#might make one with the odyssey in the morning this was fun

[doloneia]

this is based entirely off vibes

[ilions-end]

uh oh i've finished THE THEBAID! time to talk about it!

disclaimer: i'm not a roman empire girlie. like with the aeneid, i'm AWARE the author is using the medium of greek myths to say things about the state of the republic and roman culture, and i'm just kinda... not interested in that. i'm here for the plot and the characters. envision i'm a child watching saturday morning cartoons with my bowl of fruit loops going "yayy did you see the character do the thing?! that was so cool!!". basically i'm enjoying these stories on the "easily entertained dumbass" level

and i LOVED it. i got FUCKED UP by this epic in the best way. HOW TO DESCRIBE THE THEBAID?

it's so deliciously engaging and funny and dark. to me it feels more closely related to the iliad than either the odyssey or the aeneid, but it's in conversation with all of them and also so unique. there are bitter ironies everywhere, troubled people making worse choices. ALL the characters are flawed, but in extremely interesting and engaging (and even endearing) ways.

there's something about how it starts out as a GREAT EPIC telling the story of BRAVE HEROES except they can't retain their integrity as the story progresses, they can't fathom their own limitations or flaws. it's like the iliad if achilles HADN'T accepted priam's plea, it's the odyssey if odysseus hadn't retained enough of himself to string that bow or remember the bed. it's a story that tells you "they failed, none of this mattered, but also all of it mattered".

i love how statius as an author is SO present, leading you by the hand through the narrative, offering his views (he has so many opinions and snide asides! and sometimes he complains about how much WORK it is to tell you this story, omg why are you forcing him to do all this work!) and it all feels so -- aw that's my buddy statius!! my funny friend statius is telling me this story and it's great!

this might be the first epic i've read where we know the author wanted it to more or less BE like that, so there are some LONG LINES being drawn from the beginning of the story to the end

i'll be honest, i didn't know much about the theban cycle when i started reading. i knew about oedipus, and antigone, and that diomedes' dad was in it, and that everybody fails spectacularly at what they're trying to achieve. and turns out that was more than enough knowledge to hit the ground running, it's surprisingly straightforward

i'd assumed diomedes' dad was just "one of the seven leaders against thebes", but no he's a MAIN main guy! tydeus is so central, at one point he is ENTIRELY to blame for everything bad that happens later, and i fell in love with that awful little murderman

like the way tydeus introduces himself in the first chapter saying he's from "calydon, the breeding ground of monsters". and you're sitting there like HOHOHO i think we're gonna discover who's the latest monster to come out of calydon!

like the iliad, it shows both sides of the conflict, and arguably our main point of view guys are WAY MORE fucked up than they guys they're fighting. like i love polynices, he's sympathetic because he's been treated so unfairly but that doesn't mean he's not kinda fucked up; i love eteocles, who's a tyrant and cheated, but he's fun to watch and equally fucked up

the wonderful thing is that it doesn't matter who you cheer for, everyone's gonna lose :D

it has everything you want from an epic: gods taking sides, glorious aristeias, tragic battlefield deaths, a trip to the underworld, funeral games, evocative descriptions of weaponry and equipment (statius is SO to the point when it comes to ekphrasis, love him for that), a sexy night raid... the contexts for some of these might surprise you!

AND. AND. IT HAS WHAT THE ILIAD LACKS. that's right: DIONYSUS, baby!! he's here, he's involved, he's getting his hands dirty! also he gets to play a very thetis-like part at one point, which i think is sexy.

statius does amazing work making all these characters distinct. i never thought i'd get a detailed sense of all SEVEN against thebes (and other characters besides ofc) but each of them has their uniquely memorable moments and oddities and they're all so different from each other. it's about PERSONALITIES and it's about those personalities gradually being INFECTED by polynices' transgressive thebe-ness. and still i'm hugging them all to my chest. my little fucked up dudes

it's fascinating that the thebaid is ultimately a tragedy, but it's not like athenian tragedy -- this isn't about how there was no other way, or that everything's already locked down heading for catastrophe; it's the opposite! the heartbreak is in how we see that the conflict could have ended HERE, or HERE, or HERE, or HERE, but they're all so set on doing this they're willing to ignore EVERY bad omen, write off EVERY loss, and convince each other OF COURSE they're gonna win (which they won't!) because they're THE HEROES, DAMMIT. it's HUBRIS, THE EPIC

my favourite moment of "this could easily have ended here" is before the war, when polynices falls out of his chariot during the funeral games, and he's in the middle of the track when all the other racing teams come thundering towards him. statius STOPS TIME at that moment to tell us how close polynices is to dying, that ALL THE PAIN AND DEATH that is sure to come would have been avoided RIGHT HERE if only he'd been trampled and killed, and what a blessing that would have been. but the story has to continue, polynices escapes without a scratch and everything bad happens as it must. THE FLAVOUR of moments like that?? GAWD

so those are some general thoughts. specific moments under the cut because i can never stop talking once i get going

a main thing is how IMMENSELY DISGUSTED zeus is with oedipus, and it never stops being funny. because, like, 1) oedipus' incest kids are adults at this point, and you're still THIS worked up about it?? 2) zeus has got it all wrong, he's like "OMG EWWW can you believe he SOUGHT OUT his own mother to fuck her?? that this PERVERT wanted to fuck his own MOTHER all along?! DISGOSTANG!!" like mate that's REALLY NOT how that happened! and 3) zeus buddy, you're having a tantrum about the concept of incest to your sister-wife........

you know what never gets old? statius describing the activities of the furies' snake hair. the snakes get thirsty! they get sleepy! they get excited! amazing.

MAN how the beginning of book 2 drew me in. we're dropped straight into the action with hermes on an important mission heading out of the underworld, we have no idea what's going on but it's SO atmospheric, it's SO intriguing, and we have to follow his tracks to see where the narrative is going with it. THIS STORYTELLING FEELS SO MODERN

there's a CURSED NECKLACE that i really thought would play more into the plot. i mean it's there to emanate bad vibes, i guess, and indirectly influence things. i'm just not used to full-on CURSED ARTIFACTS in my epics

tydeus' stint as an emissary is hilarious, i'm still not over it. when he loses his cool and basically yells at eteocles "WELL YOU'RE THE SPAWN OF INCEST!!" when he's there ON BEHALF of the other spawn of incest......... tydeus you're SO bad at this

OOOOUGH TYDEUS FIGHTING BACK THE AMBUSH AT THE SPHINX' ROCK IS SO SEXY AND HORRIFYING OMGGG. hang on i gotta go reread that now...

...fucking hell, it's so good. IT'S SO GOOD!!!! it's my new favourite aristeia in any of these epics, from the first cheap shot that almost gets him in the jugular, to the clambering up the rock, and his shield BRISTLING with enemy spears which he pulls out and uses against them, and not to mention how it shows just how fucking EXHAUSTED he gets once the initial adrenaline rush is through

man, statius is so excellent at realistic physiology. like the detailed descriptions of how the runners at the funeral games warm up, how their muscles feel doing this or that... statius obviously knows so many things firsthand

also love how from there on out tydeus lies about the ambush. honey you killed forty-nine guys, not fifty, and you know it!! it's impressive enough, you don't need to round up

i wish athena would play a bigger part as she's taking tydeus as her champion and everything. she's probably the MOST unknowable of all the gods in the thebaid, she rarely speaks directly to anyone, and is kinda only present for her core scenes in the myth. tell me what you're thinking about babe...

we get way more of that "UH OH YOU'RE A GOD'S FAVOURITE, THIS ISN'T GONNA END WELL" with apollo's love for amphiaraus, though. i appreciate that

while we're on the gods, i'm also VERY weak for how openly ares simps for aphrodite. when she jumps in front of his horses to stop him and there's this lovely passage where he rushes from the chariot to take her in his arms and comfort her... awww. and then it's kinda wild when he's like "darling you're my only respite from war"... ares babe, you LOVE war!

there are several suicides in this story, and each one is surprisingly disturbing in its own way, but maeon though??? guy went out with IMMENSE STYLE and INTEGRITY. respect

statius is really good about chronology (since the theban war happens before the iliad-aeneid-odyssey) EXCEPT at one point someone throws a big rock (hippomedon maybe? i can't remember) like polyphemus threw boulders at odysseus and i'm like NO THAT HASN'T HAPPENED YET. ODYSSEUS IS A BOY IN ITHACA AT THIS POINT

i didn't expect to love parthenopaeus so much!! he's a BOY who's snuck off to war, he's glorious but he doesn't understand the consequences! that's a still-developing brain in there!!! when he's killed, EVEN THE ENEMIES GRIEVE FOR HIM, aaaaah! and statius keeps using him as a symbol of how meaningless the war is, and he's a proto-achilles (proto-neoptolemus?) in so many ways and it just KILLS ME

the whole nemea section is sooooo weird. and i GET that it's meant to be weird, that it's part of this whole campaign's WRONGNESS but it's... it's weird. like WHY does their entire army get involved in this place's family and history and politics? why do they get DELAYED FROM WAR eagerly listening to a nurse talking about the massacre of lemnos? why would she put the baby on the ground and leave it? what's UP with that snake? why do they have these MAJOR FUNERAL GAMES OF MILITARY PROWESS for a random dead royal infant? it's so weirddddd

the funeral games in themselves are great fun actually. and that only makes it worse because the next day the battles start and EVERYONE STARTS GETTING KILLED. the vibes turn on a DIME here

there are so many references to heracles that i can't appreciate because i'm clueless about heracles. i should fix that.

i cackled SO HARD at how statius reveals tydeus' cannibalism. that perspective change?? how athena is watching his comrades trying to WREST the decapitated head from him like he's a dog chewing on plastic? oh gosh it's amazing

AND i love how eteocles USES TYDEUS' CANNIBALISM AS A POINT OF PROPAGANDA. he's SO good at painting the entire enemy force as savages because would you believe even one of their fucking LEADERS chomped on theban brains!! THEY'RE HERE TO EAT US UNLESS WE FIGHT

also. also way later when we're told tydeus' wife's love for him is SO GREAT that she even managed to forgive him for that final taboo... do you know who else forgave him for that? INSTANTLY, without a moment's doubt? who was even impressed with him for it because he's fucked up like that? POLYNICES. his love for tydeus goes unremarked but statius sure implies...

i'm not deeply invested in gore but statius is VERY good at describing gore. he's definitely more... structured about battles than homer is though (two leaders dying per chapter, chosen for maximum contrast and effect, etc), to the point where towards the end of the fighting i was getting hungry for something else

the weirdest quirk of statius is how he will reuse names all the time? if there's a random argive background character you can almost bet that there's a random theban background character with that exact name -- i guess to make a point how similar they truly are -- but in a book that shit gets CONFUSING.

the night raid is clearly based on the iliad's night raid except everyone's more twisted and making worse choices, and i appreciate that. then while the heroes are doing awful dishonorable stuff, you get the lowly squires of tydeus and parthenopaeus sneaking off to steal their corpses back and being ACTUALLY HEROIC! oh the contrast is delicious

when statius interrupts his own storytelling to beg the muses to MAKE HIM MORE MENTALLY UNHINGED for the next part he's going to tell?? this man is GIVING IT ALL to tell you this story properly. i love you statius

polynices and eteocles' final duel is the CLIMAX we've been waiting for the entire epic and it's perfect. oh they're equally horrible and they're equally interesting and ohh yummy yummy this storytelling

i would have been fine if the story ended on the battlefield. i understand the "mini epic" in the final chapter as a way to contrast the whole thing ("look at theseus being an ACTUAL epic hero!") but it is a bit of a major vibe shift in the final round

and then it ends with statius pondering if people will enjoy this story after he's dead? :'-) i'm heeeere i'm reading it love it! it's still so great don't worry!!

[findusinaweek]

[20 Question Fic Writer Tag]

tagged by @whereforartthoumisthios

How many works do you have on AO3? I have twelve.

What is your AO3 word count? 13,995.

What fandoms do you write for? Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator, Attack on Titan, Stranger Things, Borderlands, and I am very slowly writing a Stardew Valley story, but who knows if I'll ever finish it. I wrote Fruits Basket fics on FF.net.

What are your top five fics by kudos? A Night On The Adrestia, Home Is Where The Heart Is, Might Just Say It Tonight, Braid, My Father Understands the Demons I Wrestle In My Daydreams.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Yes, because it makes me happy seeing them and I hope the readers know that?

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Come, ____, My Daughter.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I'm realizing that the 4 fics I wrote with happy-ish endings don't really set anything in stone? I am not good at happy endings. I think when a happy ending is very definite I just find some reason to be displeased. If it's like "things are ok, and we will continue to be happy for now", I can believe that. Might Just Say It Tonight ends with the implication that there is going to be a proposal.

Do you get hate on fics? No.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yes! Queer. Oral-heavy.

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? I don't really like most crossovers so I haven't written one yet. I think if I ever do it'd be a Portal one? I don't know, just seems likely.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? There is a Akigure fic on FF.net that I think is one of mine, stolen, from about 10 years ago. But I can't be sure and I honestly just don't remember enough to know if it's mine?? Honestly, I kind of think that's funny.

Have you ever had a fic translated? No.

Have you ever cowritten a fic before? No, but that kind of sounds fun? I think my headcanons don't quite match up with others though.

What's your all-time favourite ship? Ok, for all time, it's Akigure. They're just so bad for each other! They are terrible people! I love them.

What's a WIP you'd like to finish but doubt you ever will? OH. There are at least 5 but I'm so bad at working on them lately.

What are your writing strengths? I hope I am good at writing introspection and surrounding details. I want to know what my characters are thinking and I want to know what their senses are telling them. Writing very short stories.

What are your writing weaknesses? Dialogue. Actually writing. Writing anything more than 1000 words.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I've written some portuguese, but my grammar is bad so I'm very limited by that.

First fandom you wrote for? Fruits Basket.

Favourite fic you've ever written? Sunday Morning. It's not out. It's the morning after chapter of modern au Alexidas fic where Brasidas owns a restaurant.

Tagging, if you feel up to it, @brasideios, @stressfulsloth, @onionjuggler, @two-hands-toward-the-sun (I know we are not mutuals but I hope you don't mind me treating you as one).

[alethiometry]

get to know a blogger // tagged by the lovely @aeide!

