#i listened to the early patreon releases of the episodes but i need to get home and read the transcripts

[valtsv]

the silt verses listening experience

[thesiltverses]

A very big thank you

I posted this on Patreon, but really wanted to share it here as well:

Post-show life begins

For a long while now I’ve been getting up at 4.30 or 5am, grabbing myself the first coffee of four, and then coming to sit at my desk.

I open up the assembly cut of the newest TSV episode.

I listen to it, I try and pin down which scenes I need to be going back over today. I try and push through the entire morning without a break because when the momentum stalls, that’s what kills your release schedule. (I also worry endlessly about just how much of my hair is falling out, and how spending 12 hours a day wearing headphones could be contributing to that.)

Today was different. I still woke up early - it’s a hard habit to shake off, and probably a useful one going forward. But I didn’t go to my desk, and I didn’t put my headphones on.

I went to the rocking chair we bought for our son when he comes, and I sat there - gently swaying and trying not to spill my coffee all over it, because for some reason it’s fucking beige - and looked out over the city skyline. 

I slugged back my coffee surrounded by all the stuff we’ve panic-bought for the baby, and I got to take all of it in - washcloths and the changing table and romper suits - with a sudden focus and a clarity and a rising excitement that I really hadn’t allowed myself to feel until today, because until today the work was still unfinished and there was still much left to be done.

All at once I felt very free, and fully sated, and happy and proud for everything that’s coming next.

There’s so much to feel grateful for from the past three years of working on this show. But what’s probably going to sit with me the most is being able to arrive at that moment and those feelings today, - and we have all of you incredible people to thank for that.

Not just in terms of listenership or financial support, although that’s been truly invaluable and a lifeline for us that’s enabled us to actually make the show - but also your enthusiasm, your passion, your jokes and comments and everything that’s helped to keep us motivated and working on it.

So - with as much feeling as words can convey, thank you so, so much for everything.

What’s coming next, in rough order

#1: Parentdom is going to take over our lives for a while! I also want to write the final Patreon episode commentaries in the next few days, while I have the time and the clear memories. #2: The next thing we’ll organise will be the post-season Q&A (we’d also like to do some kind of off-camera cast party if we can make schedules work, just to say thank you to our amazing VAs and celebrate with them). Please do ask us questions! #3: We have long-unfinished commitments to the Patreon which I need to complete: the last two episodes of So Long, Good Luck, and rounding off Sid Wright’s story. As ever, huge thank-yous for your patience with these; they’ve just been impossible to polish off while also working on the main show so much. #4: Something I’ve been thinking about for a long time is the possibility of going back to Season 1 and redesigning it from scratch to try and bring it closer in style to S2 and S3. We have the raw audio files - some of the mic quality will just be rough no matter what, but we can certainly try.  This is something I want to be conscientious and careful about; I very much want to respect the sound design work that’s already taken place, and ensure we’re not overriding anything. But I do know that the initial quality still sometimes puts new listeners off; we were learning a lot about direction and mastering from scratch, and our designers were working with limited budget and a total lack of plugins, so there’s simply a lot more we can achieve now. (This would also be a good opportunity for me to finally rework the transcripts, another fallen hurdle). #5: A few months back, we were contacted by a literary agent in NYC who was interested in us adapting the show into a series of novels. There’s a long road ahead to actually get published, but I'm thrilled to say that I have signed with them and I’m really excited to hopefully start work on the first book once I’ve settled into dad-dom. I’ll need to check what’s possible, but if it doesn’t interfere with any contract condition I’d obviously love to share excerpts on here as it’s written. #6: Then there’ll also be another larger audiodrama project - we’ve spoken about the different possibilities before! Excited to get started on our final choice.

Just one last word about endings

God, endings are scary. Because endings are impossible.

How many serialised stories actually end in a way that’s received unequivocally well?  People yelled at The Sopranos for its ambiguity and open-endedness. People criticised Breaking Bad for treating Walt too sympathetically at the end and relying on a generic mob of snarling Nazis to act as his final foe.

Endings are either too pat and neat, or too inconclusive to be satisfying, or too surreal and dreamlike, or they simply make what feels like the wrong choices for the characters we care about. We’re all caught in that barbed wire, creators and audience alike, weighed down by the baggage of what’s come before and we've already spent so much time anticipating the infinite possibilities of how it could all turn out - it’s like we can’t get free of the story that’s trying to end. 

And the beautiful thing about these longform, iterative works is that they insist upon becoming completely ungovernable. No matter how much of a planner the creator claims to be, how much prepwork they carry out - they were never really in control. There’s spontaneity and surprises and dead ends and beautiful distractions that come spilling out along the way (I was baffled and delighted to learn that people really - at the end of the show, with such limited time to spare - wanted to find out what had happened to Eddie*). 

So they can’t end. Not really. There’s too much wonderful mess in them to ever be reasonably disentangled.

And, of course, for every ending people remember with frustration or dissatisfaction, there’s another hundred endings that nobody remembers at all, because we lost our enthusiasm along the way and it feels better to keep going back to the start and avoiding the slow decline. (Who the fuck remembers how the umpteenth X-Files reboot ended? What increasingly tired post-modern antics was Alan Moore getting up to in the final League of Extraordinary Gentlemen books?). I really just didn’t want the show to end up in that latter category.

All of that probably sounds like I’m warding off criticism about the show's ending, but for me it’s actually been the opposite. 

For an ending which is all about narrative dissatisfaction, and failed potential and missed opportunities, and how we need to come to terms with the lack of existential fairness and certainty and narrative control in our lives and keep ploughing forward all the same for as long as we possibly can, I’m massively stunned at just how positive the reception has been on here and elsewhere, and that’s something I’m actively having to process, because I think I was fearfully anticipating much more pushback.

But, look - the Eskew finale was originally quite poorly-received and then people came back around to it over time. So I’m not going to pat myself on the back too hard, because maybe it’ll ultimately be the opposite with this show, and that’s OK. For 200 years everyone was convinced King Lear was improved by having everyone survive at the end and get married. Endings take time to settle into their final condition.

For now, I am incredibly relieved that the ending we chose seems to have landed for most people, and I’m incredibly grateful for the lovely messages we’ve got about it and for the trust in us that you’ve all shown throughout the story.

So, yeah, let’s end with another thank you, because that’s what I feel so deeply and so forcefully at this point.

Thank you so much again, and speak soon.

Jon

*My take? We’ve established that the guy is in some kind of blue-collar job and has been pushed into constant overtime due to the reduced workforce. We’ve seen that the so-called ‘national holiday’ doesn’t actually rescue workers from their commitments. So I personally imagine that Eddie was working during the parade somewhere on the city outskirts, and is alive and well.

[roykaplanpod]

Hello friend! It's Jesse here again to make an updated status post about Roy Kaplan, the paranormal cyberpunk detective audio drama that at least some of you have been very patiently waiting for for the last two and a half years.

What is Roy Kaplan?

Roy Kaplan, as stated above, is a detective audio drama with paranormal and cyberpunk elements. It's heavily based on the style of old time radio shows such as Richard Diamond, and greatly inspired by 30s-50s hardboiled detective fiction. It features the titular Roy Kaplan--private investigator, ex-burglar, and psychic. With his unique skill set and the occasional assist from his ghost roommate Wes, Kaplan solves all kinds of different cases across the city.

Out of Sight is the first season of Roy Kaplan, consisting of 12 episodes, 35-40 minutes long each. The episodic format makes it so most episodes can stand on their own, without needing context from previous episodes (though obviously it is better to listen to the season in release order).

Hey, what the hell is going on with Roy Kaplan?

If you have been one of the people very patiently waiting for Roy Kaplan's release, you are probably aware that we have experienced numerous delays. Real life happens, etc.

Anyways, due to extenuating circumstances, the studio I was previously working on with Roy Kaplan, Tiny Lunar Dragon Studios, has dropped out and I (Jesse, the writer) am taking over the remainder of production and editing. I've been steadily working through all the episodes since May to get them edited together (as well as opening the final casting call for this season to take care of our last required voice files) and I am hoping for a release near the new year.

You might be skeptical of this ETA, since literally every ETA we've given so far has been insanely wrong, but since I'm the one personally doing the work this time, I have a higher level of confidence in this estimate. I've edited together eight of the twelve episodes so far (minus missing files) and assuming no further unforeseen circumstances, I should be able to finish somewhere around November or December. (And if not then, then a few months after that.)

Where will I be able to listen to Roy Kaplan when it releases?

I'll be hosting Roy Kaplan using Pinecast, so you'll be able to listen to the podcast on any RSS feed aggregator. I will also be posting episodes on my Patreon, where supporters will be able to access episodes one week early.

I expect to release Roy Kaplan: Out of Sight on a once every two weeks schedule. I'll talk more about trailer and launch dates when I've gotten all the audio files and the episodes themselves more edited together.

In the meantime, if you want to stay up to date or ask more questions about Roy Kaplan, check out any of the following places:

This Tumblr

The writer's Tumblr (that's me)

Roy Kaplan on The Pinwheel Lab

The Pinwheel Lab Discord Server

[reilleclan-blog]

Ok I have been obsessed with cyberpunk 2077 for about 5 years now and it's definitely one of my "special interests" but I did stop playing it for a while b/c the PL dlc made me very emo. And I needed a break from a game that I've played so much (while waiting for the sequel that will be a while before it's out)

But today I was talking to myself about how much I've been enjyoying another game indie game called "Being a dik" and before u judge me lol it is a AVN adult visual novel. And funny enough I did stop playing that game for a long while b/c the new seasons are still in development but for a time I was obsessed with it as well. Recently I got tired of waiting for it to be released on steam and I decided to get the Patreon version and subscribe to get two episodes early . And I have to say this game genuinely feels like it had so much love and care put into it. Like genuinely yes it's a AVN but actually has characters that have their own lives and interests it's not just about ur character getting a fuck. Which I think BaD does a lot better than most AVN . (I haven't played many after BaD b/c most don't look that interesting and $15 I'm not trying to spend on them) but anyways BaD made me feel as a player like I was "loved" and yes that may seem weird but to think an indie Dev is taking so much time to make their game more interesting than their last and listening to their audience and actually giving road map updates on the game. It genuinely makes me happy and ofc the story was already interesting but it just got ten times more interesting with the new 2 episodes and I just love it so much. And it feels weird but i appreciate so much effort the dev puts into his game especially when so so many triple A games have been such a let down recently. Yes not all triple A but it's enough to make me not trust a lot of them recently. (Yes fem presenting mfs play AVNs at least this one does🤧)

And i talked about this before but cyberpunk 2077 almost made me feel like it was made with love yes it wasn't perfect but it was still cared for very much so and the way it was constantly updated and how much cdpr listened to their audience with so many changes and updates it made me feel seen and "loved" as the audience . I doubt many ppl would ever say a game "loves them" but lately idk. These games have been feeling like a warm hug hitting all the right spots of my brain and I love them. And I think all game devs should strive to make their audience feel loved when playing their games I'd say it's what the consumer deserves loved so much u enjoy it yeah

[thefringespod]

Happy #AudioDramaSunday wanderers! It is a beautiful day out but not in @camlannpod episode 8 which ripped me asunder. It really put me through the wringer and I will never forgive and never forget. Super well done!! But I am emotionally scarred <3

@souloperatorpod episode 9 early release had me sobbing into my pancake batter and made my pancake taste sad. Tot is doing a really really good job but also. Sad pancake.

@tellnotalespod 8.5 also made me sob this week. I've mentioned this before but the way Leanne writes queer people is just endlessly beautiful. Each character, no matter how small the role, lives and breathes and grieves even in death. I absolutely adore Tell No Tales

@woebegonepod 155 was delightful and not heartbreaking for once! Getting to see Chance and Marissa friendship AND hearing from Edgar AND another Ty Betteridge? Absolutely perfect no notes.

Just a reminder that @audistorium is amazing and also has a patreon (patreon.com/audistorium) so if you want to listen to a great show and support a great creator, you can do so there!

Here on the Fringes I have been receiving line reads (and bullying @taytayheyhey to send me his already instead of working on Forged Bonds) I also have been working on the transcript for the q+a which should be out soon!

And over at @forgedbondspod I have been losing my mind over people's line reads and trying to figure out the last 6 episodes. I know all the big things that need to happen! The little things are proving to be challenging but hopefully everything will be done this week!

If you like this show and want to support what we're doing here, you can visit patreon.com/PineTreePods and become a member today! I'm hoping to expand the content offered on patreon, so if you have ideas please send them my way

That's all for this week! I took a bit of time off to get my thoughts in order on things and am excited to get back into the swing of things this week!

[kogurazu]

I'm just gonna rant my chest out regarding the recent Watcher's announcement because I'm still trying to process wtf has just happened & it's pretty late at night. (For the record, I'm one of their international viewers from a 3rd world country.)

It sucks that I cannot buy their official merch that is already expensive (due to conversion rates) + not being able to deliver in my country when I've some spare cash. That's fine by me.

It sucks that I cannot go & watch their live shows being available at certain countries that doesn't cost a damn fortune (plane tickets, hotel bookings, converting currency, etc.) + not in a million years they'll stop by SEA to do tours/live shows. That's also fine by me.

However, the way how they hyped up the announcement mentioning big things are coming only to just drop a video saying "Hey, we're leaving Youtube as the money ain't flowing much to cover our 'extravagant' expenses & all future contents will be locked behind a paywall. So if you're unable to watch most of your beloved shows because you can't pay then toodles!" That's NOT fine by me, let alone anyone else in the matter.

Even if I've a fuck ton of money to spare, I'm still not buying their monthly/yearly WatcherTV subscription because it's JUST. NOT. WORTH. IT. Who wants to buy a monthly yet alone yearly subscription just to watch 1-2 episodes of a show I like being put out weekly per season & then waiting for some time before another new season of another show that has a 50-50 chance whether I enjoy it or not pops up to fill the void? Not me, that's for sure. Damn, I rather subscribe to Netflix or buy YouTube premium if I could because the money spent is worth the content I can get on a monthly/yearly basis.

I get putting exclusive contents such as BTS, special interviews/podcasts, early access to episodes, etc. behind a paywall since they're just nice bonuses for fans who're able to support them but locking REGULAR YOUTUBE content that's not being released consistently & have nothing much to offer behind a paywall? I think you're losing your crackers on this one chief.

After watching the announcement video, I feel plainly numb & disappointed that this is the route they're going for. I understand they need the funds to make videos, pay people & also wanting the freedom to make content that you want to make without adhering to the restrictions of advertisers. I get it.

But what I don't get is this mind numbing decision to spit at the faces of people who can't afford to fork out some cash to enjoy their once free favourite shows that helped cheer them up during the tough times. It's even more disgusting what I heard from Coffeezilla's recent video about Watcher mentioning that they don't even give out a free WatcherTV subscription to their Patreon members as a way to say thank you for your patronage is really saying something eh?

_____________________________

4 years ago, I found Shane & Ryan via Buzzfeed Unsolved just like everyone else randomly being recommended to me on Youtube. I binge watched all seasons of Buzzfeed Unsolved exactly at the same time they're announcing their departure from Buzzfeed to go do their own content at Watcher. What's this? A channel where I can watch the ghoul boys do their own thing? Hell yeah, sign me tf up.

It's really nice to see Watcher growing & trying out new different shows. I'm aware not all the shows they put out matches my taste & that's fine by me. Probably there's an audience out there who enjoy these shows that aren't for me.

I remember the time I was excited when they bring in Ghost Files & Mystery Files which can fill in the Buzzfeed Unsolved void. Are You Scared? & Too Many Spirits are the shows I enjoy listening to them as background noise so that I can focus on my work.

Puppet History & Top 5 Beatdown is where I enjoy the chemistry between the talents & guests. Weird, Wonderful, World & Tourist Trapped is where I enjoy seeing cool places run by passionate people & is like a nice, come hangout with me type of video blogs.

4 years later, this is where I'll be hopping off with the knowledge that I can't no longer be able to enjoy all these shows anymore like I used to just because I can't afford to whip out some measly cash to pay for regular content that I can easily find on Youtube for free.

