#i want cb to adopt me

[littlenightma]

Things l Love About The Joy Ride Movies

• First up, the most obvious — Rusty’s voice. All three movies chose three great actors that are delicious to listen to on and off a CB radio.

• Ken Kirzinger who played Rusty in 3 was Mark Gibbon’s stunt double in 2.

• “How’s my little hussy?” #2 — Had me giggling and kicking my feet.

• “Hey, little girl.” #2 — Rusty makes all the boys his bitches (I may or may not have a fic in mind with Rusty fucking Bobby and a virgin!female!reader together in his barn and then kind of adopts them as his new pets).

• “No rush, no rush.” — #2 I can see him saying this in bed when you get all worked up and need a minute to calm down.

• This interview with Rusty — #2 I turned the brightness up and at some parts you can tell Rusty is smiling and he looks so precious even though he’s talking about killing people.

• The way Rusty’s hands shake when giving Bobby the dice — #2 I imagine that they shake when he gets really excited so it also happens when he’s getting ready to fuck you and he has to grip/hold something to get them to stop.

• “Get wet for me.” — #2 You don’t have to tell me twice, Rusty.

• “Where you at, baby?” #3 — *wheezes* I’M RIGHT HERE

• “I don’t party, little girl.” #3 — Because you’re old and miserable?

• When Rusty moves the hair out of Jewel’s eyes when he’s demanding her to plead on video. #3 — He should have kept her alive so he could have her all to himself. Imagine Rusty stealing not just your car (ironic in itself) but also your girl too.

• “Anyone out there know a Candy Cane?” — #1 This man spent all day looking for someone who stood him up and I can’t be certain if he was mad or not when he was asking for her the second time, but I am pretty sure he fell in love over the radio and my heart can’t take it because it was all a prank. He just wanted to find his Candy Cane :(

• “I’m not sure I’d be what you’d expect.” — #1 He’s so shy and awkward and probably has a praise kink. BUT when he starts getting comfortable enough, he’ll take control and have you coming undone.

• “What room?” #1 — I don’t know if Ted meant to do this or if I am hearing things but it really does sound like Rusty’s voice gets huskier when saying this because he can’t fucking wait to meet Candy Cane alone in a motel room and you damn well know he stood there fiddling with the bag carrying the champagne because he was so nervous.

• Rusty’s hand veins.

• His character as a whole makes the brat in me want to come out. Totally have not pictured myself getting punished by all three Rustys at the same time because Matthew, Mark, and Ken can GET IT.

• All three versions of Rusty are big boys and if you’re into big boys then you would love Rusty Nail. He’d keep you so warm and safe and would kill anyone who looked at you wrong. Literal poster boy for ‘hates everyone except you’.

[httpserb]

okay so while i work on chapter 2 (I'm so sorry its late I'm a highschool senior with 4 ap classes, 2 gifted classes, and insomnia. I'm trying my best i swear) I'm going to give out some content and stuff like things to expect in the fic

this is friendships/relationships that will kage will experience with small explanations :D (these are out of order)

lev & kage - ok so I plan on having miwa and alisa get together so i find it funny if they were awkward but lev immediately attaches to kage and they're like brothers

akaashi & kage & kenma - ok so they're all introverted and i know kenma and akaashi are cool but like i can see akaashi realize kage is mean or angry just really awkward and weird at times so he recommends him to join his and kenma's game nights and one Minecraft world later they're all attached at the hip

atsumu & osamu & kage - originally i think atsu and kage have a rivalry and mutual respect for each other until atsu realizes samu and kage are good friends (bc kage is always eating samu's curry rice balls, he has become samu unofficial food tester lol) and atsu is obvi trying to be the better twin so they end up getting closer at setters like a more equal standing unlike oikawa & kage or suag & kage who were mentors (in a way looking at you sideways oikawa bc your teaching methods were ... interesting [don't misintterupt this i love oikawa])

ushijima & kage - ok so they're both autistic, you'd have to rip that headcannon out my dead cold hands, and i can see ushijima watching kage and realizing 'oh he is like me' and they just connect like bluetooth

kyotani & kage - i actually love them bc they're both similar to me (i also find oikawa and kyotani's relationship interesting as he is in personality and raw talent and skill similar to kage and ik oikawa felt threatened cb kage was a setter but him moving along with you after the kitagawa incident is very interesting tbh) anyways i imagine they'd accidently connect like at the same gym and bond by shitting on oikawa (i imagine he'd want to hit some of kage's kingly tosses too)

yachi & kage - wlw & mlm solidarity, i love them sm, yachi realizing after seeing kage awkwardly attempt to pet a cat that he is really cute but in a sibling or little kid way so she can no longer find him scary but gets protective and explains social situations for him when he doesn't understand

coach ukai & kage - i imagine while coach takeda was hinata's coach, coach ukai was kage's bc he was blunt in a way kage understood and no extra words for needed, plus i like to think they were both very honest which each other so if ukai said kage was messing up he'd be upset but believe him and take a break

kage & tsuki - so i stand by the fact kage is smart but in odd strangely specific ways like physics but not general science and math and tsuki finds out and loses his shit bc kage is lowkey better than him but doesn't do anything with this, this kinda begins their actual friendship tho bc kage gets to talk about physics (esp astrophysic his favorite bc his dad's job [a personal headcannon])

kogane & kage - kogane worshipping the ground kage walks on bc he is such a good setter and kage trying to help teach kogane but he isn't good with words but despite this kogane understands him somehow!?

kuroo & kage - i think kuroo would recognize kage as someone similar to kenma but not only that but as hinata's best friend and as kenma's best friend who is friends with hinata he'd do some mental math to become kage's friend. plus i think he'd (like tsuki) recognize kage is dumb, but smart in different ways and try to draw it out of him (he also finds it funny to adopt/befriend all the karasuno first years [he has plans for yachi & yama])

tendou & kage - took one look and thought him and ushijima are of the same breed so he could befriend him (probably) but other than that i think tendou being seen as scary or freakish, even being referred to as a monster could relate to kage and his king od the court incident so maybe they'd bond through that

ok that is all i can think of rn and if a friendship isn't on here it's because it probably something I'm already going to do. this list was mostly headcannon or me taking a small relationship, blowing it up, then putting it under a microscope for personal enjoyment

(here is some food: @youwerethedefeated @infinitemilk @ushouldwatchhaikyuu @kagehiner @cosmorom @greynoceur @pixiesnooze @kagehiner )

[ksyongi]

random thoughts i got from svt from the cb [sfw,, i may post the nsfw one when i have time!]

this is for me to come back when and if i have inspo or for anybody to use! just remember to cr me and tag me!!<3

pairings: afab!reader x seventeen

genre: fluff warnings: mentions of food mlist

approx. word count: 560

sfw :

seungcheol + jeonghan : putting them together just to say two words. BRAIDING HAIR. oml it'll be so fun to braid their long hair or even put it into funky styles and i feel they'll just love it esp the funky glitter clips you put in their hair its just so wholesome

joshua: morning cuddles. his whole vibe especially in sweaters makes him look so huggable. he would just engulf you in the biggest and most comforting hug ever and his grip would be soo secure you don't ever wanna leave.

junhui: imagine him buying flowers... like searching up all their meanings on google then picking the perfect one for you🥹 he'd be soo flustered when he gives you the flowers and he would not mind spending a large sum on those flowers for you.

soonyoung: he would sooo dress you up in his style. he'd be soo enthusiastic about it and he'd be the cutest happiest tiger when he sees you dressing in his style. you'd end up with bags full of clothes to bring back home since he couldn't decide on one and he wanted to spoil you hehe

wonwoo: going to cat cafes with wonwoo. he'll be great with cats and instantly click with one, knowing exactly to give head pats and neck scratches. wonwoo would not be able to part with that cat and he'd end up adopting it and bringing it home.

