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lalablue0 · 5 years ago

Text

The Way Back Part III - Conclusion

Pairing: Ezra x OFC (Nora)

Warnings: More random smutty writing sandwiched between the plot

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 4000 (no really!)

Authors Notes: PLEASE READ Unbeta’d. All mistake my own. This chapter is written from Ezra’s POV (save for a few small parts where I had to switch POV back to Nora {switching POVs makes my eye twitch} in order to make a particular scene work). Ezra’s POV is hard. Dialogue heavy towards the end. This is the final chapter for this story (mostly because of my OCD - everything in 3′s). I have laid the foundation for the ‘verse and may choose (re; likely) to revisit with one shots in the future. This fic has been consuming. It reminded me why I don’t normally post what I write. I want to be the best and I am almost never satisfied (so I adopt a why even bother attitude). Has this made me a better writer? Probably not. A better poet. Yup.

Again constructive criticism is appreciated. I didn’t know if anyone wanted to be tagged in this part, so I didn’t want to tag someone in error.

Part I Part II Or read all three parts (director’s cut of sorts with edits and extended scenes) on AO3

Summary: Ezra really needs help.

The Way Back Part III - Conclusion

Translate the pain into fire.

Indicative of the numb sensations.

I am on the edge of the weakening.

I am burning alive without a flame.

Poor little baby crying all alone.

No one hears you scream in your solitude.

You whisper into the roar of the crowd.

Why does it mean so much to you?

This restless soul arguing with fate?

I've seen the light within the withering dark.

Faded lines on the cracked walls.

Haunted by thoughts and actions past.

Fearful of a future that you thought you wrote.

Taking back what fate had destined for me.

Forgive this imperfect person.

–

Ezra couldn’t fathom this idea of loneliness. He felt a burning of determination in the pit of his stomach. He dressed in the garb of the healers and took off down the hallway. The foul stench of the hall was almost enough to make a man vomit, but he managed to hold back the churning of his stomach. Through to the front doors where the crowds of people had thinned in the later morning hours. He maneuvered his way through the labyrinth of persons and headed for the exit. Finally reaching the open air of Puggart Bench. The leaves were already turning yellow. What a disappointment.

His adrenaline was pumping. Coursing through his veins like a poison. He had to find her. He had to know that there was meaning. Her kisses ghosted on his lips leaving him breathless. Breathless and his vision swimming. The air was too thick and too thin and he coughed. His chest was tight as he pushed off the wall and pitched forward. A piece of paper with Cee's writing clutched in his hand.

The effort of the day could not be lost to foolish consequences. There had to be a chance to salvage the things he once took for granted; the ability to reestablish meaningful relations with the other half of his soul. He could not allow their interaction to end sour when finding her again had been such sweet bliss.

–

“I was compelled.” It was the only honest answer Ezra could put into words.

Nora stood in front of him with her fists firmly planted on the side of her hips. “Compelled?” she spit the word like it was venom.

Ezra went to sit upon the sofa. She could see that his journey to their home had taken a toll on him. Which is probably why she went after him so hard. He was supposed to be at the med center. He was supposed to be laying in a bed, hooked up to monitors and an intravenous drip of antibiotics. He was not supposed to be sitting in her living quarters, looking like death.

He leaned back against the cushions and shut his eyes tightly against the harsh overhead light. Nora could see the veins in his neck throbbing; indicative of pain.

“A hospital is not conducive to recovery and you know this,” Ezra stated. He didn't even look at her. He didn't have to. She knew what he meant. Hospitals are cold sterile places that are loud and confusing. Hospitals are hotbeds for germs and bacteria and viruses and all the things that make one sick.

Nora just stared at him. She was forced to leave her shift early when Ezra made a break for it. She isn't sure how he managed to find their place. She and Cee hadn't even been there only but a week. Living quarters were hard to come by in the capital city. One aurelac gem got them a small first floor four room family flat for a period of one year. Nora had figured it would be that long before she could get Ezra back into prime condition. Seeing him sit in front of her after less than a week on the Pug, she looked defeated. Ezra remained still on the sofa. Afraid to move for a chance of pain.

“Where is Cee?” Ezra asked after a moment.

“She's where she is supposed to be. School,” Nora explained. She had reflected on past deeds like they were as fresh as the day rising over the ridge. But she would have none of the sun. He was attempting to make a bit of conversation. The words seemed lost as soon as they had been spoken.

Just then the front door opened and Cee stepped in. She froze when she saw Nora and Ezra. She pulled the headphones from her ears and the room suddenly filled with her music.

“What's going on?” She questioned, “Why aren't you in the hospital?” Cee put her backpack down and went to sit next to Ezra.

“Oh little bird, I am recovered. I am ready to be getting back to work in short order,” Ezra said with a wink and a smile.

Cee looked to Nora and raised an eyebrow. If she hadn't known that Ezra wasn't her father, she would have thought that she got that expression straight from Ezra himself.

An uncomfortable silence stretched between them.

–

Hours passed like seconds. Seconds passed like hours. He had desired to be done with this madness and get on with more important undertakings. The setting sun illuminated the brown in his eyes and bathed his skin in a golden twinkle. She watched his chest heave heavy breaths.

“You are my queen, my goddess. You are my salvation and my sin. I love you,” Ezra said as soon as Nora opened the front door, while on bended knee, “You are the only one who can save me from the wrinkling hands of time. I love you. Be my wife.”

Nora blinked at him slowly.

“You play with my head and leave me anxious, good woman,” Ezra chuckled nervously. He could only bear witness to her love and silence. His once seemingly sensible self, suddenly had doubts.

The words suddenly caught up in her sleep addled mind. The smile broke across her face and her cheeks disappeared her eyes.

“Yes.”

He rose from his position on the floor and took her into his arms. He kissed her. Their first kiss of their engagement. The thoughts of how many firsts there would be in store for them made him joyful.

“I want you,” he whispered in her ear. His hand made its way down the front of her pants. She gasped and threw her head back, giving him opportunity to show affection to the soft maw of her neck. He pressed his lean body harder into her. His kisses left behind a trail of red irritated skin from his growing stubble. His strokes strong and rhythmic in between her slick folds. Her breathing was quick and heavy.

She reciprocated the action by sliding her hand down the front of his trousers. He couldn’t control himself. He withdrew his hand from her pants and immediately began to unbuckle his own. She freed his throbbing cock and pulled a few gentle firm strokes before she guided him by his hips toward their sofa.

He sat down gladly. He shifted his hips so she could have full access to his swollen glans. Now he had her on her knees before him. He was in awe of her beauty. Her grip firm and her spit slick on his cock. Her eyes never left his. Fevered and purposeful.

Her mouth opened wide and his cock disappeared inside, only to reappear bright with her saliva. She kept her eyes on his eyes as long as she could. Soon she fully committed to giving his pleasure.

“Your mouth is far too good for my kiss,” Ezra crooned.

He could feel the heat rising up from both their bodies. The fire in his belly was growing. As much as he would love to finish in her sweet mouth, he wanted her fully and completely. He finally pulled away with an audible pop and stared deeply into her eyes. He was so enamored with the endearing woman in front of him. Her cheeks flushed from the moment. A pirate smile crossed her lips as she stripped from her clothing.

“Your body is a treasure I'd like to plunder,” Ezra confessed.

Nora stood in front of Ezra in all her glory. His eyes darkened as they drank her in. Curves and porcelain skin begged to be grazed and worshiped. She straddled his lap and guided his cock into dripping wet pussy.

The anticipation she evoked sent shivers up his spine. Gentle nuances whispered in his ear. Brazen exuberance the consequence. His mouth crashed onto hers. Their hips ground against each other creating fire from the friction. He could smell the pheromones wafting from her taut skin.

Every touch, every kiss elicited in this fiery passion echoed in their ears. Every fiber of their being set alight from the love they created.

The want and desire. It becomes a mere memory these few moments they shared together. All seemed right in the 'verse when he held her. The promises of a brighter future then he was capable of providing for the love of his life. She would always be content with his promises. She would always be content knowing that he would be hers forever. Ezra hailed himself the victor in his battle for her. He would always win the battle.

The ceremony was the last night of the harvest moon.

Nora came to sit next to Ezra at the small dining table when Cee went to her room after dinner. Ezra sat slumped in his chair and grasped her hands in his together in an unspoken prayer. His heart was heavy. His resolve was weak. No one else was in the room to see him fall apart. He felt abandoned and under vigilant eye.

“My loneliness is unfathomable. I want to join you, love. I’ve been so lost without you. I haven’t the strength left to stay. When I left, I not only lost my love, I lost my soul. I cannot make such concessions again,” he admitted to Nora.

“That's no reason to leave the hospital. You're still very sick, Ez,” Nora said as she traced her fingers down the side of his sweat glistened face.

“I cannot go back. I feel so polluted. Allow me to stay,” He gripped her hand tighter, “I know that I can be the night which you get so much comfortable from,” He leaned into her. He felt a need to begin again the day that had started out as fair and sunny and had now seemed cold and dark against her.

“I held fast my vow. You are the only love my body has ever known,” he said as he grasped her hand tightly. “My being, or what was left of it, continues on in obscurity. My soul is here,” closing the space between them. Touching his fevered forehead to hers. “You are here.”

Her eyes were glassy and red rimmed. He saw the words ready to fall from her quivering lips. Ready to shout out a reprieve. She shut her eyes.

Nora instead rose slowly and pulled Ezra along with her. She led him to her room and laid him down on her bed. She laid down beside him on his right side. She nuzzled into his side and felt the heat rising from his body. She felt his tremble as he released decades of grief. She felt his stump as it caressed the back of her neck. She felt his breath even out as he drifted to a well earned rest.

She had been lucky enough to be with Cee and Ezra throughout this journey. They leaned on each other. Without them, she felt her strength fade. She wasn’t sure how she might be able to continue. She only knew that she needed to continue for them. She didn't have to be perfect. She just had to be perfect for them.

She looked up to the ceiling. She thought that maybe she was looking for a sign from God. She didn’t often look for signs. Never felt a need to do so. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she held her breath. Nothing.

“I was sadly mistaken,” She looked back to Ezra. Of course there was no response. She wiped the tears from her eyes with her palms and sniffled. She slowly extricated herself from Ezra's side. She stood up and leaned over Ezra's sleeping form. She kissed his forehead and whispered “Goodnight my love.”

She walked out of the room and laid on the sofa.

–

The morning was cool but Ezra was warm. He woke comfortable. Unfamiliar surroundings were not unusual, but something familiar tickled his senses. The other side of the bed sank and he swore he saw her out of the corner of his vision.

Nora had awoke to Ezra standing over her while she slept on the sofa. Standing might have been a poor choice of words. He was using his left hand to hold himself upright against the wall behind the sofa. Hovering over her may have been more appropriate. Ezra's fever spiked and he was hallucinating.

“Ezra? What are you doing?” Nora asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

Ezra swayed a bit, but he didn't say anything. Nora managed to move into a sitting position in front of him. She was right at the height of his hips and she pushed the automatic dirty thoughts out of her head.

“Ezra?”

She could feel the heat radiating from his body. A drop of sweat fell from his nose and landed on her thigh, chilling her. She stood up and let Ezra lean against her. His arm finally withdrew from its hold on the wall and she took all his weight. She huffed as she dragged his limp body back to her bedroom. She laid him down on the bed and he reached out for her.

“What's going on?” Cee appeared in her doorway looking much younger than her actual years. Woken before the sun before school.

“Could you bring me a cold wet cloth, please? And empty that fruit bowl and fill it with cold water.”

Cee quickly disappeared to the bathroom and turned on the light. The light pierced the dark and brought everything that much clearer. He was pale and trembling. His eyes were unfocused and seemed to be looking through her.

But it couldn't be. I left her behind. I walked away from my one true love for materialistic riches that did not bring me joy. Fire had purged the 'verse of her luscious greens and turned whatever it touched black.

“What is he talking about?” Cee asked as she returned with the wet cloth.

“He's burning up.” Nora said as she began to rub down Ezra's face. He leaned into the coolness of the cloth. He physically deflated when she returned the cloth to the bowl of cool water.

Generations of gypsy and hunters thrived on the parched land.

“Ezra?” Nora tried but expected no answer.

Our home was gutted. The floor was littered with fallen shelving and the strange smelling herbs and powders that the healers would use. It was Nora's. Nora's gone. Nora's gone. I have nothing left.

Nora continued through the early morning to bring Ezra's fever down naturally. His chest wound was mostly healed, but redness touched the edges and felt aflame. His wound festered deep. She considered him foolish for leaving the hospital. She considered herself a fool for allowing him to remain in her bed.

I left my wife. I left my wife and can't find her anywhere. Her love sustained me and now I am starving.

“Maybe we should bring him back to the med center,” Nora had been waiting for Cee's suggestion for hours now. She bit at her fingernails; a nervous tick that Nora first noticed when Ezra was comatose on the freighter. She seemed to do it most when Ezra's symptoms began to worsen. She had Cee call for a delivery of ice.

Nora wondered if her new neighbors heard Ezra's moans and ramblings. He had gotten rather vocal when they dumped almost twenty pounds of ice over him in an attempt to bring his temperature down. She knew that she needed to do something more.

His face was constantly contorted in pain. His eyes unseeing and always searching. Searching for her. She slept beside him. Some part of her always touching him. Her hand on his soft belly. Her backside against his hip. Her foot draped over his calf. On nights he cried his apologies and spoke dramatically of his desire to be with her, she would wrap herself around his body to remind him that she was right there. Gentle kisses placed on his shoulder and chest. He was there but never present. He missed her so. He made sure to mention it a few times to make sure the sentimentality stuck.

On the second night his body had gone rigid and his face went slack. His eyes rolled back and he just - stopped. Cee had been reading to him at the time and her scream for help will haunt Nora. She couldn't do anything. At the hospital he would have received medicine that would have relaxed his muscles and mind. Actually it would likely have never been needed at all, because at the hospital, he would have been on intravenous antibiotics and antipyretics. His fever never would have gotten so high if he had just stayed at the hospital. She hadn't felt this helpless since the freighter. At least on the freighter she had some equipment. Some medicine. She had to do something.

She couldn't sit anymore and watch Ezra's brain cook inside his skull. He needed more help than she could provide alone. The febrile seizure was her tipping point. She had never seen Cee so scared. She couldn't do anything for Ezra while he rode out the seizure, so she wrapped her arms around Cee and rocked her while she cried.

“We're just going to leave him here alone?” Cee questioned as Nora tucked Ezra tightly under the covers.

“We have to. I need your help. He needs our help,” Nora was near frantic.

“Ezra?” She sat on the bed next to him. She stroked the side of his face. “We will be back with something that will help you. Okay. Stay here. Sleep.”

Heaven and Hell have opted not to intervene and let me destroy myself.

Cee waited in their transport vehicle while Nora went inside. The medical center was the largest planet side and the most well equipped. Nora told her she was going to get a few things. Cee is pretty sure that she left with half of the hospital.

Can you hear my heart pound? It's as loud as thunder.

“Ez?” Nora called out as they arrived back home. He was still in her bed, soaked in sweat and melted ice.

I didn’t understand the language. So I just walked away. Where are my socks?

“Where did you get all this? Did you steal it?”Cee asked as Nora brought in more boxes from the transport into the flat.

“Steal? No. That would set a bad example. I'll return everything when I fix him,” She said with a hint of desperation.

She quickly set up all the equipment and plugged everything into the power converter. Nora sent up a prayer to Kevva that the converter could handle all the equipment and not trip the circuit. When everything powered up correctly she exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

My soul is broken.

Nora sent Cee out of the room as she connected Ezra's more personal bits and changed him into dry clothes. Nora then got Ezra hooked up quickly to the cardiac monitor and it immediately began to beep out an alarm.

“Ezra, I'm going to start you back on an IV. You need medicine.”

I shouldn't have left you. I should have stayed. For this, I will face eternity alone.

A bee sting.

Cee slept on the sofa. From her vantage point she could see right into the bedroom and Ezra's sleeping form. She watched as Nora tried to ground Ezra from whatever wild hallucinations plagued his mind. Soft comforting murmurs and humming that lulled Ezra from restlessness, lulled Cee to sleep.

You would fall asleep and I would watch your delicate bosom rise and fall. I whispered my promises of love eternal. I am penitent for breaking my promises.

Five days and nights. Nora was exhausted. Cee was helpful, but she too was extremely tired. The med center wasn't pleased that Nora wasn't showing at work, but her commitment was to Ezra and Cee. She had promised to give Cee a home. She promised Cee that she would make Ezra well. She promised Cee that all would be well, they just had to get to the other side of this.

Cee went to school while Ezra laid in Nora's bed. Leaving Nora to care for Ezra alone. He had fallen into fitful sleep beside her. She took the brief moment of quiet to step into their shower and wash off these past days.

With fresh kisses ghosting her lips and steamy water against her skin she fingered herself to climax thinking of Ezra.

As she was drying off, she heard a clatter in her room. She quickly rounded the corner to find a tangle of limbs and wires on the floor.

“Ez, get back in bed!” She rushed to his side.

The 'verse is overwhelming. Too many sick. Too many dying. None of the herbs or elixirs are working. I searched all over for you, love. I couldn't find you.

His hand reached in her direction, but his eyes were unfocused. Finally his hand landed on her shoulder and moved to cup her cheek. He leaned into her space and touched his forehead to hers. He didn't feel as warm as he did a few hours ago.

She gave him a quick kiss on the lips and said, “Ezra, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. I really wish you wouldn't either.”

She took the opportunity to change the bed linens and give Ezra a sponge bath of his own. His hand clamped around her wrist as she cleaned his penis. He begged her to touch him as a man. Nora made her promises that she was sure Ezra would forget soon.

“Do you really have to tie him down?” Cee asked when Nora restrained Ezra to the bed.

“I do.” Nora filled a syringe with a brownish liquid.

A rush of warmth courses through my veins. The brief respite as I was not able to touch the ground.

“Sleep, Ezra. Sleep.”

Flooded is the battlefield. There may not be a tomorrow, my love. So I declare my intentions now. I will find you. I will find the way back to you.

Nora kissed Ezra's forehead and whispered, “You keep fighting your way back to me. We'll be waiting right here for you, my love.”

The words rolled around in his head as the fog lifted on his mind. He recognized the antiseptic smell of a hospital and the bright white walls gleaning into his field of vision. He also recognized the heavy leather straps tying down his wrist and ankles.

“His eyes are open,” Cee called out as she came into view. He felt the bed dip as she sat on the edge.

“Little bird,” Ezra's voice was raw and soft as a whisper.

Cee was eating a bowl of cereal and staring at him. Ezra's mind was clearer, but he remained no less confused.

He tested the limits of his bonds.

“Yeah. Stop trying to pull out your IV and leave. She'll knock you out again, you slept enough,” Cee said between bites of her morning meal.

“Slept?” Ezra questioned. He looked around the room and realized he was not, in fact, in a hospital or a medical bay, but in a proper bedroom. “Where are we? I do not recall this place.”

Cee eyes widen, ��Wait! Are you actually awake? Like awake? Awake? Hey! Hey! I think he's actually awake and not hallucinating.”

Ezra continued to look upon Cee with confusion. The last of his clear moments seemed to be of the Green. He recalled the images intensely as they muddled through to the front of his mind. He remembered getting into the drop pod. He tried to feel the wound he received in his chest, but his one hand was still bound. His free shoulder reached out but he was suddenly reminded of the deficiency.

His hand stilled and looked to Cee with pleading eyes. “Untie me, little bird. I promise not to fly the coop with this broken wing.”

Cee let the spoon clatter in the bowl. She quickly moved to the other side of the bed and released Ezra's bound wrist. She moved to the foot of the bed and freed his ankles. When she stood up, Ezra saw the petite frame leaning against the door jamb. His eyes fell upon hers and they said everything that he could not. He grinned so widely, he could feel his lips cracking from the dryness.

“For my eyes they do deceive. Tell me, little bird, do you see that most beautiful woman in the doorway?”

“Yes.” Cee confirmed with a giggle.

His breath shuddered as he received the confirmation that she was indeed there, “I thought it was a dream. My fair sweet Nora,” Ezra began to climb out of bed.

Suddenly Nora and Cee were at his side as his knees buckled beneath him. They each took a side to support his weight as they guided him back into bed. Nora began to untangle him from the many bits of tubes and wires still attached to his body.

“It must be that I have died again, little bird. Only heaven could be this perfect.”

Cee chuckled and rolled her eyes. “He really missed you,” she poked at Nora.

“Yes. I know. He keeps reminding us,” Nora laughed. The sound was music to his ears even if he knew he was missing the folly.

Ezra had not yet taken his eyes off Nora since he got back in the bed. He cautiously reached out to touch her. She was firm and soft. He pulled her down to the bed with him. She was face to face with him. His hand came to rest on her chest and he felt her heart beating under his palm.

“My love. Where did you go? I came back for you but you were gone.”

Nora looked at him with a quizzical expression. She inhaled deeply when she finally followed Ezra's train of thought.

“The riots got bad the day you left. I was evacuated only two days later,” she paused and bit her bottom lip, “I didn't know you came back.”

“I returned on the third day and our home was destroyed. I had searched for you throughout the cosmos. I was certain that you had perished because my soul was incomplete.”