Even if you leave up the old videos on Youtube (after you've backpedalled your decision to remove all the videos entirely in the first place due to the backlash & gaslighting us into thinking we misunderstood but your Variety article says otherwise), the whole ordeal just makes the experience to re-watch all the content that I used to love & enjoy feels awkward & left a sour, bitter taste in my mouth.

With a very heavy heart, I say thank you for the fun shows you have been putting out these past 4 years & farewell to Team Watcher. I don't know how're you going to recover from this but I wish you a best of luck moving forward.

[glassfullofsass]

Do you like Tamora Pierce? Do you like horror?

I've convinced Leverage watchers to listen to TSCoSI (and vice versa), now let's see if I can convince my Tortall babes to listen to The Harrowing of Minerva Damson.

Prepare for: Lady knights! Magic! Powerful cat-shaped creatures! Monsters!

Did you read In the Hand of the Goddess and think "but what if it was only the bits where they fight the Tusaines over the River Dell? What if the monsters were here already? What if Roger was only a shape in the mist but still as evil and powerful?" Did you get to Lady Knight and say "Yes, more death. More unkillable creatures. More terror."?

Listen to S1, The Knight of the Unquiet Dead. Trench warfare. Vampires. Sorcerers. Ghouls. A magical cat. Made up magical spells that work by the power of friendship and sheer necessity. A Lady Knight (Minerva) who Is The Authority Here, Thank You, and also is So Tired (TM). Alanna's personality facing Kel's war.

Not quite ready to commit, but horror is your flavor?

Try the first inter-season arc, Chevalier, which features the same setting but different characters. One necromancer, two Lady Knights, three magical horses, four (?) vampires (and some nauseating gore), and healing from your grief by learning to survive. Still a lot of those Alanna and Kel vibes, but also giving Bekka Cooper: gritty, dark, bare-knuckled and bloody. Cat not included.

Missing the cat?

It's back in S2, Black as Knight. It's smug, dangerous, and clever, but so is our returning heroine Minerva. Also my TMA girlies will feel right at home in the cave episodes (Buried babes can I get an amen?). A friendly (and dilf-able) werewolf garwalf, binding terms and conditions, gargoyles tearing the absolute shit out of some soldiers. Again, giving Alanna in her Rides era, but put that attitude in the plot of Rampant. Also giving Kel's willingness to sacrifice just about anything to save people.

Need a different pace?

Inter-season arc 2, Goliad Gabby is all Verlidaine (just Daine) Sarrasri. The plot is literally country bumpkin sharpshooter slays the big bad monster with help from her trusty animal companions. There's even a real rom-com shaped happily-ever-after for this one! (for real though. The gore? a little icky. The Big Romantic Speech? I couldn't make it through.) Gabriella Gabby is just your average Texas Trickshot, until the Order of Joan recruits her personally to put her skills to use. Also reminded of Bekka's grit here too. No isn't really an answer when there's work to be done.

Now, I have read Circle, but I don't have those stories soaked into my bones well enough to pull comparisons out as readily... I will say the very grim and horrific realities of war that Pierce digs her pen into in Melting Stones and Battle Magic are very present throughout the podcast. It's labeled horror for a reason. Check the CWs and take care of yourselves <3

Also, did I mention, the premise of the universe is based on Joan of Arc inspiring a cloister of nuns to become knights and fight monsters?

The production team has more projects in the works, and hopefully the third Minerva season will be released in the next few months (early 2024). They have a website, patreon, instagram, a rather defunct tumblr (@the-joaniverse), and all the usual podcast platforms.

[toughgirlchallenges]

Melissa Harlow - Embracing Life's Adventures at 62: From Sailing the Pacific Ocean to Hiking the John Muir Trail

Melissa in her own words:

“After connecting with my now husband on match.com 20 years ago, we realized we had one key difference: he wanted a partner to ‘Sail around the world’. I, on the other hand, wasn't an adventurer. I was a professional woman with a degree in Psychology, dedicated to non-profit work and healthcare.

But my husband ignited a desire in me to embrace life's adventures while we were still healthy. The turning point came when he asked, ‘When are you going to quit your job and sail around the world with me?’

Despite my initial fears and attachments, I couldn't ignore the call to live life to the fullest. We set sail across the Pacific Ocean, and it changed me profoundly.

We continued our adventures by buying an RV and exploring the US, Canada, and Alaska, much to the surprise of our family.

These experiences made me resilient and fearless. 

Returning from a sailing journey and hiking the John Muir Trail at age 62, I realized that the world was full of opportunities.

I see people looking at me differently now, sensing my quiet confidence. My adventure started late, but it's proof that life-changing decisions can happen at any age. The question remains: “Do it now or not?””

  *Content Warning: This episode contains an instance of strong/abusive language that some listeners may find offensive. 

***

 Don't miss out on the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, released every Tuesday at 7am UK time! Be sure to hit the subscribe button to stay updated on the incredible journeys and stories of strong women.

   By supporting the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon, you can make a difference in increasing the representation of female role models in the media, particularly in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Your contribution helps empower and inspire others. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast to be a part of this important movement. Thank you for your invaluable support!

***

Show notes

Who is Melissa

Living is San Diego, California 

Not being born into an adventurous family 

Her early years and feeling connected to her dad (who died when she was 4)

Meeting her husband on match.com about 18 years ago

Blending 2 families together 

After 10 years of marriage starting to discuss the sailing adventure

Being a career girl and not focused on adventure 

Not having passion in her life

Doing little adventures but not committing to the big adventure of sailing around the world

Waiting for the kids to go to college 

Making the commitment and putting a plan in place

Getting the boat and needing to learn new skills

Having a 5 year plan and changing everything about their life

Not spending more that $25 unless speaking to another person

Working as a team in a partnership 

Having garage sales, saving money and making it happen

Starting to change and starting to get excited about the future adventure

Being called ‘Captain B*tch Slap’ 

Being a forgiving person

Proving people wrong

Noticing her confidence changing

Dealing with tangled anchors while a storm is rolling in

Stats from the trip - the boat (Island Packet 37)

Starting in San Diego and sailing down to Mexico

Stopping to take a 1,000 mile car tour throughout Mexico

Pacific Puddle Jump from America’s to French Polynesia  

Feeling done with sailing after 11 months and wanting to go home

The challenges of getting the boat back from Hawaii to San Diego

The dream vs reality 

Magical moments while out sailing and the challenges while being out on the water

Spending time on remote beautiful islands - the instagram moments

When the autopilot stopped working and having to steer the boat in 2 hour shifts for 24/7. 

Deciding what to do next and wanting to sell the boat, take the money and buy an RV and travel around the US, up through Canada and head up to the wilds of Alaska

The challenges of RV Life and wanting to do ‘Boondocking’

Feeling numb after traveling and feeling lost 

Having therapy and starting to feel again

Getting into voice overs and having a way to start earning an income again 

Learning to appreciate the little moments and the free moments

Being done with the corporate world and being a different person

Choosing to live a simple life and having more money than before, even though they’re earning less

Renting out the RV

Deciding to hike the John Muir Trail (211 miles)

Planning and testing out all the gear 

Why it was one of the toughest things she’s ever done

Climbing Mt Whitney and the challenges with the elevation gain and loss

Trying to get equipment and gear to fit her height at 4′ 11″ / 150 cm

Ending up with an Osprey EJA 58 

Trying to find trainers and shoes to fit 

Watch the videos from the Pacific Ocean on YouTube

Final words of advice 

Why you need to take an honest look at yourself and where you are in your life

Why you need to make a plan and get into the details

Give yourself little mini milestones to work towards 

Start by putting your plan down on paper

  Social Media

  Websites:

www.theadventuretravelers.com

melissaharlowvo.com

Instagram: @theadventuretravelers

Youtube: @theadventuretravelers

    Check out this episode!

[martinschwarzwald]

Spoiler Tagging

Hi everyone!

I know there are a lot of new people that joined over the TMA hiatus, and we’re all extremely excited for this season, but already with this first Patreon release we’re seeing some issues arising with posting and tagging so I wanted to take a second and talk about this.

We in the past as a fandom have had an honor code of sorts to not post patreon content until public release. Im not faulting new people for not knowing that, but please understand that these episodes and the twists and turns and developments are things we all want to be able to experience for the first time on our own.

Feel free to make your posts early, queue some realizations or memes or metas, but schedule them to post with public release. If you feel the need to post something right after your listen (which believe me, I understand, this show is a lot) we’ve tended to use #tma-vague to make reaction posts that contain no spoilers. This means no descriptions of events, characters in it, lines said, or character moments. If you’re including those things, that isn’t Vague.

Usually this just looks like “ohoho you guys are NOT READY” or “i cant believe they DID THAT” or something along those lines. Get your feelings out, maybe drum up some anticipation, but dont take away the excitement for others.

the #tma-spoilers is used for the the day of public release onwards, and is for people who cant listen right away, or for people who are catching up and aren’t to season 5 yet. If you tag it like this, it will still show up in the main tag.

Some people have tags blacklisted, others dont, so inevitably there are going to be spoilers seen by accident, but if we don’t post patreon content before public, it means we at least aren’t spoiling parts of episodes that other people don’t even have access to yet

Thank you for reading! I can’t wait to see what this season brings and share thoughts with all of you. 

[stereksecretsanta]

Merry Christmas, serenelystrange!

For @serenelystrange. Hope this was the right balance for your prompt and that it had just the right amount of Christmas Fluff, Merry Christmas :)

Read On AO3

*****

Make you Mine this season

The flight to Melbourne was a long one and not for the first time Stiles was cursing the fact that Lydia had refused to use at least some of the cash from their Patreon to upgrade from cattle class to at least business class so he could try and sleep out the jet lag. He had heard of more than enough podcasters that would use their Patreon money for more non-essentials than that but since her email address was on the account it seemed to make her the boss where the finances were concerned.

Of course being on a non-stop Seventeen hour flight with a minor stop over in Sydney was something that he appreciated but he wasn’t sure that his back would thank him for the small seat he was in which was crushed up against the window as he had stupidly taken the window seat instead of the middle.

He cast a glance at Lydia whose nose was deep into a book on Australian serial killers which was part of her research for one of their three Australian based episodes while they were staying in the country. Usually he would be right there with her, trying to decide on which was the most gruesome and which had the most information to warrant an hour long episode but since their wake up call had been ridiculously early leaving him packing his books in his suitcase instead of his carry on he was instead trying to find a documentary of interest on the inflight entertainment system which was to do with true crime instead of the life and times of a retired sports star that he didn’t really care about.

Though against his will he did seem to find himself letting the documentary play, his gaze out the window instead of on the screen as the documentary played though his earphones, letting his thoughts wander to the person that he always seemed to find himself thinking of when stuck on a plane for hours on end with nothing else to do.

While his and Lydia’s podcast focused on all the ins and outs of true crime, from the historic to cults to everything in between, his best friend Derek’s was focused not just on the history of sports but the most up to date sports news. It was something that Stiles didn’t really get having not exactly been into sports since he had spent most of his time on the lacrosse team at high school on the bench no matter how hard he had tried. Though his oldest friend Scott had tried numerous times unsuccessfully to actually get him on the team there was no denying that it was a lost cause leaving him with a kind of hatred for sports which had seen his interests instead settle on the academic which had swiftly moved to True crime after going down a Youtube hole of True Crime documentaries on Ted Bundy late one night in his last year at school. It had been the beginning of an obsession that had concerned his father as though he was sure that would consume Stiles to practise what he learned which there was no likelihood of happening, despite him being the town sheriff who’d let Stiles read the files he brought home since he was in middle school.

Of course, that hatred of sports had faded when he first met Derek.

It had been his and Lydia’s first podcast festival in LA, and Stiles who had had an overwhelming case of stage fright before he even got on stage, had been sitting on the side as Lydia talked with their management about a Plan B in case Stiles did something embarrassing out of nerves. That was when Derek came and sat beside him.

Even at that moment Stiles had known Derek was handsome in a way that he had long since considered his type. Tall and muscular with a slender waist and his biceps making it obvious that at some point or another he had been a jock, yet it had been his face which had Stiles’ heart pounding his chest. The perfectly chiselled cheek bones, the alluring green eyes and stubble that seemed to enhance his lips and make Stiles unable to look away.

Derek seemed to feel Stiles staring at him from where he was looking over his notes for his panel and looked up with a frown.

“What? Do I have something on my face?”

“No….no sorry. I am just a little nervous. I’ve never done a panel before and I’m scared I’m going to do something wrong.” Stiles said offering him a weak smile that immediately had Derek’s frown melting into an understanding smile.

“I promise the first one is always the hardest but once it’s done, you’ll wonder what you were so worried about. Just think of it this way, everyone out there has paid to see you because they obviously like what your podcast is about and no matter what happens they won’t hold it against you. You just need to relax.” Derek assured him.

“You aren’t going to tell me to picture them naked are you?" Stiles asked, watching Derek laugh that seemed to make his face even more irresistible to Stiles’ fledgling crush in the making.

“God no. My first manager tried to tell me that with my first one and it only made it worse. No just pretend that a friend is stood at the very back and you are talking to only them. It helps you to focus on what you are saying instead of trying to be someone that you’re not for the sake of the panel.” Derek said, rolling up his notes between his hands.

“Ok, but I don’t really have any friends here and the only person I know is the one I’ll be at the panel with. It makes it kind of hard to focus on that.” Stiles said watching Derek tilt his head in understanding.

“Ok well how about this, I could stand at the back if you think it would help.” Derek suggested.

“Only if you tell me your name.” Stiles said, watching the other roll his eyes like Stiles had just used a bad chat up line on him.

“it’s Derek, Derek Hale. Yours?” Derek asked.

“Stiles, Stiles Stilinski. And before you say anything yes, I know how bad it is.” Stiles said, earning a grin from Derek.

“Good to meet you, Stiles….” Derek smiled, though he was interrupted by a tall blond woman who stood between the two so Derek would fixate only on her.

“Derek, honey you’re on next. They’ve managed to sort out the issue with the projector and the PA so I’ve given them the USB with the PowerPoint.” She smiled, her fingertips caressing Derek’s neck though from what Stiles could see Derek hadn’t exactly been happy at her interrupting them but before he could say a word a member of staff had appeared and was herding Derek on stage leaving Stiles staring after him even after he was gone and Lydia had come back.

“So, I’ve spoken to Aiden and he’s agreed to cut the panel short if you go off topic….” Lydia said, though she paused when she realised wasn’t paying her attention. “Hey, Stiles!”

“Yeah yeah sorry. I don’t think that’ll be necessary.” Stiles said, letting his attention move to the copy of the script Lydia had already prepared for them.

Once he got on the stage and spotted Derek standing at the back against the wall of the hall, his nerves had disappeared, and it had been as easy as breathing. Almost as though he and Lydia were back in their apartment just recording a regular episode.

Once the panel was over, he had looked for Derek in the crowd of other podcasters hanging around but not been able to catch sight of him.

It wasn’t until the afterparty that he spotted him, drunk off his face and making out with the blonde woman from before up against the wall outside of the toilets. It had made something in his stomach squirm with jealousy and left him returning to the bar himself hoping that if he drunk enough, he could erase the vision from his memory.

He had tried to tell himself that there was little if any chance of him and Derek being together anyway, that they were probably better off as acquaintances that saw each other once in a blue moon at cons and festivals. But that seemed to fade when the week after the festival their podcast Talk Murder to me social media accounts received requests from Derek’s podcast accounts called The final countdown with Derek.

It then seemed to grow with Derek himself following Stiles’ own accounts, leaving comments on pictures and retweeting tweets they released when a new episode was out. A fledgling kind of friendship grew there, and though Stiles tried not to obsessive over it when he saw more and more pictures of the blonde woman called Kate on Derek’s Instagram page, with the two of them doing all the couple pictures it had that feeling from before returning twice as much every time.

Stiles even made himself listen to Derek’s podcast just to hear the sound of the other’s voice, to hear him using laymen's terms instead of all the complicated technical terms that others not interested in the sport would not understand. To hear him laughing with the odd guest he brought on which all seemed to be related to Derek’s own sports past from baseball to basketball to football it was like Derek had done everything and made Stiles even more sure that the other would never feel the same way.

It wasn’t until the DCon a few months later that they met up again and it had been like they had never parted as they had drinks at the bar the first night. As Stiles asked Derek about the episodes he’d listened to of Derek’s podcast and Derek asked Stiles what had got him into True crime and why all the murderers they chose seemed to be well-known instead of the lesser known.

