#reuben foster

[the-football-chick]

IG: brgridiron

[rosetyler42]

Here's a mixed bag of some crossovers I found while looking through my Sorting folder that I don't think I ever posted here!

1. Bendy meets Bendy! I did this gag after watching Everyone Knows It's Bendy and thinking it'd be funny if Fosters Bendy tried to frame Bendy for a crime yeah didn't commit (considering what else Bendy's been through.) Possible WIR-Verse or an AU where Bendy and friends ended up at Fosters after the studio's closure. As @lovelylivelyv said, Bendy's definitely gonna give the guy the scare of his life for this.

(Side note: While Foster's Bendy is a terrible lil shit as a character, Animation-wise I LOVE how he can go from very malicious to over-the-top innocence.)

2. Reuben and Jackie Khones! Two somewhat lazy, wise-cracking, sandwich-loving cartoon characters I could definitely see getting along. (Outside of their treatment of Wilt. Unlike Jackie, Reuben would see no reason to pick on a nice guy like Wilt, that's like kicking puppies.)

3. XD A hilarious WIR-Verse bit inspired by The Big Cheese. Somehow, Cheese wandered into Bendy and the Ink Machine without getting killed and most likely only got spooked by Sammy singing about Sheep. Don't ask how he made it in there, but Alice will definitely return him back to Fosters unharmed.

(Though...maybe tied up gagged to stop the annoying constant screams and running off. XD Alice might be a mom, nicer and far less murderous than Susan, but...she's a toon with some skewed thinking and would still find Cheese annoying. Even of she doesn't want to KILL him.)

4. Another in the "Don't ask how this happened" column: Bugs offering to help fellow hounded underdog Boris the Wolf deal with his "Angel Dame" problem.

5. This one came from the similarities and contrasts between Coraline and Destination: Imagination. Considering Coraline's experience was with a child-eating demon and The World was just a child looking for a friend (and the Beldam luring her in and spying on her with a doll) I thought it'd be interesting to have these two meet.

6. Some Coraline v Vanellope argument about Vanny leaving Sugar Rush for Slaughter Race. Both girls are in some ways important to their games and very adventurous, clever, and rebellious. But Coraline's learned what running off to live in a fantasy world and leaving family and responsibility behind can mean, what disasters that can bring, and doesn't want Vanny to make the same mistake. Whereas Vanny sees herself as just another racer, bullied her whole life and thought if as just a mistake, who doesn't really fit in there and feels meant for other things.

9. XD Here's an amusing AU: What if Coraline met Pinky and the Brain in the Other World somehow, thinking they were Other World mice since they could talk like she first mistakes the cat? Brain and Pinky most likely were on some take over the world scheme but I could see them trying to help this girl not get eaten by an obvious predator. Bonus, added by a question from @lovelylivelyv : Coraline actually wouldn't be thrown much by Brain's obvious spelling out of his identity and intentions. It's not the weirdest thing she's heard that day, and she might assume he either means THIS world or Her real world, whichever one she doesn't like more when he says it. Which...might bother him a bit, even as much as he appreciates the child's intellect.

7+8 I love the idea of Ki from "Mars Needs Moms" and @lovelylivelyv and I's version of Alice meeting. Two old-timey style characters somewhat unfamiliar with contemporary human culture but with a fascination with color and plants though growing up in a barren mono-color world. 7 shows Ki modified her color tags for the Cycle as a gift for Alice, while Alice shows an excited Ki a flower she grew herself.

10. Some messing around with Pinky and the Brain and my Drakgo shipchild OC, Lily Lipsky! Inspired by Two Mice and a Baby and the History song. I know Brain's not really good with kids normally, but with Lily being a evil genius child prodigy with intentions for World Domination who actually seems to LIKE him and UNDERSTAND his lessons...I feel they'd get along pretty well. Bonus: Pinky as usual, not paying attention and staring at a picture of Pharphignewton as a shout out to @lovelylivelyv 's ship.

@chytag @candyheartedchy (Ok, I know you're not into Reuben anymore and Jackie's an enemy, but I did draw Reuben and Bugs here.) @black-ak9 @hotelt-resurrection @serial-serializednovelreader @heartsong1994 @sammy-lawrence-my-beloved @gothicthundra @midnightcaptions @sweet-or-sarcastic @flowery-laser-blasts @inkiedraws @inkhyaena @inkspottie @inkwelldevil @thedopedemon @thedobermutt @thedemonsurfer @themangolover724 @blo0st4r

[bearsinpotatosacks]

A Feather on the Wind - Reuben Fitch

Previous Chapter

Reuben refuses to make this place home, but can he get convinced otherwise?

Words: 3492

He'd been waiting for this day for over a week. It was all he'd been waiting for throughout the sleepless nights and smiling faces. The photo he had of his mum was wrinkled from how often he'd held it. He was just glad he didn't have to adjust to a new school, his brain had been so full with adjusting that he wouldn't have made a good start, not that they were making too many concessions for that at his school now.

The clunk of the ticking clock filled the silence. He shuffled his feet on the carpet, fingers were going numb from how he was sitting on them.

The air in this hospice was stuffy. Everything was beige, the walls, the furniture, even the atmosphere was. It was nothing like his home. There were no flowers for a start, his mum was always growing flowers and keeping them in vases around the house.

There was no laughter in these halls. He'd missed his mum's laugh so much. She was everything to him. And now he could only see her when it was arranged prior.

"Reuben Fitch?" The receptionist called.

He sat up and made eye contact. His heart began to quicken its pace. A clammy feeling took over his hands.

"Your mum's ready now, she may be a bit tired but she's been so excited about your visit."

Time stopped for a second. He remembered what it was like before he got taken away. She'd stayed in bed most days but on the days she didn't, her body was frail. He tried his best to help even though she wouldn't let him. It broke his heart to see her so ill.

"Her room's at the end of the corridor," she said and pointed.

Carole stood up and extended a hand. He didn't take it yet couldn’t help but admit that her smile eased the anxiety in his stomach.

The bland scent followed them as they walked past identical beige walls and mediocre artwork. An overcast sky did nothing to make this place feel more alive. Why did he feel like his mum was only going to get worse in such an energy sapping place?

As they reached her door, he stopped, not able to bring himself to open the door. He didn't know what he'd see when he went in. What if she was worse? He pictured an almost lifeless version of his mum, stuck in a chair and destined to never get out of this place. 

"What are you waiting for?" Carole asked.

Her tone wasn't offensive. It was the same sweet one she always had.

"I can't do it."

"Can't do what?" 

"See her."

She hummed and pulled him away from the door. Kneeling down, she looked him straight in the eye and gently rubbed his arm.

"Yes you can," she said. "I know it seems scary now but this is all you've been talking about all week, I know you can do this."

He pushed her hand off, rubbing where she'd touched as he averted her confident gaze. 

"You don't get it, what if she's not like my mum anymore!"

Something else, a shadow of sadness flickered in her blue eyes. He hadn't seen that before.

"I do get it, trust me." She took a deep breath. "My dad had cancer a few years back, he died of it but when it came to the end, I felt just as scared as you are now. I didn't want to see him so ill. That wasn't the dad I remembered."

"But I still went in because I knew he needed me, and because I knew I'd regret it if I didn't," she said. "And I know you can do this, okay?"

He took a deep shaky breath and nodded. His eyes fell back on the door. He could do this, it was his mum, of course he could do this. 

Opening the door with a creak, he saw her sitting near the window. Thin blinds let light through. He could see the garden through the translucent material.

She turned to see him and a smile grew on her fatigued face. There were more lines than before, and no life in her face as she took him in. She was thinner. Her pyjamas hung off her body and a fuzzy blanket wrought tightly around her lithe frame.

"Baby!" Her voice was thin too, breathy. 

She looked at Carole in the doorway for a moment, she must've waved because his mum waved back. The door clicked shut behind him. That heavy feeling in his gut came back. His body was on the verge of shaking like a leaf. 

"Come here, you-" she gestured for him to come closer, he did without thinking despite the anxiety. "Have you grown? And your hair looks so good, and your skin?"

She stroked his cheeks, squishing them as laughter filled the room. But laughter wasn't enough. The walls were still beige. And the garden sat plain and unimaginative outside.

"Are they feeding you? Cleaning your clothes? Not hurting you are they?"

"No, Mum, they're really nice," he nuzzled into her hand. "But I miss your curries, Carole's food is nice but it's not yours."

"But they're good to you, yeah?"

"Yeah, there's this other kid there, not their son, called Mickey who I'm sharing a room with, he's really nice."

Her shoulders relaxed, "I'm glad you made a friend, and their son, he's alright?"

"Yeah, we're about the same age, he's more focused though, not mean, just focuses on himself," he said. "His parents have been foster parents since he was four so I think he's used to new kids by now."

She smiled and lay a kiss on his forehead. He pulled up a chair and sat down as he listened to her talk about life here. Despite her forced optimism, he could see how much this place was wearing her down. The usual wonder in her stories was missing.

“The nurses are looking after me though, Steven is especially nice, he makes sure Fresh Prince is on every Monday and helps me in the garden,” she said

There was a wheeze in her voice as she spoke. He could tell in the way her body tensed around him that she was holding back. But eventually she couldn't hold back anymore and broke into a fit of coughing.

He jumped off her lap as he remembered the last few months of his life. He'd lay awake, listening to her cough over and over again deep into the night. Involuntarily, his hands began to shake. There was nothing more he wanted to do than to help her but he couldn’t move.

"Water, Reuben, baby, pass me the water," she croaked through coughs. 

He stared for a few moments more. A pitcher of water glimmered in the overcast sun. With his hands still shaking, he poured a few splashes of water into a nearby glass and handed it to his mum.