Share your wallpaper:

i have a dual-monitor setup where on the left is a vertical non-4k monitor (i really thought i was gonna use it more for coding but now it's just where discord / game wikis / spotify live lol) and on the right is my main monitor which is curved 4k, so i had a hell of a time finding something that works for both — but this shot of leyndell actually works beautifully because the erdtree sanctuary area fits perfectly on the left, and the rest of the city sits nicely on the right. the resolution discrepancy isn't too jarring either, which can be tricky when you're trying to make a single image flow relatively seamlessly between non-4k and 4k. i mean it's definitely not perfect, but i think it looks really really good

Last song you listened to:

"carnival of rust" by poets of the fall

Currently reading:

a memory called empire by arkady martine

the hands of the emperor by victoria goddard

Last movie:

oooooo. uhhhhhhh. i think i rewatched the princess bride relatively recently?

Last show:

yellowjackets season 2 episode 2 "edible complex" babEYYYYY

Craving:

scrambled eggs

What are you wearing right now:

pajamas

How tall are you:

5'3"

Piercings:

just the earlobes! i don't wear earrings often though

Tattoos:

a small joshua tree design thing between my shoulderblades

chrysanthemums on my left bicep

a twin peaks owl + roses on my right thigh

the girl + triceratops skull from this promo pic from jurassic world fallen kingdom on my right calf. absolute dogshit movie but i really really liked the still lol

i do want more in theory but haven't decided what of / where on my body.... maybe a shark on my ribcage idk

Glasses? Contacts?

usually contacts. glasses if i'm having a really slow/lazy morning, but i don't wear them out

Last thing you ate:

blackcurrant candy drops

Favorite color:

dark purple / red / burgundy! anything from the range of eggplant to red wine.

Current obsession:

YELLOWJACKETS!!!!!! 🐝

elder scrolls online... i want to spend my real actual hard-earned american dollars on an in-game furnished house SOOOOOO BAD... i might do the math to see how long it would hypothetically take me to earn enough monthly crowns via the eso+ subscription vs a one-time crown purchase ughhh i hate this for me but also the game is quite fun! do i know what's going on? not really! but i am vibing

these stupid blackcurrant candies that i paid jeff bezos way too much money for to ship from the uk but goddamn they're good. simpkins established 1921 finest all-natural and original travel sweets blackcurrant drops hmu babe i would shill for you on instagram in a SECOND.

Any pets:

none, but i really want a dog!

Favorite fictional character:

kassandra from ass creed odyssey :)

The last place you traveled:

catalina island! but i'm also going to chicago soon!

i am tagging: @winedark @doomcountry @ellrond @dinluke @reiverreturns @thychesters and anyone else who wants to do this!

[haihaus]

Mt. Hood from Mt. Baldy

This photo, from my first trip to Mt. Hood, is from the easy to approach Mt. Baldy’s Top Spur trailhead. The drive is a little rough, but we made it in an old Honda Odyssey. The trail took us through wildflowers and views of the Mt. Hood wilderness. We weren’t too far from Yocum Ridge, in fact latter in the same trip we did a hike which would’ve allowed us to connect the two.

This trip was a load of fun, we did two hikes nearly each day, and it was my first time in the designated wilderness, that I can remember. This photo is from the second one of the day. Although, if you’ve followed along with my posts on the website any you might be a little confused, simply because this happened before my recent Sunday hiking trip in Mt. Hood (I’ve been doing a lot in Mt. Hood this summer). We stayed our nights in a subpar cabin-esc Airbnb, with better Wi-Fi than at home.

Most of this short afternoon hike was on the Timberline Trail, which holds a ton of Mt. Hood photo opportunities. Being up on the mountain during golden hour is a simple way of making any nature photographer happy. That being said one member of our group was just a little worried about getting stuck up there in the dark. The hike isn’t that long, but for us it was a short hike to wind down before another morning out. If you want to check it out here’s the path we took on Garmin Connect.

Mt. Hood from Mt. Baldy / Daniel Hall (CC BY-ND-NC 4.0)

[vapehk1]

Finding the Best Vape City Near Me: A Lighthearted Guide

Ever found yourself on a cloudy afternoon, longing for the perfect vape shop where the e-liquids flow like rivers and the devices sparkle like treasure? If you've ever typed "vape city near me" into your search bar, you're not alone. Join me on this whimsical journey as we explore how to find the best vape city near you, and uncover the hidden gems in the world of vaping. The Art of Googling Vape City Near Me Let's start with the basics: Googling "vape city near me." You'd think it's simple, right? But oh, the adventures that await behind those three little words. First, you need to dodge the online mirages—those flashy ads promising everything but delivering nothing. Then, there's the labyrinth of reviews. One person's "vape heaven" is another's "flavorless pit of despair." Picture this: You enter a shop that has a five-star review for their mind-blowing selection. You step inside and are greeted by an enthusiastic staff who seem to have been vaporized and reincarnated as vape enthusiasts. The shelves are lined with colorful bottles of e-liquids, each more exotic than the last. You ask for a recommendation, and they hand you something with a name so complex it sounds like a spell from Harry Potter. It's moments like these that make the quest worthwhile. Navigating the Vape Shop Jungle Now that you've got your shortlist from Google, it's time to visit the contenders. Each vape shop is its own little ecosystem. Some are as sleek and modern as a spaceship, others have the charm of a cozy, old-school tobacconist. The trick is to find your vibe. Are you a sleek spaceship or a cozy tobacconist? Entering a vape shop can feel like stepping into another dimension. There's the scent of freshly brewed coffee mixing with the sweet aroma of fruity e-liquids. Shelves are stacked high with shiny gadgets and colorful bottles. The staff might look like they're auditioning for a steampunk cosplay, but don't be fooled—they know their stuff. One minute you're nodding along as they explain the benefits of a sub-ohm tank, the next you're contemplating why anyone would need a USB-powered vaporizer shaped like a dragon. The Flavor Odyssey Ah, the flavors. This is where the real fun begins. Walking into a vape shop is like walking into Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, but for adults. You're not just buying e-liquid; you're embarking on a flavor odyssey. From classic tobacco to wild concoctions like blueberry pancake or unicorn milk (yes, that's a thing), the choices are endless. Each bottle tells a story. Perhaps it's a tale of a summer day encapsulated in a strawberry lemonade blend, or the comforting warmth of a cinnamon roll on a chilly morning. Trying to pick just one can feel like being a kid in a candy store—exciting but overwhelming. And just when you think you've made your decision, the shopkeeper offers you a taste of something new, and you're back to square one, blissfully overwhelmed by the possibilities. Building Your Vape Arsenal Once you've settled on your flavors, it's time to build your vape arsenal. This is where the gearheads can really geek out. Do you go for the sleek, discreet pod system, or the massive, cloud-chasing mod? Each device has its own personality, and finding the right one is like finding a partner in crime. Imagine the scene: You, holding a futuristic mod in one hand, contemplating the different coil options like a general planning a battle strategy. There's the feeling of triumph when you finally get your setup just right, and the vapor flows smoothly, delivering that perfect hit every time. It's not just about the nicotine; it's about the experience, the ritual, the satisfaction of knowing you've mastered your craft. Conclusion Embarking on the quest to find the ultimate "vape city near me" is an adventure full of delightful surprises and whimsical encounters. It begins with the art of Googling, where the challenge lies in sifting through flashy ads and labyrinthine reviews to uncover true gems. Each vape shop visited is its own unique ecosystem, from sleek, modern spaceships to cozy, old-school tobacconists, offering a myriad of experiences. The flavor odyssey within these shops is akin to stepping into an adult's version of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, with endless exotic e-liquid choices that tantalize the senses. Building your vape arsenal becomes a geeky joy, as you select from a range of devices that each offer their own vaping personalities. The entire journey, from the first search to savoring that perfect hit, is a humorous and enriching experience. So, next time you're on the lookout for a new vape adventure, let this guide be your treasure map to the best vape city near you. Happy vaping! FAQs 1. How do I start searching for a good vape shop near me? Begin your quest by typing "vape city near me" into your search engine of choice. Look for shops with high ratings and positive reviews, but also be cautious of overly flashy ads. Checking out multiple review platforms and forums can provide a well-rounded view. Once you have a shortlist, visit their websites to get a feel for their product range and customer service quality. 2. What should I look for when visiting a vape shop for the first time? When you step into a vape shop, observe the atmosphere and cleanliness. A well-organized and clean shop usually indicates professionalism. Engage with the staff to gauge their knowledge and enthusiasm about vaping products. A good vape shop should have a wide variety of e-liquids and devices, and the staff should be able to provide recommendations based on your preferences and experience level. 3. How can I decide which vape flavors to try? Choosing vape flavors can be overwhelming due to the sheer variety available. Start by identifying your flavor preferences—do you enjoy fruity, dessert, menthol, or classic tobacco flavors? Most shops allow you to sample e-liquids before buying. Don’t hesitate to ask the staff for popular recommendations or new arrivals. Trying small bottles first is a good strategy to find your favorites without committing to large quantities. 4. What type of vaping device should I get as a beginner? For beginners, a simple and user-friendly device like a pod system or a starter kit is ideal. These devices are easy to use, maintain, and provide a satisfactory vaping experience without the complexity of advanced mods. Look for devices with good battery life, consistent performance, and positive user reviews. As you become more experienced, you can explore more advanced setups. 5. How can I ensure I'm getting high-quality vaping products? To ensure high-quality vaping products, shop at reputable vape stores that carry well-known brands. Check for certifications or approvals from vaping industry standards organizations. Reading product reviews and doing a bit of research on the brands you’re interested in can also help. Avoid extremely cheap products as they might compromise on quality and safety. Reliable vape shops will often carry products with detailed ingredient lists and safety information. Read the full article

[sassysuitdonut]

Uncover Gozo in 4 Days: The Ultimate Travel Itinerary

Transport Options to Your Accommodation

Upon arrival, you have a few options to reach your accommodation. Public buses are available and they connect Mgarr to Victoria and other towns. However, for a hassle-free experience, consider pre-booking a taxi or using a ride-sharing service. If you’re planning to explore the island extensively, renting a car might be the most convenient option.

Recommended Areas to Stay

For first-timers, staying in Victoria offers the advantage of centrality. It’s the hub of the island, making it easier to travel to various attractions. If you prefer a coastal setting, Marsalforn and Xlendi offer excellent sea views and dining options.

Afternoon: Exploring Victoria

Visit the Citadel

The Citadel in Victoria is not just a tourist attraction; it’s a symbol of Gozo’s resilience and history. The fortified city offers a journey through time, from its Phoenician roots to its role in the Knights of St. John. Don’t miss the Cathedral of the Assumption, a baroque masterpiece with an illusionistic flat dome. The adjacent museums, like the Gozo Archaeology Museum and the Natural Science Museum, offer deeper insights into the island’s past and natural history.

St. George’s Basilica

Another architectural gem is St. George’s Basilica. The marble interiors and intricate frescoes are awe-inspiring. If you’re lucky, you might catch a local choir performance, enhancing the basilica’s ethereal atmosphere.

Local Markets and Shopping

Victoria is also the commercial heart of Gozo. The daily market in Independence Square is a must-visit. From fresh produce to artisanal crafts, it’s a microcosm of Gozo’s rich culture. For souvenir shopping, head to the narrow lanes off the main square; you’ll find handmade lace, locally produced honey, and the iconic Maltese cross jewellery.

Evening: Dinner in Victoria

Recommended Restaurants Serving Traditional Gozitan Cuisine

End your day with a culinary journey at one of Victoria’s authentic restaurants. Ta’ Rikardu, located within the Citadel, offers traditional Gozitan dishes like “Gbejniet” (sheep’s cheese) and “Fenkata” (rabbit stew). For a modern twist on local cuisine, consider booking a table at Maldonado Bistro, where Chef George’s creatively incorporates local ingredients into the menu.

Day 2: Coastal Wonders

Morning: Dwejra Bay

Azure Window Ruins

Begin your day at Dwejra Bay, home to the iconic Azure Window ruins. Though the arch collapsed in 2017, the site remains a popular diving and photography spot. The geological formations around the area are equally captivating.

Inland Sea and Diving Opportunities

Adjacent to the Azure Window is the Inland Sea, a lagoon connected to the open sea through a narrow tunnel. It’s a diver’s paradise, offering a unique underwater seascape teeming with marine life. Even if you’re not a diver, a boat ride through the tunnel to the open sea is a must.

Fungus Rock

Don’t miss Fungus Rock, a 60-meter high limestone islet. It was once highly guarded by the Knights of St. John due to a rare medicinal plant that grew there. Today, it’s a protected nature reserve, but you can admire it from a distance or capture its grandeur through your lens.

Afternoon: Ramla Bay

The Red Sandy Beach

Ramla Bay is renowned for its unique reddish-golden sand. It’s the largest sandy beach in Gozo and offers a perfect setting for relaxation or family fun. The shallow waters make it ideal for swimming and snorkelling.

Calypso Cave

Overlooking Ramla Bay is Calypso Cave, said to be the cave referred to in Homer’s Odyssey. Though the cave itself is often closed for safety reasons, the viewpoint offers a panoramic vista of the entire bay.

Water Sports and Relaxation

If you’re an adrenaline junkie, Ramla Bay has you covered. From jet-skiing to paddleboarding, water sports facilities are readily available. Alternatively, you can simply rent a sunbed and bask in the Mediterranean sun.

Evening: Xlendi Bay

Cliffside Walks

Xlendi Bay is more than just a picturesque fishing village. The cliffs surrounding the bay offer some of the best sunset views in Gozo. The walking path starts from the bay and leads you to the top, offering panoramic views that are Instagram-worthy.

Seafood Dining Options

After working up an appetite, treat yourself to a seafood feast. The Boat House, known for its fresh fish and generous portions, is a local favourite. For a more intimate setting, try Ta’ Karolina, which offers al fresco dining right by the water.

Day 3: Historical and Cultural Exploration

Morning: Ggantija Temples

Significance and History

Your third day in Gozo should ideally start with a visit to the Ggantija Temples, one of the most important archaeological sites not just in Malta but in the world. Older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids, these megalithic structures date back to around 3600 BC. The name “Ggantija” derives from the Maltese word for “giant,” and folklore suggests that the temples were built by a giantess.