jihoon: lifting you up onto the kitchen island or anywhere. like he just loves to lift you and twirl you around. he just finds so much joy in that action and the way you always let out a shocked shriek always makes him smile.

minghao: he would be amazing at skincare. matching face masks and applying cream on each other. he'd be so so gentle and he would make sure you are feeling relaxed. its such an intimate moment where you would share deep topics and conversations.

mingyu: baking with him. just imagine this,, him being such an amazing cook but horrible baker and you are decent at baking. then he wanted to bake cookies for his sister. but he ended up messing up so bad you had to step in but he added salt instead of sugar so baking was a flop.

seokmin: listening to him playing the guitar and singing. he already did it in the soop before and just imagine him singing his versions of seventeen's songs or ballad songs. then he would ask you to duet with him even if you are bad at singing like sjdhsjfnsjdhh

seungkwan: binge watching drama reality shows, esp the kardashians. he'd be more entertaining than the show and tbh you'd be admiring his amazing side profile instead.

vernon: bracelet making. he'd be quite decent at it actually. but it'll be the cutest sight when you saw the bracelet he was making like fall apart and his face turns into an adorable frown and he'd do it all again just to give it to you.

chan: arcade visits with him. the competitiveness in him would just bubble and he would actually play fair. he'd teach you how to play the game because he goes often with his hyung's. doing that cliche kdrama thing where he stands close to you and helps you OMGHDHDHSHSH

an: sorry for the inactivity! i have many things in my drafts that are alm done hehe<3

[are-they-queerplatonic]

Do you see them as a QPR?

Reason to see them as a QPR under the cut:

"They are so. They are the male and female protagonists and, while there are jokes, they never canonically get together as a couple. They are actual besties, Joan moves to a different country because Sherlock is wanted by the US government for a murder he didnt commit, and the only reason he’s wanted is because he confessed to it because it was JOAN who was being investigated for a murder she didnt commit. Also they both call themselves “Two people who love eachother” and again, NEVER ENTER A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP. I love them so much.

Also they are both EXTREMELY ARO CODED. Sherlock never really shows any interest in romance outside of people that are extremely similar to him (read as: unless they also have autism like he does) and even then it feels more like him finding kinship in the few people in the world who are Like Him.

And Joan, at first, only dated guys who were in some way not alright (one was a sucky guy and the other was an addict), and when she starts dating a guy who is well adjusted and things are going WELL, she realizes she doesnt want to date him. Joan as a whole is a very nurturing character (not in a ‘female character is nice’ way) and clearly cares about the people around her, she was a sober companion when she met Sherlock. So I feel like the reason she dated guys with issues wasnt because ‘shes attracted to broken boys’ trope, it was a ‘due to past experiences, she wants someone to care for and help’. One of the biggest pieces of evidence to me is that she decides to adopt a child as a single mother. She went from Surgeon -> sober companion, she clearly loves and enjoys caring for people. I like to think the reason she disliked being a sober companion was because she wasnt challenging herself mentally enough, so she decided to become a detective with Sherlock full time.

Sorry this is so long I just love Joan Watson, I kiss her mwah mwah mwah"

[ink4blotches]

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/spiderman/images/c/cb/Spider-Woman_Vol_7_1_Variante_Chew_Sin_texto.png/revision/latest?cb=20200722230535&path-prefix=es Sorry if this request is kinda long but could I please request a Pavitr Prabhakar dating shy reader who’s from the same dimension as Miles, even best friends with Gwen Stacy & is (blonde) Peter Parker & Mj adopted daughter, well known superhero spider person who had a blood transfusion along with venom blasts from her dad, maybe showing him her dad base or hanging out one of their dimensions, just fluff

YOU ALREADY KNOW IT!!!! I gotchu anon ;))

Synopsis/Feels: SO BASICALLY, THE GIST OF IT IS....SHYISH AWKWARD FEM READER SHOWING PAV AROUND HER SECRET BASE, AND THEYRE TWO PARTNERS IN A ROOM AND THEY MIGHT KISS....THEN MJ WALKS IN AND IS LIKE '🧍‍♀️'

IF IT DIDNT COME OUT THE WAY YOU WANTED, PLS LET ME KNOW!!

Word Ct.:898

Without further ado...

JEALOUS?(Pavitr Prabhakar x Reader)

•

•

"So, did you really make all this stuff?" He asks as he continues to walk around.

"Yeah...I did." I smile a bit at Pav's amazement. He's way smarter than me, yet he's so amazed by the simplest stuff..

"This is seriously cool, Y/N. These web grenades..." He picks one up and before I can warn him it explodes in his face.

Yeah, those were still in progress.

"....are awesome. I need some of these in my life!" Pav excitedly yells, shaking the webbing off his face.

"They're not THAT impressive..." I voice to him as I walk over, rubbing off some of the web that he missed.

He suddenly grabs my hand.

"Are you kidding?! I mean, web grenades with rainbow webs?! What have we been doing all these years!" He shakes my hand in both of his as he smiles.

"Yeah...those were actually Miles' idea. Couldn't have done it without him." I say, and it's true. Despite Pav being my literal boyfriend, the boy that's been in my lab the most is actually Miles.

Crazy, right? "Okay, but seriously. How come you didn't show me any of this sooner?!" Pav fanboys over a bunch of the stuff in my lab.

"Uh...I dunno, it's not that cool." I say, living at nothing on the ground. I invited him here so we could hang out, free of..prying eyes.(she means Miles).

But the entire time he's been here, all he's done is fanboy over stupid spider gadgets.

Maybe I should just venom strike him-

"You okay Y/N? You're quiet..." Pav raises an eyebrow at me, setting down one of my prototypes and walking over.

"Huh? Oh- no I'm fine- I'm okay!" I mentally slap myself for being so awkward. He stares at me for a second while I try to hide my panic.

"Ohhhh, I get it. You're jealous!" Pav wiggles his eyebrows at me. "Um, what?" I ask with the most blank face I've ever mustered.

"I've been spending too much time worshipping your inventions and not enough time worshipping you!" Pav concludes.

I bring a hand up to cover my face.

"Jealous?" I ask with a sigh, knowing he's right but not wanting to straight up admit it.

"I mean, I would be jealous too if I was you. Don't worry, I'll leave your stuff alone!" He smiles at me, taking one of my hands in his.

"Thanks!" I try not to look like a complete idiot in front of him.

"Pft, I'm sorry. It's just so obvious that you're trying not to freak out and it's so cute!" He exclaims, laughing lightly.

Once he stops, we just stand next to each other in awkward silence.

"You know, it's nice being with you." Pav admits. I swear my heart is literally about to explode. But don't freak, it's cool. Say something cool Y/N.

"Really?" Totally blew it.

"Yeah, really. You're like a breath of fresh air from my universe. I love Mumbattan, but there's always..." He trails off, seemingly searching for a word.

"Traffic?" I guess. He lets out a laugh. "Yeah, traffic. But spending time with you takes my mind off the...traffic." Pav shrugs, hiding a small grin that plays onto his face.

"Uh....spending time with you makes my traffic go away too." I mumble.

I want to jump off a building without my web shooters.

"...I'll take it." Pav laughs with a little shake of his head.

After another moment of silence, we both try to speak at once.

"Sorry fo-/I love y-."

"Wait what did you say?" I ask, my eyebrows almost shooting off my face.

"Huh? Nothing. What did you say?" Pav asks, looking equally shocked.

There's a brief silence before we both start laughing.

•

•

•

•

"You don't have to say it back or anything, I just thought I should tell you." Pav finally says as we're seated next to each other on a blanket.

"I...loveyoutoo." I blurt out. He sits up, looking at me with comically large eyes.

It's almost like he's a fictional character sometimes with those wonky expressions..