And with that their friendship just continued to grow, through Derek’s break up with Kate who had cheated on him with one of his guests and saw all pictures of her deleted from his Instagram in the space of a week after Stiles skyped him to check he was ok, to Stiles moving from California to Chicago on a scholarship leaving him meeting Derek in New York every weekend to show him all the best places as he got settled in.

It all just seemed so normal, but Stiles would be lying if he said his crush had not continue to grow on the other which always seemed worse after Skyping Derek when he had come back from the gym and was always shirtless revealing a body that Stiles daydreamed about constantly. Something he confided in Lydia about one night when Derek had dropped him off after a bar crawl through the western village. To her credit though Lydia wasn’t surprised in the slightest but had told him to be careful about getting in too deep when it was painfully clear how straight Derek was and that it would only ever end in heartbreak.

Stiles tried to keep that in mind, really, he did, especially when Derek started dating a cheerleader called Jennifer from the New York Jets. How yet again the jealousy would set in and leave him ghosting Derek online for a few days as he tried to work through the reality that him and Derek could never be anything more. Thankfully it was around the time his scholarship finished and he managed to leave town at the same time Derek took Jenifer to the Hamptons for a long weekend so he didn’t have to answer any awkward questions.

He moved in with Lydia and their new manager/her new boyfriend Jordan in LA, which was awkward too but he didn’t really want to move back to Beacon hills if he could get away with it. And since they lived together it made the production of their episodes all the smoother as they were able to plan things weeks in advance.

Of course, that all came to a head when they attended the Vancouver podcast festival before starting the long tour through Europe for live panels. Stiles had kept his distance from Derek this time, staying with the true crime crowd when at the venue as he finally met people he had only been speaking to online from other podcasts. It had been surprisingly easy to just forget that Derek was even there as the convention was the biggest one in Canada and everyone there just stuck with their own genre.

But then the after party came and Stiles had been drinking at the bar alone to give Jordan and Lydia the time alone that they needed. That was the downside to being the third wheel in both the business and the apartment. He tried not to let it get to him, as there was little if any chance of him seeing himself with anyone that wasn’t Derek. That night he was at least going to try with Theo the producer from a podcast on criminology, the other buying him just enough drinks to have him buzzed and kissing him up against the edge of the bar hard enough that Stiles could at least pretend for a moment that it was Derek.

As the other’s mouth detoured to kissing Stiles’ neck hard enough to leave very visible bruises and the alcohol making Stiles’ inhibitions so low that if Theo had asked he would have easily gone to a room or hell even a cubicle in the mens bathroom. But that illusion had been interrupted by the sound of Derek saying his name from the other end of the bar just as Theo’s fingers were unzipping his fly.

“Um, Derek?" Stiles murmured, his back still arching against the bar edge and the thrum of arousal flowing through his veins when Theo’s fingers curled around his cock through his boxers.

“Stiles, what are you doing?” Derek asked, appearing beside them looking furious as though he was sure Theo was taking advantage of him.

“Getting a hand job what does it look like?" Stiles sighed, Theo mouthing at his neck in an attempt to keep him fixated on what they were doing causing Stiles to curse and push one hand into Theo’s back pocket to pull him closer into his personal space.

“Come on Stiles, you’re drunk let’s get you up to your room so you can sleep it off.” Derek said, Stiles groaning as he felt the impending orgasm just on the brink of Theo jerking him off a few more times.

“Or…. you could come to my room Stiles. Just you, me, a bed, your clothes on the floor and a good thorough fucking. What do you say?” Theo crooned softly into Stiles’ ear, his pace around Stiles’ cock picking up.

“Oh god yeah…” Stiles groaned, curling his free hand in Theo’s hair, and pulling his lips from his neck to meet his own just as the orgasm crashed over him.

“Stiles, this is a bad idea.” Derek tried as Stiles’ mouth opened willingly to Theo’s tongue while the other tried to hold him up against the edge of the bar while zipping his fly.

“I think that’s up to Stiles, don’t you? Still keen Stiles?" Theo snarked at Derek, before turning his attention back to Stiles who was downing the last of his tequila shot to leave.

“Um, yeah but you’ll have to make sure I don’t fall on the way to the lift….” Stiles sighed, Theo’s arm curling around his waist and easing him from against the side of the bar before leading the way out the bar towards his room.

After that night Derek didn’t speak to him, which was just as well for Stiles as the less time they spoke the more he could focus on easing back on his crush. It helped a little that Theo was pulled along on their tour through Europe but it soon became clear to Theo that Stiles was hung up on someone else and just using him for the relief he couldn’t get otherwise. Once the European tour was over Theo returned to the states while they continued to the Japanese podcast festival in Tokyo, leaving Stiles the third wheel yet again and wishing more than anything that Derek would contact him.

It took a couple of months in the run up to the Webby Awards for them to start talking again, Derek having long since broken things off with Jennifer though when Stiles asked why Derek got an indiscernible look on his face and said something about how she was always touring with the players meaning little time for them to be together although to Stiles it didn’t seem complete true but he didn’t push as they still hadn’t completely rebuilt their bridges. That year they had both gotten nominated for Webbys and since the awards were in New York Derek seemed determined that they spent as much time together as possible. Something which Stiles knew was going to cause his crush to flare up again but there was nothing he could really do to stop it.

Everytime he and Derek went out with Lydia and Jordan his co-presenter would flash him that look that told him to be careful but that she felt sorry for him being in this position with Derek again. But Stiles tried not to think of that, to not focus on the fact his heart was probably going to break again when Derek started seeing someone else and instead on actually getting to spend time together with a friend he hasn’t seen in months.

Being at the award show together was something Stiles knew he would never forget as he watched Derek get the Webby award for best sports podcast while he and Lydia jointly received the Webby People’s voice award in comedic podcasts. It was a big night and yet when it came to the after-party Stiles found himself yet again sat alone at the bar watching all the other winners and participants mingling among themselves and celebrating. Lydia and Jordan had left early with the trophy to make up for lost time in their hotel room leaving Stiles wondering where Derek was as he reached for the tequila.

Derek finally appeared from a crowd of fashion vloggers that had taken a fancy to him at the ceremony not that Stiles could blame them, but instead he made his way to the bar and took a seat beside Stiles. It didn’t escape Stiles’ notice that they were back in the same situation they had been when they stopped talking before but at least this time there was no-one else making a move on the other though Stiles was sure at least one of the fashion vloggers would try again after a few more drinks.

“Big night huh?" Stiles smiled, toasting Derek with his glass at the other ordered beer from the bartender.

“Yeah, I guess it has been, though I never thought I would find myself getting a Webby for a podcast. It seems a bit surreal.” Derek said, setting his trophy on the bar and looking at it as though he was sure it would disappear if he didn’t.

“Same here, I mean for me and Lydia it was just a hobby to put out there to begin with and now we have thousands of fans willing to pay through Patreon to support us financially. Although to be fair now I can’t exactly imagine myself doing anything else.” Stiles said downing his shot and ordering another.

“Yeah, I mean it gives me a sense of achievement that I never managed to completely reach when I was a sports star, you’re always trying to reach for the next trophy or the next record you know? At least with this I know I’m doing something that people enjoy that was initially just for me. Though sometimes I do wonder…” Derek said, wistfully looking at Stiles he got his next shot.

“About what?” Stiles asked, squeezing the lime juice into the shot.

“There’s been a few podcasts that have gone on to create their own network to help other people with putting their podcasts out there. I think I’d like to do something like that…I just wouldn’t know where to start.” Derek said thoughtfully downing a mouthful of his beer.

“I suppose that would be amazing to do, but honestly me and Lydia struggle enough to so much as keep our own going now. Even with the odd producer on tap and Jordan as management I’m not sure we would be able to keep something like that a float. Still if that is something you think you would like to do you can always send feelers out to other podcasts in your genre and see if they would be interested in combining your resources to make something like that happen.” Stiles shrugged, toying with the empty lime.

“Yeah I’ll have to give it some more thought.” Derek agreed downing the rest of his beer and making like he was about to get up when Stiles rested a hand on his arm.

“Where are you going? The night’s still young and besides, we’re celebrating!” Stiles grinned causing Derek to sigh but sit back down and order them each some more shots as Stiles downed his second in one.

They spent most of the night into the early hours downing shots and coming up with ludicrous ideas for podcast network names as well coming up with new episode ideas for the other’s podcast. They were still there as the staff started coming around to clear up and herd the remaining occupants to the door which seemed to contain quite a few fashions vloggers stumbling in their high heels like they had been waiting for Derek to leave the bar before giving Derek a come on. But Derek seemed more fixated on Stiles coming to crash at his as it was closer to the venue and would mean he didn’t have to worry about getting an uber or waking Lydia.

In the back of Stiles’ mind alarm bells started ringing, but he still agreed letting Derek’s arm curl around his waist as they walked down the sidewalk to make sure he didn’t stumble and fall into the gutter. But that little touch had a spark reigniting the previously dormant crush deep in Stiles’ mind. He tried to silence it by listening to Derek rambling on about an idea for a podcast that was solely on different mythologies around the world and why they were so different.

Derek seemed to have planned at least the first ten episodes by the time they go to his apartment building, though he nearly dropped his webby when trying to find his keys leaving him to hand it to Stiles for safe keeping while he found it in his wallet. Stiles followed his lead into the building, using the webby in his hand to try and ground him before he did something he regretted though when they got in the lift it seemed like whatever restraint he had left disappeared when the doors closed behind them.

Derek was still rambling about an episode involving Polynesian mythology compared with the Caribbean when Stiles pushed himself away uneasily from the wall and approached where Derek was leaning in a corner to keep his balance, letting his fingertips graze Derek’s cleanshaven cheek when he crowded into his personal space.

“Stiles….” Derek sighed at the touch; his eyes flickering closed as though it had been so long since someone had so much as touched him that it broke Stiles’ heart.

Before he could stop himself, he was leaning in and kissing Derek deeply.

He froze once the kiss was finished expecting Derek to shove him off and ask him what the hell but instead Derek’s fingers curled in his hair while his other arm curled around Stiles’ neck to bring him closer when he kissed him back. It was a deeper kiss, tainted by the taste of tequila and lime but to Stiles it was perfect because it was Derek’s tongue in his mouth, Derek’s hand sliding down his back to palm at his ass and Derek’s hot body pressed up against his torso.

“Um god Der….” He murmured as the other deepened the kiss even more sliding his hand up the back of Stiles’ dress shirt to brush against his bare back, the touch feeling like an electric current flowing through his very veins.

At some point Derek took control, backing Stiles’ body up against the opposite wall so his back pushed against the emergency stop button. Derek’s lips detouring from Stiles’ lips to his neck once his collar buttons were ripped open despite the murmur of objection from Stiles’ lips at being deprived of Derek’s tongue in his mouth. He soon found all his shirt buttons open and Derek’s mouth moving to colour his bare chest with bruises that Stiles never wanted to disappear.

But soon Stiles’ legs were curled around Derek’s waist, his lower back pushing the emergency button again to restart the lift though neither of the couple were too interested until the doors opened on the right floor.

“Fuck Stiles…. I want you so bad….” Derek murmured into his neck as he curled his arms around Stiles’ body to keep him balanced as he carried Stiles out the lift into the corridor.

Through some miracle and after making out against the wall beside Derek’s front door for quite a while they had managed to get inside the apartment.

The rest had been a blur.

Swallowing heavily on the plane to Melbourne Stiles rubbed away the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes as he stared at the darkening sky while Michael Jordan rambled away about the highlights of his career in one ear as the inside of the plane powered down for the night. Lydia had put her book on the seat between them and was curled up with the thin inflight blanket over her and her sleeping mask on since she had flown with him enough times to know Stiles’ insomnia would probably keep him awake long enough that he would start reading.

The morning after that glorious night continued to haunt him horribly even months later. Of waking up in Derek’s bed to no sign of the object of his affections beside him let alone in any other part of the apartment. Of finding a note held up against the Webby trophy on his nightstand that made it clear that as far as he was concerned nothing had happened and they should just forget it. Of that sinking feeling in his chest as his heart slipped into his stomach and he had gathered all his clothes before leaving the apartment to return to his and Lydia’s hotel room.

How Jordan had made a crack at breakfast of him getting lucky only for Lydia to nudge her boyfriend and shake her head as though she knew exactly what had happened and that Stiles didn’t need the teasing. Stiles had spent the rest of their stay after breakfast holed up in their hotel room while Lydia and Jordan did all the touristy bits without him and without Derek.

Stiles did try and text Derek a few times, asking him to at least call so they could work this out. That it did not have to change anything unless he let it. But he got no reply and even when Lydia and Jordan came back the redhead hadn’t manged to get through to him either.

Stiles had even gone round to Derek’s the morning before he was due to fly back to LA, he managed to persuade a fellow resident to let him in and made it to the right floor. He’d knocked on Derek’s door until his knuckles were bruised but even though he could hear ESPN playing a basketball match Derek didn’t come to the door. He’d left a note pushed under the door as well as sent him one last text while the plane was taxiing but had heard nothing since.

That had been close to nine months ago and every Podcast Festival or Convention since he would look for Derek in the crowd just to see if he was there. But it seemed like he was only going to ones specific to sport leaving Stiles hopelessly texting and tweeting him over and over asking about the next one he would go to on the off-chance that they could bump into each. And though it was a constant torment he did keep following Derek’s social media, seeing pictures of the owner of his heart walking along beaches shirtless, of seeing him in studios with guests and having family picnics with his sisters when they were in town. The only thing he noted was that there were no pictures of a new woman in his life and each time a fan would comment and ask, Derek seemed to either delete the comment or just straight up ignore it.

That at least did seem to reassure Stiles that what had happened between them had meant something to Derek. He just wished he could at least talk to him so he could find out what.

That had all changed three months before the run up to OZPod, when Lydia was doing some final research on a killer cult in Japan for the last episode in that series they were going to record and called out to Stiles who was trying unsuccessfully to post the second part of the series on the music publishing site.

“What is it Lyds, I’m struggling to upload the most recent episode and would prefer to get it out before the end of the day.” Stiles sighed, refreshing their music page just to check and see if it had finally been uploaded by coming up with nothing that had him returning to their portal to try again.

“Derek has just posted something on Instagram I think you should see.” Lydia said, causing Stiles to frown as he opened a fresh tab to open Derek’s Instagram page which had been saved into his favourites months ago.

The most recent picture showed a bi-pride flag draped over his webby trophy that immediately had Stiles’ heart jumping as he clicked on the picture to see the description that read.

‘DerekHale: I suppose this has been a long time coming considering how I know some of you have noticed that I’m not dating as much as I was before. So here is the long and the short of it on what is probably the best possible day to say this, I’m bisexual. I’ve been trying to ignore this side of myself for a long time by just dating who I thought was the best for me professionally, but honestly, I’ve been kidding myself for a very long time.

There’s a person out there, they know who they are, that I have used, hurt, and put our friendship on the backburner for because of how they made me feel. They made me question myself from the moment we first met, sat backstage at #lapodfest four years ago assuring them that everything was fine was the beginning of something beautiful. And though we’ve had many more downs than ups they mean the world to me.

And while I’m not sure if they will forgive me, if they will let me explain and make up the past nine months of silence to them, I just want them to know how much I have never stopped thinking about and wanting them even if I know that there is a chance they are already taken by someone else.

As for my LGBT fans out there, please believe me when I say I see you, no matter your gender, your pronouns or who you love, you are valid and I love you more than words can ever express.

Derek x

#bivisibilityday #loveislove #bipride #bipositivity #lgbtq #mlm #tfcwdPFam’

“What….?” Stiles murmured, unable to stop himself from reading Derek’s words over and over again as though part of him was sure this was a damned joke.

“Did you never for a moment think that might be why he was distancing himself from you? I could just see it in his face everytime he was around you that he was questioning himself because of you Stiles. While you never felt the real need to come out to anyone except me, Jordan and your dad….it’s harder for some people to get their head around….especially after sleeping with another guy for the first time ever.” Lydia said, from her own computer where she seemed to have taken over trying to upload the episode to give Stiles time to process what he had just read.