Guided Tour vs Self-Exploration

While you can explore the site on your own, a guided tour offers invaluable insights into the temple’s architecture, religious significance, and its role in ancient society. Audio guides are also available for those who prefer a self-paced experience. Don’t forget to visit the on-site museum, which houses artefacts like pottery and statuettes unearthed from the site.

Afternoon: Ta' Kola Windmill & Xaghra Square

Importance in Gozitan History

After the temples, make your way to the Ta’ Kola Windmill in Xaghra. This well-preserved windmill is a testament to Gozo’s agricultural heritage. Built in 1725, it offers a glimpse into traditional grain milling techniques and is one of the few remaining windmills in Malta with its original grinding machinery intact.

Nearby Attractions: Cafes, Shops, and Local Life

Once you’ve had your fill of history, take a leisurely stroll to Xaghra Square. This bustling area is a hub of local life, filled with cafes, shops, and the occasional street performer. Look out for local products like Gozitan lace and artisanal food items like pastizzi, a delicious pastry filled with ricotta or peas.

Evening: Folk Music and Dance

Where to Experience Traditional Gozitan Music and Dance

To truly immerse yourself in Gozitan culture, spend your evening enjoying traditional music and dance. The village of San Lawrenz often hosts folk music events, where you can experience the unique sounds of the “Ghana,” a form of Maltese folk music. If you’re visiting during the summer, check out the local festas, vibrant community festivals that often feature traditional dance performances.

Recommended Venues and Events

La Stella Philharmonic Club and Aurora Opera House are two venues where you can often find traditional performances. Keep an eye on their event calendars for any folk music concerts or traditional dance shows.

Day 4: Outdoor Adventures

Morning: Hiking in the Gozitan Countryside

Recommended Trails: Wied il-Mielaħ, Ta’ Cenc Cliffs

Gozo’s landscape is a hiker’s dream, offering a mix of terrains from rugged coastlines to serene countryside. Wied il-Mielaħ is a valley trail that leads to a natural limestone arch, offering stunning views of the sea and surrounding farmlands. Ta’ Cenc Cliffs, on the other hand, offer a dramatic landscape where the land meets the sea, and is a haven for birdwatchers.

What to Bring: Essentials for a Hiking Trip

Pack plenty of water, sunscreen, and a hat to protect against the Mediterranean sun. A good pair of hiking boots is essential, as the terrain can be rocky. Don’t forget your camera; the views are breathtaking.

Afternoon: Kayaking and Snorkelling

Best Spots: Mgarr ix-Xini, Hondoq Bay

If you’re a water enthusiast, Gozo has plenty to offer. Mgarr ix-Xini is a secluded bay perfect for kayaking and snorkelling. The bay is rich in marine life and offers a serene environment for underwater exploration. Hondoq Bay, with its crystal-clear waters, is another excellent spot for snorkelling and is particularly popular among locals.

Rental and Guided Tour Options

Several operators offer kayak rentals and guided snorkelling tours. Gozo Adventures and St. Andrew’s Divers Cove are reputable options that provide all the necessary equipment and safety briefings.

Evening: Farewell Dinner

Best Places to Have a Farewell Dinner

For your last evening in Gozo, make it memorable by dining at one of the island’s top restaurants. Ta’ Frenc is an award-winning restaurant set in a 16th-century farmhouse, offering a fine dining experience with a focus on local ingredients.

Gozitan Dishes You Must Try Before You Leave

Before you say goodbye to this enchanting island, make sure to try some quintessential Gozitan dishes. Apart from the already mentioned Gbejniet and Fenkata, try “Aljotta,” a fish soup, and “Pastizz,” a flaky pastry filled with ricotta or mushy peas.

Tips and Recommendations

Best Modes of Transportation Around Gozo

Public Buses: An Eco-Friendly Choice

Gozo’s public bus system is not only cost-effective but also environmentally friendly. The buses are generally punctual and connect most major attractions and towns. If you’re staying in Victoria, the central bus terminal serves as a convenient hub for various routes. However, do note that the frequency of buses can be less on weekends and public holidays.

Car Rentals: For the Independent Explorer

Renting a car gives you the freedom to explore Gozo at your own pace. The island is relatively small, so driving from one end to the other takes less than an hour. Companies like Gozo Car Hire and Mayjo Car Rentals offer a range of vehicles to suit different needs. Remember, driving is on the left side of the road in Gozo, as in the rest of Malta.

Taxis and Ride-Sharing: Hassle-Free but Pricier

For those who prefer not to drive, taxis and ride-sharing services offer a convenient but more expensive option. Always agree on a fare before starting your journey to avoid any misunderstandings.

Bicycles: For the Adventurous Soul

If you’re up for a bit of physical activity, consider renting a bicycle. Gozo’s landscape is hilly but manageable for someone with moderate fitness levels. Just be cautious of the local traffic and always wear a helmet.

Local Customs and Etiquettes to Be Aware Of

Religious Sensitivity

Gozo is predominantly Catholic, and religious customs are deeply ingrained in the local culture. When visiting places of worship like the Citadel’s Cathedral or St. George’s Basilica, dress modestly by covering your shoulders and knees.

Tipping Practices

Tipping is not obligatory in Gozo, but it’s a common practice to leave around 10% of the bill when dining out, especially if you’re pleased with the service.

Greetings and Interactions

A simple “hello” or “good morning” can go a long way in Gozo. The locals are known for their hospitality, and a polite greeting is always appreciated. When entering shops or other small businesses, it’s customary to greet the owner or staff.

Packing Essentials for a 4-Day Trip

Clothing: Versatility is Key

Pack light but versatile clothing that can be layered. Summer days can be very hot with the average temperature of around 31° but can go up to 40° Evenings can be cooler, especially near the coast, so a light jacket or sweater is advisable. If you plan on visiting religious sites, bring along a scarf or shawl for modesty.

Outdoor Gear: Don’t Forget the Essentials

For those planning to hike, snorkel, or kayak, appropriate gear is essential. A sturdy pair of hiking boots, a high-quality snorkel mask, and water shoes can enhance your outdoor experiences. Many places offer rentals, but having your own gear ensures comfort and fit.

Tech Gadgets: Capture the Moments

A good camera is a must for capturing Gozo’s scenic beauty. If you’re an avid snorkeler or diver, consider bringing a waterproof camera to capture the underwater wonders. Don’t forget extra memory cards and a portable charger.

Health and Safety: Be Prepared

It’s wise to pack a basic first-aid kit with essentials like band-aids, antiseptic wipes, and any prescription medications you may need. Also, sunscreen and insect repellent are must-haves for any Mediterranean trip.

Accommodation Options in Gozo

Traditional Farmhouses: A Rustic Retreat

Why Choose a Farmhouse?

For those looking to immerse themselves in Gozo’s pastoral charm, renting a traditional Gozitan farmhouse is an unparalleled experience. These centuries-old stone buildings offer a rustic yet comfortable setting, often featuring modern amenities like private pools, fully-equipped kitchens, and Wi-Fi.

Popular Areas

The villages of Gharb and San Lawrenz are popular spots for farmhouse rentals. These areas offer the tranquillity of the Gozitan countryside while still being conveniently located near attractions like the Ta’ Pinu Basilica and Dwejra Bay.

Booking Tips

Farmhouses are especially popular during the summer months, so booking well in advance is advisable. 

Boutique Hotels: Luxury Meets Local

Unique Features

Boutique hotels in Gozo offer a blend of luxury and local culture. These establishments often feature individually designed rooms, high-end amenities, and a focus on sustainability.

Where to Find Them

Victoria, the island’s capital, hosts several boutique hotels that offer easy access to cultural landmarks like the Citadel and St. George’s Basilica. Xlendi and Marsalforn, with their coastal allure, also offer boutique options.

Recommendations

Quaint Boutique Hotels and The Duke Boutique Hotel in Victoria are highly rated for their attention to detail, customer service, and luxurious amenities.

Bed and Breakfasts: Home Away From Home

Personalised Experience

If you’re looking for a more personalised lodging experience, a bed and breakfast might be your ideal choice. These establishments offer a cosy, home-like atmosphere, often run by locals who can provide invaluable insights into Gozo’s hidden gems.

Popular Choices

Ta’ Maria B&B in Ghasri and Ellie Boo Bed & Breakfast in Xaghra are popular choices, known for their warm hospitality and delicious homemade breakfasts.

Hostels: Budget-Friendly and Social

Community Vibe

For solo travellers or those on a budget, hostels offer not only affordable accommodation but also a chance to meet like-minded travellers. Most hostels in Gozo offer both dormitory-style and private rooms.

Top Picks

Santa Martha Hostel in Marsalforn and Mia Casa in Victoria are known for their clean facilities and vibrant community atmosphere. These hostels also offer organised activities, from guided hikes to cooking classes, providing a more enriching travel experience.

Luxury Resorts: The Ultimate Indulgence

High-End Amenities

For those looking to splurge, Gozo’s luxury resorts offer top-of-the-line amenities like spa services, gourmet dining, and private beach access.

Where to Stay

The Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz is one of Gozo’s premier luxury resorts, offering a range of indulgent amenities from multiple pools to a world-class spa.

Final Thoughts - The Perfect 4-Day Itinerary in Gozo

This comprehensive 4-day itinerary offers a curated blend of Gozo’s historical landmarks, natural wonders, and cultural experiences, ensuring a well-rounded and enriching visit to this enchanting Mediterranean island. Coupled with practical tips on transportation, local customs, packing essentials, and a diverse range of accommodation options, this guide aims to equip travellers with all the tools they need for an unforgettable Gozitan adventure.

[your-dietician]

An EV Charger Installation Odyssey

New Post has been published on https://medianwire.com/an-ev-charger-installation-odyssey/

An EV Charger Installation Odyssey

For the last year, I’ve contemplated installing an electric vehicle (EV) charger in my multi-dwelling condo in San Jose. Mind you; I don’t yet have an EV. But I have friends with EVs who frequently visit, so I figured it could be beneficial and convenient for others. Furthermore, I believe an EV charger couldn’t hurt from a condo resale standpoint if I decide to move from the Golden State.

Let’s face it: the electric vehicle market is proliferating at a rapid pace, projected to grow at a CAGR of nearly 22% from 2022 to 2030. When a new demand grows, good things happen; more models of EVs from new brands, spanning broader price points with more choices and styles, appear in the market.

In August, Congress passed climate legislation with significant tax rebates that, over time, are expected to make some EVs more affordable to purchase.

So, with a future-proof mindset, I decided to embark on installing an EV charger in the garage of my condominium complex. Here is the story of my “journey” to install the EV charger. Consider this a forewarning if you live in a condo building.

Why Do You Need an EV Charger at Home?

One might ask why one needs an EV charger at home when so many are showing up at shopping malls, public venues, and offices. After all, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has dedicated $7.5 billion to build a nationwide network of 500,000 chargers so that charging is “predictable, reliable, and accessible.”

Regardless, I believe most Americans considering an EV will desire an in-home charger in their home, building, or condo garage. It’s hard to overcome the convenience of filling up one’s car at the pump in a few minutes versus spending 45 minutes at a supercharger to store enough juice to travel 200 miles or so if your vehicle has a low charge.

What’s more, the feedback I’ve gotten from people in my building with EVs but without chargers rue the inconvenience of having to wake up early in the morning to charge their cars, even though Tesla has banks of “superchargers” in a nearby garage less than 250 feet from my building. Convenience is a big deal for most consumers trying to overcome a century of combustion engines’ advantages.

The EV Charger Installation Adventure Begins

Given all of that, in early June, I set out to begin the process of installing an EV charger in my condo’s building. Recognizing that about ten cars in the garage already had EV chargers installed, I didn’t believe it would be a Herculean undertaking.

Not Elon Musk’s plan to Land on Mars, but the initial schematic of the EV charger installation (Image Credit: SmartTech Research)

To streamline the installation process, I decided to utilize ChargePoint’s information services available to businesses, fleet operators, and homeowners on the company’s website. ChargePoint is a leader in the EV charger space and provides excellent guidance to individuals like me who need as much handholding as possible.

While ChargePoint’s website does an outstanding job of preparing customers for the installation, it ultimately referred me to Qmerit, a company that is solely focused on the installation of EV chargers.

Qmerit provides its own online “wizard” that asks about your service, location, vehicle and property, and load calculation (which is critical to determining if your home or building can handle the EV charger load).

You also need to submit photos that will help Qmerit understand your installation requirements to provide an accurate estimate, for which Qmerit charges a $149 flat rate that would be deducted from the completed project cost.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Here’s where the fun began.

After getting an estimate from Qmerit, it referred me to several local EV charger installation contractors for follow-up. Several of them expressed little interest in taking on my project as they were either too busy with larger projects or didn’t have time for an on-site visit to verify the installation requirements.

Two installers did reach back out to me. The first came out and provided me with a non-negotiable estimate of $4,000 plus the cost of the charger itself. That quote appeared exorbitantly high, so I respectfully passed.

Things appeared brighter a few days later when a second contractor, NRG Electric, gave me a much more reasonable quote of under $3,000, excluding the charger (which I supplied) but including a $250 permit fee from the City of San Jose.

Putting cost aside, I thought the most significant hurdle I would face was getting approval from my homeowners association. But NRG did a terrific job coming up with a proposal the HOA approved in less than 48 hours.

The City of San Jose was a dramatically different story. Despite applying for a permit in mid-July, NRG informed me that San Jose would not be able to “review” my proposal until mid-September — 60 days after its submission.

Installation Day Arrives

Flash forward to late September when NRG received word that the city approved the proposal. It’s still a mystery why the proposal took so long to get approved, as the building already had the precedent of multiple previously installed EV chargers.

The installation finally occurred in early October. The two technicians from NRG Electric did a thoroughly professional job installing a direct power line from the building’s electric room, which, fortunately, is less than 100 feet from my parking space. It did require that my unit’s power be turned off a couple of times during the all-day installation process, but for the most part, it went without a hitch.

The charger that I installed, the ChargePoint Home Flex, is currently available from Amazon at $749, though keep in mind that prices for EV chargers tend to fluctuate based on demand.

