#Dolly Parton challenge

[crysscraft]

Mermay Day 6: Dolly

I struggled with this prompt because the word “dolly” has so many definitions and it was hard to pick one to illustrate. Dolly Parton was a fun choice because I don’t really draw celebrities. Do you have a favourite Dolly Parton song?

[poet-picker-prophet-pusher]

Day 22

A song with a person’s name in the title:

[lakecountylibrary]

sending much love in this everyone is getting defunded time 💕💕💕💕 hope u guys are doing ok

Hi! Thanks! We are Going Through It!

The truth is, we don't how bad it's going to be for us specifically. You've heard of the federal-level funding problems; here in Indiana we're undergoing our own budget trials as well. Your support means the world to us.

I've put details about our state-level challenges as well as a refresher on the federal funding problems under the cut but here's the tl;dr:

There isn't much you can do for LCPL at the state level right now, but please call Congress and tell them to support libraries at the federal level.

The proposed FY2026 budget completely eliminates IMLS and that's not good. The American Library Association has a tool to make calling easy, complete with script!

And here are the promised details:

At the federal level:

The current administration used an executive order to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which provided millions of dollars in grants to libraries across the country.

These IMLS grants were used to fund things like interlibrary loan systems, research databases, and braille/talking books libraries.

As of May 1, a temporary restraining order has been placed preventing the further dismantling of the department while things are investigated, but a lot of damage has been done.

On May 2, President Trump's FY2026 budget proposal [PDF] was released. On page 39, it calls for the complete elimination of IMLS (as well as many other departments such as the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts). The American Library Association was able to sue for that temporary restraining order we mentioned partially because Congress HAD funded the IMLS for 2025. If Congress opts not to fund it for 2026 as suggested in this proposal, that'll be it.

This is the part where I repeat: please call Congress and ask them to support libraries. Here's the link with the script again.

And here's what's going on locally in Indiana:

Funding for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has been eliminated from the state budget. After some pressure, Governor Braun has handed the program over to his spouse to try to fund-raise what's needed to keep it running across the state. Here's an article from the Post-Tribune with some library officials' perspectives on that decision.

Funding for the Indiana State Library has been cut by 30% (HEA 1001)

A new property tax bill has been passed (SEA 1) that will drastically cut libraries' main source of income. The Indiana Library Federation reported: "The Legislative Services Agency’s fiscal impact statement shows that SEA 1 would reduce public library funding by over $12.2 million in 2026, growing to nearly $16.8 million by 2028." (source, PDF)

So it's sort of... a lot. Lately. Thank you for reading all of this, and thank you for supporting your libraries!

[merrybloomwrites]

1D x Reader - Beach Day

Summary: After months of hard work, you and the five boys get a day off and head to the beach for some fun.

Word Count: 837

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s rare for you and the boys to be allowed free time to go out while on tour. You’re either rehearsing, doing sound check, performing, or working on recording the next album.

When you’re not working, you’re forced to stay in the hotel. Sometimes you’re permitted to hang together, but other times you’re all relegated to your own rooms. Without fail, it only takes a few weeks of this for you all to feel like prisoners.

You’re in Italy for a couple of shows, and it looks beautiful outside. It’s mid-morning on a day off. You’re standing on the patio of your hotel room, breathing in fresh air and wishing you were swimming in the gorgeous blue water you can see just across the street. 

You sit on the ground when suddenly you hear a sliding door open to your right. Louis steps out onto his deck and greets you. “Hey there Dolly,” he says, calling you by the nickname you’d earned due to your Dolly Parton obsession. 

“Hey, what are you up to?” you ask.

“Well, I was keeping pretty busy staring at the wall but I started seeing shapes in the wallpaper so I figured I should go outside before I fully lose my mind,” he replies.

“Well I’m glad you didn’t go all Yellow Wallpaper on us.”

“It’s only a matter of time before we all go mad, being locked up like this,” he says and you nod in agreement. 

He gives you a look and starts to climb over the railing that separates the two decks. “What are you doing? You’re going to hurt yourself!” you exclaim.

“Relax love, we’re only on the second floor. I could easily jump to the ground from here.” Another mischievous look crosses his face. “What do you say to a jail break?”

“Are you insane?”

“Nope, but I will be if I have to keep staring at that beach that’s just out of reach. C’mon, go get your stuff and let’s escape for a couple hours.” 

You take in his idea, and while you hate breaking rules, you’re a teenager. You’re wired to be just a little bit rebellious. You agree and both of you rush to pack a small bag with essentials. 

“Alright, I’ll climb down first and then help you,” Louis says. 

Of course, the second he starts to go over the railing, Paul happens to walk by on a nearby path. 

“And just what do you think you’re doing?” he says. 

Well crap, you think to yourself. Now we’re caught. You all love Paul, he’s like a big teddy bear, but still he’s head of security. Which means your plan is completely foiled, and you’re likely to get in a heap of trouble with management.

Even Louis can’t talk back to Paul, and explains, “We’re trying to prevent insanity. There’s a perfectly good beach right there and we’re forced to stare at it. It's cruel, Paul. Psychological torture.”

The man looks at the two of you for a moment and says, “Give me one hour. I’ll see what I can do.” With that he walks away. You and Louis look at each other in confusion, but you both trust the man so you decide to sit and wait.

