#this is my strangest special interest so far!

[platadesangre]

[kanerallels]

I am in search of an artist to commission for my book cover! It's a middle grade-ish fantasy fairy tale retelling, and I've posted on here about it on and off. A semi comprehensive post about it can be found here, feel free to send an ask with any other questions! I shall put a summary under the cut just to make life easier, though

There are a few qualifiers for who I'd like to choose to design the cover:

I do not under any circumstances want a cover that's literally just a person standing there like every other YA novel out there. What I'm looking for is something artistic and unique (I'll post some of my favorite book covers under the cut as well!) and very colorful!

Whoever designs the cover should be willing to read the book first, and be open to the fact that there will probably be some Christian elements and themes

This is less a qualifier and more just a warning: I'm gonna be kinda picky about this, because it's something I really, really want to get right. So if I don't go with you as an artist, it's not because of you or your skill, but just because it's not a right fit, and if I have comments or critiques, we're gonna have to do our best to work together to find something we both like

I think that covers (pun intended hehehe) everything! Thanks for y'all's time, let me know if you have any questions about this!

Book summary:

Rebecca Wood has never known who her real family was. So when a boy named Liam finds her and tells her that he knows where her real family is, it seems like it could be too good to be true

Oddly enough, that's far from the strangest part. It turns out, Rebecca is from the land of fairy tales, though it's not exactly the same as the stories—Snow White and Cinderella are notorious assassins, and the land is ruled by the Evil Empress Goldilocks, who seems to have a special interest of her own in Rebecca.

None of this makes Rebecca's journey any less fascinating as she travels through a perilous and beautiful land full of magic and mystery, looking for the one thing she's always wanted

Book covers I like:

[sametsyun]

Beauty and the Beast

Shinazugawa Genya x Iguro Obanai's sister! OC

"Beautiful... Genya-san is very beautiful... I'm almost jealous of how bright you can smile..."

Strangers to frenemies, frenemies to friends, friends to lovers

tags: gore, blood, trauma, ptsd, insecurities, sexual themes, no smut, nudity, mdni, angst, platonic angst, abuse, self harming, eating disorders, sexual harassment, no use of y/n, oc x canon.

This gon be a full fic.

NOT AN X READER! I REPEAT! NOT AN X READER!

Prologue~ Chapter 1

Prologue

My brother was special as they said. From a long line of women only being born in the family, my brother was the first boy to be born after centuries. I didn’t know how he was so special or why I never see him.

I never understood anything in this family.

The sound of small footsteps pitter-pattering against the wooden floors were quiet and unsuspecting towards the sleeping residents of the manor. Tiny turquoise eyes peeked through a slightly ajar futsuma, looking out for anyone who could be awake. The door slides open and a toddler walks in, closing door behind her before carefully descending down the stairs.

There were many things I was restricted to do, many rooms I wasn’t allowed to go in. Had I not seen a relative of mine go into one of those rooms, I wouldn’t even bat an eye on it.

It was cold and dark when she reached the bottom. The usual wooden floors she would feel beneath her tiny feet were replaced with cold stones. Her eyes see nothing but darkness, yet her ears were quite sharp. She could hear something move not far from where she stood. Her feet followed the sound.

Had I not woken up that night, I wouldn’t have seen my brother.

An overwhelming scent entered her nostrils, making her scrunch her nose in distaste. It smelled of both new and old food. The further she walked the stronger the smell grew and her nose began to twitch at the gross smell. A small sneeze left her, unknowingly startling something near her.

A small glimmer of the moon shined through an open window by the ceilings of the basement. With the small amount of moon light, the girl looks up from her sneezing attack and turned towards the source of the smell with her nose scrunched up, only drop it once she sees what else was with the smell.

A small boy curled up against the wall with the strangest eyes she’s seen. The boy looked at her confused but still quite fearful. Upon seeing a new face, the girl’s eyes lit up with interest. Crawling up to the boy’s cage, she attempted to reach for him, her tiny hand barely even passing through the gap. Her big baby eyes glimmered with strange determination and interest for the boy.

He was confused.

He was confused as to who this tiny child was how she found him. With the small amount of moonlight, he wasn’t able to see her properly until she tried pushing her face through the gap. The fat of her baby cheeks smushed against the thick wood.

It was only then he was able to see her properly. Since she was a mere baby, he thinks it’s fine to get a little closer. So, the boy shuffles a little closer, and sits in front of her. The girl’s eyes visibly widened, reaching a hand towards him. The boy slowly reaches out as well, and their fingers touch.

They both smiled for the first time.

[starlightiing]

I saw you were sad about your writing before you deleted that post. Wanna tell us about some WIPs you have? 🥺 ❤️ 💙 💜

Thanks anon I appreciate you. I kinda want to throw all my WIPs in the trash actually ahaha but uh lemme gather my documents and see what I have...

Pierresteban:

1. Car Crash fic. Pierre gets in a horrific car accident while they're in Texas a week before the GP. He and Esteban had a nasty break up and quite literally only speak for work purposes. Pierre, however, forgot to update his emergency contact and Esteban got the call at 2am. Tired and annoyed, he brings himself to the hospital with his proof of identity, expecting to hear that Pierre was stupid and broke an arm or something. It's much worse.

2. Android AU - Pierre is a very high tech android, the first and only of his kind. He's incredibly hyper realistic, so much so that he managed to fool a doctor. However, when he's debuted to the investors, they're afraid of how realistic he is. They tell the devs to turn him off and put him away for now, but Pierre was built with self preservation and he knows that means death. He runs away from them and seeks refuge with one of the mechanics that works for the company that created him - Esteban Ocon. Chaos ensues. Esteban steals this multi million dollar android and runs away with him to save his life.

3. Jurassic World AU - Pierre works at the hatchery with baby dinos. He's a "veterinarian" in a sense, and he plays with/mothers the baby dinos and makes sure they are socialized and enriched and such before they're put in their enclosures. Esteban works park security and special operations. When the park goes down, a series of events leads them both to miss the evacuation boat and thanks to Esteban losing his heart monitor in the scuffle, his security team sees him "flatline" and they think he's dead, so no one is coming for them, either. Survival AU for the boys.

Landoscar:

1. Young Forever AU - this one is a bit odd, but it's a sort of "if you fall asleep you die" scenario, only its "if the music stops you die" - based on the line "the best of the drums keeps us alive" from the song Young Forever by The Ready Set - tying it into the beat of the drum being the beat of their hearts. If they're without music, they're without a beat, and therefore their heart stops. It sounds dumb. I promise it won't be. I'm still working out the kinks. It's going to be the strangest thing I ever write I think.

2. Soulmate AU - Don't want to go too far into this one, but Lando is a star that is humanized when he makes it to Earth. Yes, it sounds similar to the movie Stardust, no, it's actually not. Oscar has Lando's stardust inside of him, and so he literally lights up from his veins up to his heart when Lando touches him, because it's the stardust inside of him reacting to its host. Oscar has to help Lando figure out how to be human, they fall in love, there's issues, ect ect. Their bond is moldable. It's cute.