"What was that? Didn't hear you!" Pav smiles, urging me to say it again.

"...nope." I shake my head at him while he begs me to say it again.

Suddenly, he places his hand on my cheek lightly and I almost have a whole heart attack.

"You had...your earring almost fell off-." Pav stutters a bit, handing me the earring I was wearing. Meanwhile, his other hand is still resting with no rent on my cheek.

"Yeah, okay." I smile at him, putting my hand on top of his. He leans in slightly and panic mode instantly reactivates.

IS HE GONNA FRICKING KISS ME?!

No, that's crazy! We've only been dating fr 7 months- or do couples usually kiss within the first 7 months?!

This is some marriage type behavior!

But do I want to kiss Pav? Yes! Obviously, is that even a question?! I mean seriously- but what if I'm bad at kissing?

Does my breath smell?

I realize he's getting closer, a little bit TOO close.

Suddenly I hear a loud knock before the door to my lab flies open.

Pav and I back away from each other at lightning speed.

MJ stands there with a hand on her hip.

"Well...dinners ready..."

[ncisfranchise-source]

When Kyle Schmid showed up for the NCIS: Origins panel at this summer’s Television Critics Association press tour, he was rocking the most Muse Watson-y mustache that ever mustached.

That’s because Schmid in the prequel series will portray no less than a younger version of the Mike Franks character Watson played in nearly 20 episodes across a dozen years of CBS’ original NCIS.

TVLine spoke with Schmid, whose previous TV credits include History’s SIX and ABC’s Big Sky, about the method behind his mustache-ness.

“Becoming Mike Franks is interesting, because the fandom of NCIS is kind of unlike anything I’d ever been a part of,” he noted. “But in my opinion, as long as you play within the rules of specifics, it will allow you the freedom [as an actor] to do what you love individually.

“To me, the specifics were holding true to some physicality — and the mustache is one of those things,” Schmid explained. “I think it sets him apart, I also think it’s very period. And the Franks character that was so well rooted in the original series, in my opinion, kind of ‘stayed’ in 1991. So it only felt right to have the mustache at that time.”

Schmid, however, took his channeling of Mike Franks — his holding true of specifics — a step or two further.

“I convinced the producers to let me wear dark brown contacts,” says the blue-eyed actor, “because when you’re filling the shoes of somebody like Muse — not filling the shoes, but evoking — you want all of those things. If I look in the mirror and see Kyle Schmid when I’m about to walk out of my trailer, it’s not the same as looking in the mirror and seeing somebody completely different that you built from the ground up.”

Schmid also has adopted a speaking voice different from his own and more in keeping with how Watson has sounded on NCIS. “Every single day from 7 o’clock in the morning when I arrive, to 6 pm, 8 pm, 10 pm when I leave, this is what I do,” he said, slipping into his Franks voice. “I stay in character from the beginning of work to the end of work.”

The mustache, the hair, the eyes and the voice, as Schmid noted, will help longtime NCIS fans identify and relate to this younger version of this key figure from Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ life. But it’s the story that unfolds, beginning with Gibbs joining the NIS Camp Pendleton office in 1991, that will slowly but surely lay the foundation for the mens’ long-lasting friendship.

To quickly recap, Gibbs joined NIS not long after completing his tour in Operation Desert Storm and retiring — all while mourning his wife Shannon and their daughter Kelly, both of whom were tragically murdered by drug dealer Pedro Hernandez while Gibbs was still overseas, about to return home.

“As Mark Harmon and [showrunners] Gina [Monreal] and David [North] mentioned [at TCA], there was something ‘broken’ in the Jethro Gibbs character in the beginning, something that I believe Mike Franks sees in part in himself,” said Schmid.

“To potentially lose somebody based on the circumstances and experiences that they’ve had is a shame, and I think Mike Franks sees an opportunity to try and save somebody from themselves,” Schmid continued. “Bringing Gibbs into the world of NIS in 1991 was an opportunity to give an incredibly talented young man a second chance after a broken heart.”

Summing up that early Franks/Gibbs dynamic, co-showrunner North told TVLine, “They’re boss and probie! And there’s nothing I love writing more. Seeing Gibbs in these situations you could never imagine Mark [Harmon] in, it’s been just wonderful.”

[selfindulgentfandomstuff]

Violent Psychopath + Abnormal Psychologist = Loving Relationship?

CHAPTER 1: FIRST ENCOUNTERS

———

Fandom: CBS MacGyver (2016 reboot)

Pairing: Murdoc x Emmett Becker (fan character)

CW: uhh none? I think? Lemme know if anyone sees anything that should be tagged!!/gen

———

“Damn, poor Emmett’s ‘bouta get eaten alive in there!” came the very encouraging remark from Jack Dalton, a fairly new coworker of Dr. Emmett Becker.

Or rather, Dr. Becker was the new coworker to Jack, really, having only been working at the Phoenix Foundation for a month or so. It was, as usual, Angus MacGyver who served as the social glue that held their little friend/colleague group together, and it was Mac who had recommended Emmett be picked up by the Foundation to work there as their resident psychology expert.

In the short time that Emmett had been working at the Phoenix Foundation, they had found quite quickly that most situations escalated very fast here. One such situation was probably a week ago, during which a highly trained and very lethal assassin, dubbed by intelligence Suspect 218- and later revealed to have adopted the name Murdoc- had been sent to kill MacGyver and the rest of the crew, including Riley Davis, Jack Dalton and even Director Patricia Thornton.

It was a team effort of course, but the crew were more than willing to admit that Emmett’s astonishing psychological expertise as well as their highly attuned empathy may very well have helped save their lives by allowing them to get inside of Murdoc’s head and get him arrested.

Now, standing inside of one of the nation’s most secure supermax prisons, before a steel door, Emmett would soon have to face the man who almost killed four of their closest friends and colleagues.

They were here to glean further information of Murdoc on a number of things from his past kills to any associates still out in the field. He was a veritable treasure trove of information and Emmett knew that.

It didn’t make it any easier or less terrifying to step through the door as it clicked to unlock and the guards swung it open.

As Emmett stepped through and into the small room, they instinctively and very immediately noticed everything about it: the gray concrete walls, the stark and harsh lighting coming from the light fixture above the steel table in the center of the room. And sitting at that table was Murdoc.

“Well, well, well” he started in what Emmett couldn’t tell was a delighted or mocking tone; maybe it was both, “What kind of little present has been sent to me now and perhaps more importantly, by whom?”

“Hello Mister Murdoc, I’m Dr. Emmett Becker. I’m a psychologist with the Phoenix Foundation. I’ve been assigned to your case. Or rather, I was assigned to your case when you tried to kill my colleagues. Let’s talk about that, shall we?”

Murdoc looked down at the table, chuckling a bit before raising his head again to meet Emmett’s eyes. They looked at the wall behind him, not wanting to make eye contact with him.

“Hello, Dr. Emmett Becker!” he said, chipperly, artificially, and a little more loudly than necessary, “As you well know already, I am Murdoc. We can dispense with the formalities on my end, Doc, it's just Murdoc, no ‘mister’ necessary, mhm’kay?”

He paused after that, making a show of openly eyeing Emmett up and down from where they were sitting across from him. “Say, you really don’t look like a Phoenix agent… or really, any type of intelligence operative… you’re new aren’t you?”

He smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

Emmett notices. They can see it in his body language, hear it in the languid voice he uses, this man really is a predator.

They respond in kind, giving up just enough information to gain some trust and repertoire with Murdoc.

