#i’m on that coltrain

[glittermintghost]

The boys are sooooo normal, nothing weird here!

[ramp-it-up]

Best of All

Pairing: Pilot!Steve Rogers x Publicist! Reader

Word count: 3.3 K

Summary: You and Steve FINALLY make it to your suite. And the results are sweet.

Warnings: 18+ ONLY Minors, DNI. Former Enemies to Lovers, and there was only one bed, 20 yr angst, sexual frustration, A yacht, swimming,Steve sketching reader, dry humping, fingering, size kink, personal lubricant, woman on top/ in control, Captain/Sir kink, praise/degradation kink, dirty talk, sloppy oral (m/f receiving), raw p in v, breeding/lactation kink, creampie. Basically porn with plot. Not Beta’d. All errors are on me.

This is the next part in the Greatest series.

A/N: It has been just a little over exactly a year since I've written these two. Please forgive my ain't-shitness. And thank you for rocking with me. I love you all!

I no longer have a taglist. Please follow @rampitupandread and turn on notifications to learn when I post! 😘

I Do NOT Consent to my work being reposted, translated or presented on any other blog or site other than by myself.

-----

You were relaxing on the bow of the yacht, staring out over an amazing view.

You’d had a delicious brunch with Aperol spritzes, and as the yacht floated on the beautiful Gulf of Genoa, the only sounds you heard were of the water, John Coltraine, and the scratching of Steve’s pencil against the paper of his sketch pad. 

He had been wonderful, and contemplative, company for you. 

Your time was spent journaling and looking at the water and the cliffs, rotating your lounger with the sun. You even dozed for a few minutes, waking up to find Steve looking at you piercingly as he sketched. 

Your sister was right.

Steve was very much into you.

You could get used to this you thought as you got up and walked over to Steve, who looked up at you and smiled.

“Can I see what you’re sketching?”

Steve blushed, and then moved so that you could sit down beside him.

“Sure.”

He put his pencils down and handed his leather bound sketch book to you. You gasped.

“Steve! These are…”

You flipped the pages, looking to him for approval. He nodded and smiled at you.

There were many images, on the boat, some very detailed from the day, some rough sketches, but they were all clearly you. You turned to one drawing of you naked, and it made you feel some kind of way.

You’d never posed that way for him.

“Drew that one from memory. Last night.”

“You make me look so…”

“Beautiful? Then that just means I’m drawing you accurately.”

“You really see me this way?”

You were gazing at the sketches with wonder.

“I can’t believe that you don’t. Y/N. You are one of the most beautiful, most desirable women I’ve ever seen. People talk about Aria, but she looks just like you.”

You turned and put the sketch book down on the table beside Steve’s lounger.

“Can I have a kiss?”

Steve’s eyes lit up.

“You can have anything you want.” 

“I want you…”

Steve groaned as you climbed up on his lap and grabbed his face. You traced his lips with your fingers before he closed the distance between you and captured yours with his own. You were breathless before he pulled back and rested his forehead on yours.

“That was… nice.”

Steve shifted, sending his crotch grinding into yours and relishing the way you shivered in his arms.

“You want me?”

Steve looked back up at you. Hopeful.

“Yes. And I want to try. A relationship? Dating once we get back to the states? It will be hard. I travel a lot with what I do, go from coast to coast, and all over the world with Aria.”

You were nervously speaking in questions.

“Hmmm. Wonder how I could get from coast to coast, and all over the world? Oh right, I have two airplanes and I’m a pilot.”

Steve smirked at you as you smacked him on the arm.

“I just don’t want you to feel as if you have to chase after me. Or wait for me to get back when I need to go. Long distance can be hard.”

Steve nodded, and then gave you a quick peck on your lips.

“I know. But I would follow you to the ends of the earth. And I’ve already waited for 20 years. What’s a little longer?”

“How can you be so damn perfect?”

You attacked him, kissing him again as he laughed and grabbed you, holding you close.

“Not perfect, maybe just perfect for you?”

“Maybe,” you smiled into his shirt as you traced a vein down his arm. 

“But I want a do over.”

“A do over of what?”

“Of our first date.”

“Tonight?”

“Yes, tonight. But first, I wonder if you will give me some? Please? Pretty please Steve?”

You reached down and grasped his hardness in your hand; Steve moaned.

Steve’s mouth was open as you begged for him.

“Oh Baby, you have no idea how much I want that.”

You whined as you moved your hips to feel more of him.

“Steve… need you…”

Your sultry whisper in his ear made him weak.

“Me too. I just … I want it to be special… to take our time…”

“I need you inside me, Captain.”

“Fuuuuuck.…I want that too, Doll. So bad… I dreamt of it last night.”

Steve moved so that his mouth was on your neck.

“You taste like coconuts right now. Why is that?”

“Hmmmm. Flavored body oil spray. It’s edible.”

“Well then, I need to taste more…later. “

You writhed against him hoping for some relief.

“So desperate. I love it when you get needy for me, Baby.”

Steve took in your face and your lips opened in desire. He grabbed the back of your neck, wrapping his hand around your face and inserted his thumb into your mouth. You sucked at it greedily which made him groan again.

“Is that what you want?”

You moaned around his digit and nodded, your heart about to beat out of your chest. Steve leaned down to whisper in your ear as he shoved his thumb further past your tongue and held your mouth open.

“I loved the way you took it in your mouth yesterday. Such a good, good throat. Such a good, sweet girl for me.”

His hand was now at the crotch of your bathing suit and your eyes rolled back into your head at his filthy words as he gagged you with his digit. His long fingers on his other hand pulled the suit to the side and slowly inserted two inside you.

“I can barely get in here, Sweetheart. You’re gonna struggle to take me …”

You grunted, both at what he was doing to you and at what he was saying.

“Yes… you’ll have to be patient just a little while longer. Tonight…”

His wet thumb was caressing your nipples over your bathing suit now. You were frustrated.

“You’re all talk.”

“And you’ll do whatever I say. Later.”

Steve’s words and his steely eyed stare were speaking straight to your pussy. You clenched down on his fingers and he moaned.

“So fucking right. Patience, Doll. Just a little while longer. Meanwhile, you and I need to cool down.” 

Steve abandoned you to take off his shirt, laughing at your lust before he reached down to gather you in his arms again while approaching the passerelle.

“Can you get your hair wet?”

“Yes, I planned on swimming, but are you really about to throw me in the water right now?”

“No. “

Steve shook his head as he stopped on the edge.

“Good.” 

You smiled as you took in the view.

“I figure we’d take the plunge together.”

And then he backed up and ran toward the edge, you squealing in his arms, the warm mediterranean water separating you when you hit the surface. Soon you felt his arms slip back around you as you found each other again and kissed in the warm Italian sun. 

You wanted this moment to last forever.

—-

You made it through the 6 hour voyage and back to the hotel to change for dinner. The meal was nice, with great wine and even better conversation. 

After the meal, Steve asked a question as you walked to the elevators.

“Does that invitation to your suite still stand?”

You pressed your back into the elevator wall as Steve pressed the button for your floor before you even answered his question.

This cocky bastard. It was so hot.

“Sure, are we gonna have a pillow fight?” You raised your arms to his board shoulders as he leaned down to your ear.

“Did you say pillow bite?”

You cocked your head at him, smirking.

“So it’s like that?”

“Very much so.”

You kissed him as the doors opened onto your floor. Steve kept his hands on you as you opened your door and immediately had you up against the first available surface once the door closed hands and mouth everywhere he could reach.

After you two almost broke what looked to be a very expensive vase, Steve stepped back from you, lips swollen from your kisses and chest heaving.