3. Flatliners AU - this one has a lot of pairings but the main focus is landoscar. Lando, Oscar, Pierre, Esteban, Alex, George, Charles, and Logan are med students in their residencies at the same hospital. Lando is focusing in neurology and has taken a special interest in "life after death" and what the brain does when the heart stops. He approaches his friends with a very casual, "I want you to stop my heart" to mixed reviews. Oscar's focus is cardiology and also he has the most sense out of them all so he highly protests such a stupid idea. Majority rules, though, unfortunately for him.

Lestappen / Galex / Landoscar / Pierresteban:

1. Angel AU - first part has been posted. Post apocalyptic world. Some humans started being born with genetic mutations: wings. Wings are worth a lot of money on the black market because the feathers have dust on them that are used for making hallucinogenic drugs. Humans are viciously hunting angels down to make a buck. A lot of underground bunkers from the apocalypse are commandeered by GOOD humans who set them up as sanctuaries to hide angels in. Alex Albon runs a sanctuary (he's also a doctor). Charles is his right hand man, and alongside Lewis, they lead raids and missions to find angels, save them, and take out hunters. Lots of subplots in this one, but it's a lot of fun. And a lot of pain.

Alex/Logan:

1. Soulmate AU that I have not decided on yet.

Yukierre:

1. Soulmate au with soulmarks. Featuring Pierre being rejected by his soulmate which causes the biggest downward depressive spiral when his soul make disappears and another doesn't manifest in its place. Lots of angst here. Yuki saves the day.

Charles/George:

1.Inception AU - this can also fall under Pierresteban and Landoscar. It is literally just the dumb boys in the universe of Inception, invading dreams and doing very illegal things while dressed up in very fancy expensive clothes. Also they have guns.

[plaidos]

Oh Roxanne, where do we go from here... For a few months now I've had an idea for some really fucking good Laika fanart, that I know would be something nobody so far has done for you.

But every time I get close to actually making it, you say something I find mildly annoying but not terrible, only for the weirdest fucking bigots of this site to crawl out of the underbrush to harass you, and I can't bear to look at your feed for a few weeks because it makes me spiral.

Whatever shall we do.....

(probably make it. at some point. gonna find some quiet for it.)

look, i appreciate you wanting to make fanart of my fiction, i really do, and i'd love to see it whatever it is/ends up being. but like... if the strangest fucking bigots are going full mask-off hate-explosion about the "mildly annoying but not terrible" thing do you think it might be worth inspecting whether i'm actually being "mildly annoying" or whether your learned biases are making you chafe against something meaningful i've pointed out about the world?

like, i'm sorry, but i've explained over and over and over again why it's reasonable for trans girls to make up a catty remark to describe people who wield their assigned gender as a weapon against trans women. "theyfab" is not actually from 4chan (that's a lie) but it has apparently been being used to describe trans people cafab who would happily attend michfest (which was segragationist against trans women) for decades. if it's still "annoying" you at this point then... well, i think you just don't want to hear me out.

again, i really appreciate your interest in my art, and i'm glad it's given you a spark of your own to want to create something special in reflection of that, but if you're not going to engage with some of the core themes of Laika -- the way trans women are uniquely demonised & denied even a full framework to understand our own oppression -- then i'd rather you used your energy making something for an artist you're willing to actually listen to express themselves & the reality of their existence.

[chainofclovers]

I wish you would write a fic where Beard courts both Ted and Rebecca in his own, special way.

I love this so much and it immediately went on my prompts/fic ideas list. Then I wrote a tiny bit of it last night! I'll share it here, and who knows, maybe someday the whole thing will exist as more than just a tiny snippet someday. :) Thank you!

.

Ted’s been working on the women’s team from Kansas, but day one back in the office in Richmond feels like a real first day of work, complete with back-to-school jitters. The fledgling staff will move into temporary rented office space in a few weeks, but for now they’re crashing at the existing club, and that adds to the strangeness of the first-day feeling. It’s a first day back, a first day back in office, and a first day of a whole new phase of life. 

His office is Nate’s old one, practically nestled in the room Roy, Beard, and Nate’s desks currently occupy. He’s not sharing it—he’ll spend most of his days in a conference room just down the hall, where his co-coaches are camping out—so there’s no question, when he stops still in surprise the moment he crosses the threshold, that the enormous flower arrangement is for him. It’s gorgeous, if he’s honest—he’s not quite sure what everybody’s given name is, but there are blossoms of vibrant magenta, deep cornflower blue, mustard yellow with edges of burnt orange lace. 

Beard walks in, and before Ted can point out the nigh over-the-top florals, Beard lets out a sigh of relief. “Oh,” he says. “They made it.”

Ted lifts his eyebrows. “These are from you, Coach?”

Beard steps closer and contemplates at the overflowing vase in silence. “Yeah.”

“Well, they’re beautiful—”

“Never bought anybody flowers before.” 

Ted can’t help but express a bit of surprise at that. “You being for real?”

“Jane was only interested in stolen flowers. And before that—eh? Never really got around to it.” He clears his throat. “Roy and Nate are in the car. We’re scouting in Brighton. Was only running in here to, uh.” 

He seems to notice he’s not come up with an excuse to come in here other than to check to make sure the flowers arrived. They’d had dinner last night, the men’s and women’s coaches and Rebecca, so it can’t have been about wanting to see him.

“Thanks for the flowers. Hey, uh, missed walking in with you this morning. But is Lucy liking her new daycare?”

It’s one of the strangest parts about being back—they’re no longer just a few doors down from each other. Ted’s flat isn’t far from his old building, still near the green, but Beard’s moved a bit closer to Rebecca’s place, to a two-bedroom flat that’s better for life with Lucy. 

“Missed you too, Coach. Lucy’s good. Gotta go.”

And he’s outta there.

[cartoon-network-things]

The second oldest throwback schedule I've done as of yet: CN UK May 2006 (Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20060525093718/http://www.sky.com/skycom/tvguide/0,,560-0,00.html).

This was during the CN City era, which lasted from April 2005 to May 2007 in the UK (2004 to 2006/7 in the US) and you can tell from shows like Xialon Showdown and Atomic Betty. It's interesting how Billy & Mandy and Foster's Home were getting more primetime slots (and possibly more slots overall) than Ed Edd n Eddy, despite the show outlasting them both and even being aired the longest of the three (non-consecutively). "New Show" The Batman with a single primetime slot at 7pm just before Xialon, which has 3 daytime slots overall. I say "New Show" because I'm pretty sure the series was likely airing on Toonami before it was on CN, as the former was more action-oriented and had stuff like Megas XLR & Samurai Jack, as well as getting Beyblade after it was moved from the main network.

A lot of new content premiering that year actually. Plenty of Robotboy reruns, despite having debuted only a few months prior. Johnny Test was likely shown on weekends through the "Saturday Jungle" block, along with Coconut Fred which was removed the same year by the looks of it. Strangely no Ben 10 or Camp Lazlo, which kind of shows how behind we were compared to the US feed, who at the time had some of their best weekly schedule lineups. Also no Powerpuff Girls which somewhat makes sense as that show had already ended the year prior, but still odd as Dexter maintained at least one morning slot outside of Cartoon Cartoons.

The nighttime schedule wasn't anything special, as usual for the time period. Just 6 to 9 hours of Cramp Twins, Gadget Boy and Ned's Newt, in addition to 30 minutes of Atomic Betty which was odd to see.