Ezra didn't even feel the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes. Ezra turned Nora's hand in his and brought to his lips for a kiss. He inhaled deeply.

“Erratic thoughts entangle my mind. I fear I am overwhelmed with all varieties of false memories. Was I in a hospital?”

“You escaped and me and Nora had to steal all this equipment because you refused to go back.” Cee said as she jumped on the bed to sit beside Ezra.

Nora's soft expression changed, “We didn't steal. We're just borrowing till he's better.” She began physically examining him.

“My precious Nora, a thief?” He could feel himself smile as Nora shined a pen light in his eyes, “Why, little bird, you are going to have some stories to tell me, aren't you?”

“Oh my goodness, I have to tell you about how we --”

“Cee, sweetie, I think it's time for school,” Nora interrupted.

“I'll tell you everything after school,” Cee started off the bed. “You'll – you'll still be here? Right?” Cee asked Ezra with questioning eyes.

Ezra's smile faltered. He shook his head minutely, “Why wouldn't I be?”

“He's not going anywhere,” Nora confirmed to Cee with a hug and gentle forehead kiss. “Put your bowl in the sink.”

Ezra sat in awe of the familial scene. He understands that Nora and Cee had obviously bonded while he had been quite sick. To be privy to this intimacy made him feel an intruder. Words could not express the intensity of the bonds between a mother bear and her cub. Cee may not have been hers biologically, but Ezra recognized that Cee was Nora's nonetheless.

He knew these things, he thought, because he allowed himself to know. Allowed a closeness that not many men would want to know about their women. He was allowed constant reminders of their station. Women can bear fruit that men can not. For this account alone, they should be revered.

Cee patted Ezra's leg and did as she was instructed. “I'll see you after school.”

He watched as Cee walked away with the bright light of the morning sun dancing in front of her as she exited. He felt all his warmth leave with her.

He hung his head and felt her eyes upon him. He felt a shame that he had long forgotten. He reached out and grasped her right hand. He inhaled her scent and then touched her hand to his face. She sat on the edge of the bed.

“I can speak all the fancy words, but none so plain as I'm sorry,” Ezra felt his shoulders getting heavy. “I am sorry that I laid hands on you, my love. I would love to tell you that I never took another life, but I would be lying. I am not the man you married. I am not the man you want – need – me to be.”

Nora watched him intently for a moment. He knew she was choosing her words wisely. Now that he was looking at her, truly looking at her she appeared pale and drawn. She was tired. He realized she had probably been keeping a vigil over him for … however long he had been out of the 'verse. It takes only a pound of pressure to break human skin. The weight of the world must be crushing.

After several absurdly long moments she finally spoke, “Our lives are victim to entropy. This 'verse is ever changing. What happened between us is past. I forgave you years ago,” her bottom lip disappeared between her teeth again. He hadn't seen her so nervous since their first time. “I forgive you,” she continued, “I know what kind of man you are,” she paused and smiled, “You were rather chatty during your hallucinations.”

Ezra's eyes widened. “I fear I do not recall what I may have said during my convalescence.”

Nora's bottom lip disappeared again, “Did you really not sleep with anyone else in the last ten years?”

Ezra's face shifted. How much did he reveal of himself? “I, uh, honored our vow. Yes,” He looked to Nora.

She nodded. “Then I am not unusual for having done the same? My soul was also incomplete.”

Ezra laughed softly and shook his head. “I guess we were just waiting to be whole again. We have a lot to catch up on.”

“You still have a way to go before that can happen, but, yeah, we have a lot to catch up on.”

“Well I want to hear about how my malady resulted in you becoming a thief,” Ezra said with a grin.

“Well Cee has plenty that she will love to talk to you about,” Nora laughed as she started to get up from the bed.

Ezra caught her arm and turned her to face him. He leaned into her space and kissed her. It felt familiar and foreign and divine. “I have loved you my entire life. I am so happy to have found the way back to you.”

~Fin~

Read next chapter - Minutiae

#prospect 2018 #ezra prospect #pedro pascal #wash your hands #fanfic #noraverse

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mhisadj · 5 years ago

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For better or for worse, I have a job that is exempt - to a great degree - from the widespread need for isolation (in the world of news radio, the show must go on). However, I do get days off and thank goodness for that because my brain can only take so much constant pandemic talk.

So! I offer up ‘the ultimate music list’, something I started doing on YouTube last year. Maybe earlier. It’s a living list, it will never be complete. Anyway, listen to the way my music mind rambles! All songs listed on the other side of the keep reading line (not linked, you gotta do some of the work):

Seinabo Sey - I Owe You Nothing Janelle Monáe – Django Jane Janelle Monáe - PYNK Janelle Monáe – Make Me Feel Sudan Archives - Come Meh Way Sudan Archives - Come Meh Way & Wake Up | A Take Away Show St. Beauty - Not Discuss It Japanese Breakfast - Boyish St. Beauty - Caught Kali Uchis - After The Storm ft. Tyler, The Creator, Bootsy Collins Kali Uchis - Tomorrow (ft. Tame Impala) Kali Uchis - Dead To Me Kali Uchis - Body Language (Intro) Kali Uchis - Just A Stranger Kali Uchis - In My Dreams Kali Uchis - Flight 22 Sigrid - Strangers King Princess - 1950 Sigrid - Don’t Kill My Vibe Sigrid - Plot Twist Moonchild - The List Amber Mark - Way Back The Internet - Girl DeJ Loaf - Changes Erykah Badu - Window Seat Erykah Badu - Afro Blue M.I.A. - Matangi M.I.A. - Double Bubble Trouble M.I.A. - Paper Planes A Tribe Called Red - The Light II Ft. Lido Pimienta A Tribe Called Red - Sisters ft Northern Voice PRINCESS NOKIA - BRUJAS PRINCESS NOKIA - TOMBOY Solange - Cranes in the Sky Solange - Don't Touch My Hair ft. Sampha SZA - Broken Clocks SZA - Drew Barrymore SZA - Go Gina SZA - Prom SZA - Pretty Little Birds Sade - Flower of the Universe Sade - The Sweetest Taboo Sade - Paradise Sade - Turn My Back On You Sade - Smooth Operator Sade - Cherish the Day Erykah Badu - On & On Jill Scott - A Long Walk Erykah Badu - Tyrone (Live) Janelle Monáe - I Like That Christine and the Queens - Girlfriend Humble the Poet - H.A.I.R. Lush - Desire Lines Lush - Never-Never Rachel Sermanni 'Take Me Out' - Franz Ferdinand Cover Memory House - When You Sleep (Yours Truly Session) Sumner McKane - The Turncoat Nothing Matters When We’re Dancing - The Magnetic Fields (Sense8 Remix) (feat. Zoe Wise) Julia Holter - I Shall Love 2 Dua Lipa - New Rules [Initial Talk 80s Rules Remix] Lady Gaga - Venus (80s Synthwave Version) Ruelle - Take It All Kraak & Smaak Ft. Parcels - Stumble Calvin Harris, Dua Lipa - One Kiss Timecop1983 - Girl (feat. SEAWAVES) Aretha Franklin - Mary, Don't You Weep (Live at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church, Los Angeles, January 14, 1972) Sarah Vaughan - Misty (Live from Sweden) Ellie Goulding - My Blood (Kastle Remix) Darksynth Paradise - A NewRetroWave Mix | 1 Hour | Retrowave/ Darkwave/ Electro | Sudan Archives - Nont For Sale Christine and the Queens - 5 dollars Christine and the Queens - Doesn’t matter Christine and the Queens - The walker Christine and the Queens - Damn (what must a woman do) Christine and the Queens - Goya soda Christine and the Queens - The stranger Lone - Poltergeist Screamin’ Jay Hawkins - I Hear Voices Lost Years - Pressure Windows 95 Start-up remix Windows 95 Startup Sound (Slowed 4000%) Seoul - Silencer Blackwater Holylight - Willow Her's - Low Beam Here We Go Magic - Alone But Moving John Maus - Bennington AC Temple - Yield Lana del Rey - Summertime Sadness (SxAde Synthwave Version) Ariana Grande - "Into You" 80′s Remix Demi Lovato - Cool for the Summer 80′s Remix Fifth Harmony - Sledgehammer 80′s Remix Lady Gaga - Perfect Illusion 80s Remix Ariana Grande - Greedy [Initial Talk "90s state of mind" Remix] Happy Hippie Presents: Miley Cyrus & Ariana Grande - Don't Dream It's Over Mariah Carey - Touch My Body [Initial Talk 90s Splash! Remix] Dua Lipa - IDGAF (Initial Talk Remix) 憂鬱 - Sun Lady Gaga - Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Goin’?) Robyn - Honey Dolly Parton - Here You Come Again Floating Points - Nuits Sonores Sade - The Big Unknown Amanda Shires - Leave It Alone Crockett - City of Ghosts [Full Album] Toni Harper - "The Velvet Hammer" (stereo), 1959 Cristina - "Things Fall Apart" Dexter Gordon - What’s New Warren Zevon - Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead - Rochester, 1994 Le1f - Wut Katie Herzig - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of These) Raymond Scott - "Boy Scout In Switzerland" - Quartet San Francisco (arranged by Robert Gilmore) Jan A.P. Kaczmarek - Aimee & Jaguar Main Theme Toni Harper - "The Other Woman" Toni Harper - The meaning of the blues Vanessa - Upside Down Anna Ternheim - Summer Rain feat. Nina Kinert, Ane Brun, First Aid Kit and Ellekari Larsson of The Tiny Ella Fitzgerald & Bill Doggett ~ Rough Ridin' Eraldo Bernocchi, Harold Budd,Robin Guthrie - South Of Heaven (Winter Garden) Slum Village - Fall in Love (Instrumental) Shonen Knife - Twist Barbie Dave Berry - This Strange Effect Sarah Harmer - Basement Apartment The Original Stroll - February 1958 Gertrude Lawrence - My Sweet Gustav HOLST: St. Paul's Suite (III. Intermezzo, IV. Finale) Rumskib - Secrets Caterina Valente - Stranger In Paradise Borodin - Prince Igor - Polovtsian Dances Darshan Ambient - Mirage Girl Crisis - Smooth Operator Girl Crisis - Paranoid Mulatu Astatke's "Mulatu" Vivien Goldman - Launderette Jonatha Brooke - West Point Lesley Gore - You Don’t Own Me Matthew Schoening - Emotional Clockwork Molly Nilsson - Hey Moon Kate Bush - Cloudbusting (The Organon Mix re-edit) Stravinsky conducts Stravinsky FIREBIRD COMPLETE The Carter Family - Wildwood Flower Grimes - Vanessa Kenneth Bager Fr. one (...and I kept hearing) Land of Talk - It’s Okay Nite Jewel - Artificial Intelligence Geneva Jacuzzi - Clothes On the Bed Thom Yorke & Jonny Greenwood - Karma Police | Glastonbury Festival, Pilton UK (8/9) Maps of Norway - Traffic Simian Mobile Disco - Cruel Intentions Aerosmith - Crazy Bruce Kaphan - Undeserved Ending The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - "Everything With You" Thao with the Get Down Stay Down - Body Janelle Monae - "Tightrope" 5/18 Letterman Simian Mobile Disco - Hustler Ladyhawke - My Delirium Marion Cotillard & Franz Ferdinand - Eyes of Mars Ladytron - Destroy Everything You Touch (live) Kate Bush - Army Dreamers Tegan and Sara - Living Room Kate Bush - Cloudbusting Beatrice Eli - Girls NewRetroWave End of 2017 Mix - (The Future Beckons) - [80s/ Retrowave/ Outrun/ Retro Electro] Vaporwave / Chillwave - Ultimate Mix The Chordettes "Lollipop" & "Mr. Sandman" Sufjan Stevens - Tonya Harding Taylor Davis - Stranger Things Violin Medley STRANGER THINGS MEETS CLASSICAL GUITAR Grace Sings Sludge - Difficult To Love Satchmode - Happiness Part 1 River Whyless - Life Crisis Stefano Barone - Batman - Alexander Supertramp Bebel Gilberto - "Aganjú"(Ao Vivo) - Bebel Gilberto In Rio Katie Melua - Diamonds are Forever Carly Rae Jepsen - Run Away With Me Beulahbelle - You Only Live Twice (Living Room Version) Grimes - We Appreciate Power Meshell Ndegeocello - Sensitivity Kodacrome - Buckets Röyksopp - Remind Me Lizzo - Juice Lizzo - Truth Hurts Lizzo - Good As Hell Electrelane - To the East Electrelane - I only always think Sean Paul - Get Busy 憂鬱 - Azure Day (Full EP) 憂鬱 - Slow Suzanne Vega - Luka | The story behind the song Seoul - Real June Broken Social Scene on House of Strombo Show Big Boi’s Favorite Verse: Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” Cherry Glazerr - Nurse Ratched Jan A.P. Kaczmarek - Aimée & Jaguar Mister Rogers Remixed | Garden of Your Mind Grant Green - Idle Moments Hole Reunion after 15 yrs. Teeth - Care Bear ST. VINCENT covers BIG BLACK at BOWERY BALLROOM NYC May 22 2011 Broadcast - Man is not a bird (Teac A-4010 s Reel to Reel) Billy May - So Nice (Samba De Verão) Pogo - Mellow Brick Road Anna Calvi - Jezebel (Attic Sessions 5) Anna Calvi - Joan Of Arc (Attic Sessions 4) Anna Calvi - Surrender (Attic Sessions 3) Anna Calvi - Sound & Vision (Attic Sessions 1) Anna Calvi - Wolf Like Me (Attic Sessions 2) Clementine - ALL BLUES Skip James - Hard Time Killin’ Floor Blues Anna Calvi - Suzanne And I Total Slacker - Thyme Traveling High School Dropout Siouxsie & The Banshees- Metal (Elizabethan Suite 1977) Second Chorus (Charlie North Remix) The Castaways - Liar Liar Alex Gaudino Feat. Christal Waters - Destination Calabria Loose Ends - Hangin’ On a String Pizzicato Five - The Audrey Hepburn Complex Edie Brickell & New Bohemians - What I Am The Bangles - Walk Like an Egyptian The Human League - Love Action (I Believe In Love) The Human League - Don’t You Want Me The Human League - (Keep Feeling) Fascination Wang Chung - Dance Hall Days PJ Harvey - Hanging in the Wire PJ Harvey - Rid Of Me PJ Harvey & Thom Yorke - This Mess We’re In PJ Harvey - We Float PJ Harvey - This Wicked Tongue PJ Harvey - A Place Called Home The Sundays - Here’s Where The Story Ends Flock of Seagulls - Space Age Love Song The Psychedelic Furs - Love My Way Hall & Oates - Out of Touch Hall & Oates - I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) Toto - Rosanna Toto - Africa Fleetwood Mac - Little Lies Tears For Fears - Head Over Heels Philip Bailey, Phil Collins - Easy Lover Spandau Ballet - True Tears For Fears - Shout Sigrid - Don’t Feel Like Crying Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Souvenir The Jesus and Mary Chain - April Skies The Ocean Blue - Between Something and Nothing No Joy - Hollywood Teeth Tamaryn - Last Tamaryn - Softcore Tamaryn - Cranekiss Ashrae Fax - CHKN Echo & the Bunnymen - A Promise Ashrae Fax - Intexus The Motels - Only the Lonely Other Colors - Dark Things Bauhaus - All We Ever Wanted Was Everything George Clanton - It Makes the Babies Want to Cry Ben Howard - Nica Libres At Dusk Elton John - Bennie and the Jets Elton John - Don't Go Breaking My Heart (with Kiki Dee) David Bowie - Life On Mars? Elton John - Someone Saved My Life Tonight St Vincent Breaks Down Her Most Iconic Songs Pharoahe Monch - Simon Says (instrumental) Death Valley Girls "Disaster (Is What We're After)" A Tribe Called Quest - Electric Relaxation Tame Impala - The Less I Know The Better Childish Gambino - Redbone De La Soul - A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays Choir! Choir! Choir! Sings David Bowie - Heroes Kishi Bashi - This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) Talking Heads - This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) The 6ths - You You You You You Squirrel Nut Zippers "Put A Lid On It" Joni Mitchell - Help Me Pat Metheny, Joni Mitchell, Jaco Pastorius, Michael Brecker - "Shadows And Light" Joni Mitchell - All I Want Joni Mitchell - Free Man In Paris Joni Mitchell - California Joni Mitchell - In France They Kiss On Main Street Joni Mitchell - Amelia Joni Mitchell - People’s Parties Joni Mitchell - For the Roses Joni Mitchell - The Hissing of Summer Lawns Joni Mitchell - Black Crow Joni Mitchell - Hejira Joni Mitchell - Coyote Joni Mitchell w/Peter Gabriel - My Secret Place Joni Mitchell - Down To You Joni Mitchell - Refuge of the Roads Joni Mitchell - Slouching Towards Bethlehem Joni Mitchell - Shades of Scarlet Conquering Joni Mitchell - Cool Water (with Willie Nelson) Joni Mitchell - The Jungle Line Joni Mitchell - Song For Sharon Joni Mitchell - Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire Joni Mitchell - Night Ride Home Joni Mitchell - Taming the Tiger Joni Mitchell - Snakes & Ladders Joni Mitchell - Raised on Robbery Joni Mitchell - Jericho Joni Mitchell - Lakota Joni Mitchell - The Beat of Black Wings Joni Mitchell - You Turn Me On I’m A Radio (Live) The Delfonics - Ready or Not Here I Come Funkadelic - Maggot Brain Incredible Bongo Band - Apache The Stylistics - People Make The World Go Round Manual - Crockett’s Theme Jessica Pratt - This Time Around Jessica Pratt - Poly Blue Jessica Pratt - Baby, Back Jessica Pratt - Aeroplane Tony Allen - Stick Around Basia - Promises Basia - New Day For You Basia - Cruising For Bruising Basia - Drunk On Love Basia - Third Time Lucky America - Tin Man Weyes Blood - Andromeda Ladytron - Far From Home Ladytron - Deadzone Ladytron - The Island St. Vincent & Dua Lipa | Masseduction / One Kiss | 2019 GRAMMYs Janelle Monáe - Make Me Feel (LIVE at the 61st GRAMMYs) Still Corners - The Trip Still Corners - Strange Pleasures FM-84 - Bend & Break Robyn - Send To Robin Immediately The Ultimate Kate Bush Experience - Shambush Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill Kate Bush - Hounds of Love [Full Album] Kate Bush - Babooshka Kate Bush - The Sensual World Kate Bush - Hammer Horror Kate Bush - Love and Anger Katie Lee - Stay as Sick as You Are America - You Can Do Magic Blonde Redhead - Magic Mountain Harry Nilsson - Gotta Get Up In These Streets Lorelle Meets the Obsolete - Unificado Sneaks - Ecstasy Linear Movement - Way Out Of Living Alex Lilly - Pornographic Mind Caribou - Melody Day (Four Tet Remix feat. Luke Lalonde Adem and One Little Plane) Def Leppard - Hysteria Sigrid - Sight of You The Charlie Steinmann Orchestra And Singers - It's Such a Good Night (Scoobidoo Love) Alice Coltrane - Blue Nile Les McCann - Roberta Pharoah Sanders - Astral Travelling Pure Bathing Culture - Scotty Jamila Woods - EARTHA Patricia Barber - Too Rich For My Blood Mary Jane Girls - All Night Long LL Cool J - Around the Way Girl Keep Shelly In Athens - Bendable Absolute Jest: I. Beginning · John Adams · San Francisco Symphony · St. Lawrence String Quartet · Michael Tilson Thomas Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule the World Futurecop! - Fade Away (feat. NINA) Steve Gunn - New Moon Moving Panoramas - ADD Heart Elizabeth Barraclough - Don’t TV Me Klymaxx - Meeting In the Ladies Room Salt Cathedral - Go and Get It feat. Big Freedia & Jarina DeMarco Brian Eno - Ambient 1: Music for Airports [Full Album] Calexico and Iron & Wine - Midnight Sun Cate Le Bon - The Light Cate Le Bon - Daylight Matters Jack White at Château de Fontainebleau I A Take Away Show Tammy Wynette - Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad Stella Donnelly - Die Portishead - Sour Times Portishead at Roseland New York City Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Cheated Hearts Warpaint - Disco//Very - Keep It Healthy Jessica Pratt - Fare Thee Well Jessica Pratt - Here My Love Alvvays - Saved By A Waif Alvvays - Dreams Tonite Alvvays - Forget About Life Alvvays - Plimsoll Punks Tame Impala - Patience Godzilla: Old Rivals - Bear McCreary( Godzilla: King of Monsters Soundtrack) Alloy Tracks - Somewhere Over the Rainbow | Godzilla: King of the Monsters (Beautiful Trailer Theme) Girl Crisis - The Sign Siouxsie and the Banshees - Captain Scarlet Boards of Canada - Macquarie Ridge Tōth - Practice Magic And Seek Professional Help When Necessary (Full Album) Wyatt - Attention Fontaines D.C. - Hurricane Laughter (Darklands Version) Matthew and the Atlas - Counting Paths Matthew and the Atlas - Old Ceremony Sufjan Stevens - Love Yourself Computer Magic - Hudson Grizzly Bear - Mourning Sound Lana Del Rey - Doin Time Chastity Belt - Trapped Kero Kero Bonito - Make Believe Eberhard Weber - T. On A White Horse Endre Hegedus - VI. Golliwogg's Cake-Walk, Debussy: Children's Corner / Suite Bergamasque LCD Soundsystem - oh baby Dominique Young Unique - Throw It Down Leikeli47 - Money Santigold - Look At These Hoes Handsome Boy Modeling School - Holy Calamity (Bear Witness II) Perfume Genius - Slip Away DJ Shadow - "Nobody Speak" feat. Run The Jewels St. Vincent - Fast Slow Disco Marion Cotillard and Metronomy - Is She Really Going Out With Him Patti Smith - Gloria King Princess - Cheap Queen Ingrid Michaelson - Best Friend Kindness - Hard To Believe Kim Petras - Clarity Kim Petras - Another One Cowboy Junkies - Dreaming My Dreams With You Rihanna - Same Ol’ Mistakes Screaming Trees - Nearly Lost You Sailors of Neptune - Car Song Photay - Outré Lux (feat. Madison McFerrin) Ella Fitzgerald - I’ll Never Be The Same Timecop1983 - My First Crush (feat. Trevor Something) Toro Y Moi - Cola The Cinematic Orchestra - Wait For Now/Leave The World (feat. Tawiah) Charli XCX & Christine and the Queens - Gone Hayley Kiyoko - I Wish Jambalaya Brass Band - Tumbao Frosty and the Diamonds - Destination Mars Plumb - Blush (Only You) Evanescence - Anywhere Courtney Barnett - Avant Gardener Christine and the Queens - Need You Tonight (INXS Cover) Dua Lipa - Be The One (80's Power Ballad Remix) Bomba Estéreo - Corazón Zola Jesus - Wiseblood (Johnny Jewel Remix) The Bangles - Going Down To Liverpool Trills - Hush King Princess - Prophet Emily Wells - I’m No Heroine Ariel Pink - Bubblegum Dreams Missy Elliott - Throw It Back Missy Elliott Performs 'Get Ur Freak On', 'Lose Control' & More | 2019 Video Music Awards Miranda Lambert - Way Too Pretty for Prison Miranda Lambert - The House That Built Me Miranda Lambert - We Should Be Friends Miranda Lambert - Mama’s Broken Heart Maya Hawke - To Love a Boy Flowers (Eurydice's Song) - (Anaïs Mitchell - Hadestown) Young Ejecta • Welcome To Love Kelis - Bossy ft. Too $hort Lindsay Lohan - Bossy Natalie Cole - Lush Life Grimes & i_o - Violence The Highwomen - Redesigning Women Lana Del Rey - Season Of The Witch Anita Carter - Ring of Fire Jack Hylton - Wedding of the Painted Doll Earth, Wind, and Fire - Fantasy DJ Boring - Winona DJ Boring - Goodbye Michael Rob Reich - Shimmytown Shuffle Sarah Vaughan - Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most King Princess - Playboy School of Pop Broken Social Scene - Anthems For A Seventeen-Year Old Girl Jenny Hval - Lions (feat. Vivian Wang) Minny Riperton - Les Fleurs Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov ‒ Procession of the Nobles Firebird - 13. Infernal Dance Of All Of Kashchei's Subjects Kylie Minogue - Dancing Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - All Hail Dracula! Jana Hunter | You Belong Here Bat For Lashes - The Hunger Bat For Lashes - Laura Zero 7 - Swimmers Tame Impala - It Might Be Time Hannah Williams & The Affirmations - Woman Got Soul Galantis & Dolly Parton - Faith feat. Mr. Probz The KLF - 3am Eternal The KLF feat. Tammy Wynette - Justified & Ancient Pet Shop Boys - What Have I Done To Deserve This Pet Shop Boys - Always On My Mind Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls Til Tuesday - Voices Carry St. Vincent - Laughing With A Mouth of Blood Spice Girls - 2 Become 1 Tennis - Runner Giles Reaves - ‎"Sowelu (Wholeness)" Taeko Ohnuki - Sunshower (Full Album) 80s Japanese Fusion Summer Mix (Fusion Jazz, City Pop, Funk, Soul...) Tamaryn - Dreaming The Dark (Full Album) Swing Out Sister - Breakout Ayane Yamazaki - 眠りの理由 "Women Of Country Performance" | Live from CMA Awards 2019 Reba McEntire - "Fancy" | Live from CMA Awards 2019 Seal - Crazy Seal - Violet Tame Impala - Posthumous Forgiveness Richard Wagner - The Flight of the Valkyries The Black Angels - Yellow Elevator #2 Bonnie Raitt - Unnecessarily Mercenary Norah Jones - Flipside Genesis Owusu - WUTD Lana Del Rey - Mariners Apartment Complex 10,000 Hz Legend - Don’t Be Light Air Miami - See Through Plastic Kitchens Of Distinction - Margaret's Injection Sebastian Böhm - Blue Monday (Official "Wonder Woman 1984" Trailer Music) Primitons - All My Friends Heavens To Betsy – Waitress Hell Romania - Planes Dionne Farris - I Know CeCe Peniston - Finally Robin S - Show Me Love La Bouche - Be My Lover Stilz - Wavelength Tennis - Need Your Love The Fixx - One Thing Leads To Another The Fixx - Saved By Zero The Fixx - Red Skies The Fixx - Stand Or Fall Kajagoogoo - Too Shy Nik Kershaw - Wouldn't It Be Good Howard Jones - Like To Get To Know You Well Jane Child - Don't Wanna Fall In Love Information Society - What’s On Your Mind (Pure Energy) Icehouse - No Promises The Spiral Starecase - More Today Than Yesterday Caroline Rose - Feel The Way I Want Frank & His Sisters - Mwanangu Lala KIRLIAN CAMERA - Blue Room Look Blue Go Purple | Cactus Cat Look Blue Go Purple | Circumspect Penelope Look Blue Go Purple - I Don't Want You Anyway The Bats | North By North Best Coast - Everything Has Changed Best Coast - For The First Time War And Peace / Gab Is Stabbed · Joseph LoDuca Tashaki Miyaki - I Only Have Eyes for You (the Flamingos cover - Little Big Planet 3 OST) Angel Olsen - Who’s Sorry Now Anna Calvi - Love of my life | Empty Space #5 The Flamingos - I Only Have Eyes For You Supergrass - Moving Supergrass - Late In the Day Supergrass - Richard III Panda Bear - Sequential Circuits Computer Magic - Be Fair Computer Magic - Fuzz Computer Magic - Spaces The Amazing - Tell Them You Can’t Leave Anna Calvi - Hunter Anna Calvi - Swimming Pool Carly Simon - Nobody Does It Better Duran Duran - Rio Duran Duran - Save A Prayer Duran Duran - My Own Way Anna Calvi - Eden Anna Calvi - Indies or Paradise She & Him - I Can Hear Music Soloist Mari Silje Samuelsen - Antonio Vivaldi - "Summer" from four seasons Vivaldi Four Seasons: "Winter" (L'Inverno), complete; Cynthia Freivogel, Voices of Music Para One · Arthur Simonini-La Jeune Fille en Feu (Bande originale du film) Agnes Obel - The Curse (Berlin Live Session) St. Vincent - Los Ageless Billie Ellish - No Time To Die King Princess - Hit The Back (Dance Video) Men I Trust - Show Me How Lady Gaga - Stupid Love Agnes Obel - Fuel To Fire Beach House - Space Song Sufjan Stevens - Visions of Gideon Agnes Obel - Broken Sleep snarls - Walk In the Woods Dixie Chicks - Not Ready to Make Nice (Live from MMXVI Tour) Dixie Chicks - Gaslighter Conspiracy of Owls - "Ancient Robots" Conspiracy of Owls - A Silver Song Sigrid - Home To You Tierra Whack – Unemployed Jenny Hval - Accident Caroline Polachek - So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings

#ultimate music list #as of march 2020

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bakudekuficlibrary · 6 years ago

Text

BakuDeku: Protective Katsuki Part I

Click here for Part II & Part III!

1 Series. 64 Works.

Before Midnight by DriftingGlass ( E | 211,528 | 28/28 )

Izuku Midoriya takes the same train to and from school Monday through Friday, morning and night. His only company during these lonesome hours comes in the form of another boy his age—a teen with scarred hands and blood gem eyes, a stranger with ash-blond hair who walks in a shroud of danger and mystery.

"Would you stop with that fucking muttering, idiot?"

And before Izuku can find his footing, his life becomes a full-blown collision course thanks to walking cannonball Katsuki Bakugou.

(And along the way he may have found the missing fuel to his fire).

[Graphic Depictions of Violence | Underage | Abuse]

Cinnamon Bun Bun by DarkMachi ( E | 108,071+ | 45/? )

In a world with humanoid creatures called "pets", Katsuki Bakugou finds himself suddenly the owner of a timid curly haired rabbit. How the fuck did that happen? Will the reluctant new owner and abandoned pet be the best thing for each other or will it end in disaster? Only the tags will ever know.

Warm and fuzzy fluff pet AU with hints of angst and humor!

*This story is mostly about fluff. Warning and "past" tags for a backstory chapter(s) almost exclusively. Will warn at the beginning of ANY chapter with ANY sensitive issues.*

[Rape/Non-con | Past Abuse | Panic Attacks]

Lost Omega by GreyDayMoon ( E | 45,574 | 15/15 )

Izuku was just trying to take care of himself and his mother but a single slip up sends him into unfamiliar territory where he encounters an aggressive alpha who drags him into tribe life.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Underage | Dubcon]

Dark Side of the Sun by Synnie ( T | 51,597 | 20/20 )

Staying up too late playing video games, Kirishima wasn't expecting to get an urgent call begging for help. Next thing he knew, he was letting his classmate Izuku Midoriya take refuge in his apartment - without consulting his always angry roommate.

Series Part 1 of Dark Side of Space

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Past Abuse | Stalking | Self Harm | Panic Attacks]

briar roses (and hundred years of sleep) by vannral ( E | 15,951 | 5/5 )

In complete honesty, no one who knows the Class 3-A should be surprised anymore. Izuku is asleep.

In which Izuku is hit by a ‘Sleeping Beauty’ Quirk, Class 3-A tries to find his True Love and get them to kiss him, and Katsuki’s very angry about it all.

In A Sky Of A Million Stars (Who Cares If One More Light Goes Out?) by Stringlish ( M | 49,956+ | 15/? )

He could never forgive himself.

It was his fault.

He’d planted the idea like a seed he’d never known would grow.

(Or: What if Izuku jumped?) (OR: The one where Izuku jumps and lives and Katsuki visits him every day and Class 1-A not-so-secretly finds it adorable that their designated angry pomeranian brings flowers to his comatose childhood friend.)

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | PTSD | Suicide Attempt]

Hear Me by my_name_is_Levi ( G | 22,419 | 5/5 )

It wasn’t as if nightmares were uncommon for the freshman class of Yuuei. They’d seen plenty of things, heard and felt and witnessed enough travesty in their lives to last them a lifetime. But Midoriya Izuku was screaming, and no one, not even Bakugo Katsuki could ignore it.

On The Run by Justaperson1718 ( E | 159,534+ | 29/30 )

(Based in an AU where All Might loses to All For One)

Follow Izuku and Katsuki as they fight together for their very survival and mature through their experiences with each other, on the run together from the League of Villains with no one to depend on but each other. The two will have to work out their differences if they want to continue to live and escape the villains.

Izuku will have to become stronger to finish what All Might started, meanwhile Katsuki will figure out his feelings for his new companion while slowly overcoming some of his bad habits.

[Major Character Death | Underage]

{Note about completion status: The fic is essentially complete, as the author has stated the main story is complete and the epilogue is up. The final chapter that is yet to be posted will show a side-character’s side of the story.}

New To Both Of Us by GrumpyTanner, underoriginal ( E | 37,774+ | 16/? )

Bakugou hadn't expected this when he got his first (and only!) Pet on a whim. He hadn't expected the nibbling, the teasing, the fear...

And he definitely hadn't expected to find the love of his life. But here he is, with a rabbit and a hard-on. What's a hero to do?

[Past Abuse]

Quirks of the Soul by Rxel ( M | 52,047+ | 38/? )

Something in Izuku's mind snaps when Kacchan flings the words "Make a leap of faith from the roof and believe with all your might that you will have a ‘Quirk’ in the next life" at him after he exploded his Hero notebook.

It was the last push he needed to tip over the edge.

Quirk!Izuku

Series Part 1 of Katsuki and Izuku

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Suicide Attmpt | Self Harm]

[On Hiatus] Forget Me Not by datboii ( M | 52,542+ | 17/? )

Izuku was hit by a memory regression quirk. Katsuki was having none of that shit.

[On hiatus]

Hummingbird Heartbeat by Tokiji ( M | 76,731+ | 16/? )

“The knife went through his fucking chest, Kirishima.” Katsuki spat his name into his face, mouth twisting into a vicious snarl, teeth and all. “You know that's where his heart is, right? And his fucking lungs? All the vital shit?”

Kirishima blanched. “I-I know, I just meant—”

“What, you mean to tell me that your stupid fuckin’ ass is so ignorant to forget that he lost a shit ton of blood, hah?! Yeah, it was a flippin’ knife wound, oh hoo-ray, but look at the nerd now! He’s fucking dying because of it!”

The World Is Silent (we are loud) by RedHeadsRock1010 ( T | 62,233+ | 14/? )

There is only one Angel and one Demon at a time – born each generation after the previous one dies and destined to keep the balance of the world in a vicious battle of good verses evil until the end of existence.

The current Demon stared at the Angel humming and weaving pink flowers into his own bright green curls next to him. A crown of red roses already sat on the Demon's head.

Yeah, fuck that bullshit.

surveying, reconciliation (and other forms of not-matchmaking) by vannral ( E | 17,449 | 6/6 )

In all honesty, Izuku thinks he really shouldn’t be having this crisis.

In which Mina has fun trying to play matchmaker, Izuku has Realizations™ about his feelings for Katsuki, and the class 1-A will witness many weird things.

Second Chance by Saysi ( M | 84,140 | 42/42 )

"If you are still breathing, you have a second chance" - Oprah Winfrey

Izuku Midoriya's life has been plagued with mistakes. People have been hurt, friends have been lost, accidents have happened. When the country is nearing imminent destruction, he remembers every bad move, every wrong word, and wonders if he could have changed things.

Then time stops.

Izuku Midoriya grew up thinking he was Quirkless - turns out he just needed to face death to activate it.

PSA: People, please, do your homework before reading. The fic will still be here when you get back, I promise.

[Suicide Attempt]

Scream Like A Banshee, Make You Jump Out Of Your Skin. by LahraTeigh ( T | 2,235 | 2/2 )

Midoriya presents as an Omega in the middle of class, and unfortunately for everyone they witness the moment Bakugou finds out who his soulmate is.

It's Okay, Quirkless by VMarus ( M | 34,187+ | 15/? )

Izuku just wants to make his mother proud and to be happy with himself.

AU. Quirkless Vigilante Izuku!

Series Part 1 of Quirkless, Not Helpless.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Major Character Death

[Series] This is why I don't have kids by Saysi ( T | 15,132+ | 2 Works | WIP )

When Midoriya Izuku gets hit by an age-reversion Quirk, the last thing anyone expected to find out is that Toddler-Izuku is a little shit. Except for one Bakugou Katsuki, who has seen this phase one too many times already. And apparently his "Kacchan" is the only one who can deal with Izuku's screaming fits.

When Bakugou Katsuki gets hit by an age-reversion Quirk, no one is surprised to found out he's still an asshole. Unfortunately one Midoriya Izuku is stuck taking care of him to repay the favour. It's a good thing his "Deku" makes a good wife.

Remember Me by Blue_Writer ( M | 61,066+ | 23/? )

It had been years since Bakugou was exiled from his home and became the savage dragon king, but one good thing finally came to his life when he met Izuku again. The only issue, is that he doesn't remember him.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Racism]

Oubaitori by DriftingGlass ( M | 32,666+ | 4/16 )

From the moment he was born, Izuku understood that he was different. He was a rarity, an omega; not necessarily seen as useful or even desirable. It didn't take long, however, for his entire future to be placed in the hands of an alpha, one by the name of Katsuki Bakugo.

Through many pitfalls, confusion, and pains of growing up in a city where both are outcasts of their own kind, it takes more than just the threads of instinct and arranged contracts to bring two hearts together.

Love isn't fate. It's pure luck.

[Underage]

[On Hiatus] Lex Talionis by DriftingGlass ( M | 40,232+ | 6/35 )

“Are you sure you’re willing to do this?”

Aizawa barely recognized his own voice, ashen in the grasp of a stormy summer night.

Under the glare of his living room lights, Toshinori’s leathery face held a smile. A ghost from times long gone.

He stirred a cube of sugar into his coffee, fingers bony and shaking around his mug.

“If there is one good thing I can do for this child, as dangerous as he is… then it will be this.”

Aizawa knew, once the words fell from his comrade’s mouth—a more solid declaration than the deaths he’d witnessed—that there would be no changing his mind.

[ In which Toshinori Yagi, a shadow of his former self, raises an orphaned Izuku as his disciple... with a little bit of a twist. ]

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Abuse]

Law-Abiding Citizen by s_trychnine ( T | 2,131 | 1/1 )

Bakugou Katsuki has very little chill, this is a known fact. He does however, do his best not to get into legal trouble. Bakugou Katsuki couldn't get along with Midoriya Izuku if you put a gun to his head, this is an even more well known fact. Apparently someone decided to chew up those facts and spit them back out because that was definitely not the case in this very moment and christ almighty someone's going to have to pinch the entirety of Class 1-A, because this had to be a fever dream.

Or alternatively: Deku's dad is back in town and nobody is happy about, especially not Bakugou.

[Implied/Referenced Child Abuse (Past Abuse)]

2,645 Miles by mynameis152 ( E | 124,500+ | 36/? )

Izuku wants so badly to get to the other side of the country without his parents realizing he's missing. He just wants to find out who he is.

Katsuki is desperate to make it to Los Angeles without being caught by the police, desperate to fix his mistakes.

Neither know what to expect, but on a roadtrip across the U.S. involving four fugitives, two oblivious runaways, a high risk crime ring, and a police taskforce, the two will discover that there's more in store for them than what they originally thought.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Attempted Sexual Assault | Panic Attacks]

Marshmallow by choimarie ( Not Rated | 3,359 | 1/1 )

day 3: tears

“Yo! Look at what we have here!” A voice said loudly and Izuku's heart stopped.

He turned around, his eyes widening.

A group of six alphas was walking his way towards him.

Series Part 3 of Bakudeku week 2k18

Hero & Zero by GreyDayMoon ( Not Rated | 10,751+ | 5/? )

Bakugou was the number one hero, surrounded by fans, and loaded with fame and fortune. So why would he care if a boy from his childhood still watched him from the edge of crowds? He wouldn't give a shit about Deku who would? Who would even be looking for that stupid messy green hair?

Except maybe he would.

Instincts by HG_Wells ( E | 4,184 | 2/2 )

Izuku presents as a very special and VERY rare type of Omega and enters the worst heat imaginable, he needs to find an equally as rare Alpha to help him with this problem. Not so thankfully, he knows only one person that is able to help him with this situation. His very own personal bully.

Bakugou Katsuki.

[Underage]

Wild Child by SaltyTofu ( E | 10,309+ | 5/? )

Imagine Tarzan, but KatsuDeku,

with wolves instead of gorillas,

and with a lot more smut.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence]

Don't Look by GrimReader ( M | 56,089+ | 12/? )

No one spots the cracks. No one notices how carefully pieced together he is. Under his bright smile and determined gaze no one sees, no one hears, NO ONE feels how broken he is.

At least, that’s what he thought.

Izuku is not human. He is a fraud. Not deserving of any love. Nothing but a vile monster.

At least, that’s what he believed.

He’s made of scales not glass. He’s always in control. He is invincible.

That is, until he became Midoriya Izuku.

[Former title: H(iS)tory]

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Major Character Death | Self Harm | Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con]

Yūrei no Eiyū by FandomManiac22 ( T | 11,769+ | 5/? )

"If you wanna be a hero that badly, there’s a quick way to do it. Believe that you’ll be born with a quirk in your next life and take a swan dive off the roof!”

When Katsuki’s comment comes at just the wrong time, Izuku takes his advice. But it is not the end.

Alternatively: In another world where Izuku is attacked by the sludge villain on the way to school instead of after it, his dreams get crushed too soon. With nothing to save him and Katsuki’s words ringing in his ears, Izuku decides to end it all by jumping off his school’s roof. As his body cracks on the ground, Izuku does not pass on to the next world. Instead, he is left as a ghost among many others. When the slime villain escapes from jail and attacks the person Izuku can’t help but care for, he learns that there may be more to his afterlife than he thought.

And maybe he can be a hero after all.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Major Character Death | Suicide]

The Offering by Bakuholic ( T | 7,032+ | 4/? )

Every year, an offering is given to the dragon race as a trade off for the dragons' protection. This year, Izuku Midoriya is the human offering.