The ChargePoint Home Flex EV Charger is sleek and aesthetically attractive.  (Image Credit: ChargePoint)

It is a Level 2 charger that supports up to 50 amps (which my building’s electrical panel provides), allowing me to add 37 miles per hour in charge capability, providing more than 200 road miles after only six hours of charge time. To achieve these faster charge times, the Home Flex requires a 240-volt connection — the same as a conventional clothes dryer.

On the downside, since my garage doesn’t have Wi-Fi connectivity, I can’t take advantage of the Home Flex’s online features like schedule setting when electricity is cheapest, Alexa voice control, or reminders so I never forget when to plug in.

More critically, there is no way for me to secure the charger from others who might want to charge their cars when I’m not home, so I ended up resorting to a $20 bicycle padlock to secure the charging handle from unauthorized individuals.

Closing Thoughts

While single-family homeowners are likely to have a smoother EV charger installation experience, because the process is less regulated than for a multi-unit dwelling (at least in California), I was shocked at how much time was required to get the necessary permit.

Understandably, these permit regulations are in place for safety reasons because most of today’s multi-unit condos and apartment buildings were not built with EV charger installs in mind. Still, 60 days is laughingly excessive, particularly in a state like California that sees itself as the vanguard of the EV phenomenon.

We’re also talking about a non-trivial market. As of late 2021, in the U.S., there are nearly 5.2 million multifamily residential buildings (including everything from duplexes to large high-rises) containing 40 million housing units. States and cities must do a better job of streamlining the EV installation process from weeks to days.

Finally, there is the subject of cost. With gasoline approaching $7 per gallon today in California, more people are taking the EV plunge, even though the average price of an electric vehicle is around $66,000.

Add an average of $4,000 for the EV charger, installation, permitting, and the total cost becomes almost prohibitive. Indeed, companies like ChargePoint are doing their best to simplify the process and reduce the hardware cost. Nonetheless, the government needs to do a much better job of shortening the timelines.

The bottom line is that I would never have guessed that the simple installation of an EV charger in my condo building would have taken nearly three months. Sadly, I suspect my experience is not uncommon.

Let’s hope that cities like San Jose start to pay heed.

Read full article here

[heatwa-ves]

brought to you by my dream in which all the event characters got new skins <3

[wistfulrat]

a 4-part rec list of my fave drarry fics - the thrillers, dramas, soft bois, and wankbanks getting me through 2020′s shitstorm

[the soft boi list is here and truly i’m not surprised this rec is going to be the longest bc if there’s one thing a bitch is going to do, it’s yearn.

as always! if you love a fic, follow the authors, leave kudos & comments, send them nice msgs bc free art is still labor xoxo]

part 3: soft bois

mood: for when I need respite, a balm to the all-consuming shittiness of life

includes: fluff, comfort, low-stakes, slow-burn fics. a wistful look, a rainy morning, an unexpected grace, a stupidly disarming joke. i could live inside these fics. the smallness of human lives removed from the site of that which hurts & irreparably changes. the story-equivalent of a deep breath after a long day. pregnant silences & pensive mundanity & shy smiles. banter with bite but without the cruelty. the color lavender. weirdly whimsical. soft fics are not necessarily conflict-averse (no drarry fic rly can be, considering the context) but, they offer the reader a generous distance from the initial harm. they’re the quiet cleaning up after a storm. sometimes healing is an exacting surgical knife and other times it’s a slow scabbing. you read these fics to be reassured that the way forward is not always ruthless. and honestly?? they deserve a semblance of peace godDAMmit.

The Way Down by @letteredlettered - 65k - T “and I thought that if someone talked to you as though you were a human being you might—maybe you could act like one” --the way i think about this line daily. the characterization of draco in this fic is one my favorites bc he’s earnest and neurotic and tired of harry’s shit. which is to say, he cares so so much. and harry doesn’t know what to do with that bc he’s got a monster in his chest and lives as a recluse. but they both humanize each other in ways no one else can. “you’re just a person” has to be some kind of drarry ethics of belonging and it makes me CRY. -

Little Deaths and How to Avoid Them by @greaseonmymouth and dustmouth - 96k - T “Maybe it’s not about deserving it? Maybe you just get to have it anyway. . .I’m allowing myself to want something and to let myself have it and to fight for it.” --harry runs a daycare and also works at a library. draco spends a lot of time in said library. they bond over sci-fi books and therapy anecdotes and quiet philosophical conversations held over cafeteria soup. and harry’s struggling to understand his asexuality. draco’s learning how to live with anxiety and depression. they both want to be deserving of love. incredible fic with beautiful art by dustmouth. - 

Open for Repairs by @drarrytrash - 35k - T “A few leaves rustle in the gutter and the muggle world pays no mind to them, to two lost boys holding on for dear life.” --all of their fics feel exactly like this. like you’ve been allowed to look at something private, tender, unexpected. draco, known abba fan, is a repairman in the muggle world & harry can’t stop breaking thrifted things in order to see him? say less, i'm thERE. also “I think I have a crush on you” goddddd  - other faves by them: Counting Down By Ten - 2k - T: draco’s stepped outside of the party for a smoke. harry follows him bc of course he does. i could read this 100 times and not get tired of it. - Clouds That Veil the Midnight Moon - 36k - E: FUCKING HILARIOUS I CACKLED THROUGH THE WHOLE THING. draco’s wolfy problem and harry helping him and harry being flustered by how much he likes draco and draco’s hot heroic moment. shutup it’s perfect. “He almost asks if Draco ever gets tired of being a miserable complaining shit all the time, but he knows that he, personally, never ever gets tired of being a miserable complaining shit.” and “It’s the traumas,” Harry says gravely” --lines that live rent free in my head -

Harry Potter and the Future He Doesn't Really Want, Thanks by seefin - 70k - E “That was the only logical thing to do here, wasn’t it? It was the next step, it was the end of hurting each other and the beginning of the exact opposite.” --harry lives with luna and neville and also he dreams about the future sometimes? and he keeps running into draco. draco thinks this is sus as hell, until he doesn’t. feat. taxi rides, museums, cinemas, rooftop conversations beneath a lunar eclipse, mid-sex innocuous banter, draco and harry discussing nicki minaj. this fic charmed my ass off. seefin writes the most effortlessly hilarious dialogues. i smiled at my phone like an idiot at least 7 times. -  other faves by them: Wild - 93k - E: “he liked feeling needed, for the things that he was needed for back at the house in Ireland. For cooking and gardening and driving. Easy things.” --this shit makes me cry it’s so good. harry lives in Ireland with these three brilliant, hilarious, wandless witches and draco’s a potions student who's come to study under one of the housemates and the boys have so much shit to work through but their love becomes so tender and honest. draco yells at harry a lot and harry lets him and they both keep each other grounded in something real and fuCK.  - Divination for Dickheads - 7k - G: “I’m terrible at having crushes. I’ve never played anything cool a day in my life.” -- oh harry, we knOW. a bus ride, a fortune teller, an aquarium birthday party. god i love this fic. -

Modern Love by @tackytigerfic​ - 61k - E “But we’ve worked so hard at this, haven’t we? Yeah, I know it’s a horror to have to talk about it, but fuck it. We’re friends now, but it took so long to get here. Have you ever had to work so hard at something before?" --the steady blossoming of their friendship in this fic is so goddamn beautiful i want to yell. it’s draco and harry learning to trust each other and the whole thing unfolds so slowly, in this whimsical mix of london streets, wizarding politics, church halls feat. a Hot vicar, and a magical antique shop owner who’s married to literal poseidon?? goD the environment of this fic. immaculate. [also there’s a tender shower scene that makes me cry every single fucking time so if you read this fic pls dm me so we can be embarrassing about it together tbh] -

Nice Things by aideomai - 22k - M “He kept waiting for the weird shock of touch to not knock him clean out of his head, leave him quiet and warm and happy.” --8th year. harry forms an unlikely friendship with draco that begins with smoking weed on a windowsill. harry is touch-starved and draco touches him like he touches all his close friends - like it’s easy. the quiet affection in this fic, the way harry burrows himself into touch bc he’s been without it for his entire life. reading this is like being held. -

Running On Air by @tinyhistory​ - 74k - T “do you remember when we were eleven?” --alexa play coldplay’s the scientist it’s sad girl hours and we’re about to fucking yearn. you’ve seen this fic rec on every drarry list under the sun and i'm here to be redundant. the hype is so goddamn real. this story is a lyrical masterpiece held together by lines that act as refrains that will rattle around your brain until you die, probably. draco’s been missing for 3yrs. harry goes to find him. it’s their odyssey of homecoming. -

Title of Their Sex Tape by @cibeewastaken - 12k - T “But Draco, Draco was everything but boring. Draco made sitting in the rain watching an empty house fun.” --auror partners pining and draco being eccentric and harry being very earnestly gay about draco’s eccentricities!! god this fic is so genuinely fun skskd feat. undercover missions, murderous faeries, a book heist, a stunning navy dress, harry’s eyelashes. -

How We Throw Our Shadows Down by @thistle-verse - 14k - T “Draco is about to say something else— to thank Potter for what he’d done, however poorly— but Harry is smiling at him again, and it’s so soft and perfect that Draco holds in any inadequate words, lest he spoil it.” --draco collects tea cozies and of course harry has the one he wants. the sad and tender gays are at it again feat. conversations in the rain at a train station, melancholy Blaise, muggle photos, wizarding e-bay, the Dursleys.  -

Helix by Saras_Girl - 92k - E “Draco sighs in his sleep and Harry clings on to consciousness, needing to hold on, to give this tiny, insignificant moment the attention it deserves” --I think maybe you can describe every soft Saras_Girl story as giving tiny, insignificant moments the attention they deserve. like, this is an 8th year fic about snails and it’s full of whimsy, grief, compassion, and easy humor. an absolute must-read author in this genre if you want languorous, episodic fics full of distinct OCs and affectionate creatures. - other faves by them: Light up the Night Sky - 98k - M “Draco, sometimes you make my head feel like soup” --the one where harry is a fireworks artist and has a pet chameleon named ken. draco is on the wizarding arts council. they both pine like hell. - Headlights in the Snow - 71k - M “they stare at each other in silence, Harry’s heart beating so loud in his chest that he thinks the biddies must be able to hear it over the sound of their card game.” --the one where draco drives the knight bus and carts around the biddy club, a group of rambunctious old ladies who knit and drink tea and gossip. harry can’t help but fall in love with the everything about this. -

Follow the Water by @xanthippe74 - 38k - T “Harry’s heavy thoughts lift at the sight, like dark clouds blown away from the sun by the wind. The tent doesn’t feel so cramped and stifling now. It feels cozy. And safe. It’s the same feeling that Harry gets when he’s at the Burrow for Sunday roasts, when a group of people who care for each other deeply are crammed into too-small a space.” --harry wanders to the lovegood house on a sunday afternoon. he’s baffled to see that luna’s taken pansy, greg, and draco under her wing. what follows is a summer of forest walks, scavenger hunts, gardening, water fights, odd cakes, faerie rings, and picnics. so many picnics. i love the pace of this fic, the innocent return to childhood things, the way luna brings out the best in all her friends. reluctantly soft slytherins are just *chefs kiss*!! -

Going Postal (A 125pg comic) by dustmouth - T what. a. beautiful. ass. comic. the wizarding fashion, the textures, the character design!! harry travels a lot for his job as a resourcer. draco works in the regulations dept. they pine like a bunch of lovesick idiots via field report notes. god i love dustmouth’s art. -

All the Earnest Young Men by @tepre​ - 29k - E “Draco is twenty-seven layers of personality wrapped up in drama and humour, and a wit so sharp it still stings when he doesn’t see it coming. But there is something below that, too. Something that makes Harry ache just looking at him.” --the way i would lay down my little life for tepre’s characterization of draco, whom invented the word earnest. he’s a magical art theory expert and portraits are disappearing all over London and harry’s the auror assigned to this case. and well. they’re both so very avoidant about how gay they are for each other and it’s like!! shutup and kiss!! which they do in fact, shutup and kiss.  -

Trenches by sara_holmes - 3k - M “Somewhere in the distant part of his mind that hasn't frozen solid, he thinks that maybe he and Draco are about to become more than auror partners, smoking buddies, wine-mates and co-inhabitants of a snow filled trench somewhere in western Scotland.” --the plot line here is literally “it’s cold and i need a fucking cigarette” but let me tell you how I never tire of the shared loaded-silences of two emotionally repressed gays. -

The Years Before Love by lomonaaeren - 13k - M “That’s one of the meanings of peace, he thinks, as Hermione hugs him...That he can do things slowly, softly, without worrying that they won’t be there tomorrow.” --andromeda taking harry under her wing and harry finding solace in teddy. narcissa and draco showing up and the tentative relationships that slowly develop in the quiet calm of andromeda’s house. found families and kisses in the snow and special xmas gifts ugh what’s not to love -

The Moon Looks Lovely Tonight by Omi_Ohmy - 35k - M “I want this to be a house where people are welcome, where they don’t have to be any one way or another” --in which harry collects lost things--owls, best friends, inept bakers, potions experimenters--and turns the mausoleum that is grimmauld place into a home. feat. your fave drarry tropes like shared-beds and reluctant waltzing partners. -

[part 1: thrillers | part 2: dramas | part 3: soft bois | part 4: wankbanks]

[mostlymovieswithmax]

Movies I watched in May

Sadly, I kind of skipped writing a post for April. It was a mad month with so much going on: lots of emails sent and lots of stress. I started a new job so I’m getting to grips with that... and even then, I still watched a bunch of movies. But this is about what I watched in May and, yeah… still a bunch. So if you’re looking to get into some other movies - possibly some you’ve thought about watching but didn’t know what they were like, or maybe like the look of something you’ve never heard of - then this may help! So here’s every film I watched from the 1st to the 31st of May 2021 Tenet (2020) - 8/10 This was my third time watching Christopher Nolan’s most Christopher Nolan movie ever and it makes no sense but I still love it. The spectacle of it all is truly like nothing I’ve ever seen. I had also watched it four days prior to this watch also, only this time I had enabled audio description for the visually impaired, thinking it would make it funny… It didn’t.

