#*cries into my jpeg of him*

[earl-grey-love]

Raging at that damn sexy man app game because I literally had to sell my soul for Sim..eon's outfit like this is why I should only stan one guy I cannot deal with this 😭

[mako-neexu]

.

[vvelegrin]

no one: still no one: otacon's mgs2 concept art:

[my-insanity-is-an-artform]

Woe, Crack Baby Shitten au be upon thee.

(@bamsara 's little doodle of Nari being dubbed Cult Babysitter and holding a little lamb irrevocably changed my brain chemistry. So of course, I'm now making it everyone else's problem with the headcanon that Narinder is good with children of all ages.)

A couple of months before Lamb gets captured, they meet another lamb or a very small flock that have to split up very quickly after meeting since there's more chance of the lamb species surviving if they aren't all together. In the meeting, Lamb agrees to try continue the lamb species and gets pregnant via *magic* or afab.

Of course, all of the lambs are captured and killed with Lamb being the last, still a few months away from giving birth.

But then they are chosen and resurrected by The One Who Waits.

Fun fact: a fetus can survive for a few minutes after the death of the carrier. (Also this is a world with magic and gods in it. Logic means nothing to me.)

Lamb starts their cult, crusades across the lands and meets all sorts of allies and enemies. All while quietly mourning their entire species and the child that never would be.

Right up until they go into labour.

The baby is lamb through and through with soft wool, wide eyes, tiny cloven hooves and floppy ears.

But the influence of the crown is blazingly obvious since the baby's wool is jet black and they have three red eyes.

I can't tell which would be funnier. Lamb giving birth in The Lonely Shack or while they are physically in The Gateway just post-beating Leshy. Like they were in active labour right throughout fighting Leshy and had no idea. Either way, it's Shocked Pikachu .jpeg all around. (My fucking KINGDOM for a doodle of this.)

Various dot point shenanigans under the cut

There are two ways to go about this. But either way, Baby is not staying in the Cult. Too dangerous, especially if word gets to the Bishops about there being another lamb. So Lamb can and will speed-run this shit. So it takes them about 4-6 years to fully defeat the Bishops.

Baby stays with Ratau:

Lamb goes and yells at TOWW. They are panicking because they have no idea how to raise a probably-half-god baby.

Narinder has no idea what happened right up until Lamb comes in screaming about him being a Baby Daddy and child support.

Ratau is Grandpa now. This is his fate. He embraces the Grandpa life.

Baby learns how to play knucklebones before they can speak.

Shrumy tries to wager with Lamb/Ratau for the whole Baby. Once and only Once.

Baby's first word is dice. Or die.

Baby worships TOWW, but they are a Baby and don't really comprehend worship so the small shrine gets a lot of flowers, neat rocks and some drawings. Narinder always gives a lot of gold for them. And No, it's not favouritism. Shut up.

Baby knows curses. This is concerning for everyone except Baby.

Baby gets a little TOWW doll. It's their favourite, it goes everywhere with them and washing it is a nightmare for everyone involved.

Baby is jokingly referred to as TOWW's most Devoted Follower because of the doll.

↑ this action will have consequences.

When Baby is not so baby, they make stuff out of their wool for TOWW and for his disciples. Or asks their parent to help them make stuff.

Cue Lamb awkwardly giving the three some very wonky scarves or hats.

Baal loves it.

Aym refuses to take his off. Ever.

Narinder is actually upset cause his doesn't fit. He's too big. He had to wear it like a little ring.

Or Baby stays/is brought to the Gateway ala Aym and Baal situation:

If Lamb gives birth in the Gateway, everyone is getting a free midwifery education and free trauma. The cats want a refund.

Ya know when a baby instinctively clasps their little hand around a finger and it's like a crime to pull away? That but with Narinder's big ass claw that Baby can only barely cling to.

Aym cries the first time he holds Baby.

Baal straight-up refuses to give Baby back for a good hour.

Lamb visits at least once a day.

Lamb also brings baby things since a baby will do what a baby will do.

Depending on how old Aym and Baal were when they were gifted, Narinder is either learning all of this for the first time or is reminded of how challenging baby care can be.

Narinder purrs = a zonked Baby.

Baby's first word is Vessel.

Baby is taught to fight. Lamb doesn't like it but accepts it.

Baby has a little lamb doll. It is only due to the fact the afterlife doesn't have dirt that they avoid the nightmare of trying to wash it.

Baby is jokingly referred to as TOWW's most Devoted Follower since they refuse to be parted with him for long.

↑ this action will have consequences.

Lamb teaches Baby about being a lamb and if Aym and Baal join in, well who are they to deny their child's only friends/guardians this?

Narinder and Lamb figure out how to get Baby to teleport to the Living World and Baby gets to visit Grandpa Ratau.

Post-game shenanigans.

Narinder: Give me back my crown. Lamb: Ok. Sure. Narinder: I will now sacrifice my most devoted follower (the Lamb) for my freedom. Lamb: *Kill Bill sirens*

Lamb somehow doesn't kill Aym and Baal and instead kidnaps them via Indoctrination Circle out of spite/ reluctance to hurt them.

Narinder feels betrayed that the Lamb would refuse like this and kidnap his acolytes. He was going to resurrect them! He can't fully commit to raising a child while being the God of Death.

Lamb feels betrayed that Narinder would want to kill their child. After all they've been through together! After the way they saw him treat Baby with such gentleness and now he wants to kill them?!

This comes out in the very final moments right before Lamb goes to give the final blow.

Narinder: You are a vengeful false idol and a traitor! Lamb: At least I'm not a monster who wanted to kill my own child! Narinder: Wait. What.

This devolves into a massive argument with divorced-couple vibes.

Narinder is insulted and a bit hurt they thought he would kill his own child.

Lamb is hurt that Narinder would just demand their sacrifice without even talking to them about the whole situation.

Either way the lesson learned is Narinder needs to be more blunt and Lamb needs to not jump to conclusions.

So they are left with a newly usurped Narinder and a newly crowned Lamb. Oops.

Baby is with Ratau when all of this is going down.

Baby is happy their family is all together properly. Baby is Not Happy about this whole cult thing demanding attention from Their Baba.

The Cult is baffled by the sight of their leader with both a baby and a Spouse? Bitterly Divorced Ex? Estranged Co-parent?! What ever it is, most of them have elected not to touch the whole situation with a 10ft barge pole.

Baby learns what the word Father is and how that word refers to Narinder.

Baby calls Narinder Father/Papa/Daddy. Instant KO.

Narinder somehow gains a small hoard of children that like to follow him. Baby Does Not Approve.

Baby also Does Not Approve of this newly formed rift between their parents.

Cue Parent Trap level of Shenanigans.

Aym and Baal are recruited.

The Hoard of Children are recruited. Baby now Slightly Approves.

Narinder and Lamb have an Actual Conversation after the 18th time they get locked in the confessional together.

This of course evolves into Narilamb.

Bishops are saved from purgatory.

Despite all attempts otherwise, Baby is introduced to them.

Shocked Pikachu .jpeg x4

Maybe after a few more years, not-so-baby Baby wants a sibling.

This got so much longer than I thought but yes. Shitten Shenanigans: Accidental Child Acquisition flavoured.

[devildomditzy]

Mammon SFW A-Z

🎂Happy birthday to my beautiful jpeg husband

🎂 I ain’t even gonna lie this is so rushed 😭 but I wanted to get something out for his birthday in time!

🎂 This is more so based off of OG game Mammon and not Nightbringer Mammon

🎂 SFW besides some cursing

🎂 A-Z template by tumblr user @/the-coldest-goodbye

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

He has a very hard time showing affection in a public setting. Even in front of his brothers, he sometimes panics - getting all red in the face - which usually ends with him denying his feelings for you or outright insulting you (why would he want to be with a stupid human anyways?, etc.)

In private, he is the most annoying motherfucker you have to peel him off of you most days. Earlier into the relationship, it was shy touches mixed with blushing. Now that you’re comfortable with each other, you have 0 personal space. Because hey, what’s yours is his - and that includes your bubble, right MC?

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

We already know the answer to this one, as he was literally written in game to be the ‘best friend’ archetype. Mammon starts crass and rude, acting like you’re a bother and he’d rather be anywhere else but next to you. Your friendship starts once Lucifer assigns him to be your guardian. Though he acted like he hated it, Mammon quickly became fond of you. Now you’re his inseparable partner in crime.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

The minute you are home from RAD and you both have changed out of your uniforms, he’s pulling you into his room, on to his bed, and not letting go of you. Sometimes he doesn’t even wait for you to change. He’s clingy, okay! Why would you wanna be anywhere else but layin’ with him?

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Mammon already feels like you are. His home is the HOL, with his brothers. And now, his home includes you. It’s his ideal scenario.

Plus he doesn’t have to pay rent.

He can be good at both tasks if he actually applies himself, but only seems to do it if you specifically ask him to. If Lucifer asks him to cook or clean, the room still feels dirty and everything is burnt. You almost think he does it on purpose.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Listen-

He literally couldn’t.

Once you and Mammon are together, he can’t see a future without you. He can’t see his life without you.

If it was ever broken off, it would be a scenario where he means well, thinking you would be happier or safer, generally better off without him.