“No I didn’t because he was always with women, and I find it so damned to believe that someone like me could turn Derek’s head long enough for him to make him question his sexuality.” Stiles said, scrolling down to read the comments which were filled with admiration and reassurance that whoever he was talking about was so lucky to have Derek in their life. “Although what does he mean by ‘there is a chance he maybe with someone else’?”

“He probably means me.” Lydia sighed causing Stiles to turn in his chair to look at her.

“Wait, what?”

“I don’t know how or who it was, but someone seems to have convinced Derek that you and me are together and have been in all the time that we’ve been doing this podcast together.” Lydia said, meeting Stiles’ gaze over the top of her own computer.

“Oh no….nonono that’s insane! I love you like a sister…. I had a crush on you in high school that went away when you started seeing Jackson. And I mean you’re with Jordan for god’s sake!” Stiles cursed raking his fingers through his hair.

“Well obviously Derek didn’t get the memo. Anyway, if you think about it, it does explain a lot….” Lydia shrugged, attention back on her computer as Stiles turned back to staring at Derek’s post while more comments appeared from fans of Derek’s podcast.

Stiles bit his lip as he let all thoughts of him and Derek together fill his mind, of how Derek would always be touchy feely in his own discreet way when it was the two of them but move away from Stiles when Lydia was with them, how he would always insist that Stiles and Lydia sat together when they went out to eat or how Derek seemed to want to spend time alone with Stiles much more than with Lydia. How Derek had tried to pull Stiles away from Theo since he was under the misconception that Stiles was cheating on Lydia and how even during the Webby’ s show before the after party Derek had sat on the opposite side of the table to the pair. It was all blindingly obvious, that he couldn’t believe that he had missed it.

“Damnit Derek….” Stiles grumbled under his breath, barely restraining the urge to book the first flight to New York to shake some sense into Derek…sense he was sure would end up with the pair of them together again minus a stitch of clothing to the alluring breathy sounds of him fucking Derek hard enough to assure him without a shadow of a doubt that everything Derek felt for him was returned tenfold.

“He’s just sent out a tweet saying he’s going to Melbourne around Christmas for a podfest, I can get Jordan to see if we could be squeezed in if you want the chance to see him in person.” Lydia said, interrupting Stiles from his thoughts.

“That might be the best idea you’ve ever had. Now if you can get that episode to upload all with be right with the world for the next week.” Stiles said, his gaze back on Derek’s post even though deep inside he wasn’t sure he would be able to wait the three months until they were in the same place.

And yet now there he was, wide awake in a powered down plane half way through the flight, staring blankly at the screen showing Michael Jordan’s shot scenes in Space Jam as though that demonstrated just how great of an athlete he actually was.

He had wanted to contact Derek but knew until they were in the same place that there would be only words that could fix this without any action and yet it was the action that he knew they both desperately needed after how it had been since they were together in the same bed. Every night since he discovered Derek’s post he had gone back to it to see more comments of encouragement, more people claiming that whoever that person was they were sure that they missed him and were counting down the days to be back with Derek as well as a couple of people calling Stiles out for not contacting Derek for getting on to twelve months as though it was his fault. To those people Derek had kindly but firmly reiterated that it was his fault, that he had been the one to push that person away and avoided all contact from them and that while he appreciated their support if they posted those comments again they would be blocked.

And yet deep inside Stiles knew he should have tried harder to get Derek to listen to him, instead of giving in when Derek effectively cut him off. He could have camped inside his apartment until he came back, he could have used every social media outlet that they shared to keep contacting him, but he did have to admit that he knew for all his stubbornness that Derek still would have found some way or another keep him at arm’s length until he could figure things out.

Giving in at last when the narrator’s voice started to grate on his nerves, Stiles turned the documentary off and changed the channel to an easy listening radio station before picking up the book from the seat between them and settling in to start the next chapter on Paula Denyer, avoiding moving Lydia’s bookmark in the process since nothing annoyed her more.

The rest of the flight seemed to pass a lot quicker once he fell asleep halfway through reading the chapter on Ivan Milat and woke up to Lydia nudging him as their breakfast was being served by the air hostess. He ended up taking whatever one Lydia didn’t want since it all seemed to taste the same in the air anyway and downed two cups of coffee as he put his own bookmark in the form of his boarding pass to save his page before handing the book back to Lydia.

By then they were only half an hour away from Sydney and a further hour and a half from getting into Melbourne itself and Stiles settled down to watch a couple of episodes of Friends he had seen multiple times before to distract him for the remainder.

They soon arrived in Sydney to blinding sunshine through the windows and the pilot giving the usual welcome to Sydney with the weather forecast and time giving Stiles enough time to push what little he had removed from his carry on back in while removing his passport and next boarding pass for their connecting flight which thankfully gave them long enough to grab a decent coffee in duty free once they passed through security before needing to go to their next gate. Thankfully, their seats were close enough to the main entrance that it made it easy for them disembark first.

They made it through security quickly once they were in the domestic terminal and then join the queue in Starbucks, Lydia pulling out a twenty Australian dollar note from her purse while Stiles let his gaze linger on the menu trying to decide what he felt like. He finally settled on a chocolate Frappuccino and left Lydia in the queue to order after taking their combined luggage to a table outside.

He spent a while checking his social media accounts, liking a few posts from a few fellow true crime podcasters that were also going to the festival and scrolling through Derek’s Instagram page until he reached the most viewed post the other had. Up until that point he hadn’t actually liked Derek’s coming out post because he wasn’t sure if it had been intended to be seen by him or not, but now when they were about to meet he felt he should at least acknowledge it since it meant so much to Derek finally coming out.

He pressed the like button on the post and then typed the three hearts in the colours of the bisexual flag into a comment and pressed post before he changed his mind. Immediately he got a reply from Derek like he had been waiting for Stiles to comment, a heart-eyed emoji followed by a winking blowing kiss emoji with a red heart at the end along with multiple users hearting Stiles’ comment now that Derek had pretty much told them who he had been waiting for.

“You finally reacted to Derek’s post?” Lydia asked as she set his Frappuccino down in front of him before sitting down in the chair beside the one practically creaking under the weight of their carry-on luggage.

“I couldn’t not when hopefully things will finally be sorted between us. I didn’t think Derek would reply…. let alone that every one of his followers would like my comment. My alerts are going to be crazy for the next week.” Stiles sighed, turning the data off on his phone, and setting it on the table so he could focus on his drink.

“Hmmm, well I highly doubt you’ll be spending much time online when you tell Derek the truth about you and me. I’ll be lucky to get you out the hotel for our panel.” Lydia smiled knowingly with a raise eyebrow as Stiles pushed his straw into the drink.

“I doubt we’ll be that bad…. besides maybe I want him to wine and dine me first considering last time was such a disaster.” Stiles shrugged, though knew by the grin on the other’s face she didn’t believe him for a second. She knew him so well.

They spent the rest of their time talking about which serial killers to use for their three Australian killer episodes and downing their drinks before starting the walk towards their gate and sitting with the other passengers waiting to board the rest of the half hour wait.

Yet all too soon they were back on a plane, Stiles back to staring out the window though this time with a knowing smile on his lips as they got settled for the next hour and a half. Lydia immediately began to draw up pros and cons of each of the three serial killers they had chosen and became engrossed in the book again, leaving Stiles to turn on his Wi-Fi once they were in the air and see a DM alert for Instagram waiting for him in his sea of notifications.

DerekHale: I was beginning to wonder if you’d blocked me since it took you so long to react….

Stiles rolled his eyes but shook his head as he replied.

StilesStilin: I couldn’t make myself even if I wanted to….no I was just trying to prevent the onslaught of likes from your fans….so much for that now.

DerekHale: Sorry. I was just so happy to see your comment…. we’ll have to meet up when I get back in the country.

StilesStilin: Or….we could meet up when I finally set foot in Melbourne in about…..oooo an hour….

DerekHale: Wait….you’re coming to OZPod? I didn’t see it mentioned in the schedule for guests….

Stilesstilin: Well it was a last-minute decision….one my manager somehow managed to swing in record timing I might add. Besides, I thought at least this way we could meet up and clear up a few things face to face…

DerekHale: Erm, that….that sounds pretty good actually. What hotel are you staying at? I can come pick you up once you’ve checked in…

StilesStilin: Hold on a sec….

���Lyds what’s the name of the hotel Jordan booked us into? Derek wants to know so he can pick me up when we’ve checked in.” Stiles asked, Lydia barely looking up from what she was doing as she handed him her travel wallet with all the details from her bag and turned back to the book as she left Stiles to sort through the thick pile of paperwork for the right thing.

StilesStilin: QT Melbourne, 133 Russell St. I’ll let you know when we’ve arrived

DerekHale: Sounds good, I’ll see you soon x

Stiles closed the app and turned off the Wi-Fi, letting his gaze rest on the map showing the progress of the flight on the screen in front of him and tried not to count down the minutes obsessively by trying to help Lydia with the final decision on the serial killers they wanted to delve deeper into.

All too soon they were landing in Melbourne and Stiles was barely paying attention to the pilot as he grabbed his bag and led Lydia off the plane as soon as the doors were open. They made it through security and immigration quickly and made their way to the baggage claim where they had to wait longer than normal since Lydia had been hellbent on bringing double her normal luggage and the second case was at the very end of the bundle for their flight. So though he was itching to say to hell with it and leave Lydia there, he settled for putting all the luggage they currently had on a trolley and waiting for the taxi Jordan had booked at the exit of the airport which thankfully didn’t come before Lydia did.

The drive to their hotel wasn’t that far though Stiles spent most of the ride taking pictures of the scenery out the window and itching for them to get there quicker so he could message Derek that he was ready.

Soon they stopped outside a rather posh looking building that had Lydia written all over it and he had a feeling that Jordan had been talked into booking it for that very reason. After paying the driver Lydia led the way inside with Stiles bringing up the rear, as the redhead checked them in.

Since the hotel was one of those with bellboys that reminded Stiles too much of Home Alone 2, one was called to take them to their rooms when Stiles would have preferred to be just given his key and figure out how to get to his room later. But before he could object Lydia was clearing her throat and jerking her head pointedly in the direction of the main entrance, revealing Derek stood there looking as handsome and perfect as the first time they set eyes on each other.

“How?” Stiles asked the redhead as he watched Derek’s face light up from the doorway.

“I texted him on the way from the airport…. I thought it would drive you crazy if you had to wait any longer. So, here’s your key, I’ll get this gentleman to take your luggage up to your room and all being well I’ll see you both at the venue for the convention tomorrow. If you get lost just text me, but whatever you do…. don’t leave him until this is sorted ok?” Lydia said, putting Stiles' key in his hand.

“Thanks Lyds, I owe you one.” Stiles beamed, pushing the card in his hoodie pocket and pecking a kiss to her cheek after putting his bags minus his wallet and phone on the trolley before turning to Derek.

“Aren’t you a sight for jet lagged eyes.” Derek said softly, closing the gap between them and grazing his hand against Stiles’ cheek softly.

“I was just going to say the same thing. Why don’t you show me the way to your hotel just in case and we can get over those few hurdles on the way hm?" Stiles asked, Derek’s hand leaving his face to entwine with his own before leading the way out the hotel.

They had walked a few steps down the street when Stiles began the conversation that they desperately needed to have.

“So, I guess first things first…. congrats on coming out. Though you didn’t really need to.... not for me or for anyone.” Stiles said gently watching Derek’s gaze move to the floor.

“It wasn’t for you at least not completely….it was for me more than anything. Everything I put in that post was true….I had been fighting with myself to ignore who I truly was for so long that it was just getting to the point of exhausting. I’d look at you everytime we were together and all I could feel was acceptance and affection. It was something I had wanted to give myself over to but I struggled so hard to be honest about who I wanted.” Derek said brushing his thumb against Stiles’ knuckles.

“I mean I’ll let you into a secret…. not everyone knows I’m bi. It’s not something I actively tell people about because for me it’s just who I am. I like guys and girls and there is nothing wrong with that…. I just struggle to go for who I want when I find them. I mean for you it was a four-year crush before I could so much as make myself kiss you. Sure, I was drunk which might not have helped…. but that was everything I wanted then and everything that I want now more than ever.” Stiles said softly.

“And I’d be lying if I said I could remember much aside from us making out in the lift that morning….but there was something so freeing about waking up beside you and knowing that what we had done was what I wanted. But it was complicated by my own feelings, the guilt of being so sure I took advantage of you like Theo did…” Derek said thickly, the realization that Derek was sure he had forced himself on Stiles made his eyes wide and his stomach roll.

God no wonder he had been so hell bent on leaving.

“But you didn’t. I remember more than enough to know that every single part of that I wanted and needed because it was you Derek.” Stiles soothed, even as Derek swallowed and shook his head.

“But Theo….” Derek began only for Stiles to sigh and shake his head

“No, you are not Theo. Theo was jumped up little upstart who wanted what he could get so it would help his career in the future. You, god Derek…you are nothing like him. Not to mention the whole time I was kissing Theo and letting him fuck me I was thinking of you. If I hadn’t had you on my mind I’m sure without a shadow of a doubt that I would not have let him so much as touch me.” Stiles said, earning a sad smile from Derek.

“What did Lydia say when she found out about you and Theo?" Derek asked causing Stiles shake his head and laugh.

“Another thing we need to clear up Derek, me and Lydia aren’t together together. She’s been one of my closest friends since high school who agreed to do me a solid with a podcast that ended up bonding us and while I had a crush on her it didn’t last long and meant nothing. Besides she’s taken to dating our manager for the past two years….so even if I was interested which I’m not I wouldn’t have a chance anyway. So, I don’t know who told you that but it isn’t true.” Stiles said watching Derek’s ears flush red.

“It was Kate, though looking back she might have done that on purpose to make sure my attention was on her. It definitely explains a lot and makes me wonder why I didn’t just ask you sooner…” Derek said thoughtfully.

“I suppose that does make sense; she really was a possessive little bitch. Still at least you know the truth now.” Stiles smiled, as they finally appeared outside a hotel that looked way more expensive than anything, he could afford even after ransacking their Patreon savings. “Damn Derek…”

“It’s quite something isn’t it? My assistant Braeden picked it at random when she was doing the bookings for this trip. Still the outside pales in comparison to the inside…” Derek smiled, leading Stiles through the foyer towards the lift.

“How about compared to your room…?” Stiles asked, watching a shy twinkle appear in the other’s eyes.

“My room is amazing in itself, but I’m sure without a shadow of a doubt that it would be all the better if you were sharing it with me.” Derek murmured, grazing Stiles’ cheek with his free hand before cupping the back of his neck and kissing Stiles deeply.

It wasn’t filled with the same drunken urgent hunger that their first one was, it was sweet and yet filled with a sense of adoration that had Stiles practically melting into it. Letting Derek take the lead and suck at his bottom lip gently enough to part them before deepening it just a little more with Derek’s tongue grazing against his own.

“Um….you know if you’re going to come up with smooth lines and kisses like those every damn time I get an invitation like that then I think I can easily agree….” Stiles murmured when they parted far enough for their foreheads to rest together.

“You sure….? I don’t want to rush things this time Stiles…. I don’t want it to be like it was before all wham bam thank you mam get the fuck out my bed. I want you to devour you sober, to know what you like and how your body reacts with each touch. So, if you aren’t ready….” Derek said huskily.

“Derek Derek Derek….it’s been twelve months since I last set eyes let alone tasted your gorgeous body so there is no doubt in my mind that I’m ready. But I think that this time…. after that morning after I think I deserve a turn don’t you?" Stiles purred, the doors opening and him tugging Derek inside so he could press the right button.

“Oh really? What do you have in mind?” Derek asked, pressing the ninth-floor button without looking, his whole attention fixated on Stiles.

“Oh, I don’t know, your whole gloriously naked hot body on display for my attention only and willing to give in to any whim that I want. After all…. you may have got to fuck me Derek…..but I haven’t had the complete joy of showing you how amazing it can feel on the receiving end just yet.” Stiles smiled flirtatiously, biting his bottom lip as he backed into a corner of the lift and curled his arms around Derek’s neck to pull him with him.

“I thought I was supposed to be making it up to you, that hardly seems fair…” Derek murmured, brushing his lips teasingly against Stiles’ as his hands rested on Stiles’ hips.