“Alright Murdoc, you got me, I am indeed new to working at the Phoenix Foundation. And yes, I’m also new to the intelligence world in general. But, I assure you, I am qualified; psychology undergrad at UCLA, graduate and doctoral degree in abnormal psychology at Stanford, multiple years of research in academia at-”

Murdoc cut them off saying, “impressive, impressive.. Very impressive… but, Emmett- may I call you Emmett?- but what exactly makes you think you have any chance at all to get me to cooperate? Seeing as all of the previous therapists, psychiatrists and psychologists in my life have failed, of course. They were all wildly intelligent too, just like you. And I killed every last one of them.” he smiles darkly, “What is it that makes you believe you’re special?”

Emmett blinked owlishly at Murdoc before answering simply, “I don’t. I don’t think I am much of anything special. But I think you are. I think there are things worth hearing, worth learning trapped in your head. I’m just here to do that, just listen, listen and learn, Murdoc. Is that alright with you?”

Murdoc looked a little taken aback at Emmett’s honesty, genuinely surprised at how forthcoming they were being. Most professionals in their field were lying, cheating, backstabbing assholes that were master manipulators. In fact, one of Murdoc’s interests was in psychology for that very reason. They were exploitative tricksters. And yet, this one was so very unlike the others, so … charmingly candid.

Murdoc looked contemplative for a moment, the malice present there in his eyes before, now fading. He gazed at Emmett thoughtfully before speaking in a soft voice, “You…really mean that don’t you?”

Emmett simply nodded in response. They weren’t entirely sure what to make of Murdoc’s apparent change in demeanor yet but he quickly confirmed what they were guessing.

“Perhaps we will be having some more little chats in the future…but for now, I’m tired and want to take a nap, go on, run along now Doc, can’t wait for our next little conversation…”

Something about the way Murdoc had said it; it reeked of sarcasm, and yet, Emmett could tell some part of him was being sincere, he actually was looking forward to talking again. And that, that was something Emmett could leverage.

———

SO I’m reposting this (as of now, unfinished) series bc I posted it a looong time ago and basically I can’t find it 😭 so here it is again and for the newcomers ig!!

Next chapter: https://www.tumblr.com/selfindulgentfandomstuff/757378264425725952/violent-psychopath-abnormal-psychologist

[sshbpodcast]

Character Spotlight: Pavel Chekov

By Ames

Ever hear an old Russian folktale called Star Trek: The Original Series? I have it on good authority that it was written by a little old lady in Leningrad. That’s right: we’re shining the spotlight on the Enterprise’s Russian navigator this week on A Star to Steer Her By, so be prepared to hear way too many tall tales from the garden of Eden, located right outside of Moscow.

Somehow it was easier coming up with enough best and worst moments from Pavel Chekov to fill out our list than it was for Sulu and Uhura, and even Scotty for that matter! Maybe it’s that we’ve just loved picking on Walter Koenig over the years, or maybe it’s that it just sounded like so much fun writing comic relief scenes for him. So read on below and listen to our banter on this week’s podcast episode (chat starts at 1:14:49). It’s definitely worth a couple ham sandwiches.

[Images © CBS/Paramount]

Best Moments

The Russian waltz “I, Mudd” turns into one of the silliest sequences from The Original Series by the end as the crew puts on a dumb show to confuse the robots into having mental breakdowns. And this includes some pretty great work from Chekov, waltzing with Uhura and then illogically getting slapped by her, and dancing emphatically when he’s been ordered to be absolutely still. Does not compute!

Scared to death… er, life Despite being a pill throughout most of “The Deadly Years,” Chekov did end up contributing to the antidote for the other crewmembers’ old age problem simply by being a pathetic little coward. Because he was so scared to see Alvin’s dead body, Chekov was immune from the condition due to his increased adrenaline, which Doc deduces. Eek!

She wants to shop, and I thought I would help her In a rather cute moment in “The Trouble with Tribbles,” Chekov agrees to go shopping with Uhura on Space Station K7. It’s just a small little moment of bonding that could have been any of the characters, but it’s just good of Chekov to accompany the lieutenant while on shore leave, and being there when she adopts her pet tribble.

You started it, didn't you? We also have to give Chekov some credit for not snitching on Scott’s initiating the massive brawl all over the bar in “The Trouble with Tribbles.” Chekov was itching for a fight himself, but Scott throws the first punch and then Chekov keeps mum about it while Kirk is questioning all the combatants. How did the fight itself go? Well you’ll see…

Pavel of all trades We see a lot of instances of crewmembers filling in for each other on the ship. Last week, we mentioned how Uhura jumped in to do some rewiring work. And in “The Immunity Syndrome,” we see Chekov manning the science station throughout the episode during moments when Spock is either busy or on a one-way trip into a space amoeba, as one does.

If he shoots at me, I will just step out of the way Despite getting gunned down like a dog by Morgan Earp in “Spectre of the Gun,” Chekov does manage to help the others figure out the puzzle of their OK Corral setting. Billy Claiborne didn’t die in the shootout in real life (he ran away, like we could imagine Chekov doing), so the others realize this scenario doesn’t have to match history. Thanks, Chekov. Sorry about the dying part.

Arm… photon… torpedoes… As usual, we’ve got lots more moments to highlight from the minor bridge characters in the movies compared to the television show, so let’s start off with The Motion Picture. Chekov is mostly around to feed various lines of technobabble and to get his arm zapped by his console, but he also successfully juliennes the space potato in that horribly extended wormhole sequence.

Botany Bay? Oh no! We get a ton of action from Chekov while he’s serving on the Reliant in The Wrath of Khan though! He figures out (too late, mind you) that something is afoot on the Botany Bay when he finds a clue. And even more impressive, he somehow survives having a ceti eel latch around his brain, fighting off Khan’s manipulation that would have coaxed him into killing Kirk!

And Admiral, it is the Enterprise! As usual, The Voyage Home has the most stuff for the lesser main characters to do, which is a treat. And Pavel gets some time to shine when he and Uhura find the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Enterprise (a great touch!), infiltrate it, and sneak out some of its photons. And like when he escorted her to K7, he’s an entire gentleman and even lets Uhura beam out first!

Winter Storm Walter I just find this delightful. Chekov and Sulu hiking in the woods together and enjoying their little playdate in The Final Frontier is sweet enough on its own, but when Chekov wants to save face and avoid telling Uhura that they got lost before being called back to duty, he fakes a blizzard. And just how badly he impersonates the wind is just part of the charm of this scene!

Warp speed now! Man, we really are seeing The Final Frontier represented a surprising amount in our best moments in this spotlight series! It’s undoubtedly one of Chekov’s best moments, possibly because he has the most to do: tricking Sybok by pretending to be the captain of the Enterprise, going up against a Klingon Bird of Prey, and getting his party back aboard before warping away!

Next time, stick with synthehol Finally, just a small detail that Jake really liked from The Undiscovered Country. While the dinner scene with the Klingons mostly just came across as racist (as Ames noted in our Kirk spotlight), Walter Koenig just had perfect delivery of the line, “Only the size of my head,” jesting about the radiation surge and his hangover from all that Romulan ale.

—

Worst Moments

Hey hey we’re the Monkees Place your votes on which of the early-season-2 wigs was the worst. Watching poor Walter Koenig in these absolutely atrocious Monkees wigs in episodes like “Amok Time” and “Who Mourns for Adonais?” is just painful. They look like really poorly styled women’s bob hairpieces, and I cannot take anyone wearing them seriously.

We all move up in rank It’s funny how little we actually see mirror Chekov in “Mirror, Mirror,” and yet what a great effect he has in establishing the world. He has all of three lines in the whole episode (plus a whole lot of great Koenig screaming), and yet we understand from how he so utterly fails at mutinying that in this world it’s kill or be killed. And Chekov clearly doesn’t have the chops.

Trouble on paradise planet On the other hand, we see entirely too much of Chekov in “The Apple,” and it’s mostly all cringe. Literally moments after watching Hendorff get killed and Yeoman Landon is concerned about their safety, Chekov comes onto her with a “I've been wanting to get you in a place like this for a long time.” The two of them are just horny teenagers all episode long and it’s all really immature.