Nomadland (2020) - 6/10 Chloé Zhao’s new movie got a lot of awards attention. Everyone was hyped for this and when it got put out on Disney+ I was eager to see what all the fuss was about. Seeing these real nomads certainly gave the film an authenticity, along with McDormand’s ever-praisable acting. But generally I found it quite underwhelming and lacking a lot in its pacing. Nomadland surely has its moments of captivating cinematography and enticing commentary on the culture of these people, but it felt like it went on forever without any kind of forward direction or goal. The Prince of Egypt (1998) - 6/10 I reviewed this on my podcast, The Sunday Movie Marathon. For what it is, it’s pretty fun but nowhere near as good as some of the best DreamWorks movies.

Chinatown (1974) - 8/10 What a fantastic and wonderfully unpredictable mystery crime film! I regret to say I’ve not seen many Jack Nicholson performances but he steals the show. Despite Polanski’s infamy, it’d be a lie to claim this wasn’t truly masterful. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) - 8/10 Admittedly I was half asleep as I curled up on the sofa to watch this again on a whim. I watched this with someone who demanded the dubbed version over the subtitled version and while I objected heavily, I knew I’d seen the movie before so it didn’t matter too much. That person also fell asleep about 20 minutes in, so how pointless an argument it was. Howl’s Moving Castle boasts superb animation, the likes of which I’ve only come to expect of Miyazaki. The story is so unique and the colours are absolutely gorgeous. This may not be my favourite from the legendary director but there’s no denying its splendour.

Bāhubali: The Beginning (2015) - 3/10 The next morning I watched some absolute trash. This crazy, over the top Indian movie is hilarious and I could perhaps recommend it if it weren’t so long. That being said, Bāhubali was not a dumpster fire; it has a lot of good-looking visual effects and it’s easy to see the ambition for this epic story, it just doesn’t come together. There’s fun to be had with how the main character is basically the strongest man in the world and yet still comes across as just a lucky dumbass, along with all the dancing that makes no sense but is still entertaining to watch. Seven Samurai (1954) - 10/10 If it wasn’t obvious already, Seven Samurai is a masterpiece. I reviewed this on The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast, so more thoughts can be found there. Red Road (2006) - 6/10 Another recommendation on episode 30 of the podcast. Red Road really captures the authentic British working class experience. Before Sunrise (1995) - 10/10 One of the best romances put to film. The first in Richard Linklater’s Before Trilogy is undoubtedly my favourite, despite its counterparts being almost equally as good. It tells the story of a young couple travelling through Europe, who happen to meet on a train and spend the day together. It is gloriously shot on location in Vienna and features some of the most interesting dialogue I’ve ever seen put to film. Heartbreakingly beautiful.

Tokyo Story (1953) - 9/10 This Japanese classic - along with being visually and sonically masterful - is a lot about appreciating the people in your life and taking the time to show them that you love them. It’s about knowing it’s never too late to rekindle old relationships if you truly want to, which is something I’ve been able to relate to in recent years. It broke my heart in two. Tokyo Story will make you want to call your mother. Before Sunset (2004) - 10/10 Almost a decade after Sunrise, Sunset carries a sombre yet relieving feeling. Again, the performances from Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke take me away, evoking nostalgic feelings as they stroll through the contemporary Parisian streets. There is no regret in me for buying the Criterion blu-ray boxset for this trilogy. Before Midnight (2013) - 10/10 Here, Linklater cements this trilogy as one of the best in film history. It’s certainly not the ending I expected, yet it’s an ending I appreciate endlessly. Because it doesn’t really end. Midnight shows the troubling times of a strained relationship; one that has endured so long and despite initially feeling almost dreamlike in how idealistically that first encounter was portrayed, the cracks appear as the film forces you to come to terms with the fact that fairy-tale romances just don’t exist. Relationships require effort and sacrifice and sometimes the ones that truly work are those that endure through all the rough patches to emerge stronger. The Holy Mountain (1973) - 10/10 Jodorowsky’s masterpiece is absolute insanity. I talked more about it on The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) - 10/10 Another watch for Grand Budapest because I bought the Criterion blu-ray. As unalterably perfect as ever. Blue Jay (2016) - 6/10 Rather good up to a point. My co-hosts and I did not agree on how good this movie was, which is a discussion you can listen to on my podcast. Shadow and Bone: The Afterparty (2021) - 3/10 For what it’s worth, I really enjoyed the first season of Shadow and Bone, which is why I wanted to see what ‘The Afterparty’ was about. This could have been a lot better and much less annoying if all those terrible comedians weren’t hosting and telling bad jokes. I don’t want to see Fortune Feimster attempt to tell a joke about oiling her body as the cast of the show sit awkwardly in their homes over Zoom. If it had simply been a half hour, 45 minute chat with the cast and crew about how they made the show and their thoughts on it, a lot of embarrassment and time-wasting could have been spared. Wadjda (2012) - 6/10 Another recommendation discussed at length on The Sunday Movie Marathon. Wadjda was pretty interesting from a cultural perspective but largely familiar in terms of story structure.

Freddy Got Fingered (2001) - 2/10 A truly terrible movie with maybe one or two scenes that stop it from being a complete catastrophe. Tom Green tried to create something that almost holds a middle finger to everyone who watches it and to some that could be a fun experience, but to me it just came across as utterly irritating. It’s simply a bunch of scenes threaded together with an incredibly loose plot. He wears the skin of a dead deer, smacks a disabled woman over and over again on the legs to turn her on, and he swings a newborn baby around a hospital room by its umbilical cord (that part was actually pretty funny). I cannot believe I watched this again, although I think I repressed a lot of it since having seen it for the first time around five years ago. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 - (2011) I have to say, these movies seem to get better with each instalment. They’re still not very good though. That being said, I’m amazed at how many times I’ve watched each of the Twilight movies at this point. This time around, I watched Breaking Dawn - Part 1 with a YMS commentary track on YouTube and that made the experience a lot more entertaining. Otherwise, this film is super dumb but pretty entertaining. I would recommend watching these movies with friends. Solaris (1972) - 8/10 Andrei Tarkovsky’s grand sci-fi epic about the emotional crises of a crew on the space station orbiting the fictional planet Solaris is much as strange and creepy as you might expect from the master Russian auter. I had wanted to watch this for a while so I bought the Criterion blu-ray and it’s just stunning. It’s clear to see the 2001: A Space Odyssey inspiration but Solaris is quite a different beast entirely. Jaws (1975) - 4/10 I really tried to get into this classic movie, but Jaws exhibits basically everything I don’t like about Steven Spielberg’s directing. For sure, the effects are crazily good but the story itself is poorly handled and largely uninteresting. It was just a massive slog to get through.

Darkman (1990) - 6/10 Sam Raimi’s superhero movie is so much fun, albeit massively stupid. Further discussion on Darkman can be found on episode 32 of The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast. Darkman II: The Return of Durant (1995) - 1/10 Abysmal. I forgot the movie as I watched it. This was part of a marathon my friends and I did for episode 32 of our podcast. Darkman III: Die Darkman Die (1996) - 1/10 Perhaps this trilogy is not so great after all. Only marginally better than Darkman II but still pretty terrible. More thoughts on episode 32 of my podcast. F For Fake (1973) - 8/10 Rewatching this proved to be a worthwhile decision. Albeit slightly boring, there’s no denying how crazy the story of this documentary about art forgers is. The standout however, is the director himself. Orson Welles makes a lot of this film about himself and how hot his girlfriend is and it is hilarious.

The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021) - 4/10 More style over substance, Sony’s new animated adventure wants so much to be in trend with the current internet culture but it simply doesn’t understand what it’s emulating. There’s a nyan cat reference, for crying out loud. For every joke that works, there are about ten more that do not and were it not for the wonderful animation, it simply wouldn’t be getting so much praise. Taxi Driver (1976) - 10/10 The first movie I’ve seen in a cinema since 2020 and damn it was good to be back! I’ve already reviewed Taxi Driver in my March wrap-up but seeing it in the cinema was a real treat. Irreversible (2002) - 8/10 One of the most viscerally horrendous experiences I’ve ever had while watching a movie. I cannot believe a friend of mine gave me the DVD to watch. More thoughts on episode 32 of The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast. Don’t watch it with the family. The Golden Compass (2007) - 1/10 I had no recollection of this being as bad as it is. The Golden Compass is the definition of a factory mandated movie. Nothing it does on its own is worth any kind of merit. I would say, if you wanted an experience like what this tries to communicate, a better option by far is the BBC series, His Dark Materials. More of my thoughts can be found in the review I wrote on Letterboxd.

Antichrist (2009) - 8/10 Lars von Trier is nothing if not provocative and I can understand why someone would not like Antichrist, but I enjoyed it quite a lot. After watching it, I wrote a slightly disjointed summary of my interpretations of this highly metaphorical movie in the group chat, so fair warning for a bit of spoilers and graphic descriptions: It's like, the patriarchy, man! Oppression! Men are the rational thinkers with big brains and the women just cry and be emotional. So she's seen as crazy when she's smashing his cock and driving a drill through his leg to keep him weighted down. Like, how does he like it, ya know? So then she mutilates herself like she did with him and now they're both wounded, but the animals crowd around her (and the crow that he couldn't kill because it's Mother nature, not Father nature, duh). Then he kills her, even though she could've killed him loads of times but didn't. So it's like "haha big win for the man who was subjected to such horrific torture. Victory!" And then all the women with no faces come out of the woods because it's like a constant cycle. Manchester By The Sea (2016) - 6/10 Great performances in this super sad movie. I can’t say I got too much out of it though. Roar (1981) - 9/10 Watching Roar again was still as terrifying an experience as the first time. If you want to watch something that’s loose on plot with poor acting but with real big cats getting in the way of production and physically attacking people, look no further. This is the scariest movie I’ve ever seen because it’s all basically real. Cannot recommend it enough. Eyes Without A Face (1960) - 8/10 I’m glad I checked this old French movie out again. There’s a lot to marvel at in so many aspects, what with the premise itself - a mad surgeon taking the faces from unsuspecting women and transplanting them onto another - being incredibly unique for the time. Short, sweet and entertaining!

Se7en (1995) - 10/10 The first in a David Fincher marathon we did for The Sunday Movie Marathon, episode 33. Zodiac (2007) - 10/10 Second in the marathon, as it was getting late, we decided to watch half that evening and the last half on the following evening. Zodiac is a brilliant movie and you can hear more of my thoughts on the podcast (though I apologise; my audio is not the best in this episode). Gone Girl (2014) - 10/10 My favourite Fincher movie. More insights into this masterpiece in episode 33 of the podcast. Friends: The Reunion (2021) - 6/10 It was heartwarming to see the old actors for this great show together again. I talked about the Friends reunion film at length in episode 33 of my podcast.

Wolfwalkers (2020) - 10/10 I reviewed this in an earlier post but would like to reiterate just how wonderful Wolfwalkers is. If you get the chance, please see it in the cinema. I couldn’t stop crying from how beautiful it was. Raya and The Last Dragon (2021) - 6/10 After watching Wolfwalkers, I decided I didn’t want to go home. So I had lunch in town and booked a ticket for Disney’s Raya and The Last Dragon. A child was coughing directly behind me the entire time. Again, I reviewed this in an earlier post but generally it was decent but I have so many problems with the execution. The Princess Bride (1987) - 9/10 Clearly I underrated this the last time I watched it. The Princess Bride is warm and hilarious with some delightfully memorable characters. A real classic!

The Invisible Kid (1988) - 1/10 About as good as you’d expect a movie with that name to be, The Invisible Kid was a pick for The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast, the discussion for which you can listen to in episode 34. Babel (2006) - 9/10 The same night that I watched The Invisible Kid, I watched a masterful and dour drama from the director of Birdman and The Revenant. Babel calls back to an earlier movie of Iñárritu’s, called Amores Perros and as I was informed while we watched this for the podcast, it turns out Babel is part of a trilogy alongside the aforementioned film. More thoughts in episode 34 of the podcast. Snake Eyes (1998) - 1/10 After feeling thoroughly emotionally wiped out after Babel, we immediately watched another recommendation for the podcast: Snake Eyes, starring Nicolas Cage. This was a truly underwhelming experience and for more of a breakdown into what makes this movie so bad, you can listen to us talk about it on the podcast.

[dawnsbreaking]

wip wednesday :)

an excerpt from an upcoming Poe fic, my new LITG rewrite, and a sneak peak at ays8 <3 (posted from my alt because two of these fics are not mysme, but this is @luc606)

because i have so many things going at the moment, i thought i would share a quick excerpt from an upcoming (but will i ever finish it) Poe one shot. it's a university au and enemies to lovers <3

The only thing worse than the earliest Literature seminar on a Monday morning is the earliest Literature seminar on a Monday morning with Poe Colestead. This is something you picked up quickly — just after two meetings of your seminar — when he told you that you were reading from the wrong edition of Homer’s Odyssey and that it, in his words, “Made such a big difference.” You had checked. The edition you were reading was among the approved editions for the class. A fact that Poe Colestead did not consider nor seem to care for once it was brought to his attention. “Maybe the professor should have checked with you before making the syllabus, then.” You said, snarky because it was early and you were tired and this man you’d never met was critiquing your perfectly valid choice. He only laughed. “Maybe!” It was that day that the professor finalized the seating arrangement. And so you were stuck cozied up next to Poe Colestead — snobby, opinionated, difficult Poe Colestead — for the rest of the semester.

i've also begun work on an litg rewrite featuring my cmc Rose. if you follow @luc606 you might recognize her. the Rose Prichard cinematic universe is vast because she is my cmc for truly every game </3 here is an excerpt from that!

As she came to stand on the platform, she heard the show’s host trilling on about her, giving the short bio and fun fact she’d provided in one of her auditions. Each sentence sounded like it ended with a bold exclamation point. “Rose is a 23 year old literature student, born in Texas! Currently studying at Cambridge! The daughter of two professors, she’s a book smart broad! Her fun fact: She’s got a twin brother, but we couldn’t get him on the show!” For his part, John Prichard would have been on the show in a heartbeat if it weren’t for prior obligations. He was an actor, loud and confident where his twin was not, that would have jumped at the chance to be on television if only he weren’t already filming for television. “Hello!” Rose remembered to smile brightly as she spoke to the boys. “Nice to meet you all.” As the boys introduced themselves, Rose only caught about half of it. She smiled warmly at Noah on his turn, who was easily the prettiest of the bunch, and laughed at Bobby’s joke because he was last in line and the only one speaking loud enough for her to hear clearly. The others had passed in a blur. When the host asked the boys to step forward, all five of them do so with little hesitation.

and, finally, here is a tiny peak at ays8, i don't want to spoil too much but our best boy is back in this one <3

You take your seat in the dressing room chair, where you will spend the rest of the daylight hours, and smile at Vanderwood in the mirror. It's a pleasant, friendly smile, done out of habit and signifying nothing. They nod cordially, and the two of you sit in the almost comfortable silence awaiting the stylists. There's a knock on the door, it has been several minutes of waiting and you are currently scrolling through Twitter, trying your best to pretend that Vanderwood isn't acting broodier than usual. The knock jolts your awareness however, because it's not just any knock. Vanderwood scowls as they open the door, and you can see a few wisps of red hair through the cracks. Saeyoung.