“Oh, but you will be. Trust me?” Stiles whispered, letting one hand move from Derek’s neck and tracing down the length of his back until his fingers grazed down between Derek’s denim clad ass cheeks causing the taller to groan in the back of his throat.

“I can’t imagine doing anything else….” Derek said hoarsely, letting Stiles’ lips capture his own as the youngers hand slid inside his jeans and boxers and dug his nails into the bare skin of his ass willingly just as the doors opened on the correct floor.

Stiles directed Derek out the lift their mouths still moving hungrily together, until Derek was pushed up against the wall opposite the lift so the doors could close. Their mouths parted as Derek arched his back against the wall at the tightening grip Stiles had on his ass and how Stiles’ mouth moved from his own despite his whimper of objection to sucking bruises into his neck.

“Which room is yours?" Stiles asked, as the tip of his index finger grazed against Derek’s taint causing him to curse and his hips to jerk against Stiles’ at the sensation.

“Erm….Fuck Stiles….” Derek cursed, Stiles taking pity on him enough to remove one hand to take the key card from Derek’s pocket.

“Room 903…. which is right here…..” Stiles crooned, catching Derek’s mouth again in a dirty kiss as he guided him across the corridor to the right door. “Um…. you gonna open the door for me Der? Sooner we get in there sooner I can make you feel even better.”

Derek cursed again as he panted hungrily against Stiles’ mouth reluctantly letting go of Stiles’ hip long enough to take the key from Stiles and swipe it as the younger ground his cock against his own teasingly. Once the door was opened Stiles smiled at him wickedly and captured Derek’s lips again with his own as he pushed away from the wall and let Derek back him into the room, slamming the door shut behind them.

The next morning the pair arrived at the convention a little later than initially planned, though that was in no small part due to Stiles getting distracted by Derek’s naked body in the shower at least twice and being unable to help himself from indulging in the body that he had worshipped that night before. It was more than obvious to everyone around them why they were late, if not due to the fact that Stiles was wearing some of Derek’s clothes that were ridiculously big on him or because of the bruises covering Derek’s neck and how his attention seemed fixated on Stiles then by the way they were holding hands as they wove their way through the crowd with Derek’s assistant Braeden who was no doubt going to give Derek a talking to for being late.

“Stiles there you are! I was beginning to think you weren’t coming or that was I was going to have to send Jordan to Derek’s hotel to get you.” Lydia huffed, appearing from the crowd with Jordan behind her.

“Sorry Lyds, we got a bit distracted or else we would have been here earlier.” Stiles smiled, the innuendo causing Derek’s ears to go read and Braeden to roll her eyes.

“Hm, I’m sure. Anyway, we’re up next, I’ve managed to get together enough information on Paula Deyer but we might need to do a bit of comparison with a few other well-knowns to stretch it out a little.” Lydia said, letting Stiles take the script she was holding in his free hand and give it a look through as Derek let go of his hand and curled his arms around his waist instead, letting his lips rest against the nape of Stiles’ neck as he looked the script over too.

“I think I might have a few more books on Australian serial killers I can loan you when we’re back in the states if that would help…” Derek said gently into Stiles’ skin causing a shiver down Stiles’ spine even as he looked over his shoulder at his other half.

“Really? I didn’t know that was something you were interested in Der…” Stiles asked, turning the page on the script.

“Not so much….but since I knew it was what you were going to be looking into next I asked a few old friends in the true crime genre who gave me some recommendations.” Derek shrugged, one hand sliding under the hemline of Stiles’ shirt only for Stiles catch it by lacing the fingers of his free hand with Derek’s to stop it venturing any further.

“We’d appreciate any help we can get…” Stiles said out loud, before raking his fingers through Derek’s hair and pulling his ear closer towards his mouth before murmuring. “Not now Der…but I swear as soon as this is over you can do whatever you want to me.”

“Um, I’m planning it right now as we speak.” Derek grinned into the side of his neck before letting Stiles go and watching him follow Lydia up on to the stage.

Stiles met his gaze before he disappeared through the curtains and winked at him knowingly before the sound of the Talk Murder to Me Theme song blared over the PA accompanied by the sound of fans screaming in welcome and closely followed by Stiles’ Melodious voice welcoming the crowd and doing the usual introduction that Derek had heard so many times before. Though never had it made his heart soar more than to know that the man on the other side of that curtain was and would always be his if he had anything to say about it.

Fin.

[monstersandmaw]

Embers - Male dragon shifter x reader, Chapter Seven (sfw)

I'm sorry it's so late tonight. I was reminded (again) that it’s Friday and that means it’s Embers day! It's a bit of a rollercoaster this one, and again, it's still double my intended wordcount for these 'short' episodes, at 1.6k.

No real warnings, but  Mikaeïl 's past relationship is brought up...during date night... Happy Valentine’s??? And all I'll say is... I'm sorry???!

*flings this at you and then ducks and hides under a rock*

One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six

A text from Mikaeïl drew a soft smile from you as you woke the next day, rolling over in the crinkly warmth of your covers and stretching your spine out with a grunt.

‘Morning beautiful,” his message began and you already found yourself grinning broadly. What a romantic… “I hope you don’t find this too much too soon, but I’d like to ask you out for a drink this weekend, tonight if you’re free. I know it’s short notice, but if you’re around, there’s a gorgeous wine bar in the old part of town. It’s run by this crazy old goblin, and I’d love to take you there.’

You actually squeaked and were very grateful that he had asked you via text and not phone call because you had enough butterflies to fly you straight back to high school again with the way you were feeling. With slightly shaking fingers, you messaged, ‘Just woke up. I’d love to come out tonight! And no, I have no life - don’t judge me.’

‘Wouldn’t dream of it’ came his immediate response. ‘Besides, most of my Saturday nights consist of a log fire and a glass or two of whisky, so… who’s got no life now…?’

You snorted and rolled onto your stomach. ‘Log fires? Even in summer?’

‘Reptilian, remember?’

‘Ah, yes. How could I forget those beautiful golden eyes of yours?’ you messaged and then immediately regretted it for how sappy and gross it sounded.

Luckily, he didn’t seem to mind. ‘I’m flattered. Would you like me to pick you up tonight? I’ll book us a table because it’s usually busy.’

‘You mean you don’t know the ‘crazy old goblin’ personally?’

‘Of course I do. He’ll give me the best table in the house, I know it. But still, formalities and all that…’

‘XD. I’ll meet you there? Where is it?’

A short pause was swiftly followed by a message with a link to the restaurant, called ‘La Cantina’ and which seemed to be very fancy.

‘I feel like I need a top hat and tails to go to this place,’ you texted after scrolling through its web page.

‘Nothing so formal,’ he reassured you. ‘Actually it’s very much a case of ‘wear what you like’.’ A second later he added, ‘Within reason, of course…’

‘Got it. I’ll wear my favourite neon leotard with exposed nipples for a touch of class…’

‘Perfect. I knew I liked you for a reason.’

You spent most of that morning giggling over your conversation with him, but you did manage to catch up on a couple of bits of work that had been shoved to one side during the week, and when you left the house that evening, you felt pretty sure you’d look alright. A pair of dark jeans and a smart-ish top which had always been one of your favourites seemed to do the trick, and it wouldn’t crumple on your bus journey into the centre of Old Trollbridge either. You couldn’t turn up looking like an old paper bag if you wanted to impress your, what, boyfriend? Were you officially dating now?

That thought sent a thrill through you, and you had just taken a deep breath to try and regain some of your limited stock of composure when you saw him up ahead.

He was walking down the cobbled street towards you, his hands in his pockets, his head slightly downcast, and your breath caught in your throat. The last of the sunlight had vanished to leave the milky blue haze of dusk, settling lazily about the buildings and chimneys of the old university town, and he looked as much a part of the place as the gargoyles and grotesques looming above and the worn streets below. Slender, strong, confident, and yet strangely soft, almost serpentine you supposed, Mikaeïl approached and the hard lines of his pale face gentled visibly as he looked up and saw you standing there, watching him.

His long red hair was half drawn back off his face on his left, twisted once and pinned, while the rest of it fell in shimmering red down his back. His eyes glowed in the dim light and your heart skipped a beat or two at the sight of them, slit pupils widened to leave a halo of gold. When Mikaeïl finally drew level with you, he slowed and you tried to take in a bit more of his outfit. As usual, he was wearing very little colour: a crisp and beautifully fitted white shirt, sleeves cuffed back to the elbow, tucked into black pressed trousers, and black Oxfords that gleamed.

Then his hands had taken yours in his strong, cold fingers and he pressed a kiss to your knuckles. “You look lovely,” he said earnestly in his warm baritone. “I’m so glad you were free.”

“No life, remember?” you grinned and he laughed softly.

“Let’s see about changing that, shall we? For both of us. Come on,” and he held your hand as the pair of you turned and headed back down the street in the direction he’d just come from.

“Did you just wander up here in the hopes of meeting me off the bus or something?” you asked, looking up at him.

He nodded slightly. “Mmm. That, and I was hideously early for our reservation.”

He caught the endearing smile you offered him and he chuckled again, his cheeks flushing attractively. His eyelashes, you noticed were stupendously long and thick, and the most delicate shade of rose gold you’d ever seen. While you walked, he asked you how the commissions you’d been working on had gone, and listened quietly and attentively as you waffled on about how irritating one particular client was being. “Not like you,” you grinned, squeezing his chilly fingers briefly. “I wish everyone had the same reaction to my work as you did…”

His breath hitched slightly as you said that, but he made no response other than to tighten his grip on your hand for a moment.

The restaurant was one of those that only the real locals know about; darkly lit by candles, with old barrels dotted here and there among the tables, and thrumming with a strange sense of timeless age. It was as if it had always been here, unchanging, immune to the rhythms of the world outside.

You had barely descended down the well-worn, stone staircase into the aptly named cellar restaurant when a goblin gave a clap of their long-fingered hands and scuttled over to you, grinning broadly and revealing a row of perfectly pointed teeth. Mikaeïl bent nearly double to hug him fondly, careful not to knock his horns on the goblin’s long ears, and they exchanged a chaste but familiar kiss on the cheek.

“Ahh, Mikki,” the goblin said in a voice like a creaking tree in a gale as they drew back. “It’s been far too long. And who’s this! A human!” He shook his head in mock disappointment, and then held out a knuckly hand to you, the grin firmly back on his darkly weathered face. “My pleasure, my pleasure. Come on in. Best seat in the house for you both tonight.”

“You do us great honour, Kiriavin,” he said seriously, ushering you ahead of him to follow the goblin to your table.

The goblin merely waved a hand and thrust a menu at you without looking back. You just about managed to grab it from him.

“Wine’s on me tonight, my friends,” Kiriavin added as you settled at your table and Mikaeïl’s eyes widened. “No, no, no; don’t you give me that look, you great overgrown lizard,” the goblin snapped, waggling his finger in Mikaeïl’s face and making him lurch back to avoid being tapped on the nose by a sharp goblin claw. “I haven’t seen you in months, and then you bring this gorgeous human in here out of the blue… Mikki, I was starting to wonder if I’d ever see you with someone else again. I’m glad,” he said, laying his dark-skinned hand on Mikaeïl’s bare forearm.

Mikaeïl’s throat worked as he swallowed thickly, and his eyes darkened for just a moment, but he nodded and said in a slightly choked voice, “Thank you.”

When the two of you were left alone, you cast Mikaeïl a questioning look.

He sighed expansively as you settled down at the table and then looked you straight in the eye. “You want to know, don’t you?” he asked.

“There are a lot of things I’d like to know - and a lot of them are about you…” you said cautiously, a horrible feeling souring your stomach. “What exactly is it that you think I want to know?”

As he trailed a finger across the scrubbed wooden surface of the table, his eyes lost on the patterns only he could see in the movement, he said, “Well, it’s been about thirty-five years since I was last with someone. We’d been together…” he broke off and swallowed again. “… for nearly a century.”

“Holy shit,” you breathed, suddenly feeling utterly irrelevant.

His nostrils flared as he drew in another, steadying breath, still staring at the table. “It’s not really the kind of conversation for a first date. It’s a sad story. We… We were together a long time, but he… he got very sick.” A second later he did look up at you and added, “He was an artist too. Different style from you, but… you have something of his talent.”

“Oh,” was all you could find to say as a barrage of self-doubt crashed into your mind.

Part Eight

—

I really hope you folks enjoyed this one! Don’t forget to let me know if you did enjoy it by leaving a like and/or reblogging it!

For all early releases, character art and bios, upcoming story info, and much, much more, join me over on Patreon!

You’ll have access to stories before anyone else, and you’ll get instant access Patreon-only content as well, including polls and an exclusive monthly story for those on the Pixies and Goblins tier or higher! Plus lots of new goodies for February!!

__

| Masterlist | Patreon | Ko-fi | Writing Commissions |

[thepermanentrainpress]

EVERYBODY LOVES FIN: EPISODE 19

Canucks Twitter has never been more passionate, divisive and heavily opinionated; let’s go with an all-encompassing—vibrant. Any fan base is a community of people with thoughts to share, and luckily for others, content to create for a wider audience. I have to admit, I’ve been largely on the outside of Canucks Twitter, merely because I tend to direct my opinions to a TV screen rather than on social media. That being said, lately my sister, Pass it to Bulis contributor and Botchford Project recipient, Natalie Hoy, has been encouraging me to listen to more Canucks-centric podcasts. It’s been a fun time.

2010s: Does Vancouver really need two all-sports radio stations? 2020s: Does Vancouver really need 741 Canucks podcasts?

— Jyrki21 (@Jyrki21)

June 9, 2020

The world of ‘audio blogging’ has only grown over the past few years. Listeners are able to multi-task - exercising, cooking, cleaning, driving or on public transit - while plugged in to a new episode on practically any personal device. It’s a form of entertainment, often interactive, and a perfect creative outlet for amateur (and experienced) broadcasters looking for a new project. There is no shortage of podcasts courtesy of Canucks Twitter, a testament to the commitment and drive of fans, and the accessibility of the art form. With the Qualifying Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs just about underway, there is much to be talked about. Let’s take a look at what’s out there.1

C4 Podcast

Founded: July 2013

Players: Chris Golden (@lyteforce), Anna Forsyth (@aforsyth03),Matt Lee (@mattlee_61)

Premise: The longest-running, active Canucks podcast (birthed from Canucks Hockey Blog) has been on-air for 7 years! Originally co-hosted by Chris and parody song creator Clay Imoo (@CanuckClay), the podcast offers commentary about current Canucks and NHL affairs, prospects, expectations, reminiscing on the team’s past (memories of the retired taco lover Eddie Lack and past playoff runs), and features interviews with guests. This past season, they’ve had Patrick Johnston (The Province), Satiar Shah (Sportsnet 650), Cam Robinson (Elite Prospects, Dobber Prospects) and Dan Murphy (Sportsnet) in the hot seat.

Twitter | Patreon | Discord | Listen

In the "longest-running" #Canucks #PodcastLikeThat, @risingaction joins @aforsyth03 @lyteforce & @mattlee_61 to talk about the summer training camp so far, how the Canucks match against the Wild, Rathbone, Tryamkin and so much more! https://t.co/ACreWPcPWC

— #PodcastLikeThat (@TheC4Podcast)

July 21, 2020

Area 51

Founded: December 2019 (relaunch)

Players: Sean Warren (@SeanyeWest234), Samantha (@samanthacp_), Malcolm Ert (@malcolmert), Bradley Thomas (@bradthomas_96), Eric (@breakawayeric), Bailey Broadbent (@baileybroadcast)

Premise: Area 51 celebrated a relaunch last December since their inception in July 2019, and in May welcomed a team to join host Sean Warren. Aside from their cool, alien conspiracy branding, at the mic they cover a broad range of hockey talk with notable guests (writers and broadcasters in the media, content creators, musicians, WHL players, fellow blog/podcast owners, Canucks Autism Network). I love that they’ve started to cover important topics beyond the gameplay, like anti-racism, inclusivity, and diversity in sports, and have actively sought out the guests to do so.