After a few moments, she calmed down but the energy she'd previously had was gone. Instead, it was replaced with that fatigue that he knew well. 

"Tell me how school's been going?" She wheezed.

They weren't going to talk about it? Why were they pushing that off so easily? 

"Good," he said with hesitation. "I've been trying hard in my classes but, with the change, it's been difficult to concentrate."

"That's understandable, baby, and it won't be for too long, right? By the end of the year your dad will be home and this will all go back to normal."

Dad. He missed him like an ache deep within himself. The only reason he was in care was because of the Marines not letting his dad back to look after him. He was in the middle of another tour and the military didn't give parental leave.

"Let's hope so."

They fell into silence. His mum's body slumped as they waited for each of them to say something. Usually, conversation flowed naturally between them but now he could see how little energy she had. 

"Maybe I should go, mum," he said.

"Already? You just got here!"

"I just think you should rest, I want you to get better."

Reluctantly, she nodded with a shallow sigh. He shuffled forward to give her a hug. His fingers tightened on her baggy clothes. Her usual homely scent was gone, replaced with a stuffy, clinical smell that lingered all around. 

"Look after yourself, you," she said.

"You too, mum,"

Tears pricked in his eyes as she kissed him on the forehead. He held onto the feeling of her hand against his cheek as he pulled away. He tried not to see how much she withered as he turned his back to leave. 

~~~

Reuben ws silent on the drive home. He simply stared out the window. From what she could tell, the visit had been alright, she knew better than to go in and intrude if he didn't want her there. But the visit had been short. After his blip of insecurity, he’d gone back to being the excited kid he had been for the past week he'd been with them.

"How was your visit, then?" She tried.

"Good."

"Is your mum looking better?" 

No reply. Maybe that was a no. She wanted to carry on, yet knew that needling him with questions probably wasn't what he wanted.

"I was thinking, maybe next time we could bring her something, like some flowers to light up her room?" She glanced over to him, he'd moved his head to look at her. "Maybe have a think about some stuff she might like, a picture of you might be nice or if you know her favourite flowers then we could get some of them? Just have a think."

"Okay," he mumbled.

They pulled into the drive. Reuben got up like a shot and stormed into the house. He didn't slam any doors or stomp but couldn't look anyone in the eye.

"Hey Reub, how was your v-" Goose started.

He watched him storm up the stairs with a slightly gaping mouth. Bradley came in from the living room, the television playing quietly in the background. 

"What was that about?" He asked.

"No idea," she said. "I mean, he was anxious about seeing his mum but he said it went well, although he didn't tell me very much."

She looked up the stairs again, considering whether she should follow him up there but decided against it. Today had been a tough day, maybe he just needed some time to himself. To process.

~~~

Once he'd got into his room, his and Mickey's room anyway, all he'd wanted was to be alone. His mum had been so frail. Her dreads hung off her head, bags under her eyes made her seem years older than she actually was. The red undertones of her skin had turned ashy and sickly. Fatigue was laced in her eyes.

That wasn't his mum. His mum was the life of the room. She spent hours in the garden, tending to her flowers and humming under her breath.

Where had she gone? Had this cancer taken her away from him so much? Would he ever get her back?

"How was your mum?" Mickey asked. 

He was playing alone in the corner with some action figures from a show he didn't know. To him, this place was home. Goose and Carole were caring and considerate.

For Reuben, though, he didn't want this place to be home. It never could be.

"She's sick, what do you expect?"

"I bet it was nice to see her, though,"

"I guess."

He sat down next to him. A stinging feeling poked his eyes, one he couldn’t stop anymore. He wanted all of this to stop. Why did it have to happen to him? Why did his mum have to be sick? Why did his dad have to be halfway across the world with the Marines? Why couldn’t he just have a normal family?

"If I tell you something will you promise not to tell?"

~~~

Mickey stared at Reuben confused. What was he going to tell him that was so serious?

"Yes."

His mind began to race with possibilities. Maybe he was going to run away. Maybe his mum had actually died and he hadn't told anyone. Maybe he was going to leave because his dad was back from the Marines. 

"Seeing my mum made things worse," Reuben said. 

"Worse? How? She is nice, right?"

"Yeah," Reuben nodded, his eyebrows furrowed in what could be confused, Mickey always struggled to understand. "It's just that it reminded of how little I wanted to be here in the first place."

"But why don't you want to be here? Here's good."

Mickey thought back to his parents. It had taken a bit of adjustment. He still felt uncomfortable around group meals. The shock when Carole cleaned and bandaged his scabs from when he played outside, or when Nick helped him with his school work, remained as full as it had the day before.

"It's not home, though. Home is with my parents, when my mum's not sick and my dad's not away. This place can never be home."

From what Mickey had heard from Reuben, his parents were lovely. They had barbecues and made cakes, they, whenever his dad wasn't out with the marines, went to his parents' evenings and zoos and museums. He came from a strong and loving home whereas Mickey didn't. The only thing he knew of caring homes like that was this place, with the Bradshaws, so the idea that Reuben wasn't happy in a place like this confused him. 

A strange feeling pooled in his gut. He hadn't felt it for a while, not since he was taken away from his parents. To him, there was only one thing different between the Fitches and the Bradshaws. Him.

"My dad's going to be back soon, anyway, and I'll be back home again where things make sense."

His words were far away, as though he was underwater. The feeling in his gut spread up and into his throat. Tears pricked in his eyes. He liked Reuben, he was the closest thing to a friend he'd ever had and now he realised he didn't like him at all. 

It didn't matter what Carole or Nick said, he was the bad thing that made his parents not love him. How could he not be when Reuben hated it here too? They shared a room after all.

He couldn’t sit here anymore. His pulse throbbed in his head as he stood up and darted out of the room.

~~~

Reuben watched as Mickey ran out. Was it something he said? Maybe it was something about his parents, he knew they weren't the best.

He followed him out and down the stairs. In the distance, he heard rapid scrambled words. He barely caught himself as stumbled across the wooden floor and into the kitchen. 

"Okay, slow down, Mickey, and explain it to me again," Carole said.

Mickey was in a flood of tears. Red rimmed eyes overflowing. A sleek sheen from his crying made his cheeks shiny.

"Reuben was saying how he doesn't want to be here but his home and here are both nice but he doesn't like it here so it must be me and he doesn't like me but I want him to like me and-" the words burst out of him all in one breath.

Carole knelt down and patted his shoulder, "Okay, okay-"

Reuben couldn't stand and just watch. The words left his mouth before he had time to think. 

"Dude! You weren't meant to tell her! I told you that was a secret for a reason!" 

This didn't help Mickey's state. He took one look at Reuben and burst into a bigger flood of tears.

Upon hearing the commotion, Nick walked in from the garden. He stood on the threshold for a second, hands on his hips, surveying the situation, before jumping in to help.

"Right, let's all calm down-"

"I don't need to calm down, I want Mickey to apologise for breaking my promise!"

"See!" Mickey sobbed. "He does hate me!"

Carole pulled him into her and wrapped him in her arms. Mickey's hands gripped the back kf her cardigan in a vice-like grip as his sobs were muffled by her skirt.

"Reuben, come outside with me." Nick said with a slight assertive note to it.

He must be mad. Why was he mad at him though? Mickey was the one breaking promises like they didn't mean anything. This was exactly why he didn't like this place, all the rules were different, and there were definite favourites.

As Carole led Mickey into the living room, Reuben followed Goose outside to the back porch. Flowers bordered the garden below. The smell of freshly cut grass floated on the breeze, the lawnmower sat abandoned on the lawn.

"Come on, sit down," Nick patted the steps next to him.

Reuben stared for a moment then sat. Nick didn't say anything at first, his eyes were set straight ahead. In the silence, Reuben focused on the world around him. Birds sang in the distance. Laughter and the burning smell of barbecues solidified early summer.

Reuben couldn't stand the silence, "Are you going to shout at me?"

"No." 

"Then why did you take me out here?"

Nick paused. He turned his head to him. There was a storm in his eyes, something about them reminded him of his dad.

"Your dad's in the military, right?"

"Yeah," he said. "The Marines, why?"

"I used to be in the Navy."

Reuben sat up straighter, "Really?"

"Yeah, I was a Radar Intercept Officer, the backseater in a jet."

"Why did you quit?"

He couldn’t help but ask. There wasn't any memorabilia anywhere. It would explain why people called him Goose, and why his friends only came around every few months.

Nick looked down at his hands. He rubbed the tired skin of his hands as a bitter smile crept onto his face. An aeroplane flew overhead, he watched the trails as they dissipated into the clouds.

"I didn't quit," he said, a wistful tone to his voice. "I went to this elite training school called Top Gun, during one of the exercises something went wrong and we, me and my pilot, Pete, lost control of the jet. When I went to eject, I hit the canopy"

He looked at Reuben, as if questioning whether he should continue, "I broke my neck, cracked my skull, had to learn to walk again. And even though I got back in shape for the Navy, I still couldn't rejoin because my eyesight got worse and I ache too much some days."

Reuben did a double take. He couldn’t tell this had happened to him. There were no visible scars, he didn't seem in pain throughout the time he'd been here. The only visible difference he could see was that he wore thick rimmed glasses when doing anything technical.

"Is that why you became a foster parent?" He asked.

"It was the only thing I knew to do."

He paused for a second then spoke again, "I bet you're wondering what this has to do with anything."

He nodded.

"The whole point of me telling you that, and I didn't mean to scare you or make you think your dad's going to get hurt like that, is to tell you that I know with complete certainty that your dad wants nothing more than to be with you."