Thirty minutes later, there’s a text in the group chat that the six of you have with Paul. It reads “Roger and I will be up in fifteen minutes to take you all to the beach.”

True to his word, the security guards show up and within minutes you and the boys are setting up in the sand. 

“Last one in the water’s a rotten egg!” Niall shouts and the six of you all start running. You’re grateful for Louis tackling Liam, ensuring you won’t come in last place. Moments later the two of them decide to become a team and challenge the rest of you in a game of chicken. You and Zayn being the least competitive decide to be partners and quickly lose every round. You don’t even care about repeatedly splashing into the chilly water, just happy to be normal for a while.

Back on the sand, you, Harry, and Niall work together to make a sand castle. It may not be perfect, but it sure is made with love. 

Lunch gets delivered to you all, meaning you get to stay and hang out even longer. After eating, you all set out your towels and nap, warmed by the sun's rays. The two security guards watch over the group closely, and if Paul takes a couple pictures so you can reminisce on the day later, well no one needs to know that. 

That evening you all go back to your rooms to shower and change before meeting up for dinner. For one day, this feels like a vacation, rather than the constant work and stress you normally feel.

You’re all just a tad sunburnt at the show the following night, but a day spent having fun with your best friends is worth it.

[1000roughdrafts]

Dean Winchester X Reader Masterlist

Some of my works are 18+, which I'll write as such here, but please heed the warnings on the individual posts as well - All under the cut :)

One Shots xx

Angst

💙 Us - request: Can you do a deanxreader songfic to the song us by Regina spektor

💙Goodbye ~ After Dean takes on the mark, his relationship with Y/N starts to fall through the cracks. She’s had enough of him taking out his stress on her, and after years of silencing her pain, she finally lets him know why  it’s time to say goodbye.

💙How Do I Become Enough ~Reader and Dean right about her doubts, she feels somewhat isolated and annoyed. No cheating, necessarily, but think along the lines of Dolly Parton’s Jolene  

💙Intrusive Thoughts ~Dean was supposed to visit Y/N while she was at work, but when he didn’t show, she got worried. After finally getting ahold of him, she was relieved to know that he was alive. But when another full day passes by without a word, her mind goes into overdrive about what could have happened to him.

💙Voicemails ~ this is a small, angsty thing, and it is 100000% self indulging so please feel free to just ignore it.

💙 Illicit Affairs - Request from anon based on Taylor Swift’s song Illicit Affairs <3

💙  Promise Me This Is Forever -  this is for @allywritesblog and #allyswriting event, and im using the quote "promise me this is forever" :)

Fluff

💙 Phone Calls With Dean ~ just a random thing I wrote for a story that didn’t pan out, no real plot to this.

💙Shooting With Dean ~ Dean takes you out for target practice, but something else is on his mind.

💙Time ~Soulmate AU, Y/N has had the ability to pause and unpause time for likely her whole life, believing she was the only person with such a power. One day, she learns that not only is that not true, but the other person is her soulmate. 

💙 Salted Baseball Bat - Anon Request: "'They said that gluing salt to a baseball bat to fight ghosts was a stupid idea, but who's laughing now?' you say as you whack the ghost again."

💙 Criminal - DeanxReader request from @rileynicole1967 based on the song Criminal by Britney Spears

💙 Cat-astrophe Written for @spnfanficpond​‘s unfic challenge with the prompt “I may have accidentally sort of adopted 5 cats.”fluff, stern!Dean, 

💙  Baby Winchester 2021 - Reader finds out she's pregnant, and tells Dean in a cute, fluffy way.

💙  Just Another Day - Fluffy Dean x female!reader Valentine's Day post

Flangst

💙 We're Gonna Get You Through This - reader is triggered back to a horrible memory and explains to Dean why waiting to have sex is best for her. 

💙Currently untitled ~ Request: could you do a deanxreader fic where she goes out on a date (maybe to a bar) for drinks with a guy and towards the end of the night, the guy (you pick the name) starts being rough with her cause he’s drunk and hurts her, then dean finds out somehow and comes over to kick his ass then admits his feelings for her?

💙 A Boring Holy Cross Tattoo - A Fic inspired by Cards Against Supernatural with the cards “Dean has 99 problems but ____ ain’t one.” and “A boring holy cross tattoo”.

💙 Amnesia - Request from @rileynicole1967​ : Deanxreader one shot or series ;) based off the song “amnesia” by 5 seconds of summer but in the readers pov and at the end he comes back for her and it’s all fluffy and cute.

💙 Half a Man - Follow up to the Amnesia request from @rileynicole1967​ - this one takes place the same night as Amnesia, but in Dean’s perspective and based on the song Half a Man.

18 + / Smut One Shots

💙Downtime ~ 18+, smut; After weeks of hunting the same witch, you and Dean decide to take a weekend break, but you didn’t expect what was in store for that weekend.

💙Punishment ~ 18+, smut; After embarrassing Dean at an important dinner, he punishes you with a cold shower.

💙 Size Matters - 18+ Smut DeanxReader request from anon, where reader has a size kink

💙 Poison  -  DeanxReader request from @kaitlaitlaitl​ based on the song Poison by Alice Cooper

Mini Series xx

💙 Movie Monsters Part One | Part Two ~ You’re teamed up with Dean, a man you’ve always found obnoxious, to find out the path of a new monster. Of course, things don’t always go as planned. (Complete)

💙 Never Have I Ever Part One | Part Two  ~ Part Two is pure smut; College!AU - Dean gets jealous of the attention he thinks you’re receiving from Cas during a small party at your house and doesn’t know what to do with it, so he leaves the room to keep drinking. 