Overall, it's an okay schedule but I can't help but feel bummed out that it wasn't as varied as I'd expect for the era. An absolute far cry from the US feed at the time, which appears to be the usual in most cases (minus the mid to late 2010s). The most notable (and strangest) omissions here are Juniper Lee, Ben 10 and Camp Lazlo. My Gym Partner's a Monkey supposedly didn't premiere until later on for some reason, so that explains the show's absence, but it doesn't for the other three. Unless they were on weekends like Johnny Test (my source only gave me the weekday schedule), I find it really odd how they just didn't air them that week, though knowing how inconsistent the UK feed has been, it would be fair to assume that they'd return shortly for new episodes or something.

[vidreview]

VIDEO ESSAY ROUNDUP #6 [PART 1]

[originally posted august 1st 2024]

at last, it's time for another roundup! things were fairly dry for a minute there. i tend to go through peaks and valleys vis-a-vis video essay consumption, where i'll watch a bunch of them for a few months and then not be able to watch any for a few months after that. this has been especially true as i've been getting back into the habit of making my own scripted essays. did you know i did one about the Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials a few months ago? i share this so you can judge for yourself if i know what i'm talking about enough to be worth taking recommendations from. i am a fallible beast, and our tastes are likely not the same! also i'm proud of that video and i'd like you to watch it.

but we're here to talk about other people's work, and let me tell you, the last month and a half has yielded a real bounty. let's jump in.

"Investigating a forgotten Edward Snowden Quote" by Allie Meowy.

edward snowden was a bit of a mystery to me beyond the headlines. all i knew was that he leaked highly classified documents detailing secret mass-surveillance, and that he liked hentai games.

this is one of the funniest, strangest essays i've encountered in years. what happens when the wikipedia page for games based on movies doesn't include Elf: The Movie: The Game for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance, and also you happen to discover that Edward Snowden is on the record as liking "some" hentai games? i'm not even sure what this essay ultimately adds up to, but i had such a blast watching it that i honestly don't even care. a wild ride that's well worth your time.

"a pocket full of stones" by Glouder Glens.

i've been thinking about an interview with People's Joker director Vera Drew where she talked about how many young queer artists have relegated themselves to the anti-recognition of youtube. if her film was proof that there's room in the film fest circuit for artfully essayish digital cinema, then we have no choice but to campaign for the incredible works of Sylvia Schweikert, AKA Glouder Glens, to reach a similar level of recognition. if you've yet to encounter its work, Sylvia's half-essay half-werewolf-erotica about it/its pronouns is a classic, but everything on her channel is a gem (not to mention its excellent short films). lately, Sylvia's been experimenting with the form in a big way. her last essay, "Self Discovery Stories," is artfully vertical, a true phone video that digs deep and hits hard. "a pocket full of stones" takes a huge step sideways, rendered in 4:3 at a scalding 360p and edited with a post-adobe-flash Lynch-esque animation style that rockets you back in time to the earliest days of internet video in the best way. what i wouldn't give to see this one on the big screen, i'm telling you. this kind of work simply doesn't have a place on youtube as far as youtube's concerned, so it's up to us as champions of the medium to share widely what the algorithm will not. definitely heed the content warnings though.

"The Miraculous Horror of Stop Motion" by Henry Kathman.

here's a cozy, enthusiastic dive into the often unforeseen externalities of stop-motion animation, that doesn't outstay its welcome or get too sanctimonious. i appreciate Kathman's use of alternate backdrops to give each section its own mood. through three unique and interesting examples of stop motion, he explores how the medium itself is an artform that can't be streamlined through technology the way so many other forms of animation have been-- even just to recreate the feel of stop motion digitally, you still pretty much have to hand animate it with an equivalent amount of brute labor. it's a satisfying analysis, which is unsurprising from the ever-consistent and thoughtful Kathman. and the soundtrack by Molly Noise is, as always, fantastic.

"The Religious Gamification of Indika" by Pim's Crypt.

i watched an essay a couple weeks ago about Indika which heavily criticized it for being boring and overly talkative, that really just convinced me that i wanted to see someone look at the game on its own terms. Pim here does a great job doing exactly that, wasting zero seconds of the universe's limited window of coherence on lip service to the harsh critical consensus in favor of simply examining what Indika says on its own terms. they explore how the complexities of faith are successfully gameified in Indika, making a compelling case for its quality. i've highlighted Pim in a previous roundup, and i'm happy to see them back with another solid work.

"So What's Up With Those PS2 Castlevanias?" by Trans Witch Reviews.

this one's pretty much what it says on the tin. when it comes to analyzing game franchises long-running enough to have titles across multiple console generations, i'm always drawn to essays that dig into the red-headed step-children no one ever really talks about. like the PS2 Castlevania games. i didn't even know they existed until now! granted that's probably because i never owned a Sony console before the ps4, but whatever. like a lot of games with 2D roots, Castlevania seemed to struggle finding its feet in the third dimension, and the historical consensus seems to have largely landed on "the 2D ones were best." i think this Trans Witch makes a very compelling case that at the very least Castlevania: Curse of Darkness is an underrated classic-- enough so, anyway, to make me want to give it a shot. i appreciate how she highlights the music of the series by focusing on the work of specific composers, though i think she lingers on those samples for a bit too long. regardless, this is a well put together essay made with readily apparent enthusiasm, and sometimes that's all you need.

"Why The Ring Didn't Use Color Grading" by WatchingtheAerial.

an astonishingly thorough deep-dive into the very specific in-camera techniques used to give Gore Verbinski's American remake of The Ring its signature blue look. like a lot of people i always assumed this was accomplished with digital color grading, though unlike many detractors i adore The Ring's visual identity and think it's at least as worthwhile a film as its Japanese counterpoint. this is the kind of video essay i adore-- a technician with extensive domain knowledge utilizing resources laypeople wouldn't know about to answer a seemingly simple question at exhaustive and surprising depth. the real kicker here though is that the creator also wants to recreate this technique for themself, all the way up to tracking down the kind of film stock The Ring was shot on and using it in a 35mm stills camera. i immediately went from this video to watch everything else on his (?) channel, and i wasn't disappointed. here's someone who cares a lot about the labor of shaping and lensing light, and the emotional properties these processes bring to a film. "Collateral & the Death of Neon" is SUCH a satisfying watch if you care even a little bit about the visual identity of city streets across history. great stuff all around

[quicksilverdrabbles]

Shattered (1)

Taliesin: Ugh. How far away from the next town are we?

Kaidan: Nowhere close enough to get to shelter before nightfall. Guess we're making camp.

Morana: There's no need for that. We can use my master's old outpost nearby.

Lucien: Your-? Are you sure you're okay with being where your master lived?

Morana: It's fine. It's where I hid out after I destroyed his lab in Morrowind. Not really a... traumatic place for me, if that's what you're thinking.

Xelzaz: Still, I don't know..

Morana: It has a toilet. And bathtub.

Taliesin: I'm in.

Lucien: Let's get on with it.

Inigo: What are we waiting for?

Morana: *thumbs up* It's pretty close by. We'll be there before sundown.

Xelzaz: Your master was an alchemist as well, was he not? Does he have any special recipes or ingredients in this outpost?