He trembles at the very thought of his death being by the claws of a dragon. However, his expectations of his future seem to turn when an ash blonde alpha dragon begins to grow fond of him and adds him to his hoard of treasure.

(I"m not good at summaries it seems)

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence]

Not All Heroes Wear Capes by vulcanhighblood ( T | 11,002 | 3/3 )

When Kacchan offered to scare off pushy groupies and nosy reporters for Izuku, he hadn't realized that Kacchan was planning to lie about the two of them being in a relationship in order to do so.

Petals In Your Hair by Yuechum ( T | 16,121+ | 15/26 )

Katsuki sees him with sunlight in his hair, the lines of his face softer and more gentle in these brief moments. He looks breathtaking like this he'll think, watching all the while, wondering just when Izuku became someone to long for so deeply.

The slightest hint of a smile lingers on Izuku's face when he notices, and the urge to touch grows, grows, grows.

katsuki bakugou is incapable of love. or so they thought. by alpwaca ( T | 6,276 | 1/1 )

in which their class tries to figure out if Bakugou and Midoriya are dating.

Lights. Camera. Hero! by brichibi ( E | 23,248+ | 6/? )

If there’s one thing Izuku Midoriya’s good at, it’s dreaming big, and dreaming hard. That’s why he’s in Hollywood, of all places, his hometown an entire ocean away along with his graduating high school class and single mother. But he’s gonna be an actor, an international sensation, a superstar like no other.

He just.

Has to convince the rest of the world.

Which is, admittedly, a difficult task.

[AU where "My Hero Academia" is an upcoming television series, everyone's an actor/actress, and romance happens behind the scenes]

Day and Night by Soundsoftherain ( Not Rated | 18,527+ | 4/? )

Midoriya Izuku was born quirkless in a society where your quirk equates to your worth. What did this mean then, for the child whose smile was made of sunshine? The boy who had selfless dreams bursting from the seams?

His father knew, that’s why he’d left. And his mother?

Well…That’s where the story begins.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Abuse]

Lovebites by mynameis152 ( M | 58,375+ | 18/? )

Katsuki Bakugou was going to hate this summer.

He thought he'd hate it because he was being forced to leave home and work for his mother's friend in a small, seaside town. He thought he'd hate it cause he was being punished for burning his room to a crisp. He thought he'd hate it because he hated change.

But it turns out, he hated the Supernatural Turfwar between four species that shouldn't exist but do a whole lot more....

The one where Katsuki is forced to move in with Inko for the summer and finds himself falling for a particular bloodsucker....

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Abuse]

[On Hiatus] The Duo by furipuri ( M | 21,385+ | 8/? )

As children, Katsuki and Izuku make the promise to become a duo hero team. Things don't go quite as planned.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Attempted Rape/Non-Con]

I'll Be Your Hero by bakudeku ( T | 2,536+ | 4/? )

Katsuki wants to protect Izuku. He wants to make sure Izuku never has to cry again. Maybe this was his chance to fix everything, to make sure he didn't make the same mistakes as before. If this really isnt a dream, if Katsuki really is in the past, then he'd do anything his little body could to keep Izuku safe.

This time, he'll stay by Izuku's side.

[On Hiatus] synthesis by DriftingGlass ( M | 31,325+ | 6/? )

They didn’t know how it happened, or when a concept so fickle and ridiculous blossomed in the garden of doubts, anger, and pain in which they so frequently visited.

Between scarred hands and bloodied knuckles, unspoken thoughts stirred like petals in springtime rain.

Bakugo was not prepared for the undeniable change spurring between them.

Unfortunately, neither was Midoriya.

[Underage]

Baby Boom by Minglisabeth ( T | 20,546 | 10/10 )

Bakugou and Midoriya accidentally have a baby.

NOT MPREG, Baby comes from quirk shenanigans.

Series Part 1 of MHA Adventures in Parenthood

Back to Reality by menengaur ( M | 46,975+ | 10/? )

Katsuki's childhood friend disappeared when they were both seven. While everyone else gave hope, Katsuki made a promise to become the No.1 hero. If he couldn't find Izuku, then he would at least destroy those who took him.

How will he react when Izuku returns with powers beyond what should be possible.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence]

Room 207 by bakudeku ( Not Rated | 8,796+ | 4/? )

No one, not even Bakugou Katsuki, could deny that Izuku was adorable as fuck.

ᶜᵃⁿ ᶦ ᵍᵉᵗ ᵘʰʰʰʰʰʰ

ˢᵒᶠᵗ ᵏᵃᶜᶜʰᵃⁿ

[Suicide Attempt]

Late Bloomer by HG_Wells ( E | 4,752 | 1/1 )

It's the beginning of their last year of Junior High, Izuku Midoriya is a normal Beta. He isn't anything special, at least he doesn't think so. His first heat comes at school and in the end, he ends up at Bakugou Katsuki's house.

Alone with him.

What's the worst that could happen?

(It's better than it sounds I promise)

Bakudeku Week 2018

[Underage | Bullying | Attempted Rape/Non-Con]

[On Hiatus] The Mummy by Spectra ( E | 98,732+ | 17/? )

[TEMPORARY HIATUS]

Midoriya Izuku's adopted brother, Kirishima, brings him a strange puzzle box that contains the whereabouts to the famed Hamunaptra, otherwise known as the City of the Dead. The city, lost somehwere within the depths of Egypt, is said to have held great power during the golden All Might Era. It is also rumored to be the final resting place of the king's all powerful books; The Book of Life, and the Book of the Dead. Izuku doesn't believe in magic, he believes in history, and that's exactly what he expects to find in these books.

To actually get there, Izuku has no choice but to accept the help of the infuriating, and ridiculously short fused soldier, Bakugou, who claims to have been there before. The ensuing ride tests both Izuku's and Bakugou's patience, and the two form the most unlikely of alliances.

Little do they know, the power that they are messing with should have remained undisturbed, and there is something more lurking with the tombs of Hamunaptra than treasure...

All the Cracks They Left Behind by linkami1379 ( M | 11,175 | 1/1 )

Katsuki and Izuku become soul bound to each other when Katsuki is captured by the League of Villains.The shift in perception rocks them both to their cores and they seek to fill in the cracks life has carved into each other's hearts.

Series Part 1 of My One and Only

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Underage]

A Place Called Home ( E | 3,812 | 5/? )

"It's okay now, we're your new family. We won't ever hurt you."

[Past Rape/Non-Con | Past Abuse | Homophobia | Addiction]

and the rest is rust and stardust by youreanovelidea ( G | 8,587 | 1/1 )

Kirishima likes to think that he knows his classmates pretty well. But sometimes, he looks at Bakugou and Midoriya and wonders if he even knows them at all. He wonders if anyone does.

(or, Kirishima notices the moments hidden between childhood friends, offers encouraging words, and maybe kisses Kaminari in the process)

A Little Issue by arealhoe ( G | 6,985+ | 3/? )

Everyone awoke to an ear piercing screech.

“MAMA? WHERE ARE YOU? W-WHERE AM I?”

A child? What’s a kid doing in the dorms…? Aizawa thought, as he lugged his tired body through the hall, trying to find the source of the screams. One by one, students started bursting out of their rooms, “What’s that screaming? “Did a kid get in here?” everyone was panicking at the sudden chaos. “Calm down, everyone. Jirou, use your quirk to find where that shrieking is coming from, everyone else, quiet down!” Kyoka plugged her earphone into the wall, closing her eyes. “It’s coming from… Midoriya’s room?” Aizawa threw open Izuku’s room door, only to find a small Izuku, huddled in the corner, crying his heart out. Jesus fucking Christ… Aizawa whispered under his breath, walking towards the child. “W-who are you? W-where’s my mom? Did she send me away?” Little Izuku could barely get the words before everyone saw him, and the chaos started all over again.

Tinted Windows by sula (black_oak) ( E | 18,250+ | 8/? )

Bakugou and Deku have been rivals since the third grade. Now seniors in high school, Katsuki looks forward to destroying the nerd once and for all. But, on the first day of school, Deku arrives a mere shell of the boy he used to be…

Nothing will ever be the same.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Underage | Self Harm | Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-Con]

[On Hiatus] Please Don't Take My Sunshine Away by estupidaval ( T | 5,994+ | 4/? )

“Oh- oh my god.” He whimpered.

“What?!”

“I,” Izuku swallowed. “I think they heard the phone ring.”

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence]

20% by MayTentacleBeWithYee, MissEmotionallyMasochistic ( Not Rated | 1,386+ | 1/? )

Izuku should have been paying attention.

The man behind him looks hungry.

[Rape/Non-Con | PTSD]

and the screams all sound the same by youreanovelidea ( Not Rated | 1,265 | 1/1 )

"Quiet, Deku," a low voice says quietly. "I've got you." And an arm slips around his waist and there are fingers carding through his hair, gentle and soft, and he can feel the screams that he had shoved into his stomach threatening to escape.

(or, Izuku's nightmares are cold and Katsuki's hands are warm)

Reignite by MorningMoon ( G | 1,400 | 1/1 )

Their classmates knew there was something going on with Izuku and Katsuki, but they didn't know how much they had been missing out. Also, Kacchan saves the day and proves that he has redeemed himself.

[Panic Attacks]

Yell It From The Top Of Your Lungs by estupidaval ( T | 2,897 | 1/1 )

Being seen as weak by many is frustrating. Even so when it's almost everyone who looks at you.

At this, Izuku sheepishly lowered his gaze, and said “Strong people cry…”

At this, Aizawa smiled again, “And what are you doing right now, Izuku?”

“Crying,” He replied as he picked at his finger nails.

Aizawa decided to keep pushing, as Izuku knew what he was implying, but wouldn't budge.

He raised an eyebrow and spoke up once more, “So, you are…”

And ‘Ah, there it is.’ Aizawa thought to himself as a smile crept it's way onto the boy’s mouth. Izuku lifted his gaze once more and looked back into Aizawa's eyes,

“Strong.”

Entanglement by srysmnwrites ( T | 14,847+ | 7/? )

Izuku thought that returning home would be good for him.

Oh, how wrong he was.

Returned Favor by CrystalDragonette ( Not Rated | 1,332 | 2/2 )

Set when Bakugou was taken by the League of Villains, he finds out that Dabi has less than innocent intentions towards Deku.

Series Part 1 of Dekubowl

[On Hiatus] Daemon Sense by LostBear ( G | 14,266+ | 8/? )

Midoriya Izuku has the quirk daemon sense, to be able to see manifested souls in the form of animals. She is determined to be a hero, with her daemon Naoko by her side. Her best friend Kacchan is taken along -willingly- for the ride.

Watch Izuku nose her way into other -familiar- peoples lives without thinking of the consequences...

It All Started With Beer & Pizza by x_tincan_x ( E | 29,237+ | 11/? )

Half an hour after Kirishima had left, there was a knock on the door. Katsuki had a beer in his hand and walked over to the door. Mumbling under his breath, “fucking shitty hair forgot his fucking keys again..” to himself.