He turned to him and placed his hands on his shoulders, "If there was a way he could do his job and be with you and your mum, he would, I know I would've."

Tears sparked in his eyes. His dad had given him a picture of himself to remember him by, Reuben had creased it with how much he'd stroked it during the last few hard months.

"So, if you ever want to talk to someone about him, I'm right here," he smiled. "And Carole knows all about sick parents, so she's got a good ear for that."

"I know you want to go home, I get that, but while you can't, we want to help you feel as comfortable as possible here and help you with all this stuff you've been dealing with, okay?"

He nodded with a sniff. Tears began to roll down his face as all the anguish ran out of him. 

"Do you want a hug?" Nick asked.

Reuben nodded again. If he spoke, he'd begin to sob uncontrollably and he was alright with the state he was in now.

Nick's arms wrapped around him in the perfect way. It wasn't quite like the hugs from his mum that she gave out readily, or the ones from his dad when he came home, but the warmth was still there.

I don't really have much to say about this. I think it's a well put together chapter, and I'm also starting to put more of the characters in other chapters. Mickey is in the Bradshaws long-term care, Reuben's in their short-term care. Thanks for reading!

[floydsglasses]

𝗜'𝗺 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗮𝗱 𝗗𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗻𝘀

This is gonna be bad im just warning you im freaking tired and stressed, they are gonna be Sad and Happy and UNHINGED.

Bradley has a little Rooster figurine in the front of his jeep, he got as a gag joke and was gonna leave it at whatever house he got it at but now has emotional attachment to it.

Jake's go to song in Karaoke when he is sober is Queen, he will belt out We Will Rock you, but when he is drunk enough he will sing Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 with every bit of southern twang he can

When Bob is really angry he will drop his midwest accent and go full on southern, like deep south

Natasha lost a bet in high school and had to get a bad tattoo, said tattoo was something like a duck with a cowboy hat, or stupid quote, you decide

Mickey unironically sings the lyrics to Taylor Swift's Love Story, like he will sing the bridge at the top of his lungs going sixty on the highway.

Rueben is the kind of guy to say he won't rage quit a video game then will toss the controller after failing two time's.

Javy would be the kind of guy who would let a kid paint his nail's, pink purple yellow, he does not care he will flaunt it off it because it makes the kid happy.

Bradley would somehow get a cat or dog, like one of those distribution system's like on tiktok, he would say he would foster it but end up keeping it naming it something human like, Kevin or Betty

Natasha say's she dosent like country music, but wont admit she would get down to some Luke Bryan here and there because who wouldn't

Bob seems like if he was put into a situation where him and his friend's got lost, he would be the calm one but on the inside he is panicking, he will see an exit sign with a restaurant and be like. "Guy's its okay there's burgers."

Javy will pull over when he sees cows and take there picture's. No joke would even try and pet one.

Rueben and Mickey are the worst people when it comes to trivia because they are so good at it, when they get an answer right they increasingly get more competitive.

Jake cried playing RDR2 when Arthur died and he also despised Micah like the rest of us.

Rueben is great at bowling, so good that most of the time no one play's with him

Bob will doodle little drawings on sticky note or notebook's when he is bored and give them to any of the dagger's, He drew Natasha a sketch of bird, she kept it in her locker.

Bradley has a mixtape from his dad, Goose, titled "Song's You Need to Hear Once", it's all filled with songs from the Sixties to the Eighties, all classic's from Rock to Motown, after his mom died he didnt dare to touch it, after the uranium mission he starting listening again.

Natasha has bracelets from her little cousin's that she wear's for good luck, they are bright yellow and purple string's, she never take's them off ever

Jake collects stickers from each state, his dad used to bring him a sticker from each of his trips before he got too busy, so he is trying to finish them off himself.

Mickey has a tattoo to honor his family, a way to have a piece of them everywhere he goes. A small quote in Spanish on his side stating Por aquellos que amo me sacrificaré/For those I love I will sacrifice

Reuben like to sleep in a hammock sometime's under the stars, reminding him of his childhood and growing up in the south, when he would play outside with his siblings

Javy is a momma's boy, in a good way, this man will always call his mom or text her about the thing's going on his life, before a big mission or detachment he calls her, tell her he loves her.

Jake has stepped on a jellyfish on a beach, after saying "oh they dont sting'" just for him to get shocked

Bradley broke his arm doing stunts on his bike as a kid, he has permanent scars on his forearm, he did in fact do it twice till Carole told him to not do it again.

Natasha and Bob learned the Rasputin Dance from Just Dance

Mickey has argued with people that pineapple belongs on pizza, he will full on go tooth and nail to defend his claims.

Reuben has knocked the Radio off in the Rec room, and has blamed it on Hangman, it was a whole debacle

Javy has a fear of snake's, he found one once and he took of running leaving his friend's to deal with it.

OKAY THAT IS ALL SHE WROTE, I know some of these dont make sense but I dont care i needed a stress reliver before another stressful week. AND THATS ALL SHE WILL WRITE BECAUSE THIS FAILED AGAIN

[foofynono]

I made these as a gifts to Grey Delisle, Rob Paulsen, and Tom Kenny when I met them at UwU Con, however I didn't get a chance to give it to neither one of them, so I'm posting my sadness here! Maybe next time...

Grey Delisle Characters featured:

Mandy: The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy

2001 – 2007

Emily Elizabeth: Clifford the Big Red Dog

2000 – 2003

Frankie Foster: Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends 2004 – 2009

Daphne Blake: What's New, Scooby-Doo?

2002 – 2006

Wubbzy: Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!

2006 – 2010

Vicky and Tootie: The Fairly OddParents

2001 – 2017

Ice Queen: Adventure Time

2010 – 2018

Azula: Avatar: The Last Airbender

2005 – 2008

Sam Manson: Danny Phantom

2004 – 2007

Yumi: Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi

2004 – 2006

Rob Paulsen

Characters featured:

PJ: A Goofy Movie

1995

Raphael: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

1987

Yakko Warner: Animaniacs

1993 – 1998

Reuben (Experiment 625): Stitch! The Movie

August 26, 2003

Carl Weezer: Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius

2001

 Stanley Ipkiss: The Mask: Animated Series

1995 – 1997

Mark Chang: The Fairly OddParents

2001 – 2017

Augustus Gummi

Adventures of the Gummi Bears

1985

Bommer: The Powerpuff Girls

1998 – 2014

Donetello:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

2012 – 2017

Tom Kenny Characters featured:

Cupid: The Fairly OddParents

2001 – 2017

Plastic Man: Batman: The Brave and the Bold

2008 – 2011

Catdog (Dog): CatDog

1998 – 2005

Hefer: Rocko's Modern Life

1993 – 1996

Spongbob: SpongeBob SquarePants

Since 1999

The Mayor, Snake and Lil' Arturo: The Powerpuff Girls

1998 – 2014

Ice King (Simon Petrikov): Adventure Time

2010 – 2018

Eduardo: Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends

2004 – 2009

Cross posted on:

*traced stock footage used*

[lumilasi]

Here's another case of me drawing my bestie @mad-hatter-rici's character for her, as she currently doesn't have much time for drawing, but she had a very clear idea for this lovely gal. She's the baker for Alois' cafe, and my character Reuben's girlfriend.

More info (Provided by my friend) below:

Her full name is Bianca Solina, she is 26,and her nickname is Bia

Her parents have jobs both in Ether and on Earth.

The fire cat spirits are an ancient companion to her family, having remained beside them for generations. Her cat is one of the stronger ones in the family, and it can grow to the size of a lion.

Her bond with her spirit sometimes makes Bianca act like a cat & gives her catlike features like ears and a tail.

My friend's character - and the wife of one of the members of Avara family, Yoruga's foster family/Guardians and therefore Yoruga's honorary aunt - Lyna is her godmother. Bia also has a cousin called Reilynn (Neither Lyna nor Reilynn have an up-to-date design yet, we'll get to it eventually I hope)

before coming to Ether, she was traveling around Europe to learn from different bakeries across the continent

Her current main culinary interests are Japanese sweets and baked goods, and of course Ether's unique ingredients

Bianca is kind of clueless of the drama often happening around the cafeteria due to the dysfunctional mess that is her boss' family, let alone the family of Alois' love interest, which includes a wanted criminal grandpa....