If I live long enough, I'm going to run out of samples Chekov also comes across as just plain whiny and even more immature in “The Deadly Years” when he’s complaining and complaining about undergoing tests for McCoy to figure out what caused his afore-mentioned immunity. His fellow crewmates and everyone who’d been in that colony are dying / have died of old age, and he’s insensitive enough to complain about a couple samples?

You heard what he called the captain While the brawl in “The Trouble with Tribbles” is indeed a thing of beauty, it does make Chekov come across as both needlessly violent when Scott has to talk him out of attacking Klingons a couple times, and also as woefully incompetent when all his punches have exactly no effect on his assailant. It’s just a little “Chekov is weak” joke that’s kinda dumb when you think about it.

Piotr would be ashamed This one comes with a content warning for attempted rape. Like Kirk in “The Enemy Within,” when Chekov is affected by the Beta XII-A entity which is making everyone angry in “Day of the Dove,” he goes straight to sexually assaulting Kang’s wife Mara, and it’s uncomfortable and immoral and shameful. I will not be hearing excuses, energy being–related or otherwise.

Feeling a little Defiant Hey, another instance of Chekov being influenced by some kind of space craziness, this time by the area of space that also took the Defiant in “The Tholian Web.” Something about this area sends crewmembers into a fury, and Chekov is first on the list to go mindlessly ravenous. I’ve said before that this episode really doesn’t make a ton of sense, and here’s just more evidence.

Be incorrect, occasionally While we felt Spock and Bones were woefully out of character in “The Tholian Web,” Chekov felt miswritten in “The Way to Eden.” He belittles his old girlfriend’s way of life, and she counters that he’s always been so straight-laced and by-the-book. Since when!? Perhaps this was left over from when she was meant to be McCoy’s daughter, because being judgemental does not feel like a Chekov trait.

This is Ceti Alpha V! Yes, Chekov, a planet has to be “completely lifeless” for the Genesis Device to test there. We could understand how tricky it might be to account for a tiny organism or something, but you somehow missed a whole colony of augmented humans in The Wrath of Khan. How can someone miss that? And to not notice which planet you’re even on? What is this, amateur hour?

We are looking for nuclear wessels While I could just give hell to whatever accent Walter Koenig thought he was doing (nuclear wessels, my foot), let’s make this The Voyager Home moment about getting his ass captured by U.S. navy men, absolutely failing to escape and breaking his everything, and needing everyone else to stop what they were doing to get him rescued. And have I mentioned the whole “wessels” thing?

Put Chekov at the kids’ table from now on I give Nichelle Nichols credit for refusing to say “Guess who’s coming to dinner” in The Undiscovered Country because to have a black woman say a line with such racial undercurrents would be a mistake, so Chekov says it instead. You coulda just read the room and cut it entirely, but whatever. Then Chekov makes a fool of himself by speaking of “inalienable human rights” only to be positively schooled by Azetbur, and rightly so.

If shoe fits, wear it We’ve been surprised how many of our best moments have come from The Final Frontier, and on the flip side it’s just as surprising how many of our worst moments have come from The Undiscovered Country. Despite being a genuinely good film, it sometimes screws over its characters, like when Chekov is made a fool yet again by not checking crewman Dax’s feet before accusing him of being the movie’s Cinderella.

— Clearly all this has been a Russian inwention. Stay tuned for one final character spotlight from The Original Series, as we’ve only got Nurse Chapel yet to go. We’re also continuing our trip through Enterprise over on SoundCloud or wherever you podcast, you can share Russian tales with us over on Facebook and Twitter, and check to make sure that wig isn’t on backwards.

[missielynne]

So I know this puts me in a very tiny minority on tumblr, but I'm not into polyamorous ships at all and really hope we don't have to see Flower, Thor and Nancy all together doing whatever it is they'll do because it kind of grosses me out. I'm 10000% for gay marriage (Nisaac is my favorite ship on the show), wrote a letter in support of my gay friends adopting, and have donated what little money I have to support LGBTQ rights. But even as someone who's far from a right-wing anti, I don't want to see a 'polycule' or whatever on my sitcom. I hope this doesn't alienate enough of the audience to impact the show's ratings---CBS comedies that air at 8:30 tend to attract a far less 'woke' type of viewer than Tumblr does, and I can't see many older, comparatively conservative people comfortable with watching that. I'm a Democrat who lives in NY and as stated above supports LGBTQ rights, and even *I* don't want to see that, so I can imagine some viewers are very turned off to Ghosts right now. Thanks for reading---I know you were once called a racist for not loving TVD's Bonnie (so ridiculous) and am sure I'll be called a bigot for saying the above but if anyone else out there cringed, at least they'll know they're not alone!

Oh no worries. I highly doubt they'll go into anything super graphic with the Thor/Nancy/Flower thing. They know who their audience is and I think they know just how far they can go before it's too much. I mean, I'm okay with because I want to see how the different personalities of the three of them play out in the relationship, not necessarily because I'm eager for them to have sexy times on screen or whatever. (In general I'm not big on particularly graphic sexy times unless they're really well developed first. I cringed like hell at all the stuff in the first season of Bridgerton for example)

And I think personally that just because you're for something like gay marriage or whatever, it's not necessarily wrong if you don't want to be rooting for people's personal sexy times. That's normal, I think, or just seeing them (For me personally, undressing, maybe nakedness before the act, and then a fade to black is enough.) so you're definitely not alone in not wanting to see every detail of the new throple but I honestly don't think we'll have to.

[b-plot-butch]

Five Comfort Characters

Thank you for tagging me @windsweptinred 💛💛💛 it was fun reading about your “gaggle of glorious bastards” 😁

Let me see…

Joan Watson (CBS Elementary)

God, where do I start with Joan??? In I think Season 4 or 5 a character calls her “one of the most whole people I’ve ever known.” Which is. Goddamn. She’s kind and clever and brave and tough as fucking nails and I adore her. She’s also the best Asian Usamerican representation I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing on my TV!

Lucienne (The Sandman Netflix)

Of course Lucienne is on this list. She has this kind of steadfastness that I absolutely adore. She’s grounded. She knows where she stands, and she is nigh unto unshakeable. I would love NOTHING more than to cuddle up with her in a cosy nook and read together for a while.

Calliope (The Sandman Netflix)

I wanted to only have one character per piece of media, but c’mon. How could I not include Calliope? 😂 I can only be so strong. Something that really strikes me about Calliope is that…she just seems to know herself so well. She’s so centered. She knows who she is, and what she deserves, and she will be unrelenting on that point. I love her so much.

Marilla Cuthbert (Anne of Green Gables Books)

Marilla!!! God. Something that to this DAY just gets me about this book series is that Marilla’s love becomes Anne’s anchor. Young Anne never had an adult that gave a shit about her until she came to Green Gables, and by the time Anne is a young adult herself she is so acutely conscious of “steadfast, abiding love” that always waits for her there. There’s one part in the third book where Marilla thinks about how of her sixty years, she has only lived the ones after Anne came into her life—this child who brought sunlight into her life and showed her a vibrantly different way of living. Marilla’s whole arc after initially-reluctantly adopting Anne is so beautiful.

Hamnet (The Underland Chronicles)

Hamnet…oh. I have so much admiration for the decisions he made, and the strength of the convictions that drove him forward. And he seems like he was SUCH a good dad too???? I wish we’d had more than one book with him.

I tag @anonymousdandelion and @tickldpnk8 and anyone else who wants to do this! <3

[aco-knight]

Name's Aconite. I'm a demon, you can try to make deals with me if you want. I like fire, art, and mechanical stuff. And my girlfriend.