Morana: He figured out a way to cultivate Jarrin Root. I've been meaning to go back and restock my supplies.

Xelzaz: Jarrin Root?! How on earth did he manage that??

Morana: I still haven't figured it out yet. He kept the plant in its own self-sufficient terrarium so I don't have to worry about taking care of it, but I've yet to be able to keep a new clipping alive.

Taliesin: How long have you been walking around with the most deadly plant on Tamriel in your pockets???

Morana: Since.. always?

Kaidan: Gods above, it's a wonder Styx hasn't gotten into it.

Morana: Styx is a good girl. And besides, I only actually use it against powerful enemies. Like giants, and now dragons... *sighs, head tilting down and away from them* .. He was a brilliant man, really. Horrible and cruel, but brilliant. He was even looking for a cure for the Afflicted of Peryite. Got pretty close too, until I killed him.

Lucien: Imagine what he could have done, if he had better methods..

Taliesin: I imagine he'd be revered as one of the world's greatest doctors.

Morana: ...

~

Morana: Watch your step. It's kind of dark inside, and it's a long fall if you trip on the staircase. Don't kill the frostbite spider, he's my pet. Eats all the skeevers that try to get in.

Lucien: That.. is a terrifying image.

Kaidan: It goes underground?

Inigo: Another ancient ruin, I imagine. Your master had an affinity for finding vacant buildings.

Taliesin: Yes, yes, very interesting. Where is this bathing room you say you have? My hair is an absolute birds' nest and must be remedied immediately.

Morana: First door when you enter the main room.

Taliesin: Excellent.

Morana: Everyone else can get comfortable. Yaksha, would you mind checking for injuries?

Yaksha: Of course. If anyone has any unusual pains, let me know, please.

Lucien: Oh, actually I've been getting the strangest throbbing on my leg-

Morana: *sighs, pulling her hood down and adjusting the circlet on her brow, setting her cane against the wall to sit on an armchair nearby*

Kaidan: Oh, getting comfy are we?

Morana: *nods* I figured I may as well, if we're spending the night.

Kaidan: You want dibs on the bath after Taliesin?

Morana: No, you can take it first. I need to sit down and drink some potions. It hurts today.

Kaidan: Oh.. alright. Is there anything I can get you?

Morana: ... Can you ask Xelzaz to make me half a honey-glazed roll, please?

Kaidan: Won't it upset your stomach?

Morana: Not if it's a small portion.

Kaidan: Aye, I'll see to it, then.

~

Taliesin: *walks out of the bathing room with an edgier than usual frown on his face*

Kaidan: Hm? What's up with you, ya' fucken grump? Morana didn't have your favorite scented soap?

Taliesin: Hmph. Your turn is next, is it not? Why don't you go in there and see what is 'up' with me.

Kaidan: ...? Alright, I'll bite.

Morana: *happily munching on half a honey roll, swinging one leg while her left sits perched on the table nearby*

Xelzaz: Good?

Morana: Mhm..

Kaidan: *walks into the bathing room, stopping in his tracks at what he sees in the corner. A mounted mirror, completely shattered. Shards of glass litter the bottom of the basin, with the pieces still hanging on to the frame cracked and splintered in a pattern like a spiderweb* ... What?

Taliesin: ... Raven?

Morana: Hm?

Taliesin: Can I.. ask you something?

Morana: Mhm. *pats the seat next to her, licking the remaining syrup off her fingers so she can sign properly* What's up?

Taliesin: ... How long has that mirror in the restroom been broken?

Morana: *frowns, shaking her head* It's been broken since I came here.

Taliesin: That's nonsense and you know it. Everything else in this place is in pristine condition. What once may have been broken has probably been fixed, all except that mirror.

Morana: ...

Taliesin: Did you break it? Intentionally, I mean.

Morana: What does it matter?

Taliesin: Answer the question, please.

Morana: You weren't even supposed to see it. It had a cloth over it for a reason.

Taliesin: ... Okay, that one's my fault, I'll admit that much.

Kaidan: *walks out of the bathroom* Hey, Morana? Can I ask you about the-

Morana: Did you tell Kai?!

Taliesin: Yes, okay, I am a horrible person! I was just-!

Morana: What, worried?? Did you think I was hiding something?

Kaidan: What?? No, he was probably just-

Morana: *whips around and glares at Kaidan* Stay out of it!

Kaidan: *raises his hands to his shoulders* Ah. Yeah, you're on your own with that one, Tal-a.

Taliesin: *deadpans* I'm ever so glad for your support, Kaidan.

Morana: Out with it!

Taliesin: Gods- Okay fine, I will admit I was worried. The cloth had fallen halfway off and I saw the broken glass- at first I was going to simply sweep the glass up so nobody hurt themselves, but then I saw the mirror and started thinking about the implications that might have gone with it-

Morana: I broke that mirror ages ago. Long before I met you or Kaidan or anyone. And even disregarding any implications- *her sign becomes more pointed and aggressive* It's none of your business.

Taliesin: If your health might be at risk, I would like to think it is my business! I'll not be parading around acting like nothing is wrong when there is still so much about your past you have not told us! We only know the least of what you've been through and the affects it has had on you! And that doesn't give me any cause to worry??

Morana: It's not just that, Tally, it's the fact that you smother me! You always just assume I need the help instead of asking! You jump in on fights I can handle or speak for me when I don't need you to!

Taliesin: I just want to help you! What's wrong with that?!

Morana: It makes me feel useless! It makes me feel like I can't go two fucking steps without needing to be coddled and I don't! I have bad days, but I've always had bad days, I can handle it! When Kaidan or Lucien or anyone else offers their help, they don't do it because they think I'm weak, but it just feels like you do! And they ask if I need help!

Taliesin: I- You don't-

Morana: And while we're on the subject of trust, Taliesin- *stands, leaning heavily on one leg and thrusting her finger into his chest* The names we share may not be our own, but at least I would tell you my name if I could remember it. I trust you enough for that. Not only do you think I am weak, but you don't think I'm someone worthy of that.

Taliesin: ...

Morana: *turns and snatches her cane, walking past him and pulling aside a curtain, revealing a bedroom before the door behind it slams shut*

Kaidan: ...

Xelzaz: ...

Taliesin: ... Damn it.. *runs a hand through his hair, looking stressed as he leaves the room*

Inigo: *staring at her bedroom door in shock* ... Uh. I could not catch all of that.

Lucien: I'll, uh.. I'll tell you later.

Inigo: .. I am going to go check on her.

[1001albumsrated]

#31: Ray Charles - Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962)

Genre(s): Pop, RnB, Country

Whether or not you MUST hear this is to be determined (y'know, later in this post), but this is certainly one of the strangest albums you'll ever hear in concept. What happens if you have an RnB singer do country standards with a pop orchestra? This odd beast, and its Volume II follow up LP.

I've complained endlessly about the schmaltzy string sections of the 50s and 60s so I'll cool my jets for the most part, but yeah the orchestration on this album is pretty abysmal. Ray's playing, however, is excellent. And the big orchestra at least feels a little more appropriate for these tunes, as the Nashville Sound was taking over country at the time and tended to stick to these more genteel orchestral sounds. Still, not into it.