Twitter | Instagram | Listen

HERE WE GO! @CanuckClay enters A51 in GLCPC to discuss: -Sports debates -Being a hockey media creator -Plan a Vegas trip -Drinking and Parenting tips And complete the famous Guest Shootout! Find out whether Clay is responsible for the Luongo trade!https://t.co/Zg629tWvLG

— Area 51 Hockey Podcast (@Area51Hockey)

July 24, 2020

Cap Space Wins Cups

Founded: February 2020

Players: Hassan Ahmed (@_hassanahmed9), Ahsan Ahmed (@ace103196), Hussain Ahmed (@hussain11ahmed)

Premise: The newly formed podcast has a light, humorous tone - evident by their inaugural episode introduction about their lack of social media followers. They cover quick hits of the Canucks week, roster situations, hockey culture, and of course, cap space. They’ve hosted fellow podcast hosts and media (Satiar Shah, J.D. Burke, Matthew Sekeres, Jeff Paterson), and even a fellow Burnaby kid, Massimo Rizzo. Rizzo was a 2019 Carolina Hurricanes draft pick. It’s clear they have a lot more to share, including takes in on their corresponding blog – see: How the Canucks Can Acquire Dougie Hamilton & Build a Cup Contender. I’ll read anything related to Dougie Hamilton.

Twitter | Instagram | Listen

🚨🚨Another HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT the boys have their own website 🚨🚨https://t.co/JfQXqiXcz2, the site has all the podcast epidoes and links to all their social media. The boys have also started blogging and have 2 big article out already! It’s 100% free sign up on the site to L&C!

— Cap Space Wins Cups Podcast (@capspacecups)

June 21, 2020

The Broadscast

Founded: July 2020

Players: Vanessa Jang (@vanessajang), Georgia Twiss (@georgiatwiss), Samantha (@samanthacp_), Mallory (@sports_lesbian), Danielle Huntley (@danihuntley)

Premise: Your ‘local hockey girl gang’ talks Canucks, sports culture, and soap operas. All 5 hosts have a significant following on Twitter and are bold and uncompromising, which makes for great statements and table chatter. This was written with only their Teaser episode released, but you can expect no shortage of pop culture references, fashion discussion, NHL wives and girlfriends (WAG) and pet content, along with team analysis. It’s trailblazing for a group of females in Vancouver to start their own podcast that’s hockey-focused, meant to be a casual chat amongst friends. They know the team, know their media, can gossip, and are having fun with it.

Twitter | Instagram | Listen

The Broadscast is officially LIVE!! 🎙 Just 5 girls and some light-hearted hockey talk with a soap opera twist. Catch our teaser episode NOW on your podcast medium of choice!https://t.co/91KE8LnOJE pic.twitter.com/XH0fIfhmHy

— The Broadscast (@BroadscastPod)

July 27, 2020

PUCKS ON NET

Founded: September 2013

Players: Ryan Schaap (@schaaptop), Geeta Reddy (@geetanjalireddy), Paul McLellan (@McLellanPaul), Dave McPhail (@PucksOnDave)

Premise: The group of 4 has created a casual, honest atmosphere with their roundtable conversation. They’re good friends, which equates to great camaraderie. They run a ‘contradictory’ fantasy hockey league and don’t talk ‘fancy stats’ (while still being very knowledgeable). I think they’re engaged with their listeners, and relatable as human beings amongst their talk of Tim Hortons NHL trading cards, player safety, current signings and acquisitions, and Green Day at the All-Star Game. Reaching 7 years of consistent hockey talk and recapping the team’s evolution is a feat in its own.

Twitter | Patreon | Instagram | Listen

And on Sunday, Ryan sat down with his old man for Father's Day to talk about growing up playing minor hockey in Calgary, bonding over the Vancouver #Canucks and even his words of wisdom when it comes to talking to your kids about drugs.https://t.co/BaQFM53Yws

— PUCKS ON NET (@Pucksonnetca)

June 24, 2020

The Canucks Conversation

Founded: November 2018

Players: Chris Faber (@ChrisFaber39), David Quadrelli (@Quadrelli)

Premise: Faber was joined by Quads in 2020, and the pair has perhaps the most praised local podcast so far. They’re both BCIT Radio Arts and Entertainment students (and writers for CanucksArmy), and their dedication, preparedness, branding and reporting level are top notch. They break down topics with great chemistry and perception - roster moves, Nikita Tryamkin, Olli Juolevi, and the Judd Brackett situation. Some of their notable guests include Utica Comets Kole Lind and Brogan Rafferty, and ‘bionic’ Finn Sami Salo.

Twitter | Patreon | Instagram | Listen

🎉SURPRISE! 🎉 Episode 91: “Jake Jets out of the lineup” ft.@CraigJButton We dropped our episode early! Craig Button stops by to chat about the NHL and #Canucks prospects. We breakdown the exhibition game against the Jets & some exciting news at the end!https://t.co/NMWBVOU7ko

— Canucks Conversation Podcast (@CanucksConvo)

July 30, 2020

Canucks & Pucks

Founded: April 2019

Players: Matthew Zator (@MatthewZatorSC)

Premise: Matthew Zator, writer for The Hockey Writers and Hockey Ops Director at Overtime Heroics, made a return to the airwaves this past July (after a lengthy regular season hiatus). Since getting back up and running, it’s full steam ahead – Zator has been joined by contributors from The Hockey Writers, The Canuck Way, college hockey newsletter Fresh Ice, and fellow podcast hosts. He has good insight and as a writer who goes into depth about NHL draft picks, the Vancouver Giants, and both the Nucks’ positives and negatives in his work, it gets noticeably transferred to the on-air conversation.

Twitter | Listen

🚨 NEW EPISODE 🚨 Episode 7 ft @CanuckClay, @JDsays2much, and @BaileyAJohnson_! - #Canucks & #mnwild with Jack & Clay - Will Lockwood and Quinn Hughes with Bailey - The Mailbag segment debuts and of course news from the #NHL and @TheHockeyWriter! #THW https://t.co/lW9FQms35P

— Canucks & Pucks Podcast 🏒🎙️ (@CanucksPucks)

July 28, 2020

Canucks Speakeasy

Founded: August 2019

Players: Pete Edwards (@pete_gas), Doug (@dougvenn)

Premise: Pete and Doug are 2 “mildly educated Canucks die-hards” who chat about current team news and trending topics. They’ve covered trade talk, the Collective Bargaining Agreement, prospects at the World Juniors, scouting, and the BLM movement. They’re occasionally joined by guests including podcast friends, and fellow fans/Tweeters Chris Conte, Jenna Fabulous and Ray Hatt.

Twitter | Listen

We're back with Episode 37: Powderkeg. Playoffs, play-ins, Judd and BLM are all discussed. Give'r a listen!https://t.co/dwoEQVNudThttps://t.co/7ZSogAjWsuhttps://t.co/r5HqX26czU pic.twitter.com/QKScnR9Q6G

— Canucks Speakeasy (@CanucksSpeak)

June 4, 2020

The LarschCast

Founded: June 2019

Players: Tej Dhaliwal (@DrTejDhaliwal), Sat Oberoi (@SatOberoi), Nav Dosanjh (@NavDosanjh1983), Ryan Cassels (@cassels_music)

Premise: The Larschcasters are known for their entertaining banter and debates, mostly on hockey and a little NFL. They’ve picked the minds of seasoned media (Scott Oake, James Duthie, Joey Kenward), legendary broadcaster Jim Robson, and former Canucks Kirk McLean, Chris Higgins and Shane O’Brien. They’ve been generating healthy content during the pandemic, including a spirited debate with Minnesota Wild podcast hosts, discussing media personnel moves, prospects, NHL Award contenders, and the toxicity in the Vancouver Canucks market. In June, they released a special with hockey coach/trainer Jennifer Chefero, sharing her story facing sexual abuse and harassment in her career, while candidly discussing women’s rights and sports culture.

Twitter | Facebook | Listen

Episode 61 ft. @hustlerama!#NHLJets centric epi, with an outlook of the Jets vs #flames. Not a lot of love for Calgary in this one😬. Also insights into the #nhlbubble, before ending with #Canucks talk & Rapid Larsch! 🍎:https://t.co/vZ2lyQ9zoO Spotify: https://t.co/XdV1y3ls7V

— The LarschCast (@larschcast)

July 29, 2020

The PP1 Podcast

Founded: October 2019

Players: Brayden Ursel (@bkursel23), Ted (@tee3ree), Ryan Hank (@always90four)

Premise: A tagline like “three guys from Kelowna bringing the heat and spitting the takes” doesn’t need further explanation. Appearing at the beginning of this season, the podcast (which features writers from The Canuck Way and CanucksArmy) has had some nice guests like the Canucks inaugural captain Orland Kurtenbach, retired centre and current Kelowna Rockets Assistant Coach Vern Fiddler, and Paul “Biznasty” Bissonnette. They’ve been nominated for Kelowna Now’s Best Local Podcast, and have a ‘Dudes and Guys’ segment where they pit 2 players against one another and talk it out (criteria is debatable).

Twitter | Listen

Episode 46: Bouncy Castles, Boeser Bombshells, & Backchecking w/ @mattsekeres. We chat Boeser rumours, cap crunch, Rathbone, Tryamkin, Markstrom, Sundin vs. Vanek, the best cold-open since Nikolay Goldobin, and how you can win a #Canucks jersey. https://t.co/KouGJr6GKH

— The PP1 PODCAST (@ThePP1Podcast)

July 15, 2020

The SCT Show

Founded: September 2018

Players: Nam Mann (@CanuckAgent007), Tanbir Rana (@TRana87)

Premise: SCT is Strictly Canucks Talk. Aside from reminiscing about ‘where were you when’ pivotal moments in franchise history occurred and the regular shop talk of performance and #NamStats, they draw in guests to talk about trade value (The Athletic’s Harman Dayal) and stickhandling (specialist/trainer Pavel Barber). They’ve also hosted local defenceman and last year’s 4th overall draft pick Bowen Byram, and hockey analyst/retired winger Anson Carter for a chat about the pressure of the market in Vancouver and the Sedins. Like any good heated debate, there are also trade and Team Tank vs Playoffs scenarios.

Twitter | Listen

.@CanuckAgent007 has a proposal to get Loui Eriksson off the #Canucks books 🤔 EP 14 - Links below ⬇️ 🍎 https://t.co/Z9snNdSuI1 📱 https://t.co/AJILh0IaWJ pic.twitter.com/LZblDE8GLW

— The SCT Show (@SCTShow)

July 17, 2020

Johnny Canuck Talk

Founded: August 2019

Players: Adrian J. Haug (@adrianjhaug), Roy Styles (@roy_styles)

Premise: Takes from 2 arm chair GM’s, the pair discuss a wide variety of topics like losing streaks, hockey safety, report cards, line-ups, and trade deadline. They’ve also shared an insightful chat with Harman Dayal (The Athletic) about his career and the late and great Jason Botchford. It’s laid-back and conversational, with mentions of farmers’ tans, celebrating birthdays during quarantine, and the school system strung across introductions. What’s cool is they record the podcast from near and far away places – Kamloops, BC and Germany (!).

Twitter | Listen

(1) Episode 37 is uploading now! @roy_styles and I talk #Canucks #hockey and @Canucks topics, issues, news, etc. We also talk about the incredible impact our Jim Carey impressions have had on our wives. Yikes. Featuring tweets from: @Canuckgirl20 @TSN1040 @DanRiccio650 pic.twitter.com/6oA7mZh6jb

— Johnny Canuck Talk (@JohnnyCanuckPod)

June 28, 2020

1 This list is not exhaustive, but there is something for everyone and I hope you find your Canucks fix. There can be an argument made that the podcast market is oversaturated, but I like to see it as an opportunity for any fan or audio bird to let their voice be heard! So, don’t be negative about it.

Posted by: Chloe Hoy

[shy-magpie]

RQG 145

My first EA episode and I'm getting to it 4 hours after release because I'm so excited about joining the Patreon I can’t focus. Its silly but hey birthday money well spent if it makes me this happy right? Ok I think I'm centered enough to hit play.

Eee its going to be my name there someday!

Poor Cel! Poor Azu!

I'm impressed, Alex managed to summarize pretty well given  the circumstances.

Hamid: oh dear! Skraak: Skraak, pressure equalization, Skraak!

What! I was right - he has been getting clearer! Did Alex imply he has been playing up how drugged is? Smart way to get a sense of the party while he gets his feet under him if so.

Thank you Alex, we need those numbers. Oh poor Hamid is confident on a 3.

Skraak is helping! Hamid is listening to him!

~~~Party time~~~

Alarms!

Blast doors? Yes! They won't drown!

Azu! Cel! Zolf!

Point Cel, Shoin seems actively against being useful

Nice, Salt Beard coming up properly after all this time! Scary sounds! Bubbles! Thats got to be a good sign right? Loving the bit with Zolf's thumb!

Not clear what happened plot wise, but Ben did some nice work showing Zolf’s emotions in ways I can’t put into works. Healing time! It is a very Cel, TBF, to quantify their health

Speaker time! Oh thank goodness everyone is healed up. Yeah the food's poisoned we got that with the brunch Hamid was dragged from.

Sweet, torches in the bags of holding are fine.

Loving the character interactions, especially Zolf and Cel bonding over Shoin’s bad design.

Bryn! Alex! That is an actual crime! Conspiracy to commit angst!

I love Zolf's growth!

I will need a transcription of this scene!

Cel was in war zones?

Speakers again

~~~

Hamid is humming opera music (Carmen?)

Scratch? Skraak has been marking the path when Hamid didn't think of it. I love Skraak! Hamid dear, when you get a moment, I know there's a lot on your mind: double check on Skraak's name and pronouns would ya? Also Hamid is doing awesome with the changes. I had faith in him but its great hearing him cheerfully ask Skraak for input as a local expert; instead of trying to force the pattern that worked before even as Skraak gets less kid like. Love to see how this shakes out, even though I confess Hamid having a new younger sibling was a treat. OK enough tangent let's open a hatch!

Oh pressure gauge! I wonder if that helps with more than flooding.

Wrench! I love a call back.

That's one way to refer to Hamid's abilities. Also I am aware of Zolf and Hamid's dwindling spell slots; I am just convincing myself they will be able to camp for the night in a safe hallway before Alex Shoin happens.

Oh good something is maintained around here.

Green light? Alex, did you come up with the hidden doors purely to mess with theoretical maps? Because Babs has been doing pretty well so far but I'll be her second if she challenges Alex to a fight in the parking lot after this episode.

~~~Break time, no ad is surprisingly weird, on edit listen is an ad with Mike that proves once again that I am so far gone on RQ that I even find the ads charming~~~

Oh more Hamid time!

That was a lot of dice, no numbers that I caught. Oh dear! (Was that Ben teasing him?)

In the rafters of a very large room. Huge domed ceiling, sounds pretty. Have I gone 20 minutes without saying how much I love Alex's set design? Thank you Ben, I will google it, *sticks out tongue*. Seriously as long as you enunciate and don't get into stuff so niche you lose people in England too, then don't worry about us from the US. Honestly you guys worry about everything, the occasional missed reference isn't worth the brainspace.

Still not happy about the lack of maintenance, especially given that's what stands between the party and drowning

Skraak sounds worried: it is his first time down this far and sounding more himself by the second. Still no hint of second guessing throwing in with Hamid! As good as Bryn is at avoiding spoilers, I thought he wouldn't have brought up Cohort on the discord if Skraak took it really badly as they sobered up, but is still a relief. Not that I would blame Skraak for much short of turning out to be the secret Big Bad: the circumstances were pretty messed up; even if I stand by saying you can't leave someone who pledged to you and isn't in a position to cover that up if their old boss catches them. Yes I know a conversation about spiders not being the most dangerous thing the party used on Kobolds is coming but with Skraak not turning out to be a kid, it might be more tense but cut my concerns in half. Hell the Kobolds might well be able to fend for themselves post Shoin if they loot the place in compensation.

"I still think that might be an exaggeration"

Oh Hamid has the Elven cloak too. How do you wear two cloaks at once? And don't say you don't, Hamid is not losing 4 levels of dragon awesome (or however Pathfinder put it) in the middle of a dungeon.

Skraak remembers the health potion and doesn't mind being asked to hang back. Hamid arms Skraak with a injection spear. Has the canisters for it too. I may have underestimated him (or on the Doylist level this falls under reasonable retcon; then again I might just have missed Bryn saying he was pocketing this stuff because I thought he would run it by Zolf). *Shrugs* please keep a sample for testing, I have a pet theory I'd love to see tested.

Alex, just...thanks for using a tone of voice that made it completely clear you were joking

Skraak: Skraak avenger, death from above etc! Hamid: Remember, General Skraak Avenger! Hamid remembers what he said to Skraak whether they do or not! OK like I said I loved Hamid adopting Skraak as a new little brother but this new phase is a lot of fun if harder to quantify.

Oh the sleeves! The cloaks don't have to have much physical presence, do they? That makes sense. Sleeves and prestidigitation? Right after being so charming with Skraak? Hamid is in fine form

Alex is just feeling mischievous tonight, I like it.

An enormous pipe organ? I love Alex's set design. (also one day my brain will pull up the right person the first time when someone references Bill Nye or Bill Nighy but even with the Pirates context today is not that day)

I know, Ben, cosmetic or not its fricken awesome.

I don't like the pipes, I don't get the pipes, but I don't like them (that fine mesh better not imply there is something airborne in the complex)

Is it wrong that other than the more obviously ominous bits this sounds like a great place to live?

Chaise longue

Is this seriously set up for the party -wait... Did Hamid skip to the end of the maze with only Skraak for back up and no sleep!?! No reunion or camping scene first? Not even a spell restoring nap?!

Human IOD? ALEX, WHAT IS UP WITH THIS FIGURE? ITS SHOIN RIGHT? ITS GOTTA BE.

Don't listen to Ben, Alex will get you if you jump to conclusions. That's my dragon! Sneaky lad learned from Sasha!