[awesomerextyphoon]

A Warrior’s Heart | Phase 1: Welcome – 3

A Hero’s Welcome?

Summary: When someone with a connection to Steve’s past dies, he’s reminded of the promise he made to Dr. Erskine and whether or not he’s failed. Can Ife help him see that he hasn’t?

Characters: Steve Rogers, Ifekerenma ‘Ife’, Abraham Erskine (mentioned), Marlene Erskine (mentioned), Nick Fury, Eliza Maza, Azeneth Ramirez

Main Pairing: Stucky x Black!OFC (Ifekerenma ‘Ife’)

Rating: 18+/Explicit

Word Count: 5,801

Warnings: Depression, Talk of Death, Slightly Cynical Steve, Politics, Smutty Thoughts

A/N: I’m sorry that this so long. I really wanted to try something different with Erskine and the time around CA:TFA. Also, I wanted to explore how Steve would be feeling right after AoU (little bit of a downer, but it will get better). Furthermore, this story will diverge a bit from MCU in terms of Steve’s and Bucky’s abilities. Feedback is welcomed and greatly appreciated. Dividers were by the lovely @firefly-graphics​. Thanks to @sweetkingdomstarlight-blog​ for the beta!

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Early June 2015

“What do you have to report, Ifekerenma?”

Ife pursed her lips together,”Wanda is doing well with her training. Djamila and Nazaret had some sung her praises during their first session.”

It took a few days to convince the team and Fury to let her friends train Wanda. Luckily Nat had her back and Wanda was able to show the compound how much she improved from what Ife was able to teach her. Unfortunately, Azeneth was unable to make it due to being tied up with a BNA mission and relocating to the NYC division.

“That’s good to hear. Have you made made any progress with the others?”

Ife’s eyes casted down in thought. Vision was a no-go for now. Pietro was warming up to her, but he thought she was still suspicious (wasn’t wrong). She didn’t want to try Rhodey yet (too close to Tony). Nat was..difficult; she’ll try again later.

“I’m going to try Steve next. He seems like a safe bet, even with the serum. Hopefully, he won’t catch before it’s time. I will need Erskine’s folder though.”

Eliza’s lips turned upward in a small smile, “Agreed. I’ll have it sent to you within the hour. Best of luck, Ife.”

And with that, Ife got dressed and headed towards the common room.

  Steve leaned back and clasped his hands together behind his head in thought and vexation.

The 21st century must be fucking with him.

Right after Operation ‘Captain Briar Rose’, Steve went to Brooklyn. He could barely find any trace of his old neighborhood. The apartment complex where he and his mother lived was now a ritzy condominium with a Starbucks on the ground level.

All of the places he’d go with Bucky were now soulless veneers filled with empty promises of ‘happiness’ or ‘self-esteem’.

He remembered the time Bucky bailed him out of yet another beating by Arnie and his gang back in 1928. His mother berated him for getting in yet another fight while Bucky’s mom laughed and treated them to ice cream from the local sweets parlor. Bucky’s sisters – Rebecca, Rose, and Annabelle – were making a fuss and bursted out in giggles when Annabelle got ice cream in Bucky’s hair. It was one of the best days that year.

A T-Mobile now stands in its place.

All of his friends and comrades save Bucky and Peggy are dead; he nearly bawled in the middle of briefing when found out that Timothy ‘Dum Dum’ Dugan died and had a cry alone in his quarters afterwards.

Felt shitty about the current state of the country. It seemed as though everything has gotten worse. He found out about the Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Wars. How income and wealth inequality has somehow gotten as bad as, if not worse, than the Gilded Age. Corruption has turned DC and NYC into dog and pony show.

He was furious at all of the politicians and corporations that wanted him to endorse them or their actions. They wanted Captain America’s helmet and shield to mask their heinous acts. They were the same if not worse than Senator Brandt.

Some days Steve wished SHIELD let him stay in the ice. Even worse, there were days he felt that Captain America was for an America that never was.

Nowadays, he felt even more like an anomaly.

It started when he got out of the ice. He felt a lot stronger and faster; only Thor knew the extent of it and he has to hold back a lot when fighting for fear of government asking for more of his blood. Though he suspected Ife and Natasha might be onto him.

He was a lot hungrier than before he went on ice as well. Often time, he would have late night ‘dinners’ (now it's every night), To be honest, he was a bit embarrassed at how much he ate, though the thought of pinning the blame on Ife did cross his mind. It wouldn’t work due to Ife almost never eating with the team and Sam said that he would know if Ife was the culprit. Steve suspected that Ife has been using her connections to restock the food between when he retired to his quarters and before the rest of the team came for breakfast. Also, she kept leaving him fun pop culture facts and media recommendations for the night.

Steve didn’t feel he could go to Dr. Cho since he doubted she had anything to go on in his case.

He did wonder if Ife could help him. She seemed to like helping the team and she was knowledgable about Non-Humans. Wanda’s rapid improvement in her powers and control bolstered his decision.

Sighing, Steve sat up straight in his chair and picked up the letter he received that morning. Marlene Philomena Erskine had passed away and he was invited to her funeral.

It was sad to have yet another link to his past slip from his grasp.

  Steve was finishing up another book to fight off his jitters. It was the night before the operation and he needed to have a few moments of respite from the war.

He was so engrossed in what he was reading that he failed to notice Dr. Erskine entering.

Erskine, for his part, was eyeing several books in Rogers’ makeshift bookshelf: They Odyssey, Of Mice and Men, Murder on the Orient Express, Tender is the Night, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Homage to Catalonia, and To Have and have Not.

“What do you think of the book?” Erskine asked as he sat across the startled recruit.

“Just finished. Y’think it wise to get buzzed before a major operation, sir?” Steve noted when he saw the bottle and two shot glasses on the bed.

Erskine chucked, “Calms my nerves a bit. What did you think of the book?”

Steve pressed his lips together for a moment, “It was a good read. The book had a lot of good points for something written eleven years ago.”

“What truths?”

“Well, for one thing, how technology is used to make the populace happy, but not better. The World Government found a way to get people to willingly trade self-expression, self-awareness, and their happiness for cheap happiness and comfort. Makes you wonder if the US was next, you know?”

Erskine was taken aback by his answer. It was much deeper than most of commanding officers gave if they even read the book.

Though that last sentence was interesting.

“What do you mean next?”

“Isn’t that what happened in Germany?”

Erskine sighed, “Yes and no. Most people here think Hitler came out of nowhere, but he didn’t. Not everyone in Germany was for WWI. There was a 100,000 person march in Berlin, but it didn’t matter since the Social Democratic Party failed to rise to the occasion and went along with war effort. Many were scapegoated for Germany failure, Matthias Erzberger for instance.”

“What about the Weimar Republic?”

Once again, Erskine was taken aback by Steve’s knowledge, “Weimar Germany was a great place to be creative, curious, and make new discoveries. I met my wife, Greta, in Berlin during that time. I made a lot of friends, friends I had to leave behind.”

Erskine frowned as his face darkened,”The terrible thing, my friend, was not that Hitler was dangerous, it was that either people didn’t take him as the threat he was or they wanted to use him for their own ends. The cops and judges sympathized with the Nazi Party to get one over the Socialists and Communists. Industrialists wanted to make money off of the Nazis getting into power. Even the German and International newspapers didn’t cover him with the urgency required.”

“That’s terrible.”

“Ja, and it almost happened here, didn’t it?”

Steve nodded in reference to the America First movement and the German American Bund. He still remembers getting the crap beaten out of him by the Silver Shirts when he spoke out against them a few years ago.

“So why did you choose me?”

“I suppose that is the best question.” Erskine admitted while glancing at Steve’s bookshelf, “What do you think of the Odyssey?”

Steve shrugged, “The adventures were fun, but they were just fantasy.”

“They may not be, Mein Freund. How old do you think I am?”

“Uh, mid sixties?”

Erskine laughed, “You’re too kind. I will be 94 this September,” he smiled noting Steve’s shock, “Things are not always as they seem. I come from a long line of ‘healers’ dating back to before Rome. One of them was able to ‘make a man more’. They inspired me to go into this profession.”

“Making super soldiers?”

“Medicine and bio-chemical engineering.”

“Oh”

“Did you know that you will not be first to undergo this?”

“Who was?”

“His name was Konrad Jager. He was a lot like you: small, frail, but had a great deal of courage and compassion. He was willing to fight Nazis in the streets knowing he’d lose. One day in 1930, his parents begged me to save him as the doctors had given up all hope.

I was woking on a serum that would make the body impervious to all diseases rather than wait for the next outbreak to occur. I thought it would propel the medical field.

The trial worked and he was healed. He became much taller and broader in size as a result.”

Erskine pulled out a picture of himself next to a tall, well-built young man.

“That’s Konrad isn’t it?”

“Yes. I was able to help eight more people through the earlier version of the serum. All but one turned out well.”

“What happened to the one?”

“Ah yes, Eren Kant. He was a shy young man before the serum, but then became more like Hodge: a philander, arrogant, and bit of a bully with a temper. He ‘grew too big for his britches’ as one would say and was arrested by the Munich police. He let his arrogance blind him and he escaped in a way that intrigued Der Fuhrer and was taken to Berlin soon after. By this time, rumors had spread of my work and the Nazis were anxious to be the ‘best of the Aryans’. They were able to get my whereabouts from Eren and sent Schmitt to fetch me, but I was already on my way to Switzerland when he reached my home.”

“How did he get you?”

Erskine slightly jerked his head to the side and back, “A year prior to my attempted escape, I met a man in Geneva who warned of the dangers that lied in Berlin. He gave me his card if I needed to escape. In retrospect, I shouldn’t have waited so long before I made the phone call. I was tipped off by an old colleague of Eren entering Nazi custody.

Everything was set. My family and I were to enter Switzerland by crossing Lake Constance. We made it to Meerburg and the lake was in sight when Schmitt and his agents cut us off.

Schmitt believed that there was a power left behind by the gods. He believed himself to be a leader of a new race of men. He wanted me to ‘perfect the serum’, make him stronger than Eren. He had my children, Klaus and Marlene, taken to the outskirts of town as insurance implying that they would be sent to Dachau if I should fail.

I stalled for as long as I could hoping Schmitt would forget about me, but it was not meant to be. A few years after I was taken hostage, Schmitt stormed into my lab and pointed a gun to Greta demanding I give him the serum.”

“Did it make him stronger than Eren?”

“It did, but it had...side effects. The serum was not ready. Schmitt’s skin turned red and his face became so disfigured that Hitler called him the Red Skull. He killed Greta with his bare hands,” Erskine wiped away a few tears, “and ordered Marlene and Klaus to be sent to Dachau while I was banished to the dungeons.

Fortunately, Agent Carter and the SOE were able to save Marlene and myself. Though Klaus sacrificed himself when the agents could only save one of them.”

“Your son is a hero.”

“I only wish I could’ve told him that myself. But, back to your original question. I chose you because, like Konrad, you are a weak man. You see, the serum amplifies everything; good becomes great and awe-inspiring, bad becomes worse and a nightmare. Men who are strong their entire lives often do not value strength and abuses it. However, a weak man who is compassionate and brave will use it to help others. You were chosen because you had the aforementioned virtues and because you use your mind.

The world does not need perfect soldiers, look where that has gotten us. No, what we need right now are good men.”

Erskine poured out two shots and gave a glass to Steve.

Steve raised his glass, “To the little guys.”

The liquor was just about to touch his lips when Erskine snatched the glass from him, “What are you doing? You have an operation tomorrow. No fluids.”

Steve chuckled as Erskine bid him farewell and good luck tomorrow.

  Ife found Steve in the Common Room hunched over a chair with a letter in his hands. Emotional echoes of gloom came off in waves as she approached him.

“Whatcha looking at, Steve?”

When Steve didn’t respond, she gently placed a hand on his shoulder, “What’s wrong?”

Steve finally turned to Ife, “I received an invite to a funeral. It’s for Marlene Philomena Erskine, Dr. Abraham Erskine’s daughter.”

Ife nodded in understanding; he feels that he failed Marlene by not protecting Dr. Abraham Erskine.

But in fact, he didn’t fail her.

She lived quite the life for a human.

Not long after her father’s assassination, Marlene became a badass mechanical engineer and physicist. Her designs and schematics for transportation vehicles and energy storage/distribution gave the colonizer nations a fighting chance during the Wars Against Colonialism.

Though part of it was because the UA was a little cocky at that point. Marlene sure lit a fire under their ass! Ife can still hear her Aunt Eziamaka pouting at the news of one of UA bases nearly falling into their control.

Marlene’s assistance with the war effort didn’t last long as her gratitude towards the people who saved both her and her father wasn’t enough to overlook the Military’s treatment of some her colleagues.

Her life from there was pretty standard. She became a professor at MIT, got married and had a few kids.

BNA took her off the ‘humans of special interest’ list in 1971.

Thinking back on it, Marlene may have had a better life by her father not making it past WWII.

Though Ife thought it would be wise not to mention this to Steve.

“When is the funeral?”

Steve didn’t raise his head, “It’s in a week.”

“In that case, might I accompany you?”

“Yes...and thank you.”

“No Problem! See you later.” Ife wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug and went on her way leaving Steve slightly bewildered.

  Steve didn’t know what to make of Ifekerenma.

She was always asked the team how they were feeling at what seemed to be the right moment. Shoot, she even talked to custodial staff that few of ever acknowledge. Compassionate to nearly everyone, especially the child hostages during the last mission.