“D’you want me as much as I want you?”

You realized now that the look on Steve’s face that you’d once interpreted to be irritation with you or annoyance, was in fact concentration. You pondered the meaning of being the center of his attention as you moved toward him.

“Do you not remember the way I took your cock down my throat the other day?”

You pressed your body against his and Steve swore, growling in your ear. 

“Oh yes. That was truly.” He kissed your neck.

“Truly.”

This time the kiss was on the plane of your chin.

“Truly amazing.”

He kissed your lips softly when you decided you were tired of playing around. You grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the bedroom.

—-

Soon, you were both naked in the bedroom, a bottle of Prosecco rescued from the honor bar and opened on the dresser. Your eyes were drawn to Steve Rogers, who was as beautiful as one of the statues in the Galleria Borghese. 

Steve was grasping his cock at the base as his eyes swept over your body. He was remembering the taste of you.

“You are so beautiful.”  

He squeezed himself harder and tried to keep from moving his hand up and down his thick shaft as you stared and licked your lips.

“Come over here, Stevie. Please.”

You lay on the bed on your stomach, showcasing your ass and looking at him invitingly. Stave moved closer, but stopped.

“What if I told you that I wasn’t going to fuck you tonight?”

You began to pout.

“Fix that face.”

That command made you whimper at the power in his voice.

“You are going to fuck me, Doll.”

“What?”

Steve reached for your hand as he switched places with you. Then he lay there and resumed stroking himself. You licked your lips at the sight and retrieved the bottle of Prosecco, suddenly very thirsty.

You contemplated the power he was giving you, and decided you liked this rush of control. 

“I like the idea of that, Steve. I’ll get to express exactly how much I want you.”

You took a swig and leaned down to kiss him, giving him a taste from your lips. He licked your mouth as you thumbed his nipples, causing him to shiver from your cold touch. You couldn’t resist tasting his cherry red lips again and again as you lightly squeezed his throat, then ran your hand down his sternum and his abs to the tip of his wet cock. 

You grazed the length of him down to his balls, then looked into his eyes and kissed his lips as you took control of him.

“Your lips are perfect,” you whispered as you caressed him.

“No. yours,” replied Steve as he sought your mouth again. 

“You like my mouth?”

As you leaned to teasingly kiss the thick cap of his cock, then took him fully down your throat 

“Oh.. Shit…”

Steve massaged your scalp as you bobbed on him

“You are so fucking hot, Doll…”

You looked up with a smile and moved to lick his nipple, then kiss him again as you stroked him. Steve was mesmerized. Your hands, your lips, your tongue, he couldn’t concentrate on any one part of you that was ruining him. 

It was sensation overload, and he needed to focus to not shoot off.

You were drunk on power. You spit on his cock, deep-throated him once, twice more, and then pulled away, causing Steve to groan as you withdrew contact, your sloppy blow job scrambling his brain.  His head was on a swivel as he watched you get up to go to the dresser. 

“May I?”

Steve nodded, eager for what was to come. You had a small spray bottle in your hand, and when the liquid made contact with his body, he jumped from the sensation. You rubbed the oil on his cock and up his body to his nipples, basking in the rapt attention he paid you as you sprayed yourself between your breasts. Steve’s cock got impossibly harder in your hand at the sight. 

“I think I’m gonna like this.

You loved to hear his sexy deep voice break.

“You like me?”

“Yeah. I…”

Steve trailed off as your hands roamed his body.

“I like you too, Stevie,” you kissed him again. ”

Steve actually whimpered as you swung your leg over his hips and sat down on his cock, rubbing your pussy along his shaft as it lay against his stomach. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw to keep from manhandling you.

“I wanna try that sweet cunt.”

“Hmmm. Is it sweet? Wanna taste it again?”

You leaned back and circled your clit with two fingers, then inserted them into his pretty mouth. Steve’s adam's apple bobbed as he sucked your fingers and swallowed your taste. You pulled away to suck his cock again until he was moaning, at which point you kissed and licked your way up his body, settling your thighs at his shoulders. 

He gripped your ass as he turned hushed head so that his lips could kiss your thigh. His fingers reached around your leg to play in your crease as he gave your clit kitten licks and kisses. You tried to move back down, but he grasped your thighs hard enough to leave bruises that would give you daydreams the next day. He started sucking your clit so intently that you began seeing stars.

“Wanna fuck you now, Stevie. Wanna cum on your cock”

You were on the edge as Steve pulled off of your clit with an obscene slurp.

“I’m yours, Y/N.”

You reached back and grabbed his throbbing cock as you scooted your pelvis down, one hand on his neck and one hand positioning him to enter you. His shaft was large, but the head was even wider, and the stretch as you worked yourself open on him made you moan loudly. Steve grabbed your chin to make you look at him while you slid down his length, stretching yourself out so incredibly well.

“My cock looks so big against your tiny pussy.”

His eyes were riveted.

“It is big, Captain. You’re so huge.”

You grabbed the headboard while you adjusted to his size. Steve’s hands came up around your waist and held you steady as you trembled around him.

Those blue eyes looked up at you with adoration.

“You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Are you okay, Doll?”

“It feels amazing,” you stared down into his eyes and smiled, your slick leaking down his thick shaft to collect and drip off his balls.

“Yes. Yes it does. Holy mother god.”

 He looked down to where you were connected.

“You’re wrapped around me so tight and so good, Doll.”

Steve looked up at you and licked his lips, pupils blown wide and struck dumb by lust. 

You leaned down and kissed him when you bottomed out on him.

You stared at each other as you both finally got what you wanted. You took his head in your hands and kissed him as you pounded together. 

Then you started moving. 

Steve played with your nipples and you arched backwards as he planted his feet and pistoned up into you faster.

“Oh! Steve. Feel so full. So good.”

Steve wrapped his arms around your waist and held you in place as his hips moved at the devil's pace. The sound of his dick breaching your wet pussy and skin slapping on skin was everything. His thumb went to your clit and traced figure eights as you shuddered in his grip. 

“F-f-f- u-u-u-ck! I’m- I’m coming!”

“Give it to me!”

He stroked you through your orgasm and then sat up, manipulating you so that you were sitting back on your arms in his lap as he moved you up and down his cock like a sex toy.

“Shit, you feel so good!”

Steve looked down at you and then up at the ceiling, eyes rolling

“Jesus, you’re so fucking hot.”

You looked down and the image of Steve’s large member destroying your hole was enough to make you cum around his cock again. Steve took control, taking your hips in his large hands and moving you at his will.

“Oh my god.” 

He ground you against the base of his cock and started grinding circles for his greedy eyes and your pleasure. You were addicted.

“Such a good little slut for my cock. Need you to give me one more. That’s it. Good girl.”

He grabbed you by the hair and kissed you as you shuddered through your orgasm and suddenly, you were on your back as Steve flipped you over, getting on his knees and folding you in half to fuck you even better. 

Steve stopped as he tried to hold back.

“You got me so close Doll… I gotta calm down.”

“I just want you to stuff me full of your cum, Captain.”

“Ooohhhhhh. Fuck.”

Steve sped up and then stopped, trying to calm down. But he couldn’t help what he said next that turned out to be his doom.

“Are- are you trying to have my baby, Y/N.”

You arched against him, shuddering at the thought.

“Nnnnnnoooooo. Fuck. Maybe.”

“You wanna be all round and full of my child, tits so full of milk…so I can suck… holy fuck!”

The image was making Steve start to shoot off.

“Fill me up, Steve–I”

“Ahhh!”