~~~Of course he is switching to the party. Man has a sense of timing.

More party favors, daggers make my heart twinge

Azu takes Cel’s hand to guide them

Gonna light a torch? Or is Zolf keeping up his anti light thing.

Alex is simplifying things No Zolf is not throwing open the door. Oh thank hope, Zolf is lighting a torch. Pathfinder jokes

We like it too Alex!

I like the zone thing.

Cel, I adore you! Zolf just promised backstory! Get that down! And a miner/minor pun, these people are the best! Oh tin miner!

Lights! Golden bulkhead! Seriously where is this guy getting his money?

Azu spots a trap! Yes Alex, we respect your craft. Trip wire!

I love the boots

Oh Cel is clumsy, I hadn't actually noticed that.

Genre savvy Cel hulks out with bat wings! Claws! Fangs! HP goes up thank all the gods! (Azu lets go of their hand)

Ben needs to look up spells but Zolf is prepared Azu puts on the iron beard

They throw open the door!

~~~

Poor Bryn, stuck waiting for the next episode like us listeners to find out the results.

I've been re listening to some early episodes and I really missed the "byes". It's a silly sign off but I think that comfort with silly might be part of why I like it?

Re: the bloopers, it would have been a little funny if they did a “detect traps” and got knocked out like when Hamid tried detect magic in, was it Rome?

OK bottom line: Skraak is awesome; I still miss Sasha but at least Lydia can be a bat even if it isn’t cloak of the bat; Zolf came back better than ever and actually wants to have at least 2 real conversations; and Azu is a champ for doing so well despite her phobias (which are still taken seriously because Helen and RQ are friggen awesome). Fun and pulpy, that's how ya do it! Stakes from the sea floor to the stratosphere! Character moments! Sets that make Hollywood weep in jealousy!

Okay okay some people may be stressed out after that even though everyone ended up fighting fit, which is fair, ok? but physical peril? Just a roller coaster to me, I'll take it any day of the week and twice on Sundays!

[planetoban]

Savin’s Answers from Twitter, Part 4!

Still catching up on the backlog; this post covers tweets from May 2018 through October 2018

As always, tweets are in order from most to least recent, and answers are not 100% true/canon since things may change during production of the sequel. Text is unedited save for formatting; in a few places I added [comments] for context.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Also: If you’re going to ask Savin something, please be respectful and appropriate. He’s a person just like you and me.

@jeltezandberg1: I also hope the dutch dub would be re-released on blue ray. Because the dutch DVD version was never fully released ,except for the first volume. The reason for it was because the publisher responsible for the dutch DVD version went bankrupt.

@EiffelSavin: Not cool. We'll see what we can do but unfortunately we don't own the rights to that dub

(x)

@RedVioletPanda: I'm wondering, does Aikka have any other family besides his parents? Also does Spirit have a family or not?‏

@EiffelSavin: If we produce the spinoff you'll have your answer regarding Aikka

(x)

@GaulStg2713: I watched a few episodes back when Oban first aired, and recently I just finished binge-watching the whole thing and now I've learned about this! Awesome! (Is it too much to ask for a heroic Crog guy in this one? I love their design and was sad the only Crog we got were jerks.)‏

@EiffelSavin: I agree with you. If we do produce a sequel your wish may be granted... 😉

(x)

@ILOVE659709491: I’m curious if Maya had not died in a racing crash but had still died due to illness or in a way DW couldn’t blame himself for, would Don Wei still have abandoned Eva and have the same severe reaction to Maya’s death even if it wasn’t in a racing crash, or would DW

‏@ILOVE659709491: have raised Eva & maybe remarry and not have as severe a reaction to Maya’s death but actually move on from it sooner if Maya had not died in a racing crash?

@EiffelSavin: I don't think he would have abandonned Eva if Maya hadn't died a crash. She died while racing for his team. That made him feel directly responsible.

(x)

@Helloworld1012: Sounds interesting. Also, I have to ask regarding OSR 2 has a plotline already been decided?

@EiffelSavin: Yes. We're moving ahead very slowly, but we do have a pretty good idea of where we want to take the new show

(x)

@Dmitry14846442: I wonder if the full version of "Never say Never" exists at all.

@EiffelSavin: Not sure.... ABC family made me listen to it before they chose it but I don't remember how long it was. If it wasn't intended to be released as a single, then there's probably only the short version though.

(x)

@AshBashS_: Ever thought about setting up a type of Kickstarter or patreon? I know those who love the series would like to help out any way they can.

@EiffelSavin: That's certainly an option for a bluray release, a pilot or some early development.

@EpicLoneDreamer: Man... Still hard to understand how geniuses can be broke. The sequel is written already? OMG. What about two queens? 11 years waiting!

[note: AFAIK Savin hasn’t said anything about the sequel’s script being finished]

@EiffelSavin: I must bear the blame for some of it, with zero talent for brown nosing & for choosing projects that stand a little out of the ordinary. Another part can be put on the production system, especially in France, which tends to favor doing the same safe stuff over and over again...

(x)

@penguin_elder: the second question  why did jordan easily submit to the idea of becoming avatar,seeing from his actions he wanted to be with molly ithought he would be the first one to disagree on such a big responsibility.keep doing what your doing you're fan from the middleeast

@EiffelSavin: Jordan had sort of a predisposition as he gradually realized Eva didn't have the same feelings for him that he had. Then came a rare chance to save the galaxy, even if it meant losing all he had been. Jordan took it. Cause that's the kind of guy he is & also out of <3 for Eva...

(x)

@Helloworld1012: I’m now super curious, in ep 17 Mrs Stern said something about Eva being capable of stealing from a shop of leaving a hotel room without paying for it. So I’m curious, Is Eva actually capable of stealing or leaving a hotel room without paying for it? I had she

@Helloworld1012: actually done that before? I know Eva’s rebellious, but I can also see she’s a bit of a ”goody-two-shoes.” So I’m curious is Eva actually capable of breaking the law

‏@EiffelSavin: Well, it's the evil headmistress speaking so we can't take her words for granted. But she does hint that during previous attempts to escape from her boarding school Eva may have not always strictly stuck to the law.

(x)

@TengIlar: Hey, guys! There are no announcements, no arts, no teasers, no trailers, no news - nothing at all! Are you still alive? #OSR #OBAN #oban_star_racers

@EiffelSavin: Alive but dealing with a number of different projects, not all related in animation in my case. If you really want to know, I've just spent two weeks leaving in the streets to do research on the lifes of homeless teenagers for one of these projects.

@Helloworld1012: Out of curiosity what project is that?

@EiffelSavin: A project about young punks surviving in the streets with their dogs. But I won't say anymore for the time being. It's very much a work in progress.

(x)

@MassimoJPN: I just got to know about the Blue-Ray project of OSR and I'm incredibly excited now !! Is there any chance that there is gonna be the german voice acting on the discs as well ? I would even get it without, but the old voices are childhood memories ! :)

@EiffelSavin: We should have French, English and Japanese. German is more problematic as we don't own the rights to that version.

(x)

@LiveforOban: I’m curious, do all star race teams managers own their own race team like Don Wei does, or do most star-race managers work for someone else & don’t own their own race team? Also, the show made it clear that when he was Maya’s manager Don Wei worked with only one

@LiveforOban: racer at a time & that his team used only one star-racer at a time, so why is it that in 2082, Wei Race has several star racers?

@EiffelSavin: There are other managers/owners like Don Wei but most teams were not able to survive without the support of a larger parent company. Remaining a relatively small team in terms of funds, Don Wei has usually concentrated all his means & efforts on one top racer: Maya then Rick.

@LiveforOban: So I’m guessing Maya was his first racer.

@EiffelSavin: yes

(x)

@ILOVE659709491: I know Maya was considered to be a beautiful young woman, but I’m curious when he was younger did women consider Don Wei to be a handsome man? In 2082 is Don Wei considered attractive?‏

@EiffelSavin: Don Wei was not bad looking but was no Don Juan either. His charm came from his intelligence and well as from the power of his dream to succeed in the racing business. That's probably what touched handsome Maya.

@ILOVE659709491: What does not bad looking even mean? Does that mean he was fairly attractive? Because I need more clarification on that.‏

@EiffelSavin: I mean not ugly by any means but not someone you'd turn around to look at when his walking down the street - unlike Maya.

(x)

@LiteMorgan: What’s the plan with the theme music? Aware there were a bunch of versions - Japanese, French, Japanese remix for most of EU, and the American version.

@EiffelSavin: We should have the original Yoko Kanno version + the french version as bonus. US version is less probable as we do not own the rights.

(x)

@EiffelSavin: Today I recovered the digital copies of  #ObanStarRacers' Japanese master tapes. We'll hopefully add the Japanese language tracks to our planned #bluray release !

@firechikara: Awesome! I hope you'll include the different Opening Theme (apparently from what I've seen, there's a short and long version) as a bonus.

@EiffelSavin: yes!

(x)

@ArkantosRedwolf: Do you have by any chance the Latin American dub? That would be the mother of all nostalgia if you could added to the bluray release.

@EiffelSavin: We'll try but this may be more difficult to obtain. We do not own the latin dub and had no direct part in their recording.

(x)

@Helloworld1012: I’m still really curious, but in ep 18 Maya was wearing a traditional Chinese dress during her date with DW and I’ve noticed her racing uniform resembles a Chinese dress, so is Maya from China or at the very least Chinese?‏

@EiffelSavin: I think I already answered that. Don Wei's origins are only hinted at but for me he's of Chinese origin and Maya isn't. Regarding the dress that was just to please Don. That beeing said anyone is free to interpret the series as he likes and make it his own 😊

(x)

@LiveforOban: Why did Don Wei have such a severe reaction to Maya’s death? No matter how much he loved her & no matter how brutal her death, Don’s reaction was to severe. Considering his personality changed he abandoned his kid & tried to forget his past.

@EiffelSavin: Extreme love can lead to extreme consequences. Romeo killed himself after Juliette killed herself. Don Wei's reaction to Maya's death was a little less radical but the idea is the same. He couldn't bare to leave without her all the more as he felt responsible for her death.

@LiveforOban: Doesn’t that basically mean Don Was obsessed with Maya?

@EiffelSavin: Yes, but in a good way - at least until she died. These two really loved each other and formed a perfect family before drama struck.

(x)

@vaatil: watching Oban with the pals for the first time, we re on episode three and i loVE RICK‏

@EiffelSavin: And rightly so - Rick is the top bad ass dude! 😉

(x)

@Helloworld1012: I'm curious, since their in the concept art but Are Aikka and Eva going to return as major characters in the sequel/spinoff? Also, I'm curious but what will happen to Aikka when he returns to Nourasia? If I'm not mistaken the Crogs are still in control of his planet,

@Helloworld1012: And he's already done several things in the race to risk banishment.‏

@EiffelSavin: Yes, but there's also a new Avatar now, which should change things a bit - or do they? 🙂

(x)

@ILOVE659709491: Did Kanaletto manipulate Eva’s life from the moment she was born? In episode 26 Kanaletto States so himself that for centuries he manipulated time just so he could find Eva & use her.‏

@EiffelSavin: Correct.

(x)

@djinni0024: I know you aren't on Twitter much, but for the sequel, do you guys plan on making it have a darker theme, with more adult tones to it? Most of us (that being your original fan audience) are well in our 20s-30s.

@EiffelSavin: That would be ideal, but it depends on who will finance us

(x)

@NoelCT: Beautiful work, as always. I've been excited to see 2 Queens for years. I'm sorry it's still taking so long to come together, but thankful you haven't given up on it.

@EiffelSavin: Haven't given hope! Actually currently looking for a new character designer to start over on a slightly different direction.

(x)

@KananJarrus: Would be awesome if the #ObanStarRacers Soundtrack got a re-release, for people (like me) who missed out on it years ago. Great, high quality soundtrack @EiffelSavin‏

@EiffelSavin: One of our plans with the Bluray release is to add all existing tracks as a potential bonus (and there's around 85 of them).

(x)

@Helloworld1012: I’m curious since it got to me, that during her time in the boarding school Eva most have done things besides drawing & mechanics to pass the time, but Does Eva like to read? & if so what kind of books did she like to read? Also in ep 18 I noticed Maya wore a chinese dress during her date with Don, is Maya from china or Chinese?

@EiffelSavin: Don Wei's surname implies that he's of Chinese origin, which would make Eva half Chinese. [Implying Maya isn’t Chinese]

@RyanMoate: I can imagine that if Eva read it would be articles about her father's racing career and probably manuals considering she built the rocket seat.‏

@EiffelSavin: Yes, a mechanical geek. Plus she loves hardcore techno - the best way for her to relieve her stress and teenage angst!

(x) (x)

[In response to Catsuka posting the OSR pilot]

@copperfield42: wow, it [Molly Star Racer] looked more silly that the final product...

@EiffelSavin: All the main ideas were in the pilot, but it was a little more comedy oriented and aimed at a slightly younger target audience. As we developed the world and the characters, we fond a new and more fitting equilibrium for the show.

(x)

@ILOVE659709491: I know there are other possibilities for DW's background, but I just want to know, could the theory that Don Wei was born to a high-class family in China, but that DW turned his back on the life he knew when he eloped with Maya also be a possible background for Don?

@EiffelSavin: Choose as you prefer. But bear in mind that you don't need to have been born in the "upper class" to want to behave like someone from the "upper class".

(x)

@Alix_Mei: One question, this series going to be in Netflix?

@EiffelSavin: too soon to say

(x)

@RedVioletPanda: Now that I'm thinking of it, would the Nourasians Knights be similiar to Shaolin practictioners @EiffelSavin ?

@EiffelSavin: Not a bad comparison. They both have strong training, both physical and mental, with the addition of magical training for Nourasian Knights.

(x)

@fictionjustis: Is DW’s grey hair due to stress & grief and has nothing to do with his age? In the flashbacks where Maya is alive DW seems to be in his 20s + DW and Maya seem to be the same age. Maya was only 28 when she died, meaning Eva was born when DW was in his early 20s‏

@EiffelSavin: Don Wei is a little older than Maya and more in his forties at the start the show. But stress may have also played a part

@fictionjustis: I’m curious, a little older is so vague. So does that mean Don Wei is only 2 years older than Maya or that his 5-10 years older than Maya? How many years of an age difference did Don & Maya have?‏

@EiffelSavin: I don't have my old notes with me but it was probably around 10 years older, or something close

@fictionjustis: Really, because they don’t look that far in age.

@EiffelSavin: May have been a little less but in real life it's often hard to tell if someone is 25 or 30. In animation, with stylised designs, it's even harder. The acting and body language play a big part.

(x)

@ILOVE659709491: Maya seems to influence Don Wei the same way Eva influences Aikka. Is it possible that though she didn’t introduce him to racing Maya may have encouraged Don Wei to follow his dreams & be a race manager even though it meant going against his parents wishes & expecta- -tions of him? Also DW has a strong comparison with Aikka is it possible that like Aikka DW came from a high-class family that placed high expectations on him?

@EiffelSavin: The main point these two have in common is that they had feelings for their partner or friend. Regarding Maya, it was more her parents who were against her becoming a racer. Not exactly what any parent would have in mind for their beloved daughter

(x)

[lothiriel84]

Only last night I found myself lost (by the station called King's Cross)

Here follows another of my long rambling travel blogs. You have been warned. 

Saturday 8th September

It’s fair to say that I have a complicated relationship with Stansted Airport; on the one hand, it’s my default gateway into the UK (I’ve only ever landed at Gatwick Airport exactly once, and of course Edinburgh Airport on my one trip to Scotland). On the other hand, it’s stupidly far from London, and I’ve been seriously sleep deprived every single time I set foot in it. (Oh, and there’s also that one time when I actually missed my flight, but let’s not dwell on that.)