💙 Hope is a Dangerous Thing... Part One | Part Two ~ The renowned author of a best-selling crime novel, Y/N Y/L/N, was thrown into a whole new world after her parents were brutally murdered. Their killer never found, Y/N took things into her own hands, meeting the Winchesters in her journey for justice. Even years later, she struggles to let anyone close in fear they’d leave or worse.

💙  i hate u, i love u (1) Slowburn au/Y/N has been in a relationship with Nick for the last 5 years. They’ve had a rough go. There’s been good and bad times, but she finally realizes that the man she thought she loved has been abusing her. Dean offers her a safe haven when she feared she had nothing else. (this may be abandoned, but we will see)

💙Reverse Supernatural  ~ request; “Hi!! I have been tossing an idea around for a bit… What if… Now hear me out… What if the Reader was the experienced hunter and she/he has to save Dean and/or Sam who have never known the supernatural existed…?” (only part one is out right now / ongoing / might also become abandoned)

Series xx

💙Family Secrets ~ 18+ ; Your uncle Bobby, and adoptive father Rufus, had a secret. A secret they never wanted the Winchester’s to find out. They had done a good job of keeping you from crossing their path, but now that they've both passed away there is nothing they can do about the brothers finding out their secret; you. (ongoing BUT I really want to and am seriously considering taking it down to rewrite it - this was the first thing I ever wrote and it's... it shows lol) 2/22/24 A/N: I want to return to this series, but since it was pretty much my first fic ever, I really want to rewrite some of the episodes and make it pace better. I understand that that might not be the best solution, however, so maybe I’ll just add inbetweeners or something. Just know I want to come back to finish it and may change some things along the way 😊

[necesitotequila]

Please tell me I’m not alone, lol. As someone who really doesn’t want kids myself and absolutely abhors the thought of pregnancy, I still love making my characters have families.

Also, motherhood is something that I feel is beautiful in theory although it comes with so many challenges. But women have found ways past them to live their best lives, sometimes helped by the few actually good men they know - take Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for instance. Dolly Parton wasn’t a mum, but she also had an incredible husband overall.

It can be fucking badass: shaping a member of the next generation whilst kicking ass and transcending any boundaries. My gunslinging ranchwoman/trailblazer is also a very happy mama-to-be being looked after well by her very handy husband.

Some of the coolest and most fun women I know are mums. Having a kid doesn’t mean you lose the rest of you - even if it feels like it.

[thekidsarentalright]

Ooo whats your project about?

the tldr (bc god knows i can ramble about it fkjdsnfds) of what it's about is: southern music as a form of political protest and stereotype challenging, specifically pertaining to country and southern rap. a less tldr is that i'm exploring the ways in which country musicians (highlighting dolly parton, the chicks, and mickey guyton) and southern rappers (highlighting outkast, lil wayne, and lil nas x) as well as their listeners/fans use their music and positions in pop culture to express political opinions that challenge the status quo and stereotypes of southern culture. each section of the essay is a 'track' that attempts to highlight a different artist and their respective era to show the longevity of political southern music throughout history and time

[richincolor]

Book Review: Dan in Green Gables -- A Modern Reimagining of Anne of Green Gables by Rey Terciero and Claudia Aguirre

Publisher Summary: In this modern reimagining of Anne of Green Gables, effervescent extrovert Dan Stewart-Álvarez is surprised to find home and community in rural Tennessee.

Despite a life on the road with his free-spirited mother, fifteen-year-old Dan Stewart-Álvarez has always wanted to settle down. He just didn’t think it’d be like this: with his mother abandoning him in rural Tennessee with two strangers—his gentle grandmother and conservative, rough-around-the-edges grandfather. Here, he is forced to adjust to working the farm, entering high school, and hardest yet—reckoning with his queerness in a severe Southern Baptist community.

But even as Dan grows closer to his mawmaw, befriends fellow outsiders at school, and tries to make a new life for himself in Green Gables, he has to discover whether he can contend with intolerance and adapt to change without losing himself in the process.

From award-winning author Rey Terciero and Eisner Award nominee and illustrator Claudia Aguirre comes a new retelling of Anne of Green Gables about unconventional families, queer identity, and finding the meaning of home in the most unlikely of places.

My Thoughts: I’m generally a big fan of retellings because I love seeing my old friends in a new light and through another person’s imaginings. With Dan, fans of the original Anne get to see characters that are similar while also being refreshingly unique. We get moments to reflect on experiencing Anne and her story in our past. If someone doesn’t know the source material, the book still works and may even inspire readers to start reading or watching Anne of Green Gables so it is a win for all.

As with the Anne of so many years ago, Dan has a big personality that’s the technicolor contrast to the somewhat bland environment that he is thrust into abruptly. The balancing act of being himself and yet trying to fit into this new place is one of the big challenges. The other more difficult challenges have to do with the relationships between family and friends. There are many past injuries within characters that have significant effects on the emotions of the current days. And there are all kinds of present day interactions that are harmful too. The author gives a warning to readers that there are instances of bullying, physical assault, and homophobia” and that they should “make sure to take care of yourself first.” Readers are warned that these things are in the book, but are also reminded that many of these things happened to the author.