As mentioned above, Ray is at the top of his game here. His playing and singing are excellent, and his soulful approach to these tunes really lends something special to the recording and serves the songs well. Musically it's about the furthest thing possible from country, but I think that's what makes it interesting. Stylistically it finds itself very much stuck in its time, but it still makes for a fun listen. It also represents a reasonably large breakthrough in musical race relations for the time. So far the grand cultural exchange had been fairly one sided, with white musicians making a lot of money playing black music. This is really one of the first times that an established black artist turned the dynamic on its head by playing white music.

So it's a bit of a strange listen, and it's certainly a significant one. But MUST you hear it before you die? I was on the fence about this one, but I'm leaning Yes. I would have really loved to hear this with a more traditional RnB/soul group backing Ray, but I think this still stands strong enough to merit inclusion in the strength of Ray's performances. And while I'm not sure it's an album that most folks will find themselves coming back to over and over, it's a good one to have heard at least once.

For the nerds: I listened to this one in hi-res on Qobuz. For all of the obvious effort and money that went into this recording, it still doesn't sound that great. But it gets the job done.

Coming up next: instrumental legends Booker T. & The M.G.'s with their classic album Green Onions!

[fleurcareil]

East Quebec: Quebec City and West Gaspesie

I left Mont-Tremblant reenergized and with a plan not to get so much bitten; so far 4 days later I've succeeded! :)

On my way to Quebec City, I paid a visit to my ex-colleague Allen and his wife who live since his retirement off the beaten track at the end of an unpaved road in the municipality of Gore, an hour northwest of Montreal. Winters are harsh in Quebec but with a floor-heated solarium surrounded by forest I can imagine it being the perfect retreat from busy life 😎.

After a long & boring drive to the city (I might have gotten a speed ticket?!?), I checked in at the HI hostel smack in Vieux Quebec. For those who don't know HI hostels, they provide quality accommodation (in my case a private bedroom with table & chair) with clean, shared washrooms in well-maintained and noise-free facilities... I've stayed there several times before as it's perfectly located, safe (with your personal entry card) and even includes breakfast at a fraction of a hotel cost. HI is more expensive than "backpacker" hostels (and without parties) so the typical guests are older long-term travellers or families as you can often cook dinner as well. 

It was very windy in Quebec so I only went to see my two favourites; the Fairmont terrace with view of the river, and the massive trompe l'oeil mural depicting famous Quebecois, near the oldest stone church in Canada (which is always closed when I'm there).

Despite the cold, I sat like many other tourists on a patio for dinner which was luckily worth it; delicious cheese fondue, rabbit and rhubarb pie... Quebecois (and I) know how to eat well! 😊 The next morning I went to another favourite; the Musee des Beaux Arts, which has among others a rooftop with mathematically designed sculptures that align with the nearby church spires, an exhibit of Quebec designers (anyone interested in the 1994 workstation capsule?), and a modern art exhibit where the wooden BMW on top of little grass blocks is a statement about the uselessness of consumerism.

Then off to the Gaspesie, which initially seems to be a very long road to nowhere, but once you get closer to the St Lawrence River it's pretty to look out over the water to the mountains on the north side. After having set up the tent at park du Bic, I go to possibly one of the strangest art installations you'll ever see; a group of over 100 concrete statues that are standing on the beach and on the rocks into the sea. "Le Grand Rassemblement" at the Centre D'art Marcel Gagnon is meant to represent the human condition of being alone with our individual emotions while still bonded to others as we all experience the same.

I came here first in 2010 at high tide so most figures were in the water then, whereas now it was low tide so I could walk out to them.  There's something poetic about these statues just standing there in the sea and I'm really impressed by it. I stayed for dinner (pear-shrimp appetizer was a great combo!) so by the time I was done, the tide had come up halfway and the sun started setting, which made it even more special. On the way back, I also stopped at the lighthouse at Rimouski, a rare, buttressed structure that at 28m high is one of the tallest in Canada. Driving along the sea with the red sun beside me was magical!

Having had the first cold night since I started the trip (wearing hat & mittens in my sleeping bag!), it was hard to get out of bed in the morning so it took me a while to get going. I try to cook most of dinner in the mornings (as I can't be bothered in the evening) so now made a couscous salad with merguez sausages so that I only had to add the spinach & fresh tomatoes later. First hike was at the Canyon des Portes de L'Enfer (the doors of hell) where the Rimouski river goes through a series of waterfalls. I tried to make a video which didn't work out, but the pic is still impressive. There's also a really high suspension bridge over the valley which made for great views, luckily I've never been afraid of heights 😁.

Drove back to the park du Bic in time to do one of the coolest hikes in my life; scrambling across rocks at low tide around the park's buff Cap d'Orginal. You need to start 2 hours before the low tide to leave enough time to make the entire loop before the water comes up again, and there's basically no path so it's up to you to find the way over the cliffs.

The first part was quite hard pulling yourself up & over the rocks, but luckily I was not the only one on the "trail" so I could look ahead at what others were doing. Mid-way was a long beach that is fully submerged at high tide and then there was more, but slightly less extreme scrambling. Being relieved that I had made it in one piece to the other side, I was less happy when I realized there was still another 3k to hike partially uphill through the forest to come back. I did see a fox on my return at the parking lot which made me smile 😍. Spent the evening eating dinner overlooking the bay at sunset, life is good!

Slept like a baby and woke up warm but wide awake at 4:30am so it made for a very long day, which was mostly spent driving from the Gaspesie north coast to the New Brunswick south coast near Saint John, 604 km away. Before taking off however, I first went to check the seals lookout in the park, which didn't deliver any seals (I had seen one the day before on my hike) however a quintet of great herons and many eider ducks, which are the largest sea-ducks in Canada. A quick stop at a beautiful viewpoint (at 9am Monday when everyone else starts working 😜) was all I needed to get in the car and say au revoir to Quebec and hello to New Brunswick! 

Wildlife: 1 turkey (along the road), 20+ eider duck, 1 seal, 1 fox, 5 great blue heron and 2 deer (all at du Bic)

SUPs: none

Hikes: two small ones at the canyon and a 9k one at du Bic

PS: I had wanted to post a few days earlier but did not have any internet... still trying to post every 3-4 days when I can!

[llscafe]

so i recently saw a $50 off promo for purple carrot. it's not something i would ever normally order due to the price, but with the promo it came out to be fairly affordable, so i ordered some of their meals. and here's my review!

i went with the prepared meals so i could easily heat them up at work, but they also offer meal kits.

meal #1:

that's a rather paltry serving of green beans, isn't it? the quinoa had a mild flavor, savory with tomato and olive notes. the topping on the green beans had an odd texture; i would have rather had a spice coating or a sauce. but it had a bit of tang to it. upon mixing both sides of the meal together, the flavors melded well and the texture was more satisfying.

meal #2:

more green beans! at least the container is (almost) full this time.

the noodles have the strangest smell. i can't describe it with any word other than: diapers. unused ones, thankfully, but it's still rather off-putting. it's that perfumey, chemically smell... it tastes ok, but it's definitely lacking something. sweetness, i think.

i took the second half home and ate it as leftovers the next day, with a touch of sweet chili sauce, and it was MUCH improved. the weird smell was gone and it was actually really tasty. not sure if it was the air exposure or the extra cooking time, but it was like a whole different dish.