But he is greed and even the thought of it upsets him to no end.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

The boy cried watching Cinderella ofc he wants to get married! But he couldn’t imagine to whom until you came into his life. Something just clicked for him. You’re his best friend, his partner in crime, you’re his. I don’t think it would be quick, as a matter of fact he’s way too tsundere for that. But he’s sure once he’s ready, it’ll definitely be you.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

It depends! So we know he’s the second strongest, so in that regard if he wants to be he can be far from gentle. But when it comes to you and his brothers, he consciously trying to be softer. Emotionally? Boys a wreck. A huge softie. Please hold him.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Once again, please hold him. Even if he acts like he hates it sometimes, your hugs are something he looks forward to. When he feels awkward in public he’ll give you one of those weird barely touching you side hugs. But in private? Have fun trying to get him off you.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

So we know canonically when this happens (I believe it was around end of season one of the og game?) and we know he says it plenty after that. We don’t have an exact way to know how much time passes between episodes, but you can assume it took about a year as that was the end of MC’s exchange program originally.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Ooooooooh while he may not be like Levi embodying envy, when it comes to you he’s ridiculously jealous. He’s your ‘first’, remember? If it’s something that’s making him jealous relating to his brothers (i.e. hanging out with someone other than him), he’ll pretend he doesn’t care to the point of being a giant dick about it, inadvertently showing he actually does care a lot.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Honestly? Most of the time they’re timid and shy. He holds you in the highest regard, he adores you though he may not show it very well. You still make him blush like crazy and his stomach still stirs every time he looks at you.

Other times they’re possessive and passionate, he is the avatar of greed after all. But really, his style depends whether or not you take the lead.

His favorite place to get kissed is the neck/collarbone area

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Another one we canonically know! He’s great with them. He probably the most emotionally intelligent of his brothers and actually cares greatly about the things that matter to him. His brothers and you are everything to him, but that little girl back in the human realm that he takes care of? She means the world to him too. He’d be devastated if something happened to her. Meeting you, the thought of having your own child pops into his head every now and again, and it makes his heart melt. But whether or not you have children is something he leaves entirely up to you, not pressuring or pushing you about it. All in all, he’s a natural at taking care of them.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

If it’s a school day, most the times Lucifer forces you both to sleep separately in your own rooms. He’ll knock on your door at the same time everyday to walk you down to breakfast with the others, and then off to school. It’s very routine.

If it’s a lazy day, or a weekend, he’s clingy. Have fun trying to get him out of bed, and if he has anything to say about it, you won’t be doing anything productive either.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

School nights are spent having to be separated most of the time per Lucifer’s rules which Mammon says are ‘totally unfair’ and ‘dumb’ and whatever other negative thing he can think of. But he’s going to call you. Relentlessly even, if you don’t pick up right away. He’ll talk your ear off into the night until one of you falls asleep on the other line of the phone.

Weekend nights are spent out on the town, he wants to go to places like casinos and The Fall, so if you let him drag you along too, he’s elated.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Since he puts up such a front with his feelings, it’s hard for him to get really mushy or personal. Once he begins to trust you more (and fall for you) the speed at which he tells you everything quickens, and he becomes an open book.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

He seems to be easily angered by his brothers teasing him, but knowing him as well as you do, you can tell he’s never really actually mad at them. He could never be. The only time you’ll see him actually get mad is if something happens to you or one of them.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He’ll pretend like he doesn’t remember every single little detail you’ve told him, but mentally he’s taking notes every time you open your mouth. He hangs off your every word, so he knows things ranging from general facts about you to your most deep, personal secrets. And he won’t forget a single word (even if he may act like he did)

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

Mammon’s favorite moment in your relationship was your first trip to Devil’s Coast together. He’s honestly not even sure if you considered that a date, since you were actively looking for Lucifer and Diavolo, but he certainly does. No. 3’s commentary didn’t help at all. He gets embarrassed when he thinks about it, but he loves it all the same. He keeps the picture you took together in his wallet.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

He was literally assigned to essentially be your own demon bodyguard, so yes, he’s very protective of you. At first it was because it was an obligation, then it was because he was intrigued with you, and it quickly morphed into because he’s in love with you.

He’s shocked anytime you stand up for him or defend him in anyway. He’s not used to his brothers defending him in conversations, and is surprised to see you do it. Honestly, he feels like he doesn’t deserve it because of how much he looks down on himself. And you’re this tiny human stepping up to the plate, sometimes risking your life for him? Honestly he finds it hot.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

The most try hard that ever tried hard. Even if he tries to pretend what he’s doing for you is a favor, or the gift he got you was nothing special, it’s always something ridiculously couriered to you and your tastes, or something you physically said you wanted out loud. You could have said you wanted something three months ago. A year ago even. But he’ll always remember and always make sure you get it one way or another.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

He’s literally the avatar of greed, so obviously there’s that. He can lose control sometimes when it comes to grim, or his obsession with both his belongings and with you.

But, I think Mammon’s worst bad habit is how negatively he thinks about himself. You’ll always need to check in on him from time to time to make sure he’s not spiraling in his mind. But when he does, you’re the best person to pull him out of it.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He’s concerned to a degree being a model and all, but definitely nowhere near Asmo standards of vanity. He’s the kind of person who always looks good without trying. The most effort he’ll put into anything is his outfits, especially if it’s an outfit he’s wearing to go out with you. Besides that, he’s not too concerned.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

His world would shatter.

Now that he’s met you, and now that he’s almost lost you countless of times, he could never ever see a future for himself that doesn’t have you in it.

He doesn’t want any future without you in it.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He goes through your things. With good intentions of course!!! Why would you think anything else??

Okay maybe at first it was to sell your stuff. But now that he’s with you, he only does it to see what you’re into at the moment so he can gauge the best gift he can get for you, or what date he can take you out to.

He lives for the sparkle in your eye that you get when he does that kind of stuff, so while not an amazing thing to do, his looking is not malicious.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

He doesn’t like people who are assholes for no reason. Sure, he can see why someone would act aggressively if he knows the why they are, but if they’re just doing it to do it or for some self serving reason, he dislikes them.

And though he is a model, he also doesn’t like people who are too full of themselves. He’s already got an Asmo at home, why would he need another one of em’?

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

He is terrible at falling asleep.

And even worse at waking up.

He becomes accustomed to staying out late or just talking to you late into the night, so his sleep cycle is horrendous.

Once he does fall asleep, have fun trying to wake him up. We all know how great that went for Levi when he was trying to get his figure back :)

[agendabymooner]

kool kids ! daniel r. x ofc (måneskin member!ofc)

“but i don’t give a f*ck about being a kool kid!”

summary: a series of messages is shared between the couple and their self-proclaimed child (who really is just a third wheel) as they travel to new york for one thing: hamilton. OR lando norris isn’t ashamed to third wheel if it means for him to get a free ticket to the show, and danny and lester only want to make their week off worth it.

content warning: platonic!lando x ofc content, possible use of explicit language, certain innuendo applied, danny being soppy and whipped, lando being a child of a happy marriage, inaccurate italian translations, lando slander but with love

note: feeling a little quirky, i needed to make this trio a thing. also, say hi to the present time tilly (check out my toto wolff fic)

tagged lando.jpg, daniel3.jpg

liked by carlossainzjr, maxverstappen1, charles_leclerc

view 1024 more comments

ykaaar i hope you got paid for babysitting liked by loressandro and danielricciardo

daniel3.jpeg no we didn't. we had to sponsor the child.

maxverstappen1 there's a freeloader among us... liked by loressandro and danielricciardo

user1 NAW THATS VILE HAHAHAHAH

landonorris stay mad hoe 😚

tillywolff spero ti sia piaciuto il viaggio? liked by loressandro

loressandro l'ho fatto! Ho anche portato qualcosa per Ren e Tia, la signora Wolff

charles_leclerc yes lando, get that jolie-pitt child treatment 😩 liked by loressandro and danielricciardo

landonorris fuck off shal

user2 the trip to paris never looked soooo good

loressandro we don't do that here.

tagged loressandro

liked by landonorris, carlossainzjr, georgerussell63

view 939 more comments

landonorris but she's not as cool as me liked by danielricciardo

loressandro bro really said "living in your mind rent free but instead we're in an airbnb because i only have 12 euros" 💀

user1 this is the first time maxverstappen1 and lester agreed on something

maxverstappen1 user1 and it's going to be the last lmfao

loressandro maxverstappen1 last i heard you cried because of stay alive reprise lololol

loressandro danny d*ck me down challenge liked by danielricciardo

daniel3.jpg word :)

landonorris baffled. screaming. wailing. pissing. shitting.

user2 lando is the son with a scarring childhood confirmed??

charles_leclerc are you in danger in any means that's why you posted this? press f for help

daniel3.jpg nah bro i'm Fine, like perFectly Fine.

tagged loressandro, danielricciardo

liked by danielricciardo, carlossainzjr, maxverstappen1

view 902 more comments

carlossainzjr loressandro i didn't know you had a child with daniel!

loressandro yeah we do! we picked him up from the sewers after his rat parents abandoned his nest

danielricciardo he was a delightful little mice, no?

loressandro pequeño.

lando.jpg bro if you want me to pay you back just say it like damn 💀

user3 would you go to a trip with them again?

lando.jpg with what's happening rn? no 💀 unless they pay for the whole trip i'm willing to suffer any time.

brief translation

spero ti sia piaciuto il viaggio? = I hope you enjoyed the trip?

l'ho fatto! Ho anche portato qualcosa per Ren e Tia, la signora Wolff = I did! I also brought something back for Ren and Tia, Mrs. Wolff

pequeño = tiny/little

[newmusickarl]

5-9’s Album of the Month Podcast – latest episode out now!