Though there are hard things experienced in the book, there are also joyful and loving moments too. Readers see that change can be hard, but are reminded that change is possible. Things that are awful won’t necessarily continue to be that way. It’s a hopeful book that shows pain, but also healing.

And when I say show, obviously the words do this, but the illustrations carry a lot of the load. Claudia Aguirre does some phenomenal work with the emotions. The faces and actions convey so much and add to the drama of it all. The expressions are excellent, but I also appreciated the use of color. There are a lot of yellows and oranges in contrast to the blues and greens. I don’t know if that was the intent, but it felt like the lighter brighter shades were a bit like the Dolly Parton lyrics and references reminding us of hope and better days to come in the midst of the down times.

Recommendation: Get it now. This will be a book that people of many different identities can relate to. It’s a bit of an emotional storm, but there are rainbow moments to be found in more ways than one.

Publisher: Penguin Workshop Pages: 252 Availability: On shelves now Review copy: Final copy via publisher

[rafeysvenicebitch]

|Preview of “Florida Kilos”

|Older!Rafe x Aspiring Singer!Reader

The Florida sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the pristine country club. The evening crowd was a mixture of wealthy locals and tourists who didn’t quite belong in the same room as the sun-drenched lawns and private pools. You were tucked away in a corner of the bar, singing covers to entertain them. The gig was nothing glamorous, but it paid the bills. You knew it was a far cry from the music you wanted to make, but it was the best you could do for now—crooning classic hits in front of a crowd that rarely paid attention.

Tonight, you were performing one of your regulars: “Jolene” by Dolly Parton. Your voice, smooth and haunting, filled the air, a contrast to the chattering and clinking of glasses. It was always the same crowd—rich, entitled, and indifferent—but you sang anyway. You had to. You sang for the love of it, even if no one seemed to notice.

That was until he walked in.

Rafe Cameron. You knew of him, though you’d never spoken. In fact, most people in this town knew Rafe. The last name Cameron carried weight here, and the man himself was a figure wrapped in mystery and danger. The rumors about him were everywhere—dangerous, powerful, too rich for his own good. You had never paid much attention to those stories, assuming they were just gossip. But when Rafe’s piercing blue eyes met yours from across the room, something in your chest tightened.

He was leaning against the bar, his posture casual, his expression unreadable. But there was something in the way he watched you—intense, predatory, like you were the only thing that mattered in this world. His gaze never left you, even as the rest of the crowd seemed oblivious to your performance.

You tried not to let it affect you. He wasn’t like the other men in the country club—those polite smiles, the condescending handshakes. No, Rafe Cameron had a different energy about him. It was something dark, something dangerous, something that made your skin prickle with unease. You were used to being ignored, but for some reason, under his gaze, you felt seen in a way you weren’t sure you liked.

You finished the song, breathless, and as always, the applause was sparse. They were more interested in their cocktails than the music. You gave a polite smile, though the sting of their indifference was familiar by now. But your eyes automatically searched for him again.

Rafe hadn’t moved, and now, his eyes were still locked on you, his expression unreadable. He was an anomaly here, standing out like a shadow among the sun-drenched guests. A storm in a sea of calm. Your stomach twisted as he pushed off the bar and began making his way toward you.

“Impressive,” he said when he stopped in front of you, his voice deep and quiet, the kind of voice that commanded attention without even trying.

You raised an eyebrow, trying not to show how his proximity made you feel. “Thanks,” you replied curtly, focusing on packing up your guitar. “Not really my crowd.”

“Clearly,” he said, his lips curling into a faint smirk. “But you’re good. Better than most of the people who come through here.”

You couldn’t help but scoff. “Flattery won’t get you anywhere.”

He chuckled, low and throaty. “I don’t do flattery. Just… honesty.” He paused, his eyes scanning your face, as if he were looking for something deeper. “You know, I come here a lot. I don’t normally waste my time with the performers. But you,” he said, his voice dipping lower, “I think you might be worth getting to know.”

Your eyes narrowed. There was something about the way he spoke—direct, almost too direct—that made your skin prickle. “Why? So you can add me to your list of things you own?”

Rafe didn’t flinch. “I’m not interested in owning people. Never have been. I just find you interesting.”

There it was. The words that were both a compliment and a challenge. You weren’t interested in being someone’s project or their curiosity. You had your own path to follow, and the last thing you needed was some rich guy from the country club getting in your way.

Taglist: @whoreislands @strawberries-and-lots-of-kisses @blackynsupremacy @whinyangel @vogueprincess @cxrrodedcoffin @slut4rafey @rafebun @httpsdrewstarkey @memoirofasparklemuff1n

Message me to be added to the Taglist!!

[cute-girls-from-vns-anime-manga]

What are your favorite music genres?

Hard mode: You can't name something that's used in anime ops/culture like jpop or denpa. Nothing against them, just wanna give you a challenge

Not a challange at all though it might surprise and confuse many people, I grew up on and have a deep appreciation for Country music give me some Dolly Parton, George Strait or if yall wanted some deeper pulls im always down to listen to some Charly Mclain or Don Williams!!!