They/it

Pelipper mail is ON Magic anons are ON (but may be denied by an outside force) Anon hate, pelipper malice, distressing magic anons, etc etc within reason ACCEPTED

Pokemon!

Spoof - Gastly Calcite - Charcadet Skrunkle - Shroodle Geiger - Golett Juice - Cacnea with Ceruledge traits Heavy - Corphish Bang - Aron

hiiiiii im sigil i also run @ghost-types-and-sweets, tho i dont use it anymore. he/him for me. i need to redo this but cannot be assed. anyway, here's my discord server https://discord.gg/AH9VPMWhYf

While not technically a crossover themself they do dabble more into crossovers (specifically kirby), as some of their dads are my friend @spoop-dee-boop 's kirby gjinkas.

None of their (initial four) dads are married, dating, or romantically involved with each other in any way. Just a bunch of guys trying very hard to take care of this random fucking kid that fell out of the sky one day and chose violence.

Who are the initial four? Meta Knight, Swordsman, Darkrai (Alamos), and CB.

i follow from @land-upon-the-moon-and-weep

ok im done now bye

aconite has also been adopted by jon and martin of @faller-fears and The Hunter of @moons-favorite-guy

2nd image/pfp by @3xclusivemars. 1st image by me. the banner is a part of Uzumaki by Junji Ito.

There are many Aconites throughout the multiverse, and occasionally they might take over this Aco's blog. Here's a little list of secondary names for Aconites that have appeared or been mentioned, with tags or notes if applicable. An Aconite's secondary name is the name they use in the event of encountering another Aconite. They're all very used to this.

Nozomi (the Aconite that owns and runs this blog usually) Anemone-219 (#anemone takeover) (types in blue text) Heliotrope (types in chat format)

[littlehaize]

Incorrect Quotes Tag

Rules: use this quote generator & list as many quotes as you like using characters from your WIPs, then tag as many people as quotes you listed.

Thanks @vampywriter for the tag!

I then tag: whoever wants to do it and wasn't tag by someone, you can say i tagged you! (moots please do it, i don't want to bother you, but i'm looking at you) (no i don't really tag people because i have more than forty quotes and won't tag that many people)

it's going to be very long because i love incorrect quotes and i have too much time on my hands (and wip on many things)

WIP from fandoms:

(Star Trek) Sarek: Sybok... Sybok: I can tell by the tone of your voice that you are disappointed. Alas, I must further disappoint you by affirming how little I give a fuck.

Spock: If we lose, you’re out of the will. Sybok: I was in the will?

Sarek: You deserve a reward for putting up with me. Amanda: You are my reward. meanwhile Jim: You deserve a reward for putting up with me. Spock: True, you can be really difficult at times.

Sybok: Reverse tooth fairy where you leave money under your pillow and the tooth fairy comes and leaves you a bunch of teeth. Spock: Why? Sybok, shaking a bag of teeth: Just because.

Sarek: Yes, I'm adopting Michael and you cowards can't tell me no!

Amanda: What is love? Spock: An emotional minefield. Sarek: A neurochemical reaction. Sybok: Baby don't hurt me.

Spock: I love you. Jim, not paying attention: What was that? Spock: I said I’m selling you to the zOo-

Bones: Let's just agree to both say we're sorry on the count of three. Bones: One... two... three. Spock: ... Bones: ... Bones: See, now I'm just disappointed in both of us.

Jim: *seductively takes off glasses* Jim: Wow... Spock: *blushes* Haha... what? Jim: You're really fucking blurry.

Pike: So… what would you do if you were in bed with me? Una: Depends. Is your bed comfortable? Pike: Yes. Una: I'd sleep.

Una: My hands are cold. Pike: Here, let me hold them. Una: My lips are cold too. Pike: covers Una's mouth with their hand

Una: When I said bring me something back from the beach I meant like a conch shell! Pike: Struggling to hold a seagull Fucking say that next time!

Pike: Can I ask a dumb question? Una: Better than anyone I know.

Pike: Where are you going? Una: To get MYSELF a gift cause somebody didn't get me one! Pike: I told you I did! Its coming here on Friday! Spock, knowing full well that Pike got Una an engagement ring: *eating popcorn*

(AOT) Annie: Have I ever told you that you cook well? Armin: Awww, no, you haven't! Annie: So why do you keep cooking?

Armin: Why are you late? Annie: A technical error occurred, causing an unexpectedly long bout of unconsciousness. Armin: Overslept? Annie: Overslept.

Reiner: *double checking supplies in the boat* Compass. CB radio. Sunscreen. Bertolt: Hot dog costumes! Reiner: I’m sorry, what? Bertolt: You know, in case we get lost at sea, and one of us, probably Annie, goes mad with hunger, we’ll put these on. Annie hates hot dogs, so they probably won’t eat us. Reiner: Are you saying that Annie would rather eat us than hot dogs? Annie: I do hate hot dogs.

Annie: Okay, can we all stop saying stupid shit for a moment, please?! Bertolt: Alright. Reiner: Hey, I- Annie: SHUT UP! Reiner: I HAVEN'T EVEN FINISHED MY SENTENCE!! Bertolt: It was bound to be stupid.

Armin: Valentine’s day is just a consumerist holiday that holds no real value other than drive people insane buying heart shaped chocolates for their significant others and pos- Annie: I wrote you a poem. Armin, already crying: You did?

Annie: I still have no idea how I’m attracted to you… Armin: Yeah, well, you’re stuck with me, and no take backs, honey.

*Something crashes* Reiner: Shoot- Bertolt: *running into the room in a panic* WHAT FELL?! Annie: *walking by the room calmly* What died?

Bertolt, Entering Reiner's room: Annie did it again. Reiner: Peace disturbance? Bertolt: What no- Reiner: Arson..? Bertolt: NO, JESUS CHRIST, HOW MANY- Reiner: uh....Attempted murder? Bertolt: NO, THEY ATE ALL THE FOOD IN THE FRIDGE, BUT WHAT THE FU-

Eren: Onion rings are vegetable donuts. Mikasa, used to Eren being dumb: Sure... Eren: Your stomach thinks all potatoes are mashed. Mikasa: Okay? Eren: Lasagna is spaghetti flavored cake. Mikasa: Eren: Lobsters are mermaid scorpio- Mikasa: Jesus, that one is a little- Armin, interested: No, no, Eren, keep going.

Armin: What are you writing? Eren: The government wants to know what kind of weapons we have in the house. I'm letting them know it's private information. Mikasa, looking over Eren's shoulder: This just says 'fuck around and find out' in calligraphy.

Armin: Guys where did Eren go? Mikasa: They got arrested. Armin: How the hell- Eren: *bursts in through the window* The cops are after me, I thought it would be fun to steal crackers and throw them at people.

WIP from original content:

Robin: What’s the announcement, Hiroaki? Hiroaki: It’s a lecture. Nayeli’s gonna tell us everything they know about sex. Noam: It should be an enjoyable 60 seconds.

Noam: Oh god, they texted you ‘hi.’’ punctuation only means one thing, Nayeli. They're mad at you. Nayeli: No, it's Hiroaki. They're just being gramatically correct! *meanwhile* Hiroaki: And then I used a period so they'd know that I'm mad at them. Robin: A period doesn't say 'I'm mad', it says 'you're dead to me'. Hiroaki: I stand by my choice.

Hiroaki: Wake me up- Noam: Before you go go Robin: When September ends Nayeli: WAKE ME UP INSIDE

Noam: Where are your parents? Robin: What are parents? Noam: That’s just about the saddest thing I've ever heard.

Noam: I need a long word. Nayeli: T-rex but the long one.

Noam: GET BACK HERE YOU DUMB FUCK! Nayeli: LET ME RUN FROM THE CONSEQUENCES OF MY ACTIONS!