Katsuki opened the door, he looked from the dripping wet Kirishima to the equally soaked male he had gone to pick up. When he saw the familiar tangle of green hair and freckles, he choked on his drink. “The fuck…?” he half whispered.

~~~~

Or, the one where Izuku has a past that he finds hard to talk about. Can he build himself back up with the help of his new friends, and re-kindle a relationship with his childhood friend?

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | PSTD | Panic Attacks | Past Abuse | Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-Con]

A Reaper's Assistant by TatoBugTheDestroyer ( T | 23,121 | 14/14 )

What kind of fucktard is in charge here? What dumbass thought it was a good idea to pair Katsuki with an angel! Of all creatures to help him play the role of a reaper, they chose an angel! He didn’t even need any help, dammit! So, yeah, he missed a few deadlines, accidentally delivered a few people to the wrong place, so fucking what! He damn sure didn’t need help!

-Or- Reaper Katsuki fucks up and as a result, is paired up with Izuku, a High Councilman angel of Heaven to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Void of Pain by Running_wild829 ( T | 19,308+ 12/? )

Kidnapped by his own villainous father at the young age of six, raised by villains since then and sent on countless missions filled with murder, Midoriya Izuku is anything but normal. He may be fifteen years old, and have a quirk, but that doesn't make him normal. He's been careful on all his jobs, except this one. When Shigaraki turns him loose to kill the infamous Hero Killer Stain, he gets sloppy and goes down at the hands of a couple of Yuuei kids. Dragged into the police station and waking up to a detective giving him a second chance was the last thing he thought would ever happen in his fucked-up life...

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | PSTD]

[On Hiatus] Two Sides of the Same Coin by LocalTrashBin ( T | 82,009+ | 10/? )

Dangerous missions across the continent are one thing but dangerous missions across the continent with zero experience, a cursed bracelet and accompanied only by a difficult, hot-headed protector is a whole other story.

He's a Little Spoiled by DeathByShyKid ( T | 3,477 | 1/1 )

His class may have babied him while he was still recovering from an accidental femur break but one weekend with them out of the dorms and Katsuki is already there with open arms as well as some non-negotiable terms. Katsuki makes Izuku cuddle with him since he refuses to succumb to his pain medication. (bad summary)

Heroes in Underland by BebbekKuning, HG_Wells ( Not Rated | 45,950+ | 19/? )

Years suffering from wars, Monsters and Humans wars led to the point where the third side of the wars step in. The side of supposed to be neutral. The side that wants peace for both; Monsters and Humans sides, the ones who bear with half-blood. But it’s still not working.

That was until the fourth side of the wars waltzes their way in, they didn’t call themselves humans, nor Monsters or the half-blood. But they called themselves the Artificial. They not made by gods, so the gods can’t bound them to their rules or their dice of fate.

This makes the Artificial do what the three sides can't do; Bring peace.

They stay nameless, and still nameless. Their existence always vague in every history books, and always will be. But their tales always stay at every storybook for the young ones.

Now though, when Monsters, Half-blood, and Human reunited, thanks to Quirks existence, new differences poke their ugly heads yet again; Heroes, Vigilante, and Villain.

With that, the Gods roll their dices and play with their children, again.

That was before the forth side trashed the Gods playground, again.

424 notes · View notes

tlbodine · 5 years ago

Text

A Decade of Horror Recommendations: Millennium Edition

After my 2010s horror recs post, @comicreliefmorlock asked me to do some for older films. So I figured I’d just work my way backward.

The lists might get a bit shorter and less diverse as I go back in time as I’m not as well-versed in older horror films, but I’ll toss out some recommendations for what I’ve seen and maybe some will be new to you anyway :)

Long post under the cut!

2000: A Surprisingly Good Year for Horror

Maybe we don’t think of the Y2K year as a big one for the horror genre, but it was still riding the tail end of the slasher/teen horror revival. Some must-sees:

Final Destination: I’ve written pretty extensively about this movie and it’s no surprise that I like it a lot, even if the sequels get downright ridiculous. The original still stands on its own feet.

Ginger Snaps: Maybe one of the best werewolf movies, period. Smart writing and a strong female cast as an added bonus.

American Psycho: Did you know this came out in 2000? I honestly always thought it was older, somehow, maybe because by the time I watched it in college it seemed like everyone had seen it. Fun fact: did you know it was directed by a woman?

What Lies Beneath: Part psychological horror, part drama-thriller, and sporting a surprisingly A-list cast. It has some well-worn tropes, but it’s a solid watch.

Battle Royale: Speaking of movies that seem like they’re way older than they are, did you know Battle Royale only came out in the year 2000?

There were a smattering of Asian imports in 2000 but none of them quite got their feet under them. I will make a shout-out/honorable mention here for Blood: The Last Vampire, an anime film that’s pretty well-known and gets referenced a lot.

2001: The Beginning of the End (for a little while)

Some solid stand-alone titles came out this year, but it also was the start of when the 90s revival started to dwindle down, I feel, with plenty of disappointments to go around. Scary Movie didn’t help much (and it also launched a whole trend of really awful spoof movies, which tried real hard to kill the comedy genre for a long time, imo). Anyway, some recs!

Jeepers Creepers: The director is an unfortunate sack of shit, but the movie is quite good. The first part, which draws heavily from a true story, is especially chilling.

Thirteen Ghosts: An underrated gem. The plot twists too much for my liking, but the ghost designs are super cool and the whole concept of the house is neat. A+ for originality.

The Devil’s Backbone: Maybe my favorite Guillermo Del Toro film, and a damn good ghost story to boot.

Suicide Club: A Japanese import that feels a bit ahead of its time in terms of pop culture (and internet culture especially). Features a couple of squick-heavy scenes I still struggle to watch (but, like, in a good way).

Ichi the Killer: Another Japanese import and my introduction to Takashi Miike, who makes me more viscerally uncomfortable than just about anyone.

It’s also probably worth mentioning From Hell, the Johnny Depp movie about Jack the Ripper, which many people enjoyed. I personally strongly dislike the film for reasons I can’t fully explain.

2002: Wait, That’s When That Movie Came Out?

I feel like 2002 was a big year for me in the “movies I enjoy but didn’t watch until years later” department, probably because I was a teenager with minimal access to decent cinema. It was also a rocking good year for Japanese horror.

28 Days Later: A movie that brought about the return of zombies in a big way, and also introduced (or at least popularized) fast zombies. Also it’s super scary.

May: I don’t even know if May counts as horror, but it’s a dark, quirky movie that I try to make everyone watch because I love it so much.

Ghost Ship: Honestly the bulk of the movie is pretty forgettable, but the opening scene is one of my favorite moments in gory cinematic history.

Signs: M. Night Shyamalan’s last decent movie or his first shitty one, depending on who you ask. I liked it a lot when I first watched it, and it started to fall apart more and more as I got older.

Ju-On: The Grudge: One of the better-known Japanese horrors and one whose tropes still get referenced and re-used. Skip the 2004 remake and watch the original trilogy.

The Ring: Probably the best-known Japanese horrors and maybe the import that put “Japanese horror” into public consciousness.

There was a lot of shlocky dreck in 2002, some of it decent (Cabin Fever) and some of it downright awful (Pinata: Survival Island/Demon Island). I should also mention Red Dragon, based on Thomas Harris’s novel of the same name, which quite a few people liked (I’ve only seen it once but I recall being underwhelmed). Also an honorable mention to Dog Soldiers, which I have not seen but which I hear frequently recommended as an A+ werewolf film.

2003: Wow that’s a lot of dreck

Look fam nobody said these film recs would be objective. There were a ton of horror movies that came out in 2003, I just didn’t really like hardly any of them. Some exceptions:

Willard: The movie that made me want to start keeping rats as pets, which says more about me than it does the film. It’s a great movie, though, the first thing I ever saw Crispin Glover in (and god, he’s amazing), and one of the few films that I think is better than the book.

Identity: A pretty decent psychological horror starring John Cusack. Watch this and 1408 together as a double-feature for maximum fun factor.

House of 1000 Corpses: Look, if you’re reading this blog, you probably already have an opinion one way or another of Rob Zombie. The movie’s on the list because it’s arguably historically important, not because it’s objectively good.

A few other notable moments from 2003 included a Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake (just watch the original, but if you insist on a remake, this is one of the better ones), the second Final Destination film (the last good one in the franchise), the Jeepers Creepers sequel, Freddy vs Jason, Darkness Falls, and Dreamcatcher. Like I said, there were lots of movies that came out this year, I just don’t think they were very good.

2004: Oops we created torture porn

I was in college at this point, which meant I was watching less horror than at any other moment in my life (I had a roommate who really hated scary movies) so maybe that’s why I haven’t heard of the majority of movies that came out that year. Or maybe they were all just really bad, hence why I still haven’t seen them. Hmmm. But! A few shining stars:

Saw: Obviously a classic. I’m lukewarm about the franchise, but the original is an excellent film and well worth watching, especially given the impact it would have on the next many years of horror cinema.

Shaun of the Dead: Hilarious, and honestly one of my favorite zombie films of all time.

Dumplings: A Korean important you likely missed in 2004 but may have seen in a Three Extremes compilation. Well worth the watch if you’re not squeamish.

Otherwise 2004 was pretty lackluster. Some forgettable franchise installments, some shlocky creature features, some unnecessary remakes. Lots of titles I’m unfamiliar with, though, too, so somebody tell me if I missed a big one that year!

2005: Ehhhh

Just a couple important titles this year too:

Hostel: Not a great movie. In fact, pretty damn campy. But an important one to watch to understand the torture porn genre.

The Devil’s Rejects: See above re: House of 1000 Corpses. Hit or miss but a well-liked film by Rob Zombie fans.

And you know what, I think that’s actually it. I mean there were other movies -- a remake of The Fog, the infinitely predictable Hide and Seek, the second Saw installment, and of course Doom. But it just wasn’t a great year for horror, imo. One shout-out here though for Wolf Creek, which is on my to-watch list; I haven’t seen it so I can’t vouch for it, but it does get recommended to me a lot.

2006: Mostly more of the same

Did we seriously have a Saw movie every year in the 2000s or what? No wonder everybody got sick of them and thought all horror was torture porn for a while. Talk about market saturation.

Anyway, some shout-outs:

Stay Alive: This movie is ridiculous, but I love it a lot. It’s about a video game that kills you in real life, and is a more successful video game movie than most actual adaptations.

ReCycle: An Asian import. I missed this one entirely when it came out, but it’s one of my favorites to have discovered in later years. It’s a seriously cool movie, both fanciful and deeply uncomfortable. Content warning for abortion, but it’s not what you think.

Otherwise, just some mostly soulless remakes (The Omen, The Hills Have Eyes, The Wicker Man), some franchise installments (Saw III, Final Destination 3, The Grudge 2). I will give an honorable mention to Black Sheep, which is so-bad-it’s-good ridiculous, and to that cult favorite Slither.

2007: Wait, is horror getting good again?

Well, not quite, but we’re back on the map with some promising additions in a year where the genre seemed to be struggling to rediscover its identity:

The Mist: One of the better Stephen King adaptations.

30 Days of Night: A divisive entry in the canon, but a pretty interesting piece to study for anyone interested in vampires.

28 Weeks Later: Not exactly a direct sequel to the earlier 28 Days Later, and probably not as good of a film, but pretty good in its own right.

1408: Watch this one with Identity (see above) and enjoy a night of John Cusack going crazy in hotel rooms.

The Orphanage: One of my favorite horror films of all time, both deeply unsettling and agonizingly sad.

Paranormal Activity: The highest-grossing film of all time thanks to its low budget. Also what we can blame for the burst of popularity in the “found footage” style.

Dead Silence: A movie that still frequently gets recommended and delivers some solid spooks. I’m not as fond of it as a lot of people, but it deserves a mention for how often it gets referenced (and for playing “killer ventriloquist dummies” straight as a trope).

Trick r Treat: A Halloween classic.

Of course the year brought us another Saw and another Hostel, a contentious Halloween reboot, another stab at I Am Legend (often adapted, rarely well), and a smattering of other sequels. I have not seen The Girl Next Door but based on how rarely I hear it recommended compared to the book, I imagine I’m not missing much. Borderlands was OK but, for my money, forgettable. Oh, there was also Grindhouse, a double feature which I quite enjoyed (I saw it in theaters, where it came with a warning for length, which I found amusing) but which history does not seem to have remembered positively.

2008: Did Somebody Order a Recession?

Back to slim pickings, although I admittedly have not seen most of the films released that year (I was pretty damn broke in 2008, so maybe that’s why). Still:

Let the Right One In: Skip the later English remake, you cowards, and watch this with subtitles. It’s so good. SO GOOD. An unexpected twist on the vampire story, and kind of a romance to boot. Sort of. In a really messed up way.

Cloverfield: A couple things are neat about Cloverfield. One, it was an early adopter and trope-setter for found-footage movies. Two, it successfully spawned a franchise where none of the movies feel related at all. Three, it launched with some really cool viral marketing that was utterly ahead of its time. On the downside, the shaky cam may in fact make you vomit if you get seasick easily.

Repo! The Genetic Opera: A classic. Also may in fact be the only film of its kind, or at least the only rock-opera scifi-horror that comes to mind.

I haven’t seen Pontypool, though it’s on my watch-list -- I’ve heard it’s quite good. Ditto Tokyo Gore Police which delivers, to my understanding, exactly what it says on the tin. Speaking of movies I didn’t see, can we take a moment to appreciate that a film called “Sauna” with the tagline “cleanse your sins” came out this year? Jfk 2008, are you OK?

2009: Why are all the best horrors comedies this year

It really does become obvious just how much the genre was floundering to figure out what it was doing the latter half of the decade, because the movies are so weirdly hit-or-miss. I do have some favorite hidden gems, though, alongside a couple well-known recs:

Zombieland: A genuinely funny feel-good zombie comedy-horror, feeding right into a growing cultural fascination with zombies.

Jennifer’s Body: Is this a comedy? Is this a horror? What is this? I’m not sure how to classify it but I sure do like it.

Antichrist: Ok I don’t know if this is a recommendation per se, but if I had to watch this with my own eyes, I’m making y’all watch it too. Have you ever wondered what it might look like to watch a filmmaker have a psychotic break while making a movie? That’s almost literally what this film is.

The Human Centipede: This is a cop-out because I have not watched these movies and I in fact refuse to watch these movies because the premise is fucking stupid, but I will acknowledge the historical, ah, importance? of this film in the greater scheme of 21st century horror.

Dread: One of my favorite movies, and the film I recommend to anyone who wants to watch a torture film done right. I love the shit out of this movie. Please go watch this movie.

Grace: Deeply disturbing and pulling approximately zero punches. It’s one of the best films to tread the “horrors of motherhood” territory, which is saying something because that’s very fertile (ha, ha) ground.

I actually have not seen Drag Me to Hell or The Last House on the Left, although people have recommended both to me. Anyone want to chime in with how good they might be? I also want to make a shout-out to Daybreakers, which I feel like nobody ever talks about but which actually has one of the most fascinating vampire concepts I’ve ever seen on film. The movie itself is kind of boring and forgettable, but the idea is really neat.

And that wraps up my journey through the 2000s in horror. Next decade: The 90s, coming right up!

#horror movies #film recs #movie recommendations #horror #horror by the decade

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pontificalandwarlike · 7 years ago

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Enjolras the (Non-)Survivor

Or, an essay on why I struggle with survivor!Enjolras

[ cut for length...... buckle down kids cause this is about to be a long one. ]

As I hinted at previously, there are 3 layers to why survivor!Enjolras is a strange and confusing beast to me.

Let’s start with the easiest/simplest, which is: history. See, the point of having Enjolras survive the barricade is usually to give him a second chance, right ? He lives, he continues on, and he triumphs the next time, or maybe two tries later, or maybe ten –– but the ultimate goal is a happy ending of sorts for our golden boy. Or at least a triumphant ending, a closure of sorts, a successful closing arc for him and his Revolution. Except.... 19th century history isn’t kind to the French Republic. A lot of survivor!verse stuff take 1848 as the happy ending ( and I in no way mean to insult or nitpick them at all ). And on the surface, that makes sense ; that’s the next successful revolution ! Except the revolution might have been successful, but the Second French Republic born of it really wasn’t. Like, the February Revolution of 1848 happened in... February, as the name suggests; four months later, the June Days Uprisings were a major rebellion in Paris, where the workers rose up en masse, complete with barricades, in protest against the Second Republic’s policies. I won’t go too much into history here ( although there’s a lot of fascinating stuff ; a book I read characterized the June Days as the last major barricades ), I mostly wanted to mention it as an indicator of how rocky the Second Republic was from the start. And then, of course, the Second Republic lasted all of four years. In 1852 we have the Second French Empire, because they went and elected Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte –– aka Napoleon III, aka Napoleon Bonaparte’s nephew and heir –– as the president of the Second Republic, and he did as Bonapartes apparently do in France. So, with 1848, Enjolras either dies on that barricade, or lives to see his beloved Republic fall apart in front of his very eyes and then give way to yet another empire. Not a very happy ending, and quite honestly, I don’t know how much his story changes functionally from what we already see in canon.

Let’s say for the sake of argument that this boy survives past 60 and sees the next republic come to be in 1870. Well, first of all, to do that, he has to :

lead a failed rebellion and deal with the physical, legal, and emotional aftermath of that

live under a regime he tried to overthrow for another 16 years

watch the Second Republic fall apart and give way to the Second Empire

live in an empire for almost 20 years

and finally, live through yet another bloody revolution

which, clearly, is not a great time for anyone. But also, the Third Republic was a bit of a mess of its own. See : the Franco-Prussion War, the Ordre Moral and the suppression of the Commune which lead up to 16 May 1877 ( “le seize mai” ), the aggressively polarized politics... Hell, just look at the wikipedia page for the Third Republic. Similar to 1848, simply getting to 1870 and the successful Revolution that leads to the Third Republic is not a happy ending in and of itself.

The point of all this historicizing is that, given his position in history, and his ideology as a radical revolutionary republican –– no matter what he survives and lives to see, Enjolras is just destined to be a tragic figure. There’s just no happy ending for him in history ; the best he can do is go out in a symbolic blaze of glory on a barricade somewhere, as he does.

Alright, let’s move on to layer #2 now, which is the symbolic/meta layer. This is also the most fun layer for me, and I’ll shamelessly mooch on some other people’s brilliant meta for this. There’s a lot of things you could talk about in the Brick, but I’m going to speak mainly to one of my perpetually favourite scenes, which is the execution of Le Cabuc. More specifically, the speech that follows right after it. I could quote the whole damn thing, but the key part is :

“As for myself, compelled to do what I have done, but abhorring it, I have judged myself also, and you shall soon see to what I have condemned myself. [...] Citizens, in the future there shall be neither darkness nor thunderbolts, neither ferocious ignorance nor blood for blood. As Satan shall be no more, so Michael shall be no more. In the future no man will slay his fellow, the earth will be radiant, the human race will love. It will come, citizens, that day when all shall be concord, harmony, light, joy, and life; it will come, and it is so that it may come that we are going to die.” (Tome IV, Book 11, Chapter 8)

It took so much restraint to not bold the entire passage, but I managed to stick to a few phrases only. There’s sort of two ideas happening here. One is nor blood for blood / in the future no man will slay his fellow / all shall be concord, harmony, which is to say that Enjolras and the revolutionaries are fighting for a world without violence. Sit on the contradiction of that statement for a moment. They are fighting for a world without violence. There’s a fundamental ideological crisis here, and that is the contradiction of violence in the name of a world without violence. A question aries, then: where do people who have shed blood in the name of liberty and progress, fit in a world after revolution? More specifically for me & this essay, where does Enjolras, a “pontifical and warlike nature” fit in a peacetime world ? We have our answer in to what I have condemned myself / so Michael shall be no more / we are going to die. The answer is, he doesn’t and he can’t. The answer is, if you try to fit him in, he becomes Robespierre and Saint-Just and the Terror. The answer is, a warlike nature is a warlike nature in war or in peace ; and Enjolras is made to be the war that brings down regimes, and just because there is no more regime to be brought down doesn’t change his nature. ( Note that this is many chapters before the moment they realize they’ve been abandoned, that Paris isn’t coming to their aid ; that doesn’t happen until Tome V, Book 1, Chapter 3. Why does that matter ? Because Enjolras has no reason yet to believe they won’t survive this rebellion. And yet here he is, already condemning himself –– to death, I imagine, given the rest of his speech –– and a few lines later proclaiming that we are going to die. The revolutionaries, these men fighting with blood and sweat and tears for the future, are not going to live to see it. Because there isn’t a place for them in the world they are trying to build. They’re writing themselves out of the future. )

All this to say : if Enjolras survives a successful barricade, there is no place for him in the world it creates. He has already condemned himself, and the rest of the revolutionaries with him ( “We will share your fate !” Combeferre shouts, and Enjolras replies simply with “Very well.” ) He is Michael, and in a world where Satan is no more, he too will be and must be no more. ( I mooched a lot of ideas off of this meta thread, so feel free to go there for more intelligent, coherent, and informed thoughts than mine. )

Okay, then what about a failed barricade ? Well, let’s talk about that on the symbolic/meta level for a bit. Enjolras surviving a failed barricade... doesn’t make sense, on that level. It’s sort of the point of his story, that he dies there. That he dies embracing Grantaire, holding his hand, smiling. That’s the ultimate sacrifice, yes, but also the closure of his character arc : accepting love, accepting the skeptic, accepting people-with-a-lower-case-p, even when they don’t fit neatly into his revolutionary worldview. It’s a symbolic redemption of the heartless, ruthless version of republicanism he espouses at the very start ; it’s the antithesis of “Silence before Jean-Jacques! I admire that man. He disowned his children; very well, but he adopted the people.” In other words, his arc remains incomplete on a symbolic level if the barricade fails and yet he doesn’t die. Also, can you imagine Enjolras surviving the barricade when everyone else has died ? I sure can’t, unless some magic stepped in and saved him when the Guard thought he was dead and he really should have been dead.