Also if you dont like country thats fine but I dont need to hear your opinion, but if you dont like countey because of how the genre is associated with the right wing in america ima need you to go listen to Johnny Cash, John Denver and Willie Nelsons music and understand that direction for country music is VERY recent, really we need to bring back the country songs that championed unions and shit!!

[ed-recoverry]

Some good news to get you through

As someone super into history and current events, everything always sucks so I just want to make a little masterlist of some glimmers of hope. Will try to make multiple of these.

I shopped around for all of these, but this website and this website offers happy stories all in one place for those who don't have the time.

Colombia outlaws child marriage after 17-year campaign

Jordan Recognized as First in the World to Eradicate Leprosy

Norway, Paraguay, Antigua and Barbuda join the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty

Orran Gala Raises $400,000 for Armenia’s Most Vulnerable

Hanover firefighter creates ‘Belize Heroes’ to donate lifesaving equipment to home country

‌Norway’s Kon-Tiki Museum returns artifacts to Chile’s remote Easter Island

Minneapolis man's murder conviction vacated after 16 years

Hiking group for Muslim women breaks barriers as hundreds flock to the outdoors

Scientists find a 35,000-year-old saber-toothed kitten in the Siberian permafrost

Tupelo Preschool Teacher Donates Organ to Student

Author Katherine Rundell donates royalties to climate charities in Trump protest

Pan-Mass Challenge Raises Record $75 Million for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Texas woodpecker no longer endangered after 54 years

Researchers discover 'lost' frog species in the Andes after over a century

More states are adopting laws to protect children of family vloggers

A 19-Year-Old Who Spent Her Childhood In Foster Care Was Finally Adopted By A Former Caseworker

Dolly Parton Gifts $4.5 Million to Nashville Public Library

New Mexico sees nearly 10% more first-year college students, bucking national trend

21-Year-Old Raising His 4 Siblings Since Their Mom Died Surprised With $40K and a New Car

Easy-fit prosthetics offer hope to thousands of Gaza amputees

UNM alumni hike tallest peaks in Ecuador to make prosthetic care more accessible

London charity helps young mums thrive

Italian charity sends 15 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza via Cyprus

Climate report shows the largest annual drop in EU greenhouse gas emissions for decades

Washingtonians defend the Climate Commitment Act

Voters decide MN Lottery will keep funding environmental causes

Finnish fathers taking nearly double length of paternity leave since 2022 reform

Oysters reintroduced to Firth of Forth appear to be 'thriving'

German union says auto and engineering workers to get 5.5% wage rise

Seaweed farming brings hope to Kenyan villagers hit by climate change

Previously extinct Cape Water Lily restored at False Bay Nature Reserve

From landfill to limelight, Ghana waste entrepreneurs win Earthshot Prize

A derogatory term for Native women will be removed from place names across California

Texas Native Health expands facility to better serve the state's Indigenous community

Borneo’s ‘omen birds’ find a staunch guardian in Indigenous Dayak Iban elders

African cinema takes to global stage with diverse storytelling

Maori haka in NZ parliament to protest at bill to reinterpret founding treaty

Animal welfare group works to rescue lions, pets in Lebanon

Inside a Massachusetts studio showcasing the work of artists with disabilities

[ectochoir]

I got tagged by @fanby-fckry for this one. Thank you, this was fun!

Choose a song for each letter of your URL and then tag that many people!

E - “Escape (the Piña Colada song)” - Rupert Holmes

C - “Come And Get Your Love” - Redbone

T - “Take A Chance On Me” - ABBA

O - “Overkill” - Motörhead

C - “Cosmic Love” - Florence + The Machine

H - “Here You Come Again” - Dolly Parton

O - “Out Of Touch” - Daryl Hall and John Oates

I - “It’s All Been Done” - Barenaked Ladies

R - “Red Flag” - Billy Talent

Good lord my music taste is all over the place. 😂 I had to really dig for some of these, too. Turns out there aren’t as many songs in my rotation that start with O as I thought. Plus, to challenge myself, I didn’t repeat any songs from the last time I did this!

I’m gonna tag @sklent, @koolkon08, @marythacake, @sleepykittties, @caius-hhhhhh, @raediggitydog, @viridian-artist, @nyxistyxi, and @fags-and-freaks! No pressure tho! c:

[black-arcana]

Watch: EVANESCENCE Joined By HALESTORM's LZZY HALE For 'Bring Me To Life' Performance In Ontario

HALESTORM's Lzzy Hale joined EVANESCENCE on stage Tuesday night (October 29) at the London, Ontario stop of the two bands' joint Canadian tour to perform the EVANESCENCE smash hit "Bring Me To Life". Fan-filmed video of her appearance can be seen below.

At most of the shows on the Canadian tour, EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee had been joining HALESTORM on stage to perform the HALESTORM song "Break In".

In August 2020, HALESTORM released the official music video for a reimagined version of "Break In", featuring a guest appearance by Lee. The new version of the track, which originally appeared on HALESTORM's second album, 2012's "The Strange Case Of..." , was recorded in October 2019 at a Nashville studio with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who had previously worked with both bands. The clip captured Hale and Lee delivering an impassioned studio performance of the track.

The updated "Break In" appeared on "Halestorm Reimagined", a collection of reworked HALESTORM original songs as well as a cover of "I Will Always Love You", the love ballad made famous by Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton.