[wings-of-flying]

now i'm curious. if price lived with rose's fiancée (presumably price's mother) then how did he end up on the streets at a similar time to chip? was it by choice? was he kicked out? is rose's fiancée dead?

this post has gone off the rails now because i've realised actually it was very hinted at that price was shadowbeard's son who went overboard, do you reckon he was found by rose and him and his fiancée just sorted looked after him, like foster parents? so that'd be two families he's been abandoned by in some form. though i suppose if rose had found someone he thought was shadowbeard's son he would've probably said something, unless they were beefing or something. cogs are spinning, brain is whirring, i need to decipher reuben price

[obitv]

followup to this ficlet

your name is chip, you're 14 years old, and, currently, you're running for your life.

for only the SECOND time this week, you might add, which is pretty fuckin impressive for you. it wasn't as bad when you were younger, back when everyone believed your story and sympathised with you (which was weird as FUCK, having normal adults like you), but somewhere around the twentieth ship you tried to stowaway on and the fourth time you got caught stealin from the market they started to lose their patience.

they went easy on you, cause you were a little kid with a sob story and no family, but once you stopped bein half everyone's height and your unwillingness to settle down in an orphanage or foster home stopped being endearing and started being annoying they stopped botherin.

which is to say, they let the town guards after you as often as they wanted to. and they STILL make all the sailors search their boats for you before they leave, so for right now you're just fucking stuck here.

but. that aside, you're running. you're running as fast as your awkward little legs will carry you, ehich now that you've had years to practise is pretty damned quick. AND you're still smaller than most of the stupid town guards, so you know all the best places to lose them. wasn't even for anything PROPER this time, either! just some fuckin merchant didn't like the look of you walkin around and decided to tattle. loser. and sure, ok, the guard's been lookin for you ever since you raided that woman's yard but that was her TRASH, not like she fuckin needed it!

you manage to lose them eventually, and let yourself have a minute to catch your breath and relax before you have to bolt agsin to find somewhere to sleep. and of course it's as your lying there, flat on your back on some random rooftop baking in the afternoon sun, that shit goes wrong

"oy, kid. th'fuck are you doin' on my turf?"

because, oh yeah. there's gangs now. what fucking else!

you look up at him lazily, like you don't care, even though mentally you're cataloguing every weapon you have on you and the fastest ways to draw each of them. "ain't nobody's turf. s'just a roof. and i ain't doin' nothing but lying down. i'll fuck off when the guards've given up on me."

he's taller than you (not hard), and older (also not hard). he's got dark hsir to his shoulders and what looks like a tattoo poking up from his collar. so, yeah. gang. you probably shouldn't talk back, but all he can do to you is get you kicked off the island, which is what you WANT, or get you killed, which you don't really give a shit about anymore.

the boy stares you down. you honestly aren't sure ehat he plans to do, but you're hoping it's fuck off and leave or push you off the roof and damn the consequences, so you REALLY aren't expecting to hear "huh. what's your name, kid?"

you eye him back. you've never seen him around, but considering most of your time on this island's been spent hiding in alleys and basements it's not that weird even if he IS around your age. he doesn't seem pissed off? more amused, a little smirk playing on his face. so you play along.

"chip."

"just chip?" yep. definitely amused.

"jus' chip. why, you recruitin'?" idiot idiot idiot-

"yeah. yeah, i am recruitin'. the name's reuben, chip."

so, you join a gang.

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 8.27

Beer Birthdays

Fred Bowman (1944)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Barbara Bach; actor (1947)

C.S. Forester; English writer (1899)

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel; German philosopher (1770)

Tarzan of the Apes; fictional character (1912)

Jeanette Winterson; English writer (1959)

Famous Birthdays

Patrick J. Adams; Canadian actor (1981)

Andreas Alföldi; Hungarian archaeologist and historian (1895)

Fernest Arceneaux; singer and accordion player (1940)

G.W. Bailey; actor (1944)

Gordon Bashford; English engineer, Range Rover co-creator (1916)

Tim Bogert; singer and bass player (1944)

Carl Bosch; German chemist (1874)

"Downtown" Julie Brown; V.J. (1959)

Sarah Chalke; actor (1976)

Alice Coltrane; pianist and composer (1937)

Jeff Cook; singer-songwriter and guitarist (1949)

Audrey C. Delsanti; French astronomer and biologist (1976)

Daryl "The Captain" Dragon; pop singer, songwriter (1942)

Theodore Dreiser; writer (1871)

Charles Fleischer; comedian and actor (1950)

Tom Ford; fashion designer (1961)

Chuck Girard; singer-songwriter and pianist (1943)

Samuel Goldwyn; film producer (1882)

Jeff Grubb; game designer and author (1957)

Johann Georg Hamann; German philosopher (1730)

Lyndon Baines Johnson; 36th U.S. President (1908)

Tony Kanal; British-American bass player and songwriter (1970)

Tom Lanoye; Belgian author, poet, and playwright (1958)

Ira Levin; writer (1929)

Alex Lifeson; Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist (1953)

Norah Lofts; English author (1904)

Glen Matlock; English singer-songwriter and bass player (1956)

Katharine McCormick; biologist (1875)

John Mehler; drummer (1948)

Kenji Miyazawa; Japanese author and poet (1896)

Ann Murray; Irish soprano (1949)

Giuseppe Peano; Italian mathematician and philosopher (1858)

Kim Petras; German singer-songwriter (1992)

Jimmy Pop; singer-songwriter and guitarist (1972)

Norman Foster Ramsey Jr.; physicist (1915)

Man Ray; photographer, artist (1890)

Martha Ray; actor (1916)

Harry Reems; porn actor (1947)

Paul "Pee-Wee Herman" Reubens; actor, comedian (1952)

Robert Richardson; cinematographer (1955)

Tommy Sands; pop singer (1937)

Diana Scarwid; actress (1955)

Sonny Sharrock; guitarist (1940)

Reece Shearsmith; English actor, comedian and writer (1969)

Léon Theremin, Russian physicist, engineer, Theremin inventor (1896)

Kay Walsh; English actress and dancer (1911)

Tuesday Weld; actor (1943)

Chandra Wilson; actress (1969)

Lester Young; saxophonist and clarinet player (1909)

[theformerbastard]

• The other night I was bored and found an old pic of me on a friend's ig. I used to be kinda cute. Now, I don't know what the fuck's goin' on. Hard livin', I reckon.

• If there's anyone more attractive than Minnie Driver in Good Will Hunting, I'd like to meet em.

• I was feelin' kinda punchy a couplea days ago and traffic was gettin' to me so, to entertain myself, I turned off the radio and just started readin' shoppin' center signs in a loud voice that was somewhere between Billy Crystal and Andrew Dice Clay. "Great Clips? More like MEDIOCRE clips! Tanger Outlets? More like...MEDIOCRE OUTLETS! Oh!"

• I'm ready to get outta Texas. She might be sendin' me to Minnesota next. I don't wanna count my horses but that would be nice.

• I've reeeeeeally cut back on my drinkin' in the last two weeks but today called for my old pal Foster's.

• It goes without sayin' that some celebrity deaths are harder than others. Losin' Paul Reubens fuckin' sucks. Wish I coulda met him.

[classiqals]

{jonah hauer-king, 28, cisman, he/him} We are so glad to see you safe, PRINCE REUBEN HATZFELD of GERMANY! It’s dangerous out in the world these days, but I hear that you are CONFIDENT and ELOQUENT enough to handle it. Just don’t let your SELF-CENTERED NATURE bring you down! Stay on your guard, because with your secret being at risk for exposure, you wouldn’t want everyone to find out THAT YOU HAVE BEEN SCAMMING && STEALING FROM THE NOBLES TO FUND YOUR LUXURIOUS LIFESTYLE.

BASICS;

nicknames:  ruby, most commonly. rubes if you want on his bad side.

sexuality:  bisexual.

relationship: publicly betrothed, a bit controversy, to princess joanna stuart of scotland (secretly they are already married, though her father seeks to disband them)

date of birth:  july 27th

zodiac sign:  a leo.

moral alignment: chaotic neutral

hobbies: forgery, horse riding, competitive games, pestering his siblings, travel, a good party, lazy sunday mornings, shopping, foot racing, keeping secrets.

dislikes: every time he is caught in a lie, being told what to do, losing, personal insults, his older brother.

languages spoken: tba

politics/loyalty: pretty much just in it for himself, and holds no loyalty to anyone save for maybe his wife. would probably betray germany before he would scotland, though only out of fear for the scottish king, and a penchant for wanting to disrupt his own king's peace.

inspirations: the materialist, the spitfire, the forger, the fool, the self-centered.

DETAILS;

the forgotten youngest in a quartet that should have probably remained a duo, reuben was given quite the long leash as a children, and it has affected him a bit poorly now in his adulthood. he tends to be quite self-centered, an attention whore 100%, and will flip on anyone for his own benefit. and he is a little socially clueless.

that said, he's no idiot, at least not as much as many seem to believe. for a couple of years, reuben has built for himself a decent fortune, all in secret; and not legally, at all. by running his own forgery scam against the nobles in germany, he has only grown in wealth, and now stands with connections to scotland.

he's always hated his eldest brother elias; mostly because he was jealous, and now, out of pure rebellion against being told what to do. and also, he is #teameleanor

in secret, he married joanna after a tumultuous relationship that was rooted in secrecy and infidelity. they were betrothed as a punishment, but found true love with one another, and have already been married in secret, against her father's best interest.

he spent a few years, before becoming a royal conman, partying his way through europe and making a pretty embarrassing name for himself as a party boy, reckless, careless german prince. he broke some hearts, in the process, but has gained friends all the same.

