#Kathryn T. Hall.

[biglisbonnews]

How does the placebo effect take hold? A doctor explains 2 influential factors There is considerable experimental evidence that expectations drive our experience of treatment regardless of whether the treatment is a drug or placebo. https://www.inverse.com/science/placebo-effect

[zarry-ot5]

Stardust - Zayn, Willie, and Ringo

Both these albums contain the song Stardust. "Stardust" is a 1927 song composed by Hoagy Carmichael, with lyrics later added by Mitchell Parish. It has been recorded as an instrumental or vocal track over 1,500 times, and has been translated into over 40 languages.

Originally written as a jazz instrumental, however when Carmichael began working for Mills Music in 1928, they assigned Mitchell Parish to write lyrics for the song. Don Redman was the first to play the song, and it became a regular song at the Cotton Club NYC nightclub.

It's interesting to note that during this time segregation was in full effect. People of Color were not allowed to attend performances as patrons of the Cotton Night Club, however, they could perform there. This nightclub quickly became a regular haunt for celebrities of the time.

Carmichael went on to say that he wrote the music for Stardust during the end of his love affair with Kathryn Moore, who would go on to marry Art Baker, a trumpet player in Carmichael's group Carmichael's Collegians.

This song is considered part of the Great American Songbook. The original composition being inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1995.

The reason this song becomes important is because of the Willie Nelson references that Zayn has used in his roll out of his latest album Room Under the Stairs.

March 6, 2024 Zayn began the roll out and introduction of Room Under the Stairs. Part of this rollout consisted of photographs. One of the photographs was notably, Zayn sitting at a drum set wearing a Willie Nelson 4th of July T-Shirt.

In many interviews, including Nylon Magazine, Zayn mentions the influence Willie Nelson had on this album.

That's when I discovered that Willi also recorded a song with the same name, Stardust. It was after listening to Ringo's version of the same song that I found the sonic references.

Why does any of this matter...

Zayn is leaning into this reference indirectly.

When looking at the Beatles history, I discovered a couple of things.

John Lennon announced his intention to leave the Beatles in 1969. Ringo Starr was the first to release a solo album in March of 1970, and McCartney released his own album on April 27, 1970. McCartney actually arranged Ringo's version of Stardust on his album Sentimental Journey. There was zero animosity between McCartney and Starr.

Leaning into how much Harry has not only visually assimilated himself to Paul McCartney in his Fine Line era, but also acknowledged the influence of Paul McCartney solo music in the writing of that album, leads me down the road of there was no animosity between him and Zayn. I don't believe that use of Ringo Starr's name on Saturday Night Live instead of Zayn's name was a slam or a dig.

[elephant-in-the-pride-parade]

Tag Game: First 10 Lines Challenge

Thanks for tagging me, @curator-on-ao3 😘

The game is to share the first lines of the last 10 stories you wrote. So here goes!

1. “Set temporal coordinates.”

- Euridice - Rated E, Voyager fic, Year of Hell Unaltered Timeline (J/C, C/P, B/7, some J/P undercurrents too)

2. “So… you’ll take anything I offered, would you?” The Terran Captain’s voice was sultry, almost purring as she ran her tail up the inside of his leg.

- Lost in a Hall of Mirrors - Rated T, Prodigy fic, Threshold AU moment from Cracked Mirror (J/C)

3. Captains Log, Star Date 52160: We’re docked at the Berudian Orbital Shipyard today for much needed repairs after our experiment with slipstream technology. 

- Lost and Found - Rated T, Voyager fic for Maliciousalice Birthday, a Threshold AU story set in Season 5. (background J/C)

4. Captain Janeway held her breath as she ordered Kim to lock onto the single life sign in Val Jean ’s cockpit.

- Five Catches and a Fall - Rated T, Voyager Fic, five J/C oneshots spanning the series run.

5. The arrival home had been stressful on them all, but none more so than Kathryn  who had to submit to a barrage of tests from medical as part of their debriefing.

- Brumating in a Winter Wonderland - Rated T - Voyager fic - Threshold AU of the arrival home. (J/C)

6. Janeway looked longingly at her replicator as she got dressed for the day. - All the Little Things

- Rated G - Voyager fic - a J/C oneshot set early in the series.

7. How quickly things could change, Kathryn mused as she cradled her infant son Liam to her breast.

- For Just one Day Let's Only Think About Love - Rated T, Voyager Books fic - Threshold AU take on the ending of To Lose the Earth (J/C, background P/T)

8. “Ah Captain,” Jellico welcomed Tuvok into his office, gesturing for him to sit in the open chair, beside Commander Tysses. “Thank you for coming.”

  - The Timepast - Rated T - Prodigy fic - a Shakespeare-inspired farce AU of J/C's reunion and Chakotay's rescue. (J/C, D/G, Adreek/Tysses)

9. The roast was burnt, as usual, but that didn't bother him. In fact it was the very reason they now found themselves in this delightful situation...

- No Captain Here; No Commander Either - Rated E - Voyager fic - J/C smut.

10. It was a bad day to be Q. - Universe to Mend

- Rated M - Prodigy/Voyager Books fic - a novel set after To Lose the Earth, featuring Q, Pocket Full of Lies' Denzit Janeway, and Prodigy's Hologram Janeway on a new adventure. (J/Q and J/C)

Analysis: I tend to open with dialogue, with a characters thought or log, or with some kind of very quick statement about the setting. just throwing you right into the action usually. I'm kinda okay with that!

I'm gonna tag (and im sorry if i forget anyone) @trekflower @pc-corner @jellybeansarecool @emilie786 @divinemissem13 @theredheadedcaptain @nonadhesiveness @coffee-in-that-nebula @cnrothtrek if yall would like to play and anyone else who wants too, feel free to do your own!

[serinmatheson1]

Twin Stars of My Heart Pt. 4

Hello my darlings! We're back! This one is going to focus on Kathryn and Chakotay. And a little bit about the other adults in the twins' lives.

Kathryn and Chakotay have a game they play called "USS Calliope". That's the name of the Galaxy class ship that Kathryn is going to command when they get home. Crew members are added or removed based on the day they've had. Tom gets kicked out a lot. But they always bring him back.

They've decided that Mark and his wife can join them on the ship so that they co parent the twins together. It's mostly a coping mechanism when the delta quadrant gets too be too much. They have fun with it

@penguinpower1101 reblogged the original post with a great addition that I can't believe I didn't think of. Tuvok is definitely the "emergency contact". He thinks it's illogical at first because there's protocols about the captain and the first officer being off the ship together. But then they both get stranded on New Earth and when they come back she's like "You said it wouldn't happen, huh?"

He's so Uncle Tuvok. he will never escape being Uncle Tuvok and he pretends to not get it but loves it so much

@batleth-brigade came up with a funny addition of their half siblings being salamanders but Threshold fucked me up so in this universe Tom actually picked someone else. HIs super senses told him Janeway would not make a good mate because she had just given birth My P/T shipping heart says it's B'Elanna but pick your own favorite pairing for Tom

Castor loves Tom by the way. Tom is his second favorite person on the ship after his mom. He always wants to fly the ship with Tom.

Kathryn at a certain point just doesn't want to go home. She's got her home on Voyager and her twins are doing well and honestly, she doesn't want to share custody with Mark. Not that she doesn't like Mark but she doesn't want to give up any precious time with her twins.

That's how the Calliope game came about. Chakotay brings up that if they had a Galaxy Class ship, everyone could live on the same ship and she wouldn't have to worry about it.

Kathryn gives Castor her captain's pips when he's promoted. He wears them on his dress uniform for special occasions.

Kathryn is not one of those people that are natural mothers. Like yes she's a mother to her crew but they are full grown adults who can use full sentences. The twins are not. And she feels like a terrible mother and gets pretty bad post partum at the beginning.

Chakotay tries to make her feel better but it's one of the few things he can't really connect with her on.

Samantha eventually sits down next to Kathryn in the mess hall and is just like "They never tell you about the worst parts of motherhood. I am so sick of changing diapers, I might just let Naomi be naked." Kathryn laughs and they spend the rest of the day just bonding as mothers.

After that they try their best to meet up once a week and just complain about being moms. It really helps Kathryn's depression and over all mood.

Speaking of, The Void goes really differently as well. Like Kathryn wants to hide from everything but she has children. And it's still very hard and she hates everything but there's two innocent children looking at her like she can fix it all so goddamn it she's going to.

That's all for this one. Come back next time for whatever I cna think up

@nightingalewritings @baylardo @cecilyacat

[tgyverse]

― 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐔𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐄 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐃.

publicado el día 10 de agosto de 2024.

𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐬.

Ninguna.

𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐳𝐨́𝐧.

Ninguna pendiente.

𝐜𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚.

Ninguna pendiente.

𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐬.

Andromeda Tonks, Daisy Hookum, Molly Weasley, James Potter, Emmeline Vance, Yvette Lévesque, Frank Longbottom, Minerva Macmillan, Pandora Lovegood, Darcy Brown, Charity Burbage, Nicholas Macmillan y Dedalus Diggle ― 20 de agosto.

𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞́𝐧 𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬.

Ningune.

𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨 𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐝.

Ningune.

𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐬.

Ninguna.

𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬.

Ningune.

𝐏𝐎𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋

orden del fénix.

Alice Longbottom con Florence Pugh.

Dedalus Diggle con Pedro Pascal.

Dorcas Meadowes con Laura Harrier.

Emmeline Vance con Simone Ashley.

Fabian Prewett con Asa Germann.

Frank Longbottom con Dev Patel.

Gideon Prewett con Björn Mosten.

James Potter con Jonah Hauer King.

Lily Potter con Abigail Cowen.

Peter Pettigrew con Elliot Fletcher.

Remus Lupin con Andrew Garfield.

Sirius Black con Enzo Vogrincic.

Sturgis Podmore con Evan Roderick.

mortifagos.

Aether Li con Shen Quanrui.

Alecto Carrow con Alice Pagani.

Amycus Carrow con Freddy Carter.

Augustus Rookwood con Thomas Doherty.

Baptiste Travers con Christopher Briney.

Barty Crouch Jr. con Zhong Chenle.

Bellatrix Lestrange con Alexandra Park.

Choi Jihae con Kim Sowon.

Corban Yaxley con Federico Russo.

Lucius Malfoy con Danny Griffin.

Peter Pettigrew con Elliot Fletcher.

Rabastan Lestrange con Michael Evans Behling.

Severus Snape con Mark McKenna.

Yvette Lévesque con Suki Waterhouse.

civiles.

Adora Greengrass con Jessica Alexander.

Agatha Figg con Lily Rose Depp.

Alfie Smith con Louis Tomlinson.

Alyssa Abbott con Kim Jiwoo.

Amelia Bones con Maia Reficco.

Amos Diggory con Leo Woodall.

Andrea Prewett con Luca Hollestelle.

Andromeda Tonks con Daisy Edgar Jones.

Arthur Weasley con George Mackay.

Aurora Rowle con Lily Collins.

Bertha Jorkins con Halle Bailey.

Bertie Higgs con Jordan Fisher.

Bertram Aubrey con Timothée Chalamet.

Betty Braithwaite con Maitreyi Ramakrishnan.

Charity Burbage con Brie Larson.

Daisy Hookum con Eleanor Tomlinson.

Danny Wood con Jung Jaehyun.

Darcy Brown con Aimee Lou Wood.

Davey Gudgeon con Song Kang.

Dawn Withey con Kathryn Newton.

Doris Purkiss con Macarena García.

Edric Brown con Luke Newton.

Eleanor Parkinson con Camila Morrone.

Ellie Dowson con Hayley Lu Richardson.

Emma Vanity con Camila Mendes.

Finnick Snow con Cha Eunwoo.

Gladys Gudgeon con Han Jihyun.

Glenda Chittock con Elle Fanning.

Greta Catchlove con Olivia Scott Welch.