Lzzy and Amy performed a quarantine rendition of "Break In" in May 2020 on Hale's Internet show "Raise Your Horns With Lzzy Hale".

Speaking about the collaboration, Lzzy told Amy: "What I love about dueting on that song with you is that it started out as as love song that I wrote for my significant other" — referring to HALESTORM guitarist Joe Hottinger — "but when we sing it together, it's this act of unity, especially with the two of us being women and being women musicians. It's like we have each other's backs. And the lyrics mean something completely different when I sing it [with you]."

Regarding the way the new version of "Break In" was recorded, Lzzy said: "We did it performance-style, literally next to each other in the same room — from beginning of song to end of song, singing with each other.

"I've never done anything like that, but especially with a female singer of your prowess."

Amy added: "Nick always gets the challenge and gets the most out of me… So he made us stand there in the room and sing it live together a bunch of times. What that really means is that editing, you couldn't use when you did something cool but I messed up; it would have to be that we both nailed it for it to make the cut. So to do it in that way was really challenging and it was really cool and it fits the song so well.

"I remember you saying, and we both were saying, when we were listening back, it's really weird, at times — I know my part, but you can't pick out whose voice that is in that one particular moment, 'cause we started matching each other, 'cause it was on the spot. It's really cool how that happens.

"It feels like a match. It doesn't feel like any one person is pulling the other person along a little bit or leading the train. It really felt like an evenly matched dance."

Lzzy and Amy originally performed "Break In" together in 2012 during the "Carnival Of Madness" tour, which was headlined by EVANESCENCE and featured HALESTORM in the support slot. At the time, Hale told Zoiks! Online about how the live collaboration came about: "It's funny. We had talked in the beginning of the tour, 'Oh, we should do something.' What would we do? Do we do a cover? Do I come out during her set? She came up to me, I think it was two weeks in and said, 'I'm obsessed with your song 'Break In' right now.' I was like, 'Thank you so much.' Then she said, 'I know all of your parts, all the backing parts and everything.' I was like, 'Sweet, that's awesome.' Then she said, 'This is going to sound really weird and please feel free to say no, but do you think I could come up during that song and sing it with you?' I'm, like, 'Of course. This is awesome.' We didn't have a whole lot of time to rehearse. We literally ran through it once before our show in El Paso, right before the doors opened. It was perfect. I told her, queue insane crowd noise. She was like, 'Oh, I don't know.' 'No, seriously — they're going to freak when you walk out on stage.' ... [And] they did. We couldn't hear each other for the first four lines."

Back in 2021, EVANESCENCE and HALESTORM joined forces for a massive North American tour that ended up being a rousing success.

[tanhands]

everyone you wanna be

- for the klaine valentine’s challenge. no content notes. kurt's part of a live reality competition to be selected as part of a show choir, where the contestants are confined in an abandoned high school and put through survivalist situations. 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6

seven: make me be blue

"I just don't get why you're putting yourself through this all. The whole show and the finding ways to get higher in the polls and everything." Sam straightens his vest, the sheriff star on it glinting slightly as he hitches up the gun-slash-tool holster he's got slung around his hips and swaps out his pliers for a screwdriver, though he doesn't go back to work on the door hinges immediately, instead fixing Blaine with a considering look. "I mean, you're super talented from every angle, you can sing and dance and act, you look like Gene Kelly but pocket-sized, everyone likes you because you have good manners but you're not a drag about it -- hell, you even play a bunch of instruments including the violin." 

Sam waves his screwdriver at the violin that Blaine's been carrying around just in case this point of evidence hadn't been made strongly enough. "You're the kind of person that show choirs are gagging to get hold of. Why did you need to do it this way? On a gimmicky reality show?"

"I don't know if everyone likes me," is what Blaine chooses to address out of Sam's monologue. "Some people think I'm always trying to be boss, and some people think I'm an attention hog." 

"Dude," Sam says solemnly, "we all signed up to be on this show and have everything about us broadcasted on the internet every single day until the contest is over. We're a whole herd of hogs." 

"A passel," Blaine says, and Sam says, "Bless you," and Blaine shakes his head. 

"A group of hogs is called a passel," Blaine explains this time. "Or a drift." 

"The hogs are adrift?"

"A drift or a parcel, or a team." 

Sam makes an impressed face and an impressed sound to go along with it, jingling the spurs that he's attached to the backs of his hi-tops, having no boots to hand for them. "See, this is what I mean! Most people wouldn't know the names for a gang of hogs. A parcel of adrift hogs. You're not most people, Blaine." 

"That's true enough, because most people keep their minds clear for more useful information than that," Blaine chuckles, and puts his violin down to go over to the door as Sam returns his attention to it. He leaves his cloth cap with the violin too, putting his back against the door to hold it steady as Sam continues loosening its hinges so they can remove it wholesale. "I happen to have certain things that I get kinda fixated on," Blaine tells Sam, "and then I learn all about them as much as I can for however long I'm interested, and at one point it was the terms for groups of animals." 

"Oh, yeah, I do that too. I got obsessed with Dolly Parton and tracked down a bunch of covers of Jolene and listened to them nonstop for a month. It drove Stacey and Stevie crazy." Sam laughs, then goes quieter, then says, "...Stace and Steve-o, they're twins, they're my little sister and brother. But sometimes it feels like even though they're my siblings, I had a pretty big hand in raising them." He stoops down to the lower hinge, starting to undo it, so his face is hidden by a fall of blond hair when he says, "They're the ones I miss seeing and talking to the most while we're here and on media blackout."