CONNECTIONS;

tba

BACKSTORY;

one surprise baby can be forgiven, maybe even loved - but a second, well, that's just an embarrassing reflection on his parents own responsibility. the toddling final in a quartet that should have, really, been better off staying a duo, reuben spent his days with nannies moreso than his parents, and was fostered up to be quite demanding, spoiled, and self-centered from the start.

the nursery was one with a revolving door- terrorized governesses and childminders scared off only weeks or months into the assignment, and reuben was left unmanaged most of the time. competing with the beloved eldest twins was merely a way of life; something his other sibling just didn't quite understand, not to the depth he did, anyway.

everything in life was about redirecting that attention, what he severely lacked, towards himself in whatever way possible. the loudest in the room, the one with the most friends, a full dance card, education yet still somehow managing to miss the point of so much. reuben was every bit a charming, delightful, well-read prince of germany... until you got too close.

he was restless, he was messy, he was selfish, he was brave, he was demanding, he was hungry. after partying his way through europe, remembering now only half of it-

(and it was never about the booze, but moreso the experience. every night, he chased that feeling of life, found in unknown beds and new cities and delicious food and benders of whatever came his way. put up in castles, and flirting with housemaids, leaving quite a trail of messes in his wake.)

returning home happened only when the money ran out. how disappointing he found, to come home to far less than what he wanted. reuben didn't bother to ask many questions, fearing that his elder siblings were using up whatever inheritance would be left, and decided to take matters into his own hands. he stopped flirting with the housemaids, he stopped spending as recklessly on gifts for those he knew he'd never wed, and focused his attention elsewhere.

he pursued the rich nobility, both the heirs and their parents, wishing to both steal their hearts and their wallets. ruby's handwriting had always been raved about; considered otherworldly beautiful and neat. turns out, reuben's expert penmanship could mimic any signature without much work; and so, his claim to wealth began, and reuben's forgery scams took off.

for the last couple of years, he has been hoarding wealth and trying to keep his growing fortune for himself-

(claimed to be through consultant positions he held to the nobles, but really, he was skimming the top off shipments received in the royal docks and leaving no trace)

things changed when he fell into bed after a party in france with one certain princess joanna staurt of scotland. what was a fling, so familiar to reuben, one like any other... nearly immediately launched into the love of his life, and reuben found himself in a flurry of secrets within weeks.

she'd been engaged already- but he hadn't cared- they'd been caught- and then betrothed. it was a story that unfolded with much angst and fear, a break-up in the middle, and enough rocks in the boat to make a heart stop on it's own; but somehow, they prevailed, through all the lies and upsets.

but her father had other ideas, and had only brought the pair together as a punishment. so they wed in secret, before anyone could change their minds; only to be ripped apart from one another, and now- reuben faces his brother as king, and fears that their secret will need to be revealed sooner rather than later to keep themselves together.

[whiskeyswriting]

Welcome Home

Mickey "Fanboy" Garcia

Mickey “Fanboy” Garcia. Growing up in Miami, Mickey never would have expected to end up in Montana of all places. 

After serving in the Navy with Pete Mitchell, Mickey returned home to Miami. However, the hustle and bustle of the city would get too much for him. While he didn’t experience war as others, the city life got to be too much for him. 

It was during one trip to see Pete that Mickey considered and extended his trip in Montana. During his trip he grew close to Pete’s friends, the Kerners, as they opened their home to him. It was then he decided to extend his stay.

After a month, Mickey knew he would one day move to Montana to finally have his peace of mind. Returning home to Miami, he started getting his affairs in order to make the move.

It took him several months, but it all worked out. During that time, he received an email that he had been connected with a second cousin, Alana Metcalf. They started communicating and sharing backstories.

Once Mickey was settled in after the move, he drew even closer to the locals. The Kerner’s, Ron and Jade, became his surrogate parents while in Montana. Soon he meets the most extraordinary woman and falls in love. 

The move to Mount Deston was the best he could have done.

Alana "Cinco" Metcalf

If anyone would have ever told Alana that she’d end up moving across the country from Georgia to Montana, she’d have laughed at them. Except that’s her reality now. 

At the age of 6, Alana entered foster care after her parents were killed in a home invasion. She had no other family to take her in, as both sets of grandparents were also dead.

The first few years were tolerable in the foster home. It wasn’t until she hit puberty that things changed. The more attention the boys in the neighborhood or school boys were giving her the more chores as punishment her foster father would give her. 

While she wouldn’t give in to the attention of the boys, her foster father didn’t care and would continue with the pusnishments. Soon, her foster brother started also joining in on the bullying and punishments.

Immediately upon her high school graduation, Alana left for college. During her 19th birthday, Alana took one of those DNA tests to learn about her family background. She found that she had a second cousin, Mickey Garcia, serving in the Navy. 

After attaining her Business Administration Bachelor’s degree, Alana started her undergraduate degree to become a lawyer. As she was halfway done with her undergraduate degree, Alana’s cousin invited her to come live with him and his fiancee in Mount Denton. 

So the next day she packs her small car and starts the drive from Georgia to Montana.

Baylie "Lucky" Steele

Born and raised in Mount Denton, Baylie “Lucky” Steele always knew she was destined for bigger things. 

From day one, Baylie was always a scrappy little thing. Her family and friends loved her so much for it. Even though she drove her parents crazy, they would do anything for her. 

Unfortunately, William and Delilah Steele had been killed in a car accident. Baylie was then adopted by her aunt Rachael. 

Rachael was William’s sister and the closest living relative to Baylie. While she missed her parents, Baylie loved her aunt Rachael and Uncle Tom. They raised her as their own.

Eventually, Baylie left Mount Deston to go to medical school in Billings. She worked her ass off for years and graduated.Even got a residency at the local hospital in Billings. 

However, It wasn’t a couple years later that Baylie returned to Mount Deston. Upon her arrival, she surprised everyone when she opened a veterinary office with her childhood friend Reuben.

Baylie’s friends and family figured that something must have happened for her to change her degree. She never told anyone what happened in Billings. There was no way they would see her the same agian. 

It didn’t stop the rumors from going around. Yet, rumors proved to do nothing to stop love from finding Baylie and showing her she can trust again. A chance encounter with her uncle’s ranch hand changes her future.

Leonard "Wolfman" Wolfe

What a way to head back home from New York, just in time for the new year. 

Leonard “Wolfman” Wolfe moves further down the security line at the airport waiting his turn to pass through and be cleared to board.

Two hours later the airport fills with yells of “Happy New Year.” Couples around him are kissing in celebration. All he does is looks down at the folder in his hand with the documents naming him a newly divorced man with sole custody of his 2 year old.

His now ex-wife chose to give up all parental rights of their son. She wanted nothing to do with either of them and the ranch life back in Montana. After receiving the final divorce papers, Wolfe knew there was nothing he could do. He decided he didn’t need to hang around New York anymore.

Soon it’s time to board the plane. Since many are celebrating the new year, the flight is half empty. About an hour into the flight, the pilot comes over the speaker to announce the new year again, as they’re entering the central time zone.

As soon as the pilot counts down from five and the love birds in front of him start kissing, Wolfe downs his whiskey and asks the flight attendant for another drink. He stares longingly at the lonely window seat that was supposed to be hers. 

It’s only a few more hours but the flight drags on. Eventually, Wolfe is home and is greeted by Slider and Whiskey waiting for him, along with his son, Greyson.

Finally, he was back home.

- -

Cowboy AU 🏷️ List: @askmarinaandothers @bayisdying @breadsquash @callmemana @callsign-dragonbaron @callsignscupcake @callsignthirsty @cycbaby @kiichirose @likelyrowdy @luckyladycreator2 @mtnofgrace @mischief-siriusly-managed @starlit-epiphany

[chrancecriber]

Antenne Vorarlberg Chillout Lounge (August 22, 2023)