She’s nerdy to the point of Sam jokingly calling her a weeb (anime lover?) when she walked around in an oversized Cowboy Bebop t-shirt once. Wanda mentioned a ‘digital friend’ in her room and caught her mentioning how slow Stark’s tech was much to the amusement of team at Tony’s expense.

Steve’s certain Nat sent Clint a video of the whole thing.

Also, she was what Sam called a ‘Supreme Chef’. He contently patted his midsection remembering the feast she prepared for the team last night. Her cooking would’ve put some of Stark’s gourmet chefs to shame. She asked the team what they liked and she ended up having to create a dinner rotation. Steve was especially touched when she went to an antique bookstore for a recipe that was close to what his mother would’ve made for him.

Furthermore, she would leave out little homemade treats/ snacks at night. Pietro and Sam would sneak some when they thought no one was looking. She even giggled when he accidentally let out a huge belch after an amazing dinner a couple nights ago saying it’s a sign of thanks on her home planet, Avlenia.

Ife always called him Steve; not ‘Captain’ or ‘Cap’ or even ‘Good ol’Century Virgin’ (damn it, Tony!). She never made light of him ‘taking an ice nap’ or asking him about the 1940s in a demeaning way like some reporters and ‘little upstarts on social media’. Somehow, Ife found out about his love of drawing and got him art supplies with a list of recommended artists

She made him feel more like a person and not a symbol or a far off figure who’s emotionless.

Steve felt warm whenever he was around her in a way not unlike Bucky or Peggy though much more like Bucky. She seemed to sense that he was desperate to truly be seen in way that only Sam and sometimes Nat has.

It also didn’t hurt that she was a total knockout. He had the, ahem, pleasure of seeing her out of her uniform and training outfits a few times. She usually wore clothes that were more on the modest side...except for that one time when she wore a Sailor Moon crop top and high-waisted shorts as a dare from Nat. Half of the compound was staring and Steve spent most of the day in his quarters nursing a hard on he was so aroused.

And yet, Ife was one of the toughest women he knew; even Nat was a little scared of her (at least, he thinks). She might be the strongest person physically and she doesn’t take shit from people who badmouth her or the team; Agent Roussel learned that the hard way.

All in all, Ife was...something else, someone he wanted to get close to.

  The day of Marlene’s funeral started out well enough.

Ife spent the early morning making Sam’s request of cinnamon rolls, sausage, omelettes, waffles, and hash browns since he won the raffle of Vision’s turn as he doesn’t eat.

She was handing out everyone’s first servings (didn’t care what happened afterwards) when she felt Steve’s emotional echoes of depression, melancholy, and despair noting how his eyebrows furrowed and how tense his body language was.

She just hoped she could get to him.

  Steve was walking to garage hoping his outfit wasn’t too much.

Nat somehow convinced him into wearing a Highbridge Black Custom Suit with an Eastley Dobbey Blue Shirt, a Black Solid Tie, a Navy Blue Pocket Square, and Ink Black Dress Shoes.

He ‘upped the swoon dial’ as Nat put it. Could’ve sworn he heard Sam snickering.

Steve reached the entrance hoping not to keep Ife waiting when he heard clicking of heels behind him.

He turned around to find Ife looking almost unearthly.

She was wearing a black Ankara (?) dress with a cape that was black on the outside and golden on the inside with various blue, silver, and khaki rectangle clusters. Her hair was mostly contained in a wrap with a few strands framing her lovely face. Her full, plump lips were coated in a Light Plum (?) Matte Lipstick and she wore minimal gold eye shadow.

Her outfit did a splendid job of hinting at her voluptuous curves without needlessly flaunting them like the women who throw themselves at him at press tours.

Ife smiled at him and asked which car were they taking.

Steve motioned to one of the Black SUVs and the two of them strapped in for the three hour car ride.

  Ife sighed and gazed out the window at the scenery. Neither one of them had said anything in the past twenty minutes. Steve wasn’t a fan of most of the music that’s on the radio despite Sam’s best efforts. Ife had to break out her puppy dog eyes to get him to let them listen to some instrumental music from her favorite movies.

It seemed that they weren’t going to say anything until Steve cleared his throat.

Ife, not wanting to suffer in silence, decided break it, “How did you know Marlene?”

Steve raided his eyebrows for a split second, “I didn’t. I just feel like I should pay my respects, you know? I mean, I should attend the daughter of the man I failed’s funeral.”

The last sentence struck a chord with Ife. Emotional echoes of despair hit her like a tsunami.

Tentatively, Ife continued, “How did you fail Erskine?”

“I-I don’t think I’ve fulfilled my promise to him. The country has changed so much since I was on ice. It’s funny; I thought that Brave New World would only have a one of two aspects come to life, but I didn’t see nearly the whole book being right.”

Ife didn’t argue with the last two points. The US was nothing but a never-ending commercial sometimes. People were too busy being ‘happy’ or trying to get the newest thrill to realize that they were living in a sham of a republic.

Though she was concerned about the first sentence.

“What was the promise you made to Erskine? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Steve turned slightly, “To be true to who I am; a good man, not a perfect soldier. To be more like Konrad.”

Ife nodded musing on his answer. Erskine would want everyone he helped to be a good person considering the dangers of such power.

Though she wondered if she knew Dr Abraham’s full history.

Abraham Erskine came from a long line of Homo Magis who specialized in Alchemy . He turned to science when it was clear that his magical powers would never manifest (being only 1/16 Homo Magi). Erskine started working on what would become the Super Soldier Serum in 1920 after the witnessing the horrors of WWI firsthand as a medic.

He made a breakthrough in 1927 when he found what looked to be an old power cell in the attic of his childhood home. Turns out it was a modified Atlantean battery dating back to the 1600s, but whatever.

Konrad Jager was the first of nine volunteers; most of whom went on to fight in the Spanish Civil War with the International Brigades and be part of the German Resistance’s Special Forces during WWII.

Needless to say, they were recruited into BNA’s European Division.

Only Eren Kant was deemed a failure in the end.

Ife shook her head at the info in Erskine’s folder.

Eren was pompous dumbass who broke himself out jail by bending/breaking the bars of his cell after getting arrested for being a player and bully by the Munich Police in August of 1935. His show of superhuman strength got Erskine’s work onto the Hitler’s radar. BNA had to send a cleaner to ‘handle’ Eren before he could get everyone in even more trouble.

She wondered if Konrad and the others would make an appearance.

“What do mean by not staying true to yourself?”

Steve sighed, “It seemed a lot easier to do so in my time.”

Ife wanted to go further, but she couldn’t. Steve was punishing himself up for something he couldn't control and it was tragic.

She hoped that she could actually help him, not for the mission, but for himself.

  They arrived at the venue twenty minutes early. Steve was trying (failing) to fix his tie while Ife was looking as glamorous and poised as can be.

Sensing Steve’s unease, she gave his hand a comforting squeeze, “You’ll do fine,” she whispered as she fixed his tie while not trying inhale his delicious natural scent like a creep (again).

“Let’s go inside.”

  Everyone seemed to stop what they were doing when they entered the venue. Though Ife had to hand it to the guests; no one asked Steve for an autograph or a selfie. She noted several BNA officials and a couple of Earth-based Non-Human big wigs in attendance.

Guess Marlene was popular.

“Ife!” Azeneth shouted as she strode over to from a corner and enveloped her in a hug.

“Azeneth, how are you? I didn’t think you would be back from Mexico City so soon.”

“Well, the mission was short and they wanted me in New York to accompany Eliza here. Now, who is this fine gentleman, Ife?” Azeneth queried while Steve started shifting uncomfortably.

“This is Steve Rogers, one of my new teammates and Ca-”

“Captain America. I know, Ife. I was jesting.”

Ife sighed dramatically while rolling her eyes, “Steve, this is Azeneth. She’s one of my best Earth-based friends.”

“Kickass friend.” Azeneth corrected, “How are you liking Ife? She’s not too much trouble.”

“Stop it, ‘Aze!” Ife playfully hit Azeneth’s shoulder, “Feel free to ignore her, Steve.”

“Hmm, no. I don’t think I will, especially after the stunt you pulled on the first day at the compound.”

Azeneth burst out laughing at Ife’s shocked expression and Steve’s sly grin. She probably would’ve kept goin if not for Eliza cutting into their conversation.

“Excuse us, Mr. Rogers. I’ll have to speak with Ife for a moment. My name’s Eliza Maza, by the way.”

  Once they were out of Steve’s line of sight (Azeneth was keeping him busy), Eliza activated a noise canceller.

“So did anyone die in the attack on the Magic Council?” Ife asked as she made sure Steve wasn’t looking at them.

“No one was harmed, but several books are missing from the library.”

“Shit! Okay. Well, would Dr. Strange be available to assist Wanda with her training? Wong and Nazaret are at the Sanctum and he said that he knew of some spells that could help.”

“I’ll look into it. I should have an answer in a week”

“Okay.”

“Ife, please give me a call when you get back to the compound.”

Ife eyed Konrad Jager, Gregor Eisenberg, Sonje Decker, and Lukas Denhart making their way to Steve. She hoped they weren’t going to drop an info bomb on him today.

“I will.”

  The service was short and sweet as Marlene didn’t want everyone to be bored to tears on her behalf. The crowd got a laugh out that joke.

Afterwards, Marlene granddaughter, Zahara, requested if Steve could stay for a bit. She gave him a beautifully wrapped package.

“My grandmother wanted you to have this. She saw you fighting in the Battle of New York and knew you would know what to do with it.”

“It would be an honor, Miss.”

  Ife thought about her earlier conversation with Steve on the say back. She realized what’s happened to Steve was heartbreaking.

Here was a man who gave up everything for a country that only wants him as a cudgel for their heinous deeds. Someone who, if he hadn’t fallen into the ice, would’ve probably been ruined by the same country he swore to protect. They would’ve labeled him as a communist and destroyed his good name for not immediately getting on board with the next war.

To be honest, Ife didn’t think much of Steve before joining the team. She thought he was just the banner boy for colonizers to feel good; he was the reminder of that brief moment when the US was totally the bad guys (totally being the operative word).

But now?

She saw the toll the helmet and shield had on him. Ife doubted he knew that he was going to be alive for awhile judging how neither Konrad or the others aged a day since they received Serum 1.0 and Steve supposedly got one that was at least 3x as powerful.

She wanted to comfort him somehow, but she was lost on what to do.

When she got back to the compound, she gave Steve a hug and went straight to her quarters to call Eliza.

“Eliza. I can’t do this by myself, and if we’re going to pull this off, I’m going to need some serious backup because the Avengers need some serious help.”

  Fury was going through some mission reports when he heard a knock on his door.

“Come in.”

Oddly enough, Ife was the one to enter the room and not Maria Hill.

“Good Evening, Fury. I have someone who would like speak with you.”

“Well, give me a name and contact info and I’ll see what I can do.”

“Actually,” Ife reached in her pocket for a disc, “I can do you one better.”

Ife tossed the disc into the air and a moon-door portal formed from it. Out came Eliza, Azeneth, and Angela in her gargoyle form.

Eliza gave Ife a quick nod and turned to Fury, “Good Evening, Nicolas Fury. My name is Eliza Maza and we’re from the Bureau of Non-Human Affairs or BNA. I would advice that you lower your weapon. It won’t do you a lick of good,” Fury lowered his gun,” Good. Put Maria Rambeau on speaker, we need to talk.”

  -Somewhere in France-

 Maeve was enjoying her brunch while watching the footage of Eliza officially making contact with new SHIELD and SWORD.

“Well, it looks like it’s time to ‘get the band back together’ as the kids would say.” She chirped to the woman across the table.

“That expression pretty much died in the 90s. No ‘kid’ uses that phrase anymore.” Koronis deadpanned.

Maeve scoffed, “Anyone born after 1800 is a ‘child’ to me. This is what I get for trying not to sound like ‘an old hag’ as you put it.”

“Well, is everything on track?”

Koronis, or Carol, closed her eyes for few seconds, “I see nothing standing in our organization’s way. However, we should have the meeting sooner rather than later.”

“Duly noted. Anything else?”

“The new variable, Ifekerenma, will be more useful to our plans than I originally anticipated.”

“Oh, I do love surprises! I mean, I know how it will end, but I still like to be at least a little surprised. I knew it was a good idea to let Klaue be discovered by Ultron in Istanbul!”

Another woman walked up to the pair,”You wanted to see me, Mistress?”

“Yes. Svetlana, call the others. It’s time to put our plan into high gear. Hell’s Moon is upon us.”

  Steve was having a shitty birthday.

The press was pestering him about the presidential election. Several outlets have called him a sellout and a coward for not endorsing anyone.

He was figuring out the best way to take a shower and hit the hay in less than 30 minutes when he found a beautifully written note taped to his door.

It said to come to Ife room wearing his best dancing clothes.

Ten minutes later, Steve knocked on her door and it instantly opened to reveal a modest dancing hall not unlike the ones he went to with Bucky before the war.

He was so lost in thoughts admiring the place that he failed to notice Ife hovering a few feet from him.

“Happy Birthday, Steve! How do you like it?”

Steve turned to see Ife in a knee-length golden yellow African Wax Print Ankara dress with cold shoulders, ruffled sleeves, and a v-neckline. He didn’t miss the modest view of her cleavage or how her legs looked oh, so smooth in the dress.

Ife, for her part, was super nervous about this. Nat said that people went to dance halls all the time in the late 1930s and 1940s and it took her five days to get the architecture, the music, and the lighting just right.

She hoped that Steve wouldn’t be angry with her.

Steve looked incredibly handsome in his simple dress shirt and slacks. His powerful shoulders, thick biceps, trim waist, and beefy thighs were accentuated by the lighting which made him look like he was glowing.

Ife would’ve drooled if she knew that he didn’t like it when most women would throw themselves at him.

“It’s amazing. Thank you.”

“I’m sorry about the dress. I couldn-”

Steve raised a hand to stop her from going off on a tangent,”You look beautiful.”

Ife felt a flurry of warmth in her core at the compliment.

“So, what would like to do?”

Before Steve could answer, Duke Ellington’s Don’t Mean a Thing starting playing.

Steve stretched out his hand, “Would you like to dance?”

Ife took his had and they glided onto the dance floor.

“Where did you learn to dance?”

“Bucky’s mom made us learn when Bucky started getting attention from the girls at school. She thought it best that we knew how to treat them to a good time.”