Anyway, having addressed the symbolic/meta reasons of why Enjolras surviving the barricades is a baffling situation to be in, let’s go to the third and most practical layer : characterization. Look, Enjolras as we see him in the Brick is made of exactly two things, and that is 99% Revolution and 1% his friends. ( Percentage may vary. ) So then, who is he when we rip both of those things away from him ? Who is Enjolras, when his Revolution has failed and his friends have all died ? I don’t have a good answer to that. I can’t possibly imagine him giving up, or God forbid turning a cynic, because that runs contrary to his entire person. It’s hard to imagine him becoming a moderate, peaceful republican or something along those lines, because he’s built on quite the absolutes, and while Combeferre/Courfeyrac/Feuilly/et al. to temper his beliefs, I just don’t think there’s a way he’s ever going to bend that far. He’d break before that. But at the same time, there’s no way he can go on like before, as if nothing happened. That’s just not how trauma works. This boy, all of 26 years old, waged a war, had his hands drenched in blood, killed people he didn’t want to kill ( see : the artillery sergeant scene ), watched all of his friends die by his side, was abandoned by a group of people he believed so deeply would be on their side, and saw the ideals he devoted his entire life to shatter to rubble in front of his own eyes. He’s not walking away from that unchanged, because that’s just not how human beings work.

So then, to summarize. I can’t imagine him giving up, because it’s not who he is as a person; I can’t imagine him choosing a moderate path, because I don’t think he has it in him to be that tempered; I can’t imagine him continuing as he was, because that’s just not how we work as people. So I’m at an impasse.

An Enjolras who survives with a few of his friends is easier to work with, because he as room to be at both ends. He can go through his terrible post-barricade phase, the survivor’s guilt, the trauma, the fears and the insecurities and the doubts that are borne of that experience. But then he can build himself back up, piece by piece, with the help of his friends –– and he can help them build themselves back up in turn. And at the end of the day, they stand back up as they did, scarred and wounded by their experiences but still standing. For what, I’m not so sure ( see history rant above ), but at least standing.

But an Enjolras who survives alone ? I genuinely have no idea what he would do or be, in the long-term. In the short term, sure, he’d be terribly guilty and terribly scarred and probably honestly terrified for a while. And then ? Does he heal from that on his own –– and if so, how ? What happens if he does heal –– does he go on to join or found another revolutionary group ? What happens if he doesn’t heal –– does he die, somehow ?

This is not to say that I don’t like writing survivor!verse. The opposite is true, actually ; I love it. I love angst, first of all, but it also lets me explore a side of Enjolras that doesn’t happen a lot in other places. Which is to say, an Enjolras stripped and broken down, an Enjolras shattered and torn apart, an Enjolras guilty and doubting and robbed of his own self-assured confidence. This essay is more to explore in more depth why I struggle with Enjolras post-barricades on a broader and longer-term scale. I could probably go on but I’ll stop now because this is already 2100+ words.

#⚔ penned by jenn –––– ( ooc. )#⚔ a hand wrote on it in pencil –––– ( meta. )#|| i'm calling this meta bc i don't know what else to call it #|| here you go this took me far too long #|| god i hope this is coherent #|| deleting the thought-ramble version in favour of this

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theteenagetrickster · 5 years ago

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The 50 Best R&B Albums of The Decade (2010s) - Rated R&B

If there’s one genre that has experienced the most sweeping changes in the 2010s, it’s R&B.

From the survival of the EDM phenomenon to the decline in music sales to more artists taking the independent route, this decade seemed to prevent more challenges for established and emerging artists.

And let’s not forget about the ongoing debates about “the state of R&B” and critics declaring R&B a “dead genre” on more than occasion.

Still, with all the harsh talk about R&B, what remained consistent throughout this decade was the generous amount of extraordinary music from the artists we always adored to the ones we grew to love.

After many internal debates and sleepless nights, Rated R&B’s editorial team has compiled an unranked list of the 50 Best R&B Albums from the 2010s. The albums are listed in alphabetical order.

1. 4 — Beyoncé (2011)

Before the digital drop, before she got in formation, and before she renamed Coachella ‘Beychella,’ Beyoncé was laying the foundations of legendary status with 4. Riding high on the success of I Am… Sasha Fierce in the previous decade, Beyoncé took a much-needed hiatus from music to rediscover the world and herself. What came out of that year-long break, however, was the need to produce a timeless R&B record. “I really focused on songs being classics, songs that would last, songs that I could sing when I’m 40 and when I’m 60,” Beyoncé said in 2011.

With 4, Beyoncé grabbed pieces from all eras of music, from ‘80s and ‘90s R&B on tracks like “Party” and “I Care” to ‘70s funk and Afrobeat on songs like “End of Time” and “Run The World (Girls)”, to create a sound that was bolder than anything she had ever done. Released in 2011 with moderate initial success — reaching number one on the Billboard 200 chart and winning the Grammy award for Best Traditional R&B Performance at the 55th annual ceremony for “Love on Top”— 4 set the precedent for what was to come in the 2010s, while slowly being embraced as Beyoncé’s bravest, most soulful record to date. — ANDERS HARE (A.H.)

2. A Seat at the Table — Solange (2016)

To encapsulate a significant portion of what it means to be Black in America is a difficult task. Not many have been called to it, yet Solange willingly hit the nail with much accuracy on A Seat at the Table. Inviting the general public to her spread, she expressed the pain, anguish, resilience and pride one can feel on a daily basis. Solange covers as many necessary bases as possible including wanting a piece of something to call your own in a covetous space (“F.U.B.U.”) to establishing boundaries, while demanding respect (“Don’t Touch My Hair”). The glimmer of hope in the beautifully melancholy number arrives towards the end with “Junie,” inspired by Ohio Players member Junie Morrison. In a little under an hour, the multidisciplinary artist gives way to an intricate experience in a manner that is complex and poetic. — DANIELLE BRISSETT (D.B.)

3. Another Round — Jaheim (2010)

As the title suggests, Jaheim returned for Another Round of passion-fueled belts and beloved street poetry on his fifth album. Serving as the solid follow-up to The Makings of a Man, the 2011 Best R&B Album contender is essentially an album that conveys thoughtful lyrics and tender ballads and midtempos with familiar and fresh sounding instrumentals. For the pre-album single, “Finding Your Way Back,” Jaheim works hard to retrace his last steps to rekindle a favorable romance. He expresses excitement to be a first-time dad on “II Pink Lines.” On the piano-laced “Bed is Listening,” Jaheim asks his talkative lover to keep their relationship troubles and joys only between them. A deserving listen to Another Round is highly recommended. – ANTWANE FOLK (A.F.)

4. Anti — Rihanna (2016)

Barbadian-born singer Rihanna has long been described as “anti”— going against the grain in fashion, music and lifestyle choices, and doing everything an icon shouldn’t. While her first seven albums detail her narrative of a “good girl gone bad,” none of them really tell Rihanna’s true story. When in the early stages of her eighth studio album, Rihanna ensured she played a major role in its inception, serving as executive producer. She sought to create a timeless album with replay value she could perform years after its release. The final product was Anti, an album nearly four years in the making that truthfully recounted Rihanna as a human being better than any album she previously released. Sonically, the album is a soulful adventure of self-exploration and a footprint of the culmination of every sound in Rihanna’s catalog. Anti earned Rihanna five nominations at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, however, did not win a single one. This defeat is symbolized as a body of work that is ahead of its time. Still, Anti remains one of the most progressive, personal, and touching albums of the 2010s. — A.H.

5. Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart? — K. Michelle (2014)

K. Michelle’s 2013 debut, Rebellious Soul, officially introduced her as one of the most unfiltered R&B storytellers, but her follow-up LP is the moment her undeniable talent couldn’t go unnoticed – even by her Love and Hip-Hop naysayers. That said, Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart has it all for a second album: a strengthen concept, sharper lyrics, and improved quality in production. Throughout AWBAH, K’s expressive vocals are equally as emotional as the love drama she belts. At the center of many of the complicated lyrics is acclaimed English actor Idris Elba, who she had an alleged fling with sometime before (or during) this album recording. K isn’t modest about the effect he’s had on her heart at the least on songs like “How Do You Know?” and “Maybe I Should Cry.” But, regardless of the heartache he caused K. Michelle, she mustered up enough strength to put out a body of work that doesn’t sound like anyone but herself. – A.F.

6. Art Official Age — Prince (2014)

Prince’s Art Official Age is a concept album that takes listeners on a futuristic journey. Prince is placed in a suspended animation and awakens 45 years in the future to a whole new world. British singer Lianne La Havas makes a few appearances on the album as she plays the role of a therapist who helps guides him back into consciousness and gives him an overview of what to expect. On Art Official Age, Prince showcases the highly influential funk-pop-rock-soul sound he innovated in the ‘80s. “Clouds” serves up the kind of bass-heavy, guitar-accented groove diehard Prince fans know and love. A celebration of affection and intimacy, this standout brilliantly decries the impersonal aspects of modern, technology-reliant communication and a lack of sincerity in human interaction in a world of “reality”-show posing.

“Breakfast Can Wait” is an ode to morning sex. Prince is in stellar form on “Breakdown,” a heartfelt lament of a relationship gone wrong. He puts his falsetto to great use over a stirring track that transitions multiple times between sparse, vocal-and-keyboard-only verses and a chorus with those elements effectively joined by drums and a gripping bass line. He closes the album with “Affirmation III,” where Havas helps spread encouragement with some words of wisdom. “Remember, there is really only one destination, and that place is you. All of it, everything, is you,” she says. — KEITHAN SAMUELS (K.S.)

7. Back to Love — Anthony Hamilton (2011)

It’s hard to resist the raspy-voice charm of Anthony Hamilton. On Back to Love, the veteran continues to showcase his strong admiration for old-school soul music found on most of his previous albums. This time, rather than wallow in “the sad cat” persona, Hamilton puts his emotional outbursts in check and delivers the shimmering danceable number “Sucka For You” and the reassuring duet “Never Let Go” featuring Keri Hilson. Despite the bright lights, big city production influences, Hamilton isn’t out of touch with his Southern roots. On “Pray For Me,” the hit single, he gets on bended knees to plead with the Most High for his ex-lover to return to him. And like a home-cooked meal, richly flavored tracks “Best of Me” and “I’m Ready” are like food to the soul. — A.F.

8. Back to Me — Fantasia (2010)

Fantasia’s third studio album, Back to Me, was released four years after her self-titled sophomore LP. Taking a more daring direction with the previous project, Fantasia returned to her core elements with an elevated sound. The American Idol winner’s growth was evident on this album, from the lyrical material to the vocal performance. She collaborates with accomplished songwriter/producer duo Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony for the first time on the initial single “Bittersweet” and the opening track, “I’m Doin’ Me.” Coming out swinging, track one sets the tone for what’s to come throughout the rest of the album. While the striking piano is a key piece, it’s Fantasia’s ad-libs and backgrounds that truly elevate and amplify the song’s magic. A few retro-leaning numbers (“Trust Him”, “Collard Greens & Cornbread”) make an appearance on the tracklist but Fantasia’s soulful grit produces a piercing comfort, connecting a seasoned energy to a contemporary feel. — D.B.

9. BEYONCÉ — Beyoncé (2013)

The world stopped momentarily when Beyoncé released her fifth studio album without any warning. Two years after 4, her eponymous album was in a league of its own from the rollout to its musical landscape. Fans got an authentic peek into Beyoncé’s personal life through the music for the first time; bringing us into her high profile marriage, motherhood and her views on success. Beyoncé experimented with a variety of different musical elements, including electronic and pop. It leaned towards an alternative R&B feel, straying from the traditional R&B sound that was prevalent in her previous body of work. Even though eccentricity flowed throughout the album, “Rocket” was R&B at its core. Honoring “Untitled (How Does It Feel) by D’Angelo, the soulfully funky slow jam oozes seduction as Beyoncé slides across the yearning electric guitar and thumping bass. The self-titled project contained an assortment of flavors that were unexpectedly satisfying in a way only Beyoncé can serve. — D.B.

10. Black Messiah — D’Angelo and The Vanguard (2014)

D’Angelo is a legend among men. As one of the pioneers of neo-soul, his weighted contribution to the movement would be inadequate without him. He made his long-awaited return to music 14 years after his sophomore album Voodoo with the politically-charged Black Messiah. It was slated for a 2015 release but he was inspired to push the date up due to the verdicts of the Eric Garner and Ferguson cases. Capturing the Black American experience during a tense time, D’Angelo and The Vanguard responded with an eccentric, yet spiritual album. Musically, Messiah is a rebellion from structural norms, with nearly inaudible lyrics that are intended to be felt and not necessarily understood word for word. Intertwining funk, soul, gospel and blues, there’s a wide range from societal issues (“1000 Deaths,” “The Charade”), to romance (“Really Love,” “Another Life”) and all the imaginable feelings in between. The intricately beautiful body of work rightfully earned the award for Best R&B Album at the 58th Grammy Awards. — D.B.

11. blackSUMMERS’night — Maxwell (2016)

“It’s an album about trying to find love,” Maxwell told Mic on the overall theme of blackSUMMERS’night. “It’s sonically grittier than usual and I’d say that this album is much more poetic.” Complied with well-written songs that weren’t crafted from any rushed recording sessions, this second album of a romantic trilogy covers a lot of ground on discovering true romance like on the splashing groove “Lake By the Ocean” and captive solo “Hostage.” In a vulnerable fashion, Maxwell opens his heart and mind to a hopeful lover on the mood-setting “Listen Hear.” His distinctive voice extracts intense pain on “Lost,” the darkest and finest moment. Now while blackSUMMERS’night doesn’t entirely follow the bluesy formula of BLACKsummers’night, his commercial breakthrough, it’s most definitely an R&B collector’s item. – A.F.

12. Calling All Lovers — Tamar Braxton (2015)

There’s something to be said for not trying to reinvent the wheel. Despite a strong sophomore album and a hit single (“Love and War”), Tamar Braxton didn’t go after the charts for her third studio LP. Instead, the R&B star upped the ante on Calling All Lovers by delivering fervent vocals to yearn downhearted and joyous love tunes like the vintage-soul ditty “Simple Things” and summery throwback “Must Be Good to You.” Braxton is at her best when she sharply focuses on her vocal powers, as she does on the sorrowful “Broken Record” and the eminently romantic “Raise the Bar.” So while Calling All Lovers is written off by many as a disappointing follow-up because it didn’t receive a proper commercial rollout as its parent album, it is an incomparable gem that’s proved a hit after one fair spin. – A.F.

13. Caution — Mariah Carey (2018)

A music legend cannot release an album without high expectations from fans and critics. Throughout her career, Mariah Carey has always set and exceeded the bar of musical excellence with her impeccable vocal range and her mesmerizing lyrics. Caution, Carey’s 15th studio album, proved why she has been able to sell over 200 million records throughout her career. Whether she’s singing tender ballads like “With You” and “Portrait” or showing off her playful side on “A No No” and “GTFO,” Caution pleasantly reminds the world that there are levels to Carey’s talent. — K.S.

14. Ctrl — SZA (2017)

The first lady of Top Dawg Entertainment crafted a playbook on self-awareness, boldness and reflection on Ctrl. SZA, along with her mom and granny, narrates the ebbs of flows of self-discovery in numerous aspects. Along the interestingly insightful journey, the alt & B singer stops at sensuality (“Doves In The Wind”), insecurity (“Drew Barrymore”) and acceptance (“Normal Girl”) with an ever-changing destination in sight. She takes flight on “Pretty Little Birds” featuring label-mate Isaiah Rashad. The lucid lyrics about soaring high with her lover are stretched across palpitating production with fluttering jazz horns and synths. SZA quaintly captures the nuances of growth in a way that was widely and immensely felt upon her release. Her full-length debut is a comforting coming of age album for young women in their 20-somethings, stepping into their own. — D.B.

15. Doubleback: Evolution of R&B — Joe (2013)

It doesn’t get more soulful than Joe. The Grammy-nominated veteran, who debuted in 1993 with the album Everything, effortlessly proves that he’s untouchable in the romance department. By merging elements of well-rendered vocals, convincingly tender lyrics, and classic and modern R&B feels, Doubleback: Evolution of R&B is a stroke of pure genius. Never sounding too dated, Joe reaches back to give his male listeners lessons on the beauty of settling down like on “I’d Rather Have a Love,” the yearning lead single. He breaks down the pleasurable difference between “Love & Sex” with Fantasia and indulges in the sweet company of “Mary Jane.” Doubleback is another reminder to bachelors that there’s nothing wrong with turning in your player cards, once and for all. – A.F.

16. Ego Death — The Internet (2015)

The Internet’s third studio album was a wake-up call to anyone who slept on the eclectically soulful band. While their sophomore effort floated in the lo-fi realm, Ego Death took the tempo up a notch. Building on their neo-soul adjacent sound, they pulled from alternative, jazz and lounge music elements to create a body of work that is expansive, yet focused. A common thread for Ego Death is the relaxing, easygoing tone, appropriately displayed in “For The World” featuring James Fauntleroy — a track that shares a similar groove to “Butterflies” by Michael Jackson. The Internet’s melodic palate transformed from a mystic vibe to a soul knocking sound on their third album; proof they’ve grown from being the adolescent band next door to a musically inclined group who’s pushing their sound further. — D.B.

17. ELDORADO — Ro James (2016)

Ro James summons an authentic essence of soul. With a husky and smoldering timbre, his ability to bridge the musicality of his forefathers and his personal influences enhance the listening experience. James pulls from rock, soul and gospel to create a rich and fortifying sound. His trilogy EP Coke, Jack and Cadillacs was released in 2013, simmering a carefully crafted energy that steadily lured fans in.

Three years later, his debut album ELDORADO solidified a lane solely reserved for James to cruise along. His Willie Hutch-sampled track “Permission” took over urban adult contemporary radio and promptly aided his growing success. ELDORADO would be incomplete without hazy and seductive tracks like “Burn Slow” and “GA$” but “Holy Water” contributes a contrasting but necessary element. Swelled with sonorous organs, James belts about becoming better and not losing himself with choir-adjacent backgrounds for full support. For his first major-label release, James leaves an undeniably lasting impression. — D.B.

18. Feel The Real — Musiq Soulchild (2017)

When it comes to love, Musiq Soulchild has a lot to say. Released as a double album, Feel The Real is a 100-minute expedition through the different stages of a relationship. “I kinda wanted to do the whole Feel the Real thing because this love thing, this romance thing, this relationship thing, this interpersonal intimate thing we deal with it’s all about how you feel,” he told HipHollywood. “You can’t think your way through it.” The title track, which features Marsha Ambrosius, hears Soulchild shooting his shot at a woman he is interested in pursuing.

On the same token, he isn’t looking to settle too quickly. He gets very candid on “Benefits,” where he only wants to be friends with benefits. He admits his wrongdoings on the Willie Hyn-assisted “My Bad” and asks his partner to do the same on “Humble Pie.” “Let Go” is about knowing when it is time for both partners to move on from a relationship. With everything he experienced in his previous relationship, Soulchild wants to make sure he is ready to make his heart open for the next person. “Test Drive” is about testing the waters before settling down. “We could both crash and burn or we could fly high / Couldn’t hurt to take a test drive,” he sings. Soulchild expresses his gratitude on the album’s closer “Simple Things.” Although the album is a lot longer than traditional releases, Soulchild makes the experience enjoyable with his velvety vocals laced over live instrumentation. — K.S.

19. Freudian — Daniel Caesar (2017)

The early 2010s consisted of R&B artists trying to keep up with what was contemporary, with many gravitating toward pop, alternative and EDM. On the contrary, Ontario-born singer-songwriter Daniel Caesar spent much of the early 2010s being recognized as a budding voice in classic R&B stylings with the release of several scattered EPs such as 2014’s Praise Break and 2015’s Pilgrim’s Paradise. However, Caesar’s debut album Freudian became a constant revisit for casual listeners of the genre after its release in 2017. The obvious nods to gospel music on tracks such as “Hold Me Down” and “We Find Love” adds a natural anointing to Caesar’s smooth sound. However, it is songs such as “Blessed” and the H.E.R.-assisted “Best Part” that elevate Caesar to timeless status, as both became radio and wedding mainstays, respectively. While everyone else was making moody, aesthetically-pleasing sounds, Caesar created a timeless record that offered a little something for everyone.— A.H.

20. Greater Than One — Dwele (2012)

Dwele is arguably one of the most underrated neo-soul singers. The Detroit native’s fifth studio album, Greater Than One, is proof in the pudding. Drawing inspiration from ‘80s R&B, Greater Than One highlights various topics surrounding a relationship. From missing out on love (“Going Leaving”) to knowing how to keep his woman happy (“What Profit”) to avoiding temptation (“Frankly My Dear”), the subject matter is relatable for anyone who has ever experienced a relationship. A standout moment on the album is the eargasmic “Obey,” an alluring tune where Dwele takes complete control in the bedroom as he instructs his woman to submit to his orders. Looking back, Dwele stepped outside of his traditional sound for Greater Than One, all while staying true to his artistry. — K.S.

21. Gumbo — PJ Morton (2017)

There is no place like home. PJ Morton returned to his New Orleans roots for his fourth studio album, Gumbo. With just nine tracks, the introspective LP is seasoned with intense topics that are most personal to him. On “Claustrophobic” featuring Pell, Morton vents about his frustrations in the music industry, making it clear that he is not interested in chasing trends. He offers hope to the marginalized on “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” featuring BJ the Chicago Kid and The HamilTones. “Religion” hears Morton calling out people who use religion to justify their bad behavior, singing, “But you blame your God when it’s your own fault / Where is the love that your God spoke of?” He celebrates lifelong love on “First Began,” which was nominated for Best R&B Song at the 2018 Grammy Awards. The album also received a nomination for Best R&B Album. — K.S.

22. H.E.R. — H.E.R. (2017)

Before she was the ominous, multitalented music virtuoso known as H.E.R., California native Gabi Wilson first appeared on a radio talent competition Next Big Thing in 2009, ultimately losing. However, it was not until she put on a pair of massive sunglasses to cover her face, changed her name to the acronym Having Everything Revealed, and released an eponymous debut EP that H.E.R. became a slow-burning sensation everyone wanted to know. A compilation of her first two EPs released in 2016 and 2017, respectively, H.E.R. is the diamond that emerged from the coal that came with the introduction of alternative R&B in the mid-2010s: a purely R&B album that is true to its roots, yet can easily compete with the fiercest competitors. H.E.R. received several nods from critics and contemporaries alike, including a co-sign of the album’s second single “Focus” from Rihanna.

With just one feature on the entire project, H.E.R. puts her messages of love, regret, pain, and pleasure at the forefront of the album on songs such as “Rather Be,” “2,” and “Losing.” Although not a radio-heavy project, the resonance of H.E.R. made it all the way to the Grammy stage, earning the singer-songwriter Best R&B Album, and Best R&B Performance for her duet “Best Part” with Daniel Caesar. While she still has yet to put out a proper debut LP, H.E.R. remains a staple of the 2010s as the world waits to see what she will do next. — A.H.

23. Honestly — Lalah Hathaway (2018)

Lalah Hathaway’s first studio album on her independent imprint followed her pair of Grammys won for her 2015 live album. All-around musician Tiffany Gouché is involved with each song on Honestly, pushing Hathaway into a more free-spirited and adventurous territory sonically than her previous albums. Fortunately, this bold play works to the polyphonic-voiced singer’s advantage. Everything from Honestly is a mood. “I Can’t Wait” beams with feel-good vibes to get any party started. The Lecrae-assisted anthem “Don’t Give Up” is a large dose of reassurance, while “Won’t Let Go” ducks and dodges an obsessed ex. And while her rich, warm overtones are attached to nostalgic video game noise, it doesn’t seem scattered or muddled. It’s actually a positive step in the next direction of Hathaway’s elevated artistry. – A.F.