meal #3:

right off the bat, i was confused by the "enjoy cold" message right above the generic heating instructions. i tried it cold - the bean salad has the expected vinegary taste, the sweet potatoes are just slightly firmer than i prefer but they do indeed have a mild chipotle tang to them. some bites have so much vinegar that my tongue tingles.

as before, mixing both sides of the meal creates a more interesting flavor profile. i then tried heating it up - it didn't enhance the flavor of the bean salad, but the sweet potatoes became softer and overall, the meal felt more hearty and satisfying.

meal #4:

finally, something with a bit of fake meat. though there could definitely be more - so far these meals are rather lacking in protein. it's hard to fuck up pasta, so of course it was a good meal. one of the tastiest so far, but nothing special compared to other frozen pasta meals.

meal #5:

looks great, right? as i opened the package i realized there was already a tear in the plastic, but i'm a daredevil so i ate it anyway (don't be like me.)

despite the initial appearance, this was one of the tastiest so far - not surprising when you look at the nutrition facts lol. i love pesto, i love tortelloni, how can you go wrong. quite flavorful.

more reviews coming soon! i still have another box to get through.

[mellowgoop]

Year one as a castlevania fan has been extremely good, and pretty surprising. I pretty much gave aria a shot because i knew something good would happen if I went to the home of the metroidvania, and yeah its pretty incredible! I kind of forget when I noticed how much appeal soma and alucard have to me as characters, probably must have been when i was beginning my mellowvania descent in 2021 and trying to get a sense of what the heck castlevania even was? because i had NO connection before that point, like seriously zero. it rose up to like, zelda tier with ambitions for higher in my heart pretty quickly though

the biggest surprises HAVE to be how much like the netflix series when my taste in animation had pretty much been "cute girls doing cute things and learning about friendship" and NOTHING else for like. four years straight? like I kid you not I hardly consumed anything else, the thematic jump to castlevania was insane. I was kind of just humoring it through season one's gorefest but yeah, season two was something special! the characters are just incredible and even if I dont exactly get the core conflict of the second half its impossible to stop watching them all grow and change and settle into their lives. or break entirely. its unreal that nocturne is coming, I'm so happy this show has been received well

and speaking of nocturne, uh, year two as a fan is looking interesting??? I really like alucard, i really like sotn, but rondo of blood grabbed me by the throat and became my bestie IMMEDIATELY, I have no idea what it is about it but it speaks to me so deeply. and, um, thats a PRETTY SEXY position to have ended up in with the deadcells crossover and nocturne coming out?? like what?? i am going to hang out with maria and richter and alucard more than you could possibly fathom...

strangest of all, I just saw rumors about a series reboot coming this year and I have no idea what I would want most right now. weirdly enough, I'm kind of tepid on igavanias as a game style? like theyre awesome comfort food but compared to the craftsmanship behind super metroid, metroid dread and hollow knight they feel by far the most by-the-numbers. i LIKE them, but I don't know if another 3d-2d igavania like bloodstained would really get me as pumped as a return to classicvania. like, seriously, that style means so much to me! its 85% headaches and 15% bliss but it feels so magical and inspired and solid. honestly, if I could have anything, put trevor belmont in a classicvania with the anime style... i know that sort of just happened with mirror of fate but like... if the netflix series came back to the games that would be sososoosso cool.....

[yorkiegregg]

1) What category of alterhumanity do you belong to?:

I don’t focus too hard on specific labels, but I am a therianthrope + a clinical cynanthrope (which would technically put me under the physical alterhuman label aswell). I also consider myself a suntherian (constantly in a shifted state essentially).

2) What are your type’s?

I’m a Yorkshire Terrier :)

3) Do you experience shifts? And if so, what’s your most common shifts/strangest cameo shift?

I don’t necessarily shift because I am a suntherian, so I am always in a shifted state. Though, I do very occasionally get cameo shifts - once I’ve gotten a centaur-like cameo shift, where half of my body was a big-cat.

4) How do you experience your alterhumanity in everyday life?

This is hard to answer for me. It’s like asking “how do you experience eating in your everyday life”, like- I just eat, yk? So, I don’t have a real answer to this question.

5) What do you think of the community?

It’s nice and cozy. I like that it’s just a place where you can talk so intricately about yourself without any setbacks from society. I like that theres so many forms of self-expression that go around, and I like how creative and inquisitive everyone is.

6) What are the things that make you the most comfortable or euphoric in your alterhumanity?

Probably being alone and expressing myself to my fullest, honestly. I love to sit down with a snack, wearing my gear, and watching animal documentaries - even if they aren’t specifically about my type’, they still feel inherently connected to myself and to the therian subculture.

7) Are you experiencing species dysphoria?

No, I’d go as far as to say that I’ve never truly felt species dysphoric. I think a good part of this is because I’m quite involved with my alterhumanity, and I also am a clinical cynanthrope - so those “physical dysphorias” are subtled out entirely essentially.

8) What advice would you give to a young therian who’s just awakened?

Honestly, just push everything online to the side and let yourself be & have fun. Don’t stress over your type’s, don’t involve yourself in discourse, don’t worry about being “a correct therianthrope” or whatnot. Just let everything be, things work out on its own. I believe that truthfully for many things.

9) do you have or want to have gear?

I have quite the handful of gear! I have plenty of collars & 3 tails. I really want a hunting dog themed collar though :o

10) do you know/have any theories on the origins of your alterhumanity?

Yes, I am certain of the cause of my alterhumanity. I am Autistic, and dogs have been my special interest since I was born. When I was younger, I used to obsessively watch Fox and the Hound & Balto, 2 movies on working dogs, and I used to just look at the screen in pure awe. I would run around on all fours everywhere, wearing animal costumes that I either made or had from Halloween, and I’d bark and growl and howl instinctively. -I’ve also always owned terriers and terrier mixes my whole life, so seeing in the flesh how those dogs acted played a part into my imprinting & heavy obsession on/with these animals. It’s always been instinct for me, when I was overstimulated I’d bite others and growl. When I was hungry I’d get “zoomies” and run on all fours energetically. When I was sad I’d whine and howl. I’d use dog body-language to express my emotions to others, and would completely lose it all when others would pass up this language as “stupid” or simply would not understand by passing my boundaries. In short: my Autism was the root of my alterhumanity.

11) Tag someone who’d like to join!

anyone who would like to join should and can C:

If you are a alterhuman, reblog and answer these questions!

(don't be afraid to write a lot, do what you want ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯)

1/ Which category of alterhumanity do you belong to?

2/ What/who is/are your type(s)? (if you have any)

3/ Do you experience shifts? If so, can you tell us your most common shifts and your strangest cameo shift (if you've ever had a cameo shift)?

4/ How do you experience your alterhumanity in everyday life?

5/ What do you think of the community?

6/ What are the things that make you most comfortable and euphoric in your alterhumanity?

7/ Are you experiencing species dysphoria?

8/ What advice would you like to say to a young alterhuman who has just awakened?

9/ Do you have/want to have gears?

10/ Do you know/have any theories about the origin of your alterhumanity? If so, tell us! (all beliefs are legitimate)

11/ Tag someone/a creature to answer these questions!ㅤᵕ̈

[enby-trainer]

Poke Ball - If you have pokémon what kind of poke balls are they kept in?