Gwenog Jones con Ayo Edebiri.

Hestia Jones con Nana Komatsu.

Isolde Higgs con Gigi Hadid.

Ivan Davies con Thomas Brodie-Sangster.

Jacob Davies con Drew Starkey.

Jane Diggory con Havana Rose Liu.

Jason Denbright con Christopher Bang.

Jonathan Nott con Tyler Young.

Keira King con Paris Berelc.

Kenta Akiyama con Nakamoto Yuta.

Lenore Bagman con Hannah Dodd.

Lorcan d'Eath con Kim Jiwoong.

Lorenzo Bullstrode con Simone Baldasseroni.

Lucy Karoonda-Wood con Virginia Gardner.

Ludo Bagman con Taylor Zakhar Perez.

Maria Jefferson con Fiona Palomo.

Mary MacDonald con Bae Suzy.

Melissa Greengrass con Eva de Dominici.

Michael Bones con Xolo Maridueña.

Mina Lima con Meltem Akçöl.

Minerva MacMillan con Samantha Logan.

Miriam Strout con Mookda Narinrak.

Molly Weasley con Karen Gillan.

Narcissa Malfoy con Lucy Boynton.

Nicholas MacMillan con Jeremy Allen White.

Ollie Scamander con Lee Felix.

Olivia Avery con Madelyn Cline.

Pandora Lovegood con Anya Taylor Joy.

Phoebe Elliot con Madison Bailey.

Rita Skeeter con Renée Rapp.

Rosalind Bungs con Ana de Armas.

Scarlett Travers con Sabrina Carpenter.

Sorcha MacFusty con Anne Hathaway.

Stubby Boardman con Hwang Hyunjin.

Ted Tonks con Paul Mescal.

Wendy Slinkhard con Jenna Ortega.

Xenophilius Lovegood con Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen.

Zabrina Davies con Elizabeth Lail.

Zephyr Crouch con Cierra Ramirez.

Zoe Nettles con Sophie Turner.

TOTAL: 95 personajes ocupades.

¡Buen fin de semana a todes! Queremos recordarles dos cositas: La primera, los eventos del Profeta finalizan el día 16 de agosto, de modo que estaremos haciendo una encuesta sobre cómo gustarían proceder a partir de aquel día. La segunda, es necesario que, a pesar de nuestras reglas de actividad laxa, cuiden de sus personajes. Hemos llamado la atención por privado a algunas personitas que no se han encontrado actives y no nos han comunicado porqué (de 7 días en adelante). Por favor recuerden cuidar a sus personajes, es muy importante. Sabemos que son quince días de tolerancia, pero les pedimos que no olviden las reglas (activarse al menos dos veces a la semana). Muchas gracias, esperamos se encuentren muy bien. ¡Saludos! ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა

— 𝐀𝐃𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐎𝐍.  

[ulkaralakbarova]

When architect-turned-recluse Bernadette Fox goes missing prior to a family trip to Antarctica, her 15-year-old daughter Bee goes on a quest with Bernadette’s husband to find her. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Bernadette: Cate Blanchett Elgie: Billy Crudup Audrey: Kristen Wiig Dr. Kurtz: Judy Greer Paul Jellinek: Laurence Fishburne Bee: Emma Nelson Soo-Lin: Zoë Chao Agent Marcus Strang: James Urbaniak Becky: Troian Bellisario Floyd the Pharmacist: Richard Robichaux Ellen Idelson: Kate Burton David Walker: Steve Zahn Judy Toll: Megan Mullally Jay Ross: David Paymer Tom the Blackberry Guy: Patrick Sebes USC Student: Lee Harrington Game Show Host: Patrick Jordan Pablo: Shaun Cameron Hall Tamara the Pharmacy Employee: Kathryn Feeney Lisa Prospective Parent: Amy Rayko Lori Prospective Parent: Nancy McNulty Julie Prospective Parent: Daina Griffith Tammy Prospective Parent: Kate Easton Mr. Hayes: Stephen Donnelly Kennedy: Thalia Torio Architectural Expert: Mark Philip Stevenson News Reporter: Cherie McClain Crew Member Allegra: Maureen d’Armand Captain J. Rouverol: Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson Iris: Claudia Doumit Vivian: Katelyn Statton Snappy Tourist Lady: Jennifer Tober Mike the State Senator: Joe Coyle Construction Worker (uncredited): Alan Lee Baker Stu Reardon (Microsoft Executive) (uncredited): Richard Barlow Airport Traveler / Taxi Passenger (uncredited): Heidi Barrientes Pharmacy Patron (uncredited): Tom Bonello Parent (uncredited): Brian “Wolfman Black” Bowman Audience Member (uncredited): Chris Breen Caterer (uncredited): Gregory Bromfield Kyle’s Friend (uncredited): Zachary Davis Brown Kyle (uncredited): Owen Buckenmaier Passenger (uncredited): Isaac J. Conner Baggage Handler (uncredited): Erik J. Cornelius Restaurant Patron (uncredited): Kelli Culbertson Nigel Mills-Murray (uncredited): Bruce Curtis Passenger (uncredited): Kelley Davis Restaurant Patron (uncredited): Chris Drexel Restaurant Patron (uncredited): Grant Eastey Flight Attendant (uncredited): Amy Lyn Elliott Gary Oppenheimer (uncredited): Russell Bradley Fenton Galer Street School Parent (uncredited): Joe Fishel Restaurant Patron (uncredited): Simone Bruyère Fraser Pedestrian (uncredited): Emir García Tech Enthusiast / Party Goer (uncredited): Peter Georgo School Child (uncredited): Elijah Goulet TED Talk Attendee (uncredited): Ben Guenther Airport Traveler (uncredited): Juliane Hagn Traveler (uncredited): Rene Hamlet Jellinek’s Student (uncredited): Joely Haregsin Coffee Shop Patron (uncredited): Mike D Harris Tourist in Boat (uncredited): Andrew Harvey Parent (uncredited): Adam Hicks Student (uncredited): Jagger Hicks Traveler (uncredited): Liz Higgins Beeber Construction Worker (uncredited): Anthony Holland Airport Patron (uncredited): Tara O. Horvath Pedestrian (uncredited): Wesley Jansen Restaurant Patron / TED Talk Attendee (uncredited): Nagy Jay Space Needle Restaurant Patron (uncredited): Morgen Johnson TED Talk Attendee (uncredited): William Kania Naturalist (uncredited): Brett Kennedy TED Talk Attendee (uncredited): Trudi Kennedy Airline Passenger (uncredited): Micah Knapp Airline Passenger (uncredited): Tiahna Kovarik TED Talk Attendee (uncredited): Mike Kuse Construction Worker (uncredited): Daniel Lamont Cruise Ship Passenger (uncredited): Susan Lang Crossing Guard (uncredited): James Lloyd Cruise Passenger (uncredited): Scott Lockhart Parent (uncredited): Chelsea Long Game Show Contestant (uncredited): Theresa Mangus Airport Traveler (uncredited): Tiffany Sander McKenzie Airplane Passenger (uncredited): F. Robert McMurray Joann Airline Stewardess (uncredited): Kelly L. Moran TED Talk Attendee (uncredited): Sue Danna Myer Microsoft Worker (uncredited): Adam Nakanishi T-Shirt Mom (uncredited): Amy Nelson Airline Passenger (uncredited): Vanessa N. Nelson TED Talk Attendee / Party Patron (uncredited): Ted Opalinski Parent (uncredited): Martin A. Palma Construction Worker (uncredited): Michael Paradise Bus Passenger (uncredited): Edward Pfeifer Airline Employee (uncredited): Jacob Phelps Port Lockroy Tourist (uncredited)...

[afropuffsartstudios]

List of All my 2023 Reads

[ ] The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

[ ] Penguins Love Color by Sarah Aspinall

[ ] The Bugabees: Friends With Food Allergies by Amy Recob

[ ] A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon

[ ] Stop Monkeying Around by Christine Swift, et. al.

[ ] Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly, et. al.

[ ] The Potty Book for Girls by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, et. al.

[ ] Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss

[ ] Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds, et. al.

[ ] Creepy Pair of Underwear! Aaron Reynolds, et. al

[ ] Creepy Crayon! by Aaron Reynolds, et. al

[ ] Nickelodeon Blue's Clues & You Learning Series by Phidal Publishing

[ ] Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts by Rebecca Hall, et. al.

[ ] The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

[ ] A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

[ ] The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson, et. al.

[ ] Stay Out of the Basement by R. L. Stine

[ ] Stuck on Murder by Lucy Lawrence

[ ] Barbie Dolls by Nathan Sommer

[ ] Welcome to Dead House by R. L. Stine

[ ] What Is The Constitution? by Patricia Brennan Demuth, et. al.

[ ] Barbie My First Pony by Mona Miller, et. al.

[ ] The Black Queen by Jumata Emill

[ ] The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

[ ] Stinetinglers by R. L. Stine

[ ] A Journey to the New World: The Diary of Remember Patience Whipple, Mayflower, 1620 by Kathryn Lasky

[ ] Stuart Little by E. B. White

[ ] Monster Blood by R. L. Stine

[ ] Make a TikTok Every Day: 365 Prompts for Attention-Grabbing TikTok by Dave Jorgensen

[ ] Richard Scarry's Best Little Word Book Ever!

[ ] Obeying the Law by Kirsten Chang

[ ] Shrek! by William Steig

[ ] The Complete Tales and Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh (1-4) by A. A. Milne

[ ] Last But Not Leashed by Eileen Brady

[ ] Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

[ ] The House on Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne

[ ] Police Station by Amy McDonald

[ ] What a Desi Girl Wants by Sabina Khan

[ ] The Great Patty Caper by Erica David

[ ] The Amazing SpongeBobini by Steve Banks

[ ] What Were the Twin Towers? by Jim O'Connor

[ ] A Christmas Candy Killer by Christina Romeril

[ ] The Supermarket Mystery by Richard Scarry

[ ] Postman Pig and His Busy Neighbors by Richard Scarry

[ ] How to Catch a Witch by Alice Walstead

[ ] Monsters Unmasked! (Scooby-Doo) by Nicole Johnson

[ ] Alice's Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

[ ] The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

[ ] The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories by P.D.James

[ ] Hooked in Murder by Betty Hechtman

[ ] Here Comes the Body by Maria DiRico

[ ] The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson

[ ] Gossip Girl (#1) by Cecily von Ziegesar

[ ] The Great Banned Books Bake Sale by Aya Khalil et al.

[ ] How to Catch Santa Claus by Alice Walstead

[ ] Indigo and Ida by Heather Murphy Capps

[ ] The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells

[ ] Killer Christmas by John Hall

[ ] Charlotte's Web by E. B. White

[ ] Queen Bee by Amalie Howard

[ ] The Between by Tananarive Due

[ ] James and Giant Peach by Roald Dahl et al

[ ] This Book is Banned by Raj Haldar

[ ] Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

[ ] The Nutcracker: The Original Holiday Classic by E. T. A. Hoffmann

[ ] The Christmas Murder Games by Alexandra Benedict

[ ] Kismat Connection by Ananya Devarajan

[ ] The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

[ ] The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

[ ] The Chocolate Sundae Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner

[ ] Finding My Dance by Ria Thundercloud et al

[ ] Halloween Cupckaes Murder by Carlene O' Connor et al

[ ] Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie et al.