24. In My Mind — BJ the Chicago Kid (2016)

With the many directions R&B has taken, only a few have been able to elevate the genre while staying true to its core elements. When BJ the Chicago Kid independently released his debut album Pineapple Now-Laters in 2012, he garnered attention with his soulfully robust voice, suggestive of prominent hometown soul singers like Sam Cooke and Curtis Mayfield. Six months later, he signed a deal with the famed Motown Records where he released his major-label debut, In My Mind.

By injecting the quintessence of his forefathers into his resonating sound, BJ evidently distinguished himself from his peers. He makes use of his storytelling skills on a tale of infidelity on “Wait Til the Morning” featuring Isa. On the sensual track “The Resume” featuring Big K.R.I.T., BJ channels the computerized ’90s energy by way of Jodeci. He closes the album with “Turnin’ Me Up,” a soothing and irresistible acoustic number with the impromptu spirit of a jam session. BJ presents a modern take on soul music with In My Mind, while keeping the spirit of the music form alive. — D.B.

25. Kaleidoscope Dream — Miguel (2012)

Miguel had a lot to prove with his sophomore album, Kaleidoscope Dream. His debut All I Want Is You was the spacey and rhythmic introduction to his genre-melding talents, yet it wasn’t well-received upon its release. Taking significant creative control this time, Miguel returned to the drawing board to create an imaginative fusion of psychedelic soul, rock and R&B. The album begins with “Adorn,” the feel-good throwback-adjacent single that matured into a classic over time. As the ear-bending journey continues, the title track is more than fitting of its name, navigating a chromatically rippling number that’ll take listeners to another plane. The daringly neoteric direction Miguel took resulted in him becoming a regarded voice among male R&B. — D.B.

26. Late Nights & Early Mornings — Marsha Ambrosius (2011)

As half of the neo-soul duo Floetry, Marsha Ambrosius is one of the pillars that fused rap, soul, and jazz to create the genre nearly 20 years ago. It was these elements and a sultry, operatic voice that are the driving force behind her debut solo album Late Nights & Early Mornings. However, pushing the envelope even further, Ambrosius brought her unique form of storytelling into a new era and rewrote the book of grown and sexy for a new decade. She included clever scenarios in songs like “I Hope She Cheats On You (With a Basketball Player)” and “Far Away,” a tearjerking narrative that you feel just as hard as the sensual slow jams. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart, and “Far Away” earned two Grammy nominations at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards in 2012. Late Nights & Early Mornings became less of a single project for one moment in time, but a mood for the right time of night, anytime. Whether those listening were feeling kinky, sad or just lying awake thinking about life, Ambrosius’ pen was there to get them through it. — A.H.

27. Love Life — Tamia (2015)

It’s hard to believe Tamia recorded her very solid sixth studio album, Love Life, in just 10 days. Taking an edgier approach than her previous works, Love Life is grown and sexy at its finest. “It’s not as deep and dark as some of my past albums; it’s in a better place,” she said in a past interview. The Canadian singer worked with a diverse group of songwriters and producers including The-Dream, Tricky Stewart, Pop & Oak, Chuck Harmony, Claude Kelly, Polow Da Don and The Stereotypes. The romantic album highlights the best moments of being in love — and could even serve as a guide on how to add a little spice to a longterm relationship. Tamia describes the feeling of falling in love with the opener “Love Falls Over Me.” On the album’s lead single “Sandwich and a Soda,” she gets submissive as she sings about taking care of her man in and outside of the bedroom. Speaking of the bedroom, Tamia doesn’t hold back on songs about making love (“Chaise Lounge,” “Lipstick” and “No Lie”). The album’s standout track is definitely “Stuck With Me,” which peaked at No. 14 on Billboard’s US Adult R&B Songs chart. Love Life is another example of how an artist can be intimate while leaving something to the imagination. — K.S.

28. Love, Marriage & Divorce — Toni Braxton and Babyface (2014)

Toni Braxton and Babyface’s Grammy-winning joint album Love, Marriage & Divorce is a quite satisfying collection of gorgeous selections that profile the romantic confessions of their lives. Working closely alongside heavyweight musician Daryl Simmons and Antonio Dixon, the two R&B greats cover past, present, and future love stories and share important experiences to provide healing for one’s relationship and heart. Passionately-sung numbers like “Where Did We Go Wrong?” minister on the power of listening, while “Reunited” supports mutual reconciliation. Other standouts include the remorse hit “Hurt You,” the love-drenched makeup tune “Sweat” and “I’d Rather Be Broke,” the bittersweet solo by Braxton. Needless to say, Braxton and Edmonds are a fine duo, and it’s a serious crime when they’re apart for too long. – A.F.

Stream: Apple Music / Spotify

29. New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh — Erykah Badu (2010)

Two years after releasing New Amerykah, Pt. 1 (4th World War), Erykah Badu followed up with the album’s sequel, New Amerykah, Pt. 2 (Return of the Ankh). While part one centered around politically-charged topics, part two is more personal as Badu focused more on her love life. Sonically, the album pulls inspiration from Badu’s early works like Baduizm. “The album is more emotional and flowy and talks about feelings,” Badu explained at a listening party in 2010. The obvious standout is her liberating single “Window Seat.” The controversial video, which shows Badu walking around nude in Dealy Plaza, ultimately led to her getting charged for disorderly conduct. Other highlights on the album include the funk-infused “Turn Me Away (Get Munny),” the cautionary “Fall in Love (Your Funeral)” and the buttery “Umm Hmm.” — K.S.

30. No Boys Allowed — Keri Hilson (2011)

Some fans and critics had to learn not to judge an album by its title when Keri Hilson announced her sophomore effort, No Boys Allowed. She explained the meaning behind the album in a press release, “It’s not about excluding men. It’s more about women understanding that there comes a time in your life when you want a man. A real man. A grown up. Not a boy. And that’s not a bad thing.” While Hilson’s debut album In A Perfect World was more on the safe side, No Boys Allowed saw the singer-songwriter more confident and open. Kicking off the album with her J.Cole-assisted banger “Buyou,” Hilson made is clear that she wasn’t about the shits. “You want a ride or die chick, baby / But you ain’t got a whip, baby / It ain’t gon’ happen / You don’t got shit, you need a walk or die chick, baby,” she sings in the second verse. After setting the record straight, she showed love to the ladies with her empowering anthem “Pretty Girl Rock,” which was co-penned by Ne-Yo.

Some of the best moments on the album are Hilson’s most vulnerable tracks. “Breaking Point” is about being fed up with a lover’s shenanigans. The bittersweet “Beautiful Mistake” is about regretting a past relationship. The John Legend-penned “All the Boys” hears Hilson reminiscing about relationships from her teenage years. At the time, she thought she was in love but later realized what true love is. “After all the boys that I thought I loved before I didn’t know what love was / Til you knocked on my door,” she sings. Hilson balances the emotional feels with flirty numbers like “The Way You Love Me” featuring Rick Ross, “Gimmie What I Want,” and the reggae-tinged “Bahm Bahm.” No Boys Allowed is a nearly flawless genre-blending album that can be played from start to finish without skipping a track. The hidden interludes make the listening experience even more enjoyable — even during some of the darkest moments on the album. — K.S.

31. Now or Never — Tank (2010)

Three years after releasing his Grammy-nominated album Sex, Love & Pain, Tank returned with more bedroom vibes on Now or Never. It was his first album to release under Atlantic Records, following his departure from Blackground Records where he released his first three albums. Now or Never is a coherent body of work that is filled with tender R&B tunes. With enticing titles like “Sex Music,” “Scream” and the Chris Brown-assisted “Foreplay,” the R&B General was on a mission to please his listeners in every way. Sonically, Now or Never is a lot lighter than its predecessor, which was done intentionally. “It’s a happier album, I’m appreciating more, I’m celebrating more,” he told The Boombox. Speaking of “Celebration,” his Drake-assisted track is among the standout tunes on the LP. “Emergency” is probably the most recognized song on the album. Borrowing the same melody as Pleasure P’s “Under,” which he also co-wrote and co-produced, “Emergency” sees Tank coming to the rescue to satisfy a woman’s needs in the bedroom. “When I got there, put her on the floor / She leakin’ but she still breathin’,” he sings. While Tank ended up releasing six albums this decade, Now or Never remains a staple in his discography. — K.S.

32. Passion, Pain & Pleasure — Trey Songz (2010)

By the end of the 2000s, Virginia native Trey Songz was a full-fledged R&B sex symbol. On his fourth studio album, Passion, Pain, & Pleasure, Songz builds on the slow jam catalog he’s become notorious for. Moreover, he expands his seductive pallet to include more than just sex, but more mature emotions like lust on songs like “Can’t Be Friends,” a rarity in the genre at the time. Also, the album spawned hits such as the Nicki Minaj-assisted “Bottoms Up,” which is certified four times platinum in the United States and reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his highest-charting song to date. Outside of being a great album, Passion, Pain, & Pleasure was one of the only albums that remain consistently R&B through and through. While his contemporaries were switching it up to keep up with the times, Songz carried the genre into the next decade by starting off strong. Not only that, he inspired several future baby-making hitmakers in the genre. Passion, Pain, & Pleasure earned Songz several nods, including Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist at the 39th Annual American Music Awards, and will forever be remembered as the album that paved the way for R&B in the 2010s. — A.H.

33. Perfectly Imperfect — Elle Varner (2012)

As the daughter of two published songwriters, it is no surprise why Elle Varner has a knack for storytelling. Her debut album Perfectly Imperfect via RCA Records is a compilation of relatable stories centered around love and self-acceptance. Varner worked closely with production duo Pop&Oak and her father Jimmy to craft one of the most noteworthy debut R&B albums this decade. Although her Grammy-nominated single “Refill” gets all the attention, there are quite a few gems on the album. With a sample from Kool & The Gang’s “Little Children,” “I Don’t Care” finds Varner going “into the deep end” with a guy and having no regrets about it. Over a funky bass, she tells her lover what she can bring to the table on “Leaf.” The closing track, “So Fly,” is probably one of the most important songs on the album. The uplifting tune is about accepting yourself — flaws and all. “So, I decided I’m the definition of fly / And if you want to know why / I know what money can’t buy,” she sings. — K.S.

34. Pieces of Me — Ledisi (2011)

First and foremost – Ledisi is one of the best R&B/soul vocalists of the last 20 years. The New Orleans native has made a name for herself as an artist who renders lovely, traditional R&B-styled compositions with thrilling jazz crescendos. For her third major-label outing and fifth overall, Ledisi doesn’t miss a chance to continue enticing R&B fans with more sensational vocal takes. Pieces of Me satisfies those deeply in love on joyous tunes like the tender “I Gotta Get to You” and everlasting ode “Stay Together” featuring Jaheim. Like the winning titular track, this remarkable set gives Ledisi a platform to be delightfully inspirational on empowering jams like the bluesy “BGTY” and the self-advocating anthem “Raise Up.” – A.F.

35. Raymond v. Raymond — Usher (2010)

Usher was undoubtedly a bonafide superstar in the 2000s. However, all of that changed with his marriage to Tameka Foster in 2007, and the Atlanta-native began to focus on themes of love and marriage. This caused a dip in sales for 2008’s Here I Stand, an album almost entirely inspired by his marriage to Foster. When the two unexpectedly divorced in 2009, it inspired Usher to create an album based on the situation as well as where he expected to go from there. Thus, Raymond v. Raymond was born. Seen as sort of a return to the sensual, yet pain-stricken Confessions of 2004, Raymond v. Raymond features some of Usher’s finest uptempo hits of the decade, including “OMG,” “Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home)” and “Lil Freak.”

However, Usher’s sixth album saw him utilize the emerging sound of EDM for songs such as “DJ Got Us Falling In Love” and “Somebody to Love.” This new-found sound extended into Usher’s hit love song “There Goes By Baby,” a wedding song for the ages. Raymond v. Raymond won Usher two Grammy Awards in 2011, including Best Contemporary R&B Album and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. An album with features from Nicki Minaj, JAY-Z, will.i.am, and more, Raymond v. Raymond is Usher’s return to form for a new generation of R&B fans to discover. — A.H.

36. Reality Show — Jazmine Sullivan (2015)

When Jazmine Sullivan cleaned out her music industry cubicle in early 2011 to discover her true purpose in life, she left the world in complete shock. But, after nearly five years, the Philadelphia native had music admirers tuned into Reality Show, her third album. Ordering 12 songs, featuring studio input from the likes of SaLaAM ReMi, Key Wane, and Chuck Harmony, this phenomenal LP plays out overtly personal situations associated that are often a common narrative of many young Black women.

As a songsmith, with a knack for vivid imagery, Sullivan loads Reality Show with originals that seamlessly exalt her contemporary spirit like the trapsoul “Brand New” and down-chick anthem “#Hoodlove.” Some cuts sound like old favorites like the After 7-inspired hit “Let It Burn” and “Forever Don’t Last.” Other attention-holders stand in a league of their own like the introspective art “Masterpiece (Mona Lisa).” At the end of the day, Reality Show finds Sullivan singing with new conviction and versatility that makes her triumphant return to music more notable than other R&B comebacks. – A.F.

37. Souled Out — Jhené Aiko (2014)

Being off-brand isn’t Jhené Aiko’s motive. Resurfacing on the scene with her 2011 mixtape Sailing Soul(s), she introduced her newly-crafted sound that was more authentic to her artistry than her earlier work. Garnering recognition with her Sail Out EP in 2013, the debut album Souled Out concluded her motif. Aiko has remained steady on her music journey, refusing to let the industry steer her off course. Against an ambiently rhythmic background, her soothing voice lulls the sting of her realer-than-life lyrics. Aiko pulls from personal experiences and sets them in her songs, mirroring her reality with yours. With “Lyin King,” Aiko floats across the aquatic-like synths with a conviction that her lover will never know when a good thing is in his face. Souled Out is littered with philosophical gems, while providing a guide through the commensurating stages of heartbreak and enlightenment. — D.B.

38. Still Standing — Monica (2010)

The title says it all. Monica was Still Standing after a 15-year career of ups and downs. In the seasoned vocalist’s first album in four years, Monica capitalizes on the strength of her sincere duet with Keyshia Cole (“Trust”) and makes a triumphant return with age-appropriate uptempo and downtempo R&B tunes. The iron-solid hit “Everything to Me,” which marks her first-ever solo Grammy nod, takes its cue from Deniece Williams’ soulful single “Silly.” Monica keeps on the nostalgic path on “If You Were My Man,” while she lays her head on the chest of “Superman,” a soulful ode to her the man in the red cap. Other solid selections include the in-need banger “Here I Am” and the sappy ballad “Love All Over Me.” While Monica reflects mostly on love, she masterfully fuses songs about perseverance and self-importance on cuts like “Mirror,” “Believing in Me” and the survival title track. – A.F.

39. SweetSexySavage — Kehlani (2017)

There is a captivating nature about Kehlani. It could be her transparency, her charm or her confidence but all those aspects and more attribute to her debut LP SweetSexySavage. The Bay Area native signed a partnership with Atlantic Records, following the success of her 2015 mixtape, You Should Be Here. Her follow-up presented a refined body of work that remained honest to Kehlani’s discography. Tracks like “Too Much” and “Personal” lift melodies and song structures from the ‘90s and early 2000s without relying on obvious samples. She beams on “Piece of Mind”; her flawless harmonies perfectly compliment the consonantly layered production, reaching peak vocals by the 2:42 mark. Kehlani exhibits a vibrant synergy of her inspirations with her artistry on her debut, successfully providing songs for the sweet, sexy and savage sides in all of us. — D.B.

40. The Electric Lady — Janelle Monáe (2013)

Janelle Monae’s imagination is aptly cinematic. From her debut EP Metropolis: The Chase Suite, Monae showcased her well-rounded vision by introducing the story of her alter-ego, android Cindi Mayweather. As the prequel to The ArchAndroid, the afro-futuristic dystopian tale of The Electric Lady directs with a livelier soundtrack. Pulling inspiration from the early eras of soul music on tracks like “Dance Apocalyptic,” Monae shows she is a true student of those who came before her. She creates a sonic time chamber of sorts and lingers in the ‘70s on “It’s Code” and “Can’t Live Without You,” which takes a page out of Stevie Wonder’s book. Skillfully bridging the past, present and future of R&B, Monae brings Prince, Solange and Erykah Badu along as co-pilots for the electrifying ride to the world of Metropolis. — D.B.

41. The Lady Killer — CeeLo Green (2010)

CeeLo Green had the world shouting “Fuck You” at the start of the decade. The tell-off anthem was the lead single to his third solo album, The Lady Killer, and earned Green a Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2012. Sure, we can talk about how a song about a failed relationship with a gold digger was one of the biggest records at the time, but there is much more to be said about The Lady Killer. Best known as a member of the hip hop group Goodie Mob, Green steered clear from rapping this time around on his soul-infused project. “I thought The Lady Killer sounded edgy and elegant at the same time. So I wanted something like James Bond, but like Barry White would do it,” he told Billboard in an interview. Green introduces his “Lady Killer” persona on the opening track, before living his best life on the catchy “Bright Lights Bigger City,” which has a looping bassline similar to Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” Green keeps his listeners engaged with his dynamic vocal performance throughout the rest of the album. Some of his best vocal moments can be heard on “Love Gun” featuring Lauren Bennett, “Fool for You” featuring Earth Wind & Fire’s Philip Bailey and the classic Motown-tinged “Old Fashion.” — K.S.

42. The Light of the Sun — Jill Scott (2011)

After laying down the bricks of neo-soul with her epic The Real Thing: Words and Sounds trilogy in the 2000s, Philadelphia native Jill Scott ventured into acting, making her cinematic debut in the films Hounddog and Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married? in 2007. Scott released The Light of the Sun, a dramatic sonic change from her previous work. As Scott’s first three albums dealt with self-discovery and maturation through mellow grooves and heavy jazz influence, The Light of the Sun had a brighter sound than anything Scott had ever released. Having given birth to her son Jett in 2009, the album reflected Scott’s happiness at the time as she celebrated life and love on songs such as “Blessed” and “So In Love” featuring Anthony Hamilton as well as her proudful womanhood on tracks such as “Womanmanifesto.” The Light of the Sun debuted atop the Billboard 200 and Top Hip-Hop/R&B Albums charts and earned Scott two Soul Train awards for Best Female Artist and Best R&B/Soul Album. Scott’s fourth album represents her transition from a young woman trying to find her way to a grown woman who knows exactly what she needs. — A.H.

43. The London Sessions — Mary J. Blige (2014)

As the only accomplished force in mainstream music to take home Grammys in four different genres, Mary J. Blige has earned the right to experiment with new sounds and depart from the musical style she’s responsible for pioneering. For her 12th studio effort, The London Sessions, the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul left the states and jetted across the pond to draw recording inspiration from the UK’s brightest stars, including Sam Smith, Disclosure, and Emeli Sandé. The deep house tracks “Nobody But You” and “My Loving” thrive on blissful lyrical material. Meanwhile, The London Sessions features acoustic, therapeutic ballads (“Not Loving You,” “Therapy”) that speak for themselves. Overall, this noteworthy disc sends an important wake-up call to the music industry: Mary J. Blige isn’t afraid of change if it means she doesn’t have to be boxed in. – A.F.

44. The Love and War MasterPeace — Raheem DeVaughn (2010)

There comes a time when an artist wants to create a body of music to help heal the world. For Raheem DeVaughn, the time came for his third studio album, The Love and War MasterPeace. “I named the album The Love and War MasterPeace because I feel that where I am as a person and where we are as a people, we are all trying to master that internal peace and happiness in a very strange time,” DeVaughn said in a past press statement.

Pulling inspiration from fellow Washington, D.C. native Marvin Gaye’s critically-acclaimed album What’s Going On, The Love and War MasterPeace tackles issues affecting our society. Gaye’s influence can clearly be heard on the album’s lead single “Bulletproof” featuring Ludacris, which is a call to action for everyone to open their eyes on what’s really happening in the world around them. “You betta’ pray to the most high or whoever you praise / ‘Cause politicians can’t help you, they puppets to slaves,” warns DeVaughn. He empowers women on songs like “The Greatness” featuring Wale and reminds them of their worth on “Black & Blue,” which brings awareness to domestic violence. It wouldn’t be a Raheem DeVaughn album without his babymaking music. He brings the seductive vibes on velvety tunes like “Fragile” featuring Malik Yusef, “B.O.B,” “Microphone” and “Garden of Love.” — K.S.

45. The MF Life — Melanie Fiona (2012)

Melanie Fiona cemented herself as a retro-soul singer with her debut album, The Bridge. The sound of her Grammy-nominated single “It Kills Me” would serve as the blueprint for her next album, The MF Life. Released on Universal Records, The MF Life explored the highs and lows of love. With an emphasis on low moments, the 14-track offering is filled with punch-you-in-the-gut emotion and vivid storytelling. “I wanted it to be a collection of music and songs that make people think about the things that we actually go through and feel,” Fiona told NPR. Heartbreak and sorrow are reoccurring themes on The MF Life. “Wrong Side of a Love Song” is Fiona’s desperate attempt to get her man back after he broke up with her. “This is what it feels to be the one that’s standing left behind,” she sings.

Fiona also deals with loss on the album. “Gone (La Dada Di)” featuring Snoop Dogg is probably the most depressing song on the set. The Soundz-produced cut finds Fiona trying to process the death of her lover and regretting the argument they had. “Guess I’m thinking bout the last conversation we had / And the mean things that we’ve said / Wishing I could take the whole thing back / As I’m standing at his doorway, covered in red,” she sings. Fiona’s raspy vocals shine on records like “Bones” and “Running.” There are some lighter moments on the album such as the uplifting tunes “Change the Record” featuring B.o.B and “Watch Me Work.” The MF Life is a testament that our lives are not perfect and we will all go through some painful and traumatic experiences at some point. And when we do, we can always revisit Fiona’s stellar body of work. — K.S.

46. Three Kings — TGT (2013)

At a time where male singing groups were scarce, Tyrese, Ginuwine and Tank filled a necessary void. Following in the steps of their predecessors LSG (Gerald Levert, Keith Sweat and Johnny Gill), the solo R&B singers who are actual friends formed their supergroup TGT and released their only album Three Kings in 2013. They include all of the quintessential R&B album checkpoints: a song with a rap feature (“No Fun”), a few ballads and slow jams (“I Need,” “Lessons In Love”) with a few interludes in between. Among the tracks, “Burn Out” is the standout sleeper from their debut. Each gentleman performs ostentatiously on the intricate production that consists of multiple sonic and vocal peaks. The finished product creates an aural rush that’ll drive listeners into melodic bliss. Their distinct voices combined created harmonies that offered a unique texture and technique that has been absent from current R&B music. The trio’s undeniable formula lead them to a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album in 2014. — D.B.

47. Two Eleven — Brandy (2012)

Four years in the making, Brandy’s sixth album is her blood, sweat and tears. Drawing ultrasonic magic from familiar names like Sean “The Pen” Garrett, Bangladesh, Frank Ocean, Rico Love, and Mike WiLL Made-It, Two Eleven is an almost hour-long masterpiece that is home to singular vocal runs, adventurous, high-quality production, and broad songwriting. Though Two Eleven lacked a true conceptual vision, at least it had strong songs with potential hit value. “Put It Down” featuring Chris Brown is rhythmic radio gold. Advanced-sounding tracks “So Sick” and “Slower” had what it took to be embraced by urban as prized singles. Elsewhere, Brandy flawlessly adds in gem-worthy solos like “Wish Your Love Away” and “Without You.” In a few words, Two Eleven is just that album – period. – A.F.

48. VII — Teyana Taylor (2014)