“I see,” Ife giggled, “Then she was wise to make take the lessons. Though I’m more familiar with the jitterbug.”

Steve chuckled as they resumed swinging. He hummed a bit as they danced to Ella Fitzgerald, Caro Emerald, Jo Stafford, Billie Holiday, and Gene Krupa.

Ife was impressed with Steve’s dancing skills. What were those women thinking passing him up like that?!

After a couple more rounds of dancing, the music shifted to something more modern but not (it was Howl’s Moving Castle’s Main Theme) , the colors on the walls and ceiling brightened, and several chandeliers formed on the ceiling.

Steve gave Ife a slightly confused look and asked her if she would like to try a waltz this time.

The song lasted a little more than five minutes. Steve was somehow able to lead their movements in sync with the song.

Ife felt her body was aflame with gentle yet commanding touches Steve was giving her. He even lifted her a few times making her feel as though she was flying with how gently he held her.

They were absorbed in their own world they either failed to notice or ignored Nat and Wanda entering Ife room to see if they could have another spa day. Nat even got a few pictures of the two dancing.

Steve gave Ife one last life during the climax and pulled her in when the music came to a close. They were about to come in for a kiss when Ife pressed her lips together and back away.

“We should probably retire for evening. Goodnight, Steve.”

Steve’s shoulders slumped in defeat, but left Ife’s room with a simple goodnight with Nat and Wanda in tow.

Ife frowned. She knew Steve wasn’t in the best place for a relationship and her conscience wouldn’t let her take advantage of that.

[five-miles-over]

Joaquin Phoenix Characters as University Students

As always, this is just a fun listicle, not designed to offend anyone. Please feel free to leave comments and/or constructive criticism below. Thank you, and without any further ado, please enjoy what some of your favorite characters would be like as students at uni! 

The characters in this list are 

• Theodore Twombly (”Her”), Arthur Fleck (”Joker”), Merrill Hess (”Signs”), Doug Holt (”Inventing the Abbotts”), Max California (”8 mm”), Ray Elwood (”Buffalo Soldiers”), Doc Sportello (”Inherent Vice”), Abbé de Coulmier (”Quills”), and Emperor Commodus (”Gladiator)

Theodore Twombly from Her

Major: Architecture or English

Honestly, he seems like a guy straight from a rom-com

Probably stuck in an unhappy relationship with a girl he’s not willing to leave because he loves her

Has such a great way with words, especially on paper

Loves the idea of creating things in his own life

It’s probably what drew him to architecture

Definitely the go-to person for writing Valentine’s day cards or breakup notes

And many guys usually come to him when they have girl problems because he just seems to understand women better.

He actually runs a secret podcast about different forms of love and what they all really mean

Arthur Fleck from Joker

Major: Elementary Education

Honestly super nice and pure

He may not have the best grades in class, but he is a pleasure to teach and professors love his attentiveness

He genuinely wants to do well in his courses, and likes to participate in class

Unashamed about doing seemingly “childish” things, like dancing in the rain or blowing bubblegum

According to his peers, it might make him a great teacher someday.

The one time he tried to go to a party, he was disgusted after one cup of beer and ended up being the designated driver

Frequently bro-zoned by girls

It’s mainly because he’s the one taking care of drunk girls in his building who can’t open their own dorm rooms.

He gets them some water, cleans up their vomit, and makes sure to drape a blanket over them so guys will stop leering at them.

Merrill Hess from Signs

Major: Physical Therapy, along with a minor in Sports Management

You’ll almost always find him wearing something athletic, whether it’s a baseball jersey or a baseball cap

This one time, he showed up to class wearing stirrups. But in his defense, he had morning drills

That being said, he is not a morning person but ends up taking 8 AM classes anyway because his games and practice take up the afternoons and evenings.

He’s on first-name basis with the barista giving him coffee every morning

If he lives close by, he usually visits his family every weekend to spend time with his nephew and niece.

Doug Holt from Inventing the Abbotts

Major: Theater Design, along with a minor in Film Studies

Small town guy and never forgets where he’s from

Has a sweetheart back home, and is very faithful to her

Brings the best homemade treats every time he comes back to campus

the hall smells of meatloaf and apple pie when he returns to his dorm after winter holiday

Usually stays out of drama as much as possible

Not afraid of hard work

You’ll find him working late in the workshop or in the auditorium, painting and building sets or placing props across the stage

Max California from 8 mm

Major: Graphic Design

The biggest Party Animal

Starts every drinking game

Is there a new bar or pub in town? He’s the first one to try it

He’s wickedly talented with his tablet and stylus

Not exactly the cleanest mouth, but he’s still great conversation

Creates his own line of pornographic comics, which are actually really hot

He sells them and actually makes a pretty good profit

Ray Elwood from Buffalo Soldiers

Major: Business Management

His catch-phrase is “Whatever you want, I can get it for you.”

Free pdfs of textbooks? Torrent movies? Liquor for your underage party?He’s got it.

Need to fix your microwave or find a present for a special someone? He knows a hack or two.

Literally the embodiment of “rules are made to be broken”

Has a really nice car, and loves to drive it fast during the night

Some call him crazy because who brings one to a university campus but, haters will hate.

Somehow manages to get pretty good grades with the least amount of studying

On certain days, he is a complete class clown but other days, he’s quiet in class

Also, don’t tell anyone, but he’s secretly sleeping with the professor’s wife

Doc Sportello from Inherent Vice

Major: Botany or Environmental Studies

Typical stoner

When he enters a room, you’ll smell him before you see him

The scent of hash is pretty strong on his clothes

But when he’s not high, he’s surprisingly the most health-conscious person

His entire stash of food is organic and all-natural

Yes, even the junk food is organic

Claims to love meditating in his room

Most likely an environmental activist on the weekends

You can find him protesting deforestation or poaching

Probably in an “open relationship” with at least three different girls

Just super chill in general; you won’t find him worrying about exams

Abbe de Coulmier from Quills

Major: a Double Degree in Theology and Nursing

Also very nice, but he is vocal about his purity

Very helpful - he might let you borrow his notes if you ever missed class due to illness

Let alone share notes, he’d offer to tutor his classmates if they told him they had trouble

Does not ever get invited to parties

Never misses 8 A.M. mass on Sundays

Probably has a quote from the Bible in his bio

Loudly criticizes his colleagues for their ways - binge drinking, partying until late hours, making crude comments about girls

Somewhat of a hypocrite - he has an erotica hidden under his pillow that he’ll read under the covers. Heaven forbid his flatmates find it.

As a nursing student, he had a surprisingly easy time in the NICU

No one understands how or why babies feel so safe around him.

Commodus from Gladiator

Major: Dramatic Arts, with a minor in Classics

Ambitious, dedicated, and talented AF

he will spare no expense to immerse himself into a role that he likes

His flatmate has probably walked in on him performing a monologue in front of the mirror

Well, it might be a monologue…or a personal confession laced with Latin words

Also sings in the shower (don’t tell anyone I told you)

Total know-it-all when it comes to Ancient Roman literature

Don’t you dare mix up Caesars in front of him, he will know and loudly correct you (after serving a very judgmental look)

Already knows which Odyssey and Illiad characters he would like to play, as well as what his dream role(s) in theater would be

You will know when he’s preparing for an audition

Shunning dairy for an entire week beforehand

He’ll be rehearsing and rehearsing to the point where someone needs to remind him that he needs to sleep

Needs a shoulder to cry on more often

Especially after an emotional scene from whatever he’s working on

Comes from an affluent family, but prefers not to talk too much about his parents

Even though everyone knows about his lineage

Fun Anecdote: He dressed up as Hercules once for Halloween, but almost got in trouble with Campus Police because his costume was a bit too authentic. They weren’t sure if he’d actually brought a dead lion to campus.

[phthalology]

Just about every Saturday in the first few weeks of isolation I’d make coffee, watch the Monterey Bay Animal Crossing stream and then play Odyssey. As almost a year has gone by I feel weird nostalgia for the frozen way those mornings marked time; there wasn’t a lot of structure in my work days either, so it was both an odd stalling time for what I suspected might be a few months of a strange life, and one of the most pleasant and predictable times alone I had. I wouldn’t say it was exultantly fun or anything; arguably this whole year has been characterized by “good enough” fun (except for the pleasant exception of Destiny, which remains a part of my week I schedule in and really, unreservedly enjoy, whether or not I’m going out during the rest of the week). But I keep thinking about those mornings because there’s going to be an anniversary of those days soon enough, and of the Last Brunch. 

[theeternalblue]

This is probably an incomplete list of my varchie fics. Incomplete because I have many drabbles that won’t be found here but you have read on my tumblr.

Tell Them I’m Home [T - Romance/Family Fluff - AU - ON GOING] When younger, Archie always imagined himself having children, but it was married to a woman he’d love wholeheartedly. Yet, he doesn’t regret a single decision of those that brought his daughter into his life. She is the brightest light. Archie’s sure he was meant to be a dad, even if he must raise this child alone. He's given up on love. But has love given up on him? Because their new neighbor might change his mind about that thought.

a drop of life [M - Romance/Supernatural - Vampire AU - ON GOING] Archie is not living his best life in New York City. Life itself has been harder than he could've thought. His last chance is a job he never expected to have, in a place that shouldn't exist. The Lodges seem a mystery, and Veronica is the princess of a tale with no happy endings.

Too Cold To Hold [NR - Angst/Drama/Romance - Future Fic - IN HIATUS] Veronica is a succesful businesswoman in NYC, with a new bistro about to open and good friends who support her. Her life seems perfect, except for one detail: Archie Andrews. The boy who captivated her during her adolescence is now the man breaking her heart. How can a love so great make them so miserable?

Little Dove vs. Vulture [T - Romance - Future Fic - DISCONTINUED] Not everyone has Archie's father. Veronica is quite aware of it. When she finds out about Hiram latest trick, she runs back to the only allies she knows.

Wake me on Christmas Eve [T - Romance/Christmas - College AU] Moments set during Christmas time and how the holidays work their magic.

Fate Odyssey (A Smuggler’s Tale) [M - Sci-Fi/Fantasy - AU] Veronica Lodge lives a lonely life smuggling goods across the system to get-by. She cannot complain about her job, after all, it was her choice. That's why she's not at all happy when she's tricked into smuggling a prince across the system, just so he can escape his fate. This is the one risk she shouldn't take. This is the one thing that could reveal her secret.

learn to love [T - Romance - Future fic] They were already engaged, on their merry way to become husband and wife, but at the engagement party, Archie realizes maybe they aren’t doing it for the right reasons. And right after that, Veronica decides she needs to discover what’s behind the love they claim to have for each other. This is how you start dating after you’ve fallen in love, to discover who you’ve fallen in love with.

of sweet & lacy things [T - RomCom/Fluff - AU] When Betty and Jughead asked Veronica to take care of their daughter for a week, she never guessed the surprises it could bring to her life. That includes a handsome teacher, the world of a six-year-old, and surprises courtesy of her best friend. Will she be able to handle all that and the new holiday collection for her lingerie brand?

Plunging Breaker [NR - Romance/Summer Romance - AU] Kevin is planning to get married to Moose. Betty and Veronica aren't quite sure about his decision, but they will follow their friend anywhere. It's also great if that anywhere includes sunny beaches in Hawaii and unexpected fleeting romance. But maybe it's not so fleeting... and who knows if there will be marriage. For Veronica, it seems like at one point or another, everything will come crashing down.

Don’t Be Mean [T - Fluff/Romance - College AU] Veronica never thought meeting Betty's high school friend could change her life so much."Most of the time she steals glances at Archie. He’s everything she expected from a friend of Betty – sweet if a little clueless, which balances Jughead quite well."

parallel lines [T - Romance - Canon divergence - Collab with @tuesdayschildd​] The distance between two points might be shorter than expected.Two friends will figure that out while working on their geometry homework.

grateful for us [T - Fix-up fic ep 4x07] A new take of the Thanksgiving episode (4x07) focusing on Archie and Veronica. An idea by @andsmile​

magnetic (drawn to you) [T - Romance - Future fic] Becoming an adult most times means growing apart, but there are certain people who can only go back together, because it was always supposed to be that way.

Entre tus manos [T -  Romance - Español/Spanish] La vida de Archie ha estado llena de cambios que han traído mucho dolor. Lo menos que quiere después de perder a su padre, es pensar cómo el futuro puede también hacer que deba separarse de la chica que ama.

Ask Me [T - Romance/Humor - AU] When Archie Andrews finds the Instagram account of Veronica Lodge, he follows her, but he never could've guessed what was going to happen, and his friends cannot believe it either.

falling 101 [T - collection of ficlets set during college - AU]

safe [T - Fluff/Romance - Futre fic] Sometimes it takes to be in danger to remember the truly important things in life.

Escape [T - Romance/Humor - AU] After a long day, Veronica thinks she deserves to go for a drink, but meeting a stranger and crashing a party with him could become more fun than she hoped for.

playhouse [M - horror/suspense - Future Fic] Looking for their dream home, Archie and Veronica may have found something else entirely. And when their dreams are ripped at the seams, what are they supposed to hold onto?

sugar and everything nice [T - Fluff/Romance] Just an afternoon baking cookies for a first time. Pure fluff.

like that day [T - Angst] You can envy the lives of those you love. You can crave to have them near just to have a share of that life.

Don’t Be A Meanie [T - collection of drabbles in Don’t Be Mean universe] These are scenes from Archie and Veronica's life as parents.

Pack Our Bags [G - Fluff/Angst] Post 2x17. They have the means, why not just leave?

On My Own [T - Angst] Post 2x08. Spoilers ahead.There are a few concepts Veronica knows, but there's one that is elusive.

Fools Out Of Love [T - Angst/Romance - Future Fic] Veronica left for college under heartbreaking circumstances, but a motorcycle rider decides it's time for reunion. Regretfully, no one knows how to mend the broken.

Disguise It [T - Fluff/Angst] She tries to kiss him again and forget about this stupid feeling of inadequacy.

Morning [T - Fluff/Angst] “I’ve got you” A soft morning between Archie and Veronica, following the beginning of season two.

Lost Boy [T - Angst/Romance] This follows the season one finale

Constant Crush [T - Angst/Friendship] It's just a crush. And crushes are easy to get over, aren't they?