#March Mildness 2022

[covid-safer-hotties]

Listing archived on our website

Summary Background Patient-reported outcomes and cross-sectional evidence show an association between COVID-19 and persistent cognitive problems. The causal basis, longevity and domain specificity of this association is unclear due to population variability in baseline cognitive abilities, vulnerabilities, virus variants, vaccination status and treatment.

Methods Thirty-four young, healthy, seronegative volunteers were inoculated with Wildtype SARS-CoV-2 under prospectively controlled conditions. Volunteers completed daily physiological measurements and computerised cognitive tasks during quarantine and follow-up at 30, 90, 180, 270, and 360 days. Linear modelling examined differences between ‘infected’ and ‘inoculated but uninfected’ individuals. The main cognitive endpoint was the baseline corrected global cognitive composite score across the battery of tasks administered to the volunteers. Exploratory cognitive endpoints included baseline corrected scores from individual tasks. The study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov with the identifier NCT04865237 and took place between March 2021 and July 2022.

Findings Eighteen volunteers developed infection by qPCR criteria of sustained viral load, one without symptoms and the remainder with mild illness. Infected volunteers showed statistically lower baseline-corrected global composite cognitive scores than uninfected volunteers, both acutely and during follow up (mean difference over all time points = −0.8631, 95% CI = −1.3613, −0.3766) with significant main effect of group in repeated measures ANOVA (F (1,34) = 7.58, p = 0.009). Sensitivity analysis replicated this cross-group difference after controlling for community upper respiratory tract infection, task-learning, remdesivir treatment, baseline reference and model structure. Memory and executive function tasks showed the largest between-group differences. No volunteers reported persistent subjective cognitive symptoms.

Interpretation These results support larger cross sectional findings indicating that mild Wildtype SARS-CoV-2 infection can be followed by small changes in cognition and memory that persist for at least a year. The mechanistic basis and clinical implications of these small changes remain unclear.

[englishotomegames]

Ten Trials of Babel -The Doppelganger Maze- (巴别十书：如何逃离二重迷宫)

Release dates (Steam) Chinese: March 13th, 2022 English and Japanese: November 15th, 2023

"You have been drawn into a game of racial survival, the 'Babel Cross'. Humans, Mekas, Spirits, Ghosts, Yaos, Beasts, Relics, Phantoms, and two unrevealed races, together explore the world within the book, climbing the mysterious Babel Tower. At the top of the tower, after passing through ten worlds, the victor gains glory and the hope of evolution, while the defeated are erased along with their entire race.

——And so far, the number of StoryDivers who have passed through the tenth world remains zero.

In the 'Doppelganger', the Story World you enter for the first time as a newcomer, you meet StoryDivers assigned to the same world: Saint, Victor, and Kruger. If the Doppelganger is triggered, you will face instant death; and the team, seemingly harmonious and friendly, also harbors restlessness and ominous signs.

Is the heart of those not of our kind different? The Babel Tower has taken away the 'language' of communication between the ten races, In the face of allies and enemies, what will you do?

■4-8 hours of gameplay (varies with puzzle-solving speed) ■6 characters to pursue (including 2 hidden characters) ■7 BEs, 1 HE, 6 individual character endings, and 1 grand finale ending, 15 endings in total to unlock ■18 pixel CGs for cutscenes and endings ■30+ puzzle maps ■Mild horror elements"

This is a game now available in English on Steam! It seems to have RPG, puzzle and horror elements in addition to the standard visual novel format. You can buy it here!

[margareth-lv]

🔢🧮 Mathematics is the Queen of Sciences 🧮🔢

My tendency to count is probably a symptom of mild autism. But I can't help it. I count like a madman. On 21 July 2021, I published a post here about Sam's 'daddy bracelets'. Note that this was over three weeks before the 'Baby Balfe Reveal Day' on the striped sheet and with Sam's hand. After all, being a shipper means knowing how to read and interpret The Signs 😉

*** *** *** I then came to the conclusion that the likely number of little Hoooohans (as of July 2021) is 4.

As a numbers geek, I just don't believe that exactly four 'x's kissess and exactly four 'oooo's in 'Hoooohan' are a coincidence. But for Anits and Taits I'm deluded and blind. *** *** ***

So, including the baby that was most likely born in January 2022 and sold to the public as the "post-partum belly" of First Mother Caitríona, the current number of little Hooooohans is 5. Now let's count the flowers in the bottle of gin Sam shared on Mother's Day 2024:

Two narcissi (for two parents). Five daffodils for five...

...quod erat demonstrandum. I know, my tendency to count is probably a symptom of mild autism.

But in all my insanity I have a full and legal right to believe what I want, that's my prerogative, which I will defend with every ounce of cunning I can muster.

😉

[15 March 2024]

[fantasies-fairytales-n-fics]

Code Blue Ch. 49-No Escape From Now

Summary: Josie spends a long stormy night with Dave. The boy who cried wolf puts him in the dog house. A sweet smelling apology is made. CHEERS! The thunder rolls and Josie has had enough. The boy cries bloody wolf again. The new sunny side up morning brings many surprises. The early bird catches more than the worm. Someone's anger gets the best of them. You have the right to remain silent. A shocking reveal comes to light as Lee remembers.

*Chapter Warnings* DARK, language, angst, alcohol use, mentions of murder, graphic gif depictions, self pleasure, smut, mild violence, arrest,

Chapter characters: Josie, David, Luke, Lee

Chapter word count: 5,317

Grandview, MA

March 21, 2022

You were stiff as a board on the long and treacherous drive back to Dave's as the relentless rain had mutated into an angry wind storm full of tumultuous thunder and livid lightning along the way. He tried to hold your hand to calm your anxiety but you insisted he keep both of his hands on the wheel. Finally, after 30 torturous minutes of having to pee, Dave pulled into the driveway of his humble little abode in Grandview that was perfect for a bachelor like him and a perfect getaway for you, but deep down you knew that there was no escape from now.

"You ready??" Dave asked with his hand on the door handle. "1...2.......3!"

Bolting out of the truck, you squealed as you ran into the dry safe haven of the foyer with Dave chuckling behind you.

"You don't lock your doors?" you panted as you dripped all over the floor.

"Guess I forgot in my rush to chase a 5 year old ghost." he jested and helped you out of your wet jacket. "I'll go check the house if it will make you feel better."

"Yeah well...duhh!" you riposted and stood in place while you watched Dave run up the creaky wooden stairs, skipping every other step with his long strides.

After hearing his footsteps and door after door close to the 3 bedrooms, bathroom and closets...all went quiet.

"Dave??" you meeped as you leaned without stepping out of place to peek up the L shaped staircase.

There was still no answer and then.....

"AHHH!!!!" Dave bellowed, sending you sprinting backwards against the front door.

Frozen solid and panting heavily, you managed to stutter out his name. "D...David!?"

You gasped and damn near relieved your full bladder as Dave's hand slapped over the doorway's frame and then his face slowly appeared with a wicked grin.

"You....ASSHOLE!!!"

You stomped off through the kitchen and into the bathroom, slamming the door shut as hard as you could.

"Josie." Dave snickered as he tapped on the door. "I'm sorry. I was just playi..."

"If I didn't have to pee so damn bad, I would have gotten a frying pan and knocked you into next week!... Arrrrgh!"

"Jo, really. I'm sorr...."

The toilet flushed and the door instantly swung open with you standing there, you lips pursed and your narrowed eyes fuming.

"Damn you're so cute when you're mad."

"Asshat." you snarled and shoved past him to the kitchen where you angrily pulled out 2 margarita glasses with the cactus stems and stared him down. "Well??? It's midnight, margarita man and they better be extra strong."

"Yes dear." he snarked as he now stood before you, peering down at you with an arched brow.

"What?"

"The blender. It's behind you."

"Oh..."

You stepped aside with a huff and went to sit on a stool at the table bar that extended off of the gas stove island in the center of the small but homey kitchen and watched him collect the items to concoct his merciless margaritas. The same ones he made at Jason's funeral reception that, by the end of the night, had Orlando carrying you up to your bed.

"Damn it." Dave snapped as he rooted through the fridge.

"What now?"

"I don't have any oranges or limes."

"Soooo, use that Rosie's lime juice and surely you must have some OJ??"

Dave gasped. "Sacrilege! Fresh squeezed is the only way to go to create my magicritas."

"Alright Mr. perfectionist. Wine will have to do."

"Nope. I promised midnight margaritas and that is what I will make you. Just give me 15 minutes."

Dave began putting his coat back on with a rain jacket over top and grabbed his keys.

"Wait, what are you doing????"

"Running down to the 24/7 on the corner."

"In this storm?? At midnight???"

"Citrus Jo. Need citrus. It's right around the corner. You know that. I'll be back in a jiffy."

Before you could further protest, Dave was out the door and driving off in his truck.

You locked the door behind him and went back to the kitchen to at least grab a beer and some snacks while you waited. Upon opening the fridge, there in plain sight sat a bag of oranges and limes.

"What the???" you whispered as you yanked them out of the fridge. "What the hell are you up to my bff?"

You popped open the strangely named beer that you were not even going to attempt to pronounce and sat back down, sipping on it with a sour expression, for to simply put it, it tasted like shit and as you waited in your parched boredom, your thoughts began to roam about Dave's gift that Lee also possessed.

Dave had first opened up to you about his ability to see and speak to the dead shortly after a trauma he had suffered which you had helped him through. Although he had seen things as a child, the older he got, the less the occurrences became until they eventually ceased altogether but his mediumship strangely returned after witnessing his biological father, Victor Cassadine, murder the man he had known as his father for most of his life, Duke Lavery. It had all went down at a yearly Metro Court event, the Nurses Ball, that you attended with Dave and Britt. Later that evening, you found Dave on the pier, holding Duke who died in his arms from a bullet wound to the chest and Victor was never implicated because, before you showed up, he coerced Dave to lie by threatening the people he loved.