Ordinary red/white balls with custom stickers of their names on 'em. I oughta decorate them more but I can't settle on a good way to do it.

Great Ball - Is there anything your pokémon are especially great at? Like tricks or moves?

Delphine's fave move is Play Rough, at least, I'm guessing it is since she uses it so often, and she's pretty good at it in my opinion. Meanwhile Nox's seems to be Power Gem? Also for the same reason.

Ultra Ball - How easy is it to bathe and groom your pokémon? What is needed to do so?

Usually the gals just clean themselves easily enough. They dislike getting dirty. Never needed to give either of 'em a bath.

Luxury Ball - What is one luxury you tend to take for granted or use to take for granted?

I used to tend to order DoorDash meals when I was too lazy to cook. And then one month I basically went broke because of my lack of self-control and sense. So, no more of that!

Heal Ball - Do you have any scars or injuries? How did you get them?

All the old cuts I got as a child from the multiple meowth my parents had growing up have healed and faded since then. Not all of those meowth liked children, y'know? And I was an annoying kid, always grabby-hands. Thankfully neither of my gals have ever seriously got me. Unrelated to pokemon, I got a fracture in one of my arms as a child when another kid pushed me off the monkey bars. Had to wear a cast.

Love Ball - Is there anyone you care deeply for? It can be romantic, platonic, or familial love.

My mom, for one. She wasn't perfect and still has her flaws to this day, but she loves me in the end and just wants me to be happy.

Friend Ball - Do you have any close friends? How did you meet them?

I don't really have any friends outside of my family, unfortunately. It's kind of lonely. One of the reasons I made this blog was so I could make new friends in the pokemon-owning community.

Repeat Ball - What is one thing that you could do over and over and never get tired of?

Eat! Sleep? Lol. I'm not very interesting. Well...if I could experience the feeling of winning a battle with your 'mon over and over again, that would probably be it. It's one of the few things in my life that make me feel like I know what I'm doing and I'm not a failure of a person. Which makes it suck even more when I lose.

Cherish Ball - What memory are you most fond of?

When Nox and Delphine were kittens, though Delphine was grown by the time Nox came into the picture. I hold those times near and dear to my heart.

Premier Ball - Are there any special events that you’re looking forward to in the future? If the event has already happened, what was it?

I plan to challenge a Unovan gym eventually! I just, uh, am indecisive...

Safari Ball - Have you been on any adventures? What were they?

Outside of New Tork? Not really. I've never left this city my whole life. I think I've got to change that...

Dusk Ball - Do you prefer the day or the night? Dawn or dusk?

I am a morning person.

Dream Ball - Do you have a dream? Or have you already achieved it?

I want to be a real, traveling pokemon trainer, I think. I've been stalling because I'm hesitant to give up everything I've gotten so far -- my job, my apartment. Being a professional trainer isn't easy, as far as I've observed...do you think I'm making up excuses? I'm not sure what I'm doing. All I know is sometime soon I need to try.

Heavy Ball - What is the biggest pokémon you own? What is the biggest Pokémon you are willing to own?

Both of my gals are averagely sized for Kantonian persian and both are about the same size as one another.

Strange Ball - What is the strangest thing you’ve seen or have heard about?

Why do scientists insist on making unethical hybrids like arctozolt and dracozolt? The poor things.

Park Ball - Do you take your pokémon out to fun places such as the park or the beach?

I take my 2 persian out to local parks as often as I can. Also on general walks.

Moon Ball - If you have pokémon that have evolved how did it happen? If they haven’t yet evolved do you or your pokémon ever plan on doing it?

If Nox and Delphine ever felt like they wanted to evolve before they did, they never let me know. I get the feeling neither of them expected to evolve either. For Delphine, it happened about half a year before Nox evolved. IIRC, meowth-Delphine was eating her daily dinner when suddenly she began to glow and change in shape. Nox, we were outside on a walk. I didn't expect any of it. They were both still pretty young, and to be honest they are still young now. Does this mean I'm a decent trainer? I hope so.

Quick Ball - Do you tend to take your time with things or do you have a ‘go go go’ attitude?

I am contradictory. Sometimes I have a go-go-go let's get this done right now kinda attitude, and then with other things I procrastinate badly.

Sports Ball - Have you participated in any competitions? Like pokémon contests or battle tournaments?

Not yet but we will. I am 26 and we've still got our whole life ahead of us. Don't remind me how some people start out at age 10 and still become champions...it makes me feel depressed about my progress.

Nest Ball - How old was your youngest pokémon when you got them?

Nox is the youngest, and she was practically a baby when I got her. Delphine was more of a teen.

[st-juliet]

Love-Performing Night

Fandom: Henry Cavill as Sherlock in Enola Holmes

Summary: The Reader, an actress at Covent Garden Theatre and neighbor to a certain eccentric detective, is equal parts flustered and delighted when he arrives at the stage door after a performance.

Notes: I prefer giving a name to the Reader rather than using Y/N, but I hope you will make the appropriate substitutes in your imagination!

Content: Light intimations of imagined, enthusiastically consensual sex, suggestive language, and over-indulgent references to Shakespeare.

“Gentleman for you at the stage door, Miss Cane!”

“For me?

“Ay, Miss.”

“And I know who!” sang out Amelia, the company’s stunning chanteuse, who apparently cannot help but overhear everyone’s business at every moment and share her unvarnished opinions—as any best friend would—snapping open her delicate fan and smiling triumphantly.

“Tall, broad fellow?” inquires the wizened old stagehand who has come to deliver this news. “Got a great bouquet of roses with him.”

“Well, that surely cannot be—“

“It can and I’ll wager ten it is!” Amelia interrupts you.

“But why would he bring flowers?”

“It takes no detective to conjure that, Clara. I’m only surprised it took so long!”

“He has come to sweep you off your feet at last, then, oh diamond of the London stage?” you jest in turn, hoping to put her off with your teasing, if not at all untrue, flattery. “What a perfect pairing for the scandalmongers you’d make! The brightest of minds and the most elegant of celebrities—“ 

“The brightest of minds!” she mimics, pitching her voice like the swooning schoolgirl you hope you are not presently emulating yourself. “No, I am not for him and he is not for me and you know that.”

She sweeps away in a flutter of embroidered silk, smirking delightedly. A few starstruck choristers follow devotedly in her perfumed wake; Amelia is a woman for whom men bring flowers to the stage door. Yours is, by your own design, a quieter beauty, allowing you to slip anonymously away into the London streets when the curtain falls. Shielded by plain linen so unlike the silken sweetness of Juliet, Silvia, and Desdemona, most nights find you walking happily home to the garret apartment of an infamous address, let cheaply by a kind woman for the commotion often caused below.

From your window overlooking the street, you have watched a parade of clients enter and exit 221B Baker street, from to a small, veiled woman you suspect may have been Queen Victoria herself to the humblest of desperate factory workers…not to mention the troop of rag-tag children who would surely follow their hero to the edges of the earth, and certainly as far as Scotland Yard and back. And of course, a real-life Rosalind, revealing the glorious truth of herself and her bold dreams in a variety of disguises, whom you have come to know as his sister. She would be a fine actress herself, but that the women of the world require her to advocate for her interests in a different, special way.