And then you keened as you felt his hot cum start to spurt against your walls. You came around his rapidly pulsing cock as he finished inside you.

You two were a hot, sweaty heap as you came down together, Steve kissing your forehead and praising you.

“You did so good for me.”

He gathered you in his arms.

“I love you.”

Steve gazed at you.

“Think I’ve been in love with you for 20 years, Y/N.”

You smiled at him.

“I love you too.” 

You said it, barely above a whisper. But you meant it. Then you said it again.

“I love you, Steve Rogers.”

You attacked him, kissing him again as he laughed and grabbed you, holding you close. 

“All of the bad things that we’ve gone through to get to this moment is for the best. I can see that now.”

Steve looked to you just like that little boy you met 20 years ago. Then you saw the beautiful man who loved you.

“You’re right. And this, right now. It’s the best of all.”

[breaniebree]

I’ve been out of your asks for a while, first off, TTTC is everything I hoped it would be and more! Still upset with you for killing Zee but the way the story has gone, totally freaking worth it lol.

Now, I asked @seriouslysam8 but now I have to ask you, what’s your opinion of the HBO reboot?

Hi, @maurader007

Meh.

Is it weird to say I don’t care?

I’m sure it will be good, but honestly a reboot isn’t what I want. You can’t replace Rickman, Smith, Coltraine, Harris… i would rather have seen them do something new.

I may or may not even watch it.

As to TTTC — thank you!

[thepradaenchilada]

Thank you, Iowa City

The 2023 Floodwater Comedy Festival in Iowa City was an exhilarating experience! I enjoyed connecting with laugh makers from around the country and catching their sets. Huge thank you to Travis Coltrain, Karen Sanchez Dougall, Logan Pratt, and Luke and Lindsey Brooks for all the selfless work they did to make this comeback event a success. I'm grateful for the wonderful and talented friends I made this weekend. I also had a front-row ticket to see our headliner Heather Land, who put on a Broadway-caliber show at the historic Englert Theatre. Everything happens within just a few days with festivals like this so today I'm replaying the hilarious moments in my head, happy to have been a part of such a spectacular event. Until next time, my funny friends.

[worldwind]

The emotions this song evokes in me...can’t really put it into words, but it’s definitely one of my top favorite songs all of time and that’s a huge statement considering I like A LOT of music. It’s just such a perfect song ✨

[puppyluver256]

[Image Description: A couple standing at a kitchen counter. The man (left) has medium-brown skin, wavy dark blue hair in a ponytail, and green eyes with yellow sclera. He is wearing a blue t-shirt with a golden Star Fleet insignia graphic from Star Trek. He is holding a partially eaten strawberry in his hand. The woman (right) has light skin, blonde hair in a ponytail, and freckles. She is visibly pregnant. She is wearing green square-shaped glasses, a green hair clip, and a purple maternity shirt with a graphic of two babies resembling Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa from Star Wars and white text reading "future skywalkers". She has her hand over her nose and is grimacing from the smell of the strawberries. There are two more strawberries on a cutting board on the purple countertop, as well as a knife, a package of strawberries, and a large blue bowl. A refrigerator is behind the man, and behind the woman is a view of the living room and entertainment center. End ID.]

-----

“You sure this isn’t just some weird baby brain-based paranoia or something?��� Ash asked. “I mean, I don’t wanna make it seem like I’m downplaying your concerns, but I swear I’m not smelling anything weird here.”

“Are you absolutely sure?”

“Well...only one way to find out.” Before Marcy could stop him, Ash popped the strawberry into his mouth, carefully pondering the experience as he chewed. He eventually swallowed and just shrugged. “Tastes fine to me,” he said. “I’m pretty sure they’re okay, honestly.”

“Oh my god, Ash, I can’t believe you just did that,” Marcy said near-breathlessly. “You nearly gave me a heart attack there. I don’t know what I’m gonna do if there actually is something wrong with these...”

+++++

I'm glad I will hopefully never experience pregnancy, because all the effects of it are NOT worth it just to propagate the human race. Not to mention I absolutely do not trust myself to take care of a human child in any way whatsoever XD

Also I can’t believe I have to say this but I know I do, but DON’T MAKE CREEPY COMMENTS ON THIS OR REBLOG IT TO F3T1SH BLOGS. I’m not comfortable with my work being associated with f3t1shes against my will. Some people get pregnant. Don’t make it Nasty >:T

💖🐶 Check out my pinned post for ways to support my artwork, among other things! 🐶💖

~If you like, please reblog to show your friends! Likes are appreciated, but reblogs let more people see my content! If you have something to say, feel free to give feedback in tags/comments/replies as well!~

Smile For Me and related concepts © LimboLane Ashish "Ash" Bora, Marcy Coltraine, and artwork © PuppyLuver Studios

[earthlostgirl]

All that Jazz

Jet found a record player and his old vinyl collection in one of Bebop's forgotten cabins. He thought for sure that he had lost them. Or that he had left it at Alyssa's house. That's why he had spent all morning listening to one record after another.

"Listen carefully, Ed," he said, turning up the volume. "Here come the trumpets. Oh, isn't that something? They are slightly out of time," he sighed with delight. " It is wonderful."

" Oooooh" replied the little girl as she approached the record player.

"And now...." Jet closed his eyes as Miles Davies' voice broke into the song. " Damn it. He' s so good. What a voice. It gives me chills."

"Oooooh" Ed echoed, sitting on the floor and swinging back and forth.

Jet smiled satisfied by the attention he was getting. He took another record out of the box and looking at it like it was a treasure, he put it in the player.

"This is the diamond in the crown, it's a very rare recording. I paid a fortune for it, it's Billie Holladay along with Jon Coltraine," he said as he took his hand to his heart. " This is the best thing you're ever going to listen, Ed."

"Ooooh"

"How long has he been like this?" Spike asked, resting his arms over the back of the couch.

"Three. Hours," she replied, pausing on every word, she sounded almost desperate. " Every. Single. Vinyl. is the best." Faye looked up from the magazine she was reading. "If I hear another fucking trumpet I'm going to shoot myself."

"Should we rescue Ed,?" he asked, handing her a cigarette.

"Look at her closely," Faye replied with a smile.

Ed was still swinging on the floor, with Ein at her side. She was shaking her head, as if she were dancing. Nodding at every explanation Jet gave. She even clapped her hands with joy.

" She' s wearing earphones, isn't she?" he asked.

" Yeah, mines," Faye replied in despair, hiding her face with a cushion, as Jet changed the vinyl again.

My little contribution the BeBoptober!

[ultrahpfan5blog]

Rewatching the HP and FB movies

I have a tradition of rewatching HP movies at least once a year. This year, I added the two FB movies as well. I know lots of people have well deserved issues with a lot of thing with the franchise and I do too, but I still thoroughly enjoy the movies. All of them. Certainly there are some big issues I have, like how Kloves treated Ron starting from GOF onwards, and how Hermione kind of became a mary sue, and definitely some of the things that were added or removed, like the removal of some of the Riddle memories in HBP, removing the pretty fascinating Dumbledore backstory in Deathly Hallows, the silly inconsistencies like polyjuice not changing the voice of the characters etc... But in general, I still think the movies did a great job capturing the spirit of the books and the casting was just incredible. Especially the adult casting. I know we have only seen one version of Harry Potter on the big screen, but I envision these actors, especially the adults, when I’m reading the books now. Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltraine, Mark Williams, Julie Walters etc... are now the faces I see when I think of those characters. Richard Harris was a terrific Dumbledore for the first two movies, where he had more of grandfatherly, twinkling, vibe. I know people are critical of Gambon in GOF and he admittedly did get the characterization wrong, but I feel he was excellent in POA, OOTP, and especially HBP. Alan Rickman was just so outstanding in the role of Snape. I genuinely feel he should have gotten some Oscar consideration for his performance in DH2. But he was incredible even when he had only a few scenes and had to be super dry in his dialogue delivery. Maggie Smith was similarly wonderful. But these were just the adult regulars, but equally incredible were the phenomenal actors who came for just a few films. There are so many. Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, Imelda Staunton, Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs, Emma Thompson, Jim Broadbent etc... among many others. A lot of these actors only had a film or two where they had a significant presence, but they showed up in cameos in other films, particularly in DH2. I have a lot of respect for the casting directors for this franchise since they cast basically half of all of British’s well respected acting thespians. Even someone like Bill Nighy appeared, just for two scenes in DH1. Rhys Ifans came in DH1 and was terrific in the two scenes he was in. Ciaran Hinds also was in just one or two scenes and he was also very good. And all these actors felt like they gave it their all and that it wasn’t just a paycheck role.

