all season, or if the team transitions to Bridgewater, I think they’ll be a more complete team who are still building for the future.

[matts-take]

Matt’s Take

Rollercoaster of Emotions for Cincinnati Fans

The past two days have been the craziest days off the offseason in Cincinnati in my lifetime that I can remember between both the Reds and the Bengals. Before I begin my 500 word rant on the future of the Cincinnati Reds, let’s dive into what has happened in the past 48 hours. To begin with the Bengals, the front office made some great additions by adding depth to our offensive line. Cincinnati managed to sign Alex Cappa and Ted Karras. Signing a guard and center is huge in adding much needed protection for Joe Burrow. Cincinnati also managed to resign defensive tackle B.J. Hill, but lost a key piece to our defense, as Larry Ogunjobi signed with Chicago. Cincinnati also lost a fan favorite, C.J. Uzomah, as he signed with the Jets. Losing a key guy in the locker room and someone who was such a huge contributor in a Super Bowl appearance season means we will have to find an experienced tight end, as Drew Sample being our sole tight end will not be sufficient enough.

Geno and Wink, It is no longer “Sonny”

As I was excited for baseball to reach an agreement and finalize their collective bargaining agreement, I think I might have liked it better before the deal was made. Cincinnati Reds Ownership has managed to trade Sonny Gray, Jesse Winker, and Eugenio Suarez for practically nothing in return. How the team managed to get nothing out of the person with the most home runs in the MLB since 2018 (Geno) and 2021 All Star (Jesse Winker) is beyond me. Cincinnati fans have filled the comment sections of all Reds posts telling Bob to sell the team. Not only did you trade key pieces away after having a winning season, but the return was practically nothing for the near future. On top of losing fan favorites, we also are without Castellanos, Wade Miley, and Tucker Barnhart. Even with Krall stating this is not a “rebuild” move, I am not sure what else you could call it? Cincinnati fans, as it stands right now, plan for a long and brutal season…

Q:A with Charlie Goldsmith

Charlie Goldsmith, a terrific writer and reporter with the Cincinnati Enquirer who has first-hand interviews with players and management was kind enough to complete a question and answer with me before the craziness of Winker and Suarez occurred. Many Reds fans have questions about the shortstop position and who will be the starter for majority of the year. Charlie Goldsmith stated “Jose Barrero has impressed at every level of the minor leagues, and he made a massive jump as a power hitter last year. Kyle Farmer was consistent, productive and very valuable last season.” It will be interesting to see how this position plays out as both players are very talented at their position. With the National League finally having a Designated Hitter this year, I certainly can see both of these players getting some rotations as the DH.

I also wanted to get Charlie’s opinion on Nick Lodolo and Hunter Greene, as they will most likely be looking at many innings in their first season in a Major League rotation. Charlie stated “Greene really improved his secondary pitches last year, and Lodolo was very productive when healthy.” Watching these two develop this year will be one positive aspect of the Reds season, as these two are some of the most talented young pitchers in the league.

Frustrated

Trying to fit all of my thoughts in a 500 word newspaper article on what has developed in the last few days is impossible. Imagine being Joey Votto and knowing your last few years will not be competitive, despite being a future Hall of Famer. Just as many Reds fans are, the clubhouse seems to be in disbelief as well. In one word, I think Jonathan India explains the feelings of all of us the best….“frustrated.”