"That must be rough," Blaine says, looking at the curve of Sam's cheek. "Especially if they're kids, they must miss you too."

"It gets me a little down sometimes, but it's worth it. Hopefully."

Blaine presses his hands against the door, and then ventures, cautious and measured: "That's why I'm doing it this way. Getting into the show choir. My brother Cooper, he's -- well, he's my older brother, and he's the trailblazer. At everything. Anything I can do, he's already done better. But this is something new, that's just mine, this reality show. Although--" Blaine tries to peel all the bitter rind from his voice first and almost makes it, "--for all I know, he's signed up for a reality show himself and it's set to be way more exciting than ours and go worldwide viral and make him a household name."

"Okay," Sam says, and when Blaine looks down at him he finds Sam looking up, watching him closely. "But would Cooper come up with games like Mass Contraption on the spot to take everyone's minds off being trapped, because yeah I know you invented it right there, or would he convince everyone that dressing up in the costumes from the Drama department would be fun to do for a day?" Sam stands up, the spurs and buckles of his sheriff costume jingling, and Blaine brushes a hand down the peasant costume that he'd grabbed the violin for to pass for the fiddler on the roof. Sam doesn't wait for Blaine to answer, seemingly content to let that sit with him to percolate as he says, "C'mon. Let's take this door down and see what we can find."

Nodding through the slight lump in his throat, Blaine turns and they lift out the unbolted hinges from their interlock, setting the door aside and leaving the room newly open for them to get a good look inside. For a moment neither of the boys can say anything, and then Sam goes, "Holy fuckin' bejeezus," and Blaine mutters, "This better not be us having a tandem stroke."

"No, that kind of thing's only for the locker room," Sam says, and Blaine can't tell if that's a joke or not so he says, "We better go tell the others."

After a minute's discussion they slot the door back into place so it looks like the room is still locked while they're calling a meeting with the whole group. There's nobody in the high school except the contestants, at least … there shouldn't be.

[avatarskywalker78]

OC Pride Challenge Day 2 - Make something for an OC that identifies as a Lesbian

Hilda Green (fc Rutina Wesley) - The Adventures of Eliana Kent

Quote by Dr. Maya Angelou//Quote by Hrithik Roshan//Quote by Alice Walker//Quote by Kerry Washington//Quote by Immanuel Kant//Quote by Martin Luther King Jr.//Quote by Joan Carling//Quote by Theodroe Roosevelt//Quote by Malcolm X//Quote by Maya Angelou//Quote by Ruth Bader Ginsberg//Quote by L.E Modesitt Jr.//Quote by Angela Davies//Quote by Will Durant//Quote by Howard Zinn//'Man in Black' by Johnny Cash//Quote by Dolly Parton

From a young age, Hilda Green was always involved in a fight for justice - because of her skin colour, because of her sexuality, and eventually because she became a metahuman after a trip to Central City coincided with the particle accelerator going haywire after the tiniest of miscalculations sent systems into meltdown. Though initially she wasn't sure what to make of her powers, having gained the ability to tell an object's entire history just by touching it, she soon realised how useful it was, especially because so often it seemed people forgot history's most important lessons.

Never was this more clear than when the persecution of aliens, metas, and anyone associated with them started ramping up. She continued her activism the whole time alongside her girlfriend Bridget Alvarez, also a metahuman, and through her friendship with Lana Lang it really seemed like her group was going to make inroads, that the protests across America and around the globe were going to really make a difference...

But it was not to be. Over the next few years increasingly draconian measures were introduced, and it became clear that this Earth was not a safe place to be for anyone different. She became part of the underground resistance movement, but focus soon turned onto the METME - Mass Evacuation To Multiple Earths - programme, spreading the word and recruiting anyone able to help build the ships, scout possible new Earths, and open the portals when the time came, because that was looking to be very soon indeed after the entire Justice League was denounced by the government.

Things escalated after Superman was executed on live television, with disappearings and killings becoming ever more common, and worst of all was when a anti-meta bomb was dropped on Central, killing thousands. The METME scheme was accelerated and both Hilda and Bridget were asked by Lana to look after Eliana and take her to safety - Hilda already considered the girl her niece, but this was just another blow after the devastation of the past few years, and with her best friend choosing to stay behind to try and help others, she knew she wouldn't ever see her again.

It's been six years since she settled on Earth-38 alongside her now wife, but she's never been able to shake off the fear that things will go wrong, and when she's not working at one of Coast City's biggest museums she's at protests and attending meetings, determined to ensure that what happened on her Earth will not ever happen on this one no matter what. She continues to make her voice heard, continues to fight for injustice, and while she worries about her niece - especially after she starts gaining new powers after seventeen years and proceeds to make a name for herself as National City's newest hero - she's also very proud of her, and though she's a lot more cynical these days...

There's still a part of her that has hope for the future.

Tagging (let me know if you want to be added or removed): @shrinkthisviolet @starstruckpurpledragon @negative-speedforce

[pomegranate]

THANK YOU to both @amrv-5 and @hawkesque for tagging me to ask for my list of

9 of my favourite films that I watched for the first time this year!