The latest episode of the 5-9 Album of the Month Podcast is here and it’s a bit of a sad one as 5-9 Editor Andrew Belt was unable to join us! So this time around it’s just me and Mama Mañana Records' Kiley Larsen reviewing five high profile album releases from the past month in music, ultimately naming one as our Album of the Month at the end of the discussion.

For our June 2024 episode, it was John Grant’s synth-soaked majesty on The Art of the Lie that took home the coveted Album of the Month title. For our latest episode, we look back at five big releases from July and the albums vying for recognition this time around are:

King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2 by Denzel Curry

Django’s High by Future Utopia (Poll winner, thanks for voting!)

As Above, So Below by Highly Suspect

Harmonics by Joe Goddard

HEAVY JELLY by SOFT PLAY

If you want to listen to this or any previous episodes simply follow the links below, but also be sure to follow 5-9 Blog on Instagram, Twitter and now YouTube for more news and polls relating to the podcast.

Listen on Spotify here

Watch, like and subscribe to our YouTube channel here

Album & EP Recommendations

Wild God by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Let’s face it, Nick Cave doesn’t make bad records. However, even by his incredibly high standards across his illustrious career, his recent work has been truly exceptional, towering bodies of work. Fuelled by unimaginable tragedy, grief and loss, albums Skeleton Tree and Ghosteen rank among my favourite albums of the last decade, listening experiences that are beautiful yet emotionally devastating. His last album with just him and Warren Ellis, Carnage, was no slouch either, finishing in my Top 10 of the year back in 2021. Now both have reunited with the full Bad Seeds ensemble, and new album Wild God continues their recent hot streak.

Emerging out of the vast darkness, their eighteenth studio album is a much brighter and more joyous experience compared to its predecessors. Filled with uplifting, string-drenched arrangements, some of which include none other than Radiohead’s Colin Greenwood on bass duties, the lyrics also find Cave in a much more optimistic mindset. It all makes for another endlessly captivating listen, with Joy the real standout in the first half, as Cave’s poetic lyrics are spun across a mostly minimal, piano-led composition. However, the finest moments for me are in the back half, with the gospel cries and stomps of Conversion, the operatic and ghostly Cinnamon Horses and standout single Long Dark Night a particularly incredible trio.

Once again, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have crafted one of the finest albums I’ve listened to all year. Impactful and stunningly orchestrated, it’s another stirring collection of songs that will keep you absorbed across countless repeated listens.

Listen here

I Lay Down My Life For You by JPEGMAFIA

Another album that has quickly become one of my favourites of the year, NY-rapper JPEGMAFIA has followed up his sensational collaborative album with Danny Brown, 2023’s Scaring The Hoes, with arguably his strongest solo outing to date.

It’s a rap record but with punk rock energy, with most of the tracks here under the three-minute mark and plenty of heavy guitars powering the sonics. JPEG uses the record’s frantic pace to jump wildly between each bold idea, with the production never anything less than stellar. Collaborating with the likes of Flume and Kenny Beats on the production front, he also pulls in other current rap superstars like Vince Staples and Denzel Curry to lend a few bars too. It all makes for a thrilling wall-to-wall listen but if I’m to pick out just a couple of highlights, it’s the metal-charged SAN MIEDO and string-tinged experimentation of Exmilitary.

Colliding fast and furious bars with heavy punk, noise rock and industrial influences, all in mesmerising fashion, this is without a doubt the rap record of the year for me so far.

Listen here

No Name by Jack White

Another man who rarely disappoints, guitar maestro and all-round modern legend Jack White returned recently with a surprise new album. Initially stealth releasing on vinyl towards the end of July, the record officially released to streaming platforms and critical fanfare at the beginning of August. While I may not agree with the consensus that this is his best solo outing to date, there’s no denying that this is another fun and mightily impressive release.

You see while some critics have found White’s solo discography to be quite patchy, I’ve actually been a big fan of his output over the last 12 years. Blunderbuss and Lazaretto both boasted songs that could be dubbed as instant rock classics, Boarding House Reach was wild but always fascinating in its experimentation, and the duo of Fear of The Dawn and Entering Heaven Alive showed that White’s songwriting shone through, whether plugged or unplugged.

With No Name, for me, what we ultimately get is more of what White has already done before and proved he can do previously. That said, the lo-fi production and fuzzy rock riffs still sound terrific, especially on tracks like Old Scratch Blues, Archbishop Harold Holmes, What’s The Rumpus and Terminal Archenemy Ending. So, while it lacks anything new or revolutionary and brings with it an air of safe familiarity, there is no denying that White can still rock out. If you’re a fan of his previous work, you’ll still find plenty here to enjoy.

Listen here

Lagos Paris London EP by Yannis & The Yaw

And finally on the EPs front, Yannis Philippakis of Foals finally released his long awaited first solo project, Lagos Paris London. A dazzling, collaborative five track EP featuring the late-great Nigerian drummer Tony Allen, the EP is as vibrant and sonically adventurous as the globe-trotting title would suggest. While Yannis brings his signature guitar grooves to the table, some soaring string arrangements, jazz-like horns and Allen’s Afrobeat-style drums ensure the project always has a different feel to anything under the Foals banner.

Whilst the whole EP is well worth 20 minutes of your time, it is Rain Can’t Reach Us and Clementine that particularly stand out for me.

Listen here

Also well worth checking out:

DAYS BEFORE RODEO by Travis Scott

Imaginal Disk by Magdalena Bay

True Magic by Salute

This World Fucking Sucks by Cassyette

A Firmer Hand by Hamish Hawk

Participation Trophy by China Bears

Heartbreak Town EP by GIRLBAND!

Song Recommendations

The Emptiness Machine by LINKIN PARK

It’s been quite the month for big comebacks, hasn’t it?!

First came the colossal news that the Gallagher brothers would finally be reforming Oasis for a huge 2025 tour, before Linkin Park also made their long-awaited return, announcing new album From Zero will be dropping this November. The Emptiness Machine is the first taste of that new record and their first single to feature new vocalist, Emily Armstrong.

Emily’s arrival into the band has certainly caused controversy, with her links to Scientology already a hot topic amongst fans. While that debate will continue for the foreseeable, what is clear from this single and the band’s return livestream performance is that Emily certainly has the vocal capabilities needed to front the iconic, much-loved band. While of course no-one could fully replace the late-great Chester Bennington, I am glad to have Linkin Park back making music once again.

Listen to The Emptiness Machine here

Watch the livestream performance back here

All You Children by Jamie XX featuring The Avalanches

A late contender for song of the summer, this huge collaboration between Jamie XX and The Avalanches was on heavy repeat for me towards the end of August. Propelled by an infectious tribal beat that will just make you want to get up and dance, it’s left me hugely hyped for Jamie’s new album In Waves dropping in a few weeks’ time.

Listen here

He by Hayden Thorpe

Another album I cannot wait for dropping at the end of September, Hayden Thorpe’s adaptation of Robert Macfarlane’s book Ness will also soon be here. With book and album both inspired by Orford Ness in Suffolk, He is the ultra-groovy second single from the project. Featuring an endlessly fascinating arrangement that even includes a sackbut (a 15th century early trombone) and a spinet (a small 17th century harpsichord), Hayden's unique songcraft shines through once again.

Listen here

A Landlord’s Death by One True Pairing

And Hayden is not the only Wild Beasts alumni to be releasing new music this year. A month later in October, Tom Fleming will also be releasing his second solo album, Endless Rain. Working with acclaimed producer John ‘Spud’ Murphy, the singles so far have suggested a much more traditional and folk-inspired sound compared to his solo debut. A Landlord’s Death continues this hypothesis, featuring some stomping acoustic riffs, wild strings and a catchy chorus.

Listen here

Sick Of The Blues by Porridge Radio

Another album due for release in October, indie rockers Porridge Radio will be returning with their new opus, Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me. Sick of the Blues is the closing track for the project but also the album’s first teaser single, finding frontwoman Dana Margolin in an apathetic mood as raw rock riffs build and erupt around her.

Listen here

Straight To Heart by ALT BLK ERA

From MOBO and Heavy Music Award nominations to storming festival sets at the likes of Glastonbury and Download, there is absolutely no stopping ALT BLK ERA’s momentum right now. Now with their highly-anticipated debut album Rave Immortal due for release in January, the alternative sister duo have released the second taste of the upcoming record. The synth-soaked track highlights the continuing maturity of their songwriting, with Straight To Heart seeing Nyrobi open up and reflect on her agonising battles with chronic illness.

Listen here

Nothing Compares To Nineteen by Fiona-Lee

Another one of the UK’s most promising emerging voices, singer-songwriter Fiona-Lee has recently returned with her second-ever single. A hugely emotive track, it was written in the wake of Fiona tragically losing a lifelong friend after he took his own life. Recalling her struggles with anxiety, grief and depression, along with conversations with her father on mental health, it’s another hard-hitting single that absolutely soars.

Listen here

Split Lip by Dolores Forever

One of my other favourite new music discoveries in 2024, I’ve had the pleasure of catching indie-pop duo Dolores Forever twice over this summer’s festival season. With their debut album finally dropping at the end of September, Split Lip is one of the latest singles taken from the project and a song that really stood out in their live performances. Hugely anthemic amidst captivating vocal harmonies and shimmering synths, this upcoming record is slowly shaping up to be one of the best debuts of the year.

Listen here

One Day by Hallworth

Released at the end of August, singer-songwriter Hallworth also recently released her heartfelt new single, One Day. Inspired by the Netflix movie of the same name and written while she was in Nashville, it’s a stirring track about her struggles with a long-distance relationship. With Hallworth’s own tender vocals at the fore, it’s a gorgeously laidback love song that will have you hitting the repeat button.

Listen here

Never Meant by Iron & Wine / For Sure by Ethel Cain

And finally, this year marks the 25th anniversary of one of my favourite albums of all time and a seminal work that still inspires countless musicians today – American Football’s self-titled debut. To mark the occasion, the band are releasing a remastered version of the original record, along with a brand new covers version.

The first two of these covers have been revealed and they are both unsurprisingly stunning. Firstly, American singer-songwriter Samuel Ervin Beam transforms the iconic Never Meant into a wonderful, folky lullaby, reminiscent of Bon Iver. Then, the much beloved Ethel Cain has turned the haunting For Sure into a near 10-minute moment of beauty and ethereal transcendence.

If all the covers are to this standard, with more cuts from the likes of Manchester Orchestra and Blondshell still to come, this project could be something very special.

Listen to Never Meant by Iron & Wine here

Listen to For Sure by Ethel Cain here

Also worth checking out:

Ego by Halsey

You by Ktlyle

JACKIN’ THE SYSTEM by NOISY

Tonight, Tonight (Smashing Pumpkins Cover) by Snail Mail

Hometown Edge by Kele

Bright Lights by The Killers

HERE WE GO! by Lil Nas X

Find The Way by Peggy Gou

SO WHAT by Confidence Man

SilverCane by Corinne Bailey Rae

REMINDER: If you use Apple Music, you can also keep up-to-date with all my favourite 2024 tracks through my Best of 2024 playlist. Constantly updated throughout the year with songs I enjoy, it is then finalised into a Top 100 Songs of the Year in December.Add the Best of 2024 playlist to your library here

[writingmysanity]

Quiet Cries

Prompt: Lullaby

Pairing: Eskel x Reader (Kit)

Word count: 549

A/N: some blood mentioned- death mentioned but nothing on screen. cannon level. also, i am sorry that I am not consistent in my writing. take this as a sacrifice. tis soft and a bit sad.

A sharp cry startles you out of your sleep, Eskel already on his feet and alert. Grumbling groggily, you look around at the expanse of trees darkened by shadows nestled around you, the flicker of the fire carving sickly shapes up their bodies, as nothing else seems to move. 

“A… baby?” you ask confused, eyeing Eskel as he sniffs around, listening intently. He nods slowly.

“There were others near, you stay here,” he states gruffly as he hauls his swords over his shoulders before stepping into the shadows. Frowning, you rest back, staring at the lick of the flames in the air, mesmerized by the brilliance as it begins to lull you back to sleep. Just as you're about to doze back off, Eskel steps back into the small clearing with a snap, his mountainous frame freezing looking down at his arms, eyes widened like a startled deer. Head lifting to meet his gaze, you realize that he isn't alone- the bundle of cloth wiggling in his arms, gentle whimpered cries escaping from its restraints. 

“The baby?” you ask sleepily, opening your arms for it. He lays it gently in your arms, moving slower than you've ever seen him, hesitation in every movement until it is fully in your arms. Cooing gently, you smooth the blanket from its face, softening at the reddish tinge still fading from its outburst just minutes ago, shushing them gently. “You are safe, little one.”

Eskel just sits on the other side of the fire, shifting rather uncomfortably. They don't teach baby handling in their training, you assume, offering him a gentle smile. He tries to match it, staring at the small body in your arms. 

“Its mother?” he just shakes his head sadly, lifting his hands. The reddish stain marking him from palm to finger. 

“It looks like bandits, they probably left the child knowing it wouldn't last long in the wild.” His voice is soft. The baby seems to settle a tad as he speaks, gurgling sleepily. 

“We will drop them off at the next town.” you offer, knowing it is only a day's ride more. He nods, sighing. 

“What… Can I help?” His voice is slow, eyebrows pinched, unsure. Grinning, you nod. 

“Can you sing to us?” you rarely ask, the request always catching him off guard, but he nods, settling back against a tree trunk, peering off into the shadows. A pause, as you assume he is listening to the forest to make sure that you are indeed alone before he starts singing. He sings in a language you don't know, his baritone echoing through the emptiness between the trees, the sound haunting and beautiful, his eyes sliding shut as he continues. The vibrations of his voice melt away your fight to stay away, the baby's eyes having already shut once more as you finally succumb to the darkness, too. Once he is sure you're both asleep, he regards you gently, how you cradle the child, arms wrapped protectively around it as you sleep- the sight is one he has thought of often. A pain, an ache he has resolved himself to feeling in the past. The need for a family. Softening, he shifts to make himself more comfortable. 

“Goodnight Kit,” he pauses, smiling in spite of himself. “Goodnight, Kid.” 

_____

The witcher taglist

Tag list: @errruvande @thesleepy1 @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie @queenxxxsupreme @screechingdreamercollectorsblog @open--till--midnight @one-eyed-captain-kinky

@seidenbros @cosmos-coma @deanmcogorman @dark-academia-slut  @jessalyn-jpeg @daughterofautumn

If you would like to be added to the tag list, please send me a message or ask or something.

[chickwiththepurpleguitar]

Hiiiii! Victoria, peony, homophobia please!

Two prompts to go my friends! (Sorry they've been so off schedule lol, I'm hoping to have the last one up tonight as well). Since my brain needed an even number and I've now posted 7 Julie POV fics, 7 Rose POV fics, 7 Flynn POV fics, and 7 Carrie POV fics, I decided to round off the last two with some special guests. Thanks to @a-tomb-with-a-view and @joyandthephantoms for rigging my inbox <3

This prompt takes place in a new au @joyandthephantoms and I have affectionately dubbed "homophobia." WARNING: HOMOPHOBIA. The gist is-- Ray Molina deserves to be an imperfect parent Sometimes and that means he needs to make mistakes and unlearn some things after he's hurt his children with them. Don't worry, he'll get there. Enjoy!

When Victoria gets home from a long day at the office, her niece is crying on the front porch.

“Ay, querida!” Victoria cries, getting out of the car immediately to rush over to her. “Julie, what’s wrong? What are you doing here?”

A quick once-over does nothing to clear up the situation. Julie doesn’t appear to be hurt— she’s wearing shorts and a t-shirt with a butterfly on it, and there’s no sign of blood on any of her exposed skin, no scraped knees or obviously broken bones. Just tears streaming down her face as she sits between the two patches of Victoria’s peony garden and a slight tremor to her hands as she tries to swipe them away.

“Julie, nena,” Victoria pleads, sitting down on the porch next to her so she can pull her niece into a hug. “Dime qué te pasa. Should I call your papi?”

“No,” Julie hiccups, shaking her head. “No, please, don’t— I told him I was going to the library to study, I— I don’t want him to know I’m here.”

Something sour burns in Victoria’s chest. She holds Julie tighter, even as her tone turns serious. “Julie, if you expect me to lie to your father, you better have a good reason.”

Julie sobs, clutching tightly to Victoria’s blouse, and then she says, “I told him I’m gay, Tía.”

Victoria goes very still. Her mind races with things to say— trying desperately to think of the right thing to say— because clearly however Ray reacted wasn’t what Julie needed to hear. “Okay,” she says finally. “That’s news, ¿sí?”

Julie sniffles, tense in Victoria’s embrace. “There’s this girl in my class… Dad kept asking me if there was a boy I wanted to take to the Freshman Social, but there isn’t a boy, and I— I know that’s not really something we’d ever talked about as an option for me, but I didn’t think he’d—”

She cuts herself off with a fresh round of tears, and Victoria doesn’t know what to do, so she just keeps holding her, shushing her gently, praying to God and Rose for patience and strength.

She tries not to hold any anger for Ray in her heart, not until she knows the whole story, anyway. He’s a good man and a good father. He’s also Catholic, from a smaller town and with older parents than Victoria and Rose’s. He’s not perfect. She can’t expect him to be.

“What did he say, mija?” she whispers, pressing her lips into Julie’s curls.

Julie takes a shaky breath. “He said what I was feeling was unnatural. Th-That I needed to stop thinking that way, that I shouldn’t tell anybody, that as soon as a nice boy came into my life, I’d change my mind. He said… He said Mami always wanted me to be safe and happy and I couldn’t be either if I chose that lifestyle.”

“Ay, Dios mío,” Victoria breathes, and gives up on patience. She and Ray Molina are going to have words.

“Tía,” Julie says, sniffling. “Would Mom be upset if she were still alive?”

“No,” Victoria promises. “No, nena, she’d be so proud of you. I’m certain of that. I’m so proud of you. You didn’t do anything wrong. And your papi will come around, too, okay? I’ll make sure of it.”

--

Taglist: @whenweremarried @sunsethimb0s @pink-flame @penguin0613 @fighttoshine @sunsetcurvecuddles @teenagedirtbag-dot-jpeg @brightattheorpheum @queenmolina @jandthephantoms @lexilucacia @sapphossidechick @acnhaddict @shrimp-colours @sunset-bobby @lenacarstairspotterstewart @conversationaltreestump @burntchromas @julieandthequeers @joyandthephantoms @it-tastes-like-lizard @jatpfs 

[maiiiwrites]

★ | A TWISTED SURPRISE . JPEG

PAIRING ! edmund pevensie x f!reader

IN WHICH you entertained your lovers big slip up

it was a quiet day in cair paravel. everyone had taken the day off to relax after the tiring week. with all the meeting and formal events planned, it's difficult to do so.

you enjoyed the silent halls on these rare occasions. no one frantically running to their duties from one place to another. a book in hand and the sun shining through the library windows, it was the perfect morning.

that is until your lover barges in the library a little bit too bizarrely. he takes a moment to catch his breath and meets your eyes. "oh aslan, that's your 'i did something bad face' isn't it?" you sighed, forgetting your book.

"it's not as bad as you think love," edmund protested. "what did you do ed."

"i might have made a tiny slip up.." he started. carefully choosing his next words. "i accidentally called you my wife while i was talking with the advisors and our people have been sending wedding gifts."

the worry and panic in his features made you burst into laughter. "you haven't even asked for my hand in marriage," you chuckled.

the corner of his lips curled upwards, a sweet lopsided smile. "and i plan to do so, my love."

edmund offered his hand for you to take. a silent invitation to see what all this madness is about. you playfully rolled your eyes at his tactics, intertwining your hand together.

you walked side by side through the castle corridors. quietly asking how he planned to spend the rest of the day, with the intention of asking him on a date.

"i plan to spend it with you, ofcourse."

you smiled cheerfully, squeezing his hand as a silent 'i love you'. he lit up at the gesture and lifted your interlocked hands to place a soft kiss on your knuckles.

finally arriving at the grand ballroom. you peaked your head inside and found piles of gifts. some neatly placed in stacks, while others were on the verge of falling.  "you certainly weren't lying about the abundant amount," you lightly chuckled. quickly saving those in desperate need of stability.

edmund smiled warmly, completely smitten by your sweetness. he watched as you shifted from a corner to another. only stopping once a gift caught your attention.

you stared fondly at a certain present given by a little girl and her father. a handmade music box. attached to it is a letter, decorated with little doodles. you gently unfolded the parchment. revealing the sentimental and heart warming message. written in beautiful handwriting are the words, "may your love last for eternity."

"ed! come quick!" you called. but, there was no response or small scurrying of his feet towards you.

so you tried again, "darling! you have to see this." you softly creased the beautifully crafted box. inside, you found a figure of you and edmund. twisting the handle to reveal its magic. a narnian melody played as mini you and edmund came to life, dancing and waltzing.

you smiled love struck and giddy from the warmth spreading through your body. "edmund, you seriously have to see this—" your sentence being cut short by your boyfriend on one knee.

"oh aslan.. you planned this didnt you? you sly king."

he smirked, already sure of your answer "is that a no?" you were probably ugly crying but edmund looked at you like you were a goddess.

"yes," you mumbled, trying to hold back a sob. edmund chuckled at your response, "yes?"

"yes ill marry you king edmund the just."

tears are now flowing down your cheeks. you threw yourself into his arms causing him to tumble back. he smiled fondly, kissing the side of your head. your cries muffled agaisnt his shoulder.

you hugged him till your cries turned into small hiccups. pulling back to pout at your now, fiance. "i hate you," you hiccuped.

edmund couldn't hide the amusement in his features, "we both know that's far from how you truly feel."

you huffed, "you plotted all this on purpose."

"i love you too darling," he giggled. swaying you in his embrace.

ed is right though, irritated was the furthest thing you felt right now. not with his arms secured around you. you melted against him, surrounded by his love and warmth.

"look at me love," ed whispered, tilting your chin up. he leaned down to press a soft peck on your lips. tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear.

"i did plan all this. i told everyone beforehand that i was going to propose, and asked their help."

you watched him slide a beautifully crafted ring. fall like leaves engraved to signify the season of your anniversary and now engagement. center is a carnelian crystal, something that reminded him of you. his source of courage, energy, and motivation. edmund softly brushed his fingers on your ring. admiring the way it rested on your finger.

"now, let's go celebrate our engagement with a ride in the woods," he smiled.

a dopey grin spread across your face, "glady." you gently put away the music box, still playing its music. happily rushing through the corridors. hand in hand with your soon to be husband

© maiiiwrites — ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

[dailyeohkakyoin]

cameo REALLY lucked out with polnareff.

[wkemeup]

for drabble night- which i am so excited for, by the way!! you're a marvelous writer and one of my top favorite bucky writers- my personal favorite trope is oblivious idiots to lovers (like the love is requited but they're just idiots)

dialogue prompt: “I’m too good for revenge.” “Well I’m not. Give me the gun.” - from anon pairing: bucky x reader word count: 1.4k warnings (provided by @jessalyn-jpeg): idiots to lovers, mutual pining, shouted love confessions, (and warnings from me ->) past torture, descriptions of blood, canon level violence, sorry I made this so dark??? a/n: guess who already broke the 1k rule!!! but hey I loved this one and Im a little sad it's a drabble and not a monster fic. it may not be idiots per say, but definitely two people who love each other who havent admitted it yet and are scared of what it means

A man withered on the ground at your feet, scrambling along the prodding edges of crumbled concrete. Crawling as blood streaked in his wake. This man – this monster – you'd been chasing for weeks was reduced to a helpless, crying mess as you towered over him. His hands shook as they shielded his face, tears streaking over his cheeks. This time, you held the power. You held the leverage. He wasn’t so scary without the table of surgical tools at his disposal – your blood stained upon his hands and a maniacal grin upon his lips.

You didn’t know his name. He was only ever ‘the Doctor’ when you spoke of him in your head. You’d only uttered the phrase once since the team rescued you from his basement two months ago and even then, it had tasted of venom. He haunted you in your sleep, followed you in the shadows of every room, drew screams as he pleased even when he could no longer touch you. Safety was not a luxury you could afford – not after what he’d done to you.

Bucky was your only reprieve. A broken man who had found the pieces of himself again – who had offered pieces of himself to you to soothe the mess you’d become with gauze and tape. It was his arms you woke in when your throat was burning raw, his voice lulling you back to sleep, his hands that had taught you peace again.

Bucky saved what his man destroyed.

“P-please,” the Doctor begged, his trembling hands reaching out for the toe of your boot – like a peasant before a king. You flinched before he could touch you. His back pressed against the wall. There was nowhere else for him to go. You flexed the gun at the end of your grip.

“You ruined me,” you spat, barely able to taste the words as they left your tongue. They did not sound like your own. “You expect me to grant you mercy?”

It only made the man sob harder. He was struggling to breathe – hyperventilating between sobs as his hands curled tight against his chest. Pathetic. Weak. Certainly not the type of man who could orchestrate the kidnapping of an avenger without help. He was sick and twisted and evil down to his bones, but he was not the mastermind behind your abduction. He was the executioner.

“D-don’t kill me,” he whimpered, bowing his forehead to the ground. “Y-you’re an Avenger. You wouldn’t.”

You had every intent to put a bullet through this man’s chest the moment you laid eyes on him again. You’d expected to be afraid, to see the surgical mask over his mouth and the cold, dead look in his eyes. You’d expected him to lunge at you with the scalpel and add to the array of scars he’d drawn upon your body. You’d expected violence from the psychopath you knew him to be.

Instead – you found this trembling, frail man who could not manage the courage to meet your eye. It was only when you were chained and drugged that he felt powerful enough to torture an Avenger. You were disappointed.

“You’re not worth my soul.” Tears welled into your eyes as you stared down the monster who had taken residency within your nightmares. “I’m too good for revenge.”

“Well, I’m not,” Bucky’s voice growled from the edge of the room. He stalked across the floor of the basement, his boots stepping over the stain of dried blood you’d left behind months earlier. His expression was cold, unemotive. The plates of his left arm whirled as he clenched his fist. “Give me the gun.”

Bucky’s hand slid over yours, the gun falling slack in your hand. You parted your lips to tell him that justice was due, that there was still more at play than just the sick mind of the man crumbled at your feet. But the safety was already unlatched and Bucky unloaded the weapon into the Doctor. Blood trailed through the cracks in the floor until they touched your boots. The echo burned into your eardrums.

You gaped, stumbling a few steps back before Bucky could slide the gun back into the holster on your hip. He raised an eyebrow, concerned, but you couldn’t find any air inside your chest. Your gaze flickered back to the Doctor as his body slumped down the wall, sinking into the pool of his own blood. It would stain into the rock amongst your own.

Your stunned stare returned to Bucky as he gently reached a hand towards you. You slapped it away. “Why-- What did you—Why would you do that?”

Bucky stilled, his eyes narrowing. He retracted his hand, genuine confusion upon his features. “Are you serious?”

“We could have brought him in, Bucky!” You threw your arms in the air, pacing over the red stain at the center of the room. “We could have interrogated him! You saw him – he clearly isn’t working alone!”

“We don’t need him, Y/n, we can—”

“He’s a pawn! He deserves a hell of a lot worse than death but we needed him, Bucky!”

“No,” Bucky snapped. His face was growing red, his jaw clenching so tightly the muscle flexed beneath his stubble. “No — that monster should have been shot on sight! I don’t give a shit what he could have been useful for! He got what he deserved!”

“Dammit, Bucky! We’re right back where we started.” You pressed your hands to your eyes. Tears wiped at the edges of your palms – angry, frustrated tears. Helpless tears. A lump burned so terribly in your throat, you thought it might choke you.

“We’re not,” Bucky eased, trying to calm you though his own breathing was labored. “We killed the bastard who took you, Y/n. He’s dead now. He can’t hurt you again. It's a hell of a lot more than we had yesterday.”

“Not when the guy who’s making the calls is still out there!” you cried, shoving away his efforts to reach you, though he kept trying. “We were so close, Bucky! He would have talked!”

“You don’t know that! He could have been manipulating you!"

“He would have rolled over in a second!” you roared, fire and fury and agony coursing through your veins. “And you just—you threw that all away for—what? For revenge?!”

“For you!”

The moment the words left Bucky’s lips he held his breath. His boots carried him several steps back, putting space between you as if it might draw the words back from the air before they could touch you. The anger drained from your body, washing away in a matter of seconds. Bucky exhaled a tensed breath.

“I did it... for you,” Bucky repeated slowly, his voice dangerously quiet. “I couldn’t stand the idea of that monster living another second after what he did to you.”

You swallowed, though your throat was aired dry.

“I can hear you cry at night,” he confessed and your heart clenched. Slowly, Bucky lifted his gaze to you, blue eyes startling through the wash of tears. “I know what he did to you, Y/n. You don’t have to tell me, because I know. I know what it’s like to be stripped of your power, to be helpless. I know what that does to a person. You... You never should have had to know what that feels like, too. It would have lingered over your head, Y/n -- to have that monster in the compound with us. It would have driven you mad. So I did what I had to do. I won’t apologize for that.”

You stared at Bucky, lips parted. “Fury will be pissed.”

You didn’t know why you said that. Perhaps because you were too afraid of what Bucky was really saying – the meaning behind his actions. Why it tortured him to allow this man to live after what he did to you.

Bucky chuckled dryly. “Yeah, I suppose he will.”

Quietly, you inched closer to him, stepping over the wet bloods of crimson as it slithered along the floor. Your arms wrapped around his waist, your head pressing to his chest. Bucky stilled for a moment, surprised, before his arms folded around you. It was warm in his embrace, safe. You listened to the gentle thumping of his heart as a hand circled sweetly over your spine.

And then, so quietly you knew only his advanced hearing could pick up, you muttered, “thank you,” against his chest.

--

this is your reminder that on drabble night I'm barely reading this over after I write it instead of taking weeks to edit and draft and redraft lol so if there's mistakes or the quality is not on par, that is why

[dying-suffering-french-stalkers]

Finally watching Goodbye Partner!  I’m watching the dub, but I have the subs on so I can read the date/location popups and signs, so I’m getting a bit of dialogue comparison.  I’ll probably go back and watch a few scenes with the original audio as well (Kiyoshi Kobayashi my beloved).

Here begins the liveblog, but all in one post and under a cut so it’s not as insufferable:

Starting strong with a heist escape sequence as per usual!  As far as openings go, it’s hard to go wrong with that.

Oh, hello, literal actual Chopin courtesy of a timeskip/flashback.

What are these RWBY-ass CGI piano hands??  Y’all warned me and you were not kidding.  Traditional rotoscoping would never hurt me in this way.

CUSTODY_OF_CHILD.JPG

Lupin playing in those see-through inflatable “hamster” balls skdfjskjdflsl

Intricate Rituals.  Jiglup gunplay confirmed

Epcar’s delivery here was so much more aggressive than Kobayashi’s.

“Area 61, Colorado” just say Cheyenne Mountain

EDWARD ZNOWDEN

Fujiko really is terrible with kids

Listen, I love a good Dutch angle, but I’m starting to feel like I should set up a CinemaSins counter at this point.  I’m glad to have some shot variety but there are other compositions, you know.

Motorcycle Jigen returns!!

Loving this little Morricone shoutout, which I unfortunately cannot seem to find on YouTube.

[strangled Goemon voice] “MISTAKE.”

God. GOD. Tony Oliver’s delivery in the betrayal scene is so good.  Lupin is clearly not buying it at all and is quite willing to play along with whatever the hell this is - until Jigen shoots him right in the heart.  That’s going to hurt a lot more than literally when he wakes up, though 1) given that the movie’s barely begun, I’m guessing he’s still not completely buying it (rightfully so) and is gonna look into this and 2) unfortunately this franchise isn’t known for actually digging into all the delicious angst and implications it likes to sling around.  Cowards.

Also, I like that Lupin seems to be wearing a navy shirt and pink tie like he had in early Part 2 instead of the blue shirt/yellow tie he has in the other Red Jacket movies.  Not sure why that’s what they went with but I’m down.

Okay, I went back and watched the betrayal scene in Japanese and OOF, it hits DIFFERENT to hear Kiyoshi Kobayashi deliver those lines.  He’s so utterly casual about it and it’s all the more angsty since he’s, y’know, a million years old, so here his Jigen sounds much more tired/resigned compared to Epcar’s brasher gunman.

The way that the shots focus on not only Jigen, but also Fujiko when the boss asks about the betrayal...nice.  Fujiko doesn’t know for sure if Jigen killed Lupin, but I imagine such a possibility would shake her at least a little - not just because she cares for that silly monkey man, but because that partnership has been a surprising constant in her life.  If even that could finally crumble, her natural cynicism is about to get a whole lot deeper.  Morbidly, she wants to know if Jigen had the balls to do it.  It’d be a hell of a lot more kindred spirit between them than she ever expected if so.  It’s a shame this plot wasn’t used in a Koike movie; it would’ve been great to see the deliberate parallel/foil from TWCFM continue.

“Why don’t we talk about your future?” the boss says as Jigen’s whole demeanor screams What future?  Even though Lupin isn’t dead and Jigen has his reasons for why he did this, Jigen hardly expects forgiveness after all this.  Lupin may be alive but Jigen has just killed the best thing he ever had and he can never get that back (except he can, because movie and long-running franchise, but y’know, Watsonian vs. Doylist).

The Dark Crystal (1982)

HATSUNE MIKU???  ACTUAL HATSUNE MIKU????? (just her voice but aksdjfkajsdkfjaklsjdfljasjdflajsdf)

Ohhhh, the Lupin & Clarisse / Jigen & the kid’s mom (still haven’t heard her name lmao) parallel was just uncalled for, my heart

Let Jigen wear burgundy more often

...Mr. Epcar, I love and respect you, but is it too much to ask that you vary your inflection a little more?  Where’s the PATHOS?

Slightly cried instantly, “The Wendy lady lives.”  Then Peter knelt beside her and found his button.  You remember she had put it on a chain that she wore round her neck.  “See,” he said, “the arrow struck against this. It is the kiss I gave her.  It has saved her life.”

BLACK JACKET

Burgundy suit + round glasses Goemon!!!

There’s no way Pops is getting his job back after this one

Goemon: [turns his usual hot girl swordsmanship up to 11]

Lupin: Well mark me down as scared AND horny! dot jpeg

Again with the CGI hand crimes.

Wow he straight-up said Jigen was cheating on him

Ah, see, that “waste of oxygen”/“huge mistake” bit of dialogue is the kind of inflection I like to hear.

WarGames (1983)

It took me entirely too long to realize the president was supposed to look like H.illary.

Goemon: [slices open a door for Fujiko]

Fujiko: “Oh, you.” <3

This is all very action-heavy and surprisingly decent for a Lupin film so far, but uh. why is Jigen once again a side character in his own movie?

Ayyyy, nice reference to Zantetsuken’s composition from Part 1.  Still insane that they melted down three awesome swords to make a different sword though.

Goemon snarks back to robots confirmed.  Not that Lupin would ever be stupid enough to buy an Al3xa/etc. but can you IMAGINE

JAZZ PIANIST FUJIKO!  Fujiko having actual interests and hobbies!!!

Comrade Emilka

TRIPLE PARALLEL WITH JIGEN & ALISA NOW

They just?? left Jigen in the middle of the desert after the absolute minimum discussion of All That????  That’s...on-brand actually but give me the angst this plot device deserved >:(

Michelle Ruff I would die for you

This variation on the main theme is my favorite.  I’ve probably listened to it about a thousand times at this point but I finally got to hear it in context.

Welp, that was one of the better Lupin movies I’ve seen, but I do wish they’d done more with the whole Jigen betrayal thing that ended up being more of a subplot.  Thank goodness for fics that do the work.

Edit: “There are about four different plots going on at once in this movie, and they forgot to focus on the one that’s in the actual title.” - @theimpossiblescheme

[idreamofplaid]

A Perfect Moment

Summary: The Reader shows Sam how happy she is to have him back from the AU world. 

Characters: Sam x Reader; Rowena mentioned

Word Count: 965

A/N: Found in my archives.

You took the glass of whiskey Sam was holding from his hand and drank a long sip. He watched you lift the glass to your lips, swallow, then set it down on the table. You reached up to drape your arms around his neck. The bunker library was full of people. Sam and Dean had brought back a number of rebels from alternate earth. The mood in the room was almost light and hopeful compared to others you had known.

It was time to grasp onto that while you could. You began to slide your tongue over your lips suggestively while you looked up at Sam. “Did I just see Rowena flirting with you?” He dropped his head and smiled, dimples showing. You ran your index finger down the center of his chest. “I think I may need to remind you exactly who you belong to.” 

You grabbed a handful of his shirt and pulled his mouth down to yours kissing him with firm pulls of your lips on his. When you let go of his shirt, he pulled away and opened his eyes slowly. “Take me to bed, Sam.” He nodded, eyes roaming over your face and lingering on your lips. You put your hand in his, and he led the way to his bedroom. 

As soon as the door closed, you were reaching for the bottom of his shirt and pulling it up his stomach. Sam took hold of the hem and practically ripped it off over his head. You ran your hands over the muscles of his chest and shoulders. His mouth crashed into yours, and he fisted his hand into your hair while he dipped his tongue into your mouth. Your tongue danced over his, the taste of whiskey still strong in his mouth.

Sam spun you around and backed you toward the bed. When your legs hit the mattress, you sank down on it. Taking hold of the hem of your own shirt, you peeled it off over your head and reached behind your back to unhook your bra. You slipped the straps down your arms and dropped it on the bed.

Sam’s eyes were fixed on you, his pupils blown with lust. He took off his shoes and socks then stripped out of his jeans and boxers allowing his erection to spring free, standing long and thick in front of his stomach. He lowered himself over you, kissing your neck and sucking your earlobe into his mouth. His hand began to knead your breast, and his fingers tweaked your nipple. Sam kissed his way down to your other breast while his hand continued working your nipple. 

You moaned, and he kissed you again to take your sounds into his mouth. Then, you kissed the corner of his mouth. “My turn. You belong to me. Remember?” You pushed against his chest guiding him onto his back. You stood and shimmied out of your jeans giving Sam a show. You pulled your lace panties down your legs slowly then tossed them onto Sam’s chest. It was rising and falling heavily now. 

Pre come was leaking from the tip of his cock, and you swiped your finger across his tip and brought it to your mouth. He watched you, his breaths coming deeper and faster now, as you sucked your finger into your mouth dragging it out a little at a time. You braced your hands on his chest and lowered yourself onto him, mouth right next to his ear. “How much do you want me, Sam.” 

The sound he made was so primal he almost growled. “I want you so bad.” Your response was to take his cock in your hand and give it a few sure strokes. Sam grunted even more deeply. “Please, Y/N.” You smiled at him and slowly traced patterns over his chest with your fingertip, listening to his breath catch in his throat. 

Finally, you placed the tip of his shaft at your entrance and sank down on it. Sam lifted his hips and thrust up into you. Draping your arms around his neck, you bent over to kiss him while he moved inside you. 

His thrusts were deep, and his tongue moved fast. Every time Sam rocked his pelvis into you, the motion moved straight across your clit. You cried his name into the kiss when you came. He rode you through it and kept moving. Soon you were chasing another orgasm. This time when your walls clenched around him, it pushed Sam over the edge.

His hands relaxed their hold on your waist, and your kiss slowed into something soft and tender. Sam pushed your hair back from your face saying “I love you” between kisses. He grew soft inside you before you moved off of him. His arms stayed wrapped around you as you lay down beside him and put your head on his shoulder. 

Sam laced his fingers through yours and brought your hand to his mouth, placing a light kiss on your knuckles. You smiled against his neck before kissing him right below his ear. “It was so hard waiting for you Sam, not knowing. Once Lucifer escaped, I was scared for you, more scared than I had been since the first second I watched you walk through that tear of light into another whole universe so far away from me.”

Sam shifted, propping himself on his arm to lean over you. His smile was brilliant and pure with hope. “I’m here, baby. I’m with you, and I left him there, Y/N. I faced him, and I trapped him there.”

You cupped his check in your hand. “You make me so proud of you. Over and over you do. I’ve never known anyone more brave. I love you, Sam Winchester.”

Everything: @gambitwinchester @princessmisery666 @peridottea91 @logical-princey @emilyshurley @beenlovingromansincedayoneish @fangirlxwritesx67 @waywardbaby @atc74 @shaniquacynthia @mariekoukie6661 @tumbler-tidbits @67-chevy-baby @fandom-princess-forevermore @terrarium-jpeg @emoryhemsworth @crashdevlin @jules-1999 @mrsdeanfuckingwinchester @cosicas-cuquis @sammyimpala-67 @queenoftheunderdark @dean-winchesters-bacon @timelordy-fangirl2 @sweetness47 @hobby27 @awesomesusiebstuff @kickingitwithkirk @sandlee44 @supernaturalgrandma @dawnie1988 @volleyballer519 @outcastedangel @kdfrqqg @lizette50 @sorenmarie87 @lovealways-j @petitgateau911 @thinkinghardhardlythinking 

Sam/Jared: @girl-next-door-writes @stunudo @feelmyroarrrr @idabbleincrazy @evansrogerskitten​ @focusonspn​ @autumninavonlea​ @spnxbsessed​ @durinsbride​ @deansyahtzee​ @waywardnerd67​ @fullmooner​ @sams-sass​ @beskaradberoya​ 

[pianoperson]

Ikerev Army Boys Playing Twisted Wonderland

After reading @valnyte’s HC with Ikevamp, I wanted to do one with Ikerev too.

Alice introduces the boys to Twisted Wonderland and is shocked to get them all hooked into the game. Let’s say they all understand the game.

*just want to say, the strategies I typed in these HCs are actually legitimate strategies I’ve heard from people, and if you have the cards for it, I suggest you try them out

Black Army

Ray Blackwell

He’s in mainly for the story.

F for him, his fav character is Che’nya.

He claims Heartslabyul is his favorite episode because it has the best story out of the currently released episodes so far, but the Black Army isn’t falling for that.

He’s not wrong though, in my opinion. Heartslabyul, along with Octavinelle, has the best story.

He had to make it a rule that no one should spend the Black Army funds for gacha after the one time Seth spent 10k lin for gacha.

He does assemble his team but only bases his assembling on favs and a bit from Sirius’ advice.

He can’t help but smile fondly at Ace and Deuce’s shenanigans and dumbassery; they remind him of him and Fenrir.

Sirius Oswald

Oh he’s gonna have fun with the strategizing part of the game.

He will write down in a notebook all the card information he has attained and would ask from other soldiers for their cards if he doesn’t have a certain card so he can note down their stats at max level groovied, their magic skills, their typings, their buddies, and even how they perform in battle.

He’s the first and only one in the Black Army who scored SSS on tests. Everyone was floored.

Listen, he probably discusses these strategies at dinner especially because some people ask him how he scores ridiculously high in tests.

“Fairy Leona may be a defense card, but if with Kalim and Rook, who are his attack buddies, his attack stat will increase to 5k+. If you have SSR Kalim, who boosts your ally, his attack stat will increase further, and it’s even better that Kalim’s attack boost is magic 1 and he is Leona’s duo partner, therefore strengthening Leona’s duo magic. If limit broken at a certain level, he can deal 10k damage per hit with duo magic. The only other SSR who can inflict the same amount of damage is Riddle dorm and even then, you need to have Cater on your team with max buddy to even experience such a boost.”

He may not have superb gacha luck and he is an f2p, but whatever cards he possesses, he can somehow make them work in his favor.

He has a spiritual connection to Trey Clover.

Luka Clemence

Hello, may I introduce you to Luka “I have 7 SSRs only, it’s not that much” Clemence?

No, I’m not kidding. This guy has insane luck as an f2p.

He snagged 7 SSRs in two weeks and when Seth was crying about his gacha luck, that was the only time Luka realized 7 SSRs was a lot?

“I JUST WANT AN SSR SO BAD, I ONLY HAVE MY TUTORIAL PULL ONE”

“Huh?¿ How can you only have one?”

“BECAUSE I’M THAT UNLUCKYYYYY WHY HOW MANY DO YOU HAVE”

“I only have 7...”

Seth’s screams could be heard from Red Territory.

Ok but Seth has every right to freak out. Luka has ALL dorm leader SSRs, biggest tank of the game SSR Trey, and tweels.

Luka dislikes Riddle and Vil for the fact they both bear similarities with his brother. He has mixed feelings with the former, though, due to his backstory.

When it comes to rhythmics, he laments about how he’s a musician yet he can’t get the timing right. Poor fingers are slow.

Rip him in hard mode, especially for Octavinelle’s and prologue 14. They’re h e l l.

Seth Hyde

Rip Seth, he just wants an SSR

His initial SSR was Ruggie and he was crying when he learned from Sirius that he could have rerolled.

His favorite character is Vil and he wants him to come home, but only his Rs arrived.

It’s a wonder how 10k lin wouldn’t bring robe Vil and lab Vil home.

And he still has less SSRs than Luka LMAO

He’s cried at almost every OB backstory except Leona’s.

His favorite rhythmic is the paint the roses one.

Fenrir Godspeed

Luck in battle? Yes. Luck in gacha? Who’s that?

Fenrir spends money on the game but he uses his family’s wealth. Don’t worry, he knows how to manage his savings, but that’s mainly because he accidentally inputted the wrong birth year when he first put it in, so it listed him as a minor.

He loves Ace because he felt like he could relate to him so much.

His first SSR was Riddle, so he really wanted Azul’s SSR when his banner first came out. He hit pity pull and got duped by Floyd.

It’s ok Fenrir, I feel your pain, except I never hit pity.

He loves the rhythmics. Often, he’ll be singing the tunes out loud.

He’s gonna sing the Magift rhythmic songs when he’s training with other soldiers.

Red Army

Lancelot Kingsley

It took him weeks to figure out where alchemy classes are.

He has 4 SSRs who duo with each other, so that’s lit af.

He doesn’t know why he keeps losing in certain battles, though.

He also spent money on gacha oof

Riddle makes him chuckle. He has such a huge resemblance to Jonah, after all.

Trey makes him think of Sirius too often.

He ends up laughing at the thought of Sirius being Jonah’s helper.

I mean hey, they could have at least been friends if things played out differently back in school.

His favorite is Malleus, though, for the fact that he is powerful and lonely.

Jonah Clemence

He didn’t touch on the game at first because he thought it was ‘a waste of time’. It didn’t help that Edgar teased him for having the same voice as Riddle. It was only when he found out Lancelot plays the game and looks so happy with it that he decided to give it a try.

He was surprised at how similar he and Riddle are, and he liked the little queen even more for his birthday, being the same as Luka’s.

He will never admit he likes the game, though, but the soldiers catch him humming some of the songs sometimes.

Another thing he will never admit: he felt a lump in his throat when he read Riddle’s backstory, but when he got to Azul’s, he cried for an hour. He found himself most impressed with Azul’s voice acting prior to the overblot, but the story about Azul’s past had hit him hard. They experienced the exact same thing after all (being bullied) but it was interesting how differently they both turned out afterwards.

Jonah isn’t too big on the meta gameplay. Sure, he strategizes, but he mostly takes into consideration the stats of a card, not so much with the performance of it in battle. He won’t ever say it to Edgar, but he does take Edgar’s advice into consideration, even applying it if he has the cards for it.

Jonah scoffs at spending on gacha. Ultimately, they’re just JPEGs. Why spend on something that can’t be touched? Anyway, he has 5 SSRs and several good SRs such as robe Jade, robe Vil, and lab Trey. He can manage.

He loves the rhythmic section of the game. He may not be the best in the battles, but he’s talented in the rhythmics. Sure, some rhythmics were difficult, but he always scores SS on one or two tries regardless of difficulty. His favorite songs are the fairy gala songs and he’s caught humming them.

Edgar Bright

Just like Sirius, he has fun strategizing in battle. He will blab to Lancelot, Jonah, and Zero about the different strategies he’s come up with.

“Did you know you can make SSR Jade an attack SSR? His magic 1 raises his attack stat, and if you max it, hm will it exceed 5,000? I forget. And if you put Trey in the same team as Jade, he will further boost his attack, and if their buddy level has been maxed, hm perhaps you might reach 6k+ for Jade’s attack stat?”

“Did you know Azul’s attack stat can surpass even Floyd’s attack stat? If you max his buddy with Jade, he can be as strong as Riddle dorm at lvl80.”

“I’m sorry, but after testing out fairy Kalim, his SR cards are still better performance-wise.”

He’s the first and only one to have SSS and just like Jonah, he aces the rhythmic section.

He finds himself most amused with Jade for his shadiness and is probably the one who goes, “Jade, don’t you just want to go apeshit?”

Kyle Ash

He tends to miss lessons often either because he has a lot of patients or because he’s hungover, so he tends to complain about how weak his cards are.

He doesn’t care much about the meta gameplay and plays by favorites. Somehow, he manages to use the good cards and hits rank S.

He doesn’t join the events and doesn’t understand the woes of gacha since he always manages to get the cards he wants.

Luckiest guy honestly, and some of the soldiers jokingly beg for his luck.

Zero

He also strategizes but he mostly follows Edgar’s advice since he tends to get to it first before Zero.

Zero doesn’t play too often because of work, but the game is addicting enough to make him catch the restored AP every 2.5 hours. Anyway, even if he didn’t want to, Alice would have tried to get his workaholic butt off of work.

Poor baby has given up on prologue 14 hard mode rhythmic.

His favorite character is Jack for his good boy nature and he found himself liking the Octavinelle chapter for his presence and rationality. Beans Day event was also fun for him because of Jack.

[major-721]

@gloriatownsend asked: what if jpeg ended up happy and lawfully married... haha.. jk.. unless? 😳

The irony of it all is that he’s in civilian clothing. Even in his own home, he keeps in military dress to a degree.

Well. Except around Peggy. The vulnerability it causes isn’t something he relishes—so perhaps it’s fitting that, on his first and only on field spying endeavour, he’s been caught in civilian clothing, vulnerable in so many ways.

The end, he knows, is coming—Arnold, the tainted son, the traitor, has escaped, according to the gossip from those guarding the cabin he’s being held in.

His muscle ache; and he thanks the lord that it is not winter, or he would be in a far sorrier state; but as it is, when the door to the cabin opens, the flash of a cloak and blue uniform urging him to stand, he finds he almost topples, and has to steady himself on the wall.

“Major André.”

“I would say it’s a pleasure, but, well,” he gestures broadly to indicate the situation at hand; smiles wanly. “May I enquire as to who you are, sir?”

The man—slightly shorter than him, with long, wavy blonde hair pulled back neatly in a queue fastened with a black ribbon—regards him with interest. “Major Ben Tallmadge,” he says, and offers his gloved hand. “Your American counterpart, if you will.”

“Ah.” John’s smile turns genuine. “I’ve heard much about you, Major. You are quite the presence.”

“The General is deliberating as to your fate,” Tallmadge says, bluntly. “I have asked him to consider requesting a trade with the British—you for Arnold—, but I am uncertain if it will be regarded with anything but a brief thought.”

That surprises him; and his fingers, tapping against his leg, still. “A...trade?” He would protest it, but after speaking with Arnold in person, after realising this is whom Peggy is to be married to, he finds himself amenable to the idea even with the amount of time he poured into baiting and reeling Arnold in.

Tallmadge nods. “I...” He pauses. “It may be ungentlemanly to admit, but...I wish him to be punished. You, at least, are loyal to your cause—that, I can respect, though you fight for a king. Arnold—” He halts; as if the name pains him, before continuing. “Arnold is a turncoat. A traitor. That, I cannot ever forgive, no matter how I may once have admired him.”

John blinks. “I...thank you?” he tries; not sure if that’s appropriate; slightly lost for the first time in years. Peggy would call it charming.

Tallmadge gives a curt nod. “Until then, I’ll make sure you are treated with the respect and decency accorded to an officer of your rank—”

The door creaks open yet again; this time to reveal a short, wild-haired, bearded man. “Ben,” he greets; immediately stepping to take a spot next to, and almost leaning into, Tallmadge.

“Ca—Lieutenant Brewster,” Tallmadge correct himself; gaze off of John for the first time since entering the cabin, instead fixed wholly on the Lieutenant. “What are you doing here?”

Brewster shoots him a dark look. “Makin’ certain as to you not being hurt,” he says.

“Well, I appreciate the sentiment, but I’m a Major,” Tallmadge rebuffs, but gently. “I’m hardly untrained to handle myself should a dangerous situation arise.”

Brewster gives him a flat look. “I’m not leaving.” They stare at each other intently until Tallmadge finally breaks the contract and mutters a sullen fine.

Ah, John thinks, suddenly. They remind him of Peggy and himself.

“I thank you for your efforts,” John said, after waiting a beat; and both men’s attentions turn to him. Brewster’s gaze is suspicious, but Tallmadge seems almost relieved. John suspects that most of the king’s officers he interacts with are not nearly so polite.

Tallmadge nods; and ushers Brewster out of the cabin, leaving the Major alone.

True to Tallmadge’s words, John is treated decently, even by the enlisted men, who he can tell don’t like him much. Two days after he’s captured, the door opens to reveal not someone bringing his meal, but rather, Major Tallmadge.

This time, he stands more steadily. “Major.” He takes a breath. “Is it to be the firing squad, or the rope?”

Tallmadge shakes his head. “Neither.”

“What?”

He knows what it means, of course; but he’s so surprised he’s at a loss for words. Tallmadge seems to understand. “General Clinton agreed to trade Arnold to us in exchange for your safe return. You will be returning to New York.”

Relief crashes over John—unexpected, holy relief. He shall live to see Peggy again.

He finds himself nodding weakly. “Thank you,” he murmurs.

Tallmadge escorts him out of the cabin and to where Lieutenant Brewster is waiting with three horses. Brewster leans in to say something to Tallmadge before he hands over the reins to the dappled grey mare.

The ride to neutral territory is uneventful; and they meet Arnold’s escort at a pre-determined clearing in the woods. Arnold’s been subdued, but John can tell that it was a struggle; and his glare is furious; snarl distorted by the gag in his mouth. They must have gotten tired of his shouting, John thinks wanly.

Brewster and Tallmadge handle him well, though; and John watches them for a moment after exchanging the horse he’s riding for the one Arnold was on. Tallmadge, he thinks, may be slightly more harsh with Arnold than is strictly necessary, but John doesn’t comment on it.

The first thing John does when he gets back to York city is write Peggy a letter explaining what happened. The second thing he does is resign his commission.

Clinton isn’t pleased; but for once, John cannot find it in himself to care, especially when, the next day, he opens the door to find Peggy beaming at him. “John!” she cries, and, in an uncharacteristic display, throws her arms around him.

He finds himself smiling so hard that his cheeks hurt. “Peggy,” he murmurs.

“I’m so glad you’re back,” Peggy says, as she pulls away. “Oh, John, I was so afraid—” she stops, eyes glassy. “I was so afraid I would never see you again.”

“I’m here,” he assures, “I’m right here.”

Her smile widens, and John says, without thinking, “Elope with me. We can go to Canada, live a normal life. It won’t be as glamorous as your life here but—”

“Yes.”

He stares at her. “Yes,” she says, again, more firmly. “Yes, John, my answer is—my answer will always be yes.” And then she tugs him back against her and kisses him.