[ ] Slime Doesn't Pay by R. L. Stine

[ ] Drive Thru by Erica David

[ ] The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart

[ ] Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard

[ ] What Was the Underground Railroad? by Yona Zeldis McDonough et al

[ ] Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

[ ] Peppa Loves to Bake by Eone

[ ] Where Do We Go From Here : Chaos or Community? by Martin Luther King Jr

[ ] The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

[ ] Halloween at Creepy Castle by Alison Inches et al

[ ] The Christmas Story: Experience the magic of the first Christmas by D. K. Publishing

[ ] ABCs of Kindness at Christmas by Patricia Hegarty et al

[ ] Apple and Pumpkin: The Battle for the Best Fall Treat Is On! by Jeffery Burton

[ ] Winter: A Solstice Story by Kelsey E. Gross et al

[ ] What was the Holocaust? by Gail Herman et al

[ ] Barbie in a Christmas Carol by Mary Man-Kong

[ ] Franklin's Christmas Gift by Paulette Bourgeois et al

[ ] Unicorn Christmas by Diana Murray et al

[ ] Dino-Christmas by Lisa Wheeler et al

[ ] NPR: The First Forty Years

[ ] A Nancy Drew Christmas by Carolyn Keene

[ ] The Christmas Swap by Talia Samuels

[ ] History Smashers: Christopher Columbus and the Taino People by Kate Messner et al

[ ] The Teacher March! by Sandra Neil Wallace

[ ] Christmas Is Here! by Charles M. Schulz

[ ] Mermaid Day by Diana Murray et al

[ ] Four Found Dead by Natalie D. Richards

[ ] Love In Winter Wonderland by Abiola Bello

[ ] The Picture House Murders by Fiona Veitch Smith

[ ] Plankton's Christmas Surprise! by John Cabell et al

[ ] Dashing Through the Snow by Debbie Macomber

[ ] History Smashers: The Mayflower by Kate Messner

[ ] Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx

[ ] Miles and Miles of Reptiles by Tish Rabe et al

[ ] Christmas in Camelot by Mary Pope Osborne

[d-criss-news]

Julia Roberts to Receive Icon Award From Academy Museum

Julia Roberts will receive an Academy Museum Gala Icon Award from the Academy this fall. The Oscar-winning actor will receive her award at the Museum’s second annual gala on Oct. 15.

Roberts joins three previously announced honorees at the gala: Miky Lee, who will receive the Pillar Award; Tilda Swinton, who will receive the Visionary Award; and Steve McQueen, who will receive the Vantage Award. The event, sponsored by Rolex, will be co-chaired by Halle Berry, Jason Bloom, Lupita Nyong’o and Ryan Murphy.

—

In addition, the Academy Museum announced the members of the 2022 gala host committee, which includes notable names such as Adrien Brody, Amanda Seyfried, Ariana DeBose, Awkwafina, Billie Lourd, Bryce Dallas Howard, Chloë Sevigny, Colman Domingo, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Darren Criss, Eddie Redmayne, Eiza González, Elle Fanning, Emma Roberts, George C. Wolfe, Glenn Close, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Alba, Joe Jonas, Sophie Turner, Thomas Sadoski, Jon Hamm, Jonathan Majors, Judd Apatow, Leslie Mann, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Keke Palmer, Kid Cudi, Kirsten Dunst, Leonardo DiCaprio, Letitia Wright, Lily Collins, Lucy Liu, Natasha Lyonne, Orlando Bloom, Regina Hall, Renée Zellweger, Riley Keough, Robert Duvall, Ron Howard, Ruth Negga, Selma Blair and others.

The gala is intended to raise funds for the museum’s access, education and programming initiatives. The inaugural gala in 2021 raised more than $11 million. The event is overseen by creative director Lisa Love and artistic director Raul Àvila.

[ninja-muse]

2022 Release TBR

Where the Drowned Girls Go - Seanan McGuire (contemporary fantasy) - January 4

Heartstopper, Volume Four - Alice Oseman (YA romance) - January 4 🏳️‍🌈

Battle of the Linguist Mages -  Scotto Moore (contemporary fantasy) - January 11 friend says it’s probably not my thing

Anatomy - Dana Schwartz (YA historical fantasy) - January 18

The Servant Mage - Kate Elliott (fantasy) - January 18 🏳️‍🌈

Love and Other Disasters - Anita Kelly (romance) - January 18 🏳️‍🌈

Some by Virtue Fall - Alexandra Rowland (fantasy) - January 25 🏳️‍🌈

Hot and Sour Suspects - Vivien Chien (cozy mystery) - January 25 BIPOC

The Christie Affair - Nina de Gramont (historical fiction) - February 1

Bluebird - Ciel Pierlot (science fiction) - February 8 🏳️‍🌈

Dead Silence - S.A. Barnes (science fiction/horror) - February 8

Age of Ash - Daniel Abraham (fantasy) - February 15

Carolina Built - Kianna Alexander (historical fiction) - February 22 BIPOC

Gallant - V.E. Schwab (YA fantasy) - March 1

The River of Silver - S.A. Chakraborty (historical fantasy) - March 1 BIPOC

Spelunking Through Hell - Seanan McGuire (contemporary fantasy) - March 1

Umboi Island - J.J. Dupuis (mystery) - March 8 🇨🇦

Memory's Legion - James S.A. Corey (science fiction) - March 15 I’m three books behind on the series, no way am I getting to this this year

When We Were Birds - Ayanna Llord Banwo (fabulism) - March 15 BIPOC

The Cartographers - Peng Shepherd (mystery) - March 15

How to Take Over the World - Ryan North (science/humour) March 15 🇨🇦

Comeuppance Served Cold - Marion Deeds (historical fantasy) - March 22

The Diamond Eye - Kate Quinn (historical fiction) - March 29

The Wolf Den - Elodie Harper (historical fiction) - March 29

Conversations with People Who Hate Me - Dylan Marron (memoir) - March 29

Portrait of a Thief - Grace C. Li (thriller) - April 5 BIPOC

Shadows of Berlin - David R. Gillham (historical fiction) - April 5

Amongst Our Weapons - Ben Aaronovitch (urban fantasy) - April 12 BIPOC

Persians - Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones (history) - April 12

Rosebud - Paul Cornell (science fiction) - April 26

Not Good for Maidens - Tori Bovalino (YA fantasy) - May 3

Seasonal Fears - Seanan McGuire (contemporary fantasy) - May 3

I Kissed Shara Wheeler - Casey McQuiston (YA romance) - May 3 🏳️‍🌈

Trailed - Kathryn Miles (true crime) - May 3 🏳️‍🌈

The Fairy Tellers - Nicholas Jubber (history/travel) - May 3

Siren Queen - Nghi Vo (historical fantasy) - May 10 BIPOC 🏳️‍🌈

The Hacienda - Isabel Cañas (gothic) - May 10 BIPOC

Bloomsbury Girls - Natalie Jenner (historical fiction) - May 17

The Stardust Thief - Chelsea Abdullah (fantasy) - May 17 BIPOC

Uncommon Charm - Kat Weaver and Emily Bergslien (historical fantasy) - May 17

A Cruel and Fated Light  - Ashley Shuttleworth (YA contemporary fantasy) - May 24 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦

A Lady for a Duke - Alexis Hall (historical romance) - May 24 🏳️‍🌈

Bad Gays - Huw Lemmey and Ben Miller (biography) - May 31 🏳️‍🌈 The more I think about it, the less I’m interested

The Rise and Reign of the Mammals - Steve Brusatte (science) - June 7

Minique - Anna Maxymiw (historical fiction) - June 7

The Grief of Stones - Katherine Addison (fantasy) - June 14 🏳️‍🌈

Hot Moon - Alan Smale (alternate history) - June 14

A Mirror Mended - Alix Harrow (fantasy) - June 14 🏳️‍🌈

A Taste of Gold and Iron - Alexandra Rowland (fantasy) - June 21 🏳️‍🌈 BIPOC

Epically Earnest - Molly Horan (YA romance) - June 21 🏳️‍🌈

The Ballad of Perilous Graves - Alex Jennings (contemporary fantasy) - June 21 BIPOC

Rogues - Patrick Radden Keefe (true crime) - June 28

Katzenjammer - Francesca Zappia (YA horror) - June 28

Death By Bubble Tea - Jennifer J. Chow (cozy mystery) - July 5 BIPOC

What Moves the Dead - T. Kingfisher (horror) - July 12

Let’s Do It - Bob Stanley (music history) - July 12

The Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting - Sophie Irwin (romance) - July 12 - decided against it

The Half Life of Valery K - Natasha Pulley (historical fantasy) - July 26 🏳️‍🌈

Mint Chocolate Murder - Meri Allen (cozy mystery) - July 26

A Half-Built Garden - Ruthanna Emrys (science fiction) - July 26

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance - Foz Meadows (fantasy) - July 26 🏳️‍🌈

Don't Fear the Reaper - Stephen Graham Jones (horror) - August 2 BIPOC

High Times in the Low Parliament - Kelly Robson (historical fantasy) - August 9 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦

The Monsters We Defy - Leslye Penelope (historical fantasy) - August 9 BIPOC

The Oleander Sword - Tasha Suri (fantasy) - August 16 🏳️‍🌈 BIPOC

Love in the Time of Serial Killers - Alicia Thompson (romance) - August 16

Babel - R.F. Kuang (historical fantasy) - August 23 BIPOC

Be the Serpent - Seanan McGuire (urban fantasy) - September 6

The House With the Golden Door - Elodie Harper (historical fiction) - September 6

The Marriage Portrait - Maggie O’Farrell (historical fiction) - September 6

Aces Wild - Amanda DeWitt (young adult) - September 6 🏳️‍🌈

Notorious Sorcerer - Davinia Evans (fantasy) - September 13

Terry Pratchett - Rob Wilkins (biography) - September 29

Warrior of the Wind - Suyi Davies Okungbowa (fantasy) - October 4 BIPOC

Into the Windwracked Wilds - A. Deborah Baker (fantasy) - October 25

A Restless Truth -  Freya Marske (historical fantasy) - November 1 🏳️‍🌈

The World We Make - J.K. Jemisin (contemporary fantasy) - November 1 🏳️‍🌈 BIPOC

Tread of Angels - Rebecca Roanhorse (historical fantasy) - November 15 BIPOC

Remainders of the Day - Shaun Bythell (memoir) - November 29

The Water Outlaws - S.L. Huang (fantasy) - date unknown 🏳️‍🌈 BIPOC

This is fine.

[dancingsunflowers-ocs]

𝗔𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮’𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗰𝘀 ✷ 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁

𝗕𝗕𝗖 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻

Name: Caelia Hartley (Adopted from @eddys-plot-shop)

Fic: The Whispering Grove 

Ship: Merlin

Faceclaim: Danielle Galligan

𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗼𝗻

Name: Delia Hathaway

Fic: Gone with the Wallflower

Love Interest: Colin Bridgerton

Faceclaim: Mia McKenna-Bruce

𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗻𝗲𝘆’𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀

Name: Sofia Madrigal

Parents: Mirabel Madrigal

Fic: Butterflies

Love Interest: Evie Grimhilde

Faceclaim: Rachel Zegler

Name: Wanda Darling

Parents: Wendy Darling

Fic: Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

Love Interest: Harry Hook

Faceclaim: Georgie Henley

Name: Cherry Hearts

Parents: The Queen of Hearts

Fic: Wonderland

Love Interest: Ben Beast

Faceclaim: Danielle Rose Russell

𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗼

Name: Estelle Williams

Fic: Across The Universe

Love Interest: 11th Doctor x Clara Oswald

Faceclaim: Maya Hawke

𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗦

Name: Paige Green (Adopted from @eddys-plot-shop)