When it comes to child casting, what strikes me is the amazing continuity the series kept. Its one thing to be able to keep the core child actors like Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and Tom Felton, but one of the most satisfying aspects of the series is that a lot of the core group of side characters were continuously played by the same actors. Not just Matthew Lewis and Bonnie Wright  and the Phelps brothers, but also Alfred Enoch as Dean, Devon Murray as Seamus, and Joshua Herdman as Goyle. It would be very easy to replace some of these side characters over time and no one would notice, but the continuity makes it so much more enjoyable when in DH2 Seamus helps Neville blow up a bridge based on the fact that we know Seamus from the first movie was known for blowing stuff up. Its the small things that make it so great. Possibly the most accurate bit of casting was Evana Lynch as Luna. I honestly can’t think of a single actor more perfectly cast in the series than her. The core quartet were all lovely. Not always consistent, but more than good enough. I actually think Dan was the weakest actor when the series started, but he made remarkable improvement in the back half of the series, especially OOTP onwards. He is outstanding in DH2 I thought. Tom Felton didn’t always have to do much until HBP, but he was excellent in HBP. He does seem to have been stereotyped a little in the other roles I’ve seen him in but it still means he was great. Emma Watson’s performance fluctuated a bit. She was very good as a kid, then she was kind of bad in GOF and in parts of OOTP, but she found her footing again in HBP and especially in DH1, which I still consider to be her best acting performance to date. I think Rupert was always the most natural actor of the lot. He was probably the most hard done by the Kloves because they kind of typecast him as the comedic sidekick, but I can’t fault Rupert because he was a pretty gifted comic. Like Emma, when he got more scope in DH1, he did an incredible job. I would say Bonnie Wright is maybe the only one who didn’t fully grow into the role for me. It probably has a lot to do with writing, but she also really didn’t share any chemistry with Dan which made that relationship feel pretty flat and forced. But all in all the casting really made these movies and they elevate the movies significantly. But I admit all the craft behind it. Also, some of these movies are close to two decades old and the effects hold up quite well. I think there are scenes in the first movie that look a little dated, particularly the flying scenes, but subsequent movies seemed to find the right blend of practical and visual effects to make the movies look pretty timeless. 

I think all the directors did their job really well. Columbus did a good job of bringing the childlike wonder of the initial books to life, Cuaron brought his more adult quality as the kids grew up, Newell ramped up the scale and the scope, and Yates managed to bring home the darkness. Definitely the films weren’t flawless. Like I mentioned before, there were times when some characterizations were off, some key subplots were eliminated or not handled well, some things added which were not needed etc... but the spirit of the books remains. I have a deep fondness for the movies as I feel I grew up with them as I am basically the same age as all the main child actors in the movie so I grew up and watched them grow up. So while they aren’t in the league of greatest films of all time, but its a remarkably consistent and enjoyable franchise that lasted an entire decade.

When it comes to Fantastic Beasts series, I was excited that Yates and Rowling were developing something new but I also feared what would happen given they didn’t have the structure of a book series to guide them. The fears ended up being fairly valid. The first FB is a pretty enjoyable film. I do think they did a good job creating a likable quartet of main characters and the actors all did a pretty remarkable job. It was also a refreshing change to watch Magical World from an adult POV as well as experiencing a new location and time period as well. The issue with the first film is that the film has two separate storylines which don’t really merge well together. The story of Newt, Jacob, Tina, and Queenie finding and recapturing the suitcase of magical creatures is actually very charming. The film does a nice job of creating some unique magical creatures and adding something new to the Magical World, but then there is a dark and gloomy second plot which doesn’t work as well because it essentially isn’t much of a story other than just showing Credence being abused and manipulated time and time again until the climax. It neither merges well tonally, nor plot wise. The way they try to put Newt at the center of the climax felt very clumsy and unearned. Overall, the first film still has sufficient enjoyable charm and I certainly like Redmayne, Waterston, Fogol, and Sudol. Farrell was a damn good villain. Miller was a little too mannered for my taste but I understand what he was going for. Voight is there for no reason at all in a perplexing subplot that goes nowhere. But still, more positives than negatives. FB2 is where the franchise really dropped the ball for the first time and Rowling’s inexperience as a movie screenplay writer became very obvious. The film is literally a setup for future movie, designed to get characters into certain places where the real story can start. the film essentially has no plot other than a bunch of wizards across Europe are looking for Credence and Credence is searching for his identity. There is really nothing else in the movie. The movie is overpopulated with characters, and Newt ends up even more incidental in this movie since he has no interest in going after Credence himself at all for 2/3 of the movie. All the things that were good about the first movie are lost as Jacob and Queenie only share two scenes together, Tina and Newt only share the last act or so together, Newt and Jacob end up only have a couple of scenes together. Its all rather boring and dull. The performances are fine. Depp was a good enough Grindelwald but I don’t think he was given any more to do other than just be surface level evil. One of the most inspired casting decisions was Jude Law as Dumbledore. While he doesn’t ape Gambon or Harris, he does capture the twinkling spirit of Dumbledore and his scenes are the best. The film also has a rather odd plot concerning Leta Lestrange. It is simultaneously important and completely pointless at the same time. I felt that the character had a compelling backstory and interesting potential but the film barely has time to address it any sort of depth before she gets pointlessly killed off at the end. The film also does a pretty bizarre character assassination of Queenie who makes decision that I really don’t understand. I guess this all boils down to the fact that this story may have worked in Rowling’s head as a book where each character’s internal thought could have been given more depth but what happens is that pretty much every sub story is pretty unsatisfying. Its certainly not an unwatchable disaster, just rather dull and devoid of the spark that the wizarding world movies should have. I hope they can turn things around because the film leaves things at a very peculiar juncture which doesn’t make much sense based on what we know of the HP canon.

[omegaplus]

# 3,089

Favorite Sampling / Crate-Digging / Classic Finds For The 2010’s.