I’ve seen 49 new (to me) movies this year - and I will be watching at least one more new one before tomorrow at midnight to cap it off at 50 - and there were a lot of really great ones overall, but these ones get the honour of being named my favourites.

(after making this list I realized 4 of them take place during periods of sweltering heat lmao. INTERESTING)

- Past Lives (2023, dir. Celine Song): I talked about this one a bit in that end of the year ask meme but I really didn’t know what to expect going into this one and came out deeply affected in a way I’ve not been able to put into words. I can’t believe this is Celine Song’s directorial and screenwriting debut?!?! It feels so well-crafted and extremely deserving of the praise it’s received. I think this description from a Looper listicle sums it up beautifully: "a master class in the art of subtlety while evoking complex human emotions. The minimalist love story is like no other in how it expertly captures the slow-burn nature of fate. It's a bittersweet experience that'll leave you aching for all of life's "what-ifs.""

- Asteroid City (2023, dir. Wes Anderson): I really enjoy some Wes Anderson films but a few of his more recent ones missed the mark for me, so I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about this one. Happily, I had an absolutely fantastic time watching this with friends - it’s funny and inventive in a way that really tickled me, and the heartbreaking romance woven into the “background” of the story (quotation marks bc it’s not really the background) really stuck with me.

- High and Low (1963, dir. Akira Kurosawa): I’ll admit I wanted to see this after Ayo Edebiri included it in her Criterion Closet video bc I have a massive crush on her and I admire her taste, and BOY it did not disappoint! It’s just under 2 and a half hours long but I was so wrapped up in the tension and drama that the time absolutely flew by. My first Kurosawa film but definitely not my last!

- Nine To Five (1980, dir. Colin Higgins): I did not expect to have so much fun watching this but I should’ve known a movie starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton would have me clapping my hands and stomping my feet with delight. Dabney Coleman is also SO great as their disgusting boss and a special shout out to him for how funny he was in each of their little fantasy sequences. God, if only real life was as satisfying as the ending of this film.

- Roman Holiday (1953, dir. William Wyler): I’ve had this on DVD for years but only got around to watching it this past August and OH what a beautiful movie! It’s wild to me that this was Audrey Hepburn’s first film; she’s totally captivating and I can’t take my eyes off her the entire time. Definitely one I’ll be returning to again and again.

- Moonlight (2016, dir. Barry Jenkins): I’m embarrassed it took me this long to watch this film but unsurprisingly, it’s as magnificent as everyone has always said. Chiron’s story is told so beautifully and the way it all comes together in the end is simply perfect. Every performance felt vivid and authentic and each actor who played Chiron made him feel like a real person I was watching grow up on my screen. Quite possibly one of the best movies of all time.

- Dog Day Afternoon (1975, dir. Sidney Lumet): I challenged myself to only include one Al Pacino movie on this list and since this is the one that kicked off my Pacino era (despite me having watched Cruising earlier this year), it’s gotta be here. Watching it a second time also highlighted how well made it is as a film - Al is magnetic in his performance as a desperate man pushed to the brink to take care of the person he loves. The rest of the cast is fantastic as well, especially the tellers, led by Penelope Allen. And now that I’ve seen the 2nd Godfather installment, my love for John Cazale has blossomed fully. I love the deeply disturbed Sal sooooo much. GOD I haven’t even touched on Lumet’s insanely masterful direction and the fact that this movie swings from unbearable tension to being hysterically funny within moments is BEYOND incredible. MOVIE OF ALL TIME!!!!!!!!

- Rear Window (1954, dir. Alfred Hitchcock): Another one that I’m embarrassed I hadn’t seen until this year, despite recognizing many references to it through pop culture (most notably the Simpsons ep where Bart thinks Flanders has murdered his wife). It lives up to the hype, with a murder mystery so well-crafted that even if you KNOW where the story is going, you’re still not entirely sure what’s going to happen next. I’m also so fascinated by Hitchcock’s use of cameras (both Jeff’s and the actual camera filming the movie) to show us the range of humanity on display within a fairly confined area and how Jeff’s voyeurism is contrasted with our voyeurism as the audience. I need to watch this again bc I know I wasn’t fully appreciating that storytelling device the first time.

- Do The Right Thing (1989, dir. Spike Lee): I said this in my other post from the end of the year meme, but I had absolutely no idea what to expect going into this movie and it floored me. I was immediately drawn into the vibrant community where I’d be spending the next couple of hours, with Lee’s distinctive directing style making me feel like I was right there in Brooklyn with the characters as the heat and tension simultaneously reached a boiling point. The explosion that we see kick off with about half an hour left to go in the runtime is inevitable but still felt like a punch in the stomach. God. I think my heart rate is climbing just thinking about it. One of the most powerful cinematic experiences I’ve had in a long time.

Honourable mentions that didn’t make this list include Bottoms (2023), Charade (1963), Some Like It Hot (1959), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), Hundreds Of Beavers (2022), Scream (1996), …And Justice For All (1979), The Godfather Part II (1974), Fancy Dance (2023), and The Holdovers (2023).

As for tagging other people, I’m going to leave it blank for now bc I’ve been sitting in a chilly vehicle writing this but I may come back later, not sure! I don’t want to pressure anyone who doesn’t feel like doing it but PLEASE do it if you want to & tag me in your lists bc I would love to read them!!!