The rich and powerful Cassadine clan weren't connected to the mob but were highly infamous nonetheless with their Russian royalty bloodlines, pretty much like Gerry's Greek tycoon father, Victor Kiriakis and in your opinion, they both put the mafia to shame with their capabilities and lack of morals, which is why Dave's relationship with his father was a bit rocky, unlike Gerry's with his dad and that always baffled you since he was a law abiding citizen with a badge. None of it made sense with Dave either, for he still adored his troublesome mother who had many ties to that world, one being of Cesar Faison, Britt's terrorist father. Organized crime or not, it was all the same to you and you had become sucked into all of it beginning with one person. Jason.

Now your thoughts went to Lee. He had certainly suffered a great trauma. The accident with Jacob and his death. Could that be a relevant reason as to why Lee could see his son? He had also seen his mother and father at one point. But why was it happening now and not then? Or could this all be related to something that happened long ago and has something to do with what Lee has been harboring? Maybe you should just go and force it out of Luke but, would that further damage things between you and Lee? Or maybe...too much damage had already been done and you should just let it all go. Lee included.

You heard the slamming of Dave's truck door and ran to greet him because now you felt bad for jumping down his throat, although he deserved it.

The front door opened before you could open it and in walked a damp but still dashing Dave who whipped the hood of his raincoat off and quickly handed you a dozen red roses that he was concealing behind his back.

"For you." he softly said with a sweet smile. "I'm really sorry."

"These are some odd looking fruit. You went out in this mess just to buy me an apology?"

"Actions speak louder than words."

"Yeah well now you owe me one for lying about the reason you went." you quipped and you inhaled the heavenly floral aroma, then headed to the kitchen in search for a vase.

Dave followed you as he removed his coat and shoes, then he saw the oranges and limes on the counter.

"Busssted....but if I would have told you why I was going, it just wouldn't have been as meaningful as a surprise."

You approached him and pushed his saturated strands from his baby blues. "Alright. You're forgiven, now get busy. You're late."

Dave glanced at the clock that now said 12:15. "On it! Why don't you go pick out that movie."

"K...but I've had enough horror for the night. How about a fantasy? We still need to watch Snow White, A Tale of Terror."

"And that's not horror??" Dave asked as he kicked the blender on.

"It's more witchy than slasher."

"You've only seen it a thousand times. You just like go on about Gutenberg, swearing that he is me. And let us not forget that his first name is Peter."

"Never mind that. They say everyone has a twin and he is yours."

Dave came in with the drinks, sat them down and got a fire going.

"I do not look like him and I hate his clothes, plus he has red hair Jo. The only one that looks good around here with fiery tresses is you."

"Hmmm I don't know. Gutenberg is pretty hot." you giggled as you took a huge gulp of your liquid gold.

"Right. That must be why Lilli wanted to be with Will instead. Wait, did you just call me hot?"

"Nope. You don't look like him remember??"

"Alright, the movie is going in Princess. Zip your lip unless it's to drink."

You grinned and cuddled up beside him on the couch. After halfway through the movie and 3 drinks in, you couldn't hold your tipsy tongue anymore.

"See!!! LOOK. It's YOU!! Baby blues and all!!"

"Ok. You're cut off." he chuckled. "It's almost 2 am Josie. Let me put the fire out and help you up to the guest room."

"I can walk Davey!"

"Josie, even when sober, you couldn't walk from here to the front door without tripping over nothing."

"Hardy har har. Fine. I have so much shit to do tomorrow anyways but right now, all I want to do is sleep off this twisted tequila."

Dave took care of the fireplace as you sucked out every last drop from your glass, then his and when you stood up, the booze caught up with you. Down you went, laughing like a hyena.

"You see?? Come on. It's piggy back time."

Dave crouched over in front of you and you clumsily climbed on, burying your nose into his rain scented hair, then up the stairs he carried you and let you slide down onto the bed.

"Goodnight Jo Jo."

You took his hand and wouldn't let him go as he turned to leave.

"Thank you for the roses and the midnight madness. You know I love you right?"

Dave's smile held a subtle sadness. "Just not in the way Lilli loves Will."

"Dave I..."

"Shhh. Go to sleep. I'm right next door if you need me. Night Jo."

He kissed your head and left, shutting the door behind him and you laid there for a moment, gazing at the spinning ceiling.

"Not in the way I love you Lee." you whispered and then your eyes closed.

3 hours later, they popped wide open when a bellowing boom of thunder shook your bed. Gasping as you realized where you were, you ran straight into Dave's room in a panting panic, startling him awake from his deep slumber. You never understood how anyone could sleep through such a ruckus.

"Josie? Hey, it's ok. Come here."

"No. No Dave. I...I need to go home."

"What? Jo, it's 5:30 am. Wait till sunrise and I'll make you some breakfast, then I'll take you. Come lay down with me. I won't bite....hard." he joked as he bobbed his brows up and down.

You knew he was just trying to help you relax but you couldn't do it. You had already felt guilty about sleeping in Orlando's bed the night, even if it was solely to keep an eye on his breathing after Luke had almost choked the life out of him. You had been honest with Lee and he understood, but you didn't think he would about it being over a storm.

"Dave, no. I really shouldn't."

He sighed and seemed a bit peeved. "We've been best friends for how long now and I have never tried anything on you now have I? I wouldn't do that. I don't see the problem with trying to comfort you when you're scared."

"Dave I know that. That's not the problem. It's...Lee."

"How did I already know that?" he bemoaned.

"Dave, I..."

"Josie, it's fine. I'll get up and take you."

"Well...could we still eat breakfast first? I'm really hungry."

"Sure. Let me go grab a shower. I'll see you downstairs in a bit." he uttered and headed down the hall to the bathroom.

You ran to the doorway. "Dave, you shouldn't take a shower in a stor..."

"I'll be fine Josie." he interrupted with a sigh full of sarcasm and shut bathroom the door without even looking back at you.

Dave turned the water and undressed, then climbed in when it was cold enough to wake him up and put other parts of him to sleep. he leaned on the wall and doused his head under the cool stream as he stared down at his uncooperative morning wood, so he decided to quickly satisfy it's needs.

After lathering up his hand with some soap, he swiftly brought his throbbing member to a hip shattering release in merely 20 vigorous strokes just to get it over with, for he felt guilty that he thought of you while doing so and he blamed it on the dream he was having just before you woke him up. One where you desired him in ways he could have never imagined.

As he panted through the last pulse, he then raised the temperature to a tolerable warmth and let the water drown his face...until he realized the water had turned to blood.

"AHHHHH! HEY!!!" he shrieked as he backed away in a daze.

You sat on the edge of his bed, checking your phone to see if your mom had called and since she hadn't, you figured no news was good news and surprisingly, you didn't have any texts or calls from Lee either, which you weren't so sure if that was good news.

You brought up Lee's number and as your finger hovered with hesitancy over the call button, you heard Dave's yell and this time, it sounded legit. Dropping your phone, you raced to the bathroom door but it was locked so you you began pounding on it.

"Dave!!! What's wrong???!!!"

He stared up at the showerhead and then in a moment of clarity and humiliation, he realized it was only rust.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. It's just a plumbing job I did the other day. Rusty water."

"O...oh." you sighed in relief and then giggled. "Gross."

"I heard that! Not funny Jo."

You started singing to tease him. "Karma karma karma karma karma chameleon, you come and go, you come and gooooo ohhh!"

"Girl, I'm going to come out there butt ass naked and carry you in here with me! Here I come!!" he playfully threatened.

"Oh hell no!" you squealed and ran downstairs laughing, knowing he wasn't going to chase you naked.

As you stood in the downstairs bathroom brushing your teeth with the toothbrush Dave kept there specifically for you, you had to smile. One of the best things about your relationship with Dave was that it was easy. There were no secrets and you both understood each other without even having to speak and even when you pissed each other off, it only lasted a hot minute. He was a safe place for you. If you hadn't been involved with Gerry when you met Dave, things might have been different between you and Dave.

The storm had passed and as you and Dave finished up your breakfast of French toast and sausage, the early bird was outside waiting for his meal. A meal ticket that was....and just then, the landline rang.

Dave sighed with an eye roll and wiped his mouth, then got up to answer it.

"Probably work wanting me to come in early since I'm due back today from my vacation. Hello? Dr. Conrad speaking."

"Ahh, Dr. Conrad. Just the person I have been trying to reach. Clearly you are home since you answered the phone and also there's your truck in the driveway. I guess you just didn't hear me knocking earlier."

Dave went straight to the living room window and peeled back the curtain.

"I was in the sho...I'm sorry, who is this?" he asked with furrowed brows and then caught sight of the forest green dodge charger parked in front of the neighbor's house with deeply tinted side windows.

"Pardon my manners doctor. I'm detective Luke Evans with the Salem Police Department. I have been trying to reach you for questioning in the matters of the recently deceased Elizabeth Webber and now, an injured, possibly attacked miss Megan March. Both women you know. May I come up?"

"It's 8 am??''

"Well you've been a hard man to locate so I figured I'd have a better shot at catching you bright and early. This won't take long."

"Give me a minute."

"I'll be right here waiting. Alright bye."

Dave hung up and Luke watched the front door like a hawk.

"Dave?? Who was that? Is someone here?" you asked in concern as you stood in the dining room watching him.

"Just as you said last night at the hospital. That the cops would be all over this."

"The police are here???"

"Just one. Your new favorite detective."

"Ohhhh hell no. Luke...is here??"

You whipped the curtain back open, but didn't see his bike. "Where??"

"Green charger."

Once you saw it, your anger towards him resurfaced from his prior visit at Lee's lake house and you bolted right out the door.

"Unnnnbelievable!" you erupted as you marched straight for him which caught Luke off guard , for he was just as stunned to see you as you were him.

He didn't even have a chance to get out of the car when there you were, dispensing your rage at him outside his window.

"You came all the way to Grandview?! What are you doing here??!!"

He rolled the window down with his hazel hues locked in yours. "Can I get out of the car to explain?"

You stepped back with a huff and a sarcastic sway of your arm in a gesture of agreement.

"By all means, please do detective dick."

Luke sighed as he stepped out. "Classy Jo. Do you want to tone it down a little bit?"

No, I do not. Not even a little bit and don't speak to me about class when you know nothing about it."

"Ok, I get it. You're still salty...."

"Salty?" you derisively laughed. "I'm furious! You do know interrogation rooms at the POLICE station are there for a reason?? Yet you insist on randomly showing up at people's homes like a feral fucking cat. All you had to do was call him and ask him to come in and he would have."

"I did call. Multiple times this morning before I came here, but I guess you and the good doctor here were.....sleeping?"

You wanted to wipe his smug smirk right off of his face. "Ohhhh, don't you even. Yes, we WERE sleeping and not that it's any of your business, if you must know, I slept in the guest room."

"Well thank you for the 411 but now I need some from David if you don't mind."

"Actually I DO mind. This is bullshit and..."

Dave appeared next to you. "Josie, it's ok. I have nothing to hide."

"I know you don't but this is not ok Dave!"

"Look Jo. The sooner the doc here answers my questions, the sooner I can get out of your hair unless you want to keep interfering with the investigation, then..."

"Then what Luke? You'll arrest me??"

He took a step forward and now stood towering over you, peering down with a cocky brow.

"Don't tempt me."

You stood your ground and stepped forward as well with your stomach merely inches from his as you glared up at him.

"Go ahead. I dare you."

Luke dropped his head and smiled, shaking his head in disbelief as he rubbed his eyes and heavily sighed.

"You do realize I am just doing my job right? Would you be giving Gerry such a hard time of he were the one here??"

"Yeah well I hate your job and yes, yes I would be the same way with Gerry but I would rather deal with him than you any day."

"Well he's not here. I am, so deal with it or I can begin reading you your rights. Your choice sweetheart."

"Fine." you sneered and then mumbled under your breath as you moved beside Dave. "God I can't stand him."

"Alright. David. First things first." Luke began as he pulled out his pen and little black book that Craig had called it. You chuckled inside when you also remembered what he called Luke. An audacious British fuck, for that he was.

"Where were you 2 nights ago on the 20th of March up to last night when you arrived at the hospital with the injured miss March?"

Dave's eyes flowed down to you with reluctance, for he knew you were going to flip when you heard his answer.

"I...was on Spoon island. I had actually been there for the past 6 days."

Your mouth dropped open. "You were at Wyndemere????!!! And you're just now telling me this??"

"He's actually telling me." Luke griped at you, then aimed his next question at Dave. "What's Wyndemere?"

Of course you answered for Dave as you stared at the nervous doctor and it was quite acerbic.

"Oh it's just Dracula's creepy castle on it's very own remote island on the outskirts of Salem, how fitting, and it has an abundance of secret tunnels probably filled with coffins and let us not forget the multiple parapets that people have either fallen from or been tossed off of over the years."

Dave became annoyed. "Ok, my father is not a vampire and that castle is just a mansion on an island with a cottage and even a horse stable. It was a nice getaway from life."

Now your eyes gaped to match your mouth. "Since when do you call Victor your father???"

"Since that's what he is Jo!"

"By DNA only!!! He's a murderous monster or did you forget what he..."

"That's enough Jo." Dave spat through his teeth with his eyes reminding you to keep your mouth shut.

"Yes, that's enough of your whinging." Luke protested. "David, what is Victor's full name and what is this about murder??"

"Victor Cassadine. You may have heard the surname before as it's quite notorious, just as the rumors are, like Josie was speaking of."

"And this man is your father as you stated? Will he vouge for you?"

"Yes. I am sure he will."

"Is there anyone else that can also attest to your whereabouts? And...at anytime during your stay, did you leave the island?"

"There's a ferry that goes to and from there at specific times, but I did not leave. You can question the ferryman. It's always the same guy except on rare occasions. He saw me and I do have my tickets for both their and back. I'll go get them."

"That was quite the detailed narrative there Josie. Did you get that from watching the vampire diaries? Or maybe from that book you were reading? The Cult of Dolos was it?"

"Oh shut up. Now that we have a minute alone. Why don't you tell me about Sam Colin???"

All of Luke's movements ceased as his eyes seemed hypnotized by that name.

"Wh..who?"

"Don't play dumb with me. Lee told me and now I want to hear it from you."

Luke was now trying to read you like a book as he shifted his weight to one leg and raised a brow.

"Lee told you huh? Told you what...exactly?"

"That you set him up somehow."

"Somehow? So Lee did NOT tell you." Luke stepped forward again, so close that you actually took a step back. "Don't toy with me Jo. I don't like games."

"I'm not toying with you. He told me Luke. All about how that name was one of Peter's aliases, but of course he did not know that at the time and something bad...really bad, happened because of it and I want to know what it was."

Luke's jaw clenched and grinded. "Did it ever occur to you that if he wanted you to know, he would tell you or...just maybe... he can't tell you?? Why can't you just leave well enough alone??"

"Because Lee isn't well!! He's changing because of whatever this fucking secret is. Do you even care about him at all??? Ever since you came back, it's triggered something inside of him. He physically attacked me from a deep sleep because he thought I was someone that was trying to hurt him!! I also know that Peter's brother, some Charles Rane who was a terrorist like their father Faison, was involved and that Lee set off some bomb that killed him. And he also talked about people being shot in front of him!"

"Well it would seem you have the answer to your question then. It makes sense yes? Lee is simply having some PTSD episodes."

"And it was something you caused to happen! It all makes sense as to why he has been so aggressive towards you. So what was it Luke?? What did you do to him? According to him, you and he were really close at one time and now all he wants to do is rip your head off after what you did to Landy. What did you do Luke????"

"Ok. You need to back your ass up and stay in your lane. This has nothing to do with you little girl. You wanna fuck with the bull, you gotta deal with the horns." he snarled in your face with flaring nostrils like that of said bull which was very similar to what he had done to you at Orlando's.

"This ain't my first rodeo with a steer, you know, a castrated male trying to compensate for what he lacks by playing tough guy?"

"You know, I will never understand what Lee ever saw in you. If anyone has changed him, it's you. I thought Liz was the cause of his downfall, but you..."he chuckled. "you clearly have her beat. Tell me Jo, does Lee know you're here? You really seem to like that doctor dick. Which one is bigger? Lee's, Dave's or Landy's?? Inquiring minds want to know."

Like a bull, you saw red and just snapped. A sharp sear of adrenaline mixed with anger rushed through you and you charged Luke, shoving him hard against his car.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM??!!!"

The next thing you knew, Dave's arms wrapped around your waist and pulled you back.

"Josie, what the hell are you doing??!!"

Dazed and confused, Luke held his back against the car for a few seconds and then his lips planted together in a thin line as he became fed up. He abruptly pushed himself up, pulled out his handcuffs and grabbed your wrist,

"That's it. You have the right to remain silent." he began to recite as your eyes widened at the click of the first cuff.

"Whoa whoa. What are you doing??" Dave intervened.

Luke took you other wrist and continued, ignoring the concerned doctor as you and Luke's eyes were fixed upon each other.

Click.

"Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?”

You said nothing as you glowered up at him.

"Come on man. Can't you give her a break?" Dave desperately asked.

"I am. I handcuffed her in the front." Luke gloated and opened the front door of his car. "Which is why you will sit where I can see you."

You refused to move as he placed his hand on your upper arm. " Gerry will take care of this. I'm not worried Dave."

"You assaulted a police officer. Although it's misdemeanor in Massachusetts, it carries anywhere form 90 days to 2 and a half years. Even Gerry can't make that go away for an entitled brat like you."

"We'll see about that...and on the ride back...don't speak to me and I won't speak to you ok?." you barked and got in the car.

"You promise?" Luke cheerfully riposted.

Luke buckled you in, roughly tugging the belt to tighten it and then brought his lips only inches from yours, his hot mouthwash breath tickling your lips as he whispered with a smug smirk.

"Comfy?"

He slammed the door and turned to Dave, taking the ferry tickets from him and then he got in the car and as he drove away, you frowned and looked at Dave as you mouthed 2 words to him.

"I'm sorry."

Lee awoke from his drug and alcohol induced slumber feeling worse than he had the night before and it wasn't from medicating himself. It was the lucid dreams that he couldn't escape from no matter what he put in his body to try and tame them, for there was no escape from now.

As he stood at the bay window in his high rise office, flashes of those dreams haunted him, only they weren't dreams. They were memories.

All he wanted to do was pick up the phone and call you and tell you everything, but he could barely weather the visions, let alone speak of them. How was he supposed to tell you that the cause of his mother's death and his father's illness were all a lie?

Lee reached down into his pocket and pulled out a silver pocket locket that he belonged to his father. As he opened it, he stared down at the photo he had placed inside of his young parents and him as a baby.

With tears of guilt growing in his sapphire eyes, he spoke to it.

"I wasn't the good son you told me I was dad. If you could have remembered, you would have never said it. You've been gone a month today, but I guess you had already been gone years before that. I'm sure you know everything now, wherever you are and I hope you can forgive me."

Lee snapped the locket shut and dried his tired eyes, then headed home to shower and later go to visit his mom and dad's graves. Maybe even go to church that he had been neglecting and ask God for forgiveness as well. Even as upset as you were with him, he prayed you would come still come for the visit, for he needed you now more than ever.

@redeemer46

[galusaurus]

Mutation March 2022 - day 27: Giraffe

It's a giraffungus! :D

Someone's got a mild case of wiggles.

This giraffe is secretly a puppet controlled by a mass of tongues!

[kp777]

By Jackie Fortier

NPR

April 19, 2023

Lost careers. Broken marriages. Dismissed and disbelieved by family and friends.

These are some of the emotional and financial struggles long COVID patients face years after their infection. Physically, they are debilitated and in pain: unable to walk up the stairs, focus on a project, or hold down a job. Facing the end of the federal public health emergency in May, many people experiencing lingering effects of the virus say they feel angry and abandoned by policymakers eager to move on.

"Patients are losing hope," says Shelby Hedgecock, a self-described long COVID survivor from Knoxville, Tennessee, who now advocates for patients like herself. "We feel swept under the rug."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated in March that 6% of U.S. adults, or about 16 million, were experiencing long COVID, or ongoing health problems that continue or emerge after a bout of COVID.

Researchers estimate that 1.6% of U.S. adults, or about 4 million, have symptoms that have significantly reduced their ability to carry out day-to-day activities.

While patients are no longer contagious, their health issues can stretch on and affect almost every system in the body. More than 200 symptoms and conditions, including fatigue and depression, are linked to long COVID, says Dr. Linda Geng, who treats patients at Stanford Medicine's Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome Clinic.

The severity and duration of long COVID vary. Some people recover in a few weeks, while a smaller number have debilitating and lingering health issues. There is currently no test, treatment, or cure. There's not even an accepted medical definition.

"When you don't have any tests that show that anything's abnormal, it can be quite invalidating and anxiety-provoking," Geng says.

The physical and emotional toll has left some feeling hopeless. A 2022 study of adults in Japan and Sweden found that those with post-COVID conditions were more than twice as likely to develop mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress, as people without them.

"One of my friends committed suicide in May of 2021," Hedgecock says. "She had a mild COVID infection, and she progressively had medical complications continuously pop up, and it just got so bad that she decided to end her life."

In Los Angeles County, where Hedgecock lived when she fell ill, 46% of adults who contracted COVID were fully recovered a month later, but the rest — a majority — reported one or more continuing symptoms, according to a 675-patient study by the University of Southern California's COVID-19 Pandemic Research Center.

Read more.

[elianas-cozycorner]

𝓞𝓷 𝓟𝓲𝓷𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝓮𝓭𝓵𝓮𝓼 | 𝓢𝓬𝓻𝓸𝓸𝓰𝓮 (2022)

𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 Three (Part 1) | Jacob Marley

Summary: After dismissing Bob Cratchit and Ms. Blackwood from his office, Ebenezer Scrooge makes his way home. Hopeful to have a quite evening, the man is utterly unprepared for what comes next.

Author's Note: I'm so sorry for the chapter delay, loves! Mental health got the better of me, as did schooling.

I struggled to find a good mid-way point between the two halves of this chapter and with how much film/book content to actually include. I hope skipping around some parts and only including the important bits is something that works for you guys, but please let me know! I looove feedback!

As you will see, this chapter is very, very long. I actually had to cut it into two parts. I am still working on the second half (which will become chapter 4), so please stay tuned for that! (ﾉ°³ °)ﾉ

Word Count: 4017 Ao3 - Mature Rating WARNINGS: None! :)

Please let me know if you would like to be included in a tag list!

@the-house-of-auditore-frye

"No decent man, no self preserving gentleman, will want to wed you. You will die a spinster. That is your truth.” The man stands there, chest heaving from such an impassioned speech, and has the gaul to look self satisfied.

“So no, madam, I will not be joining you, nor anyone else, in any celebration of this wretched season.”

/////

‘Ebenezer Scrooge…’ 

The grandfather clock ticks away, mocking him as he paces in his office. Ebenezer takes one turn, then another, before slowly retracing his steps. He begins blowing out his candles, starting with the one sitting on his desk. 

‘Scrooge…’ A ghastly pull of air, whooshing into the silence, goes unheard by the miser. The glass encasing the candle is overcome by a ghostly apparition, fleeting and flickering though it may be. It too goes unnoticed. 

The other candles soon meet the same fate, extinguished quickly and with little flourish. Ebenezer is no longer in the mood for dramatic flair. He’s had quite enough excitement for one week, let alone a single evening. He allows one uncovered light to continue flickering as he begins to lock up his funds. Meticulously, he collects every coin and weighs them out. He counts the rogue scale weights and odd ha’penny. But, as he lifts the coin purse from the scale, a feminine face stares back at him.

‘The pledges I’ve broken...’ He rolls his own sins through his mind. The woman stares at him from the shining metal and he cannot fight the wave of sadness that smashes his heart. ‘A fool I was.’

“Tell me,” He begins aloud and turns on his heel to face his mastiff. “Why should I be bright and merry? When all the things of this world conspire against me?”

He blows out the last candle and walks to the front room once more. Just one-and-twenty minutes ago he had sent home his clerk and ledgerman from the very spot he now stood. Just eleven minutes ago he had watched from his office, not ten paces back, as the seamstress fled his establishment in tears. A small twinge of regret runs through his heart, but he shakes it off with a snarl.

‘Ebenezer Scrooge…’ The call is deep, raspy, and once again goes unheard. 

Ebenezer adjusts his vest and tailcoat, buttoning the latter item to better prepare for the winter weather. His foul mood only worsens as he pulls on his frock overcoat and top hat, as he now has a clear vantage point of the storm outside. The mild flecks of snow from his previous excursion are transformed into raging, swirling pebbles of ice and enormous flakes. It is as if the cold finds a way past the door and into his bones just from gazing out of the window. The accompanying wind bashes brutally against the glass and he regrets having allowed Ms. Blackwood entry this evening. Had he not permitted her into the counting house he would now be sitting comfortably at home by the fire. 

“Come, Prudence,” He slips his gloves on and then slips out the door. “Let us get this over with.” 

And so the pair march through the snow, one keeping her head low to avoid the cold flakes and the other trying to steady himself on the cobbles with his cane. No carriages roll down the lane, nor are there any people about. He passes one man advertising some ‘Christmas Extravaganza’ and is forced to take one of his papers. Scrooge thinks the man a fool for staying out so late yet does not bother to stop and tell him so. Instead, he presses on from the business district to the housing streets, happily bidding his nightly farewells to Cornhill Street. Each streetlamp threatens to flicker out as he goes on and soon he quickens his pace, unwilling to freeze over. 

He moves onto the street, finding it better worn and less slippery than the walk way. Occasionally, the tips of his shoes flick up some snow and the metal of his cane slips on ice. The layers of white steadily build underfoot and distaste claws its way into the back of his throat. He can hear Prudence shuffling behind him and glances backward to check on her every so often. On one such check in, the hound seems to be occupied by the streetlamps. They flicker oddly in the corner of his eye, but he ignores it. Prudence, however, does not. The mastiff pauses, her long, low whine swallowed by the wind. She watches as the red flames swirl and flare into icy blues and deep indigos. 

Feeling uneasy, her master turns abruptly. His eyes scan the empty street frantically, from one walkway to the other. He spins a little on his heel, looking about as though he were a startled doe. “Hello?”

Ebenezer takes a moment to glance down at the late Marley’s pet. “Did you feel that Prudence? A shift in the air… Like someone was just here.” A pause. “Oh, great heavens! What am I saying? You’re a dog.”

With a growl, the man pulls his top hat further over his forehead and slaps his thigh twice; it’s a gesture which beckons Prudence to his side once more. Within a couple breaths, his stately lodging comes into view. Just past Cornhill Street, standing proudly at the edge of Groveland Court, it would have been easy to miss with the darkness of night finally settling and the fog rising to cover the blackened gate. Fortunately for the miser, his servants (of which he keeps only two and on occasion hires a charwoman) had arranged his home in proper order this night. He struggles with the gate for a moment, grumbling under his breath the entire time, before finally reaching his doorstep. As he reaches for the door knocker, a chill rushes through him too mighty to be natural. 

Ebenezer turns, sharp eyes glaring out into the steadily thickening blizzard. Nothing greets him. He turns back to the door, startling at the ghastly blue face that greets him in the knocker. He gasps aloud, tripping backwards for a moment.

“Ye gods!” But with a blink, the visage disappears.

With one hand over his heart, he uses the other to lift the offending metal. It remains as it should and the man has to blink away the residual shock. As he taps the intricately twisted rectangle against its backing, soft words leave his lips unprovoked. “I must have worked much too much, Prudence.”

He does not have time to do anything else as the door opens for him. A man stands on the other side, dressed down in evening wear. He welcomes Ebenezer inside, holding the door ajar for both man and dog. No words are exchanged as the lender passes his outerwear off to his doorman. Prudence makes her own way through the house and quickly disappears from sight. 

“Paulette has set aside your evening wear, sir.” The man's voice is muffled as he moves into a room adjoining the foyer. “I shall be up momentarily to-”

“No, thank you, Charles. I am capable of caring for myself this evening. I have the bell, should I need you.” Scrooge sighs harshly. 

He moves up the stairs that curl up and around the back of the foyer, stopping briefly halfway to bark an order. He does not look back, nor acknowledge the fact that his footman is in another room. “I will take dinner in the parlour, have Paulette light the fireplace. I expect my armchair has been moved accordingly?”

Charles reappears in the doorway, but the rustling of his clothes are not enough to draw the money lender’s eye. “All is as it was last evening, sir.”

“Good.” A couple more steps up and then– “Once you are through with your tasks, go home.”

“Pardon?” The surprise is plain to read from Charles’ tone. 

Ebenezer Scrooge turns, aiming a glare at the man. “I do not wish to be further disturbed this season. You will not be required on the morrow, neither will I require Paulette. Take her with you, before the storm prevents you. I understand that you may wish to spend the day with family.”

“Thank you, sir–”

“Get on with your work, Charles.” A dismissive flick of the hand sends the footman scurrying. 

/////

The green nightcap bounces against his shoulder blade as Scrooge stands from his armchair. The fire’s warm glow is slowly dwindling and not a tendril of sleep touched the miser. Unlike the dog sprawled just beside the fireplace, half asleep with a bone in her mouth. Taking the poker, he gently prods the coals. He watches, entranced by the fire as it roars back to life, and imagines the day’s events played out in the oranges and reds. Yet, his green evening wear shimmers in the light and catches his attention. From the pocket of his robe, the corner of a paper crinkles loudly. 

The flyer for the Liverpool Street Christmas Extravaganza greets him. With a shake of his head he thinks, ‘I thought Charles disposed of this garbage.’

He stares for another moment. “Every year, Prudence,” words both venomous and disappointed sound sweet on his wine-calmed tongue. “They are all filled with such joy, such gladness. They practically sparkle with it. They must know, surely, they must.”

He prods the fire a little harder before returning the poker to its rightful place. He replaces the empty space in his hand with the flyer. Scrooge squints at the page, turning it into the light to read it better, and speaks his opinions aloud, “With the growing surplus populus and housing crisis, not to mention the absolute mockery that is being made of good business with these workmen strikes, someone ought to treat these people tougher. Christmas? A humbug. It’s as though the entire city takes a day off! A day off, how ridiculous! Bring them down to size, I say.” 

Prudence glances up as her owner’s voice increases in volume. She drops her bone, stands, and walks further away from him and the fire. By the time he crumples the flyer and tosses it into the flames, she is adrift in the world of canine dreams once more. 

“I do not understand, will never understand, how they’re so cheery! I am not happy so why should they be? Do they not see how pointless and foul this holiday is? Well? Tell me!” He shouts, grabbing the poker once more to fully squash the remnants of the paper.

This time, however, as the poker meets the coals a bright flash of blue flame 

rushes up to meet him. With a startled yelp, Ebenezer flies backward into his armchair. The blue flame shifts and whirls however, leaving the gentleman even worse for wear. It begins to freeze, ice and frost overtaking the fireplace and the wall. The mirror above the mantel is encased in pale, blue shards which soon erupt toward him. Icicles form on the chandelier, reaching down for him, and the wooden floorboards beneath groan with the chill. A ghastly face, somehow familiar, stretches across the brick in front of him. Its mouth is formed by the firebox, its bottom jaw running down and across the hearth. His name, once unheard and unnoticed, comes calling on the howling winds. Snow and hail smash at his feet, faster and faster the louder the roars of his name become. It is a hell which ends only when the ghost of his former employer floats before him. The armchair, a symbol of safety and normalcy for the miser, is pulled from under him. He watches it scratch across his floors, glide smoothly to his midnight caller, before ultimately becoming the visitor’s throne. 

“J-J-Jacob Marley?” At first, Ebenezer speaks with fear. His voice trembles and he shakes in his slippers. Then he manages a grip on reality.  “Impossible! You’re–”

“Dead?” Marley laughs and settles into the chair. “Quite right, my friend, quite right. And yet… Here I am! If anything, I am dead tired.”

“What in God’s name–” Scrooge steps forward again, a scowl on his face once more.

“Oh no, Ebenezer. Do not bring your God into this.” The phantom groans and waves his arms about him like he is physically pained. “No, no. I’m not here on that old business.”

“What? What are you talking about? Why are you here?” His friend’s confusion is plain to see and Marley laughs again.

“I do apologise for the dramatic entrance, old boy. Those in charge insist on a bit of… pageantry, elegance, hell, even spectacle if you will. Goes with the territory, as is apparent. But, I am sure you and I can discuss the rest like reasonable men. No?” He rubs a ghastly hand across the right side of his moustache. The phantom’s other hand reaches down, patting and brushing along the coat of his prior animal companion. He muses to her briefly as he allows Scrooge to process his coming. 

The cogs practically screech to a stop inside the living gentleman’s head, his eyes brighten and he turns to the fire with a gentle smile. “Ah! Marley, I see it so: I must have drifted into slumber by the fire. I am dreaming! Oh what brilliance the mind does conjure!”

The shining, golden coins of Marley’s eyes shine bright then and a wretched mixture of a scoff & laugh exit his frozen lips. “Very well, Ebenezer.”

He rises from the chair, carelessly sweeping an arm to the side and battering the piece of furniture away. Prudence retreats, planting herself firmly behind her master. The winds within the room pick up, the chill of the air turns to bitter ice, and the world dims to near darkness. There is a momentary flash of blue flame, all consuming, and boxes of chains drop from thin air. They snap forward, flashing so quickly toward Ebenezer that he had no other option to let out a screech—

“No!” Ebenezer awakens in a flash, head pounding unnaturally. He is wrapped in the sheets of his own bed, but he cannot recall ever dragging himself into his quarters. 

There is a glass of water on his nightstand of which he takes a happy drink. The little light that streams in from the gaps of the curtains bounces along the wood of the bedside table, it lights the face of the small clock that which sits on it. The roundness of the moon peeks through and he wonders immediately at the time. A glance at the aforementioned machine shocks him and brings forth a fiery, recent memory. 

I have pulled a few chains… Marley’s dark tone mocks him, a vivid echo inside Scrooge’s head.

And arranged for three visitors to call upon you before morning… The clock reads 12:57am, a chill thrills his spine. 

The first shall come when the bell tolls One… Yes, he sees the vision of his visitor so clearly that he begins to sweat. 

The second will come calling when the bell tolls Two. The third shall call, well, at Three… Another glance at the time brings Scrooge to fling aside his bedclothes and pace the room. 12:59am. In his mind, he tries to assure himself that it had all been a dream. From the ghosts of past men forgotten, to the freezing grasp of the chains against his flesh, to the terror of truths laid out so plainly before him. But, in his heart, he feels a strange stirring. His gut flips and churns so wildly that he recognizes the truth. Marley’s ghost had been real. 

The chiming cascade of the tower bells draw him from his thoughts and he whips his head to gaze at the fireplace. Perhaps the next visitor would come to him as Marley had. He waits, listening. The bells sing beautifully, hauntingly, before the hour bell drums a single note. Yet, nothing happens. Not a single speckle of dying ember flutters forward, no flecking of dust sweeps across the floor by some unseen wind. An overwhelming sense of relief floods the miser.

“Just a dream.” He mutters aloud, a happy string of words if ever he had uttered them. He turns back to his bed. “Just a dream.”

‘The first at One.’ There in the corner of his mind Marley’s voice mutters and, the moment Scrooge takes a step toward his bed, the world falls into unnatural stillness. The dust that had been previously disturbed by his movements halts midair. His breath, visible in the cold room, is frozen in a perfect, cloudy puff in front of his face. There is no more time that can be granted for his observations, as the room begins to shake. A deep rumbling can be heard both externally and rattling through his bones. The ceiling above cracks and splinters, a fissure forming rapidly and purposefully. It strikes the mirror above the fireplace mantle, cracking it clean through, before cleaving down the brick of the firebox and across the floor. The clean break in the wooden boards extends into root-like splinters, reaching for the man’s feet. 

He yelps, tripping backward over his ottoman. Tangled in his upholstery and bedclothes, Ebenezer almost misses the arrival of the first spirit. At first a floating candle, a dripping wax figure begins to form before his eyes. He is rendered speechless, helpless to wait until the ghost has fully formed. A beautiful woman, if she was indeed that, is created from the wax. Her dress and hair holds up, despite all expectations. She seems to be talking to herself, adjusting her wax clothing and admiring her form in the mirror. He can only stare, even when she turns to face him.

“—llo?” Suddenly, their eyes lock and her face is inches from his.

“Hello?” He stutters through the word. He knows his face is the perfect picture of confusion and fear. An unbecoming blend. 

“Oh! There you are! Back with us… Scrooge? It’s Scrooge, isn’t it?” She speaks in such a rush that it is hard to keep up. The man in question can only offer a mute, small nod. “Yes! That’s it, that’s the one! Oh, my! What a funny name, honey!”

There’s no time for him to have a moment of indignation because the brief pause in her speech had only been to take in air. Did she even need it? “Are you comfortable down there, Scrooge? It doesn’t look very comfortable!”

“Um, well—” 

“Oh! Never mind that, up you get!” The wax woman pulls him to his feet.

He pulls away, “Who— What. Who? What are you?”

“Ah, who am I?” She smiles, clapping her hands together proudly. “I can be anyone you have ever known! Even you.” 

Her form changes, cycling through various people in the man’s life. Several of them are depicted in unhappy tones by the yellow wax, especially the seamstress, before he is eventually mimicked. It goes on for several moments and Ebenezer does not know whether to be appalled or impressed by the menagerie of forms stored within the wax like living memories, echos of the real world around him. It is beautiful and chilling all the same. He cannot understand the science behind it and almost returns to bed, far too exhausted for this tomfoolery. But, alas, he is drawn in.

“Christmas Past?” He dares to ask.

“Yes,” She says gently. “That is I. You were not told of my coming? Or, perhaps, the most important details were omitted?”

“I was given… some guidance.” He rubs the back of his neck and relishes the feeling of the silk nightcap against his hand. 

“You have nothing to fear from me. Afterall, your welfare is my business!” 

Her statement sparks something wicked within him. Scrooge snaps at her unapologetically. “I should think not! Ghost, spirit, phantom— no matter the kind of visage you are! To be disturbed at this hour is hardly conducive to my welfare!” 

Christmas Past appears affronted and she looks at him as though seeing him for the first time. There is judgement in her gaze when she says, “Your… redemption, then.”

/////

You bring a small tub into the light of the fire, empty save for a washcloth and a bar of soap. The pathetic embers swirling at the lip of the hearth are quickly stamped out and the coals replaced. There is a kettle hanging over the open flame and the soft noise of boiling water fills the cramped space. You are fortunate enough to have your own room in the poorhouse, separated from countless families, with two beds and a wood stove set apart from the living space. It is easy to maintain and has two windows which can be opened at any time of day with relative safety. 

Though it is not much, it is enough. Once you paid your debts, you would buy a room in a nice boarding house on a good street, with amicable neighbours, and plenty of windows to let out the stale air. Kitty would benefit from occasional lessons at the church and your focus could return to the shop. Yes, it would be harder to hide Kitty from the world but you would not impose this life upon her for all her years.

With a strained sigh, you bring yourself from your reverie and grab at the blackened kettle above the fire. The mit around your hand is barely enough to keep your skin from burning, so you make quick work of drawing up a bath. The water swirls, still boiling, against the sides and you move on to ready the warming pan as you wait for it to cool. Kitty sits in the corner, farthest from the open windows, watching you. 

“Mother,” Her voice is so delicate, soft. Her demeanour is far too demure for your liking, but you answer her call with clarity and calm. 

“Yes, Kitty?” You push the metal pan into the coals at the very edge of the fire, those just beginning to die out, and turn to face her.

“May I close the windows? The winter chill–” She shivers in her thin dayshirt and your heart breaks a little. 

“Yes, come, help me close them. I think we have left them open too long, let us not freeze or let in more snow.” You move to one side of the room and she goes to the other. Soon enough, the windows are closed and the bath has settled to an acceptable temperature. “Take your bath first, Catherine, I’d rather the warmth of the water go to you.”

Eventually, you are both ready to sleep. Catherine clambers into her bed, warmed by the bedpan you had placed underneath, and pulls the ratty bedclothes to her chin. It is easy to tuck her in, brush back her hair, and tell her a small story. It is hard to leave her, take the hot pan from under her bed, and listen to the howling of the wind as it rattles against the glass panes. It is agonising to lie awake, listening to the small child’s breath and thinking about the world of hurt Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge had caused you with but a few words. 

There is nothing that could properly describe the way your heart had been torn apart and the pieces set ablaze. The sadder yet was the fact that it had not even been his fault. He had been entirely cordial until the payments had begun to slip, until your debt grew and his frustrations mounted. You had revealed to him the truth of your status, your skeletons pulled from the closet of your own volition. The tears barely registered, nor did the taste of salt against your lips. Your family had cast you out, had struck a bargain, and all you had done was prove them right.Completely oblivious to the torment of your aforementioned debtor and the tightening strings of fate, you drift into a world plagued with nightmares. Nightmares that end with only one thing: giving up the one spark of joy in your world– Catherine. Your daughter.

[gangles-toybox]

I think it would be funny if people described their current fandom as like an infection that's continually getting worse like:

The Catcher in the Rye virus just grows worse day by day. My first exposure to it in October of 2022 was very mild and I didn't properly start doodling Holden and Stradlater until November. Oh, how innocent I was back then...just mindlessly doodling for something my teacher assigned...what little I knew. We finished the book before Christmas break in December but that only put a temporary stop to my fixation. During this time I occupied myself with the DHMIS and the Shovelware's Brain Games. However, even stranger enough, in March when Character.ai was popping off I got an urge to talk to Holden. And so I did. 3 different bots at least 3 times each or so, usually playing as Stradlater with different scenarios. Around this same time is when we started to read Farenheit 451 and that did not stop the fixation.

However, in June, I got into the Onceler, then Batman(2022), The Real Ghostbusters, and Eddsworld but it was still a lingering comfort of mine and I found myself occasionally doodling the little edgelord and posting thoughts I had about him here.

Then, I got an ask commenting about how I talk about Holden and I got back into it(never left but still) but recently it has grown...increasingly concerning. It started as it always does, mostly just thinking about Holden and Stradlater...but then before I knew i, I was thinking about Ackley...and making an AU....and new ships...and rereading the book...and now it seems that even the critters of Jane and Sally have invaded my brain. I don't know when this will stop if it ever will, but this is by far the most extreme case of The Catcher in the Rye virus I've ever seen...so far? No cure is available...yet.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Second gentleman Emhoff tests positive for COVID - Published July 7, 2024

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/4758716-doug-emhoff-covid-positive/mlite/

I hate covering celebrity news, but this seems a bit important given that Biden just reiterated his claim that he "beat the pandemic."

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff tested positive for COVD-19, the vice president’s office announced Sunday.

His office said Emhoff had experienced mild symptoms before being tested Saturday, and is now asymptomatic. He is fully vaccinated, the office said.

Vice President Harris was also tested for COVD-19 and tested negative, her office said.

Emhoff will continue to work from home, isolated from others.

Emhoff previously tested positive for COVID in March of 2022, and Harris tested positive for the virus a month later.

Harris is scheduled to campaign for President Biden in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

Find more news, science, and resources on our covid archive:

[consistentsquash]

12 HP Slash Fic Recs from 2022

One completed fic selected from each month!

Theme of the year: Fest fics! Fests are one of the biggest fandom activities for readers and artists/authors! We have some new fests started this year. We also have some fests ending this year.

AO3 Collection

  Earth is the right place for love ( January 2022 )

by eldritcher

Pairing - Rosmerta/McGonagall/Snape

Length - 16000 words

Fest - Hoggywartyxmas 2022. Definitely check out this fest because it's starting soon and it's their last round!

Rec because - Absolutely beautiful seasonal fic. It's about poetry, love, forgiveness and sacrifice achieving the literal impossible of bringing Snape back to life. Beautiful character studies packed in a really rich fruit pudding fic. It's written like a triptych with three character panes going from winter to spring. This is one of my favorite seasonal fics of all time and gets a ton of winter time rereads from me.

"The rest of the tale is rather drab. It makes for no worthy yarn of Christmas." "Tosh!" Griselda harrumphed. "Invoke the prophet who steered you to good luck during your exploits in war and peace! Tell me of the lion's resolve that shepherded you home to love's arms at journey's end! Regale me with the muse who was love's torch!" Theatrical absurdity suited her. Everything suited her, as everything suited those who embraced the dangerous condition of je ne sais quoi. "The prophet of this tale was Umbridge, you realise."

  The Lych Yew Gambit (February 2022)

by Delphi

Pairing - Snape/OMC

Length - 13000 words

Fest - Five Figure Fanwork Exchange

Rec because - Beautiful, beautiful fic! Don't let the OMC tag stop you from reading this one. Because this is a special fic. It's one of the best character studies of Snape I read in my life. The observer POV is intimate, curious and really meticulous. You are pulled into the observer's world and it doesn't let you go. But you don't want to leave. So that works out! Honestly there is life before reading this fic and life after reading it!

In this way, it suited him to have a cipher for a lover. Yefim was a man who enjoyed lists and numbers more than he enjoyed most other people, and if Severus was going to present him with the quandary of occasionally missing him, it was considerate of him to leave a mystery in his wake. When he was here, there was the mild inconvenience of making a second cup of tea and sharing the bed, and the moderate to major advantage of sex and board games. When he was away, there was the comfortable routine of solitude and the pleasure of wondering about him.

  Two is better than one (March 2022)

by webofdreams89 @the-kellephant

Pairing - Harry/George/Fred

Length - 4300 words

Fest - Weasley Fest 2022

Rec because - After reading two really, really intense and thick fics we've got to celebrate with the perfect dirtybadhot polyamory fic!

“Gah?” Harry said nonsensically, his brain short circuiting as he thought of all the perverted things they could do together.

“Oh dear, I think we broke Harry,” George said, grinning.

  Alphard's Favourite (April 2022)

by @thistlecatfics

Pairing - Sirius/Alphard, Sirius/Peter

Length - 4700 words

Fest - Blackcest 2022

Rec because - Dirtyhotbadwrongdelicious. Also Peter Pettigrew POV. His observer POV helps us to see how extra crazy this family is. It hits harder than a direct POV!! Also it's got my fav line about Sirius :D

He was the type of dog where you had to learn his tells - flattening ears or low growl - or else you would lose your hand.

Contempt (May 2022)

by @danpuff-ao3

Pairing - Snape/Harry

Length - 20400 words

Fest - Snarry-a-thon 2022

Rec because - The perfect Snarry. Angry, dark, beautiful! Also really hot. Intense fic! Probably the most intense fic on this list.

How can Harry not despise him? It's been ages since he's been in Severus' arms, and the moment he is, he — it's — damn him, but it's wrong how right it feels. Like all of his broken pieces have been gathered up and stored in a box for safekeeping.

  All In (June 2022)

by @gracerene

Pairing - James/Teddy

Length - 4800 words

Fest - HP NextGen Fest 2022

Rec because - Hot and realistic. I am a big fan of how gracerene writes smut. This fic is a really good take on how communication and smut skills are totally different things for first time hotness.

  These Fragile Bodies of Touch and Taste (July 2022)

by @hawksquill

Pairing - Cedric/Harry

Length - 9900 words

Fest - HP Queer Fest 2022

Rec because - One of my favorite fics of the year from one of my favorite authors I discovered this year! A really beautiful fic about trauma and healing. Cedric and Harry are returning to attend the Triwizard Tournament. Of course they have to deal with a lot of their baggage about their past/the war.

“ You were a kid. I was older. I should have…I should have protected you. It’s my biggest regret, you know? I think about it all the time, wondering what might have been different. Maybe I could have helped you. Maybe we could have defeated him. Or at least if there was another witness, maybe more people would have believed that he was back.” The words tumble out so quickly and fully-formed, smooth as gillyweed. This has clearly been the fodder of hundreds of nightmares.

  it's not enough (this time) (August 2022)

by @billsfangearring

Pairing - Sirius/Remus

Length - 2500 words

Fest - Cruel Summer 2022. It's their first round!

Rec because - OMG! The characterization! Generally I don’t really see Canon! Sirius in a lot of fics especially in modern Wolfstar. This fic has Canon Sirius the way I see him. He really cares about people. He is super empathetic. For him the Potters are not just his friends but also found family. Also really really tragic. Same for the Remus characterization.

He should have known that it had never been him and Remus alone together in the middle of London, hunched over cheap chips as their breath mingled with the exhaled smog of the city.

The wolf had always been there too.

  “Former Headmaster,” oil (and occasionally mixed media) on canvas, 2010 (September 2022)

by nocturn

Pairing - Snape/Remus

Length - 2200 words

Fest - HP Crackfic fest 2022

Rec because - Portrait Snape is just crackfic material!

“You’ve been here a year, Severus, after being specially commissioned alongside the other war heroes—who, by the way, have been perfectly amicable. Even Fred Weasley is more cooperative than you. Fred! I will no longer tolerate your unsolicited advice.

  The Boy (October 2022)

by themoonandstars1989

Pairing - Snape/Harry

Length - 2500 words

Fest - Snarry AUctoberfest 2022

Rec because - Darkfic. Real dark oldschool Snarry! I loved it for how it really embraced the tropes and executed them perfectly. Read the warnings on this fic!

  Tell Me (We Belong Together) (November 2022)

by Maggs0607

Pairing - Harry/George

Length - 6300 words

Fest - HP Rare Pair Fest III

Rec because - Really sweet fic about falling in love and getting together during the adult phase of their life when Harry is raising Teddy.

  A tangled mess (December 2022)

by shushu_yaoi_lj @orange-peony

Pairing - Harry/Ron

Length - 16100 words

Fest - HarryRon Fest 2022

Rec because - Really beautiful fic about grief/healing/recovery/finding love. It has a lot of tropes I don't normally go for. But the fic does serious justice to the tropes/themes and is a must read!

He waits for Harry to tell him it’s a joke.

He waits and waits, but all Harry does is look at him, a hopeful glint in his eyes. So Ron leans into him over the kitchen table, giving Harry the softest peck on the lips that lasts for longer than expected, because Harry’s startled little puff of air probably means that he didn’t think Ron would actually do it, but then he lingers, his lips warm against Ron’s.

[ingravinoveritas]

How will you feel if Georgia and Anna turn up in GO2? Or any other assorted family members?

(Grouping all of the GO 2 Anons together since there are quite a few, and in order of take hotness level from Mild to Medium to Habanero Spicy...)

So, to recap the seeming order of events up until now (though I'm sure everyone is probably well aware): Three weeks ago, Neil made this post featuring a behind the scenes photo from GO season 2. Almost immediately, Twitter detectives set to work trying to ascertain the identities of the three people in the photo, and it very quickly came to light that both Peter Davison and Ty Tennant have roles in GO 2 listed on their respective CVs on their shared agent's website:

Shortly after that, the news appeared to be confirmed on the Radio Times website, and was subsequently picked up by a number of other media outlets. Most of these seem to be repeating what was reported by Radio Times, and while (from what I have seen, at least) there has been no official confirmation from either Amazon or Neil, the roles being on Peter and Ty's CVs seem to have convinced most of the fandom that they are in the second season.

I think there are several things we have to consider when talking about all of this. The first season of GO came out in 2019, and since then, the world has, well...I suppose "gone completely tits up" is one way of putting it, but the world has changed dramatically, and the circumstances around filming and production of television have also changed. Thus, when GO season 2 was filmed in Scotland from October of 2021 to March of 2022, the set was extremely locked down tight due to Covid safety protocols.

In all likelihood, it probably would've been very difficult to get actors for smaller roles or as extras, so from a purely logistical/practical standpoint, that is what could have led to the casting of Peter and Ty. There is also no way to know who the characters of Alastair and Ennon are, so for all we know, these could be very brief appearances where the characters are in one scene and then never appear again.

With that in mind, let's turn to the subject of nepotism, which I have seen mentioned quite frequently since the alleged casting was announced. I think what people may not be seeing is that there has been a marked difference in the reaction to Peter/Ty's casting from the hardcore GO fans vs. the wider public on Twitter. With the GO fans, there seems to be this attitude of tiptoeing around the word nepotism and everyone needing to be super happy/thrilled at the prospect of Peter and Ty (and possibly Georgia, but more on that ion a minute) being in GO 2, or otherwise you're a "bad" GO/David fan.

The wider public, however, has no such compunction about saying the word, often repeatedly, and with additional color commentary. What I wish the fans on Twitter understood is that this is something to be genuinely concerned about, because when the second season comes out, it won't be enough for just the hardcore fans to watch it. The show needs to bring in new viewers, and if people are as turned off by perceived nepotism as they seem to be, they won't tune in. Without those viewers, season 2 may not perform well, and if that is the case, Amazon could easily say "Well, GO season 2 didn't perform, so we're not going to greenlight a third season."

That is why it matters. Because even if casting Peter/Ty was done out of necessity/practicality, it ultimately comes down to people's perceptions, and overwhelmingly those perceptions are of nepotism and/or stunt casting.

For me personally, I certainly was and am not thrilled at the idea of Peter and Ty being in GO 2 (let alone Georgia and Anna, which...I might need a stronger drink before I write out my thoughts on that). But this does not in any way have anything to do with me disliking Peter or Ty, and in fact goes back to what I've always been most concerned with, and that's the integrity of the show.

Thinking back to 2020, I'm reminded of the heart-achingly beautiful audio clip that was released just a few months into lockdown, in honor of the 30th anniversary of GO's publication. Neil didn't write a new scene for Shadwell and Madame Tracy or Newt and Anathema...he wrote a scene for Aziraphale and Crowley. It was Michael and David whose performances resonated so strongly with all of us and with him, and he specifically chose to bring them back as Aziraphale and Crowley to mark that occasion.

When Staged came along shortly thereafter, it was created to build on that chemistry and relationship between Michael and David. Staged was meant to remind us of Good Omens, not the other way around. So I do feel that, when it comes to Peter and Ty (and Georgia/AL) being in GO season 2, it would be a distraction to have them there, rather than an enhancement. Not even because of the acting--as Peter is a seasoned actor and Ty/Georgia are decent enough (though AL is the exception, as she categorically cannot act, which we have seen)--but because of the principle.

The reason so many of us have greatly anticipated the second season is the relationship between Aziraphale and Crowley. So for me, casting any of these folks in the show (but particularly Georgia and AL) draws attention away from the Husbands, almost as if to say the relationship between Aziraphale and Crowley is somehow less/not as worth our attention as their "real" relationships. It also goes back to what I mentioned above about stunt casting, and again, if the viewers the show very much relies on see it that way and are turned off by that/perceived nepotism, it may cause the show itself to suffer overall.

So those are my thoughts on the potential casting of Peter Davison/Ty Tennant and Georgia/AL being in GO 2. I suspect we won't really know the truth about who is or isn't in the show until it's released, but to the Anons who felt they are alone in having feelings of hesitation over these casting decisions: You are very much not the only one who feels as you do, and I'm glad you felt comfortable enough to write in and share your feelings with me. We'll just have to wait and see what happens...

[brostateexam]

Tara Ghormley has always been an overachiever. She finished at the top of her class in high school, graduated summa cum laude from college and earned top honors in veterinary school. She went on to complete a rigorous training program and build a successful career as a veterinary internal medicine specialist. But in March 2020 she got infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus—just the 24th case in the small, coastal central California town she lived in at the time, near the site of an early outbreak in the COVID pandemic. “I could have done without being first at this,” she says.

Almost three years after apparently clearing the virus from her body, Ghormley is still suffering. She gets exhausted quickly, her heartbeat suddenly races, and she goes through periods where she can't concentrate or think clearly. Ghormley and her husband, who have relocated to a Los Angeles suburb, once spent their free time visiting their “happiest place on Earth”—Disneyland—but her health prevented that for more than a year. She still spends most of her days off resting in the dark or going to her many doctors' appointments. Her early infection and ongoing symptoms make her one of the first people in the country with “long COVID,” a condition where symptoms persist for at least three months after the infection and can last for years. The syndrome is known by medical professionals as postacute sequelae of COVID-19, or PASC.

People with long COVID have symptoms such as pain, extreme fatigue and “brain fog,” or difficulty concentrating or remembering things. As of February 2022, the syndrome was estimated to affect about 16 million adults in the U.S. and had forced between two million and four million Americans out of the workforce, many of whom have yet to return. Long COVID often arises in otherwise healthy young people, and it can follow even a mild initial infection. The risk appears at least slightly higher in people who were hospitalized for COVID and in older adults (who end up in the hospital more often). Women and those at socioeconomic disadvantage also face higher risk, as do people who smoke, are obese, or have any of an array of health conditions, particularly autoimmune disease. Vaccination appears to reduce the danger but does not entirely prevent long COVID.

The most common, persistent and disabling symptoms of long COVID are neurological. Some are easily recognized as brain- or nerve-related: many people experience cognitive dysfunction in the form of difficulty with memory, attention, sleep and mood. Others may seem rooted more in the body than the brain, such as pain and postexertional malaise (PEM), a kind of “energy crash” that people experience after even mild exercise. But those, too, result from nerve dysfunction, often in the autonomic nervous system, which directs our bodies to breathe and digest food and generally runs our organs on autopilot. This so-called dysautonomia can lead to dizziness, a racing heart, high or low blood pressure, and gut disturbances, sometimes leaving people unable to work or even function independently.

[jaelijn]

Whumptober 2023 Masterlist

All Blake’s 7, primarily Avon&/Vila.

Below the cut are links to all individual fics. They are listed with the rating, which part of the day’s prompt I used primarily (sometimes I used several or all parts as inspiration for the fic) and the main warning(s) beyond the prompt itself. More comprehensive warnings can be found in the AO3 tags of each fic.

None of these fics contains explicit on-screen sexual content, but there is the occasional suggestiveness, there is violence, there are several heavy themes and major character death. For individual warnings, please see below and on AO3.

I also have a series that collects all of my Whumptober fics, here. This also contains fics from previous years as well as all 31 from this year. All are Blake’s 7. You can find the masterpost for just 2021's on tumblr here, and 2022's here.

♥ The little heart indicates the ones that were my own personal top 7 to write.

#01 “But now this room...”: Free Fall | PG | Crash Landing

#02 “I'll call...”: Shattered Trust | PG | Post-Orbit/Warlord AU

#03 “Like crying out...”: Broken Argument | PG | Break-up

#04 “You in there?”: Suspicious Aid | PG | Mistreatment

#05 “You better pray....”: Deadly Debts | PG | Imprisonment

#06 “It should have been me”: Aching Responsibility | PG | Guilt

#07 “Can you hear me?”: Dark Journey | PG | Temp. Blindness

#08 “outnumbered”: Considered Advice | PG | Emotional H/C

#09 “Learning...”: Mistaken Trust | PG | Trust Issues ♥

#10 “Can't you see...”: Unbridled Rage | PG | Violence

#11 “All the light...”: Inadequate Options | PG | Captivity, Angst

#12 “insomnia”: Sleepy Suggestions | PG | H/C

#13 “It comes...”: Salty Winds | PG | Old Age, Grief ♥

#14 “Feed me poison...”: Bitter Almonds | M | MCD, Poisoning

#15 “I don't need...”: Fluid Boundaries | G | Emotional H/C

#16 “gurney”: Forgotten Love | PG | Torture, Betrayal ♥

#17 “collar”: Controlling Help | PG | Obedience Collar

#18 “blindfold”: Blind Luck | PG | Threat, Blindfold

#19 “floral bouquet”: Floral Thrall | PG | Curse of Obedience

#20 “People don't...”: Orbiting Fates | PG | Angst

#21 “See the chains...”: Chained March | PG | Restraints

#22 “vehicular accident”: Impenetrable Shields | G | Injury

#23 “It's gonna...”: Ghastly Aftermath | M | MCD ♥

#24 “I've got....”: Spun Gold | PG | Drugs

#25 “buried alive”: Open Grave | PG | Paralysis, Buried Alive

#26 “working to exhaustion”: Dirty Tasks | PG | Conditioning

#27 “scars”: Unmentioned Scars | PG | Scars, Injuries

#28 “We might...”: Impending Destiny | PG | Foreshadowing ♥

#29 “I only sink...”: Forbidden Months | PG | Amnesia

#30 “borrowed clothing": Wet Towels | PG | Mild H/C ♥

#31 “I thought I was...”: Living Lies | PG | Manipulation ♥

[voltstone]

Volt's Library | Fandom Essays

Links to the essays, opinions, or little things I've written on this blog. Both long-form and short-form. Mostly fandom-related. Hope you enjoy. :)

— — —

SCAM ALERT | Discord Scam: Impersonating Discord Employees, Be Aware | January/March 2024

An alert post of Discord's prolific scam where scammers impersonate Discord employees through hacked accounts, with a March update.

TWDG | …so about that clementine comic: a (very long, sorry) essay | [17,468] May 2022

An analysis of TWDG & canonicity, as a rebuttal to the Clementine comics by Tillie Walden.

TWDG | …about the clementine comic (again): why is she illiterate? | [9,186] March 2024

Another analysis of TWDG in regards to the Clementine comics (by Tillie Walden), with a commentary of survival and linguistics.

TWDG | ERICSON’S WALLFLOWER: or bpd as a twdg fandom essay, & violet's analysis | [27,991] March 2024

A deconstruction of Violet as a character, and Borderline Personality Disorder, as an exhaustive explanation as to why both her and the disorder are so often stigmatized—with personal accounts.

TWDG | The three (of five) TWDG deaths which haunt me so | [4,299] April 2024

All three TWDG deaths that stick to my mind personally, with a mild analysis of the games (Season Two) to boot.

WEDNESDAY | okay can i say a thing about esther in fics | [Short-Form] January 2024

Esther is a toxic influence for Enid. Yet, the fandom tends to oversimplify what that toxicity is.

— — —

[Updated: May.3.2024]

[peachjagiya]

https://www.tumblr.com/peachjagiya/749306621843456000/i-wonder-how-far-this-jikook-bh-narrative-runs

I don't know, maybe they were "portrayed" this way because both things, the drama and the book, are being based on the years before 2021? Back then Jimin and Jungkook were actually close. If two members were spotted hanging out together, it was them. Starting from hanging out during the tour by going out together with Jimin's friends, to hanging out in South Korea on multiple occasions, to actually spending nights together like during Jungkook's birthday in 2020. Staff even said they never saw them separated in 2019 and they called each other all nighter buddies. So they're probably portrayed like this because that was the case back then. At least from what we saw and heard from them. That undeniably changed after 2021. After them hanging out in March 2022, there's nothing that points to them hanging out again or seeing each other much outside of the company until Chuseok 2023. Actually it seems like Taehyung and Jungkook spent a lot of time together and grew even closer during that time. I'm not a shipper, so I have no horse in this race. But sometimes there's no conspiracy going on and it's just what it looks like. Taehyung and Jungkook were very close since debut until like 2015, then somehow Jimin and Jungkook grew closer but then started to grow apart in 2021 and Taehyung and Jungkook got way closer again. I know this doesn't fit what you believe as a shipper and that's ok. But sometimes it's healthy to maybe take a step back and see everything from a more neutral pov. Not everything has a second meaning. And that goes for both sides, on case some Jikookers are lurking here. They also have trouble with accepting reality which is that Jimin and Jungkook barely saw each other for a long time period.

Besides isn't it also very possible that the actors of Jimin's and Jungkook's characters are just actually friends and that's why there's more background stuff about them in the drama? And it's only been 4 episodes so far, 8 are still missing. And looking at the trailer the main duos of the actual BU will get a huge chunk of screen time. And I honestly don't get how the book "portrayed" Jimin and Jungkook as anything when the members were interviewed for that book. The Tokyo trip was obviously very important to Jimin due to them going on that trip because Jimin wasn't doing well at that time, so obviously Jimin (or Jungkook) would mention that trip in the interview for the book. And I mean they were not the only duo mentioned in the book. Sometimes things just don't have any deeper meanings.

I see your points and thank you for making them.

I actually think "the book" really confused things here. I thought the "book" the ask referred to was the BTS Universe which is obviously fictionalised. That's why I referenced Yoonkook.

Media releases plus the official website confirms:

So we're thinking it's based on Behind The Story? Did we get confirmation of that? I'm puzzled. It continues the story but tells another story too? Actually that sounds about right for HYYH 😂

You're right, we don't know how it progresses from here.

Regardless, even if it turns out to be a Jikook lovefest, that's ok! Ultimately I did say in my answer that it was a mild hmm and I'm not taking much from it.

No, not everything is a conspiracy, I agree. But as I said, H√be and other corporate entities are really showing their asses right now. Never trust a corporation ☺️

[elenichr]

Year of Lists

March Films

more awards-related stuff and then FREEDOM (what I chose to do with it is another thing but one thing I cannot be judged for is there are a LOT of movies this month, and that is positive)

must-watches in bold (these are in relation to other movies watched, and the time, not necessarily must-watches of all time)

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always (2023) *6ish, I guess? - does this count? It's nostalgia in an hour's worth. it's every bit as bad as you would hope. Great stuff.

American Fiction (2023) *7.5 - hell yeah. Finally, something important done in a pleasant, human, enjoyable way (see how much I sobbed during this awards season: so.many.super.sad movies - or if not sad, just.so.much, overall). Performances are out of this world; it has everything: humour, nuance, a bit of romance, a bit of sadness; it was so damn good to watch.

The Zone of Interest (2023) *6 - how do you rate this? that six is not representative of the movie at all, but here we are. Everything you've heard about this is true: it's masterful, definitely a gut punch, Sandra Hüller is having a great year; the sound(track) is out of this world. It says so much with so little. Yes, it's a movie about the Holocaust, but it's also, really, a movie about how we stand by and allow atrocities to happen. It's a movie about humanity's cruellest side: indifference - right now, and then, and always. There is much to be said here, a lot of conversation was around how Schindler's List worked as a movie, therefore, romanticised, by the movie lens, the Holocaust. I can see how The Zone of Interest tried really hard not to do that, and I can confidently say it's done so much for exposing how useless we can be in the face of tragedy, but with every day that passes, I keep thinking more and more that it hasn't escaped that movie lens. However, it does really well at asking the question of whether we can portray atrocities of this kind, and does it really make a difference when we try?

Dune: Part Two (2024) *7.5 - umm, this is so long I need to rewatch it to even have a formed opinion. In lieu of a rewatch, here are my current thoughts: it wouldn't have been half the movie it is without the soundtrack. Also currently my favourite soundtrack of all time. I could rave and rave about it. The performances were great all round. I really love that Villeneuve doesn't try to constantly capture people like the mega starts they are: see Timmy's double chin, constipated face, present in both movies, and at a close-up at that. Some scenes were visually and emotionally breathtaking but I'm not sure if this was the case because of the anticipation of seeing something loved in a book portrayed on screen. It felt busy and a bit disjointed, especially in comparison to Part 1. I so wish they'd done the romance differently. I was constantly thinking of The Bear and how well that worked there. I wish they'd let Paul and Chani's connection breathe and mature, taken us along for the ride.

Alice, Darling (2022) *6 - this gave How to Have Sex vibes. I love when a movie addresses difficult subjects (in this case, abuse) in a slice-of-life, uber real, awkward way. It dexterously looks at the outward indicators of abuse, the responsibility of friendship - some mild body horror for both symbolic and literal purposes.

The Sixth Sense (1999) *7.5 - they don't make them like this anymore. Boy, do I envy anyone who hasn't watched this and doesn't know anything about it. If you know that person, please, make them known, I want to sit them down and pop this in the cassette player (Netflix or Prime or whatever, but you know). It's only the second time I watched this because I thought there wasn't much reason to, apart from nostalgia. Surely, it's just so worthy because of the set-up. Yeah, yeah, I was wrong. I had to pause a couple of times to allow myself to digest the mastery of what this movie is when YOU DO KNOW.

Scarface (1983) *7 - what can I say? Yup, it's great. Colours are a highlight, as is Michelle Pfeiffer.

A Time to Kill (1996) *6 - disclaimer: I am going through legal dramas, I love 'em. This was fun, much more timely than I expected. Samuel L Jackson has a beautiful, beautiful speech. A man fancies a woman that is not his wife, and she is pretty, and young, and smart, and she ignites a spark in him, and she believes in what he's doing in all the ways his wife doesn't, and yet, said man doesn't cheat on said wife. Woohoo. I'm all for complexity and non-monogamy (when both, or more parties, agree to it) but it is just so beautiful to see a good marriage challenged and withstand the challenge. Bonus points for young Matthew McConaughey and infant Sandy Bullock. It's serious, it's legal fun, a bit naïve; the nineties in a two and a half hour ride.

Rush Hour; Rush Hour 2; Rush Hour 3 (1998) (2001) (2007) *6 *6 *5 - WAR UGH ... SO MUCH FUN. Yeah, they shouldn't be bunched together, yeah, a lot of it reads problematic, yeah, I wish I'd been watching them all my life. Great stuff. Don't look away at all the racist jokes, both ways, and any other way you can imagine. This is a superb example of looking at what we made for fun: there's so much to digest, learn from, appreciate. I LOVE JACKIE CHAN. When I was a kid, it was considered embarrassing to appreciate his work. I had a stupid-ass, DUH, moment of realisation watching this: oh, that 'martial arts movies are sub-par' idea? Yeah, blatant racism. It feels so good to come to this now. Side-note: Zhang Ziyi showing up in 2, what a treat. I'm not one for recycling material but can we have Rush Hour 4 please, please, please?

Blow Out (1981) *6 - another Brian de Palma, another good movie with its merits. Some of it was delicious in a movie buff way, but I was bored nonetheless. If you're into your legal, crime, journalistic slow-burners, go for it.

Decision to Leave (2022) *9 - triple bold. This is my favourite movie. It has been since I saw it in the cinema and cried in the toilets after. It is a masterpiece, Park Chan-Wook might well be my favourite director. There are not enough good things or good enough words I could say. Here's the best I can do rn: noir at its best, romance at its most complex, human nature at its barest, lyricism, depth, story for days, really unapologetic storytelling, no infantilising the audience here, crime at its most beautiful, and potentially the best ending scene cinema has ever seen. Watch this, watch The Handmaiden, watch Stoker, watch Oldboy (when I watch more of his movies, they'll be added to this). They're all in my great movies of all time (fictional) list. Side-note: WE ARE SLEEPING ON KOREAN CINEMA. We're getting there, but we're not even close. Still underrated.

Joy Ride (2023) *6 - does what it says on the tin. Also SO MUCH FUN.