Before Teyana Taylor became a household name from her iconic performance in Kanye West’s “Fade” video, she released an album that many people slept on. Taylor has always been open about her musical influences. On VII, her debut album, the Harlem native takes a few pages from the ‘90s R&B playbook to create a timeless masterpiece. She draws inspiration from some of her idols like Aaliyah, Brandy, Janet Jackson and Lauryn Hill. Co-writing every track on the album, Taylor enlisted help from hitmakers like James Fauntleroy, Eric Bellinger, Harmony Samuels, Boi-1da and Stacy Barthe to create songs that will be played from decades to come. “I want that album you can clean up to, the album you can make love to, the album you can just relax to,” she told Fuse TV.

Taylor opens VII with “Outta My League,” which sounds like an outtake from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. The calming production helps set the mood for the rest of the album. Most of the album sounds like it was made for the bedroom, especially on “Request,” “Do Not Disturb” featuring Chris Brown and the booming lead single “Maybe” featuring Pusha T and Yo Gotti. She looks for a no-strings-attached affair on the Fabolous-assisted “Broken Hearted Girl” (don’t let the title fool you.) The album isn’t completely sex-driven, though. She reflects on a failed relationship on the piano-driven ballad “Sorry,” before finally dismissing her no-good man on “In the Air.” With VII, Taylor successfully positioned herself as an R&B singer who cared more about making meaningful music than keeping up with trends. — K.S.

49. Woman to Woman — Keyshia Cole (2012)

Put some respect on Keyshia Cole’s name. For the most part, this Oakland native has a solid catalog, even though there was a disconnect with fans and critics on her fourth LP Calling All Hearts. Taking serious note, the R&B vocalist regained her early career glory on Woman to Woman. This essential comeback album perfectly mixes Cole’s trademark soul-baring touch to tuneful radio melodies and forward-minded arrangements. Album highlights include the whimsical duet “Wonderland” featuring Elijah Blake; the beans-spilling title track with Ashanti; the grand ballads “I Choose You” and “Trust and Believe;” and everything else in between. Woman to Woman is indeed a strong return for a promising R&B legend with more fire in her belly. – A.F.

50. X — Chris Brown (2014)

Like many artists in the early 2010s, Chris Brown merged his sound with that of contemporary genres such as Dubstep and EDM on 2012’s Fortune, and with innovation came criticism from critics and fans alike. However, in 2014, the Grammy-winning artist proved he was still all in for R&B with his sixth album, X. Combining old and new sounds, X is anchored by radio-ready singles Brown fans were accustomed to such as “Love More,” “New Flame,” and the massive summer hit “Loyal.” The latter went on to peak at number nine of the on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and is now certified four times platinum in the United States. With this project, Brown also became one of the few artists to reconnect with the late songstress Aaliyah on “Don’t Think They Know.” An LP for the ages, X is stacked with features from some of the biggest stars of the time such as Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, Trey Songz, Usher, Rick Ross, Brandy and more. Plus, it features production from some of the brightest talents including Diplo, DJ Mustard, and Jean Baptiste. X was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, and ultimately is a representation of Brown’s hit-making ability in R&B and beyond. — A.H.

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twicestung · 5 years ago

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@ohdaeth : ‘ if it was down to me to save your life, would you trust me to do it? ’

“ WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT? if you mean that i’d trust you to pull me out of the way of the road if i wasn’t paying attention, then yeah, ” erin shrugged, pulling out one of the things in the trolley and putting it back in its rightful place. stupid customers can’t put anything back themselves, so she has to do it all instead of getting out of here early to do whatever she wants and now she’s stuck listening to their insane theories about death being after them. erin sighed softly, pausing and turning to look at wendy, “ look, i don’t know what happened the night of the rollercoaster and i know things have been pretty fucked up since then. but you saved my life that night and i believe you’d do it again, if you had to. ‘cause you’re that kind of person. you’re a good person, ” they didn’t really know each other that well, she always thought wendy thought she was weird and she never made much of an effort with anyone but ian and a few others. however she did trust her, she couldn’t explain how or why but she completely trusted wendy, “ but i don’t think you’re gonna have to, ‘cause i don’t plan on dying anytime soon, ”

villain / hero // status : ACCEPTING

#ohdaeth #i. ic : answered.#iii. verses : final destination / final destination 3.#xxxiii. erin ulmer : in character.#death //

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live4thelord-blog1 · 6 years ago

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Biblical Basics about Mother Mary – A Homily for the Second Sunday of the Year

Msgr. Charles Pope •

In this Sunday’s Gospel passage of the wedding feast at Cana, there is a theological portrait of both Mother Mary and prayer. Let’s look at the Gospel along five lines:

I. The place that Mary has – The text says, There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.

A fascinating thing about these opening verses is that Mary almost seems to dominate the scene; the presence of Jesus is mentioned only secondarily. St. Thomas Aquinas notes that at Cana, Mary acts as the “go-between” in arranging a mystical marriage (Commentary on John, 98; and 2, 1, n.336, 338, and 343, 151-152). Once the marriage is arranged, she steps back; her final words to are these: “Do whatever he tells you.”

How many of us has Mary helped to find her Son and to find our place at the wedding feast of the Lamb? I know that it was Mary who drew me back to her Son when I had strayed.

II. The prayer that Mary makes – The text says, When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”

Notice another central role that Mary has: intercessor. She is praying to her Son for others. There are three qualities to her prayer:

Discernment – Mary notices the problem, probably even before the groom and bride do. Indeed, mothers often notice the needs of their children before they do. Why didn’t Jesus notice? Surely, as God, He knew, but He waits for us to ask. Yes, God waits for us; He expects us to ask Him. In part this is respect; not all of us are ready to receive all His gifts. This expectation that we ask is also rooted in God’s teaching that we must learn to depend on Him and to take our many needs to Him. The Book of James says, You have not because you ask not (James 4:2).

Diligence – Simply put, Mary prays. Rather than merely fretting and being anxious, she goes directly to her Son out of love for the couple (us) and trust in her Son. She sees the need and gets right to the work of praying, of beseeching her Son.

Deference – Mary does not tell Jesus what to do, she simply points out the need: “They have no wine.” Mary is not directive, as if to say, “Here is my solution for this problem. Follow my plans exactly. Just sign here at the bottom of my plan for action.” Rather, she simply observes the problem and places it before her Son in confidence. He knows what to do and will decide the best way to handle things.

In this way Mary, models prayer for us. What wine are you lacking now? What wine do your children and grandchildren lack? Do you notice your needs and the needs of others and consistently pray? Or must things get critical for you to notice or pray? When you pray, do you go to the Lord with trust or with your own agenda?

So, Scripture teaches that Mary is the quintessential woman of prayer, a paragon of prayer. Not only does she intercede for us, she teaches us how to pray.

III. The portrait of Mary – The text says, Woman, how does this concern of yours affect me? My hour has not yet come. His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” Notice three things about this brief dialogue:

The title of Mary – Jesus calls her “woman.” In Jewish culture this was a respectful way for a man to address a woman, but it was unheard of for a son to address his mother in this fashion.

Hence, this text stands out as unusual and signals that Jesus is speaking at a deeper level. In the Johannine texts, Jesus always calls his Mother, “Woman.” This is in fulfillment of Genesis 3:15, which says, I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall crush your head, while you strike at his heel. Thus, Jesus is saying that Mary is this woman who was prophesied.

Far from being disrespectful to Mary, Jesus is exalting her by saying that she is the woman who was prophesied; she is the woman from whose “seed” comes forth the Son destined to destroy the power of Satan.

In this sense Mary is also the new Eve. Jesus also calls her “Woman” at the foot of the cross; He is the new Adam while Mary is the new Eve, and the tree is the cross. Thus, just as humans got into trouble by a man, a woman, and a tree, so now we get out of trouble through the same path. Adam’s no is reversed by Jesus, who saves us by his yes. Eve’s no is reversed by Mary’s yes.

The tenacity of Mary – In Greek, Jesus’ words to his mother are these: τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί, γύναι – ti emoi kai soi, gunai (What to me and to thee, Woman?). When this phrase appears elsewhere in the Scriptures (e.g., Gen 23:15; 1 Kings 19:20) it usually indicates tension between the interlocutors. On the surface, it would seem that Jesus is resisting his mother’s attempt to involve him in this matter. What makes this interpretation odd, though, is that Mary doesn’t appear to interpret Jesus’ response as resistance.

Perhaps there was something in the tone of voice that Jesus used, or perhaps there was a look between them that resolved the tension and evoked Jesus’ sympathy for the situation. Whatever the case, Mary stays in the conversation with Jesus and overcomes whatever tension or resistance existed. In this we surely see her tenacity.

We can see Mary’s tenacity at other times: Though startled by the presence of the angel Gabriel, she engaged him in a respectful but pointed conversation in which she sought greater detail. Mary also hastened to visit her cousin Elizabeth, and in the dialogue that followed she proclaimed a Magnificat that was anything but a shy and retiring prayer. She joyfully acknowledged the Lord’s power in her life and all but proclaimed a revolutionary new world order.

To be tenacious means to hold fast despite obstacles or discouragements. However we interpret Jesus’ initial resistance to Mary’s concern, it is clear that she does not give up; she expects the Lord to answer her favorably. This is made clear by her confident departure from the conversation, when she turns to the stewards with this instruction: “Do whatever he tells you.”

The trust of Mary – She simply departs, telling the stewards, “Do whatever he tells you.” She does not hover. She does not come back and check on the progress of things. She does not try to control or manipulate the outcome. She simply departs and leaves it all to Jesus.

IV. The power of Mary’s prayer – Whatever his initial concerns regarding Mary’s request, Jesus goes to work. Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from—although the servers who had drawn the water knew—the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.”

If we do the math, we can estimate that Jesus produced almost 150 gallons of the best wine. Mary’s prayer and tenacity produced abundant results.

Sometimes the Lord tells us to wait so that He can grant further abundance. Scripture says, But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31).

The Catholic tradition of turning to Mary and regarding her as a special intercessor with particular power is rooted in this passage. Mary is not merely an intercessor for us, though; she is also a model. Following her example, we should persevere in prayer and go to the Lord with confident expectation of His abundant response. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16).

V. The product of Mary’s prayer – The text says, Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory and his disciples began to believe in him.

At the conclusion of this Gospel is the significant result that many began to believe in the Lord as a result of this miracle. This is Mary’s essential role with reference to Jesus, that she should lead many souls to a deeper union with her Son. Having done so, she leaves us with this instruction: “Do whatever he tells you.”

Mary’s role is to hold up Christ for us to see, as she did at Bethlehem for the shepherds (and later the Wise Men) and for Simeon and Anna at the Temple. Her role is to point to His glory as she does here at Cana. Ultimately, Mary’s role is to hold Jesus’ body in her arms at the foot of the cross after He is taken down.

As a mother, Mary has a special role in the beginnings of our faith, in the infancy and childhood of our faith. The text says that many “began to believe.” In Greek grammar, this phrase is an example of an inceptive aorist, often used to stress the beginning of an action or the entrance into a state. Thus, Mary has a special role in helping to initiate our faith, in helping (by God’s grace) to birth Christ in us. As St. Thomas Aquinas says, she is the “go-between,” the great matchmaker in the mystical marriage of Christ and the soul. Having done that, her final words are these: “Do whatever he tells you.” And while she may draw back a bit, she continues to pray for us.

Here, then, are some biblical basics about Mother Mary, gleaned from this Gospel passage of the wedding feast at Cana.

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bcnn1eu · 6 years ago

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Life's Three Most Important Questions (Gospel Light Minute X with Daniel Whyte III)

At some point over the years, you have probably asked life’s three most important questions: Where did I come from? What is my purpose? And where am I going? Allow me to share with you the answer to each of these questions.

The first question is where did I come from? Of course you know that, physically, you are the product of your mother and father. But, you may have wondered how human kind came to be? Do we exist by chance or were we created with a purpose? How did we come to exist on planet earth?

Many people have attempted to give answers to this question: Evolutionists say that humans evolved from animals and lesser forms of life. Others say that life originated on another planet and then was somehow brought to earth. And some people are convinced that we are all an accident, a cosmic joke, and that there really is no rhyme or reason for our existence.

But do you know what the truth is? The Bible says in Acts 17:24-26, that God “made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth…he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.”

We see from the Bible that the human race was formed by an all-powerful Creator. We are not the product of random chance or evolution. God gave us our life, and everything that we have, and he decided where and when we would live.

The second most important question is What is my purpose? God did not create us and then leave us on Earth to wander aimlessly through life. We actually have a purpose for which to live. Verses 27 and 28 of Acts 17 say that every human’s purpose is to “seek the Lord, if haply (perhaps) they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being.”

That is your purpose — to search for and begin a relationship with God. God said in Jeremiah 29:13, “ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

The third most important question is where am I going? Unlike the first two questions, however, the answer to this question depends on you. This answer ultimately rests on whether or not you decide to fulfill your purpose of beginning a relationship with God, your Creator.

Because of our sins, the bad things that you and I have done, we are separated from God and we are on the road to death and hell. Because of our sins, we die physically and go to the grave and we die spiritually and go to hell. Hell is a place of eternal punishment and torment. But hell is not the only eternal destination there is — there is also Heaven. Heaven is a place of eternal life, joy, peace, and love where God himself resides.

These are the two places where you can go when you die. God wants you to begin a relationship with Him so that you can go to Heaven to be with Him when you die. To go to hell, you don’t have to do anything else — just keep living the way you have been and you will end up in Hell. But to go to Heaven, you must make a decision to place your faith and trust in God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you want to go to Heaven? Allow me to show you how:

First, you must realize and admit that you are a sinner, just as I am, and that you have broken God’s laws just as I have. In fact, I am the chief of sinners, so don’t think that you’re alone. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:20: “For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Romans 3:23 reads: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, you must understand that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…” This is both spiritual death and physical death. We die physically and go to the grave because of sin and we die spiritually and go to hell because of sin.

Third, you must understand that you are on the road to hell because of your sins. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The Bible says in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Fourth, you must accept the fact that you cannot do anything to save yourself! The Bible states in Ephesians 2: 8, 9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Fifth, you must accept the fact that God loves you more than you love yourself, and that He wants to save you from hell. Because of God’s love for you, he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for your sin. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Because God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins, we can live with God in Heaven for all eternity after we die.

Finally, with these facts in mind, you must repent of your sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and pray and ask Him to come into your heart and save you this very moment. The Bible states in the book of Romans 10:9, 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you are willing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, please pray with me the following simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today and forever. Amen.

Dear friend, if you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is trusting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour!

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bcnn1uk · 6 years ago

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Life's Three Most Important Questions (Gospel Light Minute X with Daniel Whyte III)

That is your purpose — to search for and begin a relationship with God. God said in Jeremiah 29:13, “ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

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bcnn1canada · 6 years ago

Text

Life's Three Most Important Questions (Gospel Light Minute X with Daniel Whyte III)

That is your purpose — to search for and begin a relationship with God. God said in Jeremiah 29:13, “ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

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impactcomicscbr · 8 years ago

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UNFOLLOW #17 (MR)

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ASTONISHING ANT-MAN TP VOL 03 TRIAL OF ANT-MAN

AUDUBON ON THE WINGS OF THE WORLD GN

BATGIRL NEW HERO OF THE NIGHT YR SC

BLACK HAMMER TP VOL 01 SECRET ORIGINS

BPRD HELL ON EARTH TP VOL 15 COMETH THE HOUR

CAPTAIN AMERICA FALCON SECRET EMPIRE TP NEW PTG

CASTOFFS TP VOL 01

CLOUD RIDERS GN PRINCESS LEILANI & THE WIND SPINNERS

COMPLETE JIM APARO CHARLTON PHANTOM HC

CRYPTOCRACY TP

DARK HORSE NUMBER ONES TP

DISNEY FROZEN COMICS COLL HEARTS FULL OF SUNSHINE TP

DISNEY STAR VS THE FORCES OF EVIL COMICS COLL TP

DISNEY X MICKEY GN VOL 02 CONTEST

DOOM PATROL TP BOOK 03 (MR)

DUCK AVENGER NEW ADVENTURES TP BOOK 01

EMILY AND THE STRANGERS HC VOL 03 ROAD TO NOWHERE TOUR

HELLBLAZER TP VOL 01 THE POISON TRUTH (REBIRTH)

HENCHGIRL TP

HOW HE-MAN MASTERED THE UNIVERSE TOY TO TV TO BIG SCREEN

INVINCIBLE TP VOL 23

IRON FIST LIVING WEAPON TP COMPLETE COLLECTION

JUDGE DREDD EVERY EMPIRE FALLS TP

MERMAN IN MY TUB GN VOL 06

OTOMO GLOBAL TRIBUTE TO THE GENIUS BEHIND AKIRA HC (MR)

OUR CATS ARE MORE FAMOUS THAN US HC

PRISON SCHOOL GN VOL 06 (MR)

RG VEDA OMNIBUS TP VOL 02 (RES)

SABAN POWER RANGERS AFTERSHOCK MOVIE GN PHOTO COVER

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SAGA TP VOL 07 (MR)

SPIDER-MAN MILES MORALES TP VOL 02

STAR SCOUTS GN VOL 01

SUNSTONE HC BOOK 01 (MR)

SUPERGIRL BY PETER DAVID TP BOOK 02

TEEN TITANS BY GEOFF JOHNS TP BOOK 01

WONDER WOMAN & THE JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA TP VOL 01

X-MEN EPIC COLLECTION TP SECOND GENESIS

FCBD 2017 COMM ARTIST HARTMAN BLACK T/S LG

FCBD 2017 COMM ARTIST HARTMAN BLACK T/S MED

FCBD 2017 COMM ARTIST HARTMAN BLACK YOUTH T/S LG

FCBD 2017 COMM ARTIST HARTMAN BLACK YOUTH T/S MED

FCBD 2017 COMM ARTIST HARTMAN BLACK YOUTH T/S SM

FCBD 2017 COMM ARTIST HARTMAN RED T/S LG

FCBD 2017 COMM ARTIST HARTMAN RED T/S MED

FCBD 2017 COMM ARTIST HARTMAN RED T/S SM

FCBD 2017 COMM ARTIST HARTMAN RED T/S XL

FCBD 2017 COMM ARTIST HARTMAN RED YOUTH T/S LG

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FCBD 2017 COMM ARTIST HARTMAN WOMEN BLACK LG

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Back in Stock Products

Back in Stock Comics and Magazines

CADMUS #1

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INVINCIBLE #134 (MR)

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Back in Stock Books TPBs & Harcovers

ANCIENT MAGUS BRIDE GN VOL 01 (MR)

ANCIENT MAGUS BRIDE GN VOL 03

ANCIENT MAGUS BRIDE GN VOL 04

ARCHIE GIANT COMICS SPOTLIGHT TP

AUTUMNLANDS TP VOL 01 TOOTH & CLAW (MR)

AVATAR LAST AIRBENDER TP VOL 05 SEARCH PART 2

BATMAN 66 TP VOL 01

BATMAN BRUCE WAYNE MURDERER TP NEW ED

BATMAN THE KILLING JOKE SPECIAL ED HC

BATMAN TP VOL 01 I AM GOTHAM (REBIRTH)

BATMAN TP VOL 08 SUPERHEAVY

BIRDS OF PREY TP VOL 01

BIRTHRIGHT TP VOL 04 FAMILY HISTORY

BLACK SCIENCE TP VOL 05 TRUE ATONEMENT (MR)

CATWOMAN TP VOL 07 INHERITANCE

CHEW TP VOL 11 LAST SUPPERS (MR)

CHEW TP VOL 12 (MR)

CLEOPATRA IN SPACE GN VOL 03 SECRET OF TIME TABLETS

CONSTANTINE THE HELLBLAZER TP VOL 01 GOING DOWN

COSMIC ODYSSEY TP

CROSSED TP VOL 16 (MR)

CURSED PIRATE GIRL TP VOL 01 (MR)

DAREDEVIL TP VOL 01 DEVIL AT BAY

DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS TP VOL 01 ENLISTED

DC COMICS GUIDE TO CREATING COMICS SC

DC SUPER HERO GIRLS TP VOL 01 FINALS CRISIS

DC UNIVERSE REBIRTH DELUXE EDITION HC

DEADPOOL BY POSEHN AND DUGGAN HC VOL 01

DEADPOOL FIRSTS TP

DEADPOOL TP VOL 02 DARK REIGN

DEATH OF X TP

DEATHSTROKE TP VOL 01 THE PROFESSIONAL (REBIRTH)

EAST OF WEST TP VOL 02 WE ARE ALL ONE

EAST OF WEST TP VOL 05 ALL THESE SECRETS

ELSEWORLDS BATMAN TP VOL 02

ETERNAL WARRIOR TP VOL 01 SWORD OF WILD

FINAL DESTINATION SPRING BREAK TP (MR)

FLASH TP VOL 02 ROGUES REVOLUTION (N52)

FLASH TP VOL 07 SAVAGE WORLD

FLINTSTONES TP VOL 01

FROM HELL TP (MR)

FUSE TP VOL 04 CONSTANT ORBITAL REVOLUTIONS (MR)

GIRL GENIUS TP VOL 11 HAMMERLESS BELL

GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE TP (MR)

HACK SLASH OMNIBUS TP VOL 01 (IMAGE ED) (MR)

HELLBOY IN MEXICO TP

HELLBOY TP VOL 01 SEED OF DESTRUCTION (NEW PTG)

HELLBOY TP VOL 05 CONQUEROR WORM

HES MY ONLY VAMPIRE GN VOL 01

INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US YEAR FIVE TP VOL 01

INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US YEAR ONE COMPLETE COL TP

JLA TP VOL 03

JUGHEAD TP VOL 01

JUSTICE LEAGUE TP VOL 07 DARKSEID WAR PART 1

KARNAK TP FLAW IN ALL THINGS

KILL OR BE KILLED TP VOL 01 (MR)

LADY MECHANIKA TP VOL 01 MYSTERY OF MECHANICAL CORPSE

LITTLE NEMO BIG NEW DREAMS HC

LOKI AGENT OF ASGARD TP VOL 02 I CANNOT TELL A LIE

LUMBERJANES TP VOL 01

LUMBERJANES TP VOL 02

MANHATTAN PROJECTS TP VOL 03

MIDNIGHTER TP VOL 02 HARD

MIRACULOUS ORIGINS TP

MIRACULOUS TALES OF LADYBUG AND CAT NOIR TP VOL 01

MIRACULOUS TALES OF LADYBUG CAT NOIR TP VOL 02 SPOTS ON

MISS KOBAYASHIS DRAGON MAID GN VOL 01

MS MARVEL TP VOL 01 NO NORMAL

NEW SUICIDE SQUAD TP VOL 02 MONSTERS

OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA TP VOL 02 (MR)

PUNISHER MAX TP COMPLETE COLLECTION VOL 02 (MR)

RAT QUEENS TP VOL 01 SASS & SORCERY (MR)

RE MONSTER GN VOL 01 (MR)

RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS TP VOL 02 STARFIRE (N52)

SAGA TP VOL 04 (MR)

SANDMAN OVERTURE DELUXE ED HC (MR)

SERENITY HC VOL 01 THOSE LEFT BEHIND 2ND ED

SEX CRIMINALS TP VOL 02 TWO WORLDS ONE COP (MR)

SIMPSONS COMICS TP VOL 11 MADNESS

SMURFS GN VOL 02 THE MAGIC FLUTE

SMURFS THE VILLAGE BEHIND THE WALL GN

STAR WARS DARTH VADER TP VOL 03 SHU TORUN WAR

STAR WARS DARTH VADER TP VOL 04 END OF GAMES

STAR WARS POE DAMERON TP VOL 01 BLACK SQUADRON

STAR WARS TP VOL 02 SHOWDOWN ON THE SMUGGLERS MOON

SUBURBAN GLAMOUR TP VOL 01

SUPERMAN FAMILY ADVENTURES TP VOL 02

SUPERMAN FOR TOMORROW TP

SUPERMAN THE RETURN OF SUPERMAN TP

SWAMP THING TP VOL 02 FAMILY TREE (N52)

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES TP VOL 01

TEZUKA TWIN KNIGHT GN VOL 01

TOP 10 TP

TRUE LIVES OF FABULOUS KILLJOYS TP

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN TP VOL 14 WARRIORS

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN TP VOL 15 SILVER SABLE

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN TP VOL 17 CLONE SAGA

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN TP VOL 20 AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN TP VOL 21 WAR OF THE SYMBIOTES

UMBRELLA ACADEMY TP VOL 01 APOCALYPSE SUITE

WALKING DEAD TP VOL 07 THE CALM BEFORE

WALKING DEAD TP VOL 14 NO WAY OUT (MR)

WALKING DEAD TP VOL 20 ALL OUT WAR PT 1 (MR)

WICKED & DIVINE TP VOL 02 FANDEMONIUM (MR)

WOLVERINE OLD MAN LOGAN TP VOL 01 BERZERKER

WOLVERINE OLD MAN LOGAN TP VOL 02 BORDERTOWN

WONDER WOMAN TP VOL 01 BLOOD (N52)

Y THE LAST MAN TP BOOK 02 (MR)

Y THE LAST MAN TP BOOK 03 (MR)

Y THE LAST MAN TP BOOK 05 (MR)

YO-KAI WATCH GN VOL 06

YO-KAI WATCH GN VOL 07

YU GI OH GX GN VOL 01 (OF 9) (CURR PTG)

COMICARE CURRENT BOARDS

MYLITES + CURRENT

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