*Noam and Nayeli are in a car teetering on the edge of a cliff* Noam: oh my god, Nayeli, backwards! Nayeli: Really, Noam? I thought I might go forwards into the river, I thought that would be a fun thing to do.

(they're siblings) Charlene: I WOULD DESTROY THE WORLD FOR YOU! Archibald: Okay, can you do the dishes? Charlene: No!

Archibald, near tears: Please, Charlene, I don’t speak meme! I don't know what a 'yeet' is!

Zachary: Are you a cuddler? Esfir: I'm a machine of death and destruction. Zachary: Esfir: ...Yeah, I'm a cuddler.

Esfir: It's called cauliflower, not ghost broccoli. Zachary, eyes wide: I know what I saw.

Zachary: Here’s the cold medicine you asked for. Zachary: *dumps 3 shopping bags of wine on the table* Esfir: ...Thanks.

Noam: Being gay is a constant battle between "I wish to sit on a window bench with my lover, our legs tangling as we listen to the birds" and "Hey, let's go throw rocks at fascists" and I think that's very sexy of us. Hiroaki: If the window's open and you time it right, you can do both.

Hiroaki: Ugh, crushes are so dumb. Noam: I know. Whenever I’m near the person I like I just start acting stupid. Hiroaki: But you’re always acting stupid? Noam: ... Noam: Yeah, don’t think about that too hard.

Noam, talking to Nayeli: Wait, what's going on? Are we all talking about how hot Hiroaki is? Because Hiroaki is a straight up sexual fox riding a red-hot nuclear bombshell right toward the yowza plaza in the heart of Babe City, Assachusetts, U S A. The last A just stands for more ass.

Hiroaki: I’m proud to identify as morosexual. I’m attracted to dumbasses and dumbasses exclusively. Someone asked me what the Spanish word for "tortilla" was once, and now I dream of kissing them under the moonlight. Noam: What kind of animal is the Pink Panther? Hiroaki, already taking off their clothes: God, Noam, you’re so fucking stupid.

Robin: I wish I could control wasps and bees to sting my enemies. Nayeli: You’re too young to have enemies. Robin: You don’t even know.

Nayeli: This is horrible! This is the most humiliating thing to ever happen to me! Noam: Oh-? Even more humiliating than- Nayeli: We are not doing this!

Robin, holding a scooter: Nayeli! Can I go outside and play with this? Nayeli: Sure, whatever. I'm not your parent, okay? Robin, running outside: Thanks Nayeli! Nayeli, running out after them and screaming: NOT ON THE STREET! STAY AWAY!

Nayeli: I am a responsible adult! Robin: *raises brow* Nayeli: I am an adult.

Hiroaki: So... what’s goin’ on? Noam: You want the long version or the short version? Hiroaki, hesitantly: The short one, I guess? Noam: Shit’s fucked. Hiroaki: Oh. Well, yeah, that’s definitely not an optimal situation.

[monriatitans]

Finished A Book! Mini-Review

Monday, November 18, 2024

"SPEND WELL, LIVE RICH: How to Get What You Want with the Money You Have" by Michelle Singletary

This mini-review bounces off the post "How the 'Hundred-Dollar Holiday' changed my perspective on gift-giving." I wasn't finished with the book when I wrote it, but the "Hundred-Dollar Holiday" was something I had to stop and discuss with my partner. And it turned out to be one of the most important money discussions we ever had. Now that I've finished, I've concluded EVERYONE needs to read this book! A LOT of the statistics are outdated, but, if you compare them to today, they're still trending how they're shown in the book. And they still prove her points. I grabbed this book due to my being ADHD and having issues with impulsive spending. I'd like to say "in the past", but there are times I've put money on a Kickstarter project, went, "The fuck are you doing? You're unemployed and need to save the unemployment money!" and then cancelled the pledge. Or I'll see an ad on social media and go, "Oooo!... Wait..." While there was no set of instructions on how to curb impulse spending, the book didn't need it. Questions were asked instead. It, basically, boiled down to, "What are your financial goals?"

My partner is worried we'll be working into our 70s; we don't want that. We want to be living in a house, so we can adopt kids. We need to be saving for the kids' education. I don't want to worry about money my entire life. I want to have enough money to have fun guilt-free. These are needs and wants. 10/10

—

About the Author

MICHELLE SINGLETARY's Washington Post column, "The Color of Money," is syndicated in more than 100 newspapers across the country. She is a frequent contributor to NPR. She has appeared on NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, Nightline, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The View, and The Dianne Rehm Show. She has also advised National Football League rookies on personal finance. Singletary is a graduate of the University of Maryland and has a master's in business from the Johns Hopkins University. Singletary has covered business and personal finance, first for the Baltimore Evening Sun and then for The Washington Post. She lives in Maryland with her husband and three children. www.michellesingletary.com

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

I finished a book listed on the Current TBR Tower, under Library Haul! This is a "mini-review" because it has to fit the 2,000-character space of an Instagram post, including the tags. Interested in the book? Snag it real quick here! For more about me, click here! My videos are available on Twitch, YouTube, The Titans' Discord, Steam, Rumble, and Odysee! The images were made in Canva; check it out at the [referral] link here! Like what you see and wanna when there's more? Click here to subscribe for updates and/or hit the Follow button! Enjoy what I do? Please consider supporting via Buy Me a Coffee! The images were made in Canva; check it out at the [referral] link here!

To provide educational material for game designers and artists, and some fun reads, I created a bookshop, powered by Bookshop.org, the Rendezvous Point (RP)! Check it out here!

—

[marjaystuff]

Interview with Catherine Bybee

All Our Tomorrows (Heir Book 1) by Catherine Bybee

Montlake Pub

June 18th, 2024

All Our Tomorrows intermingles the romance genre with family fiction. Readers will not be disappointed in this first book of the series.  Per usual, Catherine Bybee provides poignant and bittersweet moments where readers will have a roller coast of emotions: laughing, crying, and worrying right along with the characters. This one has emphasis on relationships: family, corporate business, and personal.

The book opens with the funeral of Aaron Stone who has been estranged from his children, Chase and Alexandra (Alex) all their lives. They are shocked to find out that he has left his multibillionaire business to them, but also that they have a half-brother who shares the inheritance.

Desperately needing help in understanding and digging into their father’s business and personal accounts, Chase reaches out to his father’s recently terminated (without cause) executive assistant, Piper, who he rehires with a raise.  They spend a lot of time together to research the company and to find hints on where to locate the brother. As the attraction grows, Piper is trying very hard to keep her distance since she is pregnant with another man’s child. Until she blurts out to him the secret.  The relationship takes off from there.

Bybee fans will also enjoy finding some old characters in the story.  Jack, Jessie, and the father Gaylord play a somewhat prominent role. They come in to help Chase and Alex with the business and embrace them into their family, including helping to find their lost brother, Max. 

This book has witty banter.  It is a heartfelt story that has sexual tension and tension regarding the business. It is one of those books’ readers will not want to put down.

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for this series?

Catherine Bybee: Right now, there will be three books, all about the siblings. I knew I wanted to write about rich people again since I did not do that for a while, plus do possible global play.  Other pieces I wanted to put in is a grumpy boss, and a pregnancy. I keep looking for someone to put me on a private plane so I can do some personal research.  I did a lot of research into the corporate world. Often the controlling interest is not 50% or higher. 

EC:  Is Piper an executive secretary with power?

CB:  Yes.  I wrote her to be the right hand and, in some ways, having more detailed knowledge than the actual CEO. She wears two faces, seeing the executive side but also knows the office gossip. 

EC:  How would you describe Piper?

CB: She speaks her mind, fierce, confident, honest, and a powerhouse.  She is also loyal, has a sense of humor, and sarcastic. She can be insecure and vulnerable. Her soft side is on the inside. She tries to hide it in the corporate world. She is sassy, a departure from when she was the executive assistant of the father, because she knows she is needed. 