And you have seen him. A creature of the strangest habit, who seems to go about his business just as you are coming home from yours, cordially greeting you beneath the starry skies as he sets forth with his faithful Doctor Watson at his side, or skulking through the shadows where you obligingly pretend you do not see him, even once paying your carriage fare—with a stern “You will permit me.”—on a cold, stormy evening.

You have met him a few mornings, too; emblazoned in your memory is the first time he climbed the narrow stairs to knock upon your door.

“Miss Cane. Forgive my intrusion, but I require for my latest case a woman’s opinion.”

“Is it so very different than a man’s?”

This was no flirtatious rejoinder, but a genuine question, one which provoked an hour of passionate conversation on that subject, and countless hours since on every topic under the sun. He ever more regularly seeks your opinions now, not only as a woman, but as a person of sentiment and gentle candor, niche knowledge, and an excellent facility for riddles and puzzles. More than you often care to admit to yourself, let alone to him, you treasure this natural continuation of your budding friendship, which has seemed, in these past weeks, to have reached a new and unexpected depth.

When a rare failure of his faculties resulted in tragedy, you taught him the cadence of sympathy, apology, and humble hope, without judgment or unkindness. On Amelia’s behalf and at your request, he retrieved a compromising letter, with the utmost respect and discretion. You have ever found him to be a gentleman, utterly vain and often supercilious to the ignorant, but of limitless compassion for the ostracized, the wounded, and the needy.

And of course, he is a man of amiable countenance. But at Covent Garden, everyone is. It is the nature of your profession to be well acquainted with beauty of all shapes, sizes, and kinds, and never be tempted into any sort of entitlement to or desert thereof. Your head cannot be turned by his keen blue eyes, such wide shoulders and powerful arms, those unruly curls that you can only imagine would feel softer than silk, winding your fingers through to pull him closer as his demanding lips press against—

No.

You harbor no thoughts, feelings, nor desires, on the part of Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

None. Whatsoever.

But here he is. On your turf, so to speak, and rather out of his element, ducking beneath a sandbag, sidestepping a pile of blunted swords, and peering somewhat bemusedly at a tower of elaborate hats carried by in the arms of an eager dresser. He looks completely, charmingly out of place, so solemn and sophisticated in his immaculately pressed black tailcoat in the midst of this chaos of color and light. You cannot help but laugh, even as your breath hitches at his approach.

You have seen him in the guise of soldier, sailor, beggar, barrister, dandy, but never in his own best attire. To say Mr. Holmes is the eighth wonder would be doing the sight a disservice, or so your treacherous heart whispers, entirely against the will of your resolved mind. When his eyes finally meet yours, he sweeps his hat from his head, setting it aside almost absentmindedly. His expression is peculiar, almost wondrous, as he approaches, towering over you with a gentle smile that only rarely graces his countenance.

“Miss Cane.”

“Mr. Holmes!” Does your voice sound as breathless as you think it does? One can only hope not. “You should have told me you wished to come tonight; I would have secured a box for you.”

“It was an impulse of the moment. Do I intrude?”

“Not at all. Are these…for a case?”

“They are for ‘Juliet’.” Another smile. Heaven have mercy. “For you. How remiss I have been in never attending your performances.”

His gloved fingers brush yours lightly but deliberately as you take the roses in hand, and your heart skips a beat at the contact, but you are determined to hold his gaze and maintain your decorum.

“Nonsense—you have no obligation to visit your neighbor’s work, even if it is public, or artistic in nature.”

“My neighbor?”

He quirks an eyebrow, a fuller smile playing about his lips. You feel a flush rise in your cheeks. The slightest glance of his leather-clad hand, the common practice of a congratulatory bouquet—is this all it takes to send your common sense running through a metaphorical meadow of wilder dreams than you have any right to harbor? Surely Mr, Holmes himself would chide you for such careless deductions—no, suppositions, presumptions. But…roses. For you. Not just for a neighbor, but a…a…?

“No obligation even to a friend. But you are so kind to come—I rejoice to see you! Would you like a tour? I think our provisions will impress even someone with a disguise kit so luxurious as your own.”

Yes, indeed, a very a good jest, you lie to yourself. He will never know I want to kiss him here and now before Amelia, God, and everyone.

“Gladly,” he replies. “I am rarely baffled, Miss Cane, but this labyrinth of yours is equal parts stimulating and confounding. What on earth is that?”

“The shipwreck for The Sea Voyage. I believe it is meant to be abstract rather than representative.”

“I see. How could I have mistaken it?” He maintains a casual tone as he chuckles and straightens his cravat, but you can no longer deny that something else simmers below his cool demeanor. “And perhaps after, we might share a carriage back to Baker Street. We have much to discuss, you and I.”

“Indeed? Well, I have a private dressing room; if you’d prefer, we may start our tour there and speak at once, if—“

As you begin to gesture towards the nearby door, he reaches out and catches your hand, gently stroking his thumb across the sensitive inside of your wrist.

“Thank you, but not, I think, tonight.” 

“But—“

He lowers his head to kiss your hand, then softly speaks into your ear.

“My darling girl, you are irresistibly lovely, and never more so than now. This—“ His eyes flick down to where your chest rises and falls with each expectant breath beneath the sheer white lace of Juliet’s burial gown. “—is certainly a clever trick of fate to test my restraint at such a critical moment. But I am not half the actor you are: you would quickly find me unable keep up the part of a gentleman for long.”

“Sir, I…”

“Look at you you blush. All the way down to your—“

If he finishes that thought, whispering to you so nearly that you can feel his breath on your neck, you fear you will swoon into his arms on the spot. You cut him off swiftly.

“Let me—let me go and dress. For if matters are so urgent as you say, then it seems we were best to postpone our tour.”

“Excellent,” he replies, his tone suddenly resuming a courteous gentility, as if his sensual murmurs of moments ago had been nothing but a fever dream. “I will certainly return to see this Sea Voyage business. Are you a castaway, Miss Cane...or a siren?”

“An Amazon warrior, actually. Sword, shield, and all.”

His eyes sparkle, despite his carefully composed expression.

“How intriguing. I will procure our carriage home. Ten minutes?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

He graces you with one last suggestive smile, then disappears once again into the milieu, leaving you to gaze upon the gorgeous roses for a heady, heavenly moment, before you hurry off to your dressing room to change. Gazing at yourself in the mirror, eyes bright and cheeks flushed a brighter crimson than the bouquet beside you, you somehow feel closer to Juliet than ever, even as you strip away the character’s costume and don your own clothes again.

Spread thy close curtain, love-performing night,

That runaway’s eyes may wink and Romeo

Leap to these arms…

Did a love, yet untalked of and unseen, await you, with the man who could inspire in you more passionate poetry than Shakespeare could ever hope to write? Would it be acted tonight, most perfectly and unexpectedly, and so much better than a play? Summoning courage to match your passion, you made your way to the stage door and stepped out into the sweet, warm night, to meet Sherlock and discover if the starts might perhaps bless you both…

Thank you for reading! I was very much inspired by the works of @littlefreya​ who writes exquisite pieces for many Cavill characters, but whose heart-stoppingly sensual Sherlock stories in particular have captured me. 

Part II can be found here!