Walt Barr “Free Spirit”

Azymuth “Jazz Carnival”

Reg Tilsley “Hold The Road”

Willie Bobo “Kojak Theme”

Bobby Lyle “Inner Space”

Marcio Montarroyos “Pedra Bonilla”

Rubba “Way Star”

Eddie Henderson “Involuntary Bliss”

Jaye P. Morgan “It’s Been So Long“

Eric Gale “Morning Glory”

Tribe “Koke Pt. I & II”

Urbie Green The Fox

Hysear Don Walker “Poo Jo”

Weldon Irvine “Morning Sunrise”

Unit Nine “Night Light”

Larry Bright “Solar Visions”

Sun Ra Nuits De La Fondation Maeght Vol. 1

Gary Davis & His Professor “Stay With Me”

L.A. Boppers “Saturday”

Pop Eye “Lazy Haze”

Phil Upchurch “Black Gold”

Ronnie Laws “Always There”

Sauver Mallia “Future Vision”

Sweet Mixture “House Of Fun And Love”

Tantor “Niederwohren”

Catalyst “New-Found Truths”

Brian Bennett & Alan Hawkshaw “Mermaid”

Clive Hicks “Deserted Factory”

Alan Parker & Alan Hawkshaw “The Difference”

Jack Wilkins “Red Clay”

James Clarke “In Suspension”

Negril self-titled

Blackbyrds, The “Mysterious Vibes”

Bill Loose “Almost Sixteen”

Robert Ashley “Purposeful Lady Slow Afternoon”

Steve Khan “The Blue Man”

Puccio Roelens “A Silness Song”

Robert Viger “Limpidite”

Ramsey Lewis “Skippin’”

Alan Hawkshaw “Cruising”

Keith Mansfield “Love De Luxe”

General Lee & The Space Army Band “We Did It Baby Pt. 1 & 2”

Tony Hymas “Final Inspecton”

Antonio Andolfo Feito Em Casa

James Clarke “Waiting Game”

Alan Hawkshaw “Blue Note”

Bob James “Angela”

Tom Scott “Appolonia (Foxtrata)”

Alan Parker & Mike Moran “Your Smile”

Ethel Beatty “Your Love”

Keith Droste “When You Come Around”

Ojeda Penn “Happiness Is Having You Here”

Walt Barr “Creepin’”

Brass Construction “Don’t Try To Change Me”

Sylvano Santorio “Waves”

William Onyeabor “Better Change Your Mind”

Puccio Roelens “Northern Lights”

Ramsey Lewis “Tambura”

Blackbyrds, The “Mysterious Vibes”

Champaign “I’m On Fire”

Starfire “Make The Most of It”

Dick Walter “The Fat Man”

Don Patterson “The Good Life”

Maynard Ferguson “Mister Mellow”

Death “David’s Dream”

Vic Juris “Leah”

Ramsey Lewis “Sun Goddess”

Stuff “Sun Song”

Nancy Wilson ”I’m In Love”

Undisputed Truth, The “Smiling Faces Sometimes”

Heatwave “Leaving For A Dream”

Eddie Henderson “Beyond Forever”

Keith Mansfield “Routine Procedure”

Players' Association, The “Moon In Pisces”

Jaye P. Morgan “Can’t Hide Love”

Bill Loose “Slight Misgivings”

Bernice Chardiet / Martha Hayes “All By Myself“

Steve Khan “Darling Darling Baby (Sweet Tender Love)”

Gordon’s War “Got To Fan The Flame”

McNeal & Miles “Ja Ja”

Annette Peacock & Paul Bley “A Loss Of Consciousness”

Alan Hawkshaw “Mystique Voyage”

Big Barney “The Whole Damn Thing”

General Lee & The Space Army Band “Magic”

Gene Harris “Losalamitoslatinfunklovesong”

Tomorrow’s People “Open Soul”

Blackbyrds, The “Love Is Love”

Chick Carlton & Mesmeriah “One More Time With Feeling”

Cortex “Huit Octobre”

Flora Purim “Angels”

Francis Monkman “Getting Ready”

Frank Ricotti “Vibes”

Herbie Hancock “Butterfly”

James Mason “I Want Your Love”

Franco Micalizzi “Jessica’s Theme”

Manzel “Midnight Theme”

Sass “I Only Wanted To Love You”

Stars & Bars “Stars And Bars”

Sunburst “Mysterious Vibes”

Mass Production “Slow Bump”

Peter Brown “For Your Love”

Bobby Lyle “Night Breeze”

Brian Bennett “Morning”

Vic Juris “Horizon Drive”

Hailu Mergia & The Walias (ft. Mulatu Astatke) “Yemiasleks Fikir”

Bereket Mengistaab “Lebay”

LaMont Johnson Aces

Alan Hawkshaw “Warm Hearts”

Heatwave “Star Of The Story”

Pasteur Lappe “Mbale (Face To Face With The Truth)”

Joe Beck & David Sanborn “Texas Ann”

Jon Lucien “Sunny Day”

Players' Association, The “Turn The Music Up!”

Richie Cole “New York Afternoon”

Rufus & Chaka Khan “Your Smile”

Shuggie Otis “Pling!”

Alice Coltraine “Galaxy In Turiya”

Stuff “And Here You Are”

Pharoah Sanders “Greeting to Saud (Brother McCoy Tyner)”

Edgar Vercy “La Mer”

Fa-5 self-titled

Iodi “Sonrie”

Joe Moks Boys And Girls

Blackbyrds, The “Lady”

Teddy Lasry “Riverhead”

Brothers Johnson “Tomorrow”

Håkon Graf & Sveinung Hovensjø & Jon Eberson & Jon Christensen “Alive Again”

Favorite Sampling / Crate-Digging / Classic Finds For The Oughts.

Donny Hathaway “Singing This Song To You”

Esther Phillips “That’s All Right With Me”

Gil Scott-Heron “We Almost Lost Detroit”

Isaac Hayes “Hung Up On My Baby”

Marvin Gaye “I Want You” (inst.)

David Axelrod “Warning Pts. 1 & 2”

Pharoah Sanders “Creator Has A Master Plan, The”

Lonnie Liston Smith “Expansions”

Kool & The Gang “Summer Madness”

Roy Ayers Virgin Ubiquity I & II

Rotary Connection “Memory Band”

Cal Tjader “Morning Mist”

Dave Grusin “Either Way”

RAMP “Daylight”

Gil Scott-Heron “A Very Precious Time”

Sun Ra “Yucatan” (Saturn ver.)

Edwin Birdsong “Cola Bottle Baby”

Kool & The Gang “Summer Madness” (live)

Neil Richardson “The Riviera Affair”

Roy Ayers Ubiquity “Show Us A Feeling”

Persuaders, The “We’re Just Trying To Make It”

Sun Ra “Enlightenment”

Les McCann River High River Low

Minnie Riperton “Lovin’ You”

Floaters, The “Float On”

Roy Ayers Ubiquity “Miles (Love’s Silent Dawn)”

Les McCann Layers

John Tropea A Short Trip To Space

Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes Astral Traveling

Chick Corea “Crystal Silence”

Richard “Groove” Holmes “Onsaya Joy”

Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson Winter In America

Delegation “Oh, Honey”

Heatwave “Always And Forever”

Olympic Runners “Don’t Let Up”

Kool & The Gang “Winter Sadness”

Ronnie Laws “Tidal Wave”

Parliament Funkadelic “One Of Those Funky Things”

Roy Ayers A Tear To A Smile

Galt McDermott Ripped Open By Metal Explosion

Idris Muhammad “Crab Apple”

Alan Parker & John Cameron Afro Rock

Beginning Of The End Funky Nassau

Otto Cesana “Hi”

Syd Dale “Cuban Presto”

Chambers Brothers, The “New Generation”

Chick Corea Friends

Edwin Birdsong “Rapper Dapper Snapper”

Jerry Butler “Got To See If I Can't Get Momma (To Come Back Home)”

Karla Bonoff Restless Nights

Phil Upchurch self-titled

Roy Ayers (Ubiquity) “This Side Of Sunshine”

Billy Cobham “Heather”

Bill Conti “Reflections”

Andre Previn “Executive Party Dance”

Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes Vision Of A New World

London West End Theatre Orchestra “Apollo 15 (Race Leader)”

[sinesalvatorem]

I wonder what Julie Andrews, progenitor of My Favourite Things from the Sound of Music, thinks of its various descendants and transformations in pop culture

Particularly curious about the chart-topper, Ariana's hit 7 Rings (favourite things), about how happy she is because she can /buy/ her favourite things (including 7 diamond rings for her friendgroup). I really like it, because I rarely see that particular sentiment /spelled out/, and "Whoever said money can't solve your problems / Must not have had enough money to solve 'em" seems p plausible to me. (But mostly bcuz it's musically excellent)

(I mean, at the minimum, with enough money you can just /pay someone/ to undertake literally any category of human action you need done, or to find someone who can.)