23:58 Valerie Dore - The Night (Zyx Edit Remastered 2021) 23:55 El Profesor - Busy Bye Bye 23:52 Lstn, Arya Noble - Desert Walk 23:47 Cats On Bricks Feat. Zach Alwin - Planes Over Ushuaia 23:41 Hotlane - On My Own 23:39 Dj Antoine Feat. Ablai - My Corazon (Dj Antoine Vs. Mad Mark 2k21 Mix) 23:36 Lucas Estrada & Henri Purnell & Neimy - In My Fantasy 23:32 Fon.leman - Constant Religion (Intro Mix) 23:28 Nora En Pure - Enchantment 23:25 Milk & Sugar Feat. John Paul Young - Love Is In The Air 23:22 In Lonely Majesty - Sing In The Dark - Alle Farben Remix 23:15 Blond:ish Feat. Shawni - Wizard Of Love 23:12 Möwe - Bad Intentions 23:08 Ypey - Life Time 23:06 Digital Camel - Shine Bright 23:00 Headstrong - Symphony Of Soul (Reuben Halsey Chillout Mix) 22:54 Blank & Jones - Coh 22:51 Schiller - Once Upon A Time (Cahill Remix) 22:47 Esteban Garcia Junior - Deep Blue 22:44 Max Johann & Layrz - Tell It To My Heart 22:41 Laniia - Fireflies 22:36 Twocolors & Anna Naklab - Dust (Extended Mix) 22:34 Carstn, Jason Walker - Could You Love Me (Munich Monstrs Remix) 22:30 Sofi Tukker X Mahmut Orhan - Forgive Me 22:26 Benjamin Francis Leftwich - Shine (Kygo Remix) 22:23 Edx & Amba Shepherd - Off The Grid 22:20 Robin Schulz - Above The Clouds 22:17 Madison Park, Beechkraft - Parts Of Me (Original Mix) 22:13 Filous - Let It Snow (Original Mix) 22:10 Nightmares On Wax - Passion 22:06 Monoir, Eneli - 3 To 1 22:04 Kush Kush & Sickmellow Feat. Kazhi - Blacklight 22:00 Sagi Rei - Rhythm Is A Dancer 21:57 Stepha Schweiger - When I Was A Bird 21:52 Thomas Lemmer & Andreas Bach - Embracing Love 21:48 Clyb Foster - How Deep Is Your Love 21:44 Blank & Jones - Into The Sun 21:41 Felix Jaehn Feat. Zoe Wees - Do It Better 21:37 Eelke Kleijn Feat. Ost - Lost Souls (Nora En Pure Remix) 21:31 Jean-michel Jarre - Equinoxe, Pt. 4 21:26 Arden - Open 21:20 Alex Cortiz - Enter The Matrix 21:17 Shouse - Won't Forget You 21:09 Dj Disse - Riders In The Storm (Original Mix) 21:06 Backstreet Boys - Chances (Instrumental) 21:01 Goldfish - Love Everlasting (Extended Mix) 20:56 Ambala Feat. Laid Back - Walk With The Dreamers 20:54 Avian Grays & Azteck - Endlessly 20:48 Shakedown - At Night (Afterlife Remix) 20:45 Cookin' On 3 Burners, Henri Purnell & Revelries - Force Of Nature 20:42 Trinix - Soweto 20:37 David Guetta, Robin Schulz, Cheat Codes - Shed A Light (Blank & Jones Remix) 20:32 Melosense - Road & Lights 20:29 Kamrad - Feel Alive 20:26 Purple Disco Machine - Hypnotized 20:20 Schiller Feat. Maya Saban - I Miss You 20:16 Lstn - Sïstër 20:10 Cantoma - Gambarra (Lexx Remix) 20:07 Nora Van Elken - Sumatra (Lstn Remix) 20:03 Mike Candys & Jack Holiday - Saltwater (Rework) 20:01 Milky Chance - Stolen Dance 19:58 Deeperlove & Marc Korn - Vertigo (R.i.o. Remix) 19:50 Garlington - Falling To Pieces (Extended Mix) 19:43 Jazzanova - Bohemian Sunset 19:38 Monolink - Harlem River 19:35 Thomas Gold Feat. Bright Sparks - Seventeen 19:32 Hagen Feetly - Not The One 19:28 Cosmic Soul & Tom Novy - Like A Dream 19:25 Lucy Neville - Shameless 19:21 Kygo & Imagine Dragons - Born To Be Yours 19:17 Thomas Lemmer & Andreas Bach - Deep Ocean 19:13 Blank & Jones - Nuits Blanches 19:10 Bernward Koch - Flowing Colors 19:04 Nora En Pure - Cognitive Fadings (Club Mix) 18:57 Parra For Cuva, Anna Naklab - True Thoughts (Original Mix) 18:54 Nora Van Elken - Okinawa 18:51 Klangkarussel & Poppy Baskcomb - This Love 18:48 Tainted Youth Feat. Lucinda - Teardrops 18:41 Beyhude - Akasha 18:37 Fritz Kalkbrenner - Kings & Queens 18:34 Unclubbed, Zoe Durrant - Need To Feel Loved (Original Mix) 18:30 Blank & Jones Feat. Zoe Durrant - Erase Rewind 18:27 Sneaker Pimps - 6 Underground 18:19 Klangwald - Sadame 18:16 Filatov & Karas - Au Au 18:13 Kygo Feat. Parson James - Stole The Show 18:10 Blank & Jones - Swept Away 18:06 Tinlicker Feat. Nathan Nicholson - Be Here And Now 18:00 Cell - Under Your Mind (Live Version) 17:57 Wave Wave Feat. Evie - Real 17:52 Tebra - Istok 17:48 Gamper - Bittersweet Symphony 17:46 Nora Van Elken - Let It Go 17:42 Goldfish Feat. Nate Highfield & Dan Silver - Forever Free 17:39 Alphawezen - Out Of Sight 17:36 Thrdl!fe & Sleepwalkrs - Outta My Head 17:33 Paratone - Time After Time 17:28 Shakatak - Rio Nights 17:25 Chaël Feat Kaii - Don't Speak 17:19 Fous De La Mer - Esse Sonho 17:13 Beyhude - Rüzgar 17:08 Lazy Hammbock - Surround Me 17:05 The Chainsmokers & Coldplay - Something Just Like This 17:02 Shapov & Avian Grays Feat. Kifi - Light Up The World 16:57 Cecilia Krull - Agnus Dei (Benny Benassi & Bb Team Remix) 16:52 Alex Sail Feat. Al I Bo - Symantec Clime 16:44 Super Flu - Mygut (Solomun Remix) 16:41 Nora Van Elken - Honshu 16:35 Agoria - Up All Night 16:27 Jan Blomqvist - Empty Floor 16:24 Nora En Pure - Life On Hold 16:20 Moby - Lift Me Up 16:17 Undressd - Forever Young 16:11 Alex H - Seeking Agapism 16:03 Kygo - Freeze 16:00 Lost Frequencies X James Arthur - Questions 15:55 Mahoroba - Soft Breeze (On Air Mix) 15:52 Wave Wave Feat. Lena Sue - Repeating 15:47 Kid Massive, Yuji Ono, Dtale - Pray (Wolf Krew Remix) 15:43 Blondee & Marc Werner Feat. Fabienne Rothe - Wonderful Days 15:36 Rodg - Heights 15:34 Atb & Topic - Your Love (9pm) 15:27 Francesco Rossi - Paper Aeroplane 15:19 Armen Miran Feat. Jivan Gasp - Lost Memories 15:16 Emily Burns - Im So Happy 15:12 Robin Schulz - Sugar (Feat. Francesco Yates) 15:09 Alan Walker Ahrix - End Of Time 15:05 Moby - Lie Down In Darkness 15:03 Lika Morgan - Ding Dong 14:56 Shkoon Feat. Fruiterama - Napauken 14:54 David Guetta Feat. Sam Martin - Dangerous 14:51 Vinai - Hide Away 14:49 Trinix & Ian Urbina - Bad Things 14:44 Agnostica - Lost 14:41 Sam Feldt & Sam Fischer - Pick Me Up (Vavo Remix) 14:38 Munich Monstrs - Shine 14:33 Evadez - Caught In The Crowd (Original Mix) 14:30 Dizkodude & Dj Antoine - Your Eyes (Dj Antoine Vs Mad Mark 2k21 Summer Mix) 14:26 Blank & Jones - High Fly 14:19 Schiller & Sheppard Solomon - Sweet Symphony (My Heart Beats Again) 14:17 Nora En Pure - Wetlands 14:10 Chuva Speaks Arab - Reckless Girl 14:03 Avira & Diana Miro - The Worship (Mark Knight Extended) 13:58 Joachim Pastor & Signum - Something You Need (Extended Mix) 13:53 Daniele Mastracci Feat. Allegra - Something Great 13:49 Neptune & Moonnight - I Need A New Love (Original Mix) 13:44 Anrey - Lost Lands (Extended Mix) 13:41 Mike Perry Feat. Shy Martin - The Ocean 13:39 Twisted Harmonies Feat. Mougleta - You & Me 13:32 Banderas - This Is Your Life (Easy Life Mix) 13:29 Patchy - Friend (Original Mix) 13:26 Glockenbach - Dirty Dancing 13:22 Ck West & Sassi K - C Song 13:19 Matt Simons - Catch & Release (Deepend Remix) 13:16 Felix Jaehn, Cheat Codes Feat. Bow Anderson - I Just Wanna 13:09 Tom Novy & Milkwish - Dream Catcher (Extended Mix) 13:03 Nora En Pure - Thermal (Extended Mix) 13:00 Agatino Romero - I'm Feeling For You 12:54 Tube & Berger Feat. Richard Judge - Ruckus [club Edit) 12:50 Avira & Kiko Franco Feat. Nathan Nicholson) - Ocean 12:47 Meduza Feat. Goodboys - Piece Of Your Heart 12:42 Kid Simius - The Flute Song (Paul Kalkbrenner Remix) 12:38 Scotty & Wilcox - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (Wilcox Extended) 12:35 Nora Van Elken - Mount Fuji 12:30 Simple Minds - Mandela Day 12:23 Röyksopp & Jamie Irrepressible - The Next Day (Mind Against Remix) 12:19 Sum Wave - Malin's Song 12:15 Chris Coco - Before Sunset (Original Mix) 12:12 Gibbs & Code X - Close To Your Heart 12:08 Trentemoller - Miss You 12:05 Robin Schulz Feat. Alida - In Your Eyes 12:01 Nora En Pure - World Of Rules 11:55 Project Blue Sun - Sunrise (Planet Chill Mix) 11:49 Tebra - Suton 11:45 Blank & Jones - Sunny (Summer Vibe Mix) 11:40 Music On Canvas Feat. Tabitha - Upside Down 11:37 Tiësto - The Motto 11:33 Eelke Kleijn Feat. Diana Miro - You (Frankey & Sandrino Remix) 11:28 Phil Mison - Just Landed 11:21 Rìfìs Du Sol - On My Knees (Oliver Schories Remix) 11:18 Kryder & Natalie Shay - Rapture 11:15 Mike Posner - I Took A Pill In Ibiza (Seeb Remix) 11:12 Parov Stelar - Fire 11:09 Gabriel & Castellon - Es Vedra (Touch & Go Radio Mix) 11:05 Daniel Portman - Vulnerable 11:01 Ambyion - Motion 10:58 Klingande & Krishane - Rebel Yell 10:54 Jan Blomqvist & Bloom Twins - High On Beat (Sofi Tukker Remix) 10:51 Nora En Pure - Dry Sobbing 10:45 Deep Josh & Jose Rodriguez Feat. Lisa Rose - The Clouds 10:41 Kyla La Grange - Cut Your Teeth 10:38 Sans Souci - Nanda 10:34 Cristian Marchi Feat. Block - Baker Street 10:31 Lost Frequencies & Mathieu Koss - Don't Leave Me 10:25 Rìfìs Du Sol - Next To Me 10:21 Jazzamor - Song For Maggie 10:18 York - On The Beach (Kryder & Jenjammin Sax Edit) 10:15 Ultravox - Dancing With Tears In My Eyes 10:12 Edx - Ecletric (Mixed) 10:08 Passenger 10 - Serving The World 10:05 Niles Cooper - Lamplight Rains 10:01 Sono - Trusting You 09:59 Consoul Trainin Feat. Steven Aderinto & Duoviolins - Obsession 09:56 Diena Van Diest - Don't Give Up 09:52 Nora En Pure - Branches 09:49 Klingande & Bright Sparks - Messiah 09:46 Blank & Jones - Breezin' 09:43 Pulsedriver & Tiscore Feat. Anna Grey - We Are 09:39 Robin Schulz - Moonlit Sky (With The Void Pacific Choir) 09:33 D.a.x. Feat. Victoria Wilson James - Crash Landed 09:30 Hein Klein & Cheyenne - Every Breath You Take 09:24 Woolfy Vs. Projections - We Were There 09:20 Christopher Von Deylen - Infinity 09:17 Felix Jaehn & The Stickmen Project Feat. Calum Scott - Rain In Ibiza 09:14 Schiller - Lichtwerk 09:11 Bolier - Another Blue 09:08 Blank & Jones Feat. Coralie Clément - Cest Mieux 09:02 Zelensky - Sunset (Andy Lime Remix) 08:57 Röyksopp Feat. Susanne Sundfør - If You Want Me 08:52 Dreamerproject - Horizons (Glenn Main Remix) 08:47 Dk Dent - A Walk In The Park 08:45 Tiesto - Lay Low 08:41 Nora En Pure - All I Need 08:32 Worakls - Nocturne 08:28 Chicane Feat. Bryan Adams - Don't Give Up 08:23 Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy 08:19 Tonenation - Hijo De La Luna 08:16 Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano - Let It Lie 08:13 Kygo & Selena Gomez - It Ain't Me 08:08 Robert Manos - Silver 08:06 Buchs Feat. Nokyo - Cheverolet 08:03 Blank & Jones Feat. Coralie Clément - Jardin D'hiver 08:00 Dennis Kruissen Feat. Liza Flume - Another Soul 07:57 Alok & James Arthur - Work With My Love 07:52 Schiller - Ultramarin 07:48 Ac Venture - Penang Waltz (Roberto Sol Remix) 07:45 Robin Schulz & David Guetta - On Repeat 07:42 Alok, Bruno Martini, Featuring Zeeba - Hear Me Now 07:38 Gestört Aber Geil & Anna Grey - Thank You 07:33 Depeche Mode - Home 07:25 Armin Van Buuren & Avira Feat. Sam Martin - Mask 07:21 Dante Klein & Jordiz Feat. Megan Brands - Life 07:17 Aromabar - Winter Pageant 07:12 Mike Candys & Jack Holiday - La Serenissima 07:09 Kungs Feat. Jhart - Dopamine 07:05 Nora En Pure - Diving With Whales (Daniel Portman Radio Mix) 07:00 Valante - Rissa 06:54 Rodriguez Jr. Feat. Liset Alea - What Is Real 06:50 Blank & Jones - Wyb (Deeper) 06:48 Zaz - Demain C'est Toi 06:45 Vize & Alan Walker Feat. Leony, Edward Artemyev - Space Melody (Edward Artemyev) 06:40 Remady & Manu-l - Another Day In Paradise 06:32 Blond:ish Feat. Bahramji - Omnipresent 06:27 Pang! - Lion (Original Mix) 06:24 Vamero & Lizot - Bleeding Love 06:20 Shaun Frank & Takis Feat. Shells - Don't Say I Love You 06:14 Mr. Sam Feat. Kristy Hawkshaw - Split 06:11 Edx - Neptune 06:06 Goa Foundation - (I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight 06:02 Chubbanak Club - Candysnow 05:55 Nora En Pure - Oblivion (Extended Mix) 05:53 Christopher Von Deylen - She Never Told Him Her Name 05:49 Waldeck - Defenceless (Mushroom Dive ) 05:45 Fritz Kalkbrenner - Daylight Is Falling 05:43 Lunax - I Like 05:39 Coldplay - Clocks 05:37 Yves V X Bashkar - Halfway (Feat. Twan Ray) 05:33 Alessandro Taccini Feat. Pierre Soyer - Higher Love 05:30 Eli & Fur - Come Back Around 05:24 Eelke Kleijn - Woodstock 05:22 Lost Frequencies Feat. James Blunt - Melody 05:19 Elderbrook - I Need You 05:15 Sum Wave - Goodbye Earth 05:11 Blank & Jones - Nothing Can Come Between Us 05:08 Gesaffelstein & The Weeknd - Lost In The Fire 05:04 Julian Wassermann - Painfully 05:00 Five Seasons - In Your Town 04:56 Robin Schulz & Alle Farben & Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Somewhere Over The Rainbow / What A Wonderful World 04:54 Fedde Le Grand Feat. Vince Freeman - Devils 04:48 The Swan And The Lake - Port D'andratx (Part 2 - Rain) 04:40 Martin Roth - An Analog Guy In A Digital World 04:37 Mahmut Orhan - Schhh (Feat. Irina Rimes) 04:33 Panama, Satin Jackets - The Future 04:29 Pirra Feat. Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas Remix - Limousine Lies 04:25 Lexer Feat. Audrey Janssens - Till Dawn 04:21 Passenger 10 - Voices In Her Head 04:16 Worakls - Caprice 04:11 De-phazz - Anchorless 04:08 Chris Avedon - The Letter 04:04 Lstn - Undecided 03:58 Hazy J - Silver 03:54 Alok Feat. John Martin - Wherever You Go 03:50 Enui - Adieu (Arielle Lb Remix) 03:45 Sia - Alive 03:41 Schiller & Peter Heppner - Leben... I Feel You 03:39 Blank & Jones - Love From The Start (Original Mix) 03:36 Amely & Lvndscape - Losing My Mind 03:33 The Alan Parsons Project - The Turn Of A Friendly Card 03:29 The Chainsmokers & Coldplay - Something Just Like This 03:26 Duboss - Losing My Religion 03:20 Röyksopp Feat. Susanne Sundførd - Oh, Lover 03:14 Mozez Feat. Henry Binns From Zero 7 - Beautiful Day 03:11 Daniel Portman - Sensual Desires 03:08 James Carter & Ofenbach Feat. James Blunt - Can't Forget You 02:59 Aural Float - Dreamer's Dream 02:57 Reece Lemonius, Munich Monstrs - Miss You 02:54 Dj Antoine & Dead-line - Shout 02:50 Tom Tyler - Chewin' The Chew-z 02:47 Bernward Koch - Lonely Dream (Solo Piano) 02:43 Lamb - Gabriel 02:37 Exstra - Comet (Extended Mix) 02:34 Sum Wave - Passing Clouds 02:30 Spanish Armada Movement - Margarita 02:28 Rene Rodrigezz & Tristan Henry - Let Me Go 02:24 Ec Twins, Oda Loves You - Wonderful Life 02:19 White Elephant - Sir John 02:15 Dvine - Ever After 02:08 Bay Area - Dolphin Rider (Pianodreamsession) 02:04 Gitano & Deep Josh Feat. Koo - Residence Lounge 02:00 Elderbrook & Bob Moses - Inner Light 01:55 Röyksopp Feat. Astrid S - 02 Let's Get It Right 01:49 Spooky - Shelter 01:45 Sound Nomaden - The Morning After 01:40 Jacob Gurevitsch - Lovers In Paris 01:37 Robin Schulz - Never Know Me (Radio Mix) 01:29 David Hohme - Fear Less (Hraach Remix) 01:24 Rue Du Soleil - La Francaise 01:21 Chicane - Capricorn (Back Pedal Brakes Remix) 01:17 Kidsø - Fir 01:11 Fous De La Mer - Ocean 22°e 01:08 R3hab, Timmy Trumpet, W&w - Distant Memory 01:04 Jako Diaz & Margret - Mirror 00:59 Ganga - Time Spent 00:56 Eelke Kleijn Feat. Josha Daniel - Oscillations 00:51 New Age Kings - Illusion (Instrumental Remix) 00:47 Klingande, Stevie Appleton - Sinner 00:40 Blank & Jones - White Light 00:35 Ilo - Soleil D'hiver 00:32 Hypnosis - Pulstar 00:29 Gamper & Dadoni Feat. Joe Jury - Satellites 00:25 Calvin Harris & Disciples - How Deep Is Your Love 00:20 Pete Tong & Tale Of Us Feat. Jules Buckley - Time 00:17 Alex Breitling - Faith 00:13 Night Cruzer - Timeless 00:10 Nora En Pure - Enchantment 00:06 Milk & Sugar Feat. John Paul Young - Love Is In The Air 00:03 Serafim Tsotsonis - Small 2 00:01 Mellowdy - Rise Up