EC: What is the role of the dog Kit?

CB: I got the name of the dog, Kitty, after I met someone who literally had a dog of that name. I used it because it is so funny.  He is an anchor at her side that protects her. Kit is an angry looking rottweiler, like my neighbor’s dog, but the dog would not hurt a flea.

EC:  What about the pregnancy?

CB: I intentionally made it so that the baby was not the hero’s child. It affected all the characters’ lives, depending on the decision about the baby. I wanted her to struggle with the decision of keeping the baby or giving it up for adoption. I also did not want this to be a child of incest or rape. She was not in love with the guy who was the father. I hoped I showed how the decision is never easy, that she was faced with the judgement of others. I wanted to have it come across that the decision about the baby should be solely hers. As I put in my notes at the end of the book, my experience helped me write this part of the story.  I saw decisions made because someone else wants it. How young women ignored the pregnancy until they were five months along without any natal care. 

EC: How would you describe Chase?

CB: He has a sense of humor.  He is honorable, protective, skating around having wealth.  Based on his experience he knows how wealth can affect people. He is family oriented. 

EC:  What about the relationship between Chase and Piper?

CB:  I wanted to show how Chase stepped into the role of wanting to be the baby’s father. She walks into the office for the first time, dressed as a powerhouse, has him spellbound. They are guarded and have mistrust. She fears his judgement. They like to tease and flirt with each other. He made her off balance. He gives her the reprieve of thinking about the baby.

EC:  What is the relationship between the siblings, Alex and Chase Stone?

CB: They respect each other, loyal, and equal partners.  They can be honest with each other. There is a difference in that Chase came to terms about his absentee dad, while Alex still has daddy issues.  She has this overwhelming need to overcompensate. The two of them have kept each other grounded.  They have family values they got from their mother. They have each other’s back.

EC:  Why bring in Gaylord?

CB: He is the counter to Chase and Alex’s father, Aaron.  He is the father everyone would want. He, Jack, and Jesse were featured in the book written over a decade ago, Not Quite Dating. Since I brought back the hotel world of corporate business I decided, why not bring back these from a previous book. This is an update for those readers who have read it. He is someone the Stone children could ask questions. I wanted to show there could be some good fathers in this book. There is a secondary relationship between Gaylord and the Stone children’s mom, Vivian. 

EC: Does Melissa and Floyd represent the not so nice people?

CB: They will be in play in the next books. They continue to have their issues. 

EC:  Next books?

CB: I wanted to be fresh when I approached Mari’s story, from the D’Angelo series. I wanted this series to be finished before I tackle silver-haired romance.

The next book will feature the half-brother Max who they found at the end of this book. There is a lot to his story. There are some dangling plot points that will be wrapped up at the end of the series. The title The Forgotten One comes out in November. All the Stones will be back in book two with Max realizing he now has a family. 

THANK YOU!!

[lerry-hazel]

Ghosts BBC vs CBS, round 2

I firmly believe that “there are nine and sixty ways of constructing tribal lays, and every single one of them is right”; but CBS “Ghosts” make me cringe – to the point where I only watch them in order to have an excuse to rewatch the original and marvel at how much better it is; and maybe to be up to date if a good crossover ever pops up, but –

The point is, by no means do I begrudge team Woodstone their enjoyment, but this seemingly factually correct post by @linguist-in-a-blanket made me think, so;

don’t mind me, I'll just ramble quietly from my little corner here.

First of all, I am with @this-is-honeybunny here. All that needs to be said about the respective complexity and profoundness of the characters is that BBC version lasted five seasons with the same nine ghosts, while the CBS one had to call in reinforcements back in s1e7.

As for why we like watching nine admittedly unpleasant people, that's because in a ghost story narrative goes backwards: we already know where the characters ended up, now we want to know how they got there.

Meanwhile, if we take a closer look at the forward movement offered by CBS, we’ll see it's not really a development – it's glossing over.

The events of s1e11 don’t make Hetty grow as a person: all her subsequent guidance and “helpful” advice channel the same cartoonishly retarded worldview; that’s just Sam who now sees this attitude as reminiscent of her mother and, therefore, somehow, endearing.

The only revelation s1e16 brings is that Trevor was done in by drugs, rather than sex. Contrary to what the writhers clearly want me to think, silently enabling deplorable behaviour he disapproves of doesn’t make Trevor a hero; nor does it stop him from being a walking dick willing to use another man's body to have a one-night stand with a woman he’d deceived over the Internet; but, since he's no longer perving over the main character, it's suddenly OK and even cute – again, somehow.

In contrast, Julian, who doesn’t bother pretending to have any redeeming qualities, actually helps Alison defeat Barklay – not once, but twice. Fanny is the one who figures the fake sister out. More importantly, Alison gets to – metaphorically – wrestle the title of “the mistress of the house” from her, which must have brought a great deal of satisfaction.

That being said, I also completely understand why Allison doesn't stop to chat up every ghost she sees. She perceives her ability as a burden it is: she already has nine lost souls she accidentally adopted at home – she rightfully doesn't want any more responsibility.

And yet, Alison’s ghosts, while undeniably annoying and self-absorbed, mostly keep to themselves, only asking her for inconvenient, but not altogether unreasonable things, like some uncomplicated entertainment and undivided attention every once in a while, – quite like an entitled relative would.

Sam’s ghostly “friends”, on the other hand, routinely guilt-trip her into spending thousands of dollars she doesn’t have on their whims, writing a biography noone would want to read and becoming a laughing stock of the entire neighbourhood.

Sam, in her turn, cheerfully bullies her husband into doing the same, - and is spared the concequences only by the grace of, well, script. She is also not above using her “gift” to manipulate him, and –

 – now I see why CBS Ghosts make me cringe.  

[buggdoesart]

my tags :))

this is a masterpost of my tags, for my sanity and yours! i have a lot of stories i love talking about :))

General Tags

#buggart - a general art tag. if this post has art drawn by me, its tagged with this!

#buggthoughts - textposts. no art to be found here! these are general posts, unrelated to any story content.

Story Tags

#vimg - Vailwynd Institue of the Magically Gifted. a modern fantasy magic school setting with a diverse cast of characters.

#wsms - Where the Stars Meet the Sea. a fantasy post-apocalyptic dystopia pirate x mermaid lesbian romance, with a sprinkling of found family and identity struggles. the world floods, and some humans have branched off evolutionarily into mermaids.

#Metal Eden , #ME - sci fi setting. there are kinda three stories that take place in this world. will expand on this section later.

#cbs - Clear Blue Sky. fantasy western. magic exists, but most of it exists in the environment, not in the form of casters. Lottie is a chosen one prophet from her small commune sent off on as a missionary. she meets Ester, a lone wolf bounty hunter/mercenary. a lesbian romance ensues, obviously.

#feral hearts , #FH - modern fantasy setting. there are monsters in this world, always has been and always will be. there are bigger and more prestigious monster-hunting families than the Holcomb's, but that's fine. a man in his quarter-life crisis has a terrible time and becomes an adoptive dad. lots of found family.

a slight buffer. beyond this point are stories i work with my friends on. you should check out their stuff too!

#cnd rewritten - Cowboys and Dragons Rewritten. fantasy gothic western. this used to be a dnd campaign, and it ended up getting cut short. so now, me and the other players are doing what we want with the story, the world, and the characters involved. hence, "rewritten". you may remember this campaign from my animatic!

#crime time , #ct - this story takes place in the same world as cowboys and dragons, but later on down the timeline. it's a modern fantasy story with paranormal elements.

#moonlit - my silly wolf rp. basically, when i was in middle school i had a whole world, story, and characters i would think about but never really do anything with. there's a island/supercontinent that has no humans, only these wolves. but not just any wolves. magic sentient wolves with cool powers.