Still, it’s been way more fun than it had any right to be to stand on the train platform right outside the airport, and watch the music video of Single-Bilingual by the Pet Shop Boys on my phone. It’s quite a silly video, and it’s actually been filmed at Stansted Airport. I hadn’t been this much into Pet Shop Boys’ music on my previous visit, or, you know, at all; now they’re probably my favourite musical group, and a brilliant sountrack to my trip on top of that.

But I’m digressing. The thing is, rather than going straight into London from Stansted, I took a train to Cambridge instead. As it turns out, Cambridge is relatively close to Stansted, and as I had recently watched (and fell in love with) James Ivory’s Maurice, I was really looking forward to seeing one of the main locations of the film/novel. Given how I was planning to go on the Ghost Bus Tour in London that same evening, I was on a rather tight schedule; still, I managed to visit King’s College and its chapel (which is one of the locations where Maurice was filmed), and Queens’ College with its Mathematical Bridge. 

After that, I had to rush and take a train to London; and as it happened, my train arrived into King’s Cross station, which is not only the title of a Pet Shop Boys song (yeah, I’m going to bring up PSB a lot throughout this post, I’m not even sorry), but also the location of a statue dedicated to Sir Nigel Gresley, of Infinitely Bad fame. 

In the end, @smegandtheheads and I both succeeded in reaching Northumberland Avenue on time for the first Ghost Bus Tour of the evening (sorry again, Lizzie, for making you dash all the way there at such short notice). Neither of us had ever been on that specific tour with Peter Davis as the conductor, so it was quite brilliant; Peter is such a sweetheart, and terribly funny on top of that. Here’s a picture of the man himself, looking as if he’s some kind of ghostly gentleman. (Sorry.)

On a side note, I’m absolutely sure he added the final “Get out of my bus” specifically because he knew Lizzie and I were on board. I really can’t wait for the re-release of the old Monster Hunters episodes, and the new ones to follow.

(Peter also hinted that there might be a fourth season in the cards, which would be absolutely amazing.)

I was really quite tired after that - not only I had had very little sleep prior to, or even during, my flight, but I had been carrying my cabin baggage on my back all day long, both in Cambridge and in London. I’m so glad I eventually decided to accept when Lizzie invited me to join her and her boyfriend for dinner, along with their podcaster friends. I had such a fantastic time listening to Max talk about all of Definitely Human’s past, present, and future projects - including the Monster Hunters re-release, which is probably the one I’m most excited about at this moment in time. 

(Well, that, and the final few episodes of The Infinite Bad. I’m so going to die before it’s over, the one thing that still needs to be seen is whether that will happen out of dread, grief, or both of those things at the same time.)

Anyway, for those of you not in the know, The Monster Hunters is an absolutely brilliant comedy/horror podcast, set in swinging London in the early 1970s; written by and starring Peter Davis and Matthew Woodcock, featuring (among others) the incredibly talented voices of Simon Kane and Laura Marshall. All existing episodes will be re-released under the Definitely Human label, each one featuring a short commentary from the creators themselves; there will also be additional Patreon-exclusive content, and new episodes coming up in due course. 

(And, well, sorry Max if I sounded much more excited about MH than any of the other projects you’re currently involved in, but I’m so grateful that DH stepped in to make the rest of series 3 happen, and so much more.)

Sunday 9th September

Sunday was a rather quiet one, as I was still tired from the previous day. Passing through Brixton I accidentally discovered they have a David Bowie mural there, which I hadn’t known in spite of having very nearly walked past it on two previous occasions, and it was a nice surprise to find out. 

Eventually, I did reach the Festival of the Great North Wood in Sydenham Hill Wood, which I think I had previously heard about from one of Carrie Quinlan’s tweets. It was a relatively small event, but they did have a few birds of prey on show, including this lovely little chap.

They also did guided walks through the wood, and it was lovely to be able to join one of those. Our guide talked us through the history of that particular wood, and the railway that once ran through it; it was quite nice, even more so as I do tend to spend quite a lot of time in parks and green areas whenever I’m in London.

After that, I headed to Crystal Palace Park, which is not very far from there. I had already been there before, but it’s always nice to see those big dumb Victorian dinosaurs loitering in the shrubbery.

Monday 10th September

After spending quite some time on Google Maps trying to work out whether it made any sense to attempt a day trip to Ottery St Mary (for much obvious Cabin Pressure reasons) or anywhere else in Devon, I had eventually settled for Dorset as a much more feasible option. Quite apart from some rather specific associations that I’m not going to mention here, Poole was the perfect place for a Jurassic Coast boat trip; and given how the stunning Durdle Door is quite a difficult place to reach, that was the next best thing, at least as far as I am concerned. 

The coastal cruise, sailing from Poole Quay, allowed a really stunning view on Poole Harbour and Old Harry Rocks; and after a brief stop at Swanage Pier, it circled back, giving us passengers another chance to admire the chalk cliffs on our way back to the quay. 

Once back on dry land, I went to visit Poole Museum, and also stopped by an old sweet shop which somehow reminded me of Carolyn Knapp-Shappey. It’s even called Truly Scrumptious, which is - an interesting coincidence, I guess?

And then, back to London, where I had a bit of a random walk, ending up in the approximate spot - facing the Palace of Westminster across the Thames - that is featured at some point during the music video for West End Girls. Which I then proceeded to watch on my phone. (Nothing to see here, guys - just a completely normal human being, doing completely normal stuff. Yep.)

Tuesday 11th September

Having worked in a mail centre for a little over two years, I thought it would be fun to go and visit the Postal Museum, even more so as they give you the option to ride the Mail Rail, which was basically an underground railway used to move mail between sorting offices. The museum was nice, and the ride was quite cool, albeit rather short.

On my way back to my hotel I made a detour to St Pancras Gardens, where the tomb of Mary Wollstonecraft is, and also that rather curious landmark that is the Hardy Tree. Plus, I very cleverly accidentally located the Mornington Crescent underground station, which is apparently the subject of a game I literally know nothing about, save for its name. 

In the evening, I went to the first preview show of An Execution (by invitation only), which was the actual reason why I was in London in the first place. I will probably try and write a proper (-ish) review as a separate blog entry at some point; for now, suffice to say that it was weird and brilliant in equal measure, with quite an unusual set design combined with decidedly intense performances from all four actors. 

(The cast included Simon Kane, Tom Lyall, Greg McLaren and Shamira Turner. I assume most of you will at least be familiar with Simon’s voice as featured in John Finnemore’s Souvenir Programme; as for Tom Lyall, he played a rather magnificent Oberon in last year’s Mighty Fin musical A Midwinter Night’s Dream, as well as the delightfully over-the-top boss of a record company in The Devil Gets All The Best Tunes.)

After the show, I took a detour in order to get a few pictures of the Post Office Tower (yeah, I do realise it’s mostly referred to as the BT Tower these days, but to me it will always be the Post Office Tower of Monster Hunters fame) and King’s Cross too, despite having already been there on Saturday. 

(Sir Nigel Gresley still hadn’t turned into a mass of writhing hands, which I decided to take as a good sign. I still hadn’t listened to the episode of The Infinite Bad which was due to be released the following day, which definitely had me screaming at the unexpected turn of events. Well.)

Wednesday 12th September

As I was planning to go to the Wellcome Collection, I decided I might as well have a walk through Regent’s Park first. The weather was a bit changeable, and it even rained for a bit; still, it was nice, and I accidentally stumbled upon the Frieze Sculpture 2018, which included some rather curious works by contemporary and modern artists. The malevolent looking penguin was quite a treat, giving off such powerful Infinitely Bad vibes - though there were no carcasses of supernatural stags knocking about, much to everyone’s relief.

(On a side note, how long has the Wonderpass under Marylebone Road been there? I’m pretty sure I’ve been in that area at least a couple of times before, but I might have simply failed to notice it, I guess?)

In order to gain further dread, I then proceeded to visit the Teeth exhibition at the Wellcome Collection; it was a must see for a fan of The Infinite Bad, and I had been hoping to be able to just sit outside the exhibition area afterwards, and listen to the new episode. As it turned out, data roaming was just awful inside that building, and as it was getting late I was forced to postpone the listening. 

(Which I then ended up doing whilst packing my bag for my flight back home, much later that night. Not exactly ideal for such a detail/reveal-packed episode, but still.)

That evening I went to the second preview show for An Execution (by invitation only); it was still as good as the first time around, with the added bonus of a rather - shall we say, interesting? - poem about a spider, which had apparently been added in the space between the two shows. 

And, well, that’s it for me this trip, I guess. Or, rather...

Thursday 13th September

As it turns out, there’s about one thing that can make a forty-five minute walk to Victoria Coach Station at four in the morning marginally more bearable, and that’s listening to Pet Shop Boys’ music. 

What is rather less pleasant is having your flight departure delayed by over an hour - though thankfully with us passengers already boarded, or I would have literally fallen over - because they had taken too long to load the baggage onto the plane, and the flight plan had expired. Which, I’ll admit, is an interesting piece of information for a Cabin Pressure fan, but it doesn’t quite help when you’ve had no sleep and there’s no way you can actually manage to doze off on one of those contraptions that Ryanair insists on calling a seat. 

(Arthur, dear heart, as much as I adore you, could you please stop referring to takeoff delays as ‘brilliant’? And we didn’t even have Monopoly to play, such a shame.)

[theloniousbach]

Performances During the Pandemic, March-August 2020

I have used my FB Notes/Tumblr system for in the moment music with the heading "Couch Tour" and just noted videos of performances as posts on Facebook, I've written lots of little blurbs about music that might normally show up in the semi-archive of the Tumblr.  

I am interested in souvenirs, reminders, of the experiences and while they are welcome writing prompts the words themselves can be ephemeral. But I do want a record of how these experiences reflect my growth as a listener and cultural consumer.  That it has happened because of, not in spite of, the pandemic is also worth noting.

As we went into isolation in March, I knew that I needed to compensate for the loss of live music, include the SF Jazz Collective and Joe Russo's Almost Dead that first weekend.  I needed to see how musicians made their magic.  I also have developed a bit of a theater habit, so a few paragraphs on that at the end. I saw Fred Hersch's Tune of the Day on Facebook almost in real time for the 50 or so days that it ran and joined his 3 episode Patreon.  And I have bought access to 7 Larkin Poe house concerts and a band show in an empty venue and those turned into proper notes already.  I have watched the 19 Quarantine Concerts that Jorma Kaukonen has done weekly from his Fur Peace Station.  Two were with Jack Casady and again I wrote those up as well as the ones that coincided with Larkin Poe shows.

But mostly I record on my Facebook the YouTube or other line with a few comments.  With Jorma, it's a satisfied embarrassment of riches that such a formative influence is there every week.  Often it's just the realization that I can see music played and that favorite players or works are there.

I have seen archived sets by jazzers (Kenny Barron and Dave Holland; Herbie Hancock/Wayne Shorter/Dave Holland/Brian Blade; Joshua Redman/Brad Mehldau/Christian McBride/Brian Blade; the Ingrid Jensen/Steve Tressler tribute to Kenny Wheeler; and a Melissa Aldana trio date) to go with proper real time shows that got similarly proper write ups (Kris Davis solo from the 92nd Street Y, Shabaka Hutchings via NYC SummerStage Anywhere with anywhere being a London loft).

I've found Martin Hayes, both with Dennis Cahill and his Quartet (which was a lost concert in late March) as well as a compendium of Alasdair Fraser/Natalie Haas performances for Smithsonian Folkways and an NPR Tiny Desk Concert of the Danish String Quartet doing some of their arrangements of Danish folk songs.

But this exercise has allowed a blossoming of my interest in chamber music with some 40 or more performances.  Early on, the 92nd Y ran out their planned concert series with solo piano recitals coming remotely instead of from their hall and then releasing a few archived show.  

Chamber music allowed focused listening in nice segments.  Particularly via You Tube, I could often just have a favorite piece (so "Archduke," the Ravel String Quartet, the Poulenc oboe/piano/bassoon trio, Gassenheuer).  I could break up longer recitals even.  

Early on it was piano recitals, so I got to see Angela Hewitt three times, once Ravel's Tombeau de Couperin (also a favortie) but of course Bach mostly including getting a first but not last exposure to the Chromatic Fantasy.  I saw Peter Serkin's take on the Goldberg Variations and someone else go after Schumann's Symphonic Etudes which prodded my puzzle about what makes even the Hummell arrangements of Mozart's late symphonies still symphonic with four pieces.  This piano recital period coincided with Fred Hersch's Tunes of the Day and Patreon, so I was glad for all that piano and was in fact playing myself more under the inspiration.

Then the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center was highlighting some of their company, including David Shifrin who was glorious in the Mozart clarinet quintet.  The clarinet jag included Gassenheuer early on and then a second version later,, a recital with Michael Collins and Michael McHale doing Saint-Saens and Poulenc, Martin Frost with the Brahms Trio and I saw the Faure Trio with clarinet too. 

Wigmore Hall in London had a series of late May noon time GMT concerts that were taped.  One can put up with the unnecessary hushed tones of a BBC announcer in an empty hall for some grand music.  So it became a channel to check too.  

They and CMS-LC trained my YouTube algorithm so that Sol Gabetta turned up in various ensembles.  I saw Clemen Hagens a couple of times.  So two new cellists to follow.

The Busch Piano Trio did Beethoven's Ghost which gives me something beside Archduke to look for.  Other fixed ensembles include the Vienna Piano Trio (with Hagens) did Brahms 3 and Ruth Rogers and the Aquinas Trio also did Brahms, #2 I think.

I got to see the Bach Violin Partitas, Rachel Podger in Wigmore for #1 and Aliana Yousseffian doing #2 including of course THE Chaccone from her apartment.

There's been lots of Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven, unsurprisingly, plus Brahms, Schubert, and Schumann.  I look for winds in the ensembles but the piano trio is the epitome of what chamber music should be.

Whatever the world looks like post-Covid 19, my world will include watching lots of chamber music, both in the vernacular sense of in European Tradition Art Music and the small conversational ensembles of improvised jazz and traditional folk music.

I also started watching plays, often while Ellen was at a virtual knitting group.  London's National Theater had a weekly play in April and May which got some big productions with some big stars (Cumberbatch in Frankenstein; Tennant and Tate in Much Ado; Tamsin Grieg in Twelfth Night; Gillian Anderson in Streetcar).  But then the Globe was streaming and after that Stratford Festival kicked in.  I gravitated to lesser known, lesser seen Shakespeare's--King John, Two Noble Kinsmen, Love Labour's Lost, Anthony and Cleopatra twice.  But there was a Macbeth from the Globe and Coriolanus.  Stratford tried Shrew but I don't think you can make that work in our time.  From there I went to Olivier as Shylock.  The chilling thing is that Shylock is really a plot device, a bump in the road for Antonio and Brassiano.  This well is drying up but not before a spectacular Much Ado from last summer's Shakespeare in the [Central] Park set in Atlanta's Black middle class community. So, there will be plays too in the new normal.

I  will write a more regular summary (at least every other month) of these adventures.  Still a souvenir, but a slightly different one for a different experience.