((Last night at a social mixer I got the question "what would you do if you suddenly got a million dollars" and immediately blurted "buy Vanguard indexes and then use $40k a year /forever/ just /solve/ the entire problem of money for good" all as a single cached expectation. The hell else would you do))

Would also love to see Julie's take on John Coltraine's extended (14m) jazz improvisation of Favourite Things, which is excellent and the kind of thing I aspire to do when I'm on stage (though really what I want to do is drag /you/ onto the stage so we can make some great notes /together/)

[hermankopusortizorsumshite]

Part two

It was a year, a whole of rehabilitation and self-hatred. A whole year without so much as a breath from Phillip Kopus. You were back to normal, but you couldn’t shake the rage you felt when you thought about Phillip. You and your best friend Leia headed to the store. When you turn down the fresh fruit isle you see fresh raspberries and head straight for them, until your eyes trace along the wooden table’s rough edge and land on a very familiar pair khaki cargo pants.

“Jesus no.” You growl, eyes tracing up his strong body and landing on none other than Phillip Kopus’ green hazel eyes.

“Shit.” He whispers. You square your shoulders, grabbing the strawberries and stalking away. Your heart thundered and you were ready to fight. You hear a squeaky wheeled cart following you. Whipping down the feminine isle, you breathe deeply.

“I can’t believe the nerve of that guy.” You growl to Leia as she stands in front of the tampons.

“That guy?” She asks, pointing behind you.

“I’m gonna strangle him. You better get the bail money.” You growl, fists quaking at your sides as you turn to face him.

“Hun, I just wanna-”

“No. Phillip Kopus! You had your chance! And it took me a year to get over the fact that you don’t love me. Coltrain called you that night. The night you told me you were done. I figured you would come back.” You sigh, shaking your head. “But it’s okay. I’ve moved on and so have you. It’s okay, Kopus. Just leave me alone. Okay? I know you find me when I’m in town and follow me. Understand me, I’m alive. I’m okay. And I don’t need you.” You assure, patting his forearm. Tears well in his eyes hearing those words.

“Love, I just-”

“I said don’t. I’ve said my piece. Now you just accept it.” You demand, ending the conversation. He watches you walk away, his heart once again shattering. How had she known? How had she seen him? He still couldn’t understand why he followed you so often. It was stalkerish. It was weird, and he couldn’t help himself. Even as he was out to dinner with Anna, Mike’s girl, he would watch you get better every day. He was obsessed.

A month passed as he sat on his couch day in and day out, Mike’s girlfriend Anna had left him, saying he was basically like living with a zombie and she’d had enough. In that moment, he realized he was ready to fight you.

Driving to your shared house with Leia, he gives a heavy knock, and you answer to find Phillip standing there, hands at his sides and a confident twinkle in his eyes.

“It’s my turn to talk and you listen to me. I stalked you because I was scared. I wanted to make sure that no one hurt you again. I couldn’t sleep at night. I’d have nightmares of that night. It would replay every time. You lying there, dead. Just dead. Every time my phone rings I panick. I think it’s Jensen all over again, telling me what happened. I can’t live without you. I was sick, okay? I was sick and tired of nothing changing. I waited six months, and I got tired of waiting. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry it got that way. It wasn’t your fault. But Mike’s girl and his baby were weighing on me pretty heavy and I--”

“Did you sleep with her?” You ask, eyebrow raised in judgement. Nervously twining and untangling his hands from his hair he looks to the floor.

“I’m sorry.” 

“I’m sure you are.”You growl, shaking your head. He reaches out to you, his warm touch making your eyes flutter shut in exhaustion. He was strong and safe and warm, and you were in need of all of those things.

“Listen to me. I’m sorry. I’m a mess of a human being. I’ve never made one good choice in my life. Understand that. But I’ll be damned if I’ll stand here in front of you and not be heard. And understood. I can’t help what I’ve done. And before you say anything, it’s not cheating. Okay? I love you. I’ve loved you forever. And I won’t fight you. If you tell me to go right now, I will. But know I’ll keep stalking you. You got a date? Ol’ Phillip’s gonna be there. It’ll probably get a little weird after a while. Don’t you think?” He challenges her.

“You still slept with someone else. You dated someone else. You couldn’t give me the time of day! You couldn’t come see me. I begged you. I sent you so many voicemails. Did you listen to them? Did you even care? Did you even try? NO! I was alone! And you couldn’t be bothered! Too busy fucking someone else’s girlfriend! And now you have the audacity to threaten me? I promise you Phillip Kopus, I’ll make you wish you were dead.”

“I already do.” He deadpans.

“Damn you! Why didn’t you love me?” You cry out.

“I did! I loved you enough to give you a shot at a better life! I don’t want you to end up with me!” He shouts, jabbing his hands into his chest pointing to himself. “I’m worthless! An ex-convict! I have a bad background and a worse upbringing! I want the best for you and I’m not it! You shouldn’t want me!”

“I should just be repulsed by the very sight of you! I should hate you for giving up on me when I’ve never given up on you! I shouldn’t want anything to do with you! But damn you and your beautiful self! I want you! I can’t do any of those things! I love you too much Phillip Kopus! You don’t get to stand there and patronize me! You don’t get to tell me what I want! I want you and I won’t settle for anything less! Who the hell cares what anyone else thinks? Who cares what Walpole thinks? I love you and that’s all that matters! I only want you. No one else. So stop playing that damn card. It’s old and broken. Throw it away. And admit it, you don’t wanna leave me.”

“I love you so much.” He whispers, taking huge strides to close the distance between you and pulls you tumbling into him. “I’m sorry. Please forgive me.” You pull him into a hug and kiss him.

[plague-doctor-jules]

Imagine Julian narrating this story at the Rowdy Raven:

There was a thick set man with frog eyes Who was standing at the door And a little bald man with wing-nut ears Was waiting in the car Well, Robert Moore passed the frog-eyed man As he walked into the bar And Betty Coltrane she jumped under her table

"What's your pleasure?" asked the barman He had a face like boiled meat "There's a girl called Betty Coltrane That I have come to see" "But I ain't seen that girl 'round here For more than a week" And Betty Coltrane he had hid beneath the table

Well, then in came a sailor with Mermaids tattooed on his arms Followed by the man with the wing-nut ears Who was waitin' in the car Well, Robert Moore sensed trouble He'd seen it comin' from afar And Betty Coltrain she gasped beneath the table

Well, the sailor said, "I'm looking for my wife They call her Betty Coltrain" The frog-eyed man said, "That can't be That's my wife's maiden name" And the man with the wing-nut ears said "Hey, I married her back in Spain" And Betty Coltrain crossed herself beneath the table

Well, Robert Moore stepped up and said "That woman is my wife" And he drew a silver pistol And a wicked bowie knife And he shot the man with the wing-nut ears Straight between the eyes And Betty Coltrain, she moaned under the table

Well, the frog-eyed man jumped at Robert Moore Who stabbed him in the chest And as Mister Frog-eyes died he said "Betty, you're the girl that I loved best" Then the sailor pulled a razor Robert blasted it to bits "And Betty, I know you're under the table"

"Well, have no fear, " said Robert Moore "I do not want to hurt you" "Never a woman did I love me Half as much as you "You're the blessed sun, the meek girl And you are the sacred moon" And Betty shot his legs out from under the table

Well, Robert Moore went down heavy With a crash upon the floor And over to his trashin' body Betty Coltrain she did crawl She put the gun to the back of his head And pulled the trigger once more And blew his brains out all over the table

Well, Betty stood up and shook her head And waved the smoke away Said, "I'm sorry Mr. Barman To leave your place this way"As she emptied out their wallets she said "I'll collect my severance pay" Then she winked and threw a dollar on the table

I am just a sucker for imagining Julian singing murder ballads, man

[undxunted]

Tell me about Zachary. I see your tagged posts of him and I wanna know. I wanna know how he came to be and why you created him as a character. He just seems so badass from the tagged posts

OHMYGOD.