[twosentencereviews]

Clowns are good, actually

It's Halloween season, the most wonderful season of the year (wait your damn turn, Christmas). But this October I feel I need to set the record straight on something.

Clowns are great. Or at least they can be great. In fact, you probably already like at least one clown, even if you don't realize it.

These days, it seems like everyone is focusing on clowns as a horror icon. Whether it's Pennywise from Stephen King's It, or the Joker from Batman, Killer Clowns from Outer Space, Krusty from The Simpsons, or the Insane Clown Posse, everyone wants to cast clowns as something sinister. Ronald McDonald was one of the last wholesome white-faced clowns, and he's been largely been phased out.

Now, I will grant you, there is something uncanny about clowns when viewed up close. Making things worse, a lot of people's first exposure to a real professional clown is usually at a birthday party or a carnival, when they are a child. A young child in an overstimulating environment and interacting with a stranger in garish makeup intentionally behaving oddly can be disturbing, and can foster a very real phobia that lasts into adulthood.

But I also think that there's a reinforcing cycle there. Some people are afraid of clowns. That fear gets canonized into novels and movies and cartoons, so much so that culture starts to associate clowns with horror films more than with lighthearted comedy entertainment. That leads adults to stop hiring clowns ("we'll scare the kids"), causing more kids to be exposed to clowns through horror first, engendering even more fear.

That fear, though, falls apart when you realize that "clown" is not about the big shoes, red ball nose, and greasepaint makeup. Clowning is, really, just physical comedy and slapstick, often combined with performative stupidity. It's a close cousin to mime artistry, but may also include some amount of verbal jokes.