Fic: Chasing Laughs

Love Interest: Chandler Bing

Faceclaim: Elizabeth Lail

𝗚𝗹𝗲𝗲

Name: Claudia Green

Series: Sweet Melodies

Fic: Songbird

Love Interest: Finn Hudson

Faceclaim: Meg Bellamy

Name: Francesca Bellamy

Series: Sweet Melodies

Fic: Lovefool

Love Interest: Sam Evans

Faceclaim: Mimi Keene

Name: Solana Corzo

Series: Sweet Melodies

Fic: Better Together

Love Interest: Artie Abrams

Faceclaim: Bebe Wood

Name: Nadine Allard

Series: Sweet Melodies

Fic: Edge of Seventeen

Love Interest: Tina Cohen-Chang

Faceclaim: Naomi Scott

Name: Ariel Berry

Series: Bad Reputation

Fic: Help! I’m in Love with a Cheerleader

Love Interest: Quinn Fabray x Santana Lopez

Faceclaim: Kaia Jordan Gerber

Name: Pedro Fernandez

Series: Bad Reputation

Fic: Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy 

Love Interest: Kurt Hummel

Faceclaim: Taylor Zakhar Perez

𝗚𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲

Name: Larissa Morozova

Fic: The Darkest Sea

Love Interest: Nikolai Lantsov

Faceclaim: Claudia Jessie

𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗹

Name: Victoria Brooks

Fic: Gold Rush

Love Interest: Steve Rogers

Faceclaim: Olivia Cooke

Name: Clio

Fic: Part of Your World

Love Interest: Peter Parker

Faceclaim: Halle Bailey

𝗢𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗨𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝗔 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲

Name: Anastasia Tremaine

Fic: Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister

Love Interest: David Nolan

Faceclaim: Madelaine Petsch

Name: Marlena Wright (Adopted from @ginger-grimm)

Fairytale Counterpart: Rose Red {Snow-White and Rose-Red}

Fic: Roses Are Red

Love Interest: Lester Wright {OC}

Faceclaim: Kennedy McMann

Name: Bianca Wright

Fairytale Counterpart: Snow White {Snow-White and Rose-Red}

Fic: Roses Are Red

Love Interest: Edward Wright {OC}

Faceclaim: Virginia Gardner

Name: Raina Mills (Adopted from @eddys-plot-shop)

Fic: Ahead Of The Pack

Love Interest: Ruby Lucas

Faceclaim: Camila Mendes

Name: Zarina Hendricks

Fic: The Pirate Fairy

Love Interest: Killian Jones

Faceclaim: Katherine McNamara

𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗰𝘆 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀𝗼𝗻

Name: Celeste Pinto

Godly Parent: Iris

Fic: Rainbows 

Love Interest: Jason Grace

Faceclaim: Olivia Rodrigo

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗸

Name: Guinevere Riordan

Fic: Rewrite The Stars

Love Interest: James T. Kirk

Faceclaim: Jessica Alba

Name: Sydney Berlin

Fic: Prodigy Perfect

Love Interest: Pavel Chekov

Faceclaim: Kathryn Newton

𝗧𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗪𝗼𝗹𝗳

Name: Tabitha Stephens

Species: Light Witch

Fic: Bewitched

Love Interest: Isaac Lahey

Faceclaim: Josefine Frida Pettersen

Name: Julie Marigold

Species: Fairy

Fic: Bewitched

Love Interest: Enya Martin {OC}

Faceclaim: Aisha Dee

Name: Enya Martin

Species: Phoenix 

Fic: Bewitched

Love Interest: Julie Marigold {OC}

Faceclaim: Abigail Cowen

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗮

Name: Feyra Sherwood

Species: Cosmic Witch

Fic: Courage, Dear Heart

Love Interest: Peter Pevensie

Faceclaim: Synnove Karlsen

Name: August Sherwood

Species: Earth Witch

Fic: Courage, Dear Heart

Love Interest: Edmund Pevensie 

Faceclaim: Jack Wolfe

Name: Joan Connelly

Fic: Courage, Dear Heart

Love Interest: Lucy Pevensie 

Faceclaim: Ruby Cruz

𝗧𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁

Name: Beatrice Denali

Fic: Eternal Flame

Love Interest: Alice Cullen

Faceclaim: Sophie Skelton

𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆

Name: Matilda Thorpe

Species: Telekinesis

Fic: Naughty 

Love Interest: Enid Sinclair x Wednesday Addams 

Faceclaim: Thomasin McKenzie

oc masterlist inspiration credit: @daughter-of-melpomene

[fbfh]

“forever” paxton hall-yoshida x reader

genre: fluffy romance + mutual pining (not too slowburn tho lol)

word count: 3.4k

au: none?? jock x theatre nerd ig

pairing: Paxton x broadway baby!reader 

requested: yes !! i hope u like it uwu

warnings: one hell one motherfucking and i think that’s it for swearing?? um brief self deprecating/talking bad abt urself from paxton (bby boy needs a self love boost), reader and paxton are home alone together for a little while but nothing bad happens, uh,,, i think that’s it

summary: when Eleanor can’t run lines with you, she sends over a very attractive, mutually pining substitute.

reccomended songs: “Seventeen” - Tuck everlasting OBC, “The Kiss” -The Princess Diaries score

a/n: i’m p sure i kept the reader p gender neutral but there’s implied slightly long hair, and you play the lead (a girl named winnie) in ur schools production of tuck everlasting but like it’s theatre so anyone can play anyone lol,, this took so got dam long bc i’m fucking s o f t for jock x artist and it just sorta happened lol aLsO,, not super thoroughly edited so there might be a typo or two?? im tired lol

requests r open <3

You had only ever seen two athletes present during rehearsals. Once when Madeline (who at the time was playing Penny in your production of Hairspray) was dating a guy from the soccer team. The other was when the star of the basketball team had come in to give your choreographer pointers for the basketball scenes during High School Musical. 

Until now.

You had run onstage part of the way through “Live Like This”, which wasn’t out of the ordinary since so much progress had been made on the costumes. You were still tying the ribbon on your pinafore as you jumped into the song, but when your eyes met a face in the usually empty auditorium, you faltered. You almost sang the wrong verse, but recovered quickly, continuing with the blocking. What felt like a moment later, the number was almost done and you were nearing the end of your counterpoint with Mae Tuck - played by Eleanor, of course. Who could be better for the part? You held out the last note, trying to stay in character despite all the distractions in the back of your mind. You had to talk to Eleanor when the director called for 10; she’d started telling you how Devi was being weird recently. Also, what the Hadestown was Paxton Hall-Yoshida doing chilling in the auditorium? You shoved all that away, focusing on staying in character until the director called for a break. 

‘I want to go to the fair. I want to go so badly! I just need a change, need to get out of this house for a little while. I never do anything, so this can’t be asking for too much, right?’ 

You projected all that into your everything - face, voice, mannerisms, energy.

“Hold!” 

Everyone froze.

The director wrote a few things on his paper, sighed, and underlined something several times. 

“Okay, good job! I need to revise some of the blocking, then we’ll do notes, so take ten.” Your sudden nerves had definitely made you pitchy, you knew that would be one of your notes for sure. 

A chorus of “Thank you ten”s erupted, and you immediately ran to Eleanor, telling the others good job as you passed. 

You leaned in and started speaking to her, quietly.

“Okay you need to finish telling me about Devi, and that other news you’re being so cryptic about! Also, what’s up with Fierro over there?” you nodded towards Paxton hoping he wouldn’t see, and you noticed Fab is sitting near him. You realized they’re probably waiting for Eleanor and/or Devi. That must be it, he’s been hanging out with them lately, right? Eleanor gasped.

“You’re right! Paxton is such a Fierro!”

You cringed inwardly a little bit as her voice carried through the auditorium, mixing with the others. Your eyes darted over to him for a fraction of a second. Oh god. He was looking at you. Or in your general direction at least. Lena, the costumer, walked around the set gingerly, following you around and getting you out of your dress incredibly carefully as you and Eleanor walked off stage. 

“No! Well, yes- but no. What’s he doing here? Jocks never come here during rehearsals. I saw Fab too, are you guys and Devi getting dinner or something?” You said, entering the auditorium, and stepping out of the dress. You grabbed sweatpants and a silky, floral kimono jacket from your bag to throw over your leotard and tights. She waved back at Fab before sitting down in the front. You both grabbed your fans and dramatically flicked them open in sync. Your wrists fluttered, cooling both of you off.  A knowing, and slightly mischievous, look came on her face. 

“Devi and Fab and I are. Paxton must be here for something… else.” she shrugged, nodding towards Paxton. You looked over again. He was staring at you. You did a double take and tried to hold back your smile. 

“Wh- I do not know to what you are referring.” 

“To what I am referring is the blush on his cheeks.”

You barely held back a nervous, bubbling laugh.

“He is not blushing! Why would he be blushing!”

“I don’t know,” She shrugged, “Just like how I don’t know that he’s been loitering in the halls outside the music room during your last three solo music rehearsals.”

You struggled for an answer. Before you could form one, you were interrupted.

“Okay, okay what is the best Lin Manuel Miranda musical? Because Kathryn thinks it’s Hamilton-” 

“Duh!”

“-But I think it’s In the Heights! It’s an underrated jewel!” Jonah interjected, still wearing his Jesse Tuck hat. 

You considered for a moment.

“I mean, they’re too different to compare. In the Heights has the same energy as Rent - showcasing what goes on in ordinary people’s lives, and how love ties us all together,” he nodded in agreement, “But Hamilton is on a way larger scale, almost Les Mis meets Fun Home vibes. But in terms of personal preference…” Eleanor scoffed at your answer, and Jonah went back to debate further with Kathryn.

“Anyway,” you turned back to Eleanor to ask her what the hell she meant by Paxton Hall-Yoshida was blushing. But before you could-

“Eleanor, we need you to try on your blue dress again,” Lena was already pulling her away, “I had the empire waist in the right place but half the pins fell out, and it’s just...” And she was whisked away before you could finish the thought. You just had time to help Holly get out her wig pins and drink some lemon water before notes. Eleanor still wasn’t back, so you made sure to write down hers for her. It was pretty standard; be quiet backstage, go over your lines, don’t touch props that aren’t yours, don’t eat in costume, and a couple blocking changes you made note of. After your end of rehearsal warm downs and huddle, everyone left relatively quickly. You ducked into the bathroom to freshen up a little. Sometimes it was hard coming down from such intense energy after rehearsal. You mentally ran through your to do list. You needed to get some more tea, write that essay when you got home, go over your notes- You gasped, cutting off your own train of thought. You ran out of the bathroom to look for Eleanor, still clutching her notes in hand. 

~

Your voice still echoed in Paxton’s ears. He wished he had a whole album of you singing. Your voice made him want to ruin his spotify algorithm by listening to nothing else. You had looked at him a couple times, and his heart had almost stopped. He didn’t know eye contact could be so intense. It’s probably just cause you’re like, the only person in the audience. Where else is she supposed to look? He deflated a little. He heard his name and looked over to you and Eleanor talking together. Hopefully it was about him. Hopefully it was good. He checked his phone, trying to look busy. When he glanced up to see if you were looking, you were gone. He started to look around for you when he saw Eleanor waving at Fab, and sure enough, you were next to her. What he didn’t expect was you dropping your dress to the ground. Time slowed down (and his heart sped up) as you stretched a little, and pulled out sweatpants from your bag.

Wow.

 You had on what looked like a bathing suit on underneath, and a few other people had done the same, but he knew that image would be in his memory, probably forever. His heart was beating in his ears and he knew he must be blushing.

“You okay, Paxton?” Fab asked, a seat or two away. Oh god, he didn’t want people asking why he blushed every time he looked at you! He muttered something about needing to make a call and headed for the doors. Don’t look back at her, don’t look back at her… His eyes involuntarily darted in your direction right before he left. You had on a flowy translucent jacket, your hair thrown back supermodel style as you fanned yourself to cool down. He needed to cool down too. Maybe a cold shower, a really cold shower.

~

You managed to find Eleanor just before she left. Two girls were with her, you had seen Fab once, and you’d heard a lot about Devi, but had never been introduced. 

You gave Eleanor her notes, and she hugged you.

“You’re a lifesaver!” 

“Of course, I-”

“Uh, who’s this?” you looked over, and the shorter girl - Devi, based on what you’d heard about her -  was giving you a weird look. You introduced yourself. 

“Nice to meet you. How do you know Eleanor?” said the taller girl - definitely Fab.

“Oh,” you smiled, “she’s my almost mother in law. And my arch rival,” you counted on your fingers, “my sister, my niece, my lover, my husband, and…” you trailed off, trying to think of the other dynamics your characters had had in past shows.

“Your co-conspirator.” 

“Right,” you laughed. Devi and Fab looked at you two.

“We’re in the musical together.” you clarified. You were about to part ways when you called to Eleanor, “Hey, we’re still on for running lines tomorrow night?” 

“Uh… Sounds good!” she walked away quickly, speaking to Devi and Fab in hushed tones. Something was definitely up. That was typical Eleanor Scheming behavior. 

~

That night, you almost couldn’t sleep. This wasn’t the normal post rehearsal can’t sleep. In fact, Tuck Everlasting was the last thing on your mind as you readjusted your pillows and snuggled into your duvet. You stared at the neon blue stars projected and swirling on your ceiling. You sighed. Again. Your brain was a 24/7 livestream of Paxton Hall-Yoshida to relax/study to. You saw him again, his face in the dimly lit auditorium, Adonis in a sea of faded seats. If you hadn’t been sure before, you knew now that red was definitely his color. You rolled onto your side. Your heart picked up speed as a thought crossed your mind. You could almost see Paxton now, kneeling next to you, his fingertips brushing your cheek. The piano underscore to “Seventeen” ran through your mind. You could imagine him saying “Wait with me, we could share the world…” so vividly it almost hurt. He leaned in, and… 

You let out a loud sigh and rolled over again. Your heart was fully saturated. That’s more than enough pining for tonight. 

~

“Paxton!” 

He was a little surprised when Eleanor just walked up to him at lunch the next day. Most people were too intimidated to approach him out of the blue. 

“I have a plan.”

“Uh, I don’t know what you-”

“Cut the crap, I know you like her.” 

His face blanched. Well, yeah of course he did. Who wouldn’t? He was going to ask Eleanor if there was something he could do to win you over, just not here, not now. Not where everyone could watch and jeer and rib him for it. Just like they were doing now. 

“Woah, dude, who is it?” Trent asked. He fumbled for words. He couldn’t believe this was happening. He hadn’t kept his crush a secret because he was embarrased of you, he’d kept it a secret because his dumbass friends wouldn’t get you. Hell, he barely got you. You were so deep, and emotive, and artistic... 

“Bro, if you like her as much as it seems like you do,” Trent continued, “you gotta win her over.” He was a little shocked at the agreement murmuring through his group of friends. He didn’t know how to respond. Trent turned to Eleanor.

“What’s the plan, drama mama?”

“First of all,” she said, an almost humorously dangerous look on her face, “never call me that again. Second,” she shoved some papers into Paxton’s hands, “meet me in the music room immediately after school.” She started back for her table. Trent looked back over to Paxton. 

“You gotta do it, dude. We’ll cover for you at swim.” 

The rest of his friends agreed. He was pleasantly surprised at how supportive they were being. 

“Yeah, I guess... we’ve got a plan.”

~

The next day went by pretty smoothly. No rehearsal was scheduled since they were finishing construction for some of the sets, but everyone was instructed to do a couple read throughs of the script, focusing on scenes they’re still forgetting, to make sure everyone’s off book. You stopped by 7 Eleven to get a blue slurpee (for homework) and a couple coconut waters (for run throughs). You texted Eleanor on your way to the slurpee machine. 

okay so do you like the mango coconut water or the pineapple one?? It’s the mango one right?? i always forget lmao

sent at 4:16 pm

btw I don’t have that much homework so you can probs come by around 5:30 if you’re ready by then

sent at 4:16 pm

Bae Tuck

OMFG!! I totally forgot about running lines tonight, I can’t make it! :( but I’ll send someone over to help you out. :)

sent at 4:17 pm

You squinted at your screen. That was weird. Eleanor never used colon parentheses smilies. Like, ever. She always used emojis, and usually way more than two per text. 

yeah np, are u good? ♡

sent at 4:17 pm

Bae Tuck

Yes :)

sent at 4:18 pm

Bae Tuck

Also get the passionfruit one 🥥🍠 👀

sent at 4:18

that’s,,, el that’s a sweet potato,,

sent at 4:19 pm

Bae Tuck

Close enough 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

sent at 4:19pm

...Okay? That was definitely weird. You shook it off and headed for the counter to pay. You stopped half way there, and turned back to swap the mango for passionfruit. 

Not long after you had finished your homework and tidied up your room a little, the doorbell rang. You exited the kitchen, drinks in hand, and opened the door. Your heart caught in your throat. Paxton Hall-Yoshida was standing outside. And you were pretty sure he looked nervous. You both just stood there for a second. No one breathed, no one spoke. 

“Uh, hi, do you want to…” you backed up, motioning for him to come inside. 

“Yeah, thanks,” he said, entering the doorway. Paxton motherfucking Hall-Yoshida was in your living room. You held out a hand to him.

“Coconut water?” he took the box, looked at the label, and smiled. 

“Yeah, thanks,” he said again, this time a faint, yet unmistakable note of joy in his voice. He took a sip. He smiled.

“Passionfruit’s my favorite.” You silently thanked Eleanor, who you knew must have planned all this. Most of the evening was a blur, and you thanked god your family wasn’t home right now. You went upstairs, texted Eleanor asking what the actual fuck, made some surprisingly comfortable small talk, then filled him in on how to run lines. 

“Do you think playing the soundtrack would help you… get into character?” he asked. 

“I would probably just end up singing the whole thing,” You laughed and tried to ignore the butterflies in your chest. The main scene you struggled with was before “Seventeen”. It was harder to get into Winnie’s head because you had no romantic feelings for Jonah, and you always just made each other laugh. You had started with a few easier scenes of Winnie and Jesse, like the fair, and the dialogue before “Top of the World”. 

“That was really good,” he said, and you felt the sincerity of his words. 

“Thanks…” you smiled and took a sip of coconut water, hoping you weren’t blushing too hard. 

“So what next?” he asked. 

“Probably the scene before ‘Seventeen’,” you said, giving him the page and scene number, “it’s one of the hardest ones for me. I guess I just can’t connect to Jonah the way Winnie does.” 

“Huh,” he said, skimming the page. When you looked up at him, he had something between a smile and a smirk playing at his lips. You made yourself look away before you got too distracted. You refused to think about the fact that you were sitting across from Paxton Hall-Yoshida on your bed, in your room, like you were… close with each other. His eyes skimmed the script, finding the dialogue. He glanced up at you and nodded, indicating he found his place. You began.

“I was so afraid you wouldn’t get away,” you said, jumping into character.

“I may be 102, but I can still outrun anyone,” a smile played at his lips. You smiled, then let your face fall.

“I’m so sorry, I-I tried to warn you-”

“No, no,” he interjected almost seamlessly, “It’s okay, it’s… refreshing having someone look after me who isn’t my mom.” His eyes flickered between your face and the page. You smiled with him for a second, then let distress cloud your face.

“Jesse… that man came by my house today. He heard the music box, he knows about you-”

“I know he knows…” 

You continued on with the scene and he trailed off when he came to the sheet music for the song Seventeen. You took in a breath to start the dialogue in the middle of the song, but before you could…

“Six years from now you will turn seventeen,

Turn seventeen,

The same age as me,

Six years from now,

Go to the spring,

Go to the spring and drink…”

He was singing to you. He was looking at you and singing to you. His eyes only flickered down to the page to confirm the lyrics. He was nervous, you could tell. But through his hesitance, the emotion in his voice was sincere. Your heart was beating faster. You didn’t even notice your pulse was ringing in your ears, you were too focused on Paxton. 

“I'll wait for you till you turn seventeen,

Turn seventeen,

The same age as me,

Six years from now,

Go to the spring,

Go to the spring and drink…” Your hand rose to cover your mouth. He hesitated, and you remembered your dialogue.

“Uh, wh-what if I… forget where the spring is?” He reached out and took your free hand in his. Your pulse was off the charts. “I’ll go get you some water. Just… remember to keep it somewhere safe. Somewhere no one will find it.” You got the feeling he wasn’t just talking about the water. You knew he had never really been in a serious relationship before, and it clicked suddenly - if he learned an entire song to duet with you, just how much he must like you. You exhaled a breathy laugh, unsure how to process the sudden euphoria you felt. 

“You make the world sound so… exciting. I just want to drink the water right now!”

“Uh, no. You have to wait.” you both smiled, anticipating the upcoming joke.

“Why?” you ask, “What’s the difference?” You held your breath as he tried not to laugh through the delivery of the punchline. 

“Believe me,” he rubbed his thumb over your hand, “there’s a difference.” You both chuckled, and he continued singing. You were so focused on him, so… touched that he would do all this for you. 

“Winnie, wait with me,

And we could be married,

Winnie, wait with me,

And we'll share the world,

Winnie, you can stop time,

And live like this,

Forever…”

“I could live like this forever,” you echoed.

“Live like this...” you sang in tandem.

“What do you say, Winnie? Do you want to…” he broke character suddenly, and asked, his eyes boring into yours, “Do you want to go out some time?” 

He could see the adorable smile blooming on your face, even from behind your hand. You nodded.

“Yes, I-I would love that,” and you began to sing the last line in the song, “Forever-” 

But before you finished holding out the note, his lips were on yours. His mouth moved slowly, intentionally, against yours. You followed his lead, flustered. He leaned further forward, his palm caressing your cheek. It was everything you imagined it would be, and you had quite the imagination. Your head was angled up and your hands rested themselves on his back, one tracing little shapes. Your shoulders were pressed against each other and neither of you could think. He was so warm. He tasted like coconut and passion fruit, and a distant part of your mind silently thanked Eleanor again. 

You really could live like this forever.

[curator-on-ao3]

First Lines Meme

I saw @parcequelle do this and thought it looked super cool! Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line.

My tiny chest burned. The Autobiography of Kirsten Clancy - Star Trek Picard, T, and that’s the first line not including the foreword by Jean-Luc Picard

“Cadet Musiker, reverse your vector…. Cadet Musiker, come about…. Raffi, what the hell are you doing? Answer your comm.” I Ran Toward Your Pain, Unknowing, Yet Find You By My Side, Still Loving - Raffi/Seven, Star Trek Picard, T

He exits the warden’s office, grey pants legs smooth, ankle monitor gone. Fly Me to the Moon - Janeway/Paris, Star Trek Voyager, E

The new uniforms don’t bother him, grey shoulders instead of red, crimson turtleneck, starch in the sleeves. Little Galaxies in Her Eyes - Janeway/Chakotay, Star Trek Voyager, G

Navigational Control is tiny, tucked into deck twelve, section B7, between Environmental Control and the Secondary Command Processors. Console Me (Four Times Paris and Janeway Almost Had Sex and One Time They Did) - Janeway/Paris, Star Trek Voyager, E

“You’ll like it, trust me.” Mark steps with Kathryn through the crowds, street lamps high overhead casting yellow angles in the foggy night. “I know your taste.” Feet on the Ground - Janeway/Chakotay, Star Trek Voyager, G

The four senior staff members whispered in a mess hall deserted except for Neelix tidying in the kitchen and themselves on sofas near the door.  Hot for Teacher - Chakotay & Neelix, Janeway/Chakotay, Chakotay/Torres, Chakotay/Paris, Chakotay/Kim, Star Trek Voyager, G

You’re not contrary. Anthropology - Chakotay/Torres, Star Trek Voyager, T

You think she’s annoying. Love Me Like the Ocean - Jurati/Rios, Star Trek Picard, T

The first time he touches your hand, you know he plays an instrument. A Waning Note Lifts A Love Song - Paris/Kim, Star Trek Voyager, T

“I won’t make that mistake again.” The Story Always Ends the Same Way - Janeway/Chakotay, Star Trek Voyager, T

The door slides open and she says, “Does B’Elanna know you’re here?” In the Doorway - Janeway/Paris, Star Trek Voyager, T

The holodeck doors hiss open. Under an Endless Sky - Janeway/Paris, Star Trek Voyager, M

It makes sense. It does. Really.  Across the Universe - multiple pairings but that one is Kira Nerys/Seska, most Star Treks, T

Cris has been to the shipyard five times. Siren Song - Paris & Rios, Star Trek Voyager and Star Trek Picard, G

“Captain.” The operations officer looked up from readings that shouldn’t be possible. “A ship is approaching, and I — I think it’s at warp.” Asunder - Janeway/Paris, Star Trek Voyager, T

The mattress under her back is softer than standard in starship sickbays.  Not This Time - multiple Kathryn Janeway pairings, Star Trek Voyager, T

The old man leaned heavily on a cane. Through round glasses, his wide eyes studied the base-level solar panels, then arced upward, shaded by a flat hand, to take in the gleaming spire. Meeting of the Minds - Shannon O’Donnel Janeway & Benny Russell, Kathryn Janeway & Benjamin Sisko, G

Captain Vandermeer always said a crew could bond over the thrill of discovery or a crew could bond over shared adversity. Long Nights on La Sirena - Raffi/Seven, Star Trek Picard, M

“It was Admiral Patterson.” Table Talk - Janeway/Paris, Star Trek Voyager, G

Patterns and a favorite aren't occurring to me, but this was fun!

[thelastuniverse]

GRAMMYs Awards 2021

GENERAL FIELD

Record Of The Year: ‘EVERYTHING I WANTED’ — Billie Eilish Finneas O’Connell, producer; Rob Kinelski & Finneas O’Connell, engineers/mixers; John Greenham, mastering engineer

Album Of The Year: ‘FOLKLORE’ — Taylor Swift Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, producers; Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner, Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Jonathan Low & Laura Sisk, engineers/mixers; Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, songwriters; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer

Song Of The Year: ‘I CAN’T BREATHE’ — Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)

Best New Artist: Megan Thee Stallion

POP

Best Pop Solo Performance: ‘WATERMELON SUGAR’ — Harry Styles

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: ‘RAIN ON ME’ — Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: ‘AMERICAN STANDARD’ — James Taylor

Best Pop Vocal Album: ‘FUTURE NOSTALGIA’ — Dua Lipa

DANCE/ELECTRONIC MUSIC

Best Dance Recording: ‘10%’ — Kaytranada Featuring Kali Uchis Kaytranada, producer; Neal H. Pogue, mixer

Best Dance/Electronic Album: ‘BUBBA’ — Kaytranada

CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album: ‘LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL’ — Snarky Puppy

ROCK

Best Rock Performance: ‘SHAMEIKA’ — Fiona Apple

Best Metal Performance: ‘BUM-RUSH’ — Body Count

Best Rock Song: ‘STAY HIGH’ — Brittany Howard, songwriter (Brittany Howard)

Best Rock Album: ‘THE NEW ABNORMAL’ — The Strokes

ALTERNATIVE

Best Alternative Music Album: ‘FETCH THE BOLT CUTTERS’ — Fiona Apple

R&B

Best R&B Performance: ‘BLACK PARADE’ — Beyoncé

Best Traditional R&B Performance: ‘ANYTHING FOR YOU’ — Ledisi

Best R&B Song: ‘BETTER THAN I IMAGINED’ — Robert Glasper, Meshell Ndegeocello & Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (Robert Glasper Featuring H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello)

Best Progressive R&B Album: ‘IT IS WHAT IT IS’ — Thundercat

Best R&B Album: ‘BIGGER LOVE’ — John Legend

RAP

Best Rap Performance: ‘SAVAGE ‘— Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé

Best Melodic Rap Performance: ‘LOCKDOWN’ — Anderson .Paak

Best Rap Song: ‘SAVAGE’ — Beyoncé, Shawn Carter, Brittany Hazzard, Derrick Milano, Terius Nash, Megan Pete, Bobby Session Jr., Jordan Kyle Lanier Thorpe & Anthony White, songwriters (Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé)

Best Rap Album: ‘KING’S DISEASE’ — Nas

COUNTRY

Best Country Solo Performance: ‘WHEN MY AMY PRAYS’ — Vince Gill

Best Country Duo/Group Performance: ‘10,000 HOURS’ — Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber

Best Country Song: ‘CROWDED TABLE’ — Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby & Lori McKenna, songwriters (The Highwomen)

Best Country Album: ‘WILDCARD’ — Miranda Lambert

NEW AGE

Best New Age Album: ‘MORE GUITAR STORIES’ — Jim “Kimo” West

JAZZ

Best Improvised Jazz Solo: ‘ALL BLUES’ — Chick Corea, soloist Track from: Trilogy 2 (Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade)

Best Jazz Vocal Album: ‘SECRETS ARE THE BEST STORIES’ — Kurt Elling Featuring Danilo Pérez

Best Jazz Instrumental Album: ‘TRILOGY 2’ — Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: ‘DATA LORDS’ — Maria Schneider Orchestra

Best Latin Jazz Album: ‘FOUR QUESTIONS’ — Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

GOSPEL/CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC

Best Gospel Performance/Song: ‘MOVIN’ ON’ — Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music; Darryl L. Howell, Jonathan Caleb McReynolds, Kortney Jamaal Pollard & Terrell Demetrius Wilson, songwriters

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song: ‘THERE WAS JESUS’ — Zach Williams & Dolly Parton; Casey Beathard, Jonathan Smith & Zach Williams, songwriters

Best Gospel Album: ‘GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PJ’ — PJ Morton

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album: ‘JESUS IS KING’ — Kanye West

Best Roots Gospel Album: ‘CELEBRATING FISK! (THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY ALBUM)’ — Fisk Jubilee Singers

LATIN

Best Latin Pop or Urban Album: ‘YHLQMDLG’ — Bad Bunny

Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album: ‘LA CONQUISTA DEL ESPACIO’ —Fito Paez

Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano): ‘UN CANTO POR MÉXICO, VOL. 1’ — Natalia Lafourcade

Best Tropical Latin Album: ‘40’ — Grupo Niche

AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC

Best American Roots Performance: ‘I REMEMBER EVERYTHING’ — John Prine

Best American Roots Song: ‘I REMEMBER EVERYTHING’ — Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)

Best Americana Album: ‘WORLD ON THE GROUND’ — Sarah Jarosz

Best Bluegrass Album: ‘HOME’ — Billy Strings

Best Traditional Blues Album: ‘RAWER THAN RAW’ — Bobby Rush

Best Contemporary Blues Album: ‘HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND YET?’ —Fantastic Negrito

Best Folk Album: ‘ALL THE GOOD TIMES’ — Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

Best Regional Roots Music Album: ‘ATMOSPHERE’ — New Orleans Nightcrawlers

REGGAE

Best Reggae Album: ‘GOT TO BE TOUGH’ — Toots & The Maytals

GLOBAL MUSIC

Best Global Music Album: ‘TWICE AS TALL’ — Burna Boy

CHILDREN’S

Best Children’s Music Album: ‘ALL THE LADIES’ — Joanie Leeds

SPOKEN WORD

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling): ‘BLOWOUT: CORRUPTED DEMOCRACY, ROGUE STATE RUSSIA, AND THE RICHEST, MOST DESTRUCTIVE INDUSTRY ON EARTH’ — Rachel Maddow

COMEDY

Best Comedy Album: ‘BLACK MITZVAH’ — Tiffany Haddish

MUSICAL THEATER

Best Musical Theater Album: ‘JAGGED LITTLE PILL’ — Kathryn Gallagher, Celia Rose Gooding, Lauren Patten & Elizabeth Stanley, principal soloists; Neal Avron, Pete Ganbarg, Tom Kitt, Michael Parker, Craig Rosen & Vivek J. Tiwary, producers (Glen Ballard, composer; Alanis Morissette, composer & lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)

MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media: ‘JOJO RABBIT’ — (Various Artists) Taika Waititi, compilation producer

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media: ‘JOKER’ — Hildur Guðnadóttir, composer

Best Song Written For Visual Media: ‘NO TIME TO DIE [FROM NO TIME TO DIE]’ — Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas Baird O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)

COMPOSING/ARRANGING

Best Instrumental Composition: ‘SPUTNIK’ — Maria Schneider, composer (Maria Schneider)

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella: ‘DONNA LEE’ — John Beasley, arranger (John Beasley)

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals: ‘HE WON’T HOLD YOU’ —Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier Featuring Rapsody)

PACKAGE

Best Recording Package: ‘VOLS. 11 & 12’ — Doug Cunningham & Jason Noto, art directors (Desert Sessions)

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package: ‘ODE TO JOY’ — Lawrence Azerrad & Jeff Tweedy, art directors (Wilco)

NOTES

Best Album Notes: ‘DEAD MAN’S POP’ — Bob Mehr, album notes writer (The Replacements)

HISTORICAL

Best Historical Album: ‘IT’S SUCH A GOOD FEELING: THE BEST OF MISTER ROGERS’ — Lee Lodyga & Cheryl Pawelski, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Mister Rogers)

PRODUCTION, NON-CLASSICAL

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical: ‘HYPERSPACE’ — Drew Brown, Julian Burg, Andrew Coleman, Paul Epworth, Shawn Everett, Serban Ghenea, David Greenbaum, John Hanes, Beck Hansen, Jaycen Joshua, Greg Kurstin, Mike Larson, Cole M.G.N., Alex Pasco & Matt Wiggins, engineers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer (Beck)

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical: ANDREW WATT

• Break My Heart (Dua Lipa) (T) • Me And My Guitar (A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie) (T) • Midnight Sky (Miley Cyrus) (S) • Old Me (5 Seconds Of Summer) (T) • Ordinary Man (Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Elton John) (T) • Take What You Want (Post Malone Featuring Ozzy Osbourne & Travis Scott) (T) • Under The Graveyard (Ozzy Osbourne) (T)

Best Remixed Recording: ‘ROSES (IMANBEK REMIX)’ — Imanbek Zeikenov, remixer (SAINt JHN)

PRODUCTION, IMMERSIVE AUDIO

Best Immersive Audio Album: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Best Immersive Audio Album Craft Committee was unable to meet. The judging of the entries in this category has been postponed until such time that we are able to meet in a way that is appropriate to judge the many formats and configurations of the entries and is safe for the committee members. The nominations for the 63rd GRAMMYs will be announced next year in addition to (and separately from) the 64th GRAMMY nominations in the category

PRODUCTION, CLASSICAL

Best Engineered Album, Classical: ‘SHOSTAKOVICH: SYMPHONY NO. 13, ‘BABI YAR’ — David Frost & Charlie Post, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)

Producer Of The Year, Classical: DAVID FROST

 Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 9 (Jonathan Biss) • Gershwin: Porgy And Bess (David Robertson, Frederick Ballentine, Angel Blue, Denyce Graves, Latonia Moore, Eric Owens, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus) • Gluck: Orphée & Eurydice (Harry Bicket, Dmitry Korchak, Andriana Chuchman, Lauren Snouffer, Lyric Opera Of Chicago Orchestra & Chorus) • Holst: The Planets; The Perfect Fool (Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony) • Muhly: Marnie (Robert Spano, Isabel Leonard, Christopher Maltman, Denyce Graves, Iestyn Davies, Janis Kelly, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus) • Schubert: Piano Sonatas, D. 845, D. 894, D. 958, D. 960 (Shai Wosner) • Shostakovich: Symphony №13, ‘Babi Yar’ (Riccardo Muti, Alexey Tikhomirov, Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus)

CLASSICAL

Best Orchestral Performance: ‘IVES: COMPLETE SYMPHONIES’ — Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)

Best Opera Recording: ‘GERSHWIN: PORGY AND BESS’ — David Robertson, conductor; Frederick Ballentine, Angel Blue, Denyce Graves, Latonia Moore & Eric Owens; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)

Best Choral Performance: ‘DANIELPOUR: THE PASSION OF YESHUAH’ — JoAnn Falletta, conductor; James K. Bass & Adam Luebke, chorus masters (James K. Bass, J’Nai Bridges, Timothy Fallon, Kenneth Overton, Hila Plitmann & Matthew Worth; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus & UCLA Chamber Singers)

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: ‘CONTEMPORARY VOICES’ — Pacifica Quartet

Best Classical Instrumental Solo: ‘THEOFANIDIS: CONCERTO FOR VIOLA AND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA’ — Richard O’Neill; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album: ‘SMYTH: THE PRISON’ — Sarah Brailey & Dashon Burton; James Blachly, conductor (Experiential Chorus; Experiential Orchestra)

Best Classical Compendium: ‘THOMAS, M.T.: FROM THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK & MEDITATIONS ON RILKE’— Isabel Leonard; Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Jack Vad, producer

Best Contemporary Classical Composition: ‘ROUSE: SYMPHONY NO. 5’ — Christopher Rouse, composer (Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony)

MUSIC VIDEO/FILM

Best Music Video: ‘BROWN SKIN GIRL’ — Beyoncé, Blue Ivy & WizKid , Beyoncé Knowles-Carter & Jenn Nkiru, video directors; Astrid Edwards, Aya Kaida, Jean Mougin, Nathan Scherrer & Erinn Williams, video producers

Best Music Film: ‘LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE’ — Linda Ronstadt, Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman, video directors; Michele Farinola & James Keach, video producers

[papermoonloveslucy]

BOTTOMS UP

April 13, 1934

Directed by David Butler 

Produced by Buddy G. DeSylva for 20th Century-Fox

Written by David Butler, Buddy G. DeSylva, and Sid Silvers

Choreography by Harold Hecht

Synopsis ~ Spencer Tracy stars as fast-buck promoter Smoothie King. Our hero's latest scam is to pass off Hollywood extra Wanda Gale (Pat Patterson) and forger Limey Brook (Herbert Mundin) as British nobility, getting both of them prestigious jobs at a movie studio. Eventually Wanda becomes a big star, falling out of love with Smoothie along the way in favor of her leading man Hal Reed (John Boles). But Smoothie takes it all in stride; after all, there's still a world full of chumps and suckers, ripe for fleecing.

CAST 

Spencer Tracy (’Smoothie’ King) won two Oscars and was nominated seven other times in his long career. This is his only musical.  He also appeared with Lucille Ball in Without Love (1945). 

John Boles (Hal Reed) also did Thousands Cheer (1943) with Lucille Ball).

Pat Paterson (Wanda Gale) was married to Charles Boyer. This is her only film with Lucille Ball. 

Herbert Mundin (Limey Brook) was an English-born actor making his only film with Lucille Ball. 

Sid Silvers (Spud Mosco) was also the co-writer of this film. This is his only movie with Lucille Ball. 

Harry Green (Louis Baer) makes his only film with Lucille Ball. 

Thelma Todd (Judith Marlowe)  was known as ‘The Ice Cream Blonde' and ‘Hot Toddy'. This is her only film with Lucille Ball. 

Robert E. O'Connor (Detective Rooney) went on to do five more films with Lucille Ball. 

Dell Henderson (Lane Worthing) went on to do five more films with Lucille Ball. 

Suzanne Kaaren (Secretary) makes her only screen appearance with Lucy. 

Douglas Wood (Baldwin) also appeared with Lucille Ball in Her Husband’s Affairs (1947). 

UNCREDITED CAST 

Lucille Ball* (Chorine) makes her eighth film since coming to Hollywood in 1933. 

Barbara Pepper* (Chorine) made six films with Lucille Ball, including her Lucy’s first, Roman Scandals (1933). The two became friends, and she was one of the first people Lucille Ball wanted for the role of Ethel Mertz after Bea Benadaret passed. Pepper’s drinking made her a risk for the network and sponsor, but she went on to make ten appearances on “I Love Lucy”. 

Chorines: Lee Auburn, Bonnie Bannon*, Lynn Bari, Dolores Casey*, Irene Coleman, Ann Darcy, Jean Gale*, June Gale, Sugar Geise, Betty Gordon, Jane Hamilton, Vivian Keefer*, Laura La Marr, Mary Lange*, Shirley Lloyd, Dona Massin, Ruth Moody, Vera Payton, Virginia Ray, Beverly Royde, Katharine Snell, Alice Stombs, Valerie Traxler

Party Guests:  Richard Carle,  Cecil Cunningham, Opal Ernie, Paul McVey, Ronald R. Rondell, Henry Roquemore, Loretta Rush, Larry Steers, Ferdinand Munier

Minor Roles: Peggy Beck, Georgia Clarke, Elizabeth Cooke, Patricia Dobbs, Dee Dowell, Jean Fursa, Kathryn Hankin, Betty Neitman, Ellen Thomas, Mildred Unger

* Goldwyn Girls on loan to Fox. As they are not in a Sam Goldwyn picture, they are not credited as Goldwyn Girls.

OTHERS

David Field (Reporter)

Allen Connor (Ticket Taker)

Walter Hardwick (Waiter)

Teddy Hart (Chorus Boy)

Samuel E. Hines (Bellboy)

Arthur Loft (Yes Man)

John T. Murray (Radio Announcer)

Ned Norton (Yes Man)

Frank O'Connor (Jack, Director)

Virginia Pine (Showgirl)

Sam Wolfe (Harmonica Player)

Ernest Wood (Hotel Clerk) 

Johnny Boyle (Dance Specialty)

SOUNDTRACK

“Little Did I Dream” by Harold Adamson and Burton Lane

“Turn on the Moon” by Harold Adamson and Burton Lane

“I'm Throwing My Love Away” by Harold Adamson and Burton Lane

“Waitin' at the Gate for Katy” by Richard A. Whiting and Gus Kahn

“Is I in Love? I Is” J. Russel Robinson

Opera Singer: I've always considered myself a virtuoso. 'Smoothie' King: I didn't ask about your morals.

Lucille Ball was paid $75 dollars a week when she was loaned out to Fox by RKO to make this film. She appears in the song “Waitin’ at the Gate for Katy.”

The film received a favorable review from The New York Times critic Mordaunt Hall, who called it "a neat, carefree piece of work, which is helped greatly by Spencer Tracy, Pat Paterson, an English actress who here makes her American picture bow; Herbert Mundin, Harry Green, and, to a lesser extent, by John Boles" and noted that it "has its full share of honest humor and also several tuneful songs." Nonetheless, it was a box office disappointment for Fox.

[sayedhusaini]

Kathryn Shihadah reports on the Christian nationalist and Christian Zionist efforts to keep Trump in power.

Despite the secular nature of the United States, these two groups hold incredible power in government decision-making.

Just 40 percent of Jews living in Israel believe that God gave them the land. 

Meanwhile, 82 percent of white American evangelicals believe it.

How is that possible? It's omnipresent. 

Because there is no visible counter-argument against the damaging narrative of Christian Zionism, most people don’t even realize that they hold a Christian Zionist perspective.

Learn about the pervasiveness of these two extremist groups across the US government.

[joaquinwhorres]

Parting Shot (Ch.1) {Clint x OC}

SUMMARY ››› It started as a simple task: stop a potentially homicidal alien and recover the work it stole from SHIELD. But when a local baker finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time, Clint Barton may have more to protect than just a couple of pages.

PAIRING ››› Clint Barton x Female OC

WORD COUNT ››› 3,460

WARNINGS ››› I would say this whole story is T for Teen. So you’re pretty safe.

A/N ››› This isn’t typical Tumblr fare. It’s a multi-part series with an OC, but I’ve been perfecting this for 8 years so maybe give it a shot? Also, I released this on my side blog and honestly I just want to see which one gets more notes so I know where to release it. I’d prefer to just put it on there, but this story is too good to sleep on.

Near Cima, California

Agent Hill greeted Nick Fury as he climbed out of his helicopter.

"How much was lost on PIECES?" He didn't bother greeting her. One of the privileges of being the director of the world's central secret law-enforcement agency was that it was well within his rights to bypass the normal social formalities.

"He took the second half of the journal along with all of the translations," Hill informed. "All we have left is Dr. Selvig's memory." She eyed the manila folder in the director's hand as she fell into step with him, exiting the helicopter pad. His thumb covered the file name, only leaving the SHIELD logo exposed.

"And the agent providing the translations?" His voice commanded her attention back to him, and Agent Hill met his eyes briefly to deliver the news.

"Gone, sir."

Fury nodded once as if she affirmed his prediction. "Are there others?"

Hill shook her head as the pair descended further into the facility. "She's the only casualty so far, but at last check there are eleven agents in the MedFacility in varying conditions."

"What's Agent Barton's status?"

"Down in the lab helping Dr. Selvig assess the damage. He was one of the few to witness the Vanish and not have any scars to show for it."

"Anything else I should know about?" Fury probed, stopping before the lab's door.

"No, sir." Agent Hill shook her head.

"Good. Make sure someone notifies the deceased agent's family is notified. In person," Director Fury ordered. "And contact Agent Romanoff to debrief her on what's happened."

"Should we pull her from the field?" Agent Hill asked.

"That remains to be seen."

Hill nodded before taking off back the way they had come. Fury turned to the lab, pushing open the doors to see what was left of the Project.

Had he inspected the lab on a normal day, only the soft whirring sounds of machines would have greeted him into the streamlined, spacious room. Every object and agent would be in its place. And the agents would have been too absorbed in whatever research he or she was laboring over to notice the abnormally loud footsteps.

But today was not a normal day.

Agents dashed about, checking equipment, tinkering with equipment, dodging sparks flying off the equipment. Papers were scattered across the floor with agents scrambling to rescue them. The salvaged documents were passed quickly from agent to agent and delivered to different workstations around the room where others attempted to piece together and log what information they still had. Smoke hovered in the air around them, and towards the back of the room, someone set down a fire extinguisher to wipe his brow. In the midst of the chaos stood Dr. Selvig, shouting brief directives to each agent who scurried past him.

"How's it looking, Doctor?" Fury asked. The scientist whirled around to face the director, his hands full of photocopies. He was unusually pale and his hair was mussed. A small cut above his left eyebrow trickled blood.

"It's not good, Director; I can tell you that," he responded, guiding Fury to a table where Agent Barton hovered over a journal and several of its torn pages. "This is what we have left on the project," Selvig sighed as Agent Barton reordered the pages, shuffling two down to put another in its proper place. "He took Kendrick's journal and Kathryn's notebook with her translations. All of our electronic copies are lost since he fried the mainframe and corrupted our backup server. We're looking for any copies he might have missed, but it looks like it's all down to the few notes I've made along the way." Dr. Selvig looked around the room as if to fully survey the damage. "You know, it's getting dangerous working for you. You'd think I would have learned after Loki."

"Can you make any progress with what's here?" Nick Fury asked, ignoring the comment, or maybe failed joke. Dr. Selvig turned back to look at the director, watching as Fury turned a few of the pages around so he could get a better look at them.

"Very little. His theories are too progressive and without having the proper translations for the formulas…" Selvig trailed off, his attention captured by the chaos once more.

"And how long before you can retranslate?"

"We could start retranslation in a week at the earliest. We have to get all of this sorted and figure out exactly how far back this incident has put us. Once we have it all together, actually retranslating could take at least another three weeks, probably more without Kathryn." Dr. Selvig moved around to the other side of the table, his eyes darting between the papers before finally snatching one up and coming back over to Fury. "I've put together a list of the formulas and translations I remember, but it's not much to go on."

Fury took the list, setting it against his folder as Dr. Selvig peered over his shoulder, pointing to a name. "This, we discovered is connected to Dr. Wilhelm Alder. He's an expert on black holes—specifically their expansion and contraction. Actually," Dr. Selvig's eyes brightened with a moment of clarity. "He's giving a lecture this Saturday at the New York Hall of Science. There's a gala there—"

"What else is here?" Fury interrupted.

It took Dr. Selvig a second to collect himself before he returned to the list. "This," he pointed at the bottommost formula that was underlined and circled; from the formula, an arrow was drawn pointing at a name with a couple of question marks next to it. "Appeared the most often. It's not really apparent in the earlier work, but it became increasingly frequent throughout. We have no idea what Kendrick meant by this."

"I do," Fury commented, tearing off the last name before sliding the rest of the list inside of the manila folder. The gesture effectively ended the subject of names and translations.

"I was thinking, aside from seeking out Dr. Alder, perhaps it's time to call in Jane Foster or Dr. Banner. It's bad enough that we lost so much information, if we had them maybe—" Selvig swayed a little bit, and Fury furrowed his brow.

"Perhaps you should get that cut checked out Doctor," Fury suggested.

"It's fine, just a minor laceration. Anyway, as I was saying, Jane or—"

"I'm not bringing anybody else into Project PIECES. In fact, I'm taking you off of this as soon as you have everything sorted out," Fury said, flagging down an agent who was scurrying by.

"What?" Dr. Selvig sputtered. "For this little thing?" he gestured to his head.

"As you said, working here is getting dangerous for you. And the last thing I need is a repeat of the Chitauri Incident," Fury gave the scientist a significant look. Dr. Selvig nodded somewhat reluctantly. "Agent Heung, see Dr. Selvig to the MedFacility, and notify Agent Hill to begin preparations to move what we have to the Helicarrier." The agent nodded, wrapping an arm around Dr. Selvig's waist to escort him up to the MedFacility. The director watched them go for a minute before turning to the remaining agent. "Agent Barton?" For the first time since Director Fury entered the room, the agent looked up from the papers.

"Yes, sir?" Agent Barton asked coming alongside Fury as the director moved to leave the room.

"What's happened here?"

"The alien came through the door, and we immediately made an effort to restrain him. He released a device which emitted some kind of energy blast, knocking us backwards and temporarily paralyzing us. He made his way up to the journal, setting off more of these devices which did a number on the equipment and those around it including Dr. Selvig. Agent Blake managed to avoid the blasts and came at him with her gun, and he killed her. By that time the effect of the pulse had worn off, and we were able to surround him. I took my shot, but he just vanished." Agent Barton paused his report, as if unwilling to share the next bit. "Sir, if he was capable of causing this much destruction, he let us take him in. He wanted to be here so he could get to the journal. And now that he has those translations, I think he's going to start going after the people in Kendrick's journal."

"My thoughts exactly," Fury responded, handing the folder over to Agent Barton.

"Operation A.R.R.O.W." the agent read the cover of the folder. "Is this a joke?"

"The names on Selvig's list are going to need protection, and we need to know why Kendrick put these names in his journal," Fury ignored Clint's question. "Which starts with you going to the Meeting of Minds Gala this Saturday."

"Me, sir? I'm a soldier. Natasha would be better suited for this," Barton protested.

"Agent Romanoff is where I need her in the field. Besides, I need someone who will play well with Stark."

"Stark?" The disappointment seeped through his professionalism.

"Invitations are hard to come by, and he already has one. Yours is in the file along with everything else you need to know," Fury said, gesturing at the folder. The agent's forehead creased with a question that he knew better than to ask. "Be at Stark Tower by six," Nick Fury ordered before walking away, leaving the agent behind.

In Manhattan, New York City

Molly McKay rarely ate breakfast at home.

Food was never appealing at four in the morning, and since she had to be at Monarch Bakery by five to begin the day's baking, she was left with a choice: suffer through an early breakfast or push through to brunch. As with most people in her line of work, Molly respected food too much to simply eat for the sake of eating. So, Molly usually skipped breakfast, opting to break for brunch once Hilary came in to finish off the baking. If a 9:30 meal could even be called "brunch."

Regardless of labels, Molly often found herself walking down to Pershing Square Café on the days she worked to enjoy her first meal of the day there. Her actual enjoyment of it was a bit of a debatable subject, but to say so would be getting ahead of things. As it was, the food was good and the frequency of her visits along with the donation of pies to their bakery case afforded her a significant discount, so she continued to go more often than not.

The only significant thing to threaten her enjoyment came in the form of a young blonde waitress who decided that it was her goal in life to make Molly better. Beth. Somehow, Molly had been stuck at Beth's table a couple of times in a row, resulting in Beth's unshakable belief that they were now friend. Best friends, actually. The hostess, perhaps thinking she was doing Molly a favor, perhaps avoiding Beth's wrath, continued to seat Molly in Beth's section every day. And so, Molly started off every morning with Beth. Every morning. With Beth.

"Molly!" Beth exclaimed in her singsong voice, swooping over to the baker's table. "How are you?"

"I'm good," Molly responded calmly to the perky blonde, flipping to the next page of the menu. Molly had memorized the options a long time ago (one of the gifts of having a true photographic memory) so aside from checking the specials, perusing it was mainly for distraction value. A polite way to ignore Beth.

"Did you try the hair rinse I suggested? A little rosemary and apple cider vinegar will really bring the life back to your hair. Make it less…flat," Beth picked up strands of Molly's brunette hair with her free hand before letting them fall back into place.

"It's on the shopping list," Molly answered with a weak smile, resituating herself on the bench and subtly scooching a little further out of the waitress' reach.

Beth let out a dramatic gasp, and Molly's head jerked to the waitress, her eyes wide. The blonde's smile seemed to have grown. Which could only mean…"Did I tell you? O Captain! My Captain! Reached 1.5 million fans," Beth gushed, pouring Molly a cup of coffee.

"Really?" Molly asked, not bothering to put the usual tinge of interest in the tone. Instead, she reached to the small porcelain bowl at the center of the table and plucked out two creamers. Carefully, Molly peeled off the paper covering them before pouring them circularly into her coffee. She still had a good five minutes of Beht going on about Captain America and her great website – it was the leading fansite for Captain America in the world, did you know that? – and there was nothing Molly could do to stop her.

"To celebrate I reposted the story of how he saved my life," Beth said, her voice turning dreamy at the end of her sentence. Molly stacked the empty creamers together and reached for the sugar display. "It was the day of the Chitauri Invasion—" The baker had heard this story so many times that she could probably recite it in unison with Beth. I was being herded across the street along with everyone else by the police. There were gunshots and explosions all around. It was as if my life had suddenly turned into an action movie. People were screaming, and the police were barking orders trying to get the situation under control. I still remember the fear I felt in the pit of my stomach. Terror in its purest form. I hope you never know what it feels like to know that at any moment there could be a bullet with your name on it. One explosion close enough, and that was the end of your story. You turned into another number in the death toll. A name on a memorial wall.

She would pause there. Molly emptied two packets of Sweet-N-Low into her coffee.

And that's when I saw it coming for us. Did you know, there's a stage of fear when you just let it take over you? It seeps into every fiber of your being, seizing you in its cold, deathly grip, paralyzing you. I couldn't move. I couldn't even scream. Death was coming, and I couldn't even lift a hand to greet it.

A small smile played on Beth's face. She was proud of that line, but she had to keep the mood of the story up. Molly's spoon made gentle clinking sounds against the inside of her coffee cup.

And then he came. He stood right in front of me with his shield. That circular red white and blue disc is all that stood between me and my grave. But it was like the assault wasn't even there. I made it home that night because Captain America saved me. He protected me from certain death. I owe him my life. Beth stood there, carafe in hand, letting the story sink in. She still hadn't perfected the ending. Molly tapped her spoon against the edge of her mug before setting the piece of silverware down on her napkin.

"It's an incredible story," she remarked.

Beth smiled brightly. "And how's Monarch?" It was amazing how fast she could shift through moods.

"Good," Molly nodded. "We're signed on to cater a fundraising gala tonight, so that should be fun.

Beth gasped, delighted. "Ooh, a gala?" Her interest seemed to actually be piqued for once.

Molly straightened in her seat a little, letting a small smile curl at the edge of her lips. "Yeah, it's essentially for a bunch of the leading physicists of today to update their benefactors. You know, like a 'this is what we're working on and what we've discovered' and 'this is how you can use this knowledge and why it's worth your investment,' kind of thing," Molly paused, taking a sip out of her coffee.

"So a whole night of people talking about science?" Beth snorted. "Good luck with that."

"Well, it's being held at the new museum that just went up, so that should be cool to look at."

Beth simply nodded slowly.

"And I'm really hoping that this'll open the door to catering for some of the high society philanthropists."

"Great, so pancakes, right?" Beth responded, changing the topic. "Whole wheat? Low-fat syrup?"

"What? Oh, I don't want the low-fat, reg—" Molly stumbled over her words, recovering from the conversational whiplash.

"Molly," Beth sighed, already writing down the order.  "Low-fat is way better for you. It's time to start caring about eating healthy. Especially if you want to attract a man. Need to keep in shape for that," Beth winked. The thing about Beth was that she was fairly certain she knew more about Molly than anybody else.

Including Molly.

"I'm not really worried about that sort of thing," Molly protested immediately. She hated when Beth got on this subject. When anyone got on this subject, really.

"Oh. Well, good for you," Beth said, too brightly. "I'd be a mess if I were your age and still single. I mean, think about it. Suppose I met a guy and fell in love a week into being thirty. It'd take a year and a half to make sure I was really in love, and then another year to plan the wedding, so already I'd be like what, thirty-two and a half? Then once we're married there's like the ten months or so of getting things in order and making sure he'll be a good father. Which means I'd be thirty-four by the time I had the first kid, and that's if I got pregnant right away. That's eight years behind schedule. Seriously, if I don't have a kid by twenty-six, I'm going to adopt."

"That's only two years away, Beth." Beth kept Molly up to date on her birthdays.

"I know," Beth moaned. "So, I really need to get a move on with this whole husband thing. I mean I can't be the fifty and still raising kids."

"Excuse me, miss?" An older man at a nearby table raised his hand. Beth spun, sticking on a radiant smile.

"Yes, sir? How can I help you?" The singsong voice was back. Molly breathed out, glad the attention was off of her and her love life.

"Can my wife get a little more coffee?"

"Of course she can," Beth swept away from Molly's table and over to them. Her voice still chirping over the other noises of the café. "I'm so sorry. I just got a little caught up helping my friend through something. You know how it is." The worst part was that Beth honestly believed she was doing just that.

With Beth gone, Molly was left sitting alone and in blissful peace. It was these moments, with her cup of coffee and the sun shining through the window and the pleasant noises of silverware and soft conversations that brought her back to this booth. The little things, the small details, were always the most precious. She'd learned it from her father, and as if to prove his point, this small lesson seemed to stick with her and eclipse everything else he'd ever taught her. It was what kept her grounded in this big city which otherwise would have swallowed her whole. It was what made her so good at her job. Well, that and her memory.

"Excuse me." A woman appeared at the end of Molly's table. The wife of the man who called Beth away. "I'm sorry to interrupt your breakfast, but I just wanted to let you know, that you can't let that girl bring youd own," the woman stated earnestly. Molly blinked in surprise; it took her a second to realize that the woman was referring to Beth. "I had my youngest son at thirty-four, and he and I are perfectly healthy and happy to this day. You have kids when you're ready with your Mr. Right. Don't worry about what some bitch waitress says. It's your life." The woman gestured with her hand as if she was a politician making some key point in her address. "And God bless the man and children who have to deal with that." She nodded at Beth who was animatedly talking to a businessman who very obviously just wanted breakfast and not to have to deal with the chattering blonde.

"Oh, um, thank you, ma'am," Molly smiled, a bit bewildered as the woman smiled back before walking away to join her husband back at their table.

Maybe she would have to skip breakfast tomorrow.