First of all I can’t believe you found proper inspiration/aesthetic posts of him considering 80% of his tag is just Shawn and of all my characters he probably has the least appealing tag tbh but wow, I’m so honored you are interested!   If you want a more narrow selection of his aesthetic, feel free to roam around his Pinterest board.

EDIT: Because I feel like I missed to say this; but I have always liked opposites and we always see the good and the bad, left and right, up and down and while we usually see that in two different characters, I wanted to try mixing this in only one person. I liked the idea of someone who doesn’t send chills down your spine the moment you see them, I wanted to see a secretly bad person who carries around a bunny and blood-stained pennies in his pockets. I wanted a character that was as vast as a universe in which a million contradicting feelings and thoughts could coexist. I wanted to created an antithesis in which both light and dark exist in a character and while we are prone to throw characters to the good side, I wanted to show a scenario in which the dark side ( so edgy ) was undeniably stronger and prone to win no matter what, making Zach himself, the writer ( me ) and the reader ( hopefully ) stressed at the realization that all the good things Zach had to offer, would eventually die in one way or another, stripping him down to the rotten being he has always meant to be.

BLOOD TW, MURDER TW, CANNIBALISM TW and DEATH TW below.

Zachary Coltraine was originally created like four or five years ago for a town rp, his name back then was Zachary Evans and he was an aspiring musician with good heart, anxiety and a desire to be stronger; it probably sounds more appealing than it really was, tbh, I used to write him very plainly and incapable of making a real impact. He was just “one of the bunch” to say it somehow.

Afterwards, he was moved to a supernatural rp in which he was supposed to be a unicorn that was somehow brought in to this world and so, had acquired a human form. The surname Coltraine was just a pun because he was a horned horse ( hence as well, his aesthetic ). This was the time when I started to develop more of his aesthetic as a contradicting “murderous innocence”; in this rp unicorns could only eat one thing in Earth and so, I made my unicorn being capable of only eating raw meat ( of any creature ).

Afterwards, Zach was thrown into a horror/secrets/boarding school rp which was probably the time in which I found what kind of characters I liked to play and I met amazing writers ( and some of the best online people ) that forced me to push my game even further. There, one of his main verses was created:  THE FERAL KID.  In here, Zach had grown up in the woods after running away from a very abusive household and ( a bit of fantasy was obviously added ) causing him to grow up as nothing but a wild animal and force him to hunt and eat raw meat as well. Eventually, shit happens and he is cornered to eat human meat to survive. Eventually Zach became the school’s own boogeyman, punishing them for their ungrateful and bratty attitudes.

Ultimately, he was sent to a city rp and since the circumstances were not as appropriate, I decided to create his second and current verse:   THE SON OF KILLERS.   In this verse, he was born as the son of two serial killers than enjoyed posing the bodies as famous pieces of art. The parents were art fanatics themselves and so, instructed their child into arts and literature. The Coltraine family was also prone to go out hiking or camping which helped develop Zach’s obsession with nature and talent with animals. When Zach was around 9, his parents were caught and killed in the scene in front of their child. The boy grew up seeing dead bodies and blood, so he became horribly accustomed to it, thinking it was normal. Fast-forward to the “present”, Zach had blocked all the horrible things his parents did ( because of reasons ), having just blurry memories of a loving childhood and a weird obsession with intense cleaning, getting rid of the strange stains on the walls, and blocking the entrance of the basement for good. He became a florist and eventually met two of my other characters who have been helping him accept ( and embrace ) his past.

Zach is the kind of person who can look like the nicest and purest soul on Earth and he will be uncannily good at climbing and recognizing animal footprints and fur, but will stab you to death if you mistake Édouard Manet and Claude Monet. Alongside Basil and Riley, he is currently drowning in a delusion of greatness and world domination.

[kingbxsil]

BAZARI presents:

A doctor, an assassin and a florist enter a bar (actually it is an abandoned library)...

The florist was the last one to arrive. His dirty fingers held from the chipped edges of the entrance, the splinters laying down with an unnoticeable purr at the feeling of a fellow plant stopping by. Zachary Coltraine was no plant, no animal, but his constant interaction with nature had injected some of this green vitality into his soul, gifting him a green thumb and an uncanny ability to take care of animals.

“I’m so sorry, the shop closed late today”, he apologized, but with such a bright smile, it wasn’t even needed; he had charm, lots of it, his friends had pointed it out more than once; he was the only one who could get the sun to smile back at him, while the only things they got from the star were old curses. They were best friends with the Moon. Zach was the youngest and tallest, yet, his steps were the quiet ones. His body moved theatrically with no effort as his muscles showed off with any slight action. He liked to stay fit, that was obvious, but not because of common purposes, he liked to stay fit to fulfill the role his parents gifted him at birth: The Lost Prince, Michelangelo’s David, a muse. Even his hair seemed to cooperate, no matter what he did to it, his soft curls always fell poetically on his forehead. “You could be Superman”, he once heard. At first glance he looked human, but if you dared to keep your eyes on him more than a couple of seconds, then you would realize that within his humanity, there was something else, an otherworldly aura that made your throat dry and your stomach flutter. Zachary was dangerously alluring and you didn’t know why.

                                                                        It was the same with the other two.

Pebbles complained as Basil King shifts the weight from one foot to another. The brown worn-out leather of his jacket tensed as he crossed his arms, a gesture practically owned by this boy. Icy blue eyes shot a piercing, yet rather friendly stare to the animal lover that just had made his way into the old library. An attempt of a smile shows up on his lips, but there is no stimuli enough to provoke a full grin.

“You aren’t late”, those are his only words for now and those are the only words needed for the construction to mimic his short sentence with an imposing echo. The other two looked around in awe, a smile showing up on the third friend (yet to introduce). The boys liked to hang out in places like this one, where both time and space seemed frozen and eternal. It was Basil’s idea, probably it had to do with the (totally 100% proven) fact that there was some connection between him and the dusty abandoned buildings. As far as they knew, the second boy, who was also the shortest, has been exploring the unknown and frightening since he was able to crawl. Father Time and Mother Nature claimed paternity over the child and continuously presented him new places to find and conquer; most likely, it was them who commanded every structure to shiver at the voice of the King with no crown. It was decided, the friends knew it, Basil was the future governor of a decaying world of old gods and lost dimensions.

The thump of a heavy book closing with a quick movement attracted the eyes of the “muse” and the “king” towards it. Ah, the last one of the three and also the oldest. An impish smile appreciates the attention received and even though he intends no malice, his friends (whom he likes to consider brothers) are aware that he is the most prone to violent impulses. Every noise seemed to mutter at the exact moment he pushed himself up from the old wooden chair; everyone and everything was quiet and attentive to what he was about to do or say.

“They are already listening”, he said. His voice was deeper, but it didn’t even make the walls shake a bit, something that he secretly envied of his younger comrade. His index pointed upwards and the three of them remained silent. Riley Mendel was not only the smartest (in his group of friends and maybe even of the whole current dimension), but also the most dramatic one. He enjoyed performance very much and with the idea that the universe and its forces were always listening, he attempted his best to impress them at all times. Today, he was the leader. There wasn’t a specific head at all times, it was more of a... rotating role according to the presented situation; no one there would ever dare to claim superiority over the others, because then he would become an easy prey. An invisible halo adorned his shoulders as the cape of a temporary chief and casually, a window behind him filtered the stubborn rays of the sun to crown his head like a holy spirit. He had quite the ability to make things like this happen, to turn tables on his favor no matter how bad the situation could be. Basil and Zach were pretty sure that Riley had an unspoken ability to manipulate chaos, that he was the bastard son of Eris and Death themselves.

“It is unusual for us to meet on Friday”, the florist spoke again as he approached a couple of steps to accidentally form an equilateral triangle in relation to his friends positions. A moment of sepulchral silence is interrupted by a wind shaking the tree’s leaves as if hurrying the oldest of them to finish the dramatic pause. Everybody wants to know why those three old souls had to gather that afternoon.

“It’s Friday the 13th”, Basil remarked, the library creaking at its master’s voice. Everybody except the king looked around once again. Another brief moment of silence that the wind had to interrupt once again, louder and stronger this time. The spirits were impatient.

“I have a case”, the genius Riley finally dropped, but nobody moved. His friends, his brothers of arms know that he wouldn’t simply gather them with such hurry if this was just another one of his “simple” cases. Zach, the most insecure, briefly looked at Basil searching for some answers, but the motionless stance of the other ordered him to stay quiet and keep on waiting, eventually, the current leader will get tired of making them wait. “I want you to work with me in three equal parts”.

                                  The environment turned restless.

The sun touched the twilight, as if attempting to hide from the words that were just said under his watch. An eerie set of shadows hit the old building, creating disturbing silhouettes with the help of the trees in an attempt of scaring such idea from the mind of the boys. It’s inconceivable, outrageous, prohibited and overall... dangerous! Three forces like theirs should accompany each other, of course, but... work together... as one?! Somewhere in the universe the oldest immortals gathered around in an emergency meeting, the wind carried their panicking whispers to the ears of the boys as the sound of leaves brushing each other violently. Even the boys were confused, a simultaneous frown showed up on the faces of Basil and Zachary, but their postures remain untouched, one with crossed and confident stance, and the other with arms loosely at the sides of his body and a slight twist of his torso in an awfully natural elegant pose. Riley’s smile grew a tiny bit with every passing second. “Mortals” could wonder what’s so unusual about this? What’s the matter with three young men chatting about some case in an abandoned building? But you haven’t met them and for the love of any deity you believe in, thank them you haven’t and beg you never will, because these boys are not common fleshlings, these boys are hurricanes, are embodied danger that fell from the gods realm during a stormy night. The three of them are familiarized with death and loss, they are good friends with blood and misery, they served for The Fear and then sat on its throne. Impossibly talented in their own dark arts, these young men are the promise of a terrible (but grand) future.

“The details, brother”, Basil spoke again and the old library stops swinging, as if the voice of the king stroke like an order to let Riley expound.

“A new client, a very powerful person, but apparently not powerful enough, requires us to help them achieve greatness, to change the previously established, to break their prophecy set on stone and build them an empire”, the genius started explaining. His brown eyes bounced between his friends and even dust seemed to freeze in the triangle they have formed. The light diminished as the sun slowly managed to hide from the presence of these old gods, but far from being left in the darkness or getting afraid of the menacing night that attempted to kick them out already, their eyes seemed to glow and their bodies projected a soft light that would keep the shadows away. As long as they were together, not even the destiny would dare to interfere.

“Sounds like any other of your old jobs”. This time it is Zach who declared, his voice way more serious and stern than his initial greetings. The leaves stopped moving, nature around them just paralyzed as their human sentinel raises his voice. This time even Basil broke his steel confidence to turn his head to the florist. The topic of Riley’s past was something rarely touched, it could be quite a trigger; yet, the tall Ent remained calm and strong, capable of holding back a whole tornado if that was about to happen in that exact second. But nothing happened. Riley didn’t snap and slowly, time asks for permission to run by again.

 “The difference, my dear aesthetician”, Riley begun, “is that those jobs were lost coins, ropes with no beginning or no end, wasted opportunities. Don’t you see? My contact was heavily interested as soon as I mentioned having colleagues, people that, even if they couldn’t match the gray matter in my head, they had access to other sides of their minds I could only dream of”. The tone of his voice rose with every sentence, taking some steps in, causing the others to take the same steps to keep their triangle working. Their eyes connected and an invisible link wired their three minds in only one. “And what’s in for us? You may be asking”, Riley added and searched in his pocket for a folded piece of paper, it was empty. Nothing on the front or the back.

“An empty piece of paper could mean either ‘nothing’ or... “, Zach started, but hazel eyes quickly shot upwards to face his companions.

“Exactly”, Riley grinned, showing off human fangs to his friends in a greedy smile.

“You want us to build an empire of our own”, Basil finally spoke again with an almost accusing tone to Riley, “if this person is offering us everything we want as payment, they don’t know what they’re meddling with”.

“Yes, I am thinking of an empire, but not in the way you suggest, My Monarch”, Riley assured him. Another simultaneous step. The windows shut close with a dramatic last note before all remaining spirits abandon the location. They had to reach the sky, the stars and the grand deities to inform them of the playfellows’ ideas, to try and stop whatever they were planning to do. “This person tried to fool us. When I asked for the payment, they extended to me this blank piece of paper. No more words were exchanged”.

“They assumed we are going to ask for everything we want as a reward”, Zach resolved.

“But in the end they are going to give us nothing”, Basil added, “most likely even try to end us”.

The three of them exchanged a look and dropped a harmonic snicker, immediately reading each other’s thoughts. Even Basil, the least expressive of the three, had showed a witty smile.

“So we are going to give them what they ask for...”, Riley begun again.

“...If they feed us, we will grow, but if they starve us...”, Zach followed.

“...we will swallow everything we helped them build”, Basil finished.

A thunder at the distance immobilized the scene. The night had already consumed the day and now the moon watched as her offspring planned the fall of a powerful perfidious person in the most patient way.

“Then it’s settled...”, the genius proclaimed, extending his hand to the center of the triangle. Another thunder at the distance. Zach and Basil joined with their own hands over Riley’s. More thunders, a big storm was approaching... or maybe it was the universe completely terrified, sending alerts to every living being in the planet to be careful, to seek for shelter, because the unimaginable had just happened: three chaotic forces of the universe had decided to gather together to accomplish a goal. It was useless, nothing could ever prepare anyone to what was about to come in the near future. Existence was doomed. The boys smiled at the same time, proving their unnatural connection.

“...This is how it begins, we have risen...”.

“...We are gods”.

[thehumorbot]

I'm 36 and never had a dog my whole life. Meet Rosco (P. Coltrain)! 100% good pupper. via /r/aww https://ift.tt/2AbYdDu

[awwsocuteanimals]

I'm 36 and never had a dog my whole life. Meet Rosco (P. Coltrain)! 100% good pupper.