The iconic white makeup and colorful outfit originate in the realm of circus and carnival, where an entertainer with no microphone needs to amuse a crowd with lighthearted comedy. White makeup, with darker sections around the eyes and mouth, makes facial expressions "pop" to even someone in back of the audience. In other words, circus clown makeup looks weird up close because it's meant to be viewed from far away.

But you don't need that specific makeup or costume to be a clown. For one thing, the vaudeville clown of the early 20th century was more often "the tramp" archetype, with a dirty face, ragged clothes, and sometimes, a nose painted bright red to signify drunkenness.

Also, a lot of clowns aren't stage performers at all. They're movie stars, or TV stars. Of course there's Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin of the silent movie and early talkies. There's also the Three Stooges, iconic slapstick clowning. Harpo Marx of the Marx Brothers played the mostly nonverbal clown to offset his fast-talking brothers Groucho and Chico. Lucille Ball and her costars of I Love Lucy often used clowning, including the iconic candy factory scene. Much of Peter Sellers' work features clowning, most notably Inspector Clusoe of the Pink Panther series. Rowan Atkinson's comedy often is pure clowning, most notably in the character of Mr Bean. Other character-based film clowns include Jim Varney as Ernest and the recently passed Paul Reubens as Pee-Wee Herman.

Circus clowns aren't entirely gone either; if you've ever seen a Cirque du Soleil show (and if you haven't, you should) they sometimes have clowns come out during intermission to do crowd work. The few Cirques I've seen, the clowns have been hilarious, and the perfect palate cleanser between death-defying gymnastic performances that make up most of the show.

Clowning is also extremely difficult to really do well. Clowning is, like all comedy, highly sensitive to timing, you have to be pinpoint precise or the joke falls flat. That's hard enough with a verbal standup act, but when you add in exaggerated physical performances and remove most of the dialogue it gets nearly impossible. And you have to do all of this, while appearing like a clueless idiot, putting forth maximum effort to make it look like you aren't doing anything on purpose at all.

Clowning is an art form that is widely loved and one of humanity's oldest forms of entertainment. Its practitioners are some of our most well-known comedy entertainers throughout the 19th, 20th, and into the 21st centuries. It is a highly technical skill set, that can't look technical while being performed.

So can we stop making clowns horror villains all the time?

[salmonandsoup]

If they require a sinister mafia moment how do they provide the evil cat. Do they adopt local cats, find them on the street, or have one immortal vampire cat/cat lineage.

jenab has a bombay cat named olive! she's not a vampire cat as of right now, but she's everyone's favorite little baby and could not be evil no matter what. how she's survived this long and stayed this spry, nobody knows and nobody wants to find out lest it fuck with her somehow.

the vampire mafia sponsors a ton of TNR projects in new york to help cats get the care they need, and they've fostered a lot of cats, though because of the fact that they're not sure if vampirism would even work with a non-human entity, none of them are vampires.

the verdicts for each of the members:

reuben: absolute cat person. showers all his fosters in love and cannot bear to own any because that means he'll lose them, but his balcony is home to many a stray and he has a lot of cat homes because of that. peter: if he was to get a dog at all, it'd be a very lazy little lapdog. the last thing he needs is disruption and mischief in a house and job where organization is key. he loves senior dogs most. nicky: loves all animals, but prefers to own cats because they're chill. the vibes on a good lazy cat are absolutely Immaculate louisa: a cat person! i mean, what else is a witch going to have? they're also cute and deadly, just like her. tomasso: a dog person, but purely for the aesthetics. he likes the obscure breeds like the bracco italiano, and if he owns a dog at any point, he keeps track of every birthday and birth certificate and spoils that dog fuckin' rotten. finley: he wants to love dogs more than he does, but some breeds' undying loyalty brings up... bad memories. (thankfully, feliks' dogs don't because they're loyal thanks to care and love.) so he likes cats better, and would own a tonkinese cat. feliks: surprisingly a little more of a dog person. perhaps in the 50s, he'd get a doberman pinscher or two. just like him, they are terrifying on the outside, but sweet to those they trust—thanks to nicky and riki's abilities, they can communicate their needs without resorting to barking or biting. riki: since dogs don't try to bap her around when she's a bat, she prefers dogs to cats. she's not a toy, thank you. gaspare: he loves both to bits! though he does love how dogs are never out of affection to give. ami: she vastly prefers cats, but doesn't hate dogs. they just smell weird to her. cats keep themselves far cleaner. gadreau: the type of man to say he doesn't want a cat nor likes them much, but will devote his entire heart and soul to one. it's adorable and hilarious every single time. liesl: cat person! dogs can be pretty disruptive and overly affectionate to her, so she doesn't want to own one, but she doesn't mind them in passing or when she chooses to interact with them. ibán: honestly, he doesn't like either, but he puts up with them for everyone else. as long as they're trained well and they aren't in his apartment without his approval, he doesn't care. ibán tolerates whatever cat gadreau brings in—but only because of how cute his man gets when he's around a cat he loves. jenab: he's got olive, and he loves her to death. he made her her own custom cat tree as a present, and loves to film her antics. total cat dad and owns it.

[snellblogs]

Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival

BUDLEIGH SALTERTON LITERARY FESTIVAL

Sept 21 24 Blog by Lynne Pearl

The sun was brilliant and the gardens beside the Temple Mount Methodist church in Budleigh were resplendent, the sun was so strong.  We might have been in Greece, the sea was nearby.  But we were in a small seaside town in the far South West.  It is beautiful and far away from anything.  And it has a very good literary festival.  On the programme were many quite renown writers such as:

Rick Stein, Frank Gardner, Patrick Grant, Carol Klein, Rev Richard Coles, Iain Dale Jonathan Dimbleby Susan Fletcher Liz Earle Lesley Pearse Cathy Rentzenbrink Craig Brown Wendy Joseph KC Sir Anthony Seldon.

Chair of the festival Cathy Rentzenbrink welcomes us to the festival in the festival programme like this:

‘What a complete delight it is to be writing these words, thinking about how wonderful it will be to be back in beautiful Budleigh Salterton, and what an honour it is to be introducing you to this year’s offerings. The programme is full of familiar favourites, new discoveries and mind-expanding treats. There’s plenty of war, politics, fashion and food, workshops for the curious, and lots of entertainment in the Marquee. I’ll be exploring brotherly love with the amazing Manni and Reuben Coe, and am honoured to be chairing the Hilary Mantel Emerging Writers’ panel. My President’s Event this year is with the erudite and amusing Sam Leith who has written a fabulous book about the history of children’s literature, and I’ll be talking about my own novel Ordinary Time which is about a reluctant vicar’s wife - there is a hint of Budleigh and her churches in my fictional St Breda. Literary festivals and those who organise and attend them are very much on the side of the angels, I think, and I am heartily looking forward to seeing you all in September.’

And these were the authors we came to see and listen to them talk about their writing experiences:

TOM LAMONT, PENELOPE SLOCOMBE, CARLA JENKINS

Emerging Writer’s Event where: Temple Church time: 2pm | ticket: £5 Talking to Cathy Rentzenbrink

This year’s trio of debut writers are certainly ones to watch for the future. Their books, which share the theme of relationships, include the story of a mother’s desperate search for her son, the magical relationship that grows between a young boy and his unexpected foster father, and the disturbing tale of a therapist and his patient. Tom Lamont’s Going Home is already one of the Observer’s Debut Novels of 2024.

We were attending a session with two of the three emerging writers being interviewed about the books they had just written and these were their first books.  They were debut writers, their stories were fascinating. One was a journalist by profession, the other an English teacher.  They had just written successful novels one set partly in India and the other book was about the parenting of a very young child and the trials of difficult friendships.

Each writer read from their novel which is always a treat to be read to by the person who has written the words so one sees the personality behind the story.

When I tell a story, I am enchanted with my words, the world and the situation I am creating out of nothing.  It’s rather like being a magician creating worlds that tell us stories and hopefully teach us.

For example, when the hero of my third book, Thiel, is on his travels in a created landscape and country, he has to find accommodation for the night for himself, a young child and his horse so he steps into the pub on the harbour at the sea port of Ive:

The warmth inside made Thiel’s head reel and the brightness of the light blinded him.  He stood quite still on the door mat as the door banged behind him.  No one in the bar seemed to notice the addition of one more body in the room.  They were sitting in groups, some in high-backed benches, some clustered around the huge fireplace, some talking, some listening, and a few playing some kind of game with wooden counters.  When his head stopped reeling, Thiel stepped forward from the shelter of the door to the bar.  He had seen the innkeeper, or so he took him to be by his wide, warm face, standing behind the bar serving customers drinks and food.  Thiel crossed the floor, and a few turned to look and stopped their talk to study the stranger.  Some spoke to their neighbour, they were trying to place him.  Where did he come from?  His appearance and clothes were not easy to identify.  It was a favourite game for the folk of Ive to guess where a stranger’s home port was from outward signs that gave him away.

And in ways like this the author has to make a world out of nothing as it were, which is what the two authors did who were being interviewed that day.

They both happily answered questions including about their book deals, one author had a book deal with US and the other author had a book deal with Germany.  They talked about the luck of it.  One said he nearly didn’t send it.  This was a story about parenting a young child and a problem friend who lets you down.  He had sent it out before, but it was not accepted, so he began to give up, but he edited with help.  He added who you meet is luck, that you can anticipate nothing and have to be grateful for what happens.  But as a result of their book deals both authors are able to continue to write.

It was a lovely day by the seaside and we were in the company of some excellent writers, to listen to how others make a story out of nothing, or just what they